Wang Du (I)

Compared with the situation in the West, which has been chaotic because of the war, the calm of Einfast is particularly valuable.

But this peace did not fall from above, and since the assassination of Bishop Ronis, the Church has set its sights on the impending power vacuum here as an opportune time to regain control of the vast empire. But in the end, Einfast continued to maintain his attitude towards the church, and did not allow the few emissaries sent by Celeste to get any of the desired responses.

As Bishop Ronis has always done, the Academy of Magic is still effectively independent of the Castle of Radiance, and Ionfast is still a powerful empire on its own in the east of the continent, and the devastating war in the West has not been able to pull it into the slightest. Therefore, when His Majesty the Pope was worried about the war situation on the wild highlands, and Queen Catherine was forced to march under the city by the barbarians of Tytalia, Geffenhardt XVII could still hunt and cruise around at a leisurely pace.

The young emperor had no sense of being an emperor at all, so he also enjoyed this leisurely bliss, knowing that everything could be solved under a group of capable ministers, and he didn't need to worry about it. What he didn't have to worry about was the loyalty of these ministers, especially the two leaders, the head of the Holy Knights, Roland, and the young Prime Minister Mrak. On many occasions, Geffenhardt XVII was grateful to the heavens for bestowing him on such a capable, loyal courtier. He has no superfluous thoughts and ambitions, and he has no doubt that he is the most leisurely and happiest emperor in the world.

If there is any regret that this emperor has now, it is that the beautiful queen has not been able to add a prince to him, and it seems that he has been a little unwell during this time, and he cannot accompany him on a tour of the south, so he has to stay in the palace to recuperate.

The queen was lying on the bed, although her face was pale and her face was full of sickness, but this former first beauty in the royal capital was still so beautiful. She glanced at the porridge in front of her, frowned, sighed, and shook her head.

"You still have something to eat, I heard from the waiter that you haven't eaten a grain of rice for two days, these porridges are boiled with bird's nest from the South China Sea, and eating it is very good for your body." Rodhart, who was sitting next to him, whispered.

The queen frowned and sighed, shook her head and said, "I really can't eat it." I vomit even if I eat it. ”

"Oh, is it?" Rodhart pulled out a small piece of oiled paper from his bosom and held it in his hand with a smile, "What about this, this is a pastry made by the old man of Starcom in Yorkburgh to the north." I bought it by asking someone to stay at his door late at night. ”

The queen's eyes lit up suddenly, and she took the oil-paper bag from Rodhart's hand, and finally had a smile on her face. Although there was still no blood on her face, her smile was still like spring breeze and snow. She wrapped it in beggar's oil paper and sniffed it on the tip of her nose and said, "You remember that I love this, I haven't smelled it for more than a year." I remember when I was a kid, I used to pester my sister to buy it for me. But she finally sighed regretfully and put the pastry down, "Thank you for bothering so much, but I still can't eat it." ”

"What's wrong?" Rodhart's face was full of concern and tenderness. Although he is now the captain of the first squad of the Holy Knights and the commander of the Imperial Guard, the expression on his face that is very soft and good-looking makes people feel close at first sight makes him look more like a big boy in the neighborhood, and even the mighty color of the knight's costume has been softened.

"I mainly have an upset stomach and can't eat anything. The queen frowned.

Rodhart gently placed his hand on the queen's lower abdomen and recited the prayer: "May the Lord have mercy on your people...... and a white magical light lit up in his hand.

"Don't. The Empress suddenly pushed his hand away in a panic, as if it were a red-hot soldering iron.

Rodhart looked at her in amazement, he was sure it couldn't be because of his own contact. Although she is indeed the queen and he is a courtier, this action is definitely enough to lose his head in the eyes of others, but he himself knows that this is nothing to the two of them. He was definitely her closest person, even closer to her and her husband, His Majesty the Emperor.

The look on the queen's face was a little flustered and a little apologetic, and she reached out and took the hand of Rodhart, who had just been pushed away, and said, "I'm sorry." I've been getting headaches lately from listening to those prayers, and white magic is useless for my sickness, and the two priests who came from the Academy of Magic yesterday used white magic on me, and I coughed up blood and died. ”

Rodhart was surprised and asked, "What?

"That's right. Everyone present at that time was stunned, and His Majesty was so anxious that he grabbed the neck of a good priest. Later, they went back to consult the medical book and held a meeting to discuss it, only to find out that I probably had a very rare tumor disease, and ordinary medical magic was useless. ”

"What? what then?" Rodhart looked anxious.

"It's nothing, they say it'll get better if you take a while. The queen smiled reluctantly, and said, "But you, when did you learn magic?"

"No, the teacher always said that if you are greedy, you will lose, and she does not approve of me learning magic. Actually, I didn't go out of my way to learn it, but I asked some of my priests by the way out of curiosity, and I didn't think it would be easy to learn. Rodhart stuck out his tongue at the queen and said with a smile, "I think it's much easier than learning swordsmanship, but I don't dare to tell my master about it." He then sighed again: "So I came to see you just when I came back, and I specially said that I would surprise you and treat you personally, but it was useless." ”

"Forget it, nothing. By the way, the two priests said that Celeste seemed to have a cardinal, and that the cardinal would come and show me when the time came. I heard that the cardinal was personally appointed by His Majesty the Pope to succeed Bishop Ronis to take charge of the Academy of Magic, and he must be extremely powerful. ”

Rodhart shook his head and chuckled, "I know about it, too." Hmph, the Pope has sent several emissaries to no avail, this time just a cardinal wants to take the Academy of Magic over? Unfortunately, no matter how extraordinary the bishop's ability is, what's the use here? This is not Erathia or Celeste, but it is the two of them who actually control the love of the Honfast, but the two of them, Captain Roland and your sister, do you say that they will return the Academy of Magic to the Holy See? My only hope for the cardinal's ability is that he will be able to cure you. ”。

The queen was stunned thoughtfully for a moment, and suddenly asked Rodhardt, "...... Are you happy with the current situation?"

Rodhart smiled and replied, "What do you mean?

"Are you doing comfortably as a courtier?" the queen looked at Rodhart deeply, "I'm not comfortable doing this queen. ”

"Why did you talk about this all of a sudden?" Rodhart looked at her with a frown.

"I've been in a mess these days, I really feel as if something bad is going to happen, I really don't want to be this queen anymore, stay here anymore. Have you thought about it, but we can ......."

"Another cranky thought. Rodhart interrupted the Queen, and he could tell from her expression, her eyes, and what he knew about her that she was going to say next, "You're just sick and in bad spirits to think nonsense." It's good to recuperate quietly. ”

"No, you listen to me. I always felt something was wrong and I couldn't stay here anymore......"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Where can you go if you're not here? You're the queen of a country. ”

"I'm serious. The queen did not speak again, but looked at Rodhart, whose face did not have the slightest breath of the concept of queen, and the look full of misery and grief looked even more helpless on her pale and emaciated face, and tears flashed in her.

Rodhart wanted to speak, but looking at the face in front of him, he suddenly felt something in his heart that had not moved for a long time, and he couldn't say anything. It was not the impulsive feelings of a child, and he could see a deep despair and fear in those beautiful eyes.

The two looked at each other silently, and suddenly a voice came to break the stalemate, "Your Majesty, Cardinal Javi has arrived at the Academy of Magic. The Prime Minister invited Lord Rodhart to come with him. ”

"Your Majesty, the minister retires. Rodhart let out a long sigh, got up, walked to the door, saluted, and turned and walked out.

In the Academy of Magic, Archpriest Ryan and the new Cardinal were already sitting together, and the priests and priests below were also standing side by side, but their expressions were not so standard and respectful, but couldn't help but focus on the Cardinal.

The cardinal was indeed strange and eye-catching, but the strangeness itself was also strange, based on his identity and his appearance. He was too heroic, too mighty, and too young for a group of cardinals. Even he was not wearing the robes of a cardinal, but the white samurai suit of a Templar, with a long sword at his waist.

Two days ago, when the news came from Celeste, everyone imagined that the successor of the Bishop of Ronis would be able to take over the troubled waters by His Majesty the Pope. But no one expected that it was such a young man in his twenties, and if it weren't for the fact that he came with him and Bishop Adela, a close confidant of His Majesty the Pope, who was known to the priests, no one would believe him even if he had a letter from His Majesty the Pope.

Bishop Adela accompanied him, gave the Grand Priest the orders and documents of His Majesty the Pope, and then left. The young cardinal was left alone at the Academy of Magic.

Although full of surprise and doubt, and a little disdainful, there is no doubt that this is indeed the cardinal appointed by His Majesty the Pope himself to take charge of the place. Even though no one actually welcomed him here, there was still no shortage of formalities, and everything was basically ready, so he immediately invited the priests and priests to hold a welcoming ceremony.

"Lord Rodhart has arrived. With an announcement from the priest at the door, the commander of the Royal Capital Praetorian Guard, the captain of the first detachment of the Paladin, appeared at the door.

Rodhart couldn't help but look surprised when he saw the young cardinal sitting above, but he quickly returned to his normal state and stepped forward to salute: "See Lord Bishop." ”

"Captain Roland has accompanied His Majesty to the south. Therefore, the Holy Knights are now under the command of Lord Rodhart for the time being. Lord Rodhart is a disciple of the Late Rand Commander and the commander of the Imperial Guard. Archpriest Ryan explained. The Holy Knights are technically one of the subordinates of half of the Academy of Magic, and should nominally be under the jurisdiction of the successor of this Bishop of Ronis.

Of course, it's one thing in a famous word, but it's actually another thing, although this cardinal looks handsome and extraordinary, but after all, he is too young to believe that he has enough qualifications and abilities to deal with the problem of the magic academy well. What's more, there is no one here who hopes that he can handle it well.

"Don't be polite, my lord, I'm a guest here after all. The cardinal smiled, his smile was natural, without the slightest nervousness or artificiality, as if he was really just a guest here, his handsome face was very bright and affectionate under this smile, "I have heard of the prestige of the Holy Knights since I was in Celeste, and if you look at such a person as Lord Rodhart, you can be even more sure that there is no false man under the fame." ”

Rodhart was slightly surprised and wary. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. It's a feeling of seeing an opponent who is equal to you, or even better than you.

What he felt was not the heroic, handsome, or anything like that on the surface of this person, but what was hidden behind that attitude.

Although it was a welcoming ceremony, and all the people here were also subordinates of the cardinal, everyone also had a faint wariness and hostility towards him, and what awaited him was also deliberate trouble, obstruction, and perhaps hostility. But even so, the young man could laugh so freely, so casually, and there was not the slightest excess except for those which should be revealed on such occasions, like a blue ocean. The pleasing color implies that there is no bottom behind it.

"Prime Minister Mrak has arrived. ”

In response to such a major event as the new cardinal, it is natural that the leaders of the teaching, military, and political aspects need to gather, Grand Priest Ryan is temporarily leading the Academy of Magic, Rodhart represents the military forces, and the political representative is naturally the Prime Minister.

This is actually just one of the three representatives, but the cardinal's reaction when he hears this announcement is completely different from that of Rodhart. The light in his eyes lit up, and he stood up and walked in the direction of the door, the smile on his face was bigger, more vivid, and brighter, it was not something that could be pretended, but a kind of heartfelt temperature, as gentle and dazzling as golden sunlight.

Prime Minister Mrak appeared in the doorway.

Probably thinking about the question of welcoming the cardinal, her willow eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her official uniform could not hide the unique freshness and beauty of a young woman like the female prime minister, and the kind of dignified and dignified on her body is not something that any other woman can have, only she can combine the charm of the two completely different directions and different attributes of delicate beauty and stability, and show a unique style of her own on her body. This kind of demeanor may not be seductive, but no one will not be impressed.

At this time, the cardinal also happened to be there. The Prime Minister was also surprised at the sight of the handsome young man dressed in the Templar's costume before her, but then the Bishop's action immediately made everyone's faces even more surprised, and he bent down and bowed to the woman in front of him with the courtesy of a knight instead of a bishop, and stretched out his hand, saying, "Miss Mrak, your fame and talent have long spread throughout the continent, and it is indeed a great honor for me to see you today, and even the Lord will be sincerely impressed by your beauty and grace." Please allow me to take you to a seat. ”

Although Bishop Adela had already explained to the priests that the cardinal had been promoted by the Templars on a critical basis, all the priests had strange expressions on their faces when they saw this scene. Archpriest Ryan opened his mouth wide and didn't know what to say: "Bishop Javi, ......"

Although the Prime Minister was extremely surprised, it was also confirmed from the behavior of the people around him that this was indeed the new Cardinal. Looking at the hand in front of him, he hesitated for a moment, but finally stretched out his hand.

Bishop Javi smiled and led the Prime Minister into the hall, his posture, his steps, his expression, all overflowing with confidence and a genuine satisfaction from the heart. After taking a seat with the Prime Minister, he smiled faintly at the still dumbfounded crowd around him: "Don't be too surprised, this is just my respect and admiration for Prime Minister Mrak. ”

Hehe, nothing. The Bishop was originally a Templar, and these rituals are normal......" Archpriest Ryan coughed twice, leading the priests to recover their expressions. But there were still two people who looked a little abnormal, one was the Prime Minister who had just taken his seat, and the other was Rodhart.

The Prime Minister was confused, puzzled, and surprised. Rodhart seemed to be trying to think about something.