The top floor of Castel Sant'Angelo is the residence of the papal candidate. Constance of Illifa, the virgin of Vista, could not sleep at the moment. The revival of the family was already pinned on this papal election, and Constance's family had done everything in its power to bribe the bishop and form an alliance with the representatives of the western aristocracy. Constance was so concerned about this defilement of the sanctity of the Holy See that she could only confess her family's sins by praying fervently to the Lord day and night. The cold North Sea breeze whistling outside the window eased a little, and Constance pushed open the floor-to-ceiling windows trimmed with gold edges. Outside the window, the snow drifted in, and Constance smoothed his long silver curls and looked at the night sky with red eyes.

Constance waited anxiously for tomorrow to decide her fate and that of Vekia. She was a little tired of the two guards guarding the door, who only allowed the attendants to enter the ornate cage on the top floor of Castel Sant'Angelo, and did not let Constance out. But Constance understands them, after all, the election rules prohibit candidates from contacting anyone.

Constance put on his shoes, straightened his virginial robes, and tried to make up an excuse to sneak out of the door. At the very least, you can take a stroll around the castle for a while. In this bedroom, there are no flowers, except for the tapestries of religious paintings, which are scriptures.

Constance knocked on the door. No one responded, strange. Normally, the guards would open the door and ask what was needed, or more commonly, refuse Constance's request to go out. Constance slowly pushed the door open, looking sideways out of it.

The two guards disappeared at some point. According to the regulations, the guards must ensure that there are people outside the door day and night, even if they change shifts. Perhaps the discipline of the Papal Guard had become so lax that it did not even follow it.

When the previous pope was still alive, he often said to Constance. It is necessary to strengthen the discipline of the guards. But Constance was simple-minded and wanted only to obey the Lord's teachings, but the administration of politics and the affairs of Frost City was compulsory for potential future popes.

Constance stepped out softly. Descend the spiral ladder to an empty hallway. This was the corridor outside Castel Sant'Angelo, and the cold wind was so strong that Constance's robe was blown apart. She pressed her hat and ran briskly around the corner of the hallway.

For a moment, Constance thought a black cloth had appeared in front of her, and then she was knocked to the ground.

A young man in a black cloak looked at Constance with confusion and guilt. Constance was annoyed by the man's physical behavior, but saw him pounce on him and cover Constance's mouth.

"Hmm......"

Touching red eyes look in horror at the blue eyes under the black hood.

"I'm sorry. Miss. The guards of the entire castle were basically searching for the next floor. Just keep your voice out. ”

Constance nodded.

Bode slowly removed his hand. "So, I'm sorry...... Is there a passage to the next level on this level, other than this?" Bode gestured behind him.

Constance shook his head. The shouts of the guards drew closer. The shadows swayed under the torches under the spiral staircase, and the guards with halberds rushed up.

Bode grabbed Constance by the waist and drew a dagger from his belt to Constance's throat.

"I'm sorry, but you know what happens when you resist. ”

Constance didn't scream. She was much calmer in moments like these. The guards surrounded him. The torches shone brightly, and Pod quickly pulled down his hood as best he could.

"Bastard, do you know who you're hijacking?!Release Master Constance!" the sword-wielding captain of the guard roared, the tip of the sword glistening with a silver light.

Constance felt the assassin's hand loosen and the dagger in his throat slowly moved away. Through the thin robes, Constance could still feel the heat in the other party's hands.

Bord slowly moved to the edge of the hallway. Snowflakes fell on Constance's shoulders, melting and wetting his clothes. Her delicate skin is faintly visible.

"Stop, you ......" The guards feared that the Assassins would take Constance hostage and make a dangerous move.

Constance turned his head to stare at Bode. There was no blame in his eyes. There is only forgiveness and mercy.

A smile tugged at the corner of Bode's mouth, and he jerked Constance against the guards, climbed onto the handrail of the hallway, and jumped down.

The guards were so confused that they almost forgot about Constance and threw themselves to the handrails to look down. The icy waters of the North Sea are filled with ice floes and ripples.

Eleanor Velta lay bored on the garden table. In the northernmost part of the cold continent of Calradia, the flowers in the pots are also yellow and green, lifeless. She played with a ring of fox skins around her neck, which the Duke had bought from the fur bazaar for ten gold dinars. For Eleanor, it's a gorgeous toy and decoration. For millions of civilians in Vigia, that's two years' income.

Eleanor took her blonde hair in her mouth and played with it, only to see the brown-haired mercenary walk quickly into the Duke's Palace. The knights under the Duke still laughed at Bode's nouveau riche promotion, and his modest attire. But Eleanor didn't hate him, at least he did what the knights didn't. Knights would duel over trivial matters, and the so-called chivalry did not prevent them from killing and plundering in war.

Late last night, a wet Bode rushed into the Duke's palace and immediately hid in the servants' rooms. This was something that Eleanor had heard from the maid in the morning. In the morning, Bode hurried out of the house. Eleanor guessed that he was ordered by the Duke to listen to the results of the papal election.

By this time, Pod had already walked upstairs. Eleanor walked through the hallway, closer to the past.

"Good morning, miss. Bode bowed deeply. Eleanor felt a little uncomfortable.

"Good morning, Bode. Are you going to the cathedral again?"

"Yes. I was about to report to the duke. ”

The door opened, and the Duke approached.

"Eleanor, you better leave the affairs of politics alone. ”

"I want to hear it. Eleanor was annoyed.

"You're not the Countess of Bruzz, but you're in charge of the territory. ”

Eleanor angrily turned to Bode, "Sir, do you think I was wrong to listen?"

Bode was in a dilemma and said, "Mademoiselle is also helping the Duke share his worries." ”

The Duke motioned with his eyes for Pod to report to the Duke's study. "Eleanor, you'll understand later, it's better to ignore these things. ”

Bode said to Eleanor, "Well, let's take my leave." Bode stepped back and went into the study.

"You always treat me like a child. Eleanor said.

"You're just a kid. The Duke said with a smile.

Constance was dreamy. A few hours ago, the Pope election was over, and now the new Pope will go out on the balcony to meet and bless the faithful.

"Would you like to use Constance II as your papal title?"

"I do. ”

Constance stood in the center of the hall, his attendants handing ornate robes trimmed with gold trim, and the bishop of Beritz holding a velvet cushion with the Pope's triple crown on it. Another bishop, holding the staff in his gloved hand, handed it to Constance.

Amid the choir's singing, the Bishop of Beritz placed a triple crown on Constance's head.

"You can go to the balcony. The bishop stepped back.

Amid the hymns, Constance walks slowly to the balcony. In the hall, the bishop is flanked by nobles who participate in the ceremony. Lynch of Gobert, the unsuccessful Vestal virgin, was hidden behind the Knights' representatives, and even through the layers of crowds, Constance could still feel her dissatisfaction. Those resentful black eyes, watching the triple crown behind the crowd.

The servants made way for the new pope. Constance walked up to the balcony. Even with the bitter cold, the enthusiasm for the new pope sent the faithful to the square. Among them were peasants, craftsmen in Frost City, merchants in fur coats, soldiers with swords, and ascetics with the last shred of hope for the Holy See......

Constance's shoulders ached from the burden, but she would never interrupt a tradition that had lasted for six hundred years. Constance appeared on the balcony, and the faithful fell silent.

Constance raised his right hand and the faithful knelt. The blackened crowd was silent.

"In the name of the Lord, bless you, the people of Vegia, the people of the Holy See. ”

The faithful waited for the blessing to end. Constance lowered his hand, and the people in the square got up and boiled.

"Long live the Pope! Long live Virginia!"

Meanwhile, a messenger crept through the inner hall of St. Canaan's Cathedral and found the Order's representative, Deputy Master Lawrence, in the crowd. The messenger whispered something, and Lawrence nodded. This qiē did not escape the eyes of Duke Wickwood. Duke Wakewood found Duke Savalon.

"The Knights seem to be plotting something. ”

"The Pope has been elected. What else can they do?" laughed the Duke of Savalon.

Constance stepped back from the balcony and took off the triple crown with the help of his attendants. At this time, Lawrence, the representative of the Knights, walked to the center of the hall and clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention. The Bishop of Beritz felt a tingling in his heart when he saw Lawrence glancing at him from time to time.

"On behalf of the Knights, I challenge the election of the Pope for all Virgians. Lawrence's loud voice drowned out the cries of the crowd coming in from the window.

"What ......" Both the clergy and the nobles in the hall were amazed. For the first time in Virginia's 600-year history, a papal election has been questioned.

"What are you going to question?" said Duke Savalon, holding his sword in one hand.

Lawrence sneered and pointed to the sweaty Bishop of Beritz.

"I accuse the Bishop of Belize of accepting bribes and perpetuating the election. (To be continued......)