The female devils I saved came to my door

But when he asked himself, he was also confused. If he sat in the position of the Pope, what could he do?He couldn't seem to do anything.

When he encountered the demon named Subversive, he was actually influenced by his thoughts.He also longed to bring some changes and reforms to the world.

But he also understood that he could not expect to set off a violent storm like the one in 1789 that swept the world in a world with gods and magic.

What's more, the chicken feathers left behind after the Great Revolution completely shattered the world's dream of establishing a kingdom of heaven on earth.

After being completely sunk, some people choose to compromise with reality, believing that no one can build a world without oppression and exploitation. It is better to give up those unattainable dreams, or even choose to embrace nothingness.

Some people choose a more radical and thorough revolution.Choose to smash the entire old world and embark on paths never imagined.

But they still suffered a disappointing defeat in the end.

Before traveling through time, when reading the history of those sages, Ciel was also confused in his heart - is it possible for human beings to break the law of historical cycles?Will all ideals be crushed by reality?All greatness will turn into despicable despicable things...

These doubts made him remain cautious and restrained after traveling through time.

Even though he witnessed the turbulent behavior of the Holy See and the nobles, witnessed the riots that broke out under the guidance of demons, and witnessed the desperate lives of countless civilians amid plague and war, he suppressed his inner impulses.

Whether on earth or in Arran.Human beings who have joys and sorrows, experience joys and sorrows, and cannot escape birth, old age, illness and death, seem to be forever unable to escape from these reincarnations.

Therefore, a few years ago, after the riots in the Valan Republic, when faced with Sirna's inquiry, Ciel could only tell her that he did not know what was right.

This is actually very shameful. This is his dereliction of duty and incompetence as a teacher.

He should have done something.

Now, he has stood in this key position.He must take some responsibilities, at least to make this new empire more efficient, younger, and more dynamic.

The great empire he longed to assist the "Future Queen" to establish should not be just another regime with a wider territory, stronger vassals, and more wealth.

Conquest and expansion are meaningless if they fail to bring about fundamental changes.

The seemingly prosperous empire must once again become decadent and rigid.

The once high-spirited rulers will inevitably indulge in their past great achievements. Their ambitions will inevitably burn out like firewood, and the rest of their lives will become useless charcoal.

Prosperous empires will eventually fall into ruins, and the roots of their corruption may even have been laid when the empire was prosperous.A blind pursuit of victory in conquest will only accelerate this decline.

But he still wanted to do something.

It was also at this time that Sirna returned to Ipoli from Glory City.

About this book

I reorganized the outline and looked at what I wrote.

I found that even though many subplots and supporting characters were deleted, the actual number of words written was still much more than I expected.My problem of being a talkative has not changed.One sentence of the outline requires two or three chapters to explain clearly. Now it is actually 40 words. If two other copies are also taken into account, the total number of words will directly exceed one million words.It was far behind the expected target of completing the book within 80 words.I try to control the word count as much as possible, and the plot may be a bit rushed next time.

134. Return

With confusion and expectations, after leaving her hometown for more than ten years, Sirna finally embarked on the road to return to her hometown.

No matter what, she had to go home.Even if she doesn't like her hometown and doesn't want to see her relatives again who she doesn't know how to face, she will go wherever Charles is.

The Pope's external rhetoric is to ask Cardinal Sirna, who has been away from home for more than ten years, to return home.Both the Pope and Monroe were reassured by Sirna and were sure that she would not reveal the Pope's secrets.

The knights and servants who escorted Sirna back to Ipoli only thought that this was a long-distance escort mission. They did not know that their master might not return to the Holy See in the future.

Sirna immediately set off, passed through the wall of people outside Glory City who were hungry for miracles, and embarked on the return journey with difficulty.

Everything she had experienced in the past ten years kept flashing back in Hilna's mind - Charles's careful care and companionship; St. Ann IV's constant support and care; the death of Catlin, who had once made her a little jealous. The sincere conversation before; the sister Lovna who almost messed up Sirna's future and now made new troubles in the East; the seven children of Shire buried under the Holy See...

How did things come to this?

Teacher Charles... He is obviously Sirna's guardian knight, and he should protect her throughout her life, just like he said when he swore...

And the Pope.

Hilna did not hate St. Ann IV.The pope has taken good care of her for more than ten years.Moreover, he truly taught this student all his knowledge and the means to consolidate his authority.

From the perspective of the amount of knowledge she imparts, she is more qualified to be called Sirna's teacher than Ciel.

But after truly getting to know her, Sirna discovered that she was just a paranoid mother trapped in obsessions and ideals.

And her sister Lovna, she was Sirna's best friend in childhood, a stranger who was gradually forgotten, and the trouble that almost ruined Sirna's future - now, she has become something in the omen. The future queen.

Those seven children who were trapped in the crystal coffin and imprisoned by the Pope for more than ten years...are they still feeling the pain of that torture now?

If she informed Charles of the existence of these seven children, what would he think?Angry, sad or heartbroken?Will he immediately return to Glory City and raise his sword to the Pope and Monroe until death?

…………

She didn't understand, she felt that her life had collapsed before these successive changes, and her past efforts seemed to have become a fruitless joke.

But she felt that as long as she returned to Teacher Ciel, everything would be fine... maybe.

Following the path taken more than ten years ago, we took a boat out to sea at the Saint's Port outside Glory City, bypassed the peninsula, made a large circle along the sea route, and landed in the Weilan Republic two months later.

This free coastal city-state that once impressed Sirna has flourished again with the restoration of order.Compared with a few years ago when the riots continued, it has become much more prosperous, and there is a vague sense of prosperity before the plague broke out.

Countless cargo ships were loading and unloading various goods in and out of the port. The snow-white city bricks under the blue sea and sky reflected bright white light, like an oil painting that had just been colored and the ink was still wet.

But in the noisy port terminals, you can still see coolies whose backs are bent by heavy objects, and supervisors who are shouting curses.

Riding a horse-drawn carriage through the city streets, you can still see some beggars and blind people who have been abandoned by the city in the dark corners of the streets.

Their faces were covered in disgusting sores and rashes, and these people huddled in corners, some with eyes filled with hatred, and others with dull faces.These are the people regarded as a burden by the city of Vaeran.

The senators who once had close relations with the Holy See earnestly invited Cardinal Sirna to join them for a meal in their luxurious mansion.

In the past, all the wealth and mansions their fathers had amassed and built were lost in the riots caused by the red-haired witch.But a few years later, the new generation of rulers who suppressed the riots and succeeded the elders had already accumulated a considerable amount of property.

In the newly built mansion, the gilt carved fountain, the garden full of flowers, and the elegant and unique houses all make visitors feel relaxed and happy.

During the banquet, the guests sat around the long table piled with delicacies, eager to please the cardinal who had arrived for unknown reasons. They boasted to her about the prosperity and wealth of Vaylan City, flattering her and saying that these were the results of the support of the Holy See.

They showed off the luxurious gadgets they had purchased over the years and presented various expensive gifts to Sirna, hoping to please her and gain the appreciation and recognition of the Holy See.

As Sirna looked at these luxurious gifts that she could not refuse, she felt that these interactions made her even more bored.

The knights who guarded Sirna also moved into the mansion one after another.Rumors about the East have spread among the servants, and even the accompanying maid who serves Hilna in her daily life has heard some rumors about the "prosperous Ipoli Empire" and the "reborn red-haired witch".

The way they looked at Bishop Sirna was also slightly different.

Sirna looked at these worried servants and sighed.

That night, she left a note, telling these servants to stop following her and return to Glory City immediately.

She herself took off the robe that symbolized the authority of the Holy See, put on the light linen clothes of a maid, cast a spell of invisibility, found a horse, and without carrying anything, she mounted the horse alone and left this coastal commercial port city. .

For the first time in many years, she traveled alone without servants or guards. It felt like she had taken off a heavy mask.

Even though a long time has passed, even though for more than ten years, the turbulence of plague and war has caused many changes to the east of the continent.

But Sirna is not worried. She doesn't even need to rely on magic. She only relies on her extraordinary memory. She recalls that a long time ago, Teacher Charles took her to leave Ipoli and rush to Glory City. Then she can go back in the opposite direction. Found the way home.

At that time, she was just a young girl who had just gotten the opportunity to leave home with Charles, and all she could think about was the joy of monopolizing Teacher Charles.Therefore, she only felt that everything she saw along the way was so peaceful and beautiful.

But now, after experiencing so many things, looking at the plains, farms, villages and towns along the way, I feel that the real scene is more dilapidated and outdated than the hazy memory.

She also heard a lot of rumors about "those Iberians from the east".

People say that the female imperial general in the east who calls herself a saint looks like the "red-haired witch" from the past.

Not only does she have a powerful army around her, but she is also assisted by a group of unbeatable monsters.After a tragic defeat, many former kings and city lords reluctantly handed her swords and bread, completing the ceremony of surrendering allegiance.

People vividly described those tragic wars, and lamented with fear the horrors of the resistance against the Ipolis. They exaggerated to each other what a terrifying and ferocious monster the "female general of Ipoli" was. All kinds of exaggerations made Hilna Those on the sidelines shook their heads.

Then, Sirna continued eastward.

She entered the territory of the former Principality of Beztan.However, in the villages and towns along the way, what was flying was no longer the flag of the principality, but the familiar and unfamiliar flag of King Ipoli.

These villages and towns all accepted the rule of the Ipoli Empire.Some villages and towns have already changed their entrance halls quickly and dexterously before they have even seen the red-haired saint's military power.

Those flags were flying on the city walls and gate towers.They are visible to all who come and go.

Some nobles would curse it viciously, some priests would stare at it worriedly, some citizens would sneer at it, and some farmers would turn a blind eye to it.

As Sirna continued eastward, she was getting closer and closer to home.

Gradually, she reached the border of her former homeland, the Great Blacksend region.

Once upon a time, the dense forest in the mountainous area between her hometown and the outside world had been cut down to create a spacious continent.The dangerous and peaceful swamp also seems to have dried up.

Guardsmen in chain mail and uniform cloaks set up checkpoints and checked passers-by.There were far more merchant visitors than Hilna remembered when she was a child, all crowded in front of the checkpoint.

As a high-level mage, Sirna bypassed the checkpoint and continued moving forward.

The familiar hometown has changed beyond recognition.

The widened avenues, renovated villages, tall city walls, solemnly practicing soldiers, patrolling guards and dense crowds of people... are all completely different from what they remember.

Ipoli is no longer the remote country that only gets lively during important festivals.The prosperity here is even vaguely close to those wealthy cities near the headquarters of the Holy See.

Hilna almost couldn't recognize her way around.Only relying on the road signs and markers along the way, as well as her deep intuition, she was able to find the stream in her memory - the gurgling water. Although the once clear river was now a little turbid, it was still the same stream. She couldn't help but Will admit mistakes.

Continuing up the river - you should be able to reach Ciel's former residence.

Mr. Charles... lives there, just like before.

135. The subtle relationship between sisters

Shire's former cabin is located on the banks of the creek.

Back then, there was only a low earth wall surrounding the red brick house.There are swings, slides and sand pits scattered in the yard, which are the play facilities that Ciel prepared for the two students.Outside the hut is an overgrown suburb. You can reach the main city of Ipoli by walking on a dirt road that is muddy all year round for about half an hour.

But now, Charles's former home has become the centerpiece of Ipoli.

A ring of carved white masonry built a towering wall, enclosing the riverside hut and a large area of ​​flat land around it.The various magic runes engraved on the stone wall all have powerful attack power. This is an obvious warning to those who come.

Most residents regard this place as a secret military camp or fortress and avoid it.

Only some locals in Ipoli know that this is the residence of Mr. Charles, who once taught Lady Lovna.

Only Lovna and those seven special children can pass through this wall and meet Charles who lives in seclusion here.

It's the same today. The lands conquered by Iboli are rarely safe, and there are no problems in the Great Blacksend area that need to be solved by Lovna herself.Currently, the resurrected Sons of the Netherworld are patrolling various places to eliminate potential rebels.Lovna got a rare free time.

At this time, this distinguished lady who served as the "Protector of Great Blackende and the surrounding countries" took the time to quietly leave her residence in the city and came to this hut to accompany Ciel.

Last night, Charles was busy as usual until midnight, summarizing and analyzing the various reports and intelligence collected by Lovna until midnight. It was not until Lovna fell asleep due to sleepiness that he took out a stack of reports. As a result of staying up late, I carefully explained to Lovna after waking up for a long time before going to bed with peace of mind.

After Ciel fell asleep, Lovna felt a little guilty because she could not stay up late with Ciel, sorting out the official documents her teacher had written for her.After she tidied up the clothes for the sleeping teacher, she sat in the bedroom to rest.

Just as she was looking at Teacher Charles' side face and thinking wildly, there was a knock on the door of her residence.

"Ok?"

Lovna in the room was interrupted from her thoughts. She was stunned for a moment and realized something was wrong - this was a forbidden area she had set up, and there would be no other visitors.If those seven children returned to this place, they would only rush to knock on the door a few times, shout their father's honorific title, and then directly push the door open and enter the house.

The knock on the door just now was definitely from those children.

But the knocker at the door should not have any malicious intent.He seemed to be very patient and a little hesitant. After waiting for a while but no one answered the door, he slowly patted the door again.

"Char...is Teacher Charles here?" A voice as gentle as velvet came from outside the door.

The speaker seemed a little timid. Although Lovna had not heard her voice for almost ten years, she could still identify the speaker's identity from the tone of her voice.

Lovna froze for a moment, then stood up and slowly moved to the door of the room. Then, when the visitor at the door was about to knock on the door again, she opened the door.

Eyes facing each other, the sisters who had been separated for more than ten years finally met again.

The sweet girl of heaven, Hilna, who was once favored by countless people in Ipoli and held a high position in the Holy See as a noble cardinal, was currently wearing a black and white tight-sleeved maid outfit that only maids wore, and she was a little panicked. Standing anxiously outside the house.

The maid's clothes, which were of acceptable quality, were stained with mud during the long journey.Her long, smooth hair, which used to be styled by someone every day, was now braided with a short length of rope and turned gray.

At first glance, she looked like a servant who had just finished cleaning.

And Lovna, as the most respected leader of Ipoli at this time, of course she no longer worries about wealth.There were so many luxurious clothes donated from various places that she could wear them forever.

She is now wearing a close-fitting black knee-length dress, paired with snow-white stockings and exquisite light boots. The ends of her long, bright red hair are slightly fluffy and curly, which further complements her slender and curvy figure.

Anyone would think that she is a mature lady with a respectable status.

The last time the two separated, it was outside of Glory City.At that time, the noble Sirna had just rescued the "red-haired witch" Lovna from the cage, who had been imprisoned for more than half a year.

As a younger sister, she threw the troublesome sister out of the city, and with a warning of "Don't come back to cause trouble to me and Teacher Charles again, sister," she randomly teleported Lovna to the big city. In the mountains north of Hessend.

At that time, my sister, who once had to look up to me and who was powerless to do anything, was despondent after being teleported away. She felt that she would spend the rest of her life as a mediocre village woman and would never be able to meet Ciel again.

However, various events and coincidences pushed their fate.