Chapter 324 Set sail! set sail!
In the western district of the Holy City, the autumn wind blows through the winter garden of the Valencia mansion, and there is a warm and quiet green under the glass dome.
Golden-red vines twined along the pillars, and several maple trees growing indoors finally sensed the change of seasons, adding a deep withered yellow color to their branches.
It is late autumn now.
Although the great storms that swept across the vast ocean destroyed large tracts of farmland in the New and Old Worlds, they did not seem to affect this garden.
In order to celebrate the upcoming auspicious snow, a tea party in the name of flower viewing is being held.
Silver tea sets are neatly placed on the carved wooden table. The teapot exudes the mixed aroma of agave and citrus. The family emblem on the tea cup is shining with gold - golden eagle wings, the symbol of the Valencian family.
In the Holy City, Valencia is a name that everyone knows and everyone knows, simply because this prominent family has given birth to three "regents" in the past hundred years.
In the empire, the regent is a person below one person and above ten thousand people.
If the Emperor is the spokesperson of Saint Sith in the mortal world, the immortal "Eternal Chosen One", then the Regent is the spokesperson of the Emperor.
In addition to representing His Majesty several times, the Valencian family also relied on the prestige they had accumulated over a long period of time to become the representative of the "Senator Faction" representing the interests of the traditional aristocracy, competing against the Eberg family representing the interests of the "Officer Faction" and the Gregorian family leading the "Vatican Faction".
Since the emblem of the Valencia family is the "golden eagle wings", they are also known as the three heroes of gold, silver and bronze in the Holy City, together with the "Silver Oak" Lambert family and the "Bronze Seahorse" Castellon family, who are also veterans.
· Whenever the Golden Family is mentioned, people can't help but think of them.
"Have you all read the letter?" Duke Albert Valencia was leaning on the wicker chair, without raising the teacup, and his eyes had already fallen on the guests, "The self-statement of 'Prince Colin'... and his political arrangements in Deadwood Port." He said with approval with a smile, "Every word in the letter is in line with etiquette, the words are sophisticated, majestic but not arrogant, only measured... It can be seen that his father has not neglected to teach him."
It was a letter sent by His Highness Roxey Colin to the imperial capital - while expressing the Colin family's longing for the empire, he sincerely proposed that he would like to hold a funeral for his father in the Holy City.
Of course, the Valencian family, which values glory, cannot refuse such a request.
Especially in the view of Duke Albert Valencia, this prince from a distant continent is an excellent target to win over.
Duke Albert of Valencia raised his teacup and looked out the window at the church steeple, his tone was gentle but full of meaning.
Seeing no one objected, he spoke.
"Everyone, I remember that the surname "Colin" does have an entry in the ancient Peter's genealogy... Although this surname has not left any traces of great color, its glory has not been completely forgotten."
Duke Lambert nodded slightly in approval and said in agreement.
"What he said was that he abided by the ancient laws, was thorough in etiquette, and never exceeded the rules... This is completely different from those down-and-out nobles who were willing to degenerate and exile themselves in the new world." We should accept him into our circle immediately, but if he can really represent the revival of the "old aristocratic spirit", at least——"
An earl gently placed the tea cup on the tray, making a slight clinking sound of porcelain.
——It is worth providing us with a "ticket" to enter the Senate to pay our respects."
"Especially since he himself has shown the expectation of "progress"."
The Duke of Valencia and the Duke of Lambert unanimously set their sights on the Duke of Castellon who said nothing.
This middle-aged nobleman in luxurious clothes stroked his slender beard. After thinking carefully for a moment, he nodded slightly in agreement.
The three giants of the Senate have all nodded, and the rest of the nobles have also followed suit. In this way, the elders, one of the three major factions in the Holy City, reached a consensus on the issue of Prince Colin - they decided to give the ancient family that had been away from the country for many years a chance. As for whether they could seize it, it was up to the young heir himself.
Out the window, the servants were carefully covering the iron tree with cold-proof cloth in the garden, just as these old nobles were carefully protecting a name that was gradually being forgotten by the times.
At the same time, in the Military District of the Holy City, in the Marshal's office behind the stone wall of the Imperial General Staff, the flames in the fireplace were burning slowly, illuminating the majestic back of Marshal Rako Eberg.
If the Prince Regent is the "first mortal" under the Emperor, then the Marshal is His Majesty the Emperor's most trusted mortal thug.
Different from those traditional nobles who valued magic and despised martial arts, Marshal Lako was definitely an outlier in the circle of imperial nobles.
Not only did he practice the "Dragon God School combat skills" that only vulgar people would learn, but he also relied on martial arts to reach the semi-god level, and he married a foreign woman with dragon blood as his wife.
The nobles of the Holy City therefore regarded the Eberg family as barbarians who ignored tradition. Even the relatively enlightened Pope Gregory IX criticized his behavior.
Saint Sith does not prohibit believers from practicing the martial arts of the dragon god, but at least the nobles of the empire have to marry a human girl, right?
However, unlike the unpopularity of the upper class, Marshal Laco and the Eberg family behind him have extremely high prestige among the people of the empire-especially the military class!
As we all know, joining the army is almost the only "reliable" way for civilians in the empire to advance to the nobility. As for becoming an adventurer and defeating the devil to obtain blessings from the gods, that is just a carrot dangled in front of the donkey, not worth mentioning.
In short, ignore the bullshit of the bards, the Eberg family is definitely a living legend in the Holy City!
The founder of his family was famous for his military exploits, and as a soldier of civilian origin, he received the territory personally granted by the emperor as a hero!
In the past hundred years, three members of the Eberg family have served as imperial marshals, and the officers who have benefited from them are all over the army system of the empire.
Including General Hamelton, the "Imperial Griffin" of St. Ilburg, whom he single-handedly promoted!
At this moment, the marshal was holding a document in his hand, his brows were furrowed, and his sharp eyes were filled with some careful thinking.
This is a document from the Navy Command. The document mentions General Hamelton's supply replacement plan and his own experiences on the northern coast of the Janna continent.
According to General Hamelton, it was a huge land of nearly seven million square kilometers, isolated on the vast ocean, and ruled by the people of the Dragon God.
Considering the empire’s significant interests in the vast ocean, the value of this unexplored continent goes without saying. As the only "imperial colonizer" on this continent, the value of the Colin family is self-evident.
Obviously——
Not only the empire can see this, but Hell also sees this and regards it as an opportunity to leverage the empire's territory.
Almost at the same time that General Hamelton stepped onto Deadwood Harbor, the Demon King from Hell also used the fallen sailor to insert a nail into the Sun Staircase Mountains near Deadwood Harbor.
Fortunately, General Hamelton was a man of vision.
The strategic vision he displayed was as eye-catching as his performance in the counterattack at Port Saldo. He not only dealt a heavy blow to the Demon King who had not yet gained a foothold, but also used limited resources to unite the local colonists.
Just when Marshal Laco was carefully considering where to place his next chess piece, there were clean footsteps and rhythmic knocking outside the door.
"Please come in."
Iron boots stepped on the oak floor. His deputy Marcos walked into the office and neatly placed an encrypted document on his desk.
“Marshal, this is the second letter from General Hamelton. It was delivered to the Naval Staff in the Holy City by the messenger of St. Ilburg. Hamelton emphasized the deeds of "Prince Colin" many times in the letter, especially mentioning his series of actions in Deadwood Port... ...As for the rest, I suggest you read it in person. This letter is very helpful for us to understand the situation in the Janna continent."
Hmm."
Laco nodded slowly and returned to his desk to sit down.
Picking up the document, he opened the envelope and saw strong writing on the warm paper, with a typical military style.
The first line of words that caught Laco's eyes made his eyebrows reveal a trace of admiration involuntarily.
…During my stay at Deadwood Port, I witnessed with my own eyes that this young prince provided valuable food supplies and port construction support to the imperial warships.
This loyal and pragmatic prince said many times, "The Colin family will always be loyal servants of the empire, always loyal to the immortal emperor, and thinking of their motherland all the time."
What’s even more commendable is that he didn’t just talk, but put it into action! This respectable gentleman not only made great efforts to finalize the trade agreement, but also used his own interests to solve our current difficulties!
Certain prominent people in the Holy City should be ashamed of this. Their loyalty is not even as good as that of a prince who has never set foot on the mainland of the empire...
Markos coughed lightly and explained.
"General Hamelton's words are a bit extreme, but you know...he didn't mean any offense. He was referring to the merchants who tried to take advantage of the imperial navy's supply chaos to make a fortune and the nobles who stood behind them." There are not many people who are full of praise. I think this gentleman must have something special. "
"I think so too." Marcos nodded slightly, paused for a moment and continued, "General Hamelton's letter also mentioned that Prince Colin still insists on enforcing the laws of the Empire in Deadwood Port. Although their family has been separated from the Empire for many years, they have never forgotten their traditions... Even their eating habits are the same as ours."
Marshal Laco leaned back in his chair, gently rubbed the black iron ring on his finger, and after pondering for a moment, asked: "Has Hamelton mentioned why Prince Colin suddenly decided to return to the Holy City?" He returned to the Holy City this time to hold a formal funeral for his deceased father to express his respect for his father and his family's bloodline. At the same time, this was also his father's wish... Generations of the Colin family have longed to return to their homeland, even though many of them have completely disappeared in that strange continent."
Died on a land abandoned by God, the soul cannot ascend to heaven...
The frowning brow trembled slightly, and the word "father" touched the softest part of Marshal Rako Aiberg's heart.
"Loyalty is the cornerstone of the Empire, whether it is loyalty to the Emperor, loyalty to the Empire, or loyalty to our fathers, to our families, or to the people we defend... This young man named Roxey Colin is a respectable nobleman."
h different beasts in human skins from the Senate.
Those who clamor for tradition have long forgotten what tradition is, leaving only a superficial skin and a core that has long since decayed.
Saint Sith will not save them.
The big storm is their punishment!
On the contrary——
A truly reliable young man was released from the "cage", and it was at this precarious juncture.
No matter what the Colin family did 500 years ago that was outrageous to both humans and gods and was abandoned by the gods, at least Saint Sith chose him at this moment.
Laco wants to believe that this is the will of the gods.
Even though he doesn't understand this person's character yet, he is willing to give this young man a chance - the Colin family can sit on the chariot of the empire and become loyal warriors of His Majesty the Emperor, as well as the reliable shoulder of the "officer faction" to check the old nobles and priests!
The sound of wind outside the window gradually became louder, and the branches gently slapped the glass window.
Laco stood up, walked to the display rack, and took down a sword with a black iron eagle wing emblem from the rack. This sword was the sword he used when he was galloping on the battlefield. Although it has not been used for a long time, it is still as sharp as new and exudes a faint sacred aura.
He gently wiped the eagle emblem on the sword hilt with his thumb, seeming to have made some kind of decision.
"Go and draft a letter," he ordered with his back to Marcos, "I want to invite this prince to attend Quanzi's coming-of-age ceremony...there should be enough time."
If the prince is indeed a worthy candidate for the Eberg family, this sword should be given to him as a gift!
Marcos' expression changed, and he immediately understood what the marshal meant, and nodded respectfully.
"As you command!"
The sound of the wind outside the window is getting faster and faster, just like the undercurrent brewing under the shadow of the prosperity of the Holy City, which becomes more and more turbulent as the tide approaches.
Before Prince Colin’s Purple Moon arrived at the port of the Holy City, two of the three major factions in the empire had already shown their intention to win over him.
Hence, although the Holy See of Saint Sith, which represents the interests of the clergy, has not taken any clear action yet, it does not mean that the clergy are indifferent to this.
It is their lifelong mission to spread the faith of Saint Sith.
The faith territory of the old world has no room for further expansion, and the seeds of the Holy Light have already been sown in the land of the new world.
In contrast, Janna continent is an undeveloped land.
Since Saint Sith sent this land in front of them, it must be for his children to save those lizards that drink blood from their hair.
The College of Cardinals had argued for several rounds about who should be sent there to preach.
Although there is not fertile soil there, cultivating pagans can accumulate huge merits and accumulate enough "points" for the upgrading of the soul in the next life.
Although the "cardinals" themselves cannot be promoted, their relatives and apprentices still have this need.
The secret room of the apse of St. Clement's Cathedral. The holy stone hall is filled with the smell of ambergris, and the purple smoke is misty on the incense burner.
This is the stronghold of the Order of St. Clement, and it is also the sanctuary where His Majesty Pope Gregory IX communicated with the gods and obtained oracles.
At this moment, His Majesty the Pope is sitting on a bench wearing a platinum textured robe, with his hands clasped together, bathed in golden candlelight.
The sacred candles, which are hard to find in the distant Principality of Campbell, can be seen everywhere here like stalagmites in the stalactite cave.
"I heard his prayer in the holy light..." Gregory IX's voice was as soft as silk, just like the ethereal holy light. "Before everyone, he did not quote the oracle, but only whispered - 'May Saint Sith have mercy on those who died in the storm. ”, and then used his own hands to save the people trapped in the flood. ”
The judge sat silently behind him, without expressing any opinion on the poetic oracle, and even suspected that this was not what the Pope really saw from the oracle.
Generally speaking—
Oracles predict things in the future, and rarely contain content that has already happened.
Unless there is an even bigger storm after the big storm...
He hoped it wouldn't be the case.
Gregory IX slowly opened his eyes, as if he saw thousands of miles away: "He is not a shepherd, but he understands faith better than many wolves in sheep's clothing. You should put aside your prejudices, at least... Since he comes back on his own initiative, we should treat him with courtesy."
"But he has been hanging out with pagans all year round..." The chief judge said in a hoarse and low voice, "You know what those lizard people are. They are all the descendants of the Dragon God, and the Dragon God has no reason to allow his servants to live."
After a pause, he said again.
"I'm worried that there is an ulterior secret behind this."
It is true that the Dragon God was once an ally of Saint Sith, but their relationship was definitely not close, especially when the dirty reptile betrayed him at the most critical moment.
According to the church's secret files and mural records, the Dragon God has an unstable and moody temperament, and his cunning and cunning is not inferior to Novel, the "Mist of Mist" among the Four Evil Gods of Chaos, and his descendants have completely inherited this aspect.
All the cardinals are planning to preach, but only the Inquisition has reservations - as the chief judge, he believes that those cancers of civilization should be thoroughly cleaned up!
This is not only for the long-term interests of the church, but also for the long-term stability of the empire.
"That's not important." The Pope's tone was soft and majestic. His golden pupils looked into the eyes of the judge and he slowly said, "If he is willing to protect the religious order of the Holy City, we should give him the protection of the altar."
"Let's arrange an "accidental encounter"."
"We don't need to test his kindness, but we still need to test his faith. He must know that God's light can shine on his head - or it can burn him up."
Sylfin's elegant salute, her movements and demeanor do not look like a priest, but like a nobleman who has been hanging around in the vanity fair all year round.
「遵命。」
The flame of the holy candle dances, and the metal chalice casts a twisted shadow on the wall, like the invisible hand of the Holy See thrown at the secular power.
The shadow of the chief judge disappeared on the bench at some point, and only the prayer recited softly by Gregory IX remained in the empty secret room.
The judge's suspicion was correct——
The oracle sent down to him by Saint Sis was not the poem he just sung, because he really didn't know how to explain it to his followers.
In the bizarre dream, he saw a holy city that was far more prosperous than it was now, so that he couldn't take his eyes away for a while.
It was a colorful phantom, like a boiling flame, burning so hard that he couldn't open his eyes.
And thousands of figures moving in the metal traffic.
People spend every day busy and fulfilling, and continue to dedicate themselves after death, using their souls to weave a huge city in the universe as vast as the stars.
This seems to be a good omen.
He was amazed at the inconceivability of the oracle, and also puzzled over what kind of revelation the venerable God wanted to give to His children.
Him All along, what he saw in fables was the flood, and the interpretations of successive popes were that people who abandoned their faith were punished by the gods. A world-destroying flood would overturn everything and start a new era again.
But now, the fate of the flood seems to have been replaced by the "luck of fire", and the burning flames of nothingness spread out on the land paved with steel!
Flame……
Gregory IX murmured to himself, trying to unravel the fable.
This seems to have nothing to do with Prince Colin coming from the sea. After all, no matter from which angle you look at it, coming from the sea on the wind corresponds to "water" and "wind".
If we say that the steam engine corresponds to "fire", it would be too far-fetched.
Gregory shook his head slightly, sighed, and finally ended this meaningless exploration of the spiritual world.
Perhaps this fable is just about the big storm sweeping across the vast ocean and has nothing to do with the prince, and the real omen will have to wait until decades to see it.
Countless historical lessons tell them that the oracle is a warning to them from Saint Sith, just like a rope around the neck of the person being judged. The more they struggle, the tighter the rope will become.
Perhaps the root of the problem is not the oracle itself, but the many issues that they have ignored for a long time...
That cannot be changed by a pope.
At this moment, he can only express his uneasiness in prayer. Maybe in the near future, everything will turn around.
Just like what has happened countless times in the past thousand years...
...
On the other side, outside the church, there is a dark corner where the holy light cannot shine.
There is also a secret room there.
Compared to the secret chamber of St. Clement's Cathedral, this place is much colder and darker, just like a coffin buried in a tomb.
A succubus sculpture only half a meter high is located at the front of the secret room. The granite shrine exudes a breathtaking atmosphere.
An elegant gentleman stood in front of the statue, the shadow cast from under the candlestick just covering his face.
After listening to the teachings of the evil force, the man standing with his hands down bowed respectfully, his voice without any fluctuations filled with obedience and awe.
The sea breeze has blown away the morning fog, and the golden sunshine shines on the harbor that is like summer all year round, illuminating the brand-new pier.
A tall three-masted steam sailboat was moored at the pier, its white sails particularly dazzling in the morning light, and the purple moon emblem symbolizing the Colin family fluttering on the top of the mast.
The Empire's construction team is still under construction, and Marines carrying muskets patrol along the streets in front of the port. General Hamelton and his fleet have already withdrawn from here, and the Purple Moon has become the most dazzling sailing ship on the dock.
Hamilton is the general of St. Ilburg after all, and does not belong to Deadwood Port. He cannot guard this place forever for Prince Colin.
Even though Hamelton himself was very reluctant to part with the food here, he still had business matters and left shortly after getting the agreement.
Just after Hamelton left, Luo Yan quickly put the plan to go to the Holy City on the agenda, and chose the time to set sail on this sunny morning.
Although he did not leave with much fanfare, when it was time to set out, the port was still full of people seeing him off.
Most of the residents of Deadwood Port have a very good impression of him, and even feel a little grateful.
Although Governor Cadson is a greedy villain who wants even flour from them, Baron Teach is a arrogant guy who fits their stereotype of all nobles in the Old World. He not only allows his subordinates to compete with the people for profit, but also turns a deaf ear to complaints like snowflakes.
But Roxsay Colin, who is personable and loves his people like a son, is different.
He is like their father, always running around for their things, working day and night, not even having a bite of food every day... he can only eat supper at night.
Just like now.
Honest Prince Colin is about to go to the Holy City to bury his father's ashes and at the same time resolve the legal status of those who decided to settle in this new land.
Only if the empire recognizes them, they can continue to be subjects of the empire and legally operate routes in Deadwood Port and other ports in the empire without having to worry about being knocked down by the empire's fleet.
As for collecting taxes...
That's nothing, you can't avoid what is coming.
Moreover, newly established colonies generally have a tax-free policy, and this policy will continue until fifty years later, or the empire considers that the colony is developed enough to shoulder the ancient and sacred obligation of paying taxes.
Looking at the crowd of farewells at the edge of the port, Tiqi, who was standing on the deck, had a complicated expression, and sighed softly after a long time.
"The day I left the Holy City... I never thought I would go back in this way."
He felt excited, uneasy, and a little confused about where he was going in the future.
Luo Yan, who was standing next to him, just glanced at him lightly.
"Have you conceived the autobiography I asked you to write?"
Tiqi looked tense and said immediately.
"The outline...has been conceived."
Luo Yan nodded.
．
The fate of the Kosia family has been firmly bound to the Demon King, and he knows very well that he will never be able to get off this ship.
One wrong step and you will be in eternal hell.
Luo Yan nodded and did not continue to put a lot of pressure on him. Instead, he looked at Lumil, his most loyal human servant, who was walking slowly.
Lumir nodded slightly and said respectfully.
"Sir, the sailors are ready, please give the order."
Half of the sailors on the ship were recruited from Deadwood Port, and the other half were servants of His Majesty the Demon King - some artificial humans who looked strange, but were not much different from humans.
Of course, they are declared to the outside world as "Jana people" - a new ethnic group born after the drowned people who drifted to the continent of Janna in the past five hundred years and mixed with the savages in the forest.
Luo Yan squinted his eyes, looking at the rolling tide in the east and the rising sun on the sea, and couldn't help but smile at the corner of his mouth.
The moment has finally come.
Long before he became the Demon King, he wanted to go there and have a look.
He pulled out his wand and waved lightly towards the vertical sail. A strong and steady sea breeze blew out of thin air, pushing the Ziyue docked at the dock away from the harbor.
The sailors who received the order immediately got busy.
Target——
The Holy City of the Empire!
It’s time to spread the Demon King’s corruption there!
"Set the sails, set sail!"
(End of this chapter)