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GOR Chapter 280 "Maximus"
The carriage of the Archbishop of the North Central Diocese did not keep Du Wei waiting for too long. It arrived early the next morning.
The arrival of an Archbishop who was in charge of the affairs of several provinces naturally caused an uproar among the local officials. The status of an Archbishop was higher than that of Du Wei, who was a Duke. Not to mention, he was in charge of the affairs of several provinces. Every year, he would receive a large amount of tax revenue. Additionally, he was also in charge of the Holy Order. There were millions of believers in the diocese and he might even become the future Pope.
Such a person, however, did not appear as arrogant as Du Wei had imagined. It was different from what the mayor had said. The Archbishop did not have many followers with him. Truth be told, Du Wei had expected to receive a convoy. However, in the morning, only a single carriage had arrived at the pier.
Under the escort of the local officials, the Archbishop and his followers boarded the ship and met up with Du Wei.
The first meeting was very friendly. This Archbishop Maximos was a very elegant old man. He wore a black clergy robe, and it could be seen that he was dressed very simply. The robe was also old, and there seemed to be some traces of wear and tear at the corners. His silver hair was neat and tidy, and there was a warm smile on his face. His gaze was kind and amiable. No matter how one looked at him, he did not look like an Archbishop who was in charge of the affairs of several provinces. Instead, he looked like a priest from a small religious institute. An old man with ordinary looks and a kind smile. The only difference was the look in his eyes.
His eyes were clear and deep, flashing with the wisdom and shrewdness that was unique to an old man of his age.
"Respected Duke." Archbishop Maximos bowed slightly toward Du Wei. "First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to you for allowing me to board your ship back to the imperial capital. Also, thank you for waiting for me here for the entire night."
Du Wei smiled and returned the gesture. "You are too polite, Your Eminence. It is my honor to have such a distinguished guest on my ship. Besides, it's not a big deal to stay here for one more night. Look, the scenery on the riverbank is very good. "
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the archbishop introduced his entourage.
In fact, as the Archbishop of a diocese, Du-Wei found it strange that Archbishop Maximos' entourage was too small. When he boarded the ship, other than himself, there were only three other people. One was a coachman, and the other was an old man wearing a clergy robe. He was probably an archdeacon or something like that. There was also a Knight in armor, but that Knight was helping the coachman to carry the luggage.
Afterward, Du Wei dismissed the local officials and welcomed Maximos into his cabin.
"Please take a seat, my Archbishop." Du Wei smiled and asked his subordinates to bring tea. Then he said, "To be honest, you are the highest-ranking clergyman I have ever seen."
"Oh?" Maximos' expression changed. "Your Excellency Duke, you were born in the Imperial Capital. With Your Holiness's status, could it be that you have never met His Holiness before? Although His Majesty the Pope has rarely appeared in public in recent years, His Majesty still personally presides over the annual Shrines ceremony. "
Du Wei shook his head. "No, oh, I'm sorry, I am not a follower of the Shrines. That's why I haven't attended the ceremony of the Shrines of Light. "
This Maximos was indeed very gentlemanly. After hearing this, he didn't show any strange expression. He just smiled casually. "I hope Your Excellency Duke can enter the embrace of God as soon as possible. In the future, if you change your mind, I am willing to personally baptize you. "
Then Maximos introduced the other old man beside him to Du Wei. "This is my close assistant and most loyal friend, Father Lamus. He is also one of the archdeacons of our Northern Diocese." After a pause, he smiled. "This time we are rushing back to the Imperial Capital to attend the annual Shrines ceremony. At the same time, according to tradition, we have to meet His Majesty the Pope and personally report to him on the work of the last year. Unfortunately, our ship broke down and we could only go ashore temporarily. I originally brought a few dozen attendants with me, but because the speed of the carts and horses was too slow, I had to leave the carts and horses in order to get here. I came alone in a light carriage. "
Du Wei nodded. He thought: You are in a hurry to go back and report on your work to please the Pope. In the future, you will have more weight in the competition to succeed the Pope. No wonder you are in such a hurry.
But he smiled. "Your Excellency Archbishop, you don't have to worry. I have many servants on my ship. You will be treated as the most distinguished guest here. I have already asked someone to clean up a clean cabin for you to rest in. Also, I think you must have not eaten breakfast yet. I have also asked someone to prepare it. "
After exchanging greetings for a while, Archdeacon Lamu looked a bit uneasy. Compared to the demeanor of Maximos, Archdeacon Lamu looked a bit more wretched. He looked like an ordinary skinny old man with more white than black in his eyes. He was bony and didn't look very likable.
Watching the exchange between Maximos and Du-Wei, there were several times when he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
At this time, a powerful voice came from outside. Even through the door, it sounded like a muffled thunder.
"Your Excellency Archbishop, your luggage is ready."
When Maximos heard this voice, a sincere smile appeared on his face. "Ah, this is my personal guard, Rhine. Your Excellency Duke, please let him in."
With Du-Wei's permission, the cabin door was pushed open and a majestic man walked in from the outside!
Even if Du Wei is used to seeing all kinds of fierce generals in the Northwest, including his own subordinates like Longbottom and Guptad, they are all burly fellows. And after a trip to the Northwest Army, he also saw many fierce generals under Rugaard … …
Even so, Du Wei couldn't help but take a deep breath when he saw Maximos's guard for the first time.
This guy … … is he really a Warrior?
From the looks of it, this guy named Rhine is at least two meters tall! And his height can even be called a little giant! Because he is standing in the cabin, his head is just about touching the ceiling.
He is wearing the largest Knight's armor, also in the style of the Holy Order Knight. His body is as thick as a giant bear and seems to be full of explosive power! And the part of his body that is exposed outside of the armor is so muscular that even those so-called "bodybuilders" Du Wei saw in his past life can't compare. Such a giant … … Du Wei only took a glance and immediately confirmed one thing: this guy's arms are thicker than his thighs! And twice as thick!
Such a monster … … is he still human?
His appearance is also very strange. With a square face, the outline of his face looks like a normal person's, but his appearance is not human at all. Lion nose, wide mouth, and a pair of bell-like eyes, he looks like a lion in human form. And with his long brown hair, he looks even more like a lion's mane!
Such a person, if you don't see him in the daytime, but in the middle of the night, you will definitely be scared to death, thinking that you are looking at a monster with a lion head and a human body.
Standing in the cabin like this, the two bodyguards of Duwei beside him looked as if they had turned into dwarfs. Moreover, no matter how Du Wei looks at him, he seems to be able to feel that this guy named Rhine's eyes are filled with an indelible taste of wildness.
Seeing Du Wei sizing up his bodyguard, Maximos smiled: "Your Excellency the Grand Duke, this is my bodyguard and also my most loyal subordinate, Rhine. The name Rhine is given to him by me. His appearance is strange and his life experience is also very pitiful. Many years ago, I found him in the wilderness. He actually grew up with a group of wild beasts. It seems that because of his strange appearance, he was abandoned by his parents in the wilderness and was raised by wild beasts. I saw that he was pitiful and brought him back to raise him. Now that I think about it, it has been more than ten years. Don't be fooled by his rough appearance, he is actually a very good child. "
Finished speaking, he waved his hand, his face full of affection: "Rhine, salute the Grand Duke of the Tulip Family."
"Yes." With another sound like muffled thunder, Rhine immediately knelt down on one knee and performed the most solemn Knight's salute. Looking at Rhine's kneeling appearance, Du Wei was even worried that this guy's kneeling would crack the floor of the cabin.
"Greetings, Your Excellency the Grand Duke of the Tulip Family." The muffled voice almost made Du Wei's eardrums hurt. Seeing such a mighty and majestic man, Du Wei couldn't help but feel a little happy. He hurriedly let Rhine get up and asked someone to bring a chair for him to sit. But with such a big body, there was no chair suitable for him to sit on. The ordinary chair was crushed by his buttocks, and it instantly shattered with a cracking sound.
Seeing Rhine's blank expression, Maximos laughed: "This Knight of mine is much heavier than an ordinary person. His weight is five to six times that of an ordinary person. He can't sit on an ordinary chair. Your Excellency the Grand Duke, let him stand. "
Du Wei also laughed: "I have some conflicts with the prairie people in the Northwest. Usually, I like fierce generals like Rhine Knight the most. It doesn't matter if he can't sit on a chair!" Then, he shouted loudly and immediately ordered someone to bring over a short couch. Only then did he let Rhine sit down. He also asked someone to bring up the prepared meal and ate with Maximos and the others in the cabin.
He also specially asked someone to prepare a large barrel of wine and a basin of beef for Rhine.
Rhine put down the barrel heavily and sighed. He looked at Du Wei with a simple and honest smile: "Thank you! I haven't drunk so much in a long time. "
Du Wei was surprised: "What, don't you have wine to drink on a daily basis? I remember that God Paladin doesn't abstain from wine even though he requires asceticism. "
Maximos's face sank. "Rhine, have you forgotten what I said? Why don't you pray before eating? "
Rhine immediately put down the barrel, his sturdy face full of shame: "Yes."
Then Maximos and Bishop Lamu crossed their arms and prayed to the food in front of them. They muttered: "Thank God for giving me food to eat and clothes to wear … …"
Although Du Wei didn't agree with this kind of prayer, but looking at Maximos' face, he knew it was from the bottom of his heart and wasn't faking it, so he didn't say anything. Out of politeness, he also put down his knife and fork and waited for them to finish praying.
Finally, when everyone opened their eyes, Du Wei smiled: "Your Eminence, aren't you being too harsh on this knight? For such a valiant general, does he not have any wine to drink on a normal day?"
Maximos smiled bitterly and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed: "This … … Lord Duke, you don't know this, but Rhine's body is much bigger than an ordinary person's. His appetite is also astonishing. The food he eats every day is five to six times more than an ordinary person, and his alcohol tolerance is probably ten to twenty times more than an ordinary person. Although I am an Archbishop, my salary is limited, and I don't have much money to buy him wine. "
When Du Wei heard this, he couldn't help but be surprised.
Salary?
What a joke! A dignified Archbishop was actually living on salary?
Although Du-Wei also knew that all official clergy were paid by the Temple … But …. What was the status of an Archbishop? It was the same as a feudal lord under the Church! He was in charge of the finances and military force of several provinces!
For such a person to say such words to him, was he trying to show his integrity? Du Wei had never had a good impression of the people of the Light Shrines. In his opinion, these people were nothing more than a bunch of swindlers. In the Northwest, he knew of a few local bishops of the Shrines, but they were all full of fat. In front of people, they had a compassionate look, but behind their backs, they were eating the blood and sweat of the poor people!
They were both collecting taxes, but giving the money to the government was very different from giving it to these swindlers. At least, Du Wei knew that in the Northwest, although the government collected taxes, they built bridges today and roads tomorrow. They were also in charge of civil affairs, and the so-called taxes were taken from the people and used by the people.
But these fat swindlers, what did they do after collecting taxes? They just sat in the Shrines, which were warm in winter and cool in summer, and prayed a few words to the gods, then took the blood and sweat of the believers?
But this … … Archbishop Maximos, in front of him, showed a completely different kind of integrity from the other swindlers?
Was such an action real or fake?
In Du Wei's opinion, such a person was either a true compassionate and virtuous saint, or a great villain!
Looking at Du Wei's expression, Archdeacon Lamu opened his mouth and laughed. Not only did this guy have a wretched appearance, but his words also seemed to be sharp and harsh: "Sir Duke, you probably have some prejudice against us Shrines. I don't deny that in other places, the actions of some clergymen are unworthy of their holy robes. But in Archbishop Maximos's area of jurisdiction, including ourselves, every clergyman lives strictly according to their own salary. There is absolutely no act of deficit in the Shrines' religious tax, and there is no ugliness of greed and corruption. "
After saying that, Archdeacon Lamu pointed at the exquisite delicacies on the plate in front of him and laughed: "Today, thanks to Sir Duke, I can eat such delicious food. Normally, Sir Maximos and I would only have a plate of bean stew for lunch in the Religious Institute. "
Du Wei's expression was a bit strange. Lamu continued: "As for wine … … Sir Maximos has always advocated frugality. Wine is a luxury, and a large amount of food is used to brew it. Therefore, in our Northern Central Diocese, His Eminence has always exhorted believers to not advocate drinking wine. "
Hearing this, Du Wei carefully sized up these guys and started to have some doubts. But seeing that the robes worn by Maximos and Lamu were not new, there were a lot of wear and tear. As for Rhine, the style of his armor was also very old, and even the leather boots on his feet were obviously worn for a long time.
These guys had temporarily boarded his ship, and they didn't have any relationship with him. If they were faking it, there was no need for them to pretend in front of him.
Moreover, this Rhine looked like a crude person with no scheming mind, he definitely didn't look like a person who would lie.
Could it be … … that these Shrines were truly pious believers who bemoaned the state of the universe and pitied the fate of mankind?
Thinking of this, Du Wei couldn't help but have some respect in his heart. He had someone bring up a barrel of wine and said with a smile: "Since it's like this, I'll let this Knight Rhine drink to his heart's content on my turf."
But this Rhine, after drinking a barrel, obediently put down the barrel and respectfully said: "Thank you, Sir Duke, but … … one barrel is enough. I'm responsible for the safety of Godfather, I don't dare to get drunk. "
Godfather?
Du-Wei glanced at Maximos, only to see Maximos smiling: "Hmm, that's right, this child was raised by me since he was a child. I've already officially baptized him and he also recognized me as his godfather."
Du Wei nodded. Looking at this Rhine, his heart suddenly moved. His eyes fell on the Knight badge on Rhine's chest, and he couldn't help but be stunned.
Hussain, who was beside Du Wei, was originally a Grand Knight of the Holy Order. Normally, Hussain would have already told Du Wei how to identify the various ranks of Paladin's badge.
Generally speaking, God Paladin's chest would wear two badges, one representing the official rank of Knight issued by the Knight Association, and the other representing the identity of a Knight of the Holy Order.
But this Rhine's chest didn't have the Knight Association's badge … In other words, he didn't have the official rank of Knight?
And even his only badge that represented the identity of God Paladin … According to the badge levels Hussain told Du Wei, the badge on Rhine's chest was the lowest among the ranks of the Holy Order!
A 'Reserve God Paladin' badge!
Reserve God?
In other words, such a huge man couldn't be considered an official God Paladin, but only a reserve.
Du Wei wasn't an idiot who judged a person by their appearance. Of course, he wouldn't think that this guy's strength was necessarily great just because he was big.
But this Maximos dared to bring such a bodyguard with him on the journey. From this, it could be concluded that this Rhine must have outstanding abilities.
But a … Reserve Knight?
Du Wei's heart skipped a beat, and he deliberately asked: "Since Rhine is God Paladin, then he should have a salary on a daily basis, right? I've heard that the Church treats God Paladin very well. So it seems that Rhine Knight doesn't have money to drink on a daily basis? "
Ramsi seemed to be a person who was very good at reading people's body language, and he laughed: "This … Rhine is still not an official God Paladin. For the convenience of following the Bishop, he only has a title in name, that's all."
Maximos laughed: "Rhine has been with me for a long time, and I don't want him to leave my side. Duke, you know that if he wants to become a real God Paladin, he will have to leave my side and go to the Knight's headquarters to receive strict training. This child has never left my side since he came to me ten years ago, and I don't want him to leave either. So I only let him have a title in name, that's all. "
Pausing for a moment, Maximos laughed again: "Moreover, Rhine has never practiced any martial arts or swordsmanship. All he relies on is his brute force. To tell you the truth, up until now, he doesn't even know the basics of swordsmanship. So I'm afraid that even if he participates in Paladin's training, he will most likely not pass. Ramsi is right. Letting him have the status of a reserve knight is just to make it more convenient for him to follow me. "
At this point, Du Wei didn't ask any more questions. The few people casually chatted about the local scenery of the Northwest, and talked about some matters of the Diocese.
After the meal, Du Wei was about to send them back to the cabin to rest when suddenly Old Smoke came in with a strange expression on his face: "Duke … … The river ahead is a bit strange."
"What's wrong?"
Old Smoke hesitated for a moment. Du Wei said: "Just say it."
"Yes!" Old Smoke's face was solemn: "In front of us is the narrowest part of the river. There is a large ship in the middle of the river blocking our way. We raised our flag and asked them to make way, but they replied that the ship was broken."
"Can't we go around?" Du Wei frowned.
"My Lord." Old Smoke took a deep breath: "Their ship isn't small, and it's right in the middle of the river. They've also put down several small boats around it. Our flag bearer told me that the other party is planning to use the small boats to transport the cargo to the shore. But this way, the river is blocked and we can't go past it. Moreover, I think those small boats are strange … … I have already ordered my men to slow down and tell our brothers to be on guard. Let's see what they are up to. "
Du Wei made a sound of agreement, his expression not showing any joy or anger. He just faintly glanced at Maximos and the others.
Sure enough, Ramsi's face immediately changed, but Maximos remained calm. He only glanced at Du Wei and then sighed: "Duke, it seems we have caused you trouble."
"Trouble?" Du Wei smiled.
Maximos looked a bit embarrassed. He pondered for a moment: "Duke, how about this, I'll have to trouble you to stop the ship and give us a small boat. We will go ashore. This matter is directed at us. You are of noble status, so it's better if you don't get involved. "
When this was said, Du Wei also muttered in his heart: "Bishop, what are you saying … … In broad daylight, you are the Archbishop of the diocese. Who would dare to openly intercept you halfway? Is it the Pope's order? "
Archdeacon Ramsi snorted: "How could His Majesty Pope do such a thing! Humph, His Majesty has always appreciated our Bishop … … It's just … … "
At this point, Maximos coughed, and Lamu hurriedly shut his mouth.
"Duke, please give us a small boat and let us go ashore." Maximos looked sincere: "This is an internal matter of our Shrines. If you are involved then it will bring you a lot of trouble. I thank you for letting us take the ship, but I don't want you to get involved in this matter. "
After that, he shouted at Rhine: "Rhine, those guys came the day before yesterday. Let's get ready to leave."
"Yes, Godfather. You wait here, I'll go out and deal with them!!" When the giant heard this, he immediately threw away the beef leg in his hand and stood up to go outside.
Old Smoke looked at Du Wei, waiting for Du Wei's order.
Du Wei looked at Maximos and then at Old Smoke.
That's right, I really don't need to get involved in this kind of thing … …
But, they are on my ship. If I have to drive them off the ship … … If this is the case, then how can I, the Duke of the Tulip Family, continue to mingle in the future? I'll lose all my face!
Besides … … From the looks of it, it's probably an internal strife among the Shrines?
Internal strife … … Very good! Very good!
Thinking of this, Du Wei expressionlessly said: "Bishop, please sit down. Since you are on my ship, then you are my honored guest. The Tulip Family may not be a great person, but I'm not a coward who can be easily intimidated. "
Then Du Wei also stood up and ordered Old Smoke: "Go, raise my Tulip Flag! I want to see who dares to intercept my ship on the road! "
After Old Smoke went out, Du Wei gave Maximos a deep look and said in a deep voice: "Bishop, you don't need to say anything about getting off the ship! Since you are on my ship, whether you get off or not, I can't avoid this trouble. In any case, you are my guest on my ship. If I let my guest get hurt on my turf, then how can I, the Duke of the Tulip Family, face? "
Then he took two steps closer and whispered: "What kind of trouble is it? I think it's necessary for you to tell me a little."
A trace of gratitude flashed in Maximos's eyes. Then he let out a long sigh and didn't directly answer Du Wei's question. Instead, he casually said:
"In the past two years, His Majesty Pope's health has been getting worse and worse … …"
These words seemed to have nothing to do with Du Wei's question. But when Du Wei heard it, he suddenly understood. His face seemed to smile, then he turned to look at Lamu and asked: "Is it the people from the south?"
Lamu hesitated for a moment and whispered: "It should be the Southeast Diocese."
Hearing this, Du Wei's heart calmed down a little. Soon, an idea came to his mind.
Church infighting?
If that's the case, then even if you want me to hide, I won't hide!
He deliberately showed anger on his face and said loudly: "The people of the Southeast Diocese dare to reach out to the North! Do they really think there is no one in the North! "
After saying that, Du Wei strode out of the cabin.
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