Under the towering curved dome, the undulating sacred sound finally came to an end. Twelve high-ranking priests wearing gold-trimmed red robes were deathly pale, almost unable to stand steadily. The attendants and low-ranking servants at the side hurriedly stepped forward to support them. These high-ranking figures were either the regional archbishop of Rusta or the senior scholars of the academy. Their statuses were grand and respected, and could be said to be second only to the figures above the dome of the Holy Cathedral of Fire. Their strength matched their statuses. Among them, Archbishop Christopher of the Cohen region, Blessed Andres, and Master Sutton of the academy had already entered the Path of Truth and were only a step away from the Sanctum of Fire. The residents of Rusta were used to calling the eleven people above the dome of the Holy Cathedral of Fire the Sanctum of Fire. Over time, this saying had spread. In addition to these three people, the other nine people had also activated their Elemental Energy. Normally, people of their status would rarely personally preside over the sacraments or ceremonies. But when they did, most of them were at their fingertips and would never be in such a sorry state as they were now.
"It's really breathtaking." The person who looked at this scene was Valla. It was hard to imagine that the person in charge of the entire Holy Cathedral of Fire was such a kind-looking little old man. His beard and eyebrows were already snow-white, and his body had shrunk a lot. He wore a red bishop's cape with snow-white fur edges. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he trembled as if a gust of wind could blow him away. But only a pair of deep drooping eyelids, with a flash of light in his eyes and the clear lines of his tightly pursed lips, could prove that this old man who had controlled the Holy Cathedral for more than half a century was not as simple as he appeared to be.
The world called him the Great Priest of Fire and Iron. He was the only one of the eleven Sanctum of Fire who had experienced a complete Holy War. There was a popular saying about him in Rusta — the Sanctum of Fire is never merciful. This saying described his character, and he was definitely not as kind as he looked.
He stood on the altar with two others, and the person he was speaking to was a woman on the left behind him. She was tall, wearing a short white shawl, a tall crown on her head, and a scepter with a golden flame emblem in her hand. Her long shawl dragged on the smooth obsidian floor. Her face was a little too thin, and her cheeks seemed to have been cut by a knife or an axe, so much so that her feminine beauty could not be seen, and she appeared too cold. She had short platinum hair, tied in a long thin braid at the back of her head, hanging over her shawl. This woman was Sydney Metfarika, the third in command of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, and the fourth master of the Kirrlutz Empire. The legends about her were innumerable since the Year of the Stars. It was said that she had fought with the fourth leader of the Bugas wizards and lost by a hair, but it was a glorious defeat.
Ordinary people often described a person's gaze as sharp as an eagle's, but such words seemed weak in front of this lady. Her gaze was not only sharp, but it also seemed to have substance. With just a glance, people could understand what she meant. There was a circle of golden flame in the depths of her pupils, which was related to the divine power she wielded — the Angel of the Holy Sword, Eroma. In terms of mastery of the Holy Words, no one in the Empire could surpass her. Even Valla had to admit this.
The other person next to Valla was extremely ornate in his silk robe. He had a kind face and looked more like a businessman. This person was called Caesar, and he was ranked at the bottom of the eleven. His name sounded very domineering, but he was diligent in history but did not achieve much.
Sydney maintained her usual silence. Even when the master of the Holy Cathedral of Fire spoke in front of her, she had no intention of responding. It was not unreasonable for people to call her the Adoratrice of the Leo Palace, but Valla admired her character. Compared to the era of the previous generation of the Great Priest, because of the Holy War, this generation of the Holy Cathedral of Fire was generally younger. Young people always seemed to be too radical, but not calm enough, except for Sydney.
"His Majesty issued an edict on the fourteenth, and these people entered the city on the seventeenth. The people of the Scholastics were the most responsive, Great Priest," Caesar reminded in a low voice.
Valla nodded. He certainly understood the hidden meaning of this sentence. For centuries, Cruz's imperial power had finally developed to its peak in the past hundred years. Sometimes he could not help but think how good it would be if he was born in the era before his teacher. At that time, the Holy Cathedral could not only develop its power freely in small countries like Erouine and Antoburo, but also intervene in secular affairs. In the era when the religious power was at its peak, even the right of succession to the throne was in the hands of the Great Priest. But now?
The old man could only feel bitterness in his mouth.
"After this, I'm afraid that His Majesty's influence within the Holy Cathedral will rise again, Great Priest."
"I understand," Valla shook his head. The Scholastics had always been closer to the royal family. They had been wanting to carry out doctrinal reforms since the Year of Thunder, and had long begun to criticize the Great Priest. Although a group of people had been purged after the Holy War, this obviously could not stop those lunatics. The Holy Cathedral was indeed going to undergo changes, and he was more and more aware of this point. But the authority to preside over the changes must not fall into the hands of those who formed cliques for personal gain. Otherwise, there would be no tomorrow for the Holy Cathedral of Fire.
He knew that Caesar's words were reminding him that he should not satisfy Her Majesty's request this time. Although the imperial power was increasingly infiltrating the Holy Cathedral, the Holy Cathedral of Fire still had the right to decide its own internal affairs. His decision allowed the Supreme, who seemed to never age, to reach into the interior of the Holy Cathedral, which had long caused dissatisfaction among many of the eleven people. Today, only he, Sidney, and Caesar were present, which showed that — Sidney was not interested in fighting for power, Caesar was submissive, and the others were obviously very dissatisfied.
"But that's the Azure Lance." Valla let out a long sigh. Their Empress was too difficult to deal with. Sometimes he wondered whether it was Cruz's fortune to have such an Empress, or the misfortune of the Holy Cathedral of Fire. The Azure Lance was a sacred object of the mortal world, an object brought to the second era by the Azure Knight who shattered the sky. In the Pale Poem, it was described as the hope of mortals, the Holy Lance that changed fate. It could be imagined that if any Holy Cathedral had such an artifact and gained its recognition, it would greatly increase the prestige of the Holy Cathedral. Whether it was for public or private reasons, he could not refuse.
Caesar also closed his mouth. Of course, he understood the meaning of this. He could not help but look back at his colleagues. Even Sidney, who usually had the same expression on his face, had a glint in his eyes at this moment.
After all, it was the Holy Lance of Heaven —
"What a pity, why did the person who held the lance have to be a mountain person." Caesar thought regretfully. If he did not already know that the Holy Lance was transported out of Erouine and had an owner before that, he would have thought that this was the plan of the Supreme Empress. Because as everyone knew, among the countries under the rule of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, only the mountain people did not believe in the teachings of Gretel. They worshipped their ancestors and the spirit of nature, so they were called the barbarians. But it was such barbarians who were recognized by the Holy Lance.
"Your Majesty, giving the object that changes fate to a foreign race, just to suppress the Holy Cathedral, you are playing with fire — how can mortals control the future in their hands, the gods are bound to sin." Valla was also helpless, and could not help but mutter to himself.
The three of them did not speak, and silently watched the crystal in the center of the hall thin layer by layer, and finally disappear into nothingness. The girl inside closed her eyes, and with the lance in her hand, broke out of the 'ice' as if she had lost her center of gravity. She weakly knelt on the ground, then fell down, and just like that, fainted on the floor that was filled with layers of formations.
Valla looked at the pieces of crystal that fell to the ground, and vaguely saw the Holy Cathedral falling apart. The Scholastic Faction was no longer on their side, and the local officiants were also indecisive. Williams' failure was a heavy blow to the Holy Cathedral's prestige outside the Empire. He thought of that good-for-nothing guy, and could not help but feel angry. A dignified Knight Commander of the Holy Cathedral was defeated by a junior, it was simply humiliating. Unfortunately, it was not only his face that was lost, or the Cecil Family's face, but also the Holy Cathedral's face at the same time.
He then thought of Erouine, the little Count of Tónigel, the rumored grandson of the Sword Saint Darius, and could not help but mutter, "Why is it this guy again, he's really haunting me."
Caesar heard this whisper from the side and could not help but shiver, and his face changed. Of course, he still remembered the upheaval forty years ago, the decline of the Holy Cathedral, as if it was the beginning of that unfair trial. He looked at the High Priest beside him, and suddenly thought that the High Priest agreed to Her Majesty's conditions so readily, it was probably not just because of the Azure Lance. He suddenly remembered that as early as last week at the royal banquet, Her Majesty seemed to have vaguely revealed the origin of the new Countess, and her relationship with Erouine, the Count of Tónigel.
Thinking of this, he could not help but break out in a cold sweat, and hurriedly tightened his face, as if he was afraid that the supreme one beside him would see his thoughts.
But Valla did not care about him at all, and instead turned to Sidney and said, "Sidney, take the Countess to bathe and freshen up, and be good to her."
The High Priest was stunned, and then nodded indifferently.
…
The girl was dressed like a princess. She was wrapped in a baroque light yellow dress. Her fiery red hair was draped over her shoulders like flowing flames. Her slender neck and delicate collarbone were exposed in the air. A thin mithril necklace was threaded through a flaming diamond. The amber color of the necklace reflected the healthy luster of her skin. The fluffy skirt was full of rose-like folds, the multiple layers of sleeves, the gauze lining, and the huge bow on the chest almost dressed her up like a delicate doll, and the tight girdle that hugged her waist almost broke her waist, making her breathless. Scarlet looked at all this, somewhat at a loss, her amber eyes full of uneasiness.
The experience of this day was like an absurd dream to her. She dreamed that she was sleeping in a huge piece of amber, during which she experienced many things and saw strange scenery, but most of the time, she was covered with a black cloth, or locked in a box, never to see the light of day. Occasionally, when she felt uneasy, there would be a voice to chat with her, but the frequency was not particularly high. The young lady of the Azure Lance was so proud that she could not wait to draw a conclusion in two sentences to prove that she was a fool.
Then she 'saw' herself being transported into a magnificent temple, where many priests were performing a ritual around her, and her ears were filled with the low humming of hymns. Then, then she felt as if she had woken up, and in a hazy state, there was a lady in a white robe leading her, and then the lady asked a few maids to help her bathe and change her clothes. Scarlet had never experienced such a scene in her life, and she was almost scared stiff. She tried to escape several times, but she was stopped by the lady every time. The strength she was proud of was as weak as a child in front of the other party, unable to withstand a single blow. She remembered that every time the other party stared at her, and casually recited a prayer, and then it was as if an irresistible pressure descended from the sky, penetrating the dome of the temple, and directly exerting itself on her, immobilizing her.
At this moment, she was sitting on a bench, which was so luxurious that it almost looked like a carved wooden throne. Even in the liege's castle, she had never seen such a beautiful chair. She stared at herself in a long mirror in front of her, although the beautiful figure in the mirror did not look like her at all. A few maids surrounded her, carefully grooming her, and Scarlet knew that she could not resist, so she just let them manipulate her like a puppet.
The maids looked at their new mistress, and compared her to the beauty in the mirror. They carefully combed her long hair, put on sparkling earrings, and whispered to each other. Occasionally, they would let out a low chuckle, which made Scarlet's face burn. She still couldn't figure out where she was, why she was here, and why she was dressed in such strange clothes. She wanted to contact Ovina, but the young lady of the Azure Lance seemed to have other matters to attend to today. Scarlet's question sank like a stone in the ocean. Fortunately, she could still feel the presence of the Azure Lance, which made her feel a little more at ease.
The maids around her were all delicate and cute, obviously carefully selected. However, most of them had long or short crimson hair of different shades, which made it clear that they were from the Azure Lance. Scarlet looked at these people she had never met before, and listened to them whispering softly in her ear. For a moment, she did not want to lose her temper, so she could only be patient. Of course, this was also because she knew that the overly strict Priestess was still waiting outside.
"My Lady," a round-faced maid said enviously, "You really are our princess, the most beautiful girl among the mountain people."
"What … did you call me …" Scarlet was not very good at dealing with strangers, but when she heard this, she could not help but be surprised. She asked the question, almost in a daze.
"Oh yes, my Lady, you still don't know, right? You are the only Count in the past few hundred years who was personally appointed by His Majesty. Your fief is said to be the most fertile land in the kingdom, at the edge of the Wilderness of the Four Territories —"
"Yes, yes, yes. I've seen the maple forest there before. Oh my god, it's so beautiful. I can see that His Majesty admires you very much." The maids chattered. "Most importantly, it's close to the land of our mountain people — the mountains of Valaci. I really want to go home and take a look even in my dreams."
Scarlet was confused. She looked at the maids in confusion, not understanding what they were talking about. She was born in Chablis, and there were many mountain people there as well. When she was young, she did hear legends about the mountain people's homeland — the mountains of the Lache of Wa. But those were all distant dreams. She listened to the maids talk about fief, His Majesty, and the Count. Her mind was in a mess, and she could not think of anything for a while.
But she could see that these girls sincerely worshipped her. They chattered to her, "My Countess, I heard that His Majesty intends to give you the autonomy of that land after you swear allegiance to him with your sword. That land in your hands is equivalent to returning to the hands of us mountain people. The independence and autonomy that we have dreamed of for thousands of years can finally be realized in your hands, my Countess!"
The maids discussed enthusiastically, but as they spoke, their voices became softer and softer.
The mountain people's situation in the Empire was not much better than in Erouine. In fact, it was even worse. The Cruz people saw them as barbarians, and the nobles captured them as if they were wild beasts. Once the mountain men and women were chased out of the forest, they would be locked up in cages like wild beasts. They would leave their homes and be sold to other places. Those who were better off could become servants of the nobles, but most of them died in some unknown mine.
Who would be willing to leave their homeland? However, the history of the resistance of the mountain people had become a legend centuries ago. Within the borders of the Empire, other than a small number of clans that relied on the Empire, most of them hid in the mountains and lived like wild beasts. But even the remaining ones were inferior to the nobles. They could be captured at any time for various reasons and become slaves.
These seemed to be the common experiences of these girls. The room suddenly fell silent for a moment, and several of the girls could not help but sob. The round-faced maid choked and said, "My Lord, do you know, today, because of you, we, the mountain people, no longer have to leave our homes and families, and no longer have to be hunted down by those Kirrlutz people like wild beasts. My Lord, your name will spread throughout the mountains of the Empire, and one day you will be the hero of the mountain people —"
Scarlet opened her mouth.
She felt that she must be dreaming. She could not help but grab the handrail as if she wanted to stand up unsteadily. She was not used to the crystal shoes on her feet. She walked like a puppet. The maids at the side hurriedly supported the princess to prevent her from stepping on their skirts and falling to the ground. This was not something that had not happened before. But Scarlet looked around and finally asked, "I don't quite understand what you are talking about. My Lord, where is he?"
"My Lord, aren't you?"
Scarlet shook her head hard and was about to refute when someone knocked on the door. Then, Sidney's voice came in. "Count Mitra, if you are done dressing up, someone wants to see you."
The maidservants quieted down as if they had suddenly turned into puppets. They knew who would come here at this time.
… …
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
