The awkward conversation was finally over. Both Gawain and Heidi breathed a sigh of relief. Then, they turned their attention back to the Shield of the Pioneers.
The legendary shield lay quietly on the table. The weathered and corroded metal layer wrapped the almost brand-new alloy body that was glowing with a faint silver light. The sun shone on the surface of the metal parts, and the glimmering light seemed to have accumulated for centuries. Heti stared at the shield for a long time before she coughed softly to break the silence. "Ancestor, how do you plan to publicize this matter?"
If it were a few years ago, Heti's first reaction when she saw the Shield of the Guardians would be to consolidate the family's glory, a treasure that had returned to Cecil's treasure vault, and the rise of the family's status and influence. But time had changed her. She knew how to maximize the value of this lost treasure without Gwen's reminder.
"Just announce to the public that the dragon friends of the Empire have helped us find this shield. Don't make any additional official statements. Let the public opinion ferment on its own, and let the Military Intelligence Bureau pay close attention," Gawain said casually. "There's no inside story to this matter, so that's all you need to say."
"Yes, ancestor." Heti nodded. She could not help but look at the Shield of the Guardians again. "But I really didn't expect … it would come back like this …"
"During the war, this shield was a vital asset of the expeditionary army. Many people's lives depended on it. But that era has passed." Gwen shook his head gently. His voice was flat and low. "Now it's just a shield. The symbolism behind it may bring us some benefits, but that's it."
Heti glanced at Gwen thoughtfully. "You don't want people to pay too much attention to the return of the Guardian of the Kingdom?"
"We have a lot of more important and practical things to pay attention to," Gwen said casually. "On the other hand, excessive attention and publicity of the Guardian of the Kingdom is likely to reignite the enthusiasm of the old Knight class and the fallen nobles in terms of nobility and family glory, and return the social atmosphere to the worship of aristocratic ostentation and bloodline justice. We had a hard time suppressing this thing, and we have to prevent it from coming back. So on the matter of the Guardian of the Kingdom, the Government Office only needs to do the most basic publicity and positive guidance."
Heti immediately bowed her head. "Yes, I understand."
Gwen nodded and did not say anything more on the topic. Instead, he pondered for a moment and asked casually, "How is the observatory project that Kamel applied for?"
"You mean the Palamel Observatory project?" Heti blinked and quickly sorted out the relevant information in her mind. "The project has been approved by the Government Office, and the construction has started. The first batch of skilled workers arrived at the Palamel Highlands last week, and the project is progressing smoothly. Also, the resident scholar for the first term has been chosen. The person in charge of the Palamel Observatory is the great sorcerer, Mr. Morgan Hugo. "
Gwen recalled the name he had heard. "Morgan … I remember that he's an original royal mage from Saint Sunil."
"Yes, Master Morgan is a member of the original Saint Sunil Royal Mage Association and the Astrologer Association. He has been the astrology consultant of the old royal family for decades and is an expert in the fields of astrology, astrology, and planetary exploration. He once calculated the rough distance between our planet and the sun and accurately predicted the date of two asteroids passing through the sky. He is trustworthy in terms of knowledge. After the siege of Saint Sunil, the stargazing tower of the old the Captical was severely damaged in the flames of war and has yet to be fully repaired. Therefore, this' Starry Sky Expert 'accepted Master Kamel's invitation and came to the Southern Border. When he heard that the Palamel Highlands would be building an observatory based on modern technology, he volunteered. "
"A scholar like this is the greatest treasure of the dynasty. We must treat him with care." Hearing Heti's introduction, Gwen nodded and said, "Also, we can add an additional term of funding to the Palamel Observatory. That's one of the best 'windows' in the dynasty according to Kamel's calculations. The sooner we can make it work, the better."
"Yes." Heti immediately accepted the order. Then, she could not help but look at Gwen with a smile. "Ancestor, you really value these plans of setting up an observatory and observing the stars proposed by Master Kamel."
Gwen could not help but think of the conversation with Melita and Noretta earlier. He recalled the impressions of the Vipranton Observatory and the brilliant technology of the Gondor in the past. Although many of the memories were not his, the regret and emotion that seeped out as he recalled the memories really filled his heart. This made him sigh softly. He looked at Heti and said solemnly, "Research projects involving the stars are very important. Although they may not have huge economic benefits like railways and mines in the short term, in the long term, they may ferment all kinds of technological achievements that will change the world. And even if we don't consider these distant things, the curiosity of the unknown and the distance is the greatest driving force for the development of mortals. Heti, the most mysterious and unknown place in the world is in the stars above our heads."
"I understand what you mean." Heti smiled with a hint of joy in her eyes. "Ancestor, don't forget — I am also a mage. Although I can no longer indulge in research like before, I am still a mage, and mages are most passionate about exploring the unknown."
Gwen looked at Heti who was smiling in front of him. A few seconds later, he smiled as well.
"In the ancient Gondor era, humans were already curious about the stars above their heads. All kinds of observatories and stargazing stations were all over the 'windows' everywhere. Our scholars observed the universe through the natural channels interwoven by the magic ripples in the atmosphere and speculated about the secrets of our world. It was a glorious and exciting era … but before they could really develop, the Demonic Tide wiped out everything.
"Now, maybe it's time to let some of our sights return to the stars."
…
Dressed in a red and gold robe, Malcolm Dunnett lowered his eyelids and crossed his hands in front of his chest. The golden beads and amulets wrapped around his wrists hung down and shone faintly in the light.
As he piously prayed to the God of War, his heart gradually calmed down. As the faintly discernible voice that seemed to contain infinite knowledge gradually faded away, the tall and sturdy old man slowly opened his eyes and looked at Mathilda Augustus who was standing in front of him.
"Your Royal Highness, on behalf of the church, I would like to thank the royal family for their support of this year's War God Ceremony and their consistent protection of the believers," he said in a deep and powerful voice. "May the God of War bless you and your family. May the glorious Augustus stand on this land blessed by the Lord forever."
"It is the duty of the Augustus Family to support the operation of the church in the Empire. It is our birthright to protect the people of the Empire." Mathilda nodded slightly at the old man in luxurious robes in front of her. She used a polite and respectful tone and said, "The Church of the God of War is the most powerful church in the Typhon. You have a great influence on tens of thousands of people of the Typhon. Our Majesty hopes to see you as always, correctly influence the believers and let them walk on the right path."
With a calm smile on his face, Malcolm Dunnett nodded slightly. "This is also the duty and responsibility that the Lord has given to me."
Under the solemn and magnificent iron spire, the War Cathedral was brightly lit. Thick white candles were lit in the niches like stars, illuminating the sacred temple that belonged to the God of War. The annual War God Ceremony was approaching. It was the grandest religious festival in the country where the God of War was the mainstream religion. As the representative of the royal family, according to tradition, Mathilda sent a congratulatory gift and a letter personally written by the Emperor on this day. And now, this routine and ceremonial visit had come to an end.
After all the activities were over, Mathilda felt a little relieved. She glanced at the solemn and oppressive temple and saw that the bishops and priests had left according to the procedure. She then looked away and nodded to the War God Pope in front of her. "This year's ceremony should be more grand than previous years. The economy is on the rise, the rich people have more money to celebrate the festival, and many people in the surrounding villages have gathered in Oldenheim."
"I can foresee a prosperous scene." Malcolm Dunnett nodded. "The Church will control the order. We will not allow anything to embarrass the royal family."
Mathilda looked at the old pope in front of her and smiled. "Of course, my father and I trust you on this. You have always been a friend of the Augustus Family."
"Personal friendship, I know, personal friendship." Malcolm Dunnett's always stern face softened after the woman in front of him smiled. The strong old man, who used to be an army chaplain, smiled and said with a hint of ridicule. "You will not be baptized by me."
"The members of the Augustus Family have not been baptized by any other church." Mathilda smiled and spread out her hands. "I think this ensures the balance of the royal family on religious issues. We have more than one church."
"… Rosetta has used this excuse to deal with me for many years. Now it's your turn to say the same thing." Malcolm looked at Mathilda helplessly and then changed the subject. "Let's not talk about this. Mathilda, before you go back, do you want to tell me what you saw and heard in Cecil? "
"Of course, I still have some time." Mathilda nodded, but then she looked at the old pope in front of her with some doubts. "But why are you suddenly interested in my experience in Cecil? You know, I have been back from Cecil for almost half a year, and you have never cared much about things outside of the Church. "
"… No matter how indoors a person is, there will be a time when he hears thunder," Malcolm said slowly. "Recently, there have been more and more things about Cecil in the city. All kinds of news have even spread to the Great Cathedral. Even if I don't care, I have heard and seen it."
"That's true …" Mathilda said with a trace of emotion. "In the era of economic exchange, the flow of information has become different from before."
"However, just over a year ago, the situation was completely different today." Malcolm shook his head. "We and Cecil were at daggers drawn. Almost everyone thought that we were about to usher in a war. Countless war priests were ready. The Great Cathedral even lit incense and essential oils for the God of War in advance. Then, peace suddenly came."
"Do you feel regret about this?" Mathilda looked at the War God Pope in front of her and asked seriously.
Malcolm glanced at the "Pearl of the Empire", and a smile suddenly appeared on his old but still hale and hearty face.
"Your Highness, I am the servant of the God of War, but the servants of the God of War are not war maniacs. We only serve the order and fairness of war, and do not expect the world to be full of war all the time. Of course, I am a war advocate, but I admit that prosperity and stability are better for the people. It's just that this sudden 'peace' really caught us off guard … I was a little surprised, and so were many bishops and pastors who were prepared for war. "
"That's understandable. After all, the priests of the God of War have always been an important part of the Empire's army. The current 'peaceful' situation is indeed out of everyone's expectations …" Mathilda nodded gently and said with understanding and agreement. Then, she pondered for a few seconds and slowly shook her head. "But in my opinion, the saying of 'peaceful situation' is not accurate."
The burly pope could not help but raise his eyebrows. "Oh?"
"We have only avoided a bloody war, but a bloodless war may still continue," Mathilda said seriously. "This is the judgment of the parliament and the royal advisory group. We will compete with the Cecil people for the market, we will compete with them for influence and right to speak on the continent, we will compete with them in literacy rate, city size, technological investment and results. We have put away our weapons, but we have begun a more comprehensive competition, economic, political, technological … and all of these ultimately point to national interests.
"My father told me that this is also a war, a war that has nothing to do with swords, no blood, no killing, but a war that will not stop every minute and every second. It's just that this war is called peace, and people can only see prosperity on the surface of the flames of war. At least, this is the case before the victory of the two behemoths is decided."
Malcolm Dunnett quietly listened to Mathilda's words, his deep brown eyes were full of contemplation. He seemed to be thinking, but no expression showed on his face.
After a while, he put his hands on his chest again, and whispered the name of the God of War, his mind slowly calming down.
"You should be able to understand what I'm saying." Mathilda looked at the respected old man in front of her. Although the Augustus family had always kept all gods at a respectful distance, but at least in terms of personal contact, this admirable old man was a friend of the Augustus family for many years. Mathilda had also received a lot of care from him in her childhood, so she was willing to talk more with the old man. She knew that although the old man looked serious and old-fashioned, he was also a quick-witted and intelligent man with excellent understanding. He could immediately understand what she was saying.
"The war has always been there, but the form and scope of the war have changed." She finally nodded and said in conclusion.
"This is thought-provoking." Malcolm Dunnett nodded after a moment of silence and said in a deep voice. "This is an angle that I have never considered before."
Mathilda smiled. "It's good that you don't mind saying these deep words in front of you."
Malcolm Dunnett smiled with a hint of an elder doting on a junior. "Of course not."
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