Uncle, I am not an ordinary office worker.

Evangelista XI glanced at Roy approvingly and asked, "Most people on earth comment on competitive knights as being exaggerated, but after meeting you, I know that those comments about others being exaggerated are truly exaggerated."

"Before we start our formal conversation, I have a question I want to ask you."

Roy nodded: "Excuse me."

"Mr. Roy, how much do you know about Lateran? Do you have friends from Lateran, or have you ever received help from Lateran, or believe in Lateran religion?"

Evangelista XI asked.

Roy thought seriously for a while and shook his head.

He did not have a deep understanding of the Lateran, nor did he have any friends from the Lateran. He did know quite a few people, but they were only to the extent that Roy knew her and she did not know Roy. As for believing in the Lateran religion, not to mention that Roy himself had no religious habits, even if he did, after knowing the nature of the law, it would be impossible for him to believe in the Lateran religion.

After receiving the answer, Evangelista XI kept smiling, but his tone became more serious:

"I'm sorry, I asked this question purely out of confusion. Because the promise you made to Valerie was very exaggerated. [The fate of Terra], this kind of thing is obviously not something that Rutlan and you, two small individuals like us, can bear."

"So, please understand that Lateran welcomes all guests who are eager to see the glory of Paradise, but will never allow anyone to try to destroy or subvert this hard-earned peace, no matter who he is, where he comes from, or who is behind it."

The atmosphere was already tense before the negotiations even started.

Volume 1: Chapter 275: Within seven steps, the punch is fast

Roy never felt that negotiations would be easy.

In this magical place called Terra, even a soldier on the side of the road is a thinker who has transcended vulgarity and whose mind is full of ideals of the country, ethnic differences, racial concepts and the great rejuvenation. The leaders here are even more shrewd.

Even the Black Snake, who is despised by most people, his theory of infinite war is enough to be called a demagogue. His cruel methods of dealing with the unruly people have made most people go through the five major stages of life: despise, slander, understand, become, and surpass. Not to mention those national leaders who speak in a set of ways.

Although Evangelista XI gives Roy the impression of being "kind" and "principled" but also a "stereotyped and conservative" KFC grandfather in the plot, it is undeniable that the reason why the plot of "Director Wu Xianlu" has become one of the peaks of the Ark story collection is that the cowboy-like debate between him and Director Andorn is indispensable.

Roy never dared to underestimate the old man's determination to defend Lateran. To some extent, he also knew that his arrival would inevitably bring unprecedented changes to Lateran, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a major change that had not happened in a thousand years.

After getting Trevor Friston's proof, Roy has confirmed that the essence of Sakota's law is a military management terminal system used in the pre-civilization war period. Whether it is the halo on Sakota's head as a "signal receiver" and "friend or foe identification mark" and the light wings behind him, or their empathy ability that facilitates communication and cooperation, they are undoubtedly powerful weapons on the battlefield. It is also one of the guarantees for Lateran's continued military power to this day.

Once Roy used the authentication code to gain access to the terminal machine, it would mean that he would actually control the survival of the Sakota race—a race of the same origin as the Sarkaz. If they could not be recognized by the law and included in the system, then their sealed horns on their heads and long tails behind them would inevitably be exposed again. That would be the Sakota's secretive Fall, and this Fall would most likely cover the entire Lateran.

It is no exaggeration to say that if Roy is an ambitious and conspirator like Black Snake and Tracys, then he now has the ultimate weapon to completely destroy a race from the physical to the spiritual level. Whoever he wants to become a Sakota can become a Sakota, and whichever Sakota he wants to fall from heaven will be kicked out of his race.

Therefore, he could best understand what the old man in front of him was on guard against. It was also because of this that he had to put all of this clearly in front of him:

“Your Holiness, I don’t want you to take my words as a threat. I am simply stating the facts.”

"We all know that there are gods on Terra. Whether they are the giant beasts with power left over from ancient times, or those conceptual gods whose true identities are unknown or may even be just the embodiment of a will, or those powerful creatures in the deep sea. They are revered as gods and have their believers and religions, because people in the ignorant period naturally have awe and yearning for powerful lives. But the Lateran religion is different from all of them."

Evangelista XI's expression tensed up, his brows slightly furrowed, and he asked in a dull tone as if he wanted to boost his momentum:

"What's the difference? The scriptures and the teachings of the Scriptures all teach us to follow the guidance of the Lord and to be good and make good—"

"Because the Lateran faith is not any kind of god, but a commandment." Roy did not deliberately interrupt the Pope, but when these light words came out of Roy's mouth, the whole room fell silent.

Evangelista XI's expressions are wonderful.

He was a calm man. Even when he was debating with Andorn, facing the obviously shocking ideas, he could refute them with reason and evidence, and fight back with ease without losing the upper hand. Even after the passionate exchange of shots, when he confirmed that Andorn had not fallen, his expression was just a little relieved in his helplessness. He silently fulfilled his responsibilities as the Pope, the saint, the executor and spokesperson of the law, and revealed the truth of the Lateran to another person who might become a saint.

But that was because Andorn was a Sakota. No matter how unorthodox his ideas might seem to Evangelista XI, he was still a Sakota. He had the right to question his own life, and the right to know the truth after passing the test.

But Roy was different. Roy was Kuranta, and if he was not lying, he had never been to Rutland before this, and he did not have a friend in Sakta.

How could he reveal the truth about Lateran in one sentence?

Evangelista XI let out a deep breath, and when Roy thought he might ask him a question, unexpectedly, the kind Pope suddenly reached into the lining of his priest robe, pulled out the pocket-looking revolver at an extremely fast speed, and pointed it at Roy.

"We didn't have to make things this serious. It's better not to use guns on people easily."

Roy pursed his lips and tried to persuade him.

"I have no ill will towards Lateran. On the contrary, I like this city very much and have no intention of destroying it. I am here only to state the facts. The real decision is made by you -"

"No need to say any more."

Evangelista XI shook his head.

"Mr. Roy, since you know the law, you should understand my difficulties. I don't like this way of handling things, but please understand that I have no choice."

"boom--"

The loud sound of gunfire instantly resounded throughout the Papal Hall.

When the musketeers guarding outside the door broke in, they saw such a shocking scene.

Pope Evangelista XI held a pistol and aimed at Roy. The hot muzzle was still emitting wisps of gunpowder smoke. His eyes were wide open behind his small round glasses, as if he had witnessed something incredible. On the opposite side of him, Roy, who was sitting on the sofa, did not move at all. He raised his right hand slightly, and his index finger and thumb were like steel pliers, tightly clamping a bright silver etched bullet.

As the musketeers rushed in, Roy's arm muscles began to exert force, veins bulged, and the power was transferred to his fingertips. The solid etched bullet actually began to tremble.

"Kacha——"

The trembling did not last too long. With a not-so-distinct crisp cracking sound, witnessed with his own eyes, the bullet that was fired from his gun and caught by Roy with terrifying speed and strength at a distance of less than two meters began to gradually shatter and disintegrate, and was finally rubbed into grains of iron dust by two fingers.

"Within seven steps, the punch is fast. But I am a reasonable person."

He still maintained the utmost courtesy, but in the eyes of others, this courtesy had become a kind of restraint displayed by a strong man.

"I will tell you that kind of truth, but if you really don't want to listen, then please understand."

Volume 1: Chapter 276 Final Interpretation

The weapon of criticism cannot replace the criticism of weapons.

After a cordial and friendly exchange, Evangelista XI looked at the black muzzle of his own guardian gun which was already in Roy's hand, opened his mouth, and finally raised his hand from the bottom of his heart.

"Please take a seat."

Roy pointed at the sofa behind Evangelista XI. The soft animal feather sofa had probably reached the end of its useful life. The exquisite and gorgeous silk surface was covered with bullet holes of various sizes, exposing the warm white fur inside. The long cracks looked like they had been scratched and bitten by some terrifying beast. Who would have thought that this was caused by the weapons of the musketeers?

Compared to Roy's sofa which was just covered with dust, it was like a poor man who had suffered an unexpected disaster. It stared at the culprit who had hurt it and slowly moved towards it, then put his butt on its already overwhelmed body.

"crunch-"

Listening to the "wailing" of the sofa next to his ears, Evangelista XI felt his teeth aching and his head felt dizzy, as if he had just had a big dream.

Who could have thought that someone could survive a face-to-face firefight with two musketeers without getting hurt, and even counterattack despite the fire suppression? Who could have thought that a person's reaction speed and strength could be strong enough to not only catch a bullet with bare hands, but also catch a bullet from God's machine gun?

Evangelista XI originally thought that everyone was just playing with guns and magic, which was at most a little fantasy, but he never expected that Roy didn't abide by the basic laws at all. This is simply fantasy!

"Let's talk it over. I think, why don't we go to another place?"

Evangelista XI suggested, trying to put on a friendly expression.

It's not that he wants to recruit someone else to fight Roy again. Now that he knows Roy's fighting ability, he will never do that. Who knows what this Terra Superman will do next time? What if he loses control and Lateran has to re-elect the Pope tomorrow?

The law has taught us that survival is the first necessity of civilization. As the leader of Lateran, I protect myself, which is also a way of practicing this principle!

The reason why he suggested changing the venue was that this place was obviously no longer suitable for discussing any secrets.

The lounge of Hall 11 was so large that Kazdel could be rebuilt. The room was riddled with bullet holes from floor to ceiling. The chandeliers, glass, vases and other decorations were all shattered. The saints in the paintings on the wall either had eyes on their foreheads and were still laughing foolishly, or had two bullets in their eyes and were still praying with their hands clasped together. The sofa under my butt was in danger of tipping over at any time, and the gun rider who fell in the corner had to faint for a reason. It didn't look like a place for a normal chat.

Moreover, with Sakota's character of watching the fun and not minding the big things, there must be a lot of people outside the reception room. If they don't move quickly and send people to maintain order, in less than half a day, the news that the Eternal Knights passed through Lateran in 1 hour and 22 minutes and shocked Terra with a little bit of Casimir will spread all over the land!

Although Evangelista XI no longer cared about whether he could maintain his reputation in his later years, he still had to protect Lateran's international image. He had started planning the Universal Messenger Plan four years ago, and in the end he had to use Lateran's reputation as a guarantee.

Fortunately, Roy seemed to be just as he said, and had no ill will towards Lateran. Facing Evangelista XI's somewhat sad request, he did not refuse, but shook his wrist, put the gun into his bag openly, raised his chin towards him, and said:

"Go wake them both up. I think I didn't use too much force."

"No, no, we're awake!"

The two musketeers who were lying on the ground leaning against each other suddenly jumped up like sleeping bears, touched the dented piece of armor on their chests, and said with some fear,

"There is a room in the tenth hall. Your Holiness, please go there first. We will return to the team first. The medical expenses and repair costs will be reimbursed by the Pope's Office!"

After that, they couldn't wait to open the door, trotted through the noisy crowd outside, and left the scene. Even Roy couldn't help but sigh that Sakota was as optimistic as ever. He actually dared to leave the Pope alone here.

"Then, Mr. Roy, please wait a moment."

Evangelista XI said embarrassedly. After a while, two lancers quickly returned to the lounge with more colleagues, and stopped the Sakotas who were about to rush into the lounge to eat melons. As the area outside the eleventh hall was slowly cleared, Evangelista XI stood up again:

"Okay, please."

The tone became much more polite.

.........

"Mr. Roy, I'm actually very curious, what is your understanding of the law?"

In the brand new lounge, Evangelista XI finally asked the question that Roy had prepared long ago.

This time, Roy answered with ease: "The Lateran scriptures were compiled. Whether it was advising people to be good, or to believe in God, and to abide by the rules and precepts, these contents were all fabricated by the founders of the religion and saints of all ages. To be precise, they were gestures and compromises made to cater to the times."

If the times are barbaric and countries are fighting each other and forming alliances, then the content of the scriptures will be "encouraging believers to contribute to the country and fight for their beliefs. Only those who defend their beliefs and country can be liberated." If the times are civilized and countries yearn for peace and development, then the scriptures will preach "adhering to the precepts, guiding people to be good, doing whatever you want but not harming others, and those who are peaceful and pious can go to heaven."

The teachings in the scriptures are always changing. As of today, the Lateran Codex has been revised countless times. The original content and appearance of the scriptures, like the original origin of Sakota, have long been forgotten in the long river of history, except for saints and a very small number of people.

"But no matter how the content changes, the core of the holy book is actually only one. It is both the idea and the purpose, which is [survival]."

"No matter what, maintaining the continuation of the species is always the top priority. This is the inner core of the scriptures and laws."

Roy looked into Evangelista XI's eyes. The old man was as stiff as a stone statue, and he said nothing, neither admitting nor denying. But to some extent, when a saint who has studied and comprehended the laws and doctrines of the scriptures for decades does not refute or correct the views of another person, this is already a kind of tacit consent.

Roy did not wait for Evangelista XI's response and continued:

"And the manifestation of the law in the outside world is a giant machine. A lost terminal."

"Do you know its owner?" Evangelista XI suddenly asked.

Roy was not from Lateran, did not know Sakota, and could not possibly know these secrets through his own mouth. So, leaving aside all possibilities, even the most unlikely one, now became the only answer: Roy's knowledge came from the [Master] of the Law, and he knew the creator of the Law.

Under the gaze of Evangelista XI, Roy nodded:

"Yes."

"Then what is your purpose here? To reclaim the law? To shut down the law? To turn Lateran from paradise into hell? To end this false dream that has lasted for a thousand years?"

"No." Roy shook his head. "I'm just here to solve our mutual problems. I'm looking for a win-win situation."

Roy held up two fingers and said,

"Latlan gets the final right of interpretation, and I get the weapon to fight the crisis. Win, win."

Paper 1: Final Exam

I'm taking a day off today, and the exams will end on the 29th. Except for today, there should be normal updates.

Because tomorrow I have an exam on Marx and I haven’t memorized it at all, so I’m cramming for the exam by studying the materials.

I hope I won’t fail at the end of the term.

......................................

Volume 1: Chapter 277: Going Underground, the Sound of the Conch

Roy never thought about destroying Rutland.

Whether from a personal perspective or a practical perspective, destroying Lateran was meaningless to Roy. This behavior would not bring any benefits, except for reducing one of the few countries with higher moral standards than the average on Terra and physically and spiritually displacing tens of thousands of Lateran residents and tens of millions of Terrans who believed in the Lateran religion.

Oh, maybe Tracys and the radical Sarkaz would be happy, but Roy didn't need to please Tracys. He, Kuranta, was also within the scope of Tracys's war plan to some extent.

What he sought from Evangelista XI was a conditional cooperation.

"Although your guess is not entirely correct, I do have an inseparable connection with the one who created the law. To put it more clearly, I know how to use the law correctly and manipulate the law."

Roy took out the USB flash drive from his arms and showed it to Evangelista XI:

"This kind of utilization and control is different from the Sakota, who accept the revelation of the law and merge into the same combat network to achieve synaesthesia. As long as I insert this USB drive into that machine, I will have the administrator privileges of that machine. I can decide whether the law accepts a certain Sakota, and I can also kick the existing Sakota out of the sympathetic network, remove their halos and wings, and restore them to their original appearance. This is the degree of power I have."

Evangelista XI swallowed.

Before Roy explained, he had vaguely guessed what Roy would say next, but when these words actually came out of Roy's mouth, he still felt a chill down his spine from the bottom of his heart.

This made him feel even more suffocated than when Roy snatched the guardian gun from his hands more than ten minutes ago, knocked down two musketeers, and pointed the black muzzle of the gun at him.

Because at that time, even if Roy really had evil intentions, the victim would only be Evangelista XI, and the future of Lateran would naturally be taken up by new saints, and the law would still protect them. At least, they still had hope.

Now, Evangelista XI didn't even dare to imagine that if what Roy said was true, then this threat was undoubtedly aimed directly at the Sakota race. This might be more terrifying than the Demon King leading the Sarkaz to sweep the world again and invade Lateran!

Evangelista XI couldn't help but reach out for his guard gun. But before he could reach out, he suddenly came to his senses. The short gun was now in Roy's hands. Even with the guard gun, he was no match for Roy.

"What do you want?" Evangelista XI raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and asked in a calm voice.

"I want to start it," Roy replied.

Evangelista XI's expression darkened instantly, and he asked bitterly and helplessly, "You are pushing Lateran to a dead end."

"You should listen to me." Roy said, "After I start it, I will give you the USB drive."

"I have no intention of deciding Lateran's fate. The creator of the law and I are only dealing with the crisis from the old times, so we need to borrow the legacy of the old times."

“That’s why I brought a USB flash drive as a means of authentication, rather than having the creator himself be present in person.”