Chapter 346 Residents of the Holy City who urge the watch
"New World Newspaper"
[Front page headline: The mourning of the temple: Prince Roxey Colin held a funeral for his father, and the Pope came to pray in person to highlight the glory of the family!
Yesterday at noon, the Holy City of the Empire witnessed a century-old funeral worthy of being recorded in history amidst the solemn tolling of bells!
His Royal Highness Prince Roxsay Colin, the heir to the Colin family with ancient noble blood, held a grand memorial prayer and burial ceremony for his late father, Prince Nanfu Colin, at St. Clement's Cathedral.
The ceremony was personally presided over by the respected Pope Gregory IX, and the ceremony was solemn and elegant. Among the distinguished guests attending the funeral were the Regent Granville Botha, Duke Albert Valencia, Count Cassit Hilfin, Marshal Raco Eberg, etc. They jointly expressed their respect and condolences to the Colin family, and highly praised Prince Roxey Colin's piety and noble character.
Prince Colin said in his eulogy: "My father has been loyal to the Empire and believed in Saint Sith. From now on, I will inherit his will and continue to contribute to His Majesty the Emperor and the people of the Empire."
That touching scene made all the citizens in the square shed tears. Under the prayers of everyone, the light of the Holy Family appeared in the sky above St. Clement's Cathedral!
Ji people have their own blessings from God. Let us bless His Highness Colin, and also wish that the souls wandering abroad can find their way home under the guidance of the Holy Light!
At present, Nanfu Colin's coffin has been buried in the cemetery of St. Clement's Cathedral with the blessing of Gregory IX.
In addition, Prince Colin announced the charter of the Knights Templar at the end of the funeral, and presented it as a gift to the people of the empire in the name of the late prince!
]
【Second Edition·Exclusive serialization: "The Drifting of Baron Corsia"
——The bizarre adventure story of Imperial Baron Tich Kosia: telling how he survived a shipwreck, drifted alone to the coast of Janna continent, lived on the beach near the Sun Staircase Mountains for nearly ten years, and finally how he was miraculously rescued by the Imperial Navy. Written by himself.
"Prologue"
I, Tichi Kosia, was born on a sunny day to a respectable baronial family on the outskirts of the Holy City. Although my family is not powerful, it does have a small amount of assets, which is enough for me to receive a good education and live a comfortable life without having to worry about my livelihood. My father always expected me to be like him, to be content with the status quo, manage the family property well, eventually marry a well-matched girl, and live a plain and decent life.
However, there always seems to be an invisible flame burning deep in my heart, and an ambition that is unsatisfactory in the status quo drives me. I was not satisfied with the limited income in the farm, so I invested my family property in commercial trade where risks and opportunities coexisted. I did have some success at the beginning, but a wrong judgment caused all my previous efforts to be in vain, and I even got into heavy debt.
In order to regain my lost honor and wealth, I put all my remaining assets on the line and purchased a sturdy merchant ship, the "Moby Dick". I personally led the fleet, loaded with the specialties of the Holy City, and sailed to the legendary new world filled with gold.
It was a calm day when I went to sea, and the seagulls in the harbor sang songs to say goodbye to me. I was full of confidence, thinking that this voyage would be the beginning of my revival. Sadly, the angel in charge of destiny seems to have arranged a completely different script for me... in order to punish my endless desire and greed.
As our fleet sailed to the depths of the boundless ocean, an unexpected storm pounced on us like a vicious dog from hell, and the sky instantly became darker than the deepest night.
The howling wind whipped up waves as huge as mountains, easily toying with our sturdy ship in the palm of its hand!
My mainmast broke in the first impact, emitting a heart-wrenching cry; the sailors' exclamations and prayers were soon swallowed up by thunder and the roar of huge waves breaking the ship's side. Finally, I was the only one left on the deck.
Hands tightly on the broken rudder, I watch helplessly as the "Moby Dick" is completely torn into pieces by a row of huge waves like landslides.
The bitterly cold water swallowed me up, and I struggled in the endless darkness and chaos until the last plank slipped from my hands, and my consciousness sank into the abyss.
I don’t know how long I have been drifting in the dark and cold water. It may be a moment, or it may be an eternity. When I regained consciousness again, I was lying on an unfamiliar, sun-baked beach.
The salty sea breeze blew me, and except for the broken shipwrecks and the endless sound of waves, there was no one around.
I struggled to stand up and looked around this desolate coast, with only one thought in my mind - I am still alive.
And all of this may be the test that Saint Sith has given me... (To be continued)
]
…
The funeral in St. Clement’s Cathedral has come to an end, and in the next day or two, this century-old funeral is still the focus of heated discussion in the streets of the Holy City.
The nobles praised Prince Colin's emphasis on tradition and his grace and elegance, while the citizens relished in the supreme glory of the Pope's personal visit and the newly established Knights Templar.
The young men who dreamed of opening up territory for the empire were already excited. They could not wait to get on the ship to the continent of Janna immediately and fight for the glory of the empire and the Holy Light!
However, in this quiet and noisy daily life, a new wave has quietly penetrated into the lives of the citizens of the holy city.
Holy City, Sage Street.
The afternoon sun is warm and genial, and the "White Pigeon Cafe" on the street is filled with the rich aroma of coffee and the buzz of people chatting and laughing.
Mr. Clark, an accountant, is a frequent visitor here. He usually orders a cup of black coffee and then spends an hour reading the Holy City Daily Chronicle to understand the business trends in and around the city.
However, what is different from the past is that the newspaper in his hand today is replaced by a little-known "New World".
The front page of this newspaper provides a detailed report on the funeral that shocked the whole city yesterday. The content is detailed and informative, and the writing is easy to understand. It is worth reading.
However, what really attracted Mr. Clark was the second page of the newspaper—the article whose title was so long that it could almost be regarded as a short article, "The Crusoe of Baron Corsia."
He almost read the prologue in one breath, completely forgetting about the gradually cooling cup of coffee in front of him.
"Oh my god, that storm... is like the roar of hell!"
He muttered to himself unconsciously, leaning forward and staring closely at the words on the paper, as if he was also on the "Moby Dick" struggling in the huge waves.
Especially when he read that the baron was swallowed by the sea water and finally miraculously woke up on the beach, he couldn't help but exclaimed "Saint Sis above"!
A citizen sitting at the next table was obviously a fellow-minded person. He raised his head, gave Mr. Clark a knowing look, and lowered his voice.
"Sir, are you also reading the story of Baron Kosia? That story is really thrilling... isn't it?"
"Yes, it's incredible!"
As if he had found a confidant, Mr. Clark responded excitedly, "I really want to know what this poor baron will do next! And what is in that strange land?"
His fingers trembled slightly with excitement, and he turned the newspaper to the next page with anticipation, his eyes eagerly searching the page.
However, no.
The next page is some insignificant anecdotes about the city and a few little GGs.
Mr. Clark was stunned. He quickly flipped through the newspaper again. It was not until he returned to the end of the prologue of the second page that he saw the line of text that sounded like a devil's whisper -
(to be continued)
? ? ?
"Damn it! Where is it down there? Why is it gone?!"
An uncontrollable groan was squeezed out of Mr. Clark's throat.
He felt as if his heart was tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and then hung up high again, unable to get up or get down.
The suspense of the story, the worry about the fate of the baron, and the curiosity about the unknown continent, all turned into ten thousand ants at this moment, crawling around his heart, making him restless.
He put down the newspaper impatiently, but couldn't help but pick it up again, looking at the sentence "To be continued" repeatedly, as if he wanted to burn through it with his eyes so that he could see the words behind it.
And he was not the only citizen here cursing the line "To be continued."
Although some newspapers usually serialize some short stories, they always have a beginning and an end, and they will never disappear without an ambiguous ending like this irresponsibly.
Not long after, Clark heard a curse coming from the distance.
"Damn it! Which newspaper is this "New World" run by? It actually uses such a shameless method to whet people's appetite!"
The man wearing the bowler hat was indignant. Pingdi cursed, but his body made an honest decision, "They'd better post the continuation of the story in the next issue of the newspaper! I swear, when they finish telling this endless story, they will never buy another issue of this wretched newspaper! Not even one issue!"
Hearing his curse, the man sitting not far away from him took a sip of coffee and said with a wry smile.
“Friend, I think it’s better for you to worry about whether you can buy it. This kind of small newspaper is sold out very quickly. I just wanted to buy another copy from the newsboy and take it back to my wife to see, but the young man told me that it was sold out... Saint Sis, such a wonderful story. Only 2,000 copies were printed! Did they do it on purpose? "
Mr. Clark drank the cold coffee absently, carefully folded the "New World" and put it neatly into his briefcase, as if it was some precious treasure.
He made up his mind that the first thing he would do when he went out tomorrow was to grab a copy of the latest "New World" from the hands of the newsboy, so as to understand the fate of Baron Corsia and that mysterious continent.
His mind now is full of beaches, isolated islands, and the baron living in the wilderness...as if he is the poor man abandoned by the storm on the beach and enduring the scorching sun.
On this day, in countless corners of the Holy City, many citizens like Mr. Clark are experiencing the sweet and painful "torture".
Humistically such an interesting story has never been published in the newspapers of the Holy City, especially since the protagonist of the story is no longer a princess and a knight, but an ambitious, even deviant man.
He was unwilling to be sheltered by his ancestors and wanted to start a career on his own, but was punished by fate. However, he relied on his own wisdom and courage to open up a road to wealth in the wilderness.
Not only that, this kind of marketing method of serializing novels in newspapers and stopping the story at the most exciting point is something that the citizens of the Holy City have never seen before.
In this way, a little-known newspaper successfully broke into the sight of the citizens of the Holy City with its bizarre and fascinating adventure stories, and with an irresistible gesture, became their most eager expectation the next morning...< br/>
…
Just like the heated discussion about "The Crusade of Baron Corsia" in the streets of the holy city, the newspaper office of "New World", where the story originated, is also in the center of a noisy storm.
This start-up newspaper is located on Kasen Street, a street known for its dilapidation and depression in the Holy City. However, its office is completely different from the surrounding environment.
Bright sunlight shines through the spotlessly wiped glass windows, illuminating the tidy office. The floor here has been swept clean, and documents and papers are neatly placed in categories.
All of this must be attributed to the group of hard-working children taken in by Mr. Dingge Cayona.
Nowadays, in addition to the orphans who come to help with odd jobs, the newspaper also employs some young people who graduated from nearby community colleges. Cosell kept his promise and offered the former a monthly salary of 1,200 copper coins, and the latter a monthly salary of 3,000 copper coins.
Although this amount of money is not a huge amount, compared to their not-so-heavy workload and the average salary level in the Holy City, it is already an enviable and generous salary.
The salary of an officer was certainly not enough to support the expenses of the newspaper, but fortunately they soon received the sponsorship of "Baron Corsia" himself.
Including the novel that is being serialized in the newspaper, it is also part of the sponsorship of this baron.
He did not ask for remuneration, but only proposed that after the story was serialized, he would be given a share of the publishing income.
In short, thanks to the help of Baron Coscia, Cosell's newspaper was able to open up the situation so quickly and carve out a bloody way in the red sea newspaper industry.
Considering that he would be leaving the Holy City in a few days to go to the Imperial Academy, Luo Yan planned to come over to visit the newspaper's operations before leaving.
This is an important chess piece he left in the Holy City, although it is still very small at the moment.
As soon as his carriage stopped at the corner of Carson Street, he was attracted by the sight in front of him.
A large group of people were crowded in front of the newspaper office, blocking the already narrow street.
Among these people, there are well-dressed, smart and capable publishers, other newspaper reporters with notebooks and sharp eyes, and most of them are ordinary citizens with eager faces - they are obviously loyal readers of "The Crusoe of Baron Corsia".
"When will the next issue be released? We are willing to pay double the price to pre-order!"
"I am from Lion Publishing House, and I hope to discuss the publishing rights of this book with the president of your company!"
"Can't you write more? Such a short paragraph every day is really torturous!"
"Is this really written by Baron Cosia himself? Why is the version I heard at the port different?"
Noisy requests and inquiries came one after another, surrounding the small newspaper office like an iron barrel.
At this moment, someone with sharp eyes in the crowd saw Luo Yan getting off the carriage.
"Look! It's His Royal Highness Prince Colin!"
A sudden exclamation attracted everyone's attention.
After a short period of silence, the crowd suddenly broke into an even more fervent commotion than before.
"Oh my God! Even His Highness Colin is here!"
"Did I never expect that Your Highness is also a reader of "The Crusades of Baron Corsia"? Do you think Baron Corsia can survive?"
"Are you out of your mind?! His Highness is the one who consecrated the Baron to you!"
"Hiss...I remember! Your Highness, in which episode did you appear? I'll start watching from the episode you appeared in!"
They rushed towards Luo Yan excitedly, hoping to have a few words with this distinguished figure who was also "chasing updates".
Looking at the roaring crowd, Luo Yan couldn't laugh or cry for a moment, so he could only appeal to them to calm down.
Sarah and the two guards of the manor stood closely in front of him, with sharp eyes and prepared for battle.
The situation was about to get out of control. Fortunately, Centurion Koser arrived in time with two cavalrymen from the city defense army.
The tall horses and the cold armor of the soldiers immediately calmed down the fanatical crowd.
"Citizens, please calm down! The publishing house has not printed yet, so it is useless for you to stay here. The newspaper is not delivered to you from here!" Looking at the citizens surrounding Prince Colin, Coser was sweating profusely, for fear that something would go wrong.
Happily, His Highness Colin is a calm and easy-going person, and is not unhappy with the enthusiasm of the citizens.
Under his gentle yet majestic persuasion, the turbulent crowd finally reluctantly dispersed.
"Your Highness, are you okay?" Coser got off his horse and trotted up to Colin, his serious face full of concern.
Luo Yan smiled and waved his hand.
"I'm fine. I just wanted to come here on a whim. I didn't expect it to cause such a big commotion... and it will cause trouble for your work."
It was obvious that the citizens came to the newspaper office, but His Highness Colin took the initiative to take the cause of the matter on himself, which undoubtedly did him a big favor.
After the chaos subsided, a young man in his twenties quickly walked out of the newspaper office.
He is Dinge Kayona, and now he is also the president of the newspaper.
Looking at Luo Yan, he rubbed his hands unconsciously, with a bit of shyness and embarrassment on his face, but more of a heartfelt enthusiasm and gratitude.
"Your Highness Colin...I'm really sorry for causing you any trouble. Thank you for your kindness in resolving the situation for us."
Luo Yan smiled and shook his head, indicating that he didn't need to care.
“It’s just a simple effort, President Cayona. Seeing that the newspaper is so popular, I am sincerely happy for you...it means you have lived up to my good intentions.”
“Of course, I, how dare we live up to your good intentions!” Cayona's face was filled with joy. Under the red light, he hurriedly made an invitation gesture, "You are here to inspect our work, right? This way, please!"
"Don't be so nervous, I'll just walk around by myself, you can go about your business."
With a smile, Luo Yan comforted him, and Luo Yan walked into the newspaper office with the taciturn Sarah.
This three-story office building was converted from a private house. The office room is very narrow and a bit cramped, but the decoration is very warm and the floor is very clean... Obviously the people who work here regard this place as their home.
Walking into the office on the second floor, Luo Yan's eyes crossed the rows of crowded and busy desks and chairs, and quickly stopped on a familiar face.
That was a young man of about twelve or thirteen years old.
The youthful face has a maturity that belies his age, and there is a cane leaning on the side of the table.
At this moment, he was meticulously checking the documents on the table. He seemed to be helping with some simple writing work, and he was learning while doing it.
Luo Yan's eyebrows raised.
It is really rare for someone at this age to be literate.
"...Your Highness?! Why are you here?"
White noticed Prince Colin walking into the office at a glance. In surprise, he quickly held the table and wanted to stand up and salute.
Luo Yan smiled and stretched out his hand, gently pressing on his shoulder to stop him from getting up.
"No need to be polite, I just came here to take a look." His voice was gentle, and he glanced at the other young editors and children who stood up in the office, "You can continue to do your work, and don't let down the expectations of the readers outside the door."
His words had a reassuring power, and everyone who was originally a little nervous breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down in their seats.
Luo Yan's eyes returned to the young man with a red face.
At this moment, he suddenly noticed a manuscript in White's hand, which contained several graffiti that seemed familiar to him.
“This is it?” He asked curiously, looking at the manuscript.
"It's an abstract painting, Your Highness! You should be familiar with it!"
Seeing that His Highness noticed his work, White immediately introduced it familiarly, with a twinkle in his eye.
"This concept has been very popular in the art world of the Holy City recently, especially among young people. It's just a pity that not many people are willing to invest in this new style... You know, those big nobles will only invest in painters with real potential and reputation, and those who are willing to chase this new trend are mostly unknown young people."
Luo Yan raised his eyebrows, already having some guesses in his mind: "Are you writing a report about this art trend?"
"That's right," White said excitedly, "but it's more related to an exhibition with the theme of abstract painting!"
Luo Yan almost choked on his own spit when he heard this.
"Abstract painting...art exhibition?"
"Yes!"
White's tone was full of recognition of the new things, and he nodded excitedly.
"There is a kind-hearted lady who is willing to provide funds to give young artists who are not famous a chance to show themselves, and invest in this exhibition... Well, although, I think this is also related to her budget is indeed not sufficient."
Before His Highness could speak, White continued with bright eyes: "Regardless of whether anyone invests... Don't you think this is great? I have learned that this is a painting method with a very low threshold. Whether it is the use of colors or the paint itself, it can be splashed on the paper in an informal manner. My sister even said that she can do this kind of painting! "
"Me! I didn't say that!"
Diona, who was standing aside to help organize the documents, blushed immediately after hearing her brother's words.
She glared at her brother fiercely, and immediately looked at Prince Colin nervously, fearing that he would be angry because of these words.
After all, she had heard from others that the trend sweeping the young art circle seemed to have been brought about by the lecture given by His Highness at the Imperial Academy of Art.
My younger brother usually has a very high emotional intelligence, but today he somehow forgot to avoid taboos.
Luo Yan is not that small-minded.
But to be honest, he did feel a little embarrassed, especially he did not expect that the nonsense he said in class would have such a great impact on the young people in the Holy City.
But...
This is a good thing.
He pondered for a moment and gave his own opinion.
"I think... this is indeed a good thing. Expressing oneself should not be the exclusive preserve of the rich and powerful. The world is full of disciplines for the powerless. Young people like you should also express your voice. This is the right given to you by Saint Sith."
"I knew you would think so! "
White was so excited that his voice was trembling, as if he was about to bow to His Royal Highness the next second, "So, our newspaper plans to help promote this art exhibition for free, and the way is... those young artists who are about to exhibit their works at the art exhibition will draw illustrations for our serialization of "Baron Corsia's Crusoe"... this is it!"
As he spoke, White rummaged through the documents on the table and carefully displayed a four-frame illustration in front of Luo Yan.
Luo Yan took a closer look and was dumbfounded again.
Hello guy...a four-frame comic? !
This was the first word that came to his mind.
The drawing paper was divided into four squares, and a story fragment was outlined with simple lines.
The main character in the painting, the little man whose head is painted like the letter "Q", is undoubtedly the unlucky Baron Corsia.
He suddenly realized that this creative idea of using abstract stick figures with simple colors to express characters was simply great!
It not only cleverly avoids the trouble that may be caused by hastily publishing aristocratic portraits in newspapers, but also makes the image of Baron "Little Q" more vivid, interesting and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people through this minimalist element combination.
This is something even magic photos can’t do!
It's just...
The more Luo Yan looked at it, the more he felt that this "little Q" lying on the beach with an exaggerated expression looked so familiar.
He stared at the painting for a long time, and a name that had been buried deep in his memory from his previous life suddenly jumped out - "The Adventures of Tintin".
Grass!
Can’t say it’s a bit similar!
It’s exactly the same!
"Your Highness?"
Looking at Prince Colin who was in a daze, White waved his small hand in front of him in confusion.
Luo Yan quickly came to his senses.
He cleared his throat, concealed his inner turmoil, and said solemnly: "I think... this is very creative. Although I didn't expect you to understand 'abstract' art in this way, but... this concept of not being bound by authority and boldly trying is what I admire. You have done a good job, just go for it."
"Thank you! That's so kind of you! Thank you for supporting our cause so generously, we will definitely repay you in the future!"
White received a positive reply and smiled sheepishly.
His expression became a little shy and he hesitated for a while, but finally he mustered up the courage and looked at the respected His Highness Colin with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
"Speaking of which, Your Highness, I think our ideas are quite compatible. You...you really don't consider adopting me as your adopted son? I'm easy to raise, really."
Diona's heart tightened upon hearing this, and she looked at her brother nervously, and then quickly glanced at Prince Colin.
There was a hint of worry in her eyes, as if she was afraid that her most important family member would be taken away by this big shot.
However, this little girl's worries are obviously unnecessary.
Luo Yan was not interested in the little boy. He just smiled gently, stretched out his hand and patted his head gently.
"It's better for the legend of the Holy City to stay in the Holy City and shine, and I'm leaving here soon."
White had disappointment written on his face, but he soon showed an innocent smile, looking at him expectantly.
"Then will you come back to see us?"
"Of course, and it won't take too long."
Luo Yan continued with a smile with a hint of encouragement and expectation in his eyes.
"But before that, let me take a good look at how well you can do this "trivial thing"."