For a moment, the square was silent. Crazy 'Ole concluded what Aristotle had said, "God has proved that Amon has been blessed and approved. Mastering the craft is a miracle." It was hard to refute, unless someone stood up and shouted, "The craftsmanship of Duc has been passed down from generation to generation. It doesn't need the blessing of the Patron." But who dared to say that? Everyone here had believed in the protection of God for so many years, and it had been implanted in their souls.
Even if there were some who doubted it, they could only confess in their bewilderment, because once they said it out loud, they would be abandoned by everyone around them. So it was not a question of whether they were willing to believe in God or not. They had to show their piety, and it was also a way to protect themselves.
Seeing that no one spoke, Crazy 'Ole turned to Aristotle and said, "Sir, your argument just now contained many dangerous assumptions. I wonder if you are aware of them?"
Aristotle looked into Nietzsche's eyes, and saw that there was a hint of a mocking sneer in the old man's eyes. Only Aristotle himself knew that if his syllogism had been changed to a different premise, it would indeed have led to a dangerous conclusion. For example, the child did not have the blessing of the Patron, but he had learned the craft of mining. That meant that he did not need the blessing of the Patron.
The onlookers felt that something was wrong, but they could not point out what was wrong. No one dared to deny the oracle, because it was the starting point of everything. It had to be the premise. But when Crazy 'Ole asked Aristotle, it was obvious that he was hinting at something.
Amon, who had been standing stubbornly, trembled again. He looked at Aristotle with gratitude, and then at Crazy 'Ole in confusion. Different from the others, Amon also understood Crazy 'Ole's implication. Nietzsche was not only questioning Aristotle, but also hinting at something.
Amon's mind was no less turbulent than when he was interrogated by Shog. Many thoughts flashed through his mind. This debate contained many unbelievable and unspeakable assumptions, such as that Mourin did not exist, that Mourin existed but did not pay attention to this place, that learning the craft of mining did not require the blessing of the Patron, and that blessing could come from another deity … and so on.
Amon blushed as if he was drunk. He looked a little absent-minded. For a miner's son, it was hard to digest so many thoughts in a split second. But today, he was the one involved in this matter, so he had to think about it.
Aristotle seemed to understand Nietzsche's sneer. He put his hand on his chest and smiled, "I did not disrespect any deity. Devotion to the deities comes from our hearts, not from our desires. People should be devout in their beliefs, but the existence of the deities cannot be changed by someone's will. "
He cleverly avoided the interrogation. Crazy 'Ole did not continue to pester him. He turned around and said coldly to Shog, "There is only one explanation for this. Priest, your behavior is detrimental to the glory of Mourin. The goddess did not bless Amon through you. We all know that the glory of the goddess is eternal, but the loyalty of priests must be tested. Mayor, what do you think? Since everyone is here, how should we deal with this priest? "
Shog's face turned pale. Cold sweat trickled down from his forehead, and his legs trembled. He never thought that the situation would take such a turn. He was the one being interrogated. Crazy 'Ole was questioning whether he was still qualified to be a priest. From the look in Crazy 'Ole's eyes, he clearly read one word — coldness!
But Mayor Dusti did not say a word. He just watched the scene with cold eyes.
Shog had been in the high position in Duc for too long. He had gradually forgotten how he got his position in the first place. It was all thanks to Crazy 'Ole's help. Crazy 'Ole once said, "You are a straightforward man, and very smart. More importantly, you are very real in the secular world. There is no one more suitable than you to be the priest and clerk of the shrine."
However, Shog had been in this position for a long time. He had gradually made friends with the nobles in the city, and even had a secret ambition for the position of Mayor Dusti. However, he had neglected Crazy 'Ole, who had not shown himself for many years. Crazy 'Ole was so sharp when he was not talking nonsense. Was he trying to ruin his future in front of everyone? Just like how he helped him get this position in the first place?
Shog took a step back and said loudly, "Oh, Mr. Nietzsche, it seems that this is all a misunderstanding. I didn't know that you had received the oracle of the great Mourin in your dream. This is rare, but it has happened before. According to the records, before there was a shrine in Duc, it was Mourin who directly blessed the earliest craftsmen in the town and taught us the skills that have been passed down from generation to generation. Amon, he is a child blessed by the goddess. "
Shog hurriedly threw out the records in the book. This was also an ancient legend of Duc, explaining the origin of the craftsmen's skills. Later, people built the magnificent shrine according to this legend. But that was many, many years ago. It was not important to punish Amon now. Shog's first priority was to protect himself.
Mayor Dusti finally spoke. He nodded with a faint smile, "Yes, there is such a record in the book. Mr. Aristotle, you just said that you are here to do something for Lord Rodrick. What is it? Don't let our quarrel delay you. "
The mayor obviously wanted to interrupt. Aristotle answered, "Miss Maria, no, Lord Maria is not well, and her servant happens to be ill. We need to find a servant to serve Lord Maria. The servant must be able to do heavy work. It will take about three days."
Dusti was a little puzzled. He wondered why Rod-dick needed a servant in town when he had so many attendants. But he was very tactful and didn't say anything more. He asked gently, "What kind of person are you looking for?"
Aristotle glanced at Amon carelessly and said slowly, "First, it can't be a woman who has had a man. Second, it can't be an adult man. Third, it can't have dust in his hair or mud under his nails."
"Fourth, it must have a pure heart. Fifth, it must be approved by the goddess Isis." As soon as Aristotle finished, Crazy 'Ole added two more conditions. He seemed to be very talkative today.
Aristotle was slightly startled, then nodded with a bitter smile, "Yes, and these two conditions. Is there such a person in town? If there is, the reward is one gold coin a day. Lord Rodrick's generosity is admirable. "
Dusti understood immediately. If Maria's servant was ill, it would be very difficult to find such a person in Lord Rodrick's entourage. These were actually the requirements of Gabriel. When she got the Gods' Tear, she asked Maria to live according to the standards of a Adoratrice, because she would soon become a real Adoratrice.
Gabriel had put forward five conditions, but Aristotle only mentioned the first three. For the residents of Duc, the last two conditions did not make any difference. But Crazy 'Ole casually filled in the gaps.
The residents of Duc usually dealt with furnaces and ores. In the past few days, the mayor had ordered to pay all the overdue taxes for the season. A large number of caravans had come to Duc. The furnaces of every household were still working, either to pay taxes or to mine parangons in exchange for more goods in time.
It was very difficult to find a person with no dust in his hair or mud under his nails. There were only three in the square: Dusti, Shog and Amon. Amon was very clean. He had just taken a bath in the cold spring last night. He washed his clothes and dried them in the morning sun. Then he put on his clothes and returned to the town.
Crazy 'Ole smiled, "How lucky! There is only one person here who meets your requirements. He is a child, not yet an adult. And you know why he is standing here. It is because of the blessing of the goddess Isis. … Amon, you should go with this gentleman. Sir, please pay the three gold pieces to his father. "
The mayor also walked down the steps. He patted Amon's shoulder and said, "Boy, go with this gentleman. Do everything he says. Don't neglect the most distinguished guest of the town."
The crowd parted to make a path. Aristotle left with Amon. Before Amon left, he helped his father up from the ground. Crazy 'Ole whispered in his ear, "Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen. You don't have to worry about this place anymore."
The crowd did not disperse after Amon left. Crazy 'Ole was still standing in front of the crowd. He said to the mayor, "The priest of the shrine used the ancient book to prove that Amon did not do anything wrong. He was blessed by Mourin. But it also proved that the priest had forgotten the words of the book and was blinded. If not for our distinguished guest's reminder, Lord Shog would have cut off one of his fingers. Mayor, Mr. High Priest, how should we deal with this? "
Shog broke out in cold sweat again. He didn't expect Crazy 'Ole to be so ruthless today. If he didn't let go of the question and the priests in the main shrine heard about it, he wouldn't feel good. Shog stepped forward in a pleading voice and said, "It's my fault. I've never encountered such a thing since I became a priest. Thank you, Mr. Nietzsche, for your reminder. I'm willing to atone for my reckless behavior and apologize to Amon."
The noble priest also walked down the steps. He stooped down and patted the dust off Amon's father's knee. The townspeople's eyes widened. Amon's father trembled in fear. He took two steps back and said, "Lord Shog, you don't have to do this. What should we do is the Goddess' order. I believe that the great Mourin is protecting Amon."
Crazy 'Ole sneered, "You can't refuse the kindness of such a noble priest. He is so kind and generous! He wants to make it up to you, and you must accept it. Mayor, I suggest that Lord Shog pay the tax for the family this year. "
Shog stood up straight and nodded, "Okay, no problem!" His tone was generous because the old drunkard mined the least parangons in the town. Usually, it was only four parangons for the basic tax. But then he frowned. It occurred to him that the old drunkard was not the only one who could mine parangons. Amon was obviously a good one. If they mined a lot of parangons in the coming year, he would have to pay nine parangons for every ten parangons. That would be a huge expense.
But under such circumstances, Shog had no choice but to agree.
Mayor Dusti nodded, "Then it's over. I'll record what happened in the name of the mayor. But it's just a record. I won't report it as a blasphemy incident to the shrine of the city. Well, it's all over now. You can go now. "
Mayor Dusti wanted to make a record. He stated that he would not report it, but the implication was that he could report it. Shog, as a priest of the temple, had disobeyed the oracle, and there were witnesses to the incident. Mayor Dusti also vaguely knew that Shog had been trying to make friends with the lords of the city in the past two years. He wanted to take over the mayor's position. But now was not the time to fall out with him. After all, he could not find a better person to help him deal with the town's affairs. It was better to give him a proper warning.
**
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