Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

And their individual appearances were exactly the same, or in other words, they were exactly the same as the magic circles used to "launch magic missiles" that Lunicia had just seen.

——Ah... this is bad.

If you are hit by this number of magic missiles from all directions... getting a head shot through is not necessarily a low-probability event, and it cannot be ignored. In addition, if you cannot deal with it, even if the armor can withstand some of the damage, being pierced into a sieve is inevitable. Even if you make a correct counterattack, it is not easy to avoid serious injuries.

Unfortunately, for Lunicia who was being knocked away, it seemed that the only thing she could do was to use her shield and sword to create a not-so-wide line of defense.

It was a bit difficult to turn the body directly in this state, but if I didn't do that -

"Mrs. Luna!"

Just as she tried to swing the sword again, Ella's voice reached her ears.

From far to near——

Buzz————!

Accompanied by the buzzing sound of a sharp object cutting through the air.

The black iron mechanical puppet was holding Ella Heper's frail body with one hand. The blue flames spurted out by the thrusters made her look like a star-chaser, rushing straight towards the group of emblems shining with magical brilliance. Due to the restrictions of her posture, Ella could not move one of her hands, and the other hand was on the hilt of the jet-black sword. The sound that broke through the air was the buzzing sound of "Punishment" leaving the sheath.

It was as if dark waves were passing by.

Then, one side of the magic circle was split into two by the black ripples.

It disintegrated and dissipated, turning into pure blue magic, like flying catkins, paving the way for the mechanical puppet and the curse swordsman. The speed of flight suddenly increased, and then, like a stage play that had been rehearsed countless times, Lunicia grabbed the black iron palm that was stretched out to her without any hindrance, holding the hard, slender but reassuring touch.

Ashetherin's body sank suddenly under the weight of the paladin, but her structural strength and power did not seem to be enough to cause concern. After a moment's shake, she returned to a stable dive.

If they had crashed into the magic circle directly just now, the effect would not be much different from being hit by a rain of magic missiles. The magic power contained in it and ready to burst out at any time would immediately pounce on Ashlee and Ella, and it would be impossible to try to bypass it. If they tried to break it, ordinary weapons would not have any effect. If it was just a knife forged from ordinary steel, it would be natural for it to be cut directly by the structure of the magic circle. Only weapons containing magic power have the ability to offset the lines in front of them, thereby achieving the purpose of destroying its structure.

Regardless of whether it was Lunicia or Ella, what they held in their hands were the most advanced magical weapons.

Grabbing Ashetherin's arm and hanging herself on a flying object, Lunicia swayed in the wind and waves brought by the dive - and before colliding with the magic circle on the other side, she threw the shield hanging on her wrist.

The Pure Shield whistled, drawing a crescent-shaped arc in the air.

Would it be deflected after hitting the light wall made up of lines? Or would it be shot down by the magic missiles that burst out?

No——a flash of white light appeared, and the magic circle there shattered like a mirror, dissipating into matrix dust.

Not only is the long sword a part of the "Avenger", the shield as well. Moreover, it is made of part of the folded sword body. It can not only be used for defense, but of course it can also be used for attack. There is absolutely no reason why it cannot break the blockade in front of it.

"Okay, Ashe, let's do it in one go--"

Can I finally take a breath now? Just as Lunicia was thinking this...

boom!

One after another, the azure flying knives stabbed into the back of the black iron puppet. The back of the neck, shoulder blades, spine, waist side - of course, including the thrusters, the nozzle was firmly pierced by several darts.

Those magic circles that were not shattered in the two waves of slashes finally played their intended role.

"Although this machine also wants to do this. However, there is a fault alarm."

"At this juncture?!"

"A-Ashe?!"

It sounded like a series of explosions bursting out from behind Ashleelin. Her body shook violently, and amid the screams of the two "crew members" in her hands, she swayed and fell slowly downwards, until finally...

boom!

There was a heavy thumping sound.

…………

boom!

A heavy thumping sound was heard on the table.

It might not be accurate to say that it was a banging sound. It was actually the sound of a large pile of documents being placed on the wooden table. If he did not respond, it would be rude of the person who placed the documents. After all, it is generally hard to imagine that a pile of papers - well, mixed with cover materials and some other things - has such a weight. For this senior clerk who has not been trained, it is probably not an easy task.

Especially, looking at her complexion, she didn't look like she had a good rest at all.

"Novia."

“Ah… yes, that… sorry, Senior Evelin, the noise was too loud…?”

"Do not--"

Evelyn Tigridel was looking at Novia's face carefully, and then she couldn't help but sigh.

"no problem?"

"Problem? No...no, thank you for your concern?"

It didn't look like there wasn't any. Her attention seemed to be barely focused, but it seemed to be on the verge of being distracted. The dark circles under her eyes and the roughness of her skin due to fatigue were well covered up - not by magical tricks, but simply through makeup - if you notice the formal clothes that Novia and Evelyn are wearing, you can also realize that the occasion they are in does not allow them to show "fatigue" blatantly.

As for the part that can be expressed, "eyes" is the limit, but in Evelin's eyes, even if she only needs Novia's eyes, she can judge the degree of her fatigue.

But on the contrary... Evelyn seemed to be no different from usual, still full of energy, as if she could bring the villains to justice at any time. Should we say that elves are more resilient than humans, or are legendary strongmen really different? Of course, Novia didn't even have the energy to envy, and she probably just needed a good sleep.

But there was no intention of backing down in her words, and similarly, Evelin didn’t seem to want her to back down at all, and she just rubbed the bridge of her nose to show her helplessness.

"If you feel too bad, you can go to the lounge."

“Is everything alright…?”

Now it was Novia's turn to ask questions.

"No problem. Who do you think I am, Novia? You are not used to this kind of occasion yet, so you need to take a proper rest. It's okay, I can handle the rest by myself, just make sure to come back before the time comes."

Evelyn didn't like a lax style of work—especially towards herself and her subordinates—but she wasn't a person obsessed with efficiency. No matter how important the occasion was, she should still rest when it was time to rest.

Deputy Director Miranda of the Ritual Bureau was already in place at the venue. The remaining work was to finalize the materials in front of them to ensure that nothing would go wrong at this critical moment. Letting Novia assist was not only to improve efficiency, but also to increase her familiarity with the materials. Although the negotiation process did not necessarily require her to participate too much, it was also a kind of training to train her ability to be independent.

But if she was overtired for this reason and made mistakes, it would be more trouble than it was worth. Anyway, as Evelyn said, she could handle this job herself, because she was the first person in charge of the Sacrifice Bureau and the highest assistant priest of the Glorious Divine Court. Although it would definitely be tiring.

“In that case… I will take my leave first, Senior Evelin.”

"Ah, Novia."

"yes……?"

"Now that this is a formal occasion, let's change the address - rather than calling you 'Director', I'd better call you 'Senior'."

“Well, okay, Senior Evelyn… no… um… Chief Evelyn.”

"That's it."

Watching Novia walk towards the lounge, Evelin sat back on the sofa and took a portion of the materials from the mountain of materials piled on the table.

——There is really no peace.

She really wanted to complain like this and let out a long sigh, but when she recalled the noisy conversations of her subordinates outside the door when Novia pushed the door open and left, she swallowed back the rare complaint.

While flipping through and confirming the materials in his hands, he sorted out what had happened during this period - everything about the object of this negotiation, the Kingdom of Noron.

Chapter 20: The Vortex of the Western Continent (Part 1)

Knock, knock, knock——

After locking herself in the temporary office prepared for her in the guild hall, Evelin did not use the last bit of time to relax her nerves that had been tense for a long time. Instead, she became more and more focused, tapping the table in front of her with her knuckles while flipping through the materials in her hands one by one.

Wow – Wow –

The room was well soundproofed. Outside, countless clergymen from the Bureau of Rites and fully armed soldiers from the Bureau of Inquisition in formal attire were moving around, busy, discussing or arguing, preparing for the next work in their own ways. The office was still quiet, with only the sounds belonging to Evelyn echoing.

This is natural, after all, this is a venue built by Noron, Teriyadi and Zelhar together. If you look at this building from midair, it looks like three lines with the same center extending in three directions. This place is located at the intersection of the rare borders between the three countries, Frska Province. This building is also named "Frska Consulate". The three "lines" extending outwards point to the borders of the three countries. In other words, in this building, you can travel between the three countries, which has such a wonderful meaning.

As for the materials, no matter how Evelyn checked, she did not find any problems - this was also natural. She had checked them countless times before. In the absence of major changes in the content, "no problems" was normal. What's more, this was the product of the entire Ritual Bureau's overtime work during this period. If any major problems really occurred, it would be too unfair to their treatment, status and salary.

"……call……"

Under the effect of the incense, her tense nerves became relaxed, and she couldn't help but let out a long breath. The sound of her exhalation sounded like a sigh, and it came so suddenly, as if the "Tian Yao Sword" had just realized that she should relax a little.

It is carved based on the prototype of "Lady Aquarius" Pezrelil, the sister of Levina, the goddess of night and tranquility in mythology. It features an incense burner carried on one shoulder, double-layer soundproof windows made of black holy wood boards and religious stained glass, classical-style columns, and an overall theme of black, white and gold. Of course, there are also three holy emblems arranged in a triangle on the altar - overlapping thunder and triple sun discs, a golden waning moon nailed by three arrows, and twelve stars contained in the eyes. When Evelyn wants to distract her attention, she will choose to focus on these exquisite decorations to let them share the fatigue on her eyes, and silently pray to the Three Thrones of Light.

Pray that this negotiation goes smoothly, otherwise it will be more than just a small matter of whether this beautifully decorated house can remain intact.

This consulate has been in a state of neglect for many years, with only the staff stationed there. Due to its sensitivity and... irrelevant reasons such as "preventing stowaways", it has been basically closed since its first official use 19 years ago, until recently.

Knock, knock, knock——

His knuckles continued to tap the tabletop slowly, as if they had unconsciously synchronized with the clicking sound of the pendulum clock.

Time is passing, which means that time is getting closer and closer to the predetermined moment.

It would be difficult for ordinary people to remain calm in such occasions. Even the clergy of the Ritual Bureau with rich diplomatic experience are no exception. For example, someone like Novia would inevitably be in a state of anxiety due to excessive tension. This would not necessarily affect the accuracy of their work, but it would increase their physical and mental consumption exponentially. Only an experienced senior like Evelyn could always maintain this calm look.

This doesn't mean that she doesn't value her current job and what's to come.

"Tripartite talks..."

Should I say "again"? Thinking of this, Evelyn could only suppress the thought of a bitter smile so that it would not interfere with her work - until she put down another piece of material and put it in the "read" pile.

The last time I did something like this, I didn't even have to think hard to recall, it must have been nineteen years ago, at the moment when the continental war ended.

It was also in this consulate of the Ferska countries, and I was also in this office, holding one document after another... Oh, at least the person in charge at that time was not me, but Sieyeli, Sieyeli Agris, known to the world as "Qiming Chenhui". I only needed to be his deputy.

But now, when the high priest is busy with the war in the southern polar region and has no time to leave, it is my turn to be responsible for everything here.

Thinking of this, Evelin couldn't help but fall into deep thought again. She thought so deeply that she put the new materials in her hand aside. Compared with reading these materials again, thinking about what happened during this period might be more conducive to the next negotiation.

"but why?"

Why - the so-called three-party talks were not the first, but the fact that this meeting could take place was what puzzled Evelin. In her opinion, although it was definitely better to have room for negotiation than not, she had not figured out what was going on in this negotiation.

Almost every department in the Glorious Divine Court, whether it is the Sacrifice Bureau and the Judgment Bureau, or the Sealing Bureau and the Sacred Relics Bureau, which are the farthest away from the situation, can clearly smell the strong smell of gunpowder from what has happened during this period. It is not recent. It should be said that since the negotiations 19 years ago, the west coast of Mu Continent has indeed experienced a period of stability and peace, but just like the sea surface cannot be calm forever, there are always waves in this land starting from the smallest details.

Recently, there have been only two major events in the Glorious Temple. One is the Saint's journey, and the other is the Southern Expedition of the High Priest. Saint Lunicia is not a participant in the decision-making and work of the Temple. She has her own mission, so she lacks contact with the outside world and does not need to care about these things. She has never known anything about what happened on the west coast of the continent. The High Priest Sieli is very clear about the incidents that may arise here, but the movements of the evil gods from the Southern Polar Region make him unable to cope with them. He can only choose the more urgent one to deal with, and leave the mess on the Mu Continent to Evelyn.

For Evelyn, the series of changes during this period of time are inseparable from her department, the Bureau of Ritual, so she knows what is happening better than anyone else.

At first, it was just some small things that couldn’t be called “incidents”.

Speeches...or rather opinions...flowed like streams, about racism and the war nineteen years ago. These speeches were not uncommon in the Kingdom of Noron and its surrounding lands.

This country has always regarded itself as a "country of humans but not intelligent species" and a "holy land of all spirits". Only "humans" in a narrow sense can reside, travel and live freely. "Pan-human species" and "intelligent species", regardless of whether there is reproductive isolation between them and humans, can only live in settlements designated by the Noron government. There are strict restrictions on all aspects of daily life, including shopping, work, study and travel.

The humans of Nolon dislike and even hate other races, but they cannot do without the economic benefits and...sense of superiority, such social benefits, provided by these alien races. Under such contradictory and morbid thoughts, such contradictory and bad measures are born.

This policy has been implemented since "King of Grace" George Lowenthal established the country. It was like this before the war and reached its peak during the war. After the war, the atmosphere in Noron has been restrained from speech to specific measures. Not only the elves, but other races in Noron have also gained a period of relaxation, and exchanges with surrounding countries have also increased.

This is undoubtedly a good thing for the various races that still remain on the land of Nolon for various reasons. It seems that they can begin to look forward to a more relaxed and friendly era with the end of the war - until recently.

This was what the foreign clergy from the Noron Diocese reported at the beginning.

The Kingdom of Noron has a single belief in the Court of Glory, and among the Three Seats of Glory, the main ones worshipped are Zelti and Levina, the twin gods of day and night. The churches affiliated with the Court of Glory are widely distributed throughout the country of Noron.

However, only part of it, especially the part that is generally biased towards the west of Noron and close to Zerhar, has clergy stationed there by the Holy Court, including priests and deacons. The Holy Province of Noron is not a strictly existing concept. There is no high priest assigned to the Noron area. All matters related to the dioceses in the Noron area are directly under the charge of the Patriarchate Zerhar. The rest are all "autonomous churches", also known as "wild churches."

It is a church that is not subject to the management and arrangements of the Patriarchate, but is spontaneously established by grassroots lay people. Not only does it not have management personnel assigned by the Temple, but even the so-called "doctrines" in their mouths may not be strictly consistent with the official ones of the Temple of Glorious God. Even if the circulation of the holy books of the Temple of Glorious God is not hindered, the price cannot be considered expensive.

This kind of wild church supports most of the Glorious Court beliefs in the Kingdom of Noron. They are not managed, their behavior is not restricted, and they will not pay fees to the Patriarchate or offer sacrifices. These wild churches are not consistent with each other and have no unified management, so they are very chaotic. In order to avoid the chaos that these autonomous churches may cause, the Glorious Court - the Zerhar government - as an institution with the highest right to interpret doctrines and a way to communicate with gods, should have intervened in these autonomous churches, disbanded them or sent personnel. Unfortunately, the Glorious Court's own beliefs and positions have become an obstacle to this work.

As long as these wild churches do not do anything too extreme to be called heresy, it will be difficult for the Glorious Temple to directly intervene and ban them. What's more, these wild churches are distributed in the territory of Noron, which has a delicate relationship with the Temple. Under normal circumstances, Zerhar lacks the position to take such actions that can be regarded as interfering in the internal affairs of Noron.

This sounds rigid, but for the Glorious Temple, ensuring its own justice and legitimacy is far more necessary than controlling the wild churches in Noron.

However, unfortunately, according to reports from grassroots churches affiliated with the Divine Court, these wild churches have also become disseminators of the above-mentioned remarks.

The Wild Church is not influenced by the Patriarchate, and their values ​​cannot be interfered with. They only depend on the cognitive level of the local people. On the other hand, the church originally assumed the responsibility of providing some educational resources by opening church schools and monastery study groups to increase the local educational level. However, the Wild Church is different from the official Temple and has no knowledge or reason to do so. The poverty in Noron, especially in rural areas, has exacerbated the negative effects in this regard. The interpretation and even reading rights of scriptures are limited to the organizations and leaders of the Wild Church. In essence, the Wild Church has become a facility that is only influenced by these "unlicensed priests."

In this closed environment, voices will reverberate, be amplified, circulate, and become singular. Extreme racism becomes even more extreme with the help of these wild churches, as if the scriptures of the Bible have become the material for their endorsement, and the justice they preach naturally becomes the justice that belongs exclusively to "pure humans" and "expelling aliens."

...This is not a "special situation" at all, it was just mentioned casually in the report. The attitude of the people of Noron towards other races cannot be easily changed. After a period of unnatural recovery caused by external forces, it fell again due to the passage of time. This is definitely not a good thing for the "special" residents of Noron, but for bystanders like the Glorious Divine Court, it is also not something worth paying too much attention to.

Yes, this is normal, there is no sign of abnormality.

But at that time, Evelyn still recorded all these situations one by one. Now it seems that this is not a "special situation" - it is just a part of the torrent, but it still reflects something.

Some people are reinforcing this tendency. Some people are deliberately accelerating the spread of this kind of speech.

This is exactly the conclusion Evelyn came to later, but it was too late.

By the time she realized this, the situation had evolved from simple hate speech to something more substantial.

A targeted riot - miscellaneous and robbery, as well as attacks on other races, beating up lone residents, smashing doors and windows of shops. At first, it only occurred around the settlements designated by each race, and it seemed that they did not dare to go deep into the settlements of other races. Even the sheriff of Nolon would turn a blind eye or simply pretend not to see it. There were more riots against elves than against other races. These were full of "normal" atmosphere... But later, the situation further deteriorated.

With the "Nohakov District Fire" as a turning point, everything seemed to be rapidly moving in an irreversible direction, with arson cases and group violence, which gave surrounding countries including Zelhar an opportunity to intervene. The large number of dragon descendants and dragon beliefs in Letoni have always made the country deeply unhappy with the atmosphere in Noron. Zelhar needs to follow the doctrine to oppose this behavior. The large number of border frictions between the Rocklia Union and Noron have accumulated the same amount of dissatisfaction. As for the Terriati, although they do not care about their fellow elves who are displaced, they will also regard this behavior as a provocation to the Elf Empire.

By issuing a joint statement condemning the violence in Noron and demanding that the Kingdom of Noron take measures, the Noron royal family introduced the "Alien Race Concentrated Protection Act."

As the name suggests, it means to completely gather the "aliens" in the country and then have them "protected" by the Noron Kingdom Army.