Bishop Mayne stepped through the circular staircase one step after another and walked deeper into the ground.
This is a naturally formed tiankeng, with a depth of at least four towers in the sky, and a diameter of about 20 feet, which is more than enough to fit into a lord castle. The cave was not dark at first, there were skylights on the high dome, and the light penetrated into the ground through the windows, leaving meandering spots of light on the stone walls made of ice.
As the height continued to decrease, the light spot gradually became darker, and soon merged with the stone wall. However, the center of the pothole reflects a faint blue light, which becomes more obvious the further you go down.
The stairs at the foot are like a small snake that surrounds the pothole, clinging to the rock wall.
The stair slab is cut from granite, rectangular in shape and three fingers thick, enough for two people to walk side by side. One end is embedded in the rock wall, and the other end is suspended. In order to prevent accidental falls, wooden railings are erected at the suspended ends, and the railings are connected by ropes.
He hadn't counted how many stairs there were, but he knew that the laying of each stone slab was extremely difficult. The church's masons hung down on ropes, chiseled grooves deep enough into the solid rock, and then stuffed slabs of stone into them. Every movement had to be done carefully, because there were as many as 300 people who slipped or broke down and fell to the bottom of the pit.
If the Hermes Cathedral built overhead is a symbol of the church's unyielding spirit, then the Hermes institution hidden in the bottom of the cave is the true core of the church.
The stone wall beside the steps is inlaid with the Stone of God's Punishment. Every 100 steps, there will be a Judgment Army standing guard to guard, and there is also a team of God's Punishment Army standing by to meet the invaders. Between the dome and the mezzanine of the cathedral floor, many sandbags and gravel are buried. If the defense line of the holy city misses and everyone has to evacuate, the Pope will activate the trap and let the gravel and gravel completely bury the place.
Although it was not the first time that Mayne went to the Hermes Agency, the feeling of walking in mid-air still made him feel dizzy. Especially when looking around, I always have the illusion that I am falling.
He breathed a sigh of relief when his feet were on firm ground.
At the bottom of the tiankeng is a huge disc-shaped white grindstone, the surface is as smooth as a mirror, and you can even see your own reflection clearly when you stand on it. After ingenious design by craftsmen, the light coming in from the dome skylight, after being refracted many times in the pit wall, will just converge on the millstone at the bottom of the cave. Even without a torch, the bottom of the sinkhole is not completely dark.
Only when you are at the bottom of the pit will you discover that sunlight is not colorless. After being illuminated, the millstone reflected a faint blue light. Looking up, the entire Tiankeng was lit up by this blue light, showing a cold color. If you look closely, you can also notice that there are countless dusts flying in the brighter light, like tiny creatures recorded in ancient books.
Taking advantage of the naturally formed holes on the wall at the bottom of the cave, the church opened up the connection and further expanded it to build the Hermes Organ. Thanks to these well-connected holes, the air here is smooth and smooth, and there is no such rotten and dull feeling of being in the depths of the ground.
Mayne stepped into the gate of the agency, and the defense force was suddenly much tighter. The Judgment Army here is a team of five, guarding each level—they are the most loyal warriors of the church. Once they accept this duty, everyone will spend their lives in the institution and will never be able to return to the ground again.
In fact, only he and the Pope can enter and exit the institution, not even the two archbishops Heather and Teflon can set foot here.
But Mayne didn't know how many forks in the organization. In addition to the main road due south, there are many branch passages on both sides. If you walk along them, you will often find more branches. Some were used by the church, while others were simply blocked. He had heard that when building the mechanism, several craftsmen strayed into those unmarked forks, and as a result, lost their way inside and could never find their way back.
The straight main road leads all the way to the depths of the mountain, and there is a checkpoint every thirty feet (about 100 meters) or so. Mayne knew that each level had different tasks for the organs. The outermost section is the living area for the warriors who are on duty at the bottom of the cave. The second section is the archives, which are used to store documents, fragments and ancient books. The third section is the prison area, where some prisoners who cannot see the light... and innocents are held.
After crossing three levels, Mayne stopped. Going further, is the secret area of the organ, where all the research and inventions of the church come from. Without the Pope's consent, he cannot go there without permission. In the more than three years of his tenure as archbishop, he has only been in once.
Mayne turned left and turned into a fork.
The fork in the road was very short, and it didn't take long for him to come to the end. When the bishop appeared, the judges guarding the door immediately clenched their fists and said, "Sir!"
Mayne nodded, "Open the door."
Inside the door was a corridor, with burning turpentine torches hanging on the wall, like countless pulsating spots of light in the darkness, extending along the corridor to the end. There are many thick wooden doors arranged side by side on both sides, and a number plate is hung in the middle of each door panel.
The Trial Samurai raised his torches and walked ahead to lead the way. Mayne noticed the changes in the numbers on the number plate as he walked. When he saw the mottled house number marked thirty-five, he stopped, took out the key and inserted it into the keyhole, twisting it slightly. The sound of the lock being opened was particularly harsh at the bottom of this silent cave, and there was a faint echo at the end of the corridor. As if sending out a signal, there were cries from behind many door openings, some men and some women. If you listen carefully, most of the pleas are "let me out!", "help me!", "please, kill me!"
Maine was unmoved. He ordered the samurai to stay behind the door, walked into the room, and closed the wooden door to block out the chaotic sounds.
Across the iron railings, the bishop saw an old man sitting by the head of the bed—perhaps he was not old, but now his hair was gray and his forehead was covered with wrinkles. The beard has not been shaved for a long time, and it almost hangs down to the neck. Since he hadn't seen the sun for too long, his skin was horribly pale, and his hands and feet were as thin as bamboo poles.
Maine glanced at the lunch box beside the iron railing, the food in it was almost untouched, he sighed, "You should be better to yourself, the church has no shortage of food like this. Your three meals are all according to the king's standard. It was made, except that there is no wine. Even the fish is the best cod from the Clear Water Harbor. You should be familiar with its taste, Your Majesty Wimbledon?"