Crown of Silence

Chapter 432 Bad News

As the door slammed shut behind Maxwell, he turned back and took one last look at the Tower of Judgment. The calmness and confidence on his face disappeared, and a sad look appeared on his face.

"Go to the Ministry of Pardons."

He ordered the coachman and opened the door but froze on the spot.

A ray of sunlight passed through the curtains on the car door and illuminated the old man sitting in the carriage.

The man in the robe raised his eyes, staring at him with green eyes, stretched out his hand, and patted the seat next to him, as if to signal him to sit down.

Maxwell was silent for a moment, got in the car, but did not choose to sit next to the old man, but sat opposite him.

"Archbishop Ludovic?"

He stared at the old man, with a smile on his lips: "I have always wanted to ask for a visit, but I didn't expect that he would come to visit him, and in such a special way."

"Mr. Maxwell, first time meeting."

Ludovic nodded slowly: "I am no longer an archbishop, just an ordinary ascetic monk."

Maxwell smiled and said nothing.

An ascetic in the Order of the Holy See? Should I say this is humility or humor? Just smile back.

"Mr. Maxwell is a guest from afar. I should accompany you and introduce this city to you. But I am ashamed to say that I grew up here and spent my whole life in churches and bells. After I got used to it, I said no. Come up with a reason.”

Ludovic stared out the window, looking at the center of the city, the city rising from the ground: "Mr. Maxwell, what do you think of this city?"

Maxwell said, "Nature is majestic and sacred."

"Yes, the holy city."

Ludovic sighed: "Someone told me that this is where human dignity and faith are, and where heaven is supported from the earth. Therefore, I have always been in awe of this city.

Hundreds of years ago, at the end of the Dark Ages, seventeen monks received revelation. They came here and knocked down the first iron stake, announcing the arrival of the era of mankind.

Until now, after all the changes, this place has become the center of the world, the sacred city.

And the descendants of the seventeen monks who built this place only have Sforza, Borja, Felix, Medici... and so on.

This building has been destroyed twice and rebuilt on the ruins twice. Some people died with it, and some people were reborn with it.

But after experiencing so much, the things in our hearts have never changed, and our mission has never changed.

Too many people have left too much blood for it, and their souls gathered here under the divine inspiration to rest in peace. I think this solemnity and sanctity may be evidence of the existence of the world after death and heaven, right? "

Ludovic reached out and drew the holy symbol on his chest: "It is also the meaning of our existence and here."

"I don't have a deep understanding of theology and holy scriptures, but after listening to the bishop's words, I feel that I understand a lot."

Maxwell nodded: "What the bishop wants to tell me is 'revere', right?"

"maybe."

Ludovic said calmly: "No matter what it is, it is your understanding. An ascetic monk like me naturally hopes that more people can understand the true meaning of faith."

"Bishop, have you been to Avalon?" Maxwell asked suddenly.

"Never."

"Avalon is my hometown and it's a very beautiful place."

Maxwell said solemnly: "It is built on the sea. On a clear day, it is like a gem suspended on the sea. It is so bright and intoxicating.

It is not as solemn as the Holy City, but it has a unique charm. In summer, the entire city is enveloped by the sea breeze, and the salty sea salt condenses on the coast, looking like white flowers from a distance.

Children stepped on the sampan, playing on the pier and on the boat. If they fell into the water, they would laugh and climb back up. The adults were drinking beer and playing cards on the shore.

Life seems to be carefree, summer seems to never end, and you can live your whole life like this.

I think this is what the city wanted to be like when it was first founded. I love it for that, and I would give anything to make it last forever. "

"..."

Ludovic was silent, and after a long time, he nodded slowly: "It is a beautiful place, worth loving it.

Why not go back? Mr. Maxwell. As far as I know, doesn’t your hometown need you the most now? "

"That's why I can't go back alone."

Maxwell sat upright with a solemn expression: "I am already old, but young people and that city can still have an unlimited future. Mr. Ludovic, he has a place to return to, and he has no obligation to sacrifice for the solemnity and sanctity of this place. Give your life."

"It's not surprising that people who follow heretics would say such things."

Ludovic smiled coldly, as if he had heard an insignificant joke. He just looked at Maxwell and said calmly:

"If Angel continues to ignore the only righteousness and does not turn back on the road of rebellion, he will be punished sooner or later. This is the only thing I want to tell you today.

Mr. Maxwell, what you did here should be thought about deeply. As far as I know, not many people support you even in Anglia, right? "

“If it’s the right thing, there’s no need to get other people’s approval and support.”

Maxwell's eyes turned cold: "That kid and I both think so."

"No, you are different from him."

Ludovic looked at him and smiled, as if mocking: "Your eyes are too weak, Maxwell. You are not as firm as you think, and you are destined to compromise on some things.

If that kid is stubborn, then at best you are just pretending to dream with him. "

Maxwell was silent, his face ashen.

Ludovic reached out and patted his shoulder: "This is a good thing, because of this, I will give you this opportunity to meet.

Maxwell, don't be stubborn anymore, neither you nor the country you love.

This is the arrogant blood that Arthur left for you, and it will lead you to the path of the devil. "

Maxwell looked at him coldly, but Ludovic didn't care. He stood up, opened the door of the carriage, and got out of the car slowly. Standing outside the car, he nodded slightly and said goodbye.

"Let's say goodbye. I hope you can cherish this last opportunity. I don't want the next time I see you to be at the stake of a heretic."

The car door is closed.

In the darkness, the carriage moved forward.

In the carriage, Maxwell closed his eyes and suppressed the furious roar of the sword.

"damn it……"

——

Back at the embassy, ​​the second piece of bad news followed.

"gentlemen……"

The person in charge of the embassy looked livid: "Half an hour ago, people from the silent agency took away the body. Last night, those in charge of security were forcibly taken away to 'assist in the investigation.'"

He paused and became hesitant: "And..."

"Quinn, I'm old enough. I've heard all kinds of bad news." Maxwell took off his hat and sighed softly: "Tell me, don't worry about my heart, it won't be unbearable."

The person in charge silently handed over a photo.

In the photo, it is a porcelain shop.

All the porcelain in the porcelain shop was dyed a sad blood red, and several clerks were nailed to the wall. They were brutally tortured before they died, and their eyes were filled with despair until they died.

"They are all dead," the person in charge said.

Maxwell took the photo and didn't say anything. He just put it in his pocket and turned to walk to his office. He regretted that he liked to speak too perfectly.

He pinched the photo in his hand, feeling a dull pain in his heart.

When the office was closed, he looked up at the man sitting behind his desk, and sighed softly after a long time.

He put the photos in the bookcase, then poured himself a glass of strong wine on the table in the corner, pulled off his tie, lay down on the sofa, and drank the wine in one gulp. It took a long time before he made a hoarse voice.

"Lancelot, I hope you didn't come all the way from Angelou to bring me the third bad news of the day."

Behind the table, the pale man coughed lightly and nodded slowly: "Unfortunately, yes."

Maxwell swore like an old street gangster.

"Say it."

He laughed hoarsely: "I can't wait."

"As of last night, more than four countries and more than ten groups have informed us that various problems have arisen and that we may no longer be able to continue to perform the food import agreement between us."

Lancelot said: “For now, the Privy Council has been able to suppress the news, but it is estimated that soon, someone will start to drive up food prices.

I'm afraid it won't be long before we take over the market and economy and forcibly fix prices. It's foreseeable that if the situation continues to worsen, a rationing system will be implemented across the country.

The Chancellor has asked me to inform you that he is considering resigning. "

Maxwell was stunned.

After a long silence, he asked coldly: "How long can our stored combat supplies last?"

"More than ten years."

Lancelot said calmly: "But are you sure you want the country to be ready for war in advance? It's too hasty, Maxwell. There are too many preparations we need to complete, and it's too early now..."

Maxwell was silent and stopped talking.

Anglo is a maritime country, with more than half of its land on the sea and the other half on land, coastal areas, and scattered enclaves.

Anglo has always been a commercial country, focusing on commercial trade and technology research and development. In addition, the development of heavy industry has also caught up and is close to the world's top level.

But no matter which one of the above items can make up for this country's fatal weakness. Its land is too sparse and fragmented, and there is too little land that can be cultivated. Food is insufficient and must rely on imports.

Therefore, when Tianzhu was in chaos, Angel established the East Tianzhu Company to occupy that overseas colony. That is Tianzhu, a large area of ​​fertile land, wheat and rice that are harvested three times a year, tea, meat...

For this, Angelou paid a heavy price, and he did not hesitate to invest most of his military power into that quagmire, and thus accumulated a large amount of wealth and reserves.

But as the situation in Tianzhu becomes increasingly chaotic and the threat of Leviathan arises, the Tianzhu colony has been shrinking. There are growing calls for a domestic troop withdrawal.

Facing one of the four living creatures, monsters, and preparing for natural disasters, no amount of resources is enough.

"Guess who is putting pressure on them?"

No need to ask, Maxwell knew who it was with just his toes.

The Monks of the Holy See!

As long as those old immortal guys use their connections a little, the political power of those big families can easily do it. He doesn't even need to destroy those agreements permanently.

As soon as the news spreads, the frightened citizens will be thrown into chaos.

As long as the import trade is delayed for three months, Anglo will have to enter a state of control.

"It's so f******... terrible."

Maxwell pulled up the bottle, didn't bother to find a glass, and drank most of it.

After a long time, he said: "I have met Ludovic."

"I know." Lancelot nodded.

Maxwell laughed, full of self-deprecation.

"At that moment, I wanted to kill him, kill him at all costs." He lowered his head and looked at the liquor in his hand: "At that moment, I hesitated."

"I regret..."

Maxwell murmured softly: "I hesitated. I should have killed him."

"Killing him won't help."

Lancelot stood behind him and patted his shoulder: "Her Majesty the Queen has given you full responsibility for this matter, and everything is guided by your will.

Your Majesty asked me to tell you that Angre is a country that has inherited the blood of the dragon. It suffers deeply from it and is proud of it. "

Maxwell listened, but did not respond, only a bitter smile.

"Ludovic is right...I am just a hypocrite who pretends to dream with a child. I cannot bear the consequences that may come."

He sighed softly: "I really regret it, Lancelot, why did I take over this mess? It would be better to stay in the sword fence underground palace."

"Now that things have happened, do you still want to walk away?"

Lancelot's voice was low: "I put all my trust in you. If you give up, the Lancelot family will not let you go."

"Who said I'm giving up?"

Maxwell raised his eyes: "Now that things have come to a point, I have one more solution - it depends on whether you are willing to give up your position."

"Third Amendment Act?"

Lancelot was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

The Third Amendment Act delimits the boundaries between humans and gods. The Holy City rules over human souls, and the nations retain human bodies.

Return to God what is God, and return to man what is human.

One of the most important ones is the autonomy of all countries, and the Holy City has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of each country.

The extended clauses include: Nobles who violate the law will be tried by various countries and do not need to follow the will of the Holy City.

The 'nobles' referred to here are not the lords randomly assigned by various countries, but the orthodox nobles who have laws to follow and traceable origins.

In that huge pedigree, even the title of the Emperor of Angelus is just that of 'Grand Duke', and 'Emperor' is just a self-proclaimed title, and the Holy City guarantees its rigor, which shows its rigor.

It is impossible to just fabricate the name of a lord and fish out Ye Qingxuan.

However, if the contemporary Lancelot is willing to abdicate and pass the title of head of the family to Ye Qingxuan in accordance with the Anglo Succession Act, then he will be the contemporary Lancelot and automatically inherit the title of earl.

In this case, how to judge Ye Qingxuan is not within the scope of the Holy City's rights.

"As expected of Maxwell."

Lancelot showed a bitter smile: "This is the only safest plan that domestic jurists have come up with after dozens of meetings. And you thought of it alone."

"What's wrong?"

Maxwell looked at him: "Don't want to give up your title and power? Your position in the Privy Council is for life, so there is no need to worry."

"No, rather, I agree with this method more than anyone else."

Lancelot shook his head: "It's a pity that you don't understand him. Maxwell, you don't know that child well enough... You don't know the mistakes that the Lancelot family made back then..."

He lowered his head and murmured softly: "Back then, the family betrayed them when they needed help the most.

Ye Lanzhou died as a result. His mother was exiled and died in a border village... Later, I saw him come back, alone, no longer like the child he used to be.

Maxwell, you have no idea how happy I was when I found out he was still alive.

His eyes are very much like his mother's, looking at you so quietly makes you feel scared.

He is my sister's child, and I wish I could give him everything I have, even if it can make up for even a little bit of the damage he has suffered, but it's a pity..."

He coughed violently, hunched over, and dark red blood gushed out from his mouth and nose. After a long time, he finally took a breath, but his expression became darker and darker.

"Maxwell, give up this idea. He will never forgive us." Lancelot shook his head slowly: "I would rather die than have anything to do with this family."

Maxwell stared at him with an angry expression: "Yes, the evil your father did back then is still causing endless trouble today. That bastard old fool!"

"..."

Lancelot was silent.

The oppressive silence continued until the sun set and there was a knock on the office door.

The knock on the door was slow.

But they could clearly feel that the person behind the door was clearly not a member of the embassy!

The two looked at each other for a moment, and their brows wrinkled in unison.

Lancelot stretched out his hand and pressed it against the long sword used for decoration on the wall, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Maxwell stood up and opened the door.

"Is this Mr. Maxwell?"

There seemed to be a man outside the door. He was covered in a cloak, with a special veil on his face, and only mottled white hair was exposed outside the hood.

"Forgive me for coming here uninvited. I think it is necessary to see you."

He reached out and took off his veil, revealing his face.

At that moment, Maxwell and Lancelot almost forgot to breathe.

"It's you..."

--

In a cell in the Tower of Judgment.

A guy who had been eating and sleeping for the past two days was lying on the bed and sleeping soundly. He had gained three pounds and his handsome face was a little swollen due to lack of exercise.

After waking up, he opened his eyes, glanced at the sunset outside the window, yawned, turned over, and went back to sleep. In his dream, he seemed to be eating something.

Although eating and sleeping every day is a good life, but... this feeling of being forgotten is really miserable!