There are two laws of computer technology in this world.

One of the laws of computers: there is no firewall that cannot be breached unless it is isolated on hardware.

Computer Law No. 2: Unless hardware is physically destroyed, any intrusion leaves a trace.

Bishop Langdon in the room slowly pressed the last button, looked at the logic virus that had been injected into the screen, and rubbed his aching temples.

He pushed the keyboard back, then slowly turned his wheelchair and drove towards the foyer with a sharp knock on the door.

"Please come in." Bishop Langdon spoke.

The door opened, and the papal guards, armed with guns, quickly broke in, aiming their guns at Bishop Langdon in a wheelchair. One of the papal guards pulled out an anesthetic needle and was about to inject it into the back of his neck, but was stopped by a voice behind him.

"Let him go. He had no intention of running away from the beginning. ”

Bishop Valyan walked into the room, looked at Bishop Langdon who was held at gunpoint, and frowned slightly:

"Unexpected...... It's really you. ”

"Was it a surprise?" Bishop Langdon smiled slightly.

"I should have thought of that." Bishop Valyan remorseful, "You'd rather be in a wheelchair than get yourself a pair of prosthetic legs...... You're not only an anti-mechanic, you're an extreme human pureblood, right? ”

"I've never hidden my political opinions." Bishop Langdon looked at him calmly, "It's just that you never want to doubt a retired cardinal. ”

"Nope." Behind Bishop Valyan, a papal guard stepped up, but Innocent's voice came from his lips, "We are not without suspicions. ”

"I just don't want to accept it."

"Itami. Your Excellency Bishop Langdon, you were once a member of the Cardinal Church, so why can't you live the rest of your life quietly with this honor? ”

"Innocent, that's how people are." Bishop Langdon lowered his eyelids, "The older you get, the more conservative you are. The more worried you are about whether the foundation you have fought for will be ruined with contempt and disdain by your juniors. ”

"We're all old." Innocent's voice was inaudible, "The future belongs to young people after all. ”

"But Innocent, have you ever thought about it?" Bishop Langdon asked faintly, "Is the future that is destined to be created by your young people the future we were chasing?" ”

"Innocent, or I should call you His Majesty." The bishop in the wheelchair unbuttoned his collar and breathed a little easier, "even though we've worked together for years...... Over the years, we have developed a deep tacit understanding and friendship, but we have never reached a consensus on the most fundamental issues. ”

"You are the son of the Count of Trasimon, and you have received a well-educated family from an early age. You know the law, you are proficient in science, and you are accustomed to dealing with superior people, so in your eyes the world is orderly, traceable, and can be solved by ingenious means and scheming. ”

"But you have never seen the other side of this world, it is dark, chaotic, crazy, and cannot be solved with any reason, because chaos itself stands on the opposite side of order, and can never coexist with each other."

"Langdon." "You're extreme. ”

"No, Your Majesty." Langdon shook his head slowly, "You're naïve, as your name suggests. ”

(Innocent III's "Innocent", Iius, means "naïve" in Latin)

"The threat level queue is never about motivation, it's about ability." Bishop Langdon continued, "R4 are R4 because they have the ability to destroy the world, and this threat does not transfer with their subjective will. ”

"Like ignorant children with guns, no one can be sure that they won't pull the trigger for any reason. The future of humanity should not be at such a risk, and you, as the Pope, should hold on to the authority rather than decide to hand it over. ”

"Bishop Langdon, are you questioning my character as a priest?" Bishop Valyan said in a deep voice.

"No, Lord Valyan." Bishop Langdon looked at him indifferently, "I didn't question what you meant. ”

"What's more, our Holy See, Your Majesty, is not intending to hand over authority to you." He said a little tiredly, "Instead, I want to pass it on to your sister, the target with a threat level of R4, Nola. Valennis. Licinius. ”

Valyan was stunned when he heard this, and it took him a while to suddenly react.

Canonization.

Although the Holy See has already named him the next pope, it has also hinted at the canonization of her sister.

Pope or Holy Maiden, which is higher?

If the Pope is the most revered office among the priesthood, the spokesman of God in the world; Then the saint is the "angel of the earth" who is completely detached from the system of the priesthood, the embodiment of God, and the existence that can enter the church and be worshiped by the believers.

Because of this, in the past, the Holy One was only given to the "dead". Because if there is a living saint, his prestige in the Holy See will be greater than all imagination, and even far surpass that of the Pope.

The Holy See made his sister a saint and made him pope, apparently hoping that he would support his sister and ensure that the will of this "angel on earth" could be transmitted to every corner of Christ's kingdom through the voice of the pope...... He didn't know anything about politics, he used to be just obsessed with scientific research and didn't think much about it, but now he suddenly understood everything.

"So you're against Nola." It dawned on Valian.

"Nope." Bishop Langdon shook his head, "I'm against R4. ”

"An R4-level transcendent will take over the supreme authority of the Holy See and become the supreme leader of the technology camp. What could be more ridiculous? ”

"But the tide is coming, Langdon." Innocent's voice was also tired, "I don't doubt your belief in technological civilization, but people can't go against the wind, it will be very tiring, and it will be blown away." ”

"What you and I can't deny is that after the magic tide rises to its peak, the disparity between technology and extraordinary power will be extreme, which is the trend of the historical cycle, just like a wind that human beings cannot resist. If we can't use the power of the transcendental, what can we do to ensure that the Holy See will not repeat the experience of the fall of the ancient Solomonic Empire? ”

"Can I interpret your words as a decision to make a deal with the devil for fear of going to hell?" Bishop Langdon showed a gloomy expression, "Didn't the ancient Solomonic Senate at the end of the Third Age think the same way? ”

After the alliance of the former triumvirate, Caesar, who became consul, forced Byblos to relinquish power. The Senate feared Caesar's monopoly and could only use the power of the military governor in exchange for Caesar's distance from Solomon's political arena. ”

However, this led Caesar to quickly take control of the army, eventually crossing the Rubicon River and counterattacking and capturing the city of Solomon. From ancient times to the present, when has the means of weakening the enemy by playing with power and checks and balances really succeeded? ”

"You want this Licinius to be a counterweight to the other R4s, but if she does become Caesar of Christ's kingdom, who will be able to counterbalance her? As a transcendent, can you still expect her to betray her origins and help technology destroy the transcendent? ”

"Langdon." Innocent's voice was full of disappointment, "Even if I don't hand over the authority of the Pope, in the foreseeable future, when will technology have the possibility of completely destroying the transcendental?" ”

Bishop Langdon fell silent.

After a long time, he suddenly sat up straight in his wheelchair and closed his eyes.

"Yes." His voice trembled, as if suppressing some sense of guilt.

"You'll see you soon."