After confirming that he would take action on the day of the birthday celebration, Fang Lu's work on the surface came to a halt, and he became more relaxed. The copying work of library materials was basically finished, and it was the first time that he took the time to walk around the city. Although in the past two weeks, he had visited almost every place where people gathered in the city. But when the mentality is different, the feelings are naturally very different.
Unlike Tansnir, which is organized and has the beauty of a well-organized desert port, this ancient capital of Istania is more historical.
The shining platinum-colored Nemenian Rock Mountain has been guarding this land of choice for the Istanians since a long time ago.
Two rivers converged here, creating an oasis country on the sand dunes. As early as the separation between ignorance and civilization, the people of the desert and the people of the plains each set foot on this land, and they also received the Xingsas era. Later, the masters of the earth, the elves, recognized him.
They jointly participated in the great war of the previous era and grew up after this war. Although there was a period of blood and fire sword-forging between them in the end, they finally reconciled and shook hands to make peace. But thousands of years of desert separated the two places, and Istania still left behind a different culture from Kaolin.
Even as an outsider, Fang Plover could still clearly perceive this.
He didn't tell anyone else what he had experienced these two days.
Prince Aleph was busy with his own affairs, and may not have noticed that he did not go to the Royal Library in the past two days.
Bishop Farris seemed to really let him go as he pleased, and as the other party said, he did not interfere with any of his actions at all. Although she would occasionally mention to him about the goddess's past, miracles and teachings, it was like telling a non-believer who was somewhat interested in Marlan, and it did not involve much religious content.
Fang Plover has actually heard those ancient stories before. Of course, for a professional clergy, it is quite different, enriching many details that he did not know before. But to be honest, Fang Pulmon just seemed to be listening to a story, a piece of history, but in fact he didn't feel much in his heart.
There might even be some resistance——
As Faris said, human hearts change over time, and so do the gods that emerge from people's beliefs.
Although he would not criticize his predecessors for drinking blood from a historical perspective, Fang Pultru would not fail to think that the bloody killings in history are really a laurel.
He even believed that there might have been more than one Marlan goddess in history. After all, the priesthood of killing was abandoned after the Giant War and disappeared in the long river of history. Since then, the priesthood of war has gained the power of justice and courage. field.
What followed was a long period of religious reform, the alternation of the old and the new, and endless struggles. Until the Protestants came to power, a new goddess was born from the ashes, and the former god of war transformed into the fair lady of today. The gods of Orin have more or less undergone such a transformation after the last divine war, and the change that is more profound than that is Aitaria itself.
The ancient kingdom of slavery disappeared and was replaced by a new civilization under the teachings of the elves - Kaolin-Ithulian, Oshur and Lotao. The enlightened civilization and the ignorant past passed by. Today only in a few places like Istania can you still see the remnants of the barbaric past.
But today's civilization may also be barbaric in the future. Mortals are progressing in the process of constant replacement. The same is true for Aitaria, and the same is true for the earth. It's just that there are some more unexplainable things here. The so-called gods of Orin may be something like this.
The sky has already been covered with heavy twilight, like a fire, the purple glow penetrates the dusk of the desert.
Then the sky gradually faded, like a change from light blue to dark blue, fading layer by layer, making the white gold cliffs of Nemenia dyed with a silvery brilliance, and that was the color that reflected this quiet sea of sand—— This ocean is covered with silver sand.
Under the dark and silent sky, the sky curved, causing the stars that shimmered like diamonds to fall. They seemed to fall among the mundane world, and turned into an even brighter light, converging on the sand dunes, and like flowing rivers - - It is the thousands of lights in this city - it was named Cuestac, which means 'the place of bright lights' in Istanian.
It has been like a beacon for thousands of years, and has given rise to the culture of the desert people.
Fang Plover stood in the courtyard of the temple, quietly watching the changing colors of the sky, until the sky was so deep that it could no longer be guessed with eyes. Stars were dotted, the silver moon was rising, and the curved field of vision was like an ancient well with unfathomable depths - let He thought of the well of Fate.
Are the stars in this well the heroes of history?
He suddenly didn't know whether it was an offense to think of another goddess's name in Ms. Marland's country.
However, the surroundings were quiet except for the chirping of insects. It seemed that Lady Justice did not seem to mind this level of offense. Fang Yu lowered his head, but still didn't think clearly about his relationship with the goddess Marlan. The tolerance shown by the Marlan Temple made him a little at a loss.
Could it be that I really didn’t care at all about Ms. Marland’s divine favor, nor did this lady’s temple care at all? So what is the significance of the existence or non-existence of such religious beliefs?
If the goddess can really see something, what exactly does she want him to do?
Does he, the so-called chosen one by God, really only have benefits and no obligations?
Fang Plover never believed that there were such good things in this world.
But he couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. After all, he is still himself, and he will never do anything that goes against his own heart. As for whether Ms. Marland cares about him, the chosen one, whether she cares or not, what does it have to do with him?
After understanding this, Fang Plover became a little more thorough and no longer thought wildly.
He then put on his coat and prepared to go out.
The celebration started after nine-thirty, and the summer nights in Istania fell later than in the north.
The exit from Marland's temple is on the other side of the courtyard, and then you have to pass through the side hall and the main hall. When passing the hall, Fang Plover saw Bishop Faris directing several new apprentices to clean the altar. Clean statues and replace sacred paintings. When the celebration begins later, there will also be celebrations in Marlan's temple, and many believers will come here.
Bishop Farris turned around and saw him, and suddenly stopped him: "Mr. Ed."
Fang Yu was startled, couldn't help but stop, looked at the other party and asked:
"What's the matter, Bishop Faris?"
Faris put down the holy vessel in his hand and slowly placed it on the table beside him - he was also getting older and was no longer in his prime. It could take as short as three years or as long as five years. The other party would leave this parish by that time. Ms. Marland will naturally choose a new divine choice to replace him.
Of course, the goddess will not treat her loyal servant lightly. He still has a long time to pursue his faith until he enters the Kingdom of God that he has been pursuing for a long time. But by that time, Fang Yu thought that he might have left this world and returned to the earth.
"Mr. Ed is going to attend the celebration?"
This celebration means a lot to the people of Cuistaq.
It is not only the birthday of Barbartan, the King of Sand, but also the founding day of the Istanians. In the early years, when the royal family of Penelope had an unjustified reputation, they often used this event for publicity. , the subtext naturally means that the Penelope family inherits the sacred and legal authority of Istania.
But for an outsider and a high-ranking clergyman, there is no need to mention these things.
Fang Plover nodded.
Naturally, he did not attend this celebration to watch the fun. Although he also liked to join in the fun, how could he be in such a mood at this time of year? Everything tonight is naturally prepared for that plan, and even put into action - if it is possible. But Bishop Faris seemed to see this and said:
"It's still some time before the celebration starts, how about we chat?"
Fang Yu estimated the time and nodded again. He has lived in the temple for such a long time, and his food and accommodation are free. Out of courtesy, of course he is embarrassed to be impatient.
"Are you still busy with the affairs of the eldest princess these days?"
After hearing this, Fang Yu couldn't help but be silent for a moment, but in the end, he chose to admit frankly: "...Not entirely. In fact, it's more for his own reasons."
He has lived in the temple for a long time. If the other party was interested in reporting, he might not have left Bein at the beginning. Since that was not the case, there was nothing to worry about. He told what happened to him in Tansnir and the Seven Seas Brigade - he was active in the capital just to ensure the safety of his own people.
Although these words sounded a little unkind, because Fang Yu always felt that the bishop was acting towards his current actions, that is to say, the other party seemed to support him in helping the eldest princess.
He even suspected for a time that this was the reason why he could come and go freely in the Marlan Temple.
Perhaps this was Ms. Marland's intention.
Although he couldn't figure out what the relationship was, when the old bishop asked, he still chose to confess.
Because sometimes speaking clearly can help make things simpler.
He had also received favor from Bein when he left Bein. Of course, he did not want the relationship between the two parties to become stalemate due to misunderstandings afterwards. Of course, this was mainly because of the character of the old bishop in front of him - if he were in front of someone like Wanderer, Fang Plover would still talk nonsense.
But he thought Bishop Farris would at least hesitate or frown, but he didn't expect that the old man looked as normal as if he didn't care.
"Then I think you can rest assured." The other party even comforted him in turn: "This matter will not involve the Holy Chosen One. Your companions should be fine."
Fang Yu was stunned for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Maybe so," he replied: "But I can't just let it go. As the leader, I have to do something."
"Besides, as the eldest princess is your employer, do you think you have certain responsibilities towards her?" the old man asked.
Fang Yu was stunned for a moment, unable to understand the meaning of the other party's words.
"What's the Archbishop's advice?" Fang Yu asked.
Faris smiled. "Having been in contact with Mr. Ed for some time, I can roughly see clearly what kind of person Mr. Ed is. And as a believer in the goddess, I naturally believe in the quality of the person chosen by the goddess. And this is Penello The temple has no intention of getting involved in the private affairs of the Pu royal family, so it can’t be said to offer any advice—"
"So--?"
"Everyone in Istania knows that the princess was attacked in the past, so it's not really a secret." Farris spoke again: "I told you about the Sand King last time, so there's no need to do so this time. I won’t go into details again, but since Mr. Ed is interested in this, how about I tell you about the princess?”
Fang Plover gradually calmed down.
He looked at the busy people in the hall, and seemed to have forgotten the celebration for a moment, and asked quietly: "Is there anything strange about that princess?"
He instantly recalled the note that Her Royal Highness the Princess had given him.
The notebook he had obviously seen once in his uncle's study when he was very young.
The princess who collected such a strange notebook must have some stories with her. In fact, he had such a feeling at the time. It's just that there were too few clues, and of course Her Royal Highness the Princess and her family would not let him investigate, so in the end they dropped the matter. But at this moment, the archbishop's words suddenly brought back memories in his heart.
"There is indeed something peculiar about that princess."
Faris slowly replied: "This is not a royal secret. These so-called gossips are widely circulated in Questac. Some are true and some are false, but some are too absurd and they rarely leave this place. It's just an ancient city. But this one is true. The eldest princess's biological mother is of high birth and has a prominent surname, but she herself is probably an outlier among the noble girls of Istania. From the Stanian point of view, calling it deviant is not entirely wrong——"
"She had traveled to Kaolin in her early years and met some adventurers, and was also familiar with the Chosen One. There were even rumors that she had participated in an adventure group - of course, the latter statement is not very credible, because regardless of No matter how deviant she is, she still has to care about her family’s opinions.”
"But it's probably because of such a noble daughter that the Penelope family, which is also deviant in the eyes of the world, is favored. You have to know that in the era when Princess Rupert's grandfather was alive, those high-ranking old princes and nobles I don’t necessarily think highly of this new king.”
"There are many stories about the princess and the King of Sand, some of which are quite romantic. There are rumors that the princess's family originally planned to marry her sister to Barbartan, but later the two met because of an unexpected chance encounter. , until the two fell in love, all the subsequent stories came into being."
"However, when the princess was alive, she did have a deep relationship with the King of Sand. The two had two daughters, who are today's eldest princess and her younger sister."
Fang Yu couldn't help but think of the two Afifas.
Was that really just a coincidence?
However, he had heard these stories once from the eldest princess, but it was the rebellious girl and the aristocratic daughter who yearned for adventure in the bishop's previous narration that made him a little surprised. But that's right, if not for this, how could the other party have such a strange notebook in his collection?
It’s just that Bishop Faris suddenly mentioned this to himself, what does it mean?
He couldn't help but look at the other person. The old man's eyes were deep but deep:
"Ten years ago, the princess passed away suddenly, which caused an uproar in Istania..."
"Babartan, the King of Sand, took this opportunity to uproot several ancient families and establish the authority of the new king..."
"But the blind followers who were directly involved have never been completely eradicated... Mr. Ed, do you still remember what I told you about that incident when you first came here?"
Fang Yu was startled for a moment and immediately recalled the incident.
The art of creation of elves.
The secret of eternal life.
"Bishop Farris, you are saying," he paused slightly: "The King of Sand intends to use blind followers to realize the almost impossible method of resurrecting the dead... but this is indeed impossible. , not even a 'miracle', just a lie..."
"...On the surface, alchemy does have similarities with the eternal secrets pursued by blind followers, especially the creation method of the Numerin elves. The two are almost on the same path."
"but……"
Fang Yu himself has studied ancient alchemy, and also understood the use of the art of creation, and has a deep understanding of it. But he also knew that the two only seemed similar on the surface, but in fact they were completely opposite and went against each other.
The creation of alchemy is not something created out of nothing, it just changes the way matter exists in this world, and the ether involved in it is the price that must be paid - the so-called equivalent exchange, it is all the same.
In Aitaria, when a person dies, the starlight dissipates immediately, and the souls that have existed will return to the origin of this world. To reconstruct the 'person' that once existed from the endless starlight, is this created 'life' really still the original soul?
He was horrified when he heard the news.
However, it is probably not surprising what kind of things a blind follower can do.
After a few days of calming down, there was only a faint sense of absurdity left in his heart. Perhaps this was the reason why Babartan 'cooperated' with those blind followers. It sounded like a reasonable explanation for everything he had seen before, but this kind of 'reasonableness' seemed even a bit ridiculous to Fang Pliance.
Farris seemed not to notice his expression, and slowly said:
"This matter is almost an open secret. The mystics want to use the King of Sand to return to the center of power, and Numan is just stupid and loyal..."
"But I know that the King of Sand himself should be quite sober and has not fallen too deeply into this matter. He is only using those people with a glimmer of hope..."
"But when it's time to take revenge, he will never show mercy."
Fang Yu looked at the other party: "Is this why the temple did not intervene?"
"Of course not," Farris replied: "The Temple has actually been investigating the whereabouts of the blind followers, but with the cover of the King of Sand, it is difficult to catch them."
Fang Yu suddenly reacted: "Is this the purpose of the goddess?"
However, what he didn't expect was that Farris shook his head: "This is the responsibility of Malan's believers. How can you blame others?"
Fang Yu was stunned for a moment: "Then the bishop told me this?"
Faris glanced at him, but asked a question that Fang Plover had not expected: "Mr. Ed, for what purpose did you agree to the eldest princess to investigate the princess's affairs?"
…
Miaoshuwu
