Swan City stands on the banks of Swan Lake, and the moat is connected to the lake. From a distance, this towering and majestic city looks like an island in the lake.
The blue-black city wall is reflected in the lake water. Under the reflection of the setting sun, the real and the virtual, majestic and soft, interweave into a beautiful landscape.
When Colin followed Viscount Thorin to Swan City, he found that Earl Schulz was already waiting outside the city.
The Earl Schulz was wearing a light blue palace dress. He was tall and well-proportioned, with black hair and black pupils, and exquisite facial features. There was no trace of the years on her body.
Colin got off his horse and bowed to salute, "Your Excellency Earl Schultz, may your beauty last forever and your youth forever."
"Dear Guardian of the North, Your Excellency Viscount Angelet, welcome to Swan City!"
Earl Schultz smiled sweetly, and his tone was kind and gentle, as if he was not at all unhappy because Vera refused to come to Swan City.
The countess has a gentle temperament and is very friendly. Even if Colin has some opinions about the Schultz family, they almost disappear in Earl Schultz's gentle and pleasant smile.
"This is my husband, Lucien."
Earl Schultz pointed to a middle-aged man with a rough face and introduced.
There was a smile on the corner of Lucien's mouth, and his attitude was not enthusiastic. I don't know if it was because he had a problem with Colin, or he was just so unsociable.
Colin didn't care either, and nodded to Lucien with a smile.
As the strongest man in the north, Lucien still has the right to be proud.
Afterwards, Earl Schultz introduced to Colin the important people behind him. Colin smiled and greeted them one by one, but actually didn't remember the names of them at all.
After some pleasantries, Earl Schultz led Colin into Swan City.
This time Ke Lin came here with only a dozen bodyguards. Of course, this is the strength on the surface, and there are more than a hundred blood slaves quietly lurking outside the city.
Swan City has always been known as the most beautiful city in the north. The buildings in the city are all painted a uniform white with dye, the road is paved with bluestone slabs, and there is a green belt in the middle of the road, with tall plane trees planted.
However, in Ke Lin's opinion, the beauty of Swan City has a kind of contrived feeling in it, not as natural as Silvermoon City. Of course, among the cities in the northern border, it is indeed considered outstanding. Compared with it, Winter City, More majestic, but less graceful.
Colin looked at the Swan Castle not far away, and asked with a smile: "My lord, why don't we go directly to the Guanghui Church."
"Don't you have dinner first?"
"Let's go and see the place where Bishop John disappeared first, otherwise I won't be able to eat with this doubt in my mind."
Earl Schultz stopped persuading him, smiled softly, and praised: "Well, your professionalism is admirable."
Immediately, the convoy slowly turned in a different direction, and it didn't take long before they arrived in front of the Guanghui Church.
Four priests in white robes welcomed Colin and his party into the prayer hall. Earl Schultz introduced to Colin as he walked:
"According to several pastors of the church, everything was as usual on the night Bishop John disappeared. After he presided over the last mass, he went back to his room to rest, but early the next morning, the servants who came to wash the bishop found that Bishop John did not Not in the room.
Afterwards, the pastors searched the church, but found nothing, so they had to report the matter to me.
I also sent city defense troops to search the entire city, and even asked Lucien to personally lead a team to search around Swan City, but there was still no trace of Bishop John. "
Colin nodded and said to the pastor who led the way, "Can you take us to Bishop John's room?"
"Of course, this way please."
Under the leadership of the pastor, several people walked through the corridor and came to the inner court.
"Master Viscount, this is the room of Bishop John. We have carefully investigated it before, and there are no traces of fighting, nor have we found any abnormalities."
Colin walked around the room, and suddenly asked with a smile, "Could it be that Bishop John went away by himself and forgot to tell you?"
Earl Schultz also smiled, and said, "It seems that this is the most reasonable explanation."
Colin rubbed his nose, wondering if it was really a trick that he taught himself to direct and perform
Bishop John knew that Vera was going to pass through Swan City, so he deliberately went missing, just to trick Vera into the city
But what good is that
Colin glanced over the faces of everyone in the room, and asked, "Did the bishop come into contact with any strange people the night he disappeared?"
"weirdo?"
"Well, or someone you don't know."
Several priests thought for a while, and one of them suddenly said, "A strange knight came to the church to ask the bishop to confess."
"An unfamiliar knight?" Earl Schultz was also interested, "Doesn't any of you recognize which family knight he is?"
The pastor shook his head and said, "The knight must have been injured. Most of his face was covered with a white cloth, and I didn't recognize his identity. But Bishop John seemed to know him and accepted his confession request."
Ke Lin immediately said, "Can you take us to the confession room?"
The pastor nodded, and then led everyone out of the bishop's room, to the confession room on the side of the prayer hall.
The confession room is very small, and the decoration inside is also very simple. There are two seats, and the middle one is separated by a wooden windshield.
For Guanghui believers, this is the closest place to the gods, and it is also the only place where they can open their hearts, tell their sins, and pray to the gods for repentance.
Count Schultz looked at it for a while, but he didn't seem to see anything, so he asked, "Is there anything unusual about Bishop John after he finished his confession?"
The pastor thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "There seems to be nothing unusual. Afterwards, he presided over the mass, which was no different from his usual performance."
Count Schultz said to her husband: "Perhaps we should ask the city defense officer to see which wounded knight has recently entered Swan City."
Lucien nodded and said, "Okay, I'll ask later."
Seeing that Colin remained silent, Count Schultz asked, "Your Excellency, Viscount, have you found anything?"
Colin froze for a moment, then shook his head and smiled, "No."
Count Schulz took a deep look at Colin, and invited, "Then let's go back to Schwanstein Castle for dinner."
"good."
Everyone then left the church and entered Swan Castle.
It was getting late at this time, and a crystal candlestick chandelier rose in the corner of the banquet hall of Schwane Castle, and the diligent servants had already prepared a table of delicacies to entertain the distinguished guests from afar.
…
After the banquet, Colin was led by a young maid to the room prepared for him by the earl.
After washing up, Colin didn't fall asleep immediately, but quietly left the Schwann Castle and returned to the Glory Church again.
In the prayer hall of the church, the priests were directing the choir to sing hymns. One of them greeted Colin immediately after seeing him, and asked:
"My lord, is there anything I can do for you?"
Ke Lin pointed in the direction of the side hall and said, "I want to go to that confession room again, is there anyone there?"
"No. Are you going to confess?"
"No, I can just look at it myself, and you don't have to worry about me."
"OK."
After dismissing the pastor, Colin came to the confession room alone.
After closing the door, Colin sat down on the seat.
The confession room was very quiet, and the faint singing of the choir could be heard from the prayer hall next door.
Colin took a deep breath and smelled the vague smell of blood again.
The smell was very light, and from the performance of Earl Schulz and the priests, they didn't notice the smell of blood at all.
If Colin hadn't been extremely sensitive to the smell of blood, he might have missed this important clue.
It was this smell that made him go and come back.
But just when Colin was about to check it carefully, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
Swish!
He stretched out his hand to open the central curtain, and suddenly found that another person was sitting on the opposite seat!
Colin's heart trembled, he showed a stiff smile, and greeted:
"Good evening, Your Royal Highness!"
(end of this chapter)