Under the night sky, a mixed team made up of light infantry, low-grade Knight, and battle mages was quickly passing through a nearby road. Strict military discipline prevented any extra chatter in the team, only the sound of military boots stepping on the ground rang in the night. The light from the magic stone road lamps shone on the edge of the soldiers' helmets, leaving an occasional flash of light. The short staffs and magic balls worn by the battle mages poked out of their clothes, giving off a mysterious glimmer in the dark.
This was not a secret operation. They were just the new night patrol team added by Oldenheim.
On the second floor of a large house near the edge of the wealthy district, the curtain was pulled open slightly. A pair of bright eyes were watching the movements on the street from behind the curtain.
Mary stood behind the window and observed for a while before turning back to her teacher and said, "Teacher, there's another team of patrolling soldiers outside. This time, there are four battle mages, two Knight, and twelve soldiers with enchanted equipment."
"It's the Knight Regiment directly under the royal family. A standard mixed combat team..." Daniel was sitting on a sofa not far away. He leaned against the armrest next to him, one hand supporting his forehead. A magic book was floating in front of him, flipping silently on its own. The old mage's voice was steady and dignified, calming Mary down. "Which direction did they go?"
Mary thought for a while and compared the directions in her mind before replying, "It seems to be the direction of Oak Street in the west of the city."
"It's the Church of the God of War of St. Yorum..." Daniel thought for a while and nodded. "That's normal."
"Teacher, there have been more and more patrols at night recently," Mary said uneasily. "Is something big going to happen in the city?"
"... It may not be peaceful recently, but don't worry. Master has his own plans." Daniel glanced at his apprentice and said lightly, "You just have to do your own thing."
Mary nodded immediately. "Yes, I will remember."
A faintly discernible sound of music suddenly drifted from an unknown location. The sound sounded very far away, but it should still be within the boundaries of the wealthy district.
Mary was attracted by the music and could not help but look out of the window again. She saw that the lights between the magnificent buildings in the northwest side were bright, and there were flashing lights and shadows between one or two of the buildings. The faint sound came from that direction. It sounded light and smooth, not the slightly dull classical court music, but more like the "new court dance music" that had become popular in recent years and was loved by the young nobles.
There seemed to be a party going on, and Mary had no difficulty in imagining, from the twinkling lights, and the faint sound of music, what a merry scene it must be.
"The atmosphere is getting tenser by the day, but the party over there has not stopped for a single day..." the young female mage could not help but whisper softly.
"It is the duty of the nobles to hold a party. As long as there is a breath, they will not stop drinking and dancing. Especially at this time of tension, their banquet hall must be lit up all night." Daniel just smiled, as if he felt that Mary, a girl born and raised in the countryside, was making a fuss over nothing. "If you go to the market on Oak Street today, you will see that nothing has changed. The citizen's market is still open, and the exchange is still crowded. Although almost all the Churches of the God of War in the city are under investigation, and although the Great Cathedral has been completely closed for several days, neither the nobles nor the citizens think that something big is going to happen. In a sense, this is one of the 'contributions' of the nobles to having a party all night."
The young female mage thought for a moment and asked carefully, "Calm people down?"
Daniel looked at her and seemed to smile. "Sort of. When the nobles are having a party, their chefs and maids will tell what they see to the guards and low-level servants in the villa and manor. The servants will then tell the news to their neighbors. Well-informed merchants will find a way to join the upper class before that. In the end, all the nobles, merchants, and wealthy citizens will feel that everything is fine. For Oldenheim and Typhon, as long as these people are fine, society is fine. As for the poor and the workers who have lost their land and entered the city, whether they are nervous or not, the people above do not care."
Mary blinked. She knew that her tutor was taking this opportunity to teach her something … something that she had not learned as a mage apprentice, and it sounded like it had nothing to do with magic.
But she still listened attentively.
Her tutor's voice came from the side again. "Pay attention to your safety. Don't go anywhere except to the Crafting Association and the Mage Association. Especially, stay away from the church of the God of War and the clerics who are active outside."
"Yes, I will remember."
Mary answered as she turned her head to look out of the window again.
The patrolling imperial soldiers had long disappeared from the street illuminated by the street lamps. Only the bright but cold light of the magic crystals illuminated the approaching winter night. Occasionally, there would be a few pedestrians on the road. They seemed to be in a hurry, and they looked tired and anxious. Considering that this was the edge of the wealthy district, and the commoners lived one street away, those figures could be workers getting off work in the middle of the night. Of course, they could also be homeless people.
Mary could not help but think of the countryside where she grew up. Even though she spent most of her childhood in the dark and oppressive Mage Tower, she still remembered the countryside at the foot of the mountain and the nearby town. It was not a prosperous place, but in this cold winter night, she could not help but think of that place.
After living in the bustling Imperial City for so long, she had almost forgotten what the countryside looked like.
A light suddenly appeared from the street not far away, interrupting Mary's thoughts. She could not help but look in the direction of the light. She saw a dark silhouette behind the light. A wide black magic carriage rolled over the wide street, like a strange beetle in a metal shell in the night.
A magic carriage? That was a high-class and expensive thing. Which big shot was going out in the middle of the night? Mary was curious and could not help but look at the carriage more carefully.
She vaguely saw the emblem on the side of the carriage and confirmed that it was indeed the property of a noble. However, just as she was about to take a closer look, a faint, harmless warning suddenly pressed on her.
Mary's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly looked away.
"What's wrong?" Her tutor's voice came from the side.
"There was a magic carriage just now," Mary said in a low voice. "I took a second look, and the person in the carriage did not seem to like it."
"Don't mind it. Maybe it's a noble who wants to keep a low profile. The warning is harmless," Daniel said casually and pointed at the coffee table in front of him. "If you're done relaxing, come back and finish the rest of this set of papers."
"Yes, Tutor."
...
The magic car drove steadily on the wide and flat Empire Avenue. The street lamps and the lights from the buildings on both sides flashed past the car window, casting blurred lights and shadows on the inner walls, ceiling, and seats of the car. Ferdinand sat on the right side of the back seat, and retracted his gaze from the window with a normal expression.
The trusted attendant in charge of driving asked from the front, "Sir, it will take a while to reach the Obsidian Palace. Would you like to take a rest?"
"No need. I'm still very energetic," Ferdinand replied casually.
The carriage continued to move forward, and the duke's emotions became calm. He looked at the empty seat on his left and looked out of the window. The spire of the Church of the God of War of St. Yorum was peeking out from a few houses in the distance. It was quiet there now, and only the light from the street lamps shone through the gaps in the roof. He turned to look at the other side and saw the neon lights flashing in the direction of Ansharon. He could even vaguely hear the noises from here.
A familiar, deep and powerful voice suddenly came from the left seat. "Bustling but noisy, gorgeous but empty, isn't it?"
The muscles all over Duke Ferdinand's body instantly tensed up. He was ready for battle within a hundredth of a second, and then he quickly turned his head. He saw a burly figure in a holy robe sitting on the seat to his left, smiling at him.
The trusted attendant in charge of driving did not react at all, as if he did not notice that there was an extra person in the carriage, nor did he hear the voice just now.
"Your Excellency Malcolm …" Ferdinand recognized that figure. It was the current pope of the Church of the God of Combat. However … he should be in the Great Cathedral right now, under the "protective surveillance" of a large number of elite agents from the Wanderer Troop and Lady Diana herself.
Why is he here?! How did he appear here?!
For a moment, Ferdinand doubted his senses and vigilance as a Legendary powerhouse. However, his expression remained calm. Other than secretly raising his vigilance, he only said calmly, "It doesn't seem appropriate to visit in such a manner in the middle of the night?"
Malcolm Dunnett only smiled gently and said nonchalantly, "We've known each other for a long time. I remember that you weren't such a cold person."
Ferdinand grew increasingly wary. He didn't understand the purpose of this Pope of the God of War's sudden visit, and he was even more fearful of the mysterious means the other party had used to suddenly appear beside him. His trusted attendant who was driving the car still hadn't reacted, making the whole thing seem even stranger.
"Then, is there anything urgent that you came to my carriage so late at night to look for me?" he asked as he stared into the eyes of the pope of the God of War.
"I just suddenly remembered that I haven't seen an old friend for a long time, so I wanted to visit and have a chat," Malcolm said in a casual tone. "Ferdinand, my friend, it's been a long time since you went to the Cathedral for a devout worship, right?"
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong!
"I go to the Cathedral every week to make the necessary donations, and I don't stop the necessary prayers and holy services," Ferdinand said in a deep voice. "Old friend, is this what you want to talk to me about when you suddenly came here?"
Malcolm seemed to not have heard the latter half of the sentence, and only shook his head. "Not enough. That's not enough, my friend. Donations, basic prayers, and sacraments are only things that ordinary believers do. However, I know that you're a devout believer, and so is Bard. The Wendell Family has always been the most devout followers of our Lord, haven't they?"
Then, his eyebrows drooped as if he was regretting something. His tone was like an ordinary old man nagging. "But what happened all these years, my old friend? I can feel that you are drifting away from the path of my Lord … You seem to be intentionally or unintentionally distancing yourself from your originally noble and righteous beliefs. Did something happen?"
Ferdinand frowned and did not speak.
Malcolm Dunnett then continued, "Also, that child Andesha hasn't been baptized yet, right … Old friend, Andesha is going to be the successor of the Wendell Family. You told me this a long time ago. How can there be a member of the Wendell Family who doesn't accept the Lord's baptism? "
Ferdinand finally couldn't help but break the silence. "Sir Malcolm, my friend, the Wendell Family has always served the God of War with devotion, but we're not a family of believers. There's no obligation or law that says that every descendant of the Wendell Family has to be baptized by the Church of the God of War. Andesha chose a different path from her parents and ancestors. This path is also one that I approve of, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
"Moreover, Andesha is already twenty-five years old this year. She's a frontline commander who can take charge of her own affairs. I don't think that us elders can still decide the path of her life for her."
Malcolm Dunnett did not say anything for a moment, and only stared at Ferdinand's eyes. But soon, he smiled, as if the imposing gaze just now had never happened. "You're right, my friend. You're right … Andesha is no longer a child.
"But I still want to say something. Ferdinand, you have indeed distanced yourself from our Lord all these years … Although I don't know what happened to you, it's not good to do this.
"You've been baptized. You're a devout believer of the Lord, and the Lord has responded to you before. This won't change just because you've distanced yourself from him.
"Ferdinand, come back to the right path. The Lord will be happy too."
Ferdinand's expression turned a little sour, and his tone became unfriendly. "Sir Malcolm, I have an important mission tonight. If you want me to preach, we can find another time."
"Ah, important mission …" Malcolm Dunnett raised his head and looked out of the window. He shook his head. "The direction of the Obsidian Palace. I think I know what your mission is … It's to meet Rosetta Augustus again? Another sudden summon? "
Ferdinand immediately reminded him sternly, "Sir Malcolm, you must use honorifics when addressing His Majesty. Even you shouldn't address the Emperor by his name directly."
"It's alright. He and I are old friends. I've addressed him that way since a long time ago." Malcolm smiled, but then shook his head. "It's a pity that he probably doesn't regard me as an old friend anymore … He even gave the order to seal off the Lord's Holy Church, and put me and my High Priests under house arrest …"
Ferdinand immediately corrected him. "That's not a seal. It's just an investigation. All of you aren't under house arrest. That's just a protective measure to prevent any more vicious incidents from happening …"
He stopped in the middle of his words.
The seat on the left was empty. There was no one at all.
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