In the middle of the night, a knight galloped in the starlight, turned over and dismounted outside the gates of Eternal Day. He lifted his sleeve www.biquge.info wiped the dusty sweat on his face, and handed his identity papers and a small bag of coins to the guards at the city gate for inspection. Immediately after receiving approval, the knight turned on his horse and rushed into the city, ignoring the gaze that was watching him from behind and the whispering of chatter.

The name "Eternal Daylight City" is not strictly realistic. Even as the capital of the Church, there is both day and night. It was the early hours of the morning, and most of the city was still dark, and most of the residents were falling asleep. In an hour or two, whether they want it or not, they'll have a new day.

The only exception is the Great Church. Located in the heart of the city, the temple is both the religious and political center of the country. Day and night, the interior of the Basilica and the central plaza in front of it are as bright as day. Travelers can visit at any time if they wish – although there are restrictions on what they can access.

Today, the Great Chapel has welcomed a special guest.

Payne tried to slow down his pace and not appear too impatient and rude, but the anxiety on his face could not be hidden. After he left Holly Castle, he hurried to complete the journey that would normally take nearly ten days in just five days. Without a moment's rest, he barely freshened up in the city's public wells, and then, with a dusty and tired face, he applied to the Great Church to see His Majesty the Pope.

Perhaps the identity and purpose of the report were taken seriously, but half an hour later, he was received by His Majesty.

The parlor of the Great Chapel is located on the left side of the highest floor, and the decoration is not luxurious, the whole room is a soft milky white, and bright light spills from every part of the vaulted ceiling, spreading the entire hall. Pope Oswald, dressed in a white robe, stood alone at the end of the hall.

In the Church of San Leon, although the Pope is nominally supreme and has the authority to directly mobilize the army and issue decrees, the Pope has rarely been personally involved in politics. On the other hand, the teachings of the Lord of Light are very tolerant, and under their influence, the Church allows its people to believe in multiple gods, or even simply the rest of the gods, as long as they do not cause harm to the state.

It is this seemingly vague doctrine that magically unites justice, customs, politics, beliefs, etc., without leading to excessive authoritarianism. It is also this unique system that has allowed the Church of San Leon to remain at the forefront of the continent for hundreds of years.

He settled down, walked over and got down on one knee to meet the supreme leader of the church.

"Knights of the Crow, Penn Desk, greetings to you."

"I see." The white-robed Pope raised his hand and motioned for him to get up, "Tell me what you mean." ”

"I'm ......," Payne hesitated, not knowing how to speak. He was silent for a while, his right hand unconsciously grasping the hem of his clothes, "Your Majesty, you may know that the Holly Castle, where we are located, is under attack by the Imperial Army. ”

"Yes." The Pope replied lightly, "What does that have to do with our country?" ”

"I have come with Grand Master Sean's wishes to ask you for help." Payne got down on one knee again, "Please help end this war and let the Knights ...... And the soldiers of the Empire, save yourself from disaster! For this, we can give whatever you need in return! ”

"What kind of return, tell me about it." The Pope glanced at him, his voice calm.

"Money, property, or people." Payne said in a deep voice, "In addition, you will also receive the friendship of the Knights, and if necessary, we will serve you." ”

"So," the Pope squinted at him, "what if I wanted all of your surviving members to renounce their faith and join the Church of the Lord of Light?" ”

Payne pursed his lips tightly, and the light above his head seemed to become blind, making him a little dizzy.

"That is...... Even so," he hesitated for a moment, shaking his head vigorously, "no...... In that case, I don't agree. ”

"Yes." The white-robed Oswald sighed, then smiled, "That's fine. If you agree, I'd like to ask you what is the point of existence of a knight order that can easily renounce its beliefs. ”

"It's just, I'm sorry." "Since you are still a follower of Mar, and you are in the territory of the Empire, we have neither the ability nor the will to intervene in this war. ”

"But...... It was the lives of many. Payne gritted his teeth, "As an agent of the Lord of Light, do you want to see the continent plunged into war?" He pondered for a moment, then continued, "The Empire is now attacking us, and after that, where will it burn the flames of war?" With the Empire's historical ambitions, perhaps even your kingdom is one of their goals. ”

"But it's not that time after all." The white-robed pope said with a blank face, "If the name is not right, the word is not good." As an intra-imperial struggle, there is no suitable reason for our country to intervene. ”

Payne wanted to say something, but the cold gaze from the throne made him swallow the words that followed.

"Now that the empire has already moved, it is impossible to easily agree to peace. If we join this battle, our warriors will die; And the soldiers of the Empire, too, could die. Whether it is us or the soldiers of the Imperial Army, there are believers in the Lord of Light, how do you want them to feel? Oswald concluded, "Get out, you can't get anything you want from me." ”

……

"Ah......" Elena closed her mouth, her expression full of worry, "So, Sister Yinyue, he's gone like this?" ”

"Of course not." Highland Sia smiled like a fox, "Have you really listened carefully to what Oswald said just now?" ”

"In this way," said the maiden, holding her cup and staring at the dark red tea, "His Majesty the Pope said...... Can't get help from him? ”

"Correct." The silver-haired woman nodded to herself, "So, after that man left dejectedly, I ran to find him." ”

"But wouldn't His Majesty the Pope be angry in that case?"

"Of course. Rather, he just wanted me to do it. Hylanthia stood up, took out her teacup and tea leaves familiarly, and made herself a cup, "On the surface, the church can't do anything to turn its back on its followers, but if you act in the name of the 'Silver Witch', it's nothing." ”

"But what can only one person do?"

"Think about it, what Oswald said."

"Hmm......" the girl thought, clutching her braids, "as a follower of Mar, and in the territory of the Empire...... In other words, although faith cannot be changed, as long as the latter is not satisfied, we have the opportunity to intervene? ”

"That's right." Hylancia stirred the tea with a silver teaspoon, "As long as they can cross the border, the Saint-Leon Sect will not give up these excellent subjects easily." All I have to do is get the message across. ”

"Hylancia," the white-robed middle-aged man sighed, "twenty years later, you're still so nosy. But...... That's what you look like. ”

"That's right." Highland Sia raised her head and raised the corners of her lips slightly, "I'm not Grandpa and Pfister. Although I have given up on my original goal for the time being, there are many more things worth doing in this world. ”

"So," said the silver-haired woman, holding up her teacup and looking at the girl through the mist, "what I want to say, little Elena, do you understand?" ”

Elena looked at the two in the room, then turned her head to look out the window. The autumn sun fills the streets, and the crowds come and go, and there is a certain order in the noise. Every day is different, but the sight and the city continue year after year, welcoming visitors to a new day.

"We need a rule that guides people's minds and lifestyles. Therefore, those facilities, customs and rituals are necessary, as in the city, in the Great Church, and in the friars and nuns who preach and pray every day. She turned her head to the point of realization in her eyes, "On the other hand, every believer can learn something different from the teachings of the Lord of Light." Now, whether it's me alone, or something that seems trivial, moving forward according to my own heart may be the true meaning of "tolerance". ”

"So, Mr. Karan, I can get out of here and go where I want to go."

"Your father will be worried, Elena." The middle-aged man in the white robe straightened his face and said seriously.

"Teacher Karan, if you try to convince him, father he will agree."

"Also, it seems like it's easy for you to get lost in town." The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed, "How can I rest assured of your safety?" ”

"This ......," the girl was speechless for a while, "anyway, I can get it back at the end every time, so there's no problem!" ”

The two bickered as usual, making the silver-haired woman laugh out loud.

"I'll leave this to me, little Elena." Hylancia nodded the girl's nose, "As the saying goes, if you want to hurry, you can't reach it, but it's not okay to be too anxious." At least wait until after the Autumn Harvest Festival, when I should be able to accompany you on the road for a while. ”

"As a result, you still snatched my lovely disciple away." Kahlan put on a helpless look, but there was no dissatisfaction in his words.

"Who made you lazier than me." The silver-haired woman drank all the tea soup in the cup and stood up, "You, a disciple, may not be worse than you in the future." ”

"In this way," the middle-aged man smiled gently, "it seems that I have to work a little harder, lest I be overtaken by my own disciples." ”

The girl looked at the familiar face in front of her, and suddenly felt a little strangely moved. She sniffed to keep the tears from sliding down her eyes.

"Thank you, Teacher Karan, Sister Silvermoon." She inhaled softly, "I won't disgrace my father, and I won't disappoint you. ”

The middle-aged man in the white robe stretched out his hand and put it on her shoulder. That is the teacher's promise to the students, and it is a silent encouragement and recognition.

"The rest of the time here is going to be spent well." The silver-haired woman put her hands behind her back and leaned her face close to the girl, "As the "light" of the church, you must always let your heart be full of light. ”

The girl savored the expectation implied in this sentence and nodded earnestly.

This was the original agreement between the second Templar "Silver Witch" and Elena Joyue, who was only seventeen years old at the time.