The first rays of dawn shone on the clock tower of Martha Square. The soldiers on duty who had stayed up all night bathed in the morning light. Their bodies, which had been infected by the cold, slowly recovered some warmth and vitality. They sighed in relief, thinking that in another hour, it would be seven o 'clock when the shift would be over.
At this time, the sound of hooves could be heard. A dozen knights clad in bright silver armor galloped over from the street outside the square. They rode all the way to the bell tower. A middle-aged knight at the front reined in the reins of his horse and said, "Soldiers on duty, listen up. The Pope will hold a prayer ceremony here in an hour. Sound the bell to inform everyone."
The soldiers on duty were startled, but then they became happy and excited. They didn't expect the Pope to come here in person. This meant that they would be able to see this great man up close. This was an honor!
Dong, dong, dong …
The melodious prayer bell rang. Unlike the normal morning bell, the prayer bell needed to be rung eighteen times in a row.
The ringing of the bell came from outside the square, and the nearby residents immediately woke up from their sleep. Hearing the continuous ringing of the bell, some of the older people did not count them one by one. Judging from the duration of the ringing of the bell, they immediately woke up their wives and children, and prepared to go to the square early to grab a good position in the front.
The prayer ceremony was different from the prayer festival. The prayer ceremony could be held at any time, but only the elders of the Radiant Church were qualified to hold it. It was usually held during the black snow season and when there were frequent rains. It was to pray to the heavens and the gods to prevent plagues and disasters.
For ordinary people, being able to benefit from the prayer ceremony was something they couldn't ask for more.
As the bell rang, the knights of the Radiant Church used carriages to drag wood and shelves to the square to build the prayer altar. These wood and shelves were all finished products and only needed to be assembled.
As time passed, more and more people gathered in the square. In the blink of an eye, the square was filled with people.
"Lord Bishop, it's almost time." A young Grand Knight with a gold star on his shoulder said with his head bowed.
His eyes swept across the sea of people below the altar and said in a low voice, "Wait a little longer. The Pope has always been punctual."
"Yes." The young Grand Knight nodded respectfully.
At this moment, there was a sudden commotion outside the square, followed by excited exclamations. Hearing the commotion, Elnorin immediately looked over and heaved a sigh of relief. He saw an elderly figure dressed in a luxurious golden robe slowly walking over, holding an ancient vine scepter that symbolized authority and honor. It was Pope Richelieu!
Behind him, there were two Knights of Light. One of them had a head full of elegant blonde hair, and was obviously of noble birth. The other one, on the other hand, had black hair, was about thirty years old, and had a mediocre appearance.
The Knights of Light stationed outside the square immediately stepped forward to protect the Pope. The crowd looked at the Pope in awe, especially those who were closest to him. They were so excited that they wanted to jump up and down on the spot, but they did not have the slightest thought of rushing over to hug him. The majesty brought by the robe and the scepter made people not dare to blaspheme him.
"It's actually the pope!"
"The one holding the prayer ceremony is the Pope. My god, I saw the Pope."
"The Pope is too benevolent. He actually came to preside over the blessing ceremony himself."
Excited cries could be heard from the crowd.
As the crowd parted, Richelieu led his two attendants to the altar.
"Greetings, Pope." Elnorin immediately bowed respectfully.
The young Grand Knight beside him also bowed respectfully.
Looking at his most trusted confidant, Richelieu nodded slightly and said, "How much longer?"
Elnorin replied respectfully, "Pope, there are still five minutes left."
"Looks like I'm not late." Richelieu smiled slightly. "Is everything prepared? The prayers and the Holy Book. "
"Everything is prepared." Elnorin's face was full of respect. He raised his head and glanced at Richelieu. His gaze quickly scanned the latter's body, but he did not see any signs of injury. He heaved a sigh of relief and said softly, "Pope, I have already seen the handwritten decree you left behind. I wonder …"
"We'll talk about this later." Richelieu raised his hand and interrupted him.
Elnorin reacted and immediately nodded. He raised his head and straightened his back. He looked at the square in front of him and waited for the countdown.
Five minutes was neither long nor short. In the process of waiting, Elnorin suddenly noticed the two Knights of Radiance beside the Pope. Their faces seemed a little unfamiliar, and there was even a black-haired man among them. That kind of hair color usually indicated that he was a slave or a commoner. He did not expect that he would be able to blend in with Richelieu.
He looked at them for a while, but did not see anything strange. He moved his eyes to the bell tower next to him.
The huge mechanical clock hanging on the bell tower slowly counted down. Finally, it was seven o 'clock.
The bell rang, and the blessing ceremony officially began.
Richelieu received the blessings and holy book from El 'Norin. With a solemn expression, he began to read out the solemn opening speech, followed by the blessings. The blessings were not just a few simple sentences, but an extremely long prayer, taken from the Bible.
Dean stood behind Richelieu and silently looked at the square in front of him. When the prayers were finished, everyone entered the prayer stage with Richelieu. They put their hands together and had a pious expression.
Half an hour later, the blessing ceremony finally ended.
Richelieu looked at Elnorin: "Tell the others to disperse. Come with me."
"Yes." Elnorin noticed the change in Dean's expression and solemnly replied.
Richelieu took Elnorin to a nearby tavern. He ordered several knights to clean up the tavern and stand guard outside. Then he brought Elnorin, Dean and Neuss into the tavern.
Elnorin frowned as he saw the two attendants come in: "You two go out first. I have something to discuss with the Pope."
Richelieu waved his hand: "It's alright. They are trustworthy."
Ernolin was slightly startled, and he couldn't help but look at the two Knights.
Richelieu coughed softly and said coldly, "Someone in the Church wanted to assassinate me. Fortunately, they did not succeed. However, as we do not know who the mastermind is, I cannot return to the Church. So, for the time being, you will be in charge of all the matters in the Church."
Elnorin eagerly asked: "Are you really okay?"
Richelieu shook his head: "It's not a big deal."
Elnorin said: "The Holy Church is the safest place. Wouldn't it be more dangerous if you were outside? I'll send more people to protect you. Let the king of light personally protect you. "
Richelieu waved his hand: "I don't know if the assassin is related to the king of light or not."
Elnorin was stunned, momentarily speechless. He suddenly felt a chill. Clenching his fists, he gritted his teeth and said, "If I get my hands on that person, I'll definitely teach him a lesson!"
Richelieu patted his shoulder: "If you have the opportunity then help me pay attention."
"I will." Elnorin looked solemn. He suddenly thought of something: "I'll send a few of my confidants to protect you. Otherwise if you are outside …"
"No need. They are enough to protect me." Richelieu waved his hand.
Ernolin could not help but look at the two attendants again. His eyes were filled with a hint of solemnity and jealousy. He knew that Richelieu did not completely trust him, but he trusted the two of them completely. Otherwise, he would not have handed himself over to them for protection at this critical juncture.
"I'm leaving. You have to protect yourself." Richelieu said in a profound tone.
Elnorin felt that Richelieu wanted to tell him something. He thought that Richelieu wanted to remind him not to get assassinated by the culprit.
Richelieu took off his gorgeous robe and took a simple coat from Dean. He put on a hood to cover his face and turned to leave the pub. He took Dean and Neuss along the street. They went around seven or eight streets and turned to the suburbs before returning to the castle by the Mozha river.
"How was it? Did I perform well?" Richelieu took off his hood after entering the castle. He turned to Dudian: "I've told you everything you wanted me to say."
Dudian indifferently said: "Not bad." She didn't pay attention to him as she quickly jumped up the stairs and came to her room. Her heart settled down when she saw Aisha sitting on the bed.
He took Aisha's hand and left the room. They went back to the hall.
Richelieu asked: "What are you going to do next?"
"Do you have eyes and ears in the dark church?" Dudian looked at him.
Richelieu was startled. There was a trace of hesitation in his heart. But he thought that he had to provide some eyes and ears to gain Dean's trust: "There are two of them. One is an elder of the 9th region. I sent him to the dark church. The other one is a subordinate of the Sword King. His name is Riley. He used to be the most outstanding genius swordsman of the Holy Church."
Dean's eyes slightly moved as he glanced at him: "You are willing to send the best one to be a spy."
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