Why do we believe? What do we believe in
On the day Father Bald was sent to the guillotine, the rain had just stopped, and the bells of Santa Maria Cathedral echoed in the sky for a long time, and white doves and crows fluttered their wings together.
Archbishop Rodrik stood among the crowd, surrounded by the brothers of the other Templar Knights.
He listened to people around him cursing and accusing blasphemy against the soon-to-be-executed Old Gods, and listening to some deliberately read aloud stories about gods being betrayed by students. The thin morning mist carried a slight chill, and he stood indifferently, unbelievably calm.
Since belief in God is because God saves the world, then when God can only bring slaughter and crime, He should be thrown into the raging furnace along with all the ignorant wooden idols.
When the old priest Bald walked out of Wyhall Prison with others, his body looked thin and small in the wind.
As his student, Archbishop Rodri walked up to the eyes of people who were curious, spurned, or scrutinized, and said his final farewell to his mentor.
"You're going to hell."
Before he died, old priest Baldr grabbed his shoulder with a hand as thin as a bone, and let out a stubborn and vicious curse from his throat.
The poison of the Heinrich family completely ruined his voice, and the voice he made with all his strength was just a series of weird hisses to others' ears.
"No."
Archbishop Rodri leaned over and gently hugged the old man who had guided him on the spiritual path. Just like before, he whispered to his mentor what he had learned.
"There is no hell, there is no kingdom of God, sir."
There is no hell, no kingdom of God.
The human heart is hell, and the human heart is the kingdom of God.
Old Father Balder didn't understand what he said at first, but soon, he looked at Archbishop Rodri as if he were a monster, as if he had never known himself as a student. However, Archbishop Rodri had already stood up and looked at the executioner beside him, the blue eyes under the brow bone were like newly forged weapons.
"Please end his suffering as quickly as possible."
He bowed to the executioner and stepped down from the dais.
The executioner raised his knife.
The old and rotten blood splashed high, and the executioner grabbed the head as usual and showed it to all the onlookers.
The old priest Baldr's face, which had rapidly become old and wrinkled in Whitehall Prison, was finally frozen in a strange and horrified expression.
There is no god, no doctrine, no creed.
he thought quietly.
Whatever can save Roland, he believes in and follows.
"You will forge an unprecedented empire," Archbishop Rodri murmured, "You will free all Roland people from their nightmares."
He quickly let go of the queen's hand and resumed his usual seriousness.
When he left the room carrying the queen's will, the queen turned to look at Mrs. Kelly.
"Could I have released a monster?"
Adele sounded more interested than surprised.
Mrs. Kelly cast a reproachful look at her mistress.
She didn't think the change of the archbishop was a good thing. A bishop who was willing to do anything for the "salvation" in his heart was much more terrifying than the original pious and rigid old gods loyalists. Because no one knows what he will do for the justice he believes.
The queen smiled: "Don't worry, Kelly."
What about monsters
As long as the goal can be achieved, then whether it is a god or a devil, she will drive them to serve the empire.
People don't know whether gods and devils really exist, but the councilors of the Roland Empire clearly recognized the courage and determination of the mistress of the empire.
She integrated the power of noble leaders, Protestant leaders, and the Knights Templar together, and with a strong hand, she pushed the Congress to work like a spinning top. Driven by this, even though Congress represents the most complex and chaotic resetting of interests, the speed of Congress is far faster than before.
When the adjournment ceremony ended and the queen reappeared in the parliament hall, the MPs looked at her with awe mixed in.
"I'm very glad," the Queen stood up unexpectedly, kneeling gracefully towards the members of Parliament to express her gratitude, "You have not forgotten the mission entrusted to you by the Empire. Some of you may be worried, but please believe me, in the not-too-distant In the future, you will be proud of yourself for casting the right and crucial vote."
"because-"
The queen raised her voice, she stood up straight, and raised the thick document in her hand high.
"This is the future of the empire, the future of glory!"
The light of a thousand candles illuminated the hall and illuminated the queen's flaming eyes.
……………
"It is impossible for the Root Empire to have a Queen Roland."
Seeing the news from the spies that the Roland Congress had passed the new "Roland Empire Port Regulations" and "Roland Empire Navigation Regulations", this was the first thing Orsis said after a long silence.
His friend, Baron James, was taken aback: "What are you talking about? Didn't Roland show us his sincerity?"
Orsis pointed to the secret document on the table: "You call this sincerity? My dear Mr. James?"
The action of the Roland Empire this time was unprecedentedly fast.
Just like Roland has always believed that the hierarchical conference of the Root Empire is useless, the emperor occupies too much power, and is tyrannical. The Root Empire has always ridiculed Roland's slow parliamentary system, thinking that it is extremely stupid for them to convene a congress and let dozens or hundreds of representatives quarrel.
"By the time King Roland allows the parliament to pass the war tax, his enemies have already reached the door!"
This is what the nobles of the Root Empire often say. Although there is no lack of exaggeration, the cumbersome and dull resolutions of the Roland Congress can still be seen.
However, this time the Congress of the Roland Empire was more efficient than ever.
In less than a month, Congress came to an end and succeeded in passing two greatly amending regulations.
"Can't you see it?"
Orsis sighed helplessly.
James grew up with him and came from a loyal royal dependent family. He actually wanted James to be his confidant. However, James, like most old nobles, has some old-fashioned views, and is often blindfolded by old customs, even if the matter is in front of him, he will turn a blind eye.
What can make a bloated government agency run at unprecedented speed? What can make a government agency full of controversy and prevarication vigorous and unafraid of reform
"These two regulations are behind the scenes of extraordinary determination and courage." Orsis said, "Don't hold the hand of gunpowder as if you are holding a needle, or you will pay the price. James."
His tone became serious, and James was taken aback. Although he was still a bit reluctant, he had to face up to the changes in the Roland Empire and the mysterious queen.
"Should we still form an alliance with the Roland Empire?" James asked after thinking for a while, "If they didn't really want to fulfill this marriage contract from the beginning, then the sincerity of the alliance will definitely be greatly compromised. The Roland Empire promulgated these two New port regulations, the purpose is to rebuild the navy, maybe one day their navy will be against us."
"Even if they will become enemies in the future, at least at this moment, Roland and Root must be friends." Orsis, the young ruler of the Root Empire, replied, "We cannot let Roland turn his head back to the embrace of the Pope."
The Root Empire established the New God sect as the state religion 23 years ago, blocked the connection between the domestic church and the Papal State, no longer recognized the Pope as the "emperor" in Root's name, and blatantly established its own imperial line. Since then, the Root Empire has completely torn face with the Pope.
It was for this reason that when Prince Arthur went to Roland for marriage negotiations on behalf of his elder brother, he traveled by sea instead of by land.
— You know, the southern part of the Root Empire borders the northern part of the Roland Empire.
However, the Roland Empire also borders the Papal State. If Prince Arthur was arrested by the people of the Papal State on the border of Roland - there is no doubt that similar things are common in this era - it would be a major blow to the Root Empire.
Different from the Root Empire, the Old God Sect and the New God Sect coexisted for a long time in the Roland Empire, and there was no stalemate. Therefore, although the Roland Empire also called itself the "Empire", they still respected the Pope as the "emperor" in name, and did not completely break face with the Holy See-this gave them room for maneuver with the Pope.
"Queen Roland is a Protestant. The Pope and the Holy See just declared that the Protestantism is heresy at a recent religious conference." James put forward a different view.
Now, Orsis looked at him as if he was looking at a fool.
"My dear James," he asked with concern, "why do you think such things as belief are binding on the sovereign?"
……………
"It seems that Orsis also knows that faith is just a mask that can be changed at any time for the monarch." After reading the letter from the Root Empire, Adele chuckled and threw it on the table .
Not long after the Congress of the Roland Empire ended, the two regulations had only just been enacted, and before they were put into practice, the messenger from the Root Empire arrived. Not surprisingly, Roland's ambition to rebuild the navy has aroused the vigilance of the Root Empire-in fact, no one can rest assured that the neighboring country is strong and strong.
The best allies are those that are not too weak, but not too strong either.
The Root Empire, like the Yager Kingdom, hoped that Roland would remain in a state of exhaustion and weakness forever—although they also knew that this was impossible.
Of course, as an ally, the Roland Empire is by no means loyal or credible.
What Roland is doing now is to make himself stronger by taking advantage of the opportunity that the Root Empire is deeply involved in the dispute with the Yager Kingdom in Tuva, and is on guard against the Papal State. As for whether the two countries will be allies or enemies after they are strong... that is something that everyone has tacitly understood.
However, at least now, just like Orsis called Adele "my dear fairy queen Gloriana" in the letter, the Roland Empire and the Root Empire are still in a period of passionate love.
In the two important new regulations released by the Congress, the Roland Empire stipulates that only ships from Roland's own country and allied countries can carry out fishing salvage along the coast of Roland, while goods shipped from other countries can only be carried out by ships from Roland's own country and its allies. transport…
Always, give enough attitude.
—As for the fact that the Lute Empire does not focus on entrepot trade in the sea, who cares
Dalton picked up the letter paper from the desktop and looked it over, his face a little ugly.
"He hopes to meet with you and hold an engagement ceremony." Dalton said, "Has the emperor of the Root Empire forgotten even the royal etiquette? The marriage agreement is less than halfway through, and he can't wait to get engaged ?”
It can be seen that Dalton was indeed very angry because of this letter, and he even mentioned the etiquette of the upper class that he hated most.
"After all, nothing can restrain Roland from falling into the arms of the Pope more than engagement." Adele said casually. She opened the drawer, took out a pen and paper, and began to write a reply to Orsis.
Dalton got up and went to the Queen to see what she had written.
"Honey… "
"You call him 'dear'?" Dalton said, his voice even darker than when the pale nobleman took his military honors from him.
"He'll be my 'fiancé.'"
Adele said coldly, writing a letter that was not as enthusiastic as Orsis—after all, she was a lady—but reserved and intimate, and agreed to Orsis’s request for engagement.
Every word and sentence, even though he knew it was false, but they still turned into countless swords, one knife after another, and the sword after sword was carved into his bones, making him taste the bitter fruit of unwillingness and regret again. He lowered his eyes and watched the queen sign his name at the end of the letter.
"He knows you're not going to marry him and wants to carry on with the marriage until the alliance is broken. You're the same, aren't you?"
He was half self-deprecating, half longing—longing to hold on to a rope of hope.
Answer me yes, Your Majesty.
Tell me for sure that you won't marry him, even if it has nothing to do with me, even if it's just for Roland.
"Yes." Adele handed the letter to Dalton, her tone was gentle but extremely cruel, "This is politics."
Dalton's lips twisted, showing a weird smile: "Ah, then do you still want me to tell Ambassador Root to hand it over to your 'fiancé' without fail?"