Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"It can be seen from just now. Although it is a level 4 mystery, it is also knowledge that needs to be granted through a ritual. If you say it casually, even if it is not a red card, it will at least be a yellow card. And I have not been subject to any restrictions, which means... you The mystery level is 5."

"Ah, how many others are 5?"

"Theoretically, I am the only one." Victoria replied, "Of course there are some derivative levels. For example, the co-ruling emperor shares this level with me under my authorization, and now this position is my father. Apollonia and Phae They can't be counted together. They are gods and demigods, on the outside. They don't keep mysteries, and they can't obtain them. And because you are the king of Rome, our levels are the same. Ah, that's easy to handle. "

She suddenly breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally, I can relax a little bit. Shangluo, have you ever asked how this mechanism works? I'll tell you now - all memes have mysteries, and everyone also has mysteries." degree. Our series of pledges alone prevent the spread of memes from high to low, which is taboo.

"The cornerstone of our country is mysticism, and we keep secrets step by step according to hierarchy. In the end, all big secrets need to be kept by one person, and that person is me. This is why we have to retain layers of elders and citizens. , free people, slaves, etc. This is cruel, but it is necessary. Because mystery creates taboos, and taboos are not only the pillars of mystical power, but also the pillars of our regime. Of course, there are people outside this system. For example, as Apollonia, the sun god of our time, has no inhibitions.”

【Hey~】

Shangluo covered his forehead: "Is this why this guy talks nonsense?"

"That's right." Victoria replied, "No matter what Apollonia says, she will not touch the taboo, because she is outside the system. And within the system, our layers of mystery are constructed through agreements and confidentiality. This It is the cornerstone of Rome. And here, the King of Rome is indeed within the system, but because your power is not granted through an agreement, but through a ceremony, you are not bound by the agreement. Sure enough, this is the King of Rome. Power? This is unfettered, almost theocratic, but within the system. No wonder no one has ever climbed and broken the golden branch before. Even I don’t know about this secret. Fortunately, it was you who broke the branch, otherwise the consequences would have been terrible. It’s unimaginable.”

Chapter 669 Wool

"So, why do you dare to harvest any wool?" Shangluo was already shocked. Originally, this matter had something to do with the East, but now Rome is almost finished. If Rome dies in a bad way, it will be very troublesome to deal with the inheritance later.

"It's really bold to kidnap an angel, but it's really useful. I'm worried about one thing now." Victoria looked at Shangluo across the screen:

"The transmission of information will inevitably cause losses. The Roman emperor was a level 5 mysterious secret keeper, but such a huge secret could only be transmitted one-to-one. I used to wonder whether some key information was lost. , and now it is indeed the case. For example, the King of Rome is the second level 5 secret keeper."

"Didn't you know that before?"

"Here's the key. I know it's really important, otherwise I wouldn't have gone all the way to ask you to come over and solve the problem. But I didn't know it was so important! I don't know, because my father probably doesn't know either. My father doesn’t know, I’m afraid it’s because my grandfather, my grandfather’s grandfather, and my grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather don’t know – I don’t know which year or month or which generation this piece of information was lost.”

"Then if you don't die, there will be ghosts! You will definitely die!"

"Mr. Shangluo, I want you to clarify one thing first - but without the foundation of mysticism, we would have perished long ago in 1453. The person who will replace us then will be the mushrooming of Europa. The coming technological barbarian countries will cause considerable trouble to your country. So although this is problematic, it is necessary."

"Okay. I thought you could discuss it with me, and the situation has improved. Now it seems that your problem is much bigger than you thought, right? In the end, there was more than one secret keeper, and these guys actually have no idea."

She shook her head: "Shangluo, as the King of Rome, you have the same decision-making power as me on this matter. I would like to ask your opinion. For example, what do you think about the shepherd Stephen?"

"That's a time bomb." Shangluo replied, "I don't want the archangels to guard Constantinople. So the power is in my hands, and I will seek reconciliation with the angels. Otherwise, someone will take care of Constantinople when I don't expect it. If the shepherds bring it in, then Constantinople will be blown up. Between 'orderly demolition' and 'blow everything to the sky', I choose the former."

"I'm afraid it's not that easy. The archangel Gabriel was imprisoned for 1500 years. Tuesday, May 1453, 5, the day when the Turks from Asia Minor smashed the Theodosian wall with Urban cannon Become 'The Day the Angels Bleed'. Every year on May 29th we make sure the icon of Gabriel is covered in plaster, otherwise everyone present will witness the angel's wings bleeding - and much, much more. Things. I don’t know if Archangel Gabriel will forgive us after what we have experienced.”

"So you don't have any reliable method? Why do you have to use such a method with endless consequences?"

"Because as long as it is a lock, there must be a key. As long as it is a lock, there must be a possibility of being opened. We call it the bane, but any mystery will inevitably create taboos, and there will also be banes. Taboos are the price of using power, and bane It is a way to dispel power. As far as angels are concerned, there are many taboos, and the day the angels bled is just one of them. And Stephen the Shepherd is the key to unlocking the door. He is the bane for us. Bane No. 009, Stephen the Shepherd, A huge secret that affects the survival of the empire."

"You know this, how do you sleep?"

"If you knew there was a phone book full of secrets like this, you'd be more relaxed."

"Okay." Shangluo touched his forehead, "How do you usually keep secrets like this?"

"In addition to the secret keepers of the corresponding level, there are also full-time workers who are in charge. They only know the part they are responsible for, but do not know the whole thing. And we usually do cross-management - for example, this will make the gentleman The mystery of the physical explosion of Fort Tantino is usually kept in the hands of the Oracle or the Palace of Muses. Because if it is handed over to the hands of the Senate, they may use it as a bargaining chip in exchange for it one day. And vice versa. "

"Then what does 'I know' mean?"

Victoria shook her head: "You now have unfettered control over a huge mystery. You know the destiny of the Roman Empire, but you have not signed any agreement. Therefore, your situation is the same as the nature of the Roman King himself - in human history In early history, there was a being called "Witch King". They were both shamans and tribal leaders. They had status and authority close to that of gods. Later, with the development of history, very few countries still retain This kind of half-human, half-god monarch. And you are already one now."

As she spoke, she sighed: "I should have thought of it earlier. This is a very obvious reminder. Historically speaking, the King of Rome was the shaman and secular leader of the Roman region. When you become the King of Rome, of course you will become a shaman." king."

"Okay." Shangluo looked at him, "If I were the Witch King, I would try to have peace talks with Gabriel. Although there may indeed be problems, how do you know if the talks can be successful without asking. If both parties can If everyone takes a step back, it may not be possible to eliminate this root cause of trouble."

"No, this won't work." Victoria replied directly, "Even if we can talk about it, it won't work. Since there is no need to keep it a secret from you, I will just tell you - Hagia Sophia has another purpose, and it will become a Roman burial place. The burial place of the body. Because there was originally a church cemetery down there, and everyone in Constantinople could be buried there. Until we find a way to let the body enter the nutshell world, we still have to keep churches around the world as burial places. Bonelands. Constantinople was the largest of them all.”

"You can't move, right? Then you can carry it yourself?"

"Yeah." Victoria nodded, "In an ideal world, Rome would strip away all secular institutions, and we would become the preservers of the mystery. We will try to gradually dispel the mystery we left behind, but we will gradually implement the work Before, there were still some mysteries that could be used by Cathay. We will try our best to help - and Shangluo. Now that you are the king of Rome, you also have the power to decide on the affairs of this institution. Any instructions?"

"I just want to know now - how many level 5 secret keepers are there? Please investigate this clearly first. Otherwise, there will be endless troubles. Another one may appear out of nowhere and set off a series of mines."

Chapter 670 The root of the problem

"This is not difficult." Victoria replied, "I will figure it out as soon as possible and get back to you with an answer. In addition, I will come back in two days."

"Are you still coming? Aren't you afraid of being a colander?"

"I have my own way. That's it. I'll hang up now. I'll have something to do later."

Without greeting Shangluo, he hung up the phone.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Phaethon shook his head, "It's still the same. She's quite serious when it comes to seriousness."

"Actually, her temperament isn't like this?"

"She was a pretty interesting kid when she was little. It's just that she became what she is now after taking the throne."

"I can imagine this situation - carrying a series of ultimate secrets on her body, no one can eat well or sleep well. It's good that she can maintain her current mental state. It's just that so many secrets are all controlled by one person It’s really difficult for people to keep it.”

"That's how the mysterious feudal system is. There can only be one at the top, because the secret keeper is also the secular monarch, and there is no difference between heaven and earth. It doesn't matter if the Ming Dynasty and Rome are not on the same page, the Romans themselves cannot create two mysteries. At most, at most, adding a co-ruling emperor will derive a part of the right to know."

"Don't you have four emperors co-ruling?"

"It was completely different when the Four Emperors ruled together. At that time, Rome was at its peak, and it was not maintained by mysterious power through whole-body intubation like it is now. Rome has lived for too long, and every second that Rome lives today... You are borrowing money from fate.”

"Then you'd better die quickly."

"Isn't this just death? They are already dying. But there are still some people who don't want to die. Those people in Colombia just don't want to die. They don't want to be dignified. How about you help them be dignified?"

"I will consider it, but I need a reason."

Before he finished speaking, the TV suddenly turned on again, and Victoria appeared on the TV again.

"Is there a problem?"

"Shangluo, just now the Senate learned that there is another level 5 secret keeper. The consuls are meeting urgently to discuss this matter, and they have already made preliminary intentions."

"They held the meeting so quickly?"

"We are not holding an offline meeting. In short, the initial intention is - you are too important. We request to send a guard to protect you. If something happens here, neither of us will be able to live with it."

"Guards? What guards?"

"We are still debating which troops to send. I will give you a proposal after the discussion is completed. My opinion is to send the guards under the authority of the Roman king. In this way, you will have absolute control over the guards and you can dispatch them to help you. . And we still need to negotiate with His Majesty the Holy Emperor about the specific details."

"Uh" Shangluo thought for a while - if the people sent here could be dispatched by himself, it wouldn't be a big problem. The Lei Department is very short of manpower right now, so it would be good to have some people work. After all, except for Phaethon, who is expected to sit there full-time, everyone else in the Lei Department has their own things to be busy with. If the Lei Department could dispatch a team of "Dharma Protectors", it would be much easier to do things.

"Okay, I'll think about it."

"Then, I will give you an answer within a day." Victoria replied, "And take care of yourself. You must take care of your own body. You are so noble now, even more noble than me. Because after all, there are many things I cannot do. do, and you can do anything without restraint.”

Shangluo reminded; "Let me make it clear first. If you want me to sign any contract at that time, I will not sign it."

"Of course, of course, I won't let you sign. I'll help you veto this part. Having a free agent like you who can act without constraints will make our entire system more flexible. However, the frequency of our interactions should increase by then. I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."

Once again, Victoria finished her business and hung up the phone.

"It seems that things have really gotten serious." Shangluo covered his forehead, "What do you think?"

"Who are you asking? Me or Apollonia?"

"Ask you, ask her, I don't even have to ask."

"Judging from Victoria's situation, do you think this is a good thing? Of course, excluding the contract part, this may indeed be a good thing."

"I will make my own judgment. But in any case, it is true that Rome needs orderly demolition. Time bombs like Archangel Gabriel must be dealt with no matter what. That is, the power of angels ? How powerful is the angel?"

"I don't know. This is the mystery itself. Once it can be predicted, it is no longer a mystery. We only know that in 1453, it was the angel who saved Constantinople."

"But why do I feel that if I were an angel, I would probably want people to come to Rome and bomb them."

"Huh??? Why do you think so?"

"Isn't this obvious - if you lock me in a cage, of course I will want to break the cage that restrains me. Even if it means attracting the Turks, I will give it a try."

"Not to mention, it is indeed possible that the power of angels protected Constantinople. There is no doubt about it. We are alive, which itself is proof. As for what the angels themselves think," she shook her head, "the more I think about it, It’s getting hairier. I hope that one day, when we no longer rely on angels to guard Constantinople, the two sides can negotiate peacefully.”

"Do you think that's possible."

"Ha, who knows, maybe a miracle will happen."

"Can you still laugh? I'm afraid I'll be the one to negotiate then." Shangluo shook his head, "Whenever I go over there to take over the affairs, I'll go see the angel. At least I want to see what's going on. Something happened."

He took a sip of tea and said, "I have an exam tomorrow. I didn't expect you to give me a big surprise today."

【Hahahahahaha! 】

"why are you laughing?"

[With this alchemist, are you still worried about failing in the exam? As far as I know, this is the ultimate weapon of Rome! Coping with exams is just a piece of cake. This thing can kill even angels. 】

"Huh? Just this iron lump?"

[Well, of course the archangel doesn’t know. But the Alchemist is a complete 'Homonic Cruz', and it is indeed capable of doing this, with just a little power to boot. Wait, let me study it.]

"Hey!" Suddenly, Apollonia's voice came from the machine head on the table, "Hey, hey, can you hear it? Try the sound!"

"can hear"

"Woohoo! Long live science! Long live mystery! Hey, where's my body? Put me on it quickly. Victoria didn't tell you a ghost story yesterday. Do you want me to tell you one?"

Chapter 671 Zhong Guo’s technology shocked him

"Let me remind you, Miss Apollonia, you didn't sleep last night, right? I remember you were eating something with Victoria. It's true that Victoria hasn't gone to bed yet, but why are you still awake?"

[I'm not going to sleep today, I want to go out and play! 】

"This thing is 1.8 meters and weighs hundreds of pounds. If you fall asleep and lie on the ground, no one can help you."

"No!" Apollonia spoke directly using the Alchemist's pronunciation function, "I want to go out to play!"

"Okay." Shangluo sat back to his original position, "You can go out."

"Won't you stop me?"

"I want to see where you can go. You don't have a penny with you. Are you planning to go out on the street?"

"Ah" After pondering for a while, the huge steel body trotted over on tiptoes and squatted down next to Shangluo's sofa.

"what?"

"give me money."

"Earn your own money. Look at the guy next to you."

"Give me money!" She looked at Shangluo

"Okay." Shangluo reached out and opened the drawer next to him - and then under Apollonia's eager eyes, he took out 5 dollars and a small piece of paper.

Five cents, the smallest denomination of banknotes.

"Okay!" She took the 5-dollar paper ticket and ran out quickly, "I'm going out to play!"

"." Phaethon looked on from the side, "It turns out that she is so satisfied that she can only buy one bottle of Coke. There is still a difference of one dollar between buying two bottles."

"Just don't force yourself on her at this time. I'm a very open-minded person, and of course I can satisfy any reasonable request."

"The request for five dollars is really reasonable, right? I don't know how long she can play."

"I guess she'll have to come back when she's done playing." He glanced at the clock next to him, "I guess she'll be back in ten minutes. I'll go to school after she comes back."

"You have a big exam tomorrow. Aren't you anxious?"

"Why are you anxious? I'm already preparing to fight. It's useless for me to worry myself. At most, I can just check which magic weapons can be used. I remember you are also tomorrow, right?"

"The day after tomorrow." Phaethon replied, "The day after tomorrow I will go to the Imperial Academy to take the exam."

"Oh, come on." Shangluo looked at her, "You still have to really pass the exam. Because here they only temporarily assess you at the 'proton' level, and they only give you a chance to take the exam. Can you pass the exam? It all depends on you. But the children of the King of Korea and the King of Ryukyu are not old enough, so you are the only one this year."

"I know. Don't worry, I have been in seclusion after all. And it's not like we don't have exams there. We are the same as Cathay on this point. We have been doing learning and preparing for exams since we were young. Learning belongs to the Romans. First priority.”

"Because you really can't memorize the 'phone book' without learning, right?"

Phaethon covered his forehead: "An incisive answer to Victoria, she was also overwhelmed by the thickness of the phone book. And there is a part she hasn't told you yet: the thickness of the phone book she mentioned was her own notes. The notes can only be read by herself. In fact, many mysteries cannot be circulated in any written form. When she takes notes, she can only record them in code words. When she learns this knowledge, she can only pass it on orally."

“Is this an old shaman teaching a young shaman?!”

"The principle and nature are very similar. Mystery is passed down in this way. Therefore, the Palace of Muses in Alexandria is very important. The Romans must go there to receive the oral education of the ancient sages. They must master the knowledge that belongs to them. Part of the secret, and then keep it. The Muse Palace will continue to operate in cyberspace in the future, cultivating a new generation of secret keepers. Then..."

She glanced towards the door.