Following the messenger, there were layers of defense and censorship unimpeded.
Along the way, the young man didn't answer any of Ye Qingxuan's questions. He just told him that Bishop Carroll would give him the answer.
Walking onto the ground, passing through the inner courtyard, and then climbed onto the wall of the Arrow Tower.
There were very few people in the fortress. The huge stone fortress seemed completely empty. Apart from the crackling sound of burning torches, there was no sound at all. The silence was so hair-raising.
Only the main hall where the meeting was held was still relatively warm, and the fire in the fireplace was no longer the bones of demons, but split pine wood, exuding a comforting fragrance.
On the iron chair, the old man was praying with his eyes closed.
Bishop Carroll does not look old, but he has begun to lose his hair. If he does not wear a hat, the top of his head will be bald, with only a few patches of white hair barely covering it.
He was wearing a somewhat old bishop's robe and was sitting in the main hall. After Ye Qingxuan arrived, he stood up to greet him and motioned for others to leave.
"How should I call you, Mr. Ye."
He looked at Ye Qingxuan with an expressionless expression: "The sword holder of Angel? The noble blood of heaven and man? The Marquis of Cathay? Or... His Excellency the Grand Inquisitor?"
Ye Qingxuan was stunned, touched the holy belt on the inside of his collar, and couldn't help but laugh: "It seems that you are well-informed?"
"Isn't that what the Holy City is like?" Carol said calmly: "It looks majestic, but it is actually a wall leaking air everywhere. What's more, we, a group of frightened birds, always need to be better informed. Although the fog blocks it Ethernet communication, but one-sided reception is still fine.”
This is good news.
Angelou should have received news of his return, and the situation in Avalon should not be too bad.
Although waiting is hard and hope is hard to find, it is better than waiting to die without knowing anything.
"Compared to what you saw on the way here, you also saw those obstructive things outside, right?"
Carroll asked, "According to the observers' reports, you brought quite an incredible gift. In earlier years, this achievement alone would have made you famous."
"As long as you like it."
Ye Qingxuan sat on the chair opposite him, took a sip of bitter tea that tasted terrible, and put down the cup decisively: "Things are rare and valuable. When there were not many monsters in the material world, they could still get it. But now the Hundred-Eyed Man All the monsters in the abyss have been thrown into the material world. Now all natural disasters have entered the awakening stage, and ghosts like this are everywhere. It’s not easy for you here, right?”
Carol knew what Ye Qingxuan wanted to ask, and answered straightforwardly: "Those monsters in the water all follow the ocean currents. Alderney happens to be on the tributary of 'Igni', and the days are not the same these two days." It’s easy. It may not be easy in Avalon.”
Hearing his words, Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but frown and cursed quietly in his heart.
Just as Yunlou City occupies an unshakable position in the East-West trade route, Avalon's importance is even greater.
It is the maritime hub of the entire West, and all routes cannot bypass Anglo's territory. This tax alone occupies a quarter of Anglo's annual treasury.
This has nothing to do with the ocean current branch...
Ye Qingxuan had not paid attention to this aspect in the past, but he still remembered the data recorded in the economic monographs he had read. In the Western world, almost half of the ocean currents pass through Anglo territory. Among them, the core Avalon is the top priority.
The "Avalon phenomenon" that all hydraulic scholars in the world are scratching their heads to understand is that the movement of almost all ocean currents will eventually converge around Angelou, forming an abstract ring that wraps Avalon within it.
In other words, if the group of monsters came along the sea current, then Avalon now...
Ye Qingxuan sighed and stopped thinking about it.
"According to our investigation, the demon did not come following the sea current."
Bishop Carroll seemed to understand what Ye Qingxuan was thinking. The first half of his sentence made Ye Qingxuan breathe a sigh of relief, but the second half of it made him think again:
"—They were conceived from the sea."
Ye Qingxuan was silent for a long time and asked: "Because of 'Leviathan'?"
"That's right."
Carol nodded and handed him the two ancient and abnormal books next to him: "These are the remaining records of the Ministry of Doctrine. It was the same when Leviathan woke up last time. Leviathan's singing attracted the Dark Earth Mother to come. , turning the water of the Seven Seas into a breeding ground for demons, and the ocean gave birth to many evil children. At this moment, the lightless sea we are in has probably been sprinkled with demon seeds by the Mother of Darkness. What we have to face now is just They are just an insignificant advance army among them. When Leviathan officially wakes up, it will be the era of the evil sons of the sea."
“So where does the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith go from here?”
Ye Qingxuan asked straightforwardly, pointing to the sacred belt on his collar: "If you are unwilling to give up your responsibilities, then you can come under my command and return to the stage. If you are determined to abandon this world, then leave this place as soon as possible. For For the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, it is not difficult to find a way out before the evil sons of the sea appear.”
Carol was silent.
"For a moment, I wanted to kill you," he said, "to avenge Michelle."
"It's reasonable and understandable."
Ye Qingxuan nodded.
"After the former cult has humiliated us for so many years, it has appointed someone who has such a deep hatred for us as the Grand Inquisitor. What exactly does it want from us?"
Carol looked at him with cold eyes: "Do you expect us to kneel down humbly and welcome the humiliation given in the name of God?"
"What you think is your business."
Ye Qingxuan leaned on the chair, looked at him, and said in a calm voice: "To be honest, you haven't been stimulated enough. You see, I'm used to it. This is reality, learn to accept it, even if it is humiliating. Then, Let someone else talk to me."
Carol was stunned for a moment and frowned: "I am the leader here."
"No, you're not."
Ye Qingxuan shook his head: "To be honest, after so many twists and turns in so many years, if you ask me how many kinds of mortals there are, I may not know, but I know exactly what a person who can take care of things looks like. A person who takes care of things. There are many types, but you are none of them. You are a shield being pushed out. You can’t even veto this until the person behind you is unwilling to show up. Am I right?”
“…”
Carol was silent, closed her eyes, and sighed softly for a long time: "After they see you, they may have different ideas from me, but if I kill you here, there will be no second possibility."
"Just the six people here?"
Ye Qingxuan smiled and shook his head, "Not enough, Bishop Carroll, you should know what I paid for this holy belt. If you want to kill me, add more weight. If you can't, just Bring me some tea leaves, and then go tell the old people hiding in the dark. Tell them that I am here."
In the dead silence, there was a faint sound of blade scraping in the distance.
The firelight from the fireplace cast dancing shadows on Carol's face, and her expression was uncertain. His pupils were lowered, as if considering. After a long time, he sighed softly.
"So be it."
He opened the hinge next to the fireplace. In the center of the hall, the passage to the underground opened, and a cold wind blew from the darkness.
"Come with me."
He looked back at Ye Qingxuan and said, "I will take you to see the person who is still qualified to lead the Doctrine of the Faith."
…
…
The underground passage was not long, but in just one month, Ye Qingxuan did not expect that they had built such a huge fortification.
And, so presciently building a war fortress...
"Its design comes from the former White Stone Fortress."
Carol walked in front and whispered: "The easternmost part of the dark world. We once went there and opened up a new world..."
Whitestone Fortress.
Ye Qingxuan has heard of this name.
At the peak of the Golden Age, the territory developed by humans once reached the easternmost part of Asgard. After bypassing many mountains and fissures, it bordered Cathay from the other end of the continent.
The White Stone Fortress was a famous holy place of that era, a fortress built with blood and sacrifice, a miracle created by the Inquisition.
During the Battle of the Highlands, faced with the attacks of witches and beasts, the three Knights of the Witch's Hammer of the Inquisition continued to counterattack day and night, carrying bricks and tiles with them, mixing lime with their own and the enemy's blood, and using the bones of humans and demons. The foundation was laid and the prototype of a fortress was built in that extremity area...
These were the most glorious times of the Inquisition.
Unfortunately, after the natural disaster revived, the six lines of defense were destroyed one after another, and the fortress was also destroyed during the retreat...
"That is our land of glory, the spirit of the Inquisition." Carroll said: "We have left the Holy City and lost our glory. But at least there is no way to forget it. Mr. Ye, this is our homeland. , if you really want to be a qualified Grand Inquisitor, please remember it and don’t forget it.”
"I will."
Ye Qingxuan stroked the wall and sighed softly.
"Here we are."
Carol stopped in front of the door with a complicated expression. Seeing Ye Qingxuan hesitate for a long time, he couldn't help but sigh softly: "Mr. Ye, before you see them, please listen to me a few more words. They are already very old, maybe their temperament There will be some quirks, some not very popular. If it offends you, please bear with me. These old people are our last treasures."
Ye Qingxuan was stunned and nodded:
"Do not worry."
"Then, I'll wait outside."
Carol opened the door and lowered her eyes:
"May you get what you want."
The door closed behind Ye Qingxuan.
"What are you doing? It's so mysterious."
Ye Qingxuan sighed, looked up and looked forward, and then almost staggered due to the smoke coming towards his face.
"Avalon has been completely occupied!!"
Someone roared hoarsely, and the sound was so painful that Ye Qingxuan was stunned on the spot.