In the dark corridor, there was so silence that only the sound of a heartbeat was heard.

"The elders are waiting for you. ”

The secretary standing at the door glanced at the examiner who had been waiting for a long time, and said lightly: "Follow etiquette, except for the report, don't open your mouth when they don't ask you."

Do not look up at him without permission, and do not be clever with yourself. Understood?"

"Understood. ”

The examiner nodded respectfully, his face a little pale, as if the neckline of his uniform was too tight to breathe.

"It's best to do it, it's for your good. ”

The secretary patted him on the shoulder, and without waiting for his answer, opened the door for him.

The examiner walked through the door, bowed his head, and walked into the silent hall.

In the hall, dark red curtains hung high, and the engraved emblem showed an iron-black color in the dim candlelight.

In the darkness, only an old man in a coarse linen robe sat on an iron chair, not surprisingly impressive, with lowered eyebrows and a rosary in his hand.

It seems to bow his head in prayer.

On the emblem of the rosary, a small mark is engraved that testifies to the identity of the old man.

It was obviously just a moment of afterglow, but the censor couldn't help but hold his breath, knelt down in front of him respectfully, and bowed his head in awe.

Congregation of the Holy See One-Hearted Friars.

The group of monks composed of old monsters from various Holy City families does not exist in any books or records, but it has maintained a secret and extremely large influence on the Holy City for nearly a hundred years.

They are the elites from the major Holy City families, and they are all monsters who have been brutally eliminated within the family and have stood tall for decades in all kinds of political overturns.

In the past, they were active in the House of Saints, the Bishops' Ministry, the Evangelical Ministry, and other confidential institutions, and even the Cardinal Church could hardly isolate their influence.

Even if they are now dying of old age and willingly becoming obscure ascetics, if you go back ten years, they are also characters who can change the color of a diocese with a decree and an official document.

These old monsters once had power, money, beauty, and all the luxuries in the world.

Today, as they grow older, all pleasures and external things are no longer important to them, but they begin to worship simplicity and asceticism, and spend their days studying sacred scriptures in the dark underground palace, and gradually disappear from the sun.

So, when they walked out of the dark dungeon again, they would have such a corpse rot on their bodies, right?

It is like a dead person hiding in the shadows, lingering in the world, staring at people with dark and cloudy pupils, and revealing a chilling aura.

The examiner knelt down quietly in front of the old man and respectfully reported his name and the organ to which he belonged.

After a long time, the praying old man opened his eyes, lifted the simple ring on his index finger, and raised it to his lips.

"Bless you, child, you are the hand of God. The voice was low and hoarse, as if it had come from a very distant place.

In a trance, the censor kissed his ring, a flash of fear in his expression.

On the base of the amber ring is the old man's coat of arms, one of the behemoths rooted in the Holy City, the coat of arms of the Sforza family.

Over the centuries, more than sixteen cardinals have walked out of it.

There were not many people who were qualified to wear such a style of heraldic ring, and as far as he knew, there were only a few of them in the present generation, including the elder brother of the contemporary head of the family, who most closely matched the figure and voice of the old man.

Ludovick.

To his horror, Ludovic had ...... forty years earlier It's already dead.

So who is sitting in front of him, a living corpse, or a lingering ghost?

He didn't dare to think about it anymore, just tried to empty his brain, and began to report in his mouth.

After just three minutes, he lowered his head and did not dare to speak again.

Soon, a groaning Ludovic spoke.

"Tell me what you think. ”

He said, "These days, you've been in contact with him for fifteen days, how do you feel?"

"It's ...... It's hard to tell. ”

"He is an idealist through and through, and he has a part of his self-destructive tendencies, and it is useless to torture him, because his heart does not die."

No matter what words and intimidation we used, his tone was always tight, and he didn't say anything substantial.

Such people are very difficult to do, and we may get nothing but lies.

Moreover, he may have expected today a long time ago and prepared in advance. When all the evidence and clues reached him, they were completely broken, and it was difficult to dig down again.

We couldn't find any of his tricks.

There are many people who worship him and think of him as a saint in the dark, but I think he is even more of a madman. And ......" he paused and lowered his head, "He may have discovered that my identity is not pure. ”

"Oh?"

The censor bowed his head: "He has always treated me like an ordinary clerk, but when he speaks, he always looks at my neckline." ”

He pulled open his collar, and there was a noticeable change in the skin color of his neck, which was the result of years of wearing a high-necked uniform and withstanding the sun.

Ludovic was silent for a moment, then bowed: "What else?"

"Once, once ......"

The censor paused, swallowing and foaming: "There was a moment when I wanted to kill him, but ...... I don't dare. ”

His tail fingers twitched, and he remembered that moment, and his heart was murderous.

And at that moment, behind the long table, the lazy young man raised his head, and the sharp edge of steel appeared in his squinted eyes, which brought a bitter chill even in the shackles.

It wasn't until fear flashed in his eyes that the chill like a hanging sword disappeared, replaced by a mocking smile that curled up slightly at the corners of his mouth.

After listening, Ludovic didn't say anything, just bowed his head.

"I see, you go down. ”

As if granted amnesty, the examiner stepped back respectfully and gently closed the door.

Soon, the secretary walked in, closed the door softly, and stood silently beside him, waiting for his thoughts to be over, before placing a letter on the table.

"Anglo's envoy wants to meet you. ”

"Nope. ”

Ludovic sneered, "There is no one worth meeting in that godless and depraved country. Arthur's descendants don't know when they will learn to be humble, so let them be arrogant to death. ”

The secretary nodded, threw the letter of visit into the fireplace, and quickly turned to ashes in the firelight.

"Anglo has been trying his best to coordinate these days, Mr. Borja said, and many people in the House of Holy Pardons have been shaken. ”

"Tell Borja that this is a heavy responsibility and that you must not slack off. If the majesty of the Holy City is not dealt with, what will be the effect of the laws of the Holy City in the future?

I can understand his struggle, and I will help him solve this problem.

But I hope the end result will not disappoint. After all, it's all about the Holy City. ”

He stretched out his hand, took a pen and wrote a few lines on the paper, and then pressed the ring on his finger to leave a clear mark on the ink, and finally put it in the envelope.

"Give it to 'Cantarella'. ”

The secretary held the envelope in his hand, and when he heard the name, he trembled as if he were holding a piece of hot iron.

'Cantarella' was originally the name of a poison, a snow-white, odorless powder that the clergy used against their political opponents. Some people say it's a combination of cadaver and arsenic, which will suffocate people in the bitter cold.

At some point, it evolved into a synonym for the assassins who were raised by the major families. The Assassins who were sent from place to place were usually registered clergy, commoners, and even nobles. Like poison, it is a one-time consumable, and it is not easy to cultivate, but the effect is equally amazing, and it is rare to miss.

Soon, the secretary left silently with the letter.

In the silence, Ludovic sat alone, the dim light of the fire illuminating the rosary in his hand.

He closed his eyes and prayed softly. (To be continued.) )