Louis roughly estimated, although the church acknowledges the existence of werewolves and vampires around 1414, this is not to say that there were no dark creatures in the surface world before, and the saints of the church have been recorded since 54 BC, that is, those who do not know if they really have extraordinary power have been hidden in the battle between darkness and cruelty for a thousand years, perhaps at the beginning, they are indeed some religious and hardworking people, who only work for the Lord, but even the wise King Solomon has become dull and stupid in his old age, let alone a group of people who have great power, but they still have to eat, drink, live and travel mortals.

And the king quickly thought of a question: "According to you, did these ascetics and black-clad judges choose their disciples from mortals, or from their relatives?"

This made Dean La Rivière look at him with some surprise, this is not the words that an eleven-year-old child who has not undergone any professional instruction can say—even when he was eleven years old, he only knew bread, sparrows, and the skirts of the maids, "Yes, Your Majesty, although they also select disciples from mortals who are called by the Holy Spirit, most of them are from their relatives. ”

Louis nodded, he understood, at first those with supernatural abilities were afraid that there were only a small number of people, and it was a simple matter to keep the tradition or keep the precepts when the number was scarce, but later, perhaps in response to the rapidly expanding darkness, perhaps because the faith was shaken by worldly emotions, some monks returned to the world, married wives, and their children inherited their sense of the Holy Spirit, thus becoming the main force against heresy.

This immediately brought him to another thought: "And is the Templars involved in this?"

"The Templars were a detachment from these monks. Admiring the young king's sensitivity, Abbot La Rivière said, "Well, to put it mildly, your majesty, they are an attempt by the Church. ”

That's right, Louis thought to himself, if it were him, he wouldn't be so open-minded to see this force out of control, it can only be said that the church can only be said to be powerless before this - before the division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, the development of the church was difficult, not to mention the congregation, even the bishop and the pope were martyred, and in 756, the Frankish king Pepin sacrificed the land, and the church was finally able to lay the foundation, and in the following hundreds of years, the church was in turmoil, and even split into two major churches, the east and the west.

Founded in 1119 and officially recognized by the Church ten years later, within a hundred years of the split between the Church, Catholicism began to stabilize and began to attack the extraordinary power they had coveted for a long time—in this case, the strange strength and expansion speed of the Templars were also justified—as well as the various strange rituals and decrees in the Templar Order, thinking of this, even Louis couldn't help but gossip a little, he leaned over to look at Abbot La Rivière, and asked quietly: " I've heard that the Templars were declared heretics in 1307 by King Justice (Philip IV), and that they were later found guilty of many horrible crimes, eh...... But what I want to know is that the Templars really do it during initiation ceremonies and training...... Make some very profane ...... Is there anything else that is out of order?"

Dean La Rivière swallowed a mouthful of saliva when he heard this, he, he, because of some special status, he knew, but he ...... He took a closer look at the king's expression, and found that there was indeed only a child's curiosity in those beautiful blue eyes, and these things can only be said to be open secrets in the church, and Philip IV, unfortunately, is the ancestor of this king, even if he doesn't say it now, when this king takes power, he will still know, and the abbot is eager to gain the favor of the superiors, and looks forward to the day when he climbs to the top like Richelieu, Mazaran was in the position, so after some deliberation, he moved his footstool closer to the king, leaned over as well, and lowered his voice as low as he could, "I can tell you, but your Majesty, you must not say it—they are also indelible to your ancestor, Philip III of Cape." ”

Louie raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to continue.

He saw that the king was not angry at his transgression, but rather looked more interested, and could not help but be a little more excited: "Your Majesty, I wonder if you have ever heard of a saying, 'If they are innocent, why not let them be tried to prove their innocence if they are molten with fire!'"

Louis groaned and shook his head.

This was written by Philip IV in that secret letter, which caused his officials to arrest all members of the Templar Order without hesitation and immediately torture them. Abbot La Rivière whispered, "Although the punishment was still very crude at that time, I mean, Your Majesty, they bound the criminals to iron frames, grease their feet and bodies, and roasted them on the fire, and the tortured people all screamed and answered all their questions. ”

"But wouldn't such an act cause injustice?" Louis asked.

The blame was on the then Grand Master of the Knights, Jacques Molay, who, after taking office, foolishly confided in Pope Clement V about the Order, involving Philip III, the father of the former Pope Boniface VIII and Philip IV, and the details of which surprised Clement V, who entrusted the matter to Philip IV, and it was for this reason that the terrible secret letter was born. ”

"Is there a connection between these two of them?"

"Isn't it," said Larivière, "you may not know that both Boniface VIII and Philip III were secret members of the Templar Order at that time, but Philip III's initiation took place later than Boniface VIII, and the problem is that Philip III's initiation took place shortly before the death of his eldest son, Louis, and there was a prophecy that Philip III had committed a 'sin against nature', and that if he did not repent, one of his princes would die within six months— Your Majesty, the Capets have always had a sacred family tradition, each king considers himself the most pious sovereign, and since Louis VII this family has declared itself dedicated to the crusading jihadist cause, and they have done so, so it stands to reason that they should have been protected by God, but ...... "La Rivière spreads his hands," Isn't it as if Philip III had suffered some kind of curse, and his father died of dysentery in battle, and he was not even able to return to his court, and so was his eldest son, and even more so himself, a harsh punishment?"

There is also a legend that it was Philip III's stepwife who poisoned his eldest son in order to secure the throne for her son. Louie said.

"Isn't it more of a curse for a wife to be a witch?" said Larivière, "and Philip IV apparently believed the other way of saying it, and you can guess how angry he was at that time by looking at the poison of this secret letter." ”

"So ......"

"Yes, all the charges are true, especially the filthy parts...... Alas, Your Majesty, I ought not to say it, for they will surely dirty your ears. ”

"Don't sell it. The king said that he poured a cup of tea with his own hands for the fat gossip chief, and added a lot of sugar.

"Well, since you commanded me, then let me tell you a little, they, ahem, do have intimate behavior. ”

"Kiss each other?"

"No, Your Majesty, you know. ”

"I don't know, alas, it sounds disgusting. ”

"The disgusting ones are in the back. La Rivière said as if he were with them during the ceremony: "They have to ...... first You see, like I said before, the armor, the sword, the boots, and all that and so on have to be taken off to the side, and then kissed three times, kissed on the lips, ##, ¥¥......"

"Well, how can I understand when you say that?"

"Be pure, be pure, be pure," Abbot La Rivière made a few gestures with a sinister eyebrow: "Your Majesty, you are still a child, anyway, first the new knights kiss their seniors, then their seniors kiss the new knights, and then they take crosses, trample them under their feet, spit on them, pee ......"

"Wait, did you miss a step?"

"No, Your Majesty, that's what they did, from beginning to end, like Adam and Adam. ”

"Uh-huh," Louis sighed, "it's pretty wicked." ”

"The more evil is to come," said Dean La Rivière, "there is the part that has not been made public—Your Majesty, and they will also have small pieces of nails, teeth of people who have hanged and drowned...... Hair, ears, or eyes...... Muscles, bones, or fresh meat...... As a communion, fill it with the chalice and drink it in turns, and do many crazy things before the cross......"

"It's like heresy I've heard of!"

"So. Abbot La Rivière said: "Philip IV was a great admirer of his grandfather, Louis IX, who became a saint during his reign, and blamed the death of his grandfather and his brother on the evil rituals performed by his father when he was secretly inducted, and he insisted on executing most of the members of the Templar Order despite Clement V's best efforts." ”

"How can you still intercede?"

"Because according to the Knights Templar," said Abbot La Rivière, "they fought the infidels for a long time, so they ...... in order to avoid being humiliated and tortured when they are captured We have developed such a set of initiation ceremonies and training contents......"

Louis smiled and leaned back in his seat: "Shouldn't they keep their integrity under any circumstances?"

"Your answer is exactly the same as that of the King of Justice," said Dean La Rivière, "yes, he said so. His eyes squinted to the side: "Not only did he say this, but he also threatened the then Pope Clement V, Your Majesty, and he said that if the Pope could not act impartially, he would make the Templar confession public, you know, at least, Boniface VIII, Clement V's predecessor was a secret member of the Templar Order, and once the confession was made public, the face of the Church would be reduced to the mud, so," he shrugged:" The rest of the matter is not interesting, Your Majesty, if your theology teacher had taught you here, he would have told you how they had been banned and denied. ”

Louis ate the melon with great relish, and he knew more than his current theological teacher, Father Poitier, the guiding priest of Queen Mother Anne, and he looked at the man who was desperate for power: "You are much more interesting than my theological teacher." Louie said in a childish tone, "I would like you to be my teacher." ”

A flush of excitement suddenly appeared on Larivière's chubby face, which made him look more like the saint that the children admired the most.

"Million...... Honored!" He even stammered a little: "I am willing, Your Majesty, I am willing." ”

"I'm going to talk to Mr. Bishop, and my mother, but I think they'll agree. Louis said that if it were a minister or a clever man, Mazarin and Queen Mother Anne might have to think about it, but La Rivière, known to every Parisian, was a clown who dared to compete with Bishop Reis and Prince Conti, and that Bishop Mazarin had given him to Louis only for his amusement.

"Then tell me more," Louis continued, "if the Church supported the Knights Templar in 1129, how could they have established the Inquisition in 1231, and then the Inquisition?"

"That's why I said earlier that it was Father Gregory IX's willful will," said Larivière, "and he didn't like the Knights Templar very much, because they had a secret relationship with the infidels, and they were good at collecting money, and they had ......," he paused, "and the crime of drunkenness and gluttony, which was why he devoted himself to the establishment of a transcendent organization exclusive to the Church, and at that time, I mean, the original monks of the Inner World and their descendants were also shaken by the Templar affairs," He gave the king a look you know: "Some people live like King Solomon, while others still live in precariousness and frugality, and even the most pious monks cannot stop the rising tide...... They had such a tendency, coupled with the promise of Gregory IX...... And then you see, they did no worse than the Knights Templar in the decades that followed, and they were not deeply involved in secular power struggles, unlike the Knights Templar, so the masterminds of the Church slowly turned their favor towards them - Jacques Molay did stupid things, but if the Church had not already had the idea of abandoning them, these things should have been cut off by Father Clement V. ”

"Is there still a consensus in the Church about these supernatural powers?" Louie asked.

"It's not very consistent. "It is not so much a question of the Church," said LaRivière, "that it is the problem of the black-clad judges of the Inquisition and the ascetics, who are the main force of battle, but who are evidently more favored by the higher-ups, mainly because of ...... Well, the monks have to be religious, of course, it's okay for them to be religious, but it's not right to be deferential to the Church of Rome, although I must admit that sometimes those guys really have nothing to respect, but you know......" La Rivière struggled to find the right adjective.

"The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it. Louie said.

"Well, that's what I said," said Larivière, without losing any time, "this is a philosophical quote that deserves to be copied in the Bible, and allow me to repeat it, Your Majesty...... The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it, O God, what an accurate and elegant word, I really want to say it to everyone at once. ”

Louis couldn't help but laugh, "Farewell, Dean, this may not be a very appropriate phrase here, I guess they hate those ascetics because their piety is a contrast to the impiety of some." ”

"Not really," said Dean La Rivière, meaningfully, "that's the deadliest thing." ”

"What about the black-clad judges?"

"Well, to be honest, they are about the same as those in the Church of Rome, because they have wives and children who have not yet been made public, and they have to think about themselves. ”

"Doesn't the Church want to treat the monks the same way they did the Knights Templar?"

"It's hard. "Only the most devout ascetics can become sharp swords capable of restraining the creatures of darkness, and if they indulge in worldly pleasures, even the most gifted children will be annihilated among mortals...... What the churches need is their strength, without which they have no meaning to exist. ”

"It seems that the church is also having a headache," Louis said, "and if you are not religious, you will have no power, but if you are religious, the church will be questioned." ”

La Rivière smiled bitterly, "Exactly, Your Majesty. But it is impossible for them to give up, neither the Inquisition nor Rome, with whom the Church has grown stronger in "On the Power of the Princes of the Monks", but the Church has been in a much worse position lately, after all, ......"

"After all, the power of the world is also getting stronger. ”

"Yes," Larivière sighed, "especially after the appearance of things like muskets, mortals are not without the power to fight back against dark creatures. ”

"That's to have enough guns and ammunition, and enough soldiers," Louis said, "brave soldiers." "Just like his musketeers, they must also be superior in numbers and firepower, otherwise mortals will not be able to fight those dark creatures after all.

Larivière thought for a moment and did not speak, because the current king did not even have an army of his own, so why should he mention the sad things of His Majesty.

Still, his gaze couldn't help but fall on the king's red shoulder straps.

At this time, the various forces in Paris had their own armies, and then in order to distinguish friend from foe, the officers would wear shoulder straps of various colors around their shoulders, the royalists were white, the Prince of Condé was light chestnut, the Duke of Orleans, Gaston was dark blue, and Mazarin...... Alas, the Bishop had his own army, and their shoulder straps were green, which was orthodox in the country, and His Majesty had only a few musketeers and young acolytes on his side, and it is said that he had suffered a lot of damage in previous assassinations.

While Abbot La Rivière was deliberating whether or not to offer a livre as a token of his loyalty, the king suddenly called him by name affectionately, "Monsieur La Rivière." He said, "I have one thing for you to do, if you will." ”

"Say it, please. La Rivière hurriedly said earnestly: "What do you want me to do? Your Majesty, even if I want to dance face to face with the devil, I will go." ”

Louis Waner: "No, I am not interested in that for the time being, Mr. Dean, I just want to renovate the chapel of the Dullery Palace." ”

"Well, that's a good thing to serve the Lord," said Mr. Larivière, "and you will be rewarded, Your Majesty." ”

"I'll give you ten thousand louis, do whatever you want," said Louis, "but I have a request." ”

"I'm listening. ”

"Please hire as many Parisians as you can, don't pay them directly, pay them bread and light wine, do it for a day, give it for a day, men are good, children and women are fine, as long as you can do things, you can invite them to come. ”

Dean La Rivière looked up and blinked, then he understood, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I'll try to hire as many people as possible." ”

"It is a work for the Lord," said Louis, "and it doesn't matter how many people there are." If it's not enough, you can always come and talk to me. ”

La Rivière had already prepared to fill a part of himself, but it was enough to satisfy him that he could be qualified to see the king at any time, and he was keenly aware of the weariness on his young face, so he respectfully stepped back and prepared to leave.

"One more thing," Louis called to him, "if nothing is in the way, can you tell me how you know these things?"

LaRivière hesitated, "I am a small mistake made by the venerable Holy Father Urban VIII in his youth. With that, he bowed again and again, and withdrew.

That's right.

Louis said in his heart that Urban VIII abdicated in 1644, and when Richelieu was in power, in order to contain Richelieu, he deliberately promoted Mazarin, so that a priest from a poor background entered the eyes of Louis XIII, so even if Mazarin finally became Richelieu's heir by mistake, he still had to thank Urban VIII for his kindness, so although La Rivière was only an abbot and was not liked by Urban VIII, he could still be recommended to the king.