This chapter has been reworked and updated late to 10:30 - sorry. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

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Servant of servants

Chapter 11: Murder (Part II)

Joshua's vision was blurry and unstable, but he could faintly see a dark shadow prostrate on his body, pressing against his chest, and kissing his lips incessantly, and if his sanity had not returned, he would have thought that he had encountered a devil who was a haunter, and it was said that adult monks often encountered such demons, who would rob the human energy and make them weak, tired, and eventually die. But he could also clearly feel his lungs bulging again, and he let out a loud sigh before greedily sucking in the perpetual damp and chilly air of the underground mausoleum.

"He ......" Joshua heard a man ask, but the voice was too far away from him for him to tell who it belonged to.

"He lived. It was another voice, but Joshua could distinguish it, because it was a child's voice, and in this convent there were only two children, one was himself, and the other was Giulio, Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, who had just arrived last night.

Julio jumped off Joshua's body, Caesar held a candle in one hand and grabbed his arm with the other to prevent him from falling, only then did he realize that the black hair on Julio's forehead had clung to his skin, and there was a little tiredness and uneasiness in his eyes, which calmed Father Valencia, who was obviously much easier to deal with than a devil anyway.

By this time, the monks, the priests, and the priests, who had heard the loud noise, had rushed in, almost all of them naked, except for a few ascetics wrapped in crude robes woven with nettles, and each armed with a holy weapon, a cross, and a weapon—a match that was not in place in this day and age, for robbers and lords sometimes did not care whether they were plundering the Lord's earthly dwellings, which is why the Bishop of Picromini still had to carry no more than a dozen strong acolytes on the pilgrimage.

And the appearance of the naked body, which is extremely unsightly but can almost be described as magnificent, is also inextricably linked to this era—in an era when a long undergarment could be solemnly passed down as a precious heritage for generations, whether it was a commoner who was hungry and cold, and whose family was in vain, or a duke who was fattened and gluttonous, they were all accustomed to take off all their clothes while enjoying the comfort of sleep. Yes, children, the elderly, men, women, and this may be the relationship between bed bugs and fleas, after all, there is an incomparably rich and unhindered feast to be enjoyed every day.

Bishops of Perugia and Picromini arrived belatedly, but as soon as they arrived, they took control of the whole chaos, and in a moment the resting place of the saints returned to its original calm, and several monks were left to clean and scrub, but looking at the axes and daggers they wielded, it was clear that more than dust, it was the villains who might be hiding in the mausoleum.

Joshua was placed in a sacred room where a pious monk had died, and before he died, he asked to have a cross painted on the ground with white ash, and then asked his brothers to put him on the cross - a noble act. There are already monks who have gone to look for the ashes, and if their little brother dies, they also hope that he will be completely redeemed and rested like the older brother before him.

Of course, there are angels and there are demons. Other monks insisted that Joshua did not need to go to heaven for the time being, and they snatched holy oil, holy water, and crosses from the hands of the previous group, as well as strange holy objects and amulets, ash and hammers, candles, and awls...... But when it comes to how to treat it, they start arguing and pushing again. Julio listened with an open eye and found that they could be roughly divided into three categories: the first belonged to the conservatives, that is, they anointed Joshua with holy oil and water, let him touch the holy things, prepared prayers and masses day and night, and as for the bleeding wound, alas, it would heal itself when the Holy One had mercy, and the second belonged to the activists, and although they could not express disdain or disagreement with the first approach, they agreed that the Franciscans preferred to favor those who were willing to make an effort for themselves and others, that it was necessary to stop the bleeding, and that they dealt with it in such a way-- Bloodletting. Seeing this, Giulio could barely keep a smile on his face, but the monks said in no uncertain terms that the wound on his neck was bleeding good blood, and that they should make a cut in a more suitable place to let the bad blood out. Just as Giulio watched in amazement as they passed with an awl and a knife...... Lord, he didn't even understand why there were awls here.

"Wait," he said in a quiet, but still audible voice, "Shouldn't you observe the stars before bloodletting?" Yes, bloodletting requires not only knowing the patient's age and gender, but also observing his symptoms, and the location, season, and climate to decide where to cut the blood, how much to put it, and whether to use a knife or a leech...... Some of the more important positions also need to be in line with the direction of the constellation at that time.

The monk closest to Joshua paused, and then immediately recited the name of St. Francis three times in succession with a serious expression: "The devil must have caught my hand." He said to those around him, then nodded kindly and gratefully to Giulio, and jerked away the pile of shriveled or plump flesh and rushed out of the room—hoping he wouldn't twist his foot as he climbed onto the roof, Julio prayed less heartily.

But the devil apparently did not let go of his prey so easily, and at last several monks crowded to Joshua's bedside, and they took the bladder of an ox, the glass bottle, and the funnel that looked like a trumpet, and then they ignored the bleeding wound and went straight to Joshua's ...... Buttocks. Oh, and that's one of the most popular forms of medical and wellness these days – mixing lukewarm water, vinegar, and maybe wild boar bile, and a dozen herb juices into the spot you all know.

"The potion is here!" shouted an assistant priest, and the monks respectfully gave way to him, knowing that not everyone can make potions, and it is also a craft that can be passed on, but Julio saw a large vat of muddy potions that smelled of fish and bitterness, large enough to fill an elephant.

No, Julio said to himself, I can't save you, Joshua.

It was Bishop Picromini who finally put an end to the farce, and when the tall and thin servant of God walked towards the wounded with a gloomy face, no one dared to show his piety and knowledge in front of him, and Bishop Perugia followed behind him, waving his hands silently, as if he were driving a flock of ducks, driving out all but Joshua and Bishop Picromini, and before leaving, Father Valencia heard Bishop Picromini instructing his disciples to prepare a soup of belladonna and mandala.

He subconsciously looked at the little Medici, who was being carried away by the goldsmith priest, and the title of wizard passed through his quick mind, and he grabbed it, and kept it in a hidden place.

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Belladonna is a dangerous purple-black fruit, and many stepmothers who don't want their ex-wife's children to inherit their father's domain or gold coins will give him a plate of gooseberries mixed with just a few belladonna to solve all the troubles. But if done properly, they can also be life-saving medicines, such as the shriveled fruits that Bishop Picromini kept in his bag, and when he drank unclean water or ate expired food because of the cold (which is a very normal thing), he would take a few and put them in hot soup for the patient to drink, which would stop vomiting and diarrhea.

However, he now uses belladonna to enhance the breathing of the injured and to produce an anesthetic effect.

Bishop Picomini's eyes widened as he brought out the needle and the thread, and he involuntarily recited the scriptures, clutching his cross tightly with one hand.

"I'm just going to stitch up the wounds," said Bishop Picromini impatiently, "but instead of stirring in a cauldron or flying into the sky on a flinching stick, why should you act like a demon is going to jump out and drag you down to hell at any moment?"

"But I have seen it in books," said the Bishop of Perugia, probing his head - on the one hand, curious to see how the wound was sewn up, and on the other hand trembling uncontrollably: "Some wizards will sew the heads of decapitated thieves to their shoulders, and then order the dead to stand up and do what they command. ”

"In college, I said you should read less illustrated manuscripts that don't work. "Or I shall go away at once, lest my dear little brother die in the misfortune of the horrors of ignorance." ”

"There is no mention in the holy books that silk threads can be used to suture human wounds. Bishop Perugia muttered softly, but he only moved his chair to the door, against the door, and assumed the duties of disciple - Bishop Picromini was here for whom, Bishop of Perugia could not have known more - his brother, though strict by nature and odd temper, was a good man of high and gentle manner, which is why he wanted Bishop Picromini to return to Rome, he needed allies, and above all would not betray or betray him easily.

"I guess this kid has a last name worth exploring. Bishop Picromini said, "Don't tell me that the Assassins of Lovere just mistook him and Father Valencia. ”

The bishop of Perugia suddenly became sad: "His surname is Lovere. He paused: "It's that Juliano della Lovere." ”

Bishop Picromini's hand slowed as he looked at the child, the nodules hidden in the darkness where candlelight could not reach, the exposed parts made him look as bright as a newborn gem, "His son?"

Giuliano della Lovere had been dressed in red for years, but the popes had dozens of illegitimate children, and it wasn't a big deal for the bishop to have one or two, but the child's face could easily be mistaken for the mark of the devil - if it were a woman, a black mole on her face would be accused of being a witch, and his presence is not without subtlety.

"When did he get here?"

"When I was very young," said Bishop Perugia, "I first met him as an infant. ”

"That's what he was like when he came here?"

"No, not that severe, just a little redness and bulging. Bishop Perugia regretted that perhaps Lovere had pinned his hopes on the herbs of Assisi and the protection of the saint Francis, but it backfired, and Joshua's face would have caused the most calm monks to scream before he was three years old, and by the time he was four years old, the monks had to bring a mask to cover his face, because the people in the neighborhood were already rumored to be breeding a devil in the convent of St. Francis.

Bishop Picromini cut the threads short, then sprinkled some elderash mixed with wood powder over the wound. He didn't need to go any further, the outline of the truth was already looming.

Abraham is praised by all, but how many are as confident as God's agents on earth before the cruel trial? And God did not ask Lovere to sacrifice his son, he may have had a faint hope when he sent little Joshua to Assisi, even if things eventually tilted in his unwanted direction, he still allowed little Joshua to study in the convent of St. Francis, perhaps, the latter will never be able to leave the convent, can not leave the mask, but as an ordinary monk who has never entered the priesthood, he can still live this life in peace and security, food and clothing, maybe this is the last mercy of the father for his son.

But when Giuliano della Lovere was still one step away from the papal throne, perhaps as if the devil was whispering in his ear, it may have occurred to him that he had a son who could be accused of being an apostle of the devil at any moment, and Bishop Picromini did not know if he had hesitated or suffered, but in any case, he made a decision, and this decision was what they saw.

He sent the Assassins of his family to avert the scourge left by a moment of mercy.