Chapter 329 Divine Magic

The firewood crackled in the hearth, and the bright yellow flame undulated.

"If you are suggesting that 'all magical arts come from the magical arts of the church,' it would be a bit too arrogant." Winters put down the cup: "But it seems to be the consistent style of the Catholic Church."

Saul put the peeled beetroot on the stove, turned the fire a little brighter, and added more firewood: "No, just the opposite."

"Oh why?"

Saul turned his back to Winters and did not answer directly: "You have seen pagan magic, right? Judging from your attitude, it should be said that... you have personally come into contact with pagan magic."

Winters was not a devout believer and did not shy away from being rescued by the Hed shaman: "Yes."

"You have also been exposed to church magic."

"Isn't Kaman your priest?" Winters said without hesitation, "I've seen him heal the wounded."

After hearing Winters' words, Saul shook his head: "What do you think are the similarities and differences between the two?"

Winters considered the words: "Different paths, similar destinations."

"In other words, you also think they are similar, right?"

"From what I know, there are some similarities." Winters replied cautiously: "But I don't know much."

"For..." Saul paused and calmly used the third person: "For the priests, even just 'similarity' is already a serious offense."

"Pagans also eat bread with their mouths, hold knives and forks with their hands, and have limbs and facial features." Winters frowned slightly: "Isn't this blatant plagiarism even more offensive?"

The door was pushed open, and Carman walked into the kitchen angrily: "Saracens don't eat bread! They don't use knives and forks! Saint Philip thinks they are a 'fourth country', so it's completely normal that Saracens look the same as us. I can understand it!”

"Why are you back again?" Winters asked helplessly.

"Allowing leaks is also against my oath." Kaman replied stiffly.

"Don't worry, Father Carman, I haven't broken my oath." Saul slowly sat back on the bench and said with a sigh: "I'm just telling some things from the past to those who want to listen."

"Then can I listen?" Kaman immediately requested.

"Of course, of course."

The kitchen in the officer's apartment was very small, with only two benches, one for the old man and one for Winters. Kaman was angry and refused to leave. He couldn't bear to sit on the table or the stove, so he had to stand.

Winters caught a glimpse of a bench in the woodpile, but he planned to tell Carman later: "The origin of the Saracens, I will consider you to be back. What about further east? Brother Rhett also has two Arms and two legs? He is from the Far East."

"There is also a rich and powerful country in the Far East that believes in Catholicism, and their ruler is named [Priest King John]." Kaman suddenly became serious: "So they are also descendants of Adam and Eve, and naturally they look the same as us. "

Winters' expression became a little subtle, and he looked at Kaman with pity: "You...could you have been deceived by that old guy Red?"

The old man Saul was present, so Kaman could not get angry. He suppressed his anger and explained seriously: "Priest King John is a descendant of the three wise men from the East. He has been gifted by the Lord and is immortal and immortal. [He is more powerful and more powerful than anyone else in the world." Wealthy. The roof and inner walls of his house were built with gold, and the weapons of his army were also made of gold]. In the year 237 of the Imperial Calendar, the then Pope received a letter from the Priest King, and successive Popes have also received many Send people to find the Priest King..."

The more Winters listened, the more outrageous he became. He turned around and asked old man Saul: "Do you believe it?"

Old man Saul seemed to be smiling, but was noncommittal.

Silence is the greatest contempt. Kaman felt a little aggrieved: "Everything I said is clearly recorded in the archives of the Supreme Church."

Winters didn't want to continue this topic, but he couldn't control the desire to refute: "Is it true if it is written on parchment?"

The feeling of grievance and unwillingness disappeared, and Kaman gradually became cold and stern: "Your current thoughts are no different from those who swear to be anti-religious."

Winters was silent for a long time and whispered to Carman: "Have you forgotten? I am not your lamb."

Kaman's momentum was instantly shattered.

"If the dossier is wrong, then the Pope's decree may also be wrong. If the Pope's decree is wrong, then the Gospels may also be wrong." Old Saul slowly peeled the beets. Said: "The more authoritative it is, the less it can be questioned. No matter when, people's will to defend their beliefs is always very strong. Because that is not only denying the doctrine, but also denying the meaning of the existence of the priests."

"It's okay to deny it. People are still alive, right?" Winters decided not to tell Kaman about the other stool: "Someone once said to me, 'Existence first, then meaning. Reality is always ahead of concept. '."

Old man Saul stopped what he was doing: "There is matter first, then consciousness. Has the Enlightenment school spread to Plato?"

"I'm from Veneta." Winters was a little embarrassed.

Saul seemed to smile and continued to peel the beet: "Actually, look at Carman...Father, you should also be able to understand why the clergy do not think - or do not want to think that the pagan magic comes from [the first schism] ].”

Winters didn't fully understand, waiting for Saul to continue.

"Divine magic is a confirmed miracle and a direct expression of the Lord's will." Old Saul said bluntly: "If the pagan magic in the north comes from [the first great schism], it means that pagans can also With Catholic theology, the definition of theology falls into a paradox.”

"Hmm." Winters asked thoughtfully, "Like the paradox of [kindness and omnipotence]?"

"Yes."

Winters glanced at the silent Kaman: "But someone gave an answer during his sermon - the Lord sent suffering in the hope that humans would love Him."

"If you are willing to accept this explanation, that's fine." Old Saul sighed: "Religion and religion have always been two different things, just like politics and political science."

Winters couldn't help laughing loudly, and the corners of Carman's eyes twitched slightly.

"So? What does all this have to do with you and the Reformation Order? You still haven't told me." Winters stopped smiling and his posture became more upright: "Why does the Church of Gévaudan want to kill you? Why does Gévaudan The church can’t wait to kill you?”

"After the [First Great Schism], the exploration of divine magic has always been a taboo within the church." As if he recognized Winters, old man Saul stopped beating around the bush: "It is human instinct to explore the unknown, and to kill It’s impossible to kill them all. After coming into contact with the ‘evil magic’ in the north, most of the priests felt like they were facing a formidable enemy, but there were still a small number of priests who felt inspired..."

Just like the mist blown away by the storm, Winters has woken up: "What you want is pagan magic!"

The old man lowered his eyelids and acquiesced to Winters' words.

"Because it is taboo to explore Catholic magic, so you can circumvent restrictions by studying pagan magic? So this is what the Reform Order does?" Winters laughed dumbly: "Then the name is too conspicuous, flaunting innovation. Doesn’t it mean that we are setting up a target for others to hit? Maybe... it would be better to hang up the sign of the Inquisition."

Kaman stood where Winters couldn't see, his fingertips trembled slightly, and his pupils expanded violently unconsciously.

"Mr. Montagne." Old Saul put down the paring knife and beetroot in his hand, straightened his back, and looked at Winters solemnly: "The name of the Reformed Order comes from Brother Sephire who founded it, so please Don’t joke about this.”

Winters felt a little rude: "I'm sorry...what happens next? What happened after the establishment of the Reformation Order?"

The old man picked up the paring knife again: "The next step is to apply for an edict from the Pope."

"Then?" Winters raised his eyebrows slightly.

"It took two hundred and eleven years to obtain the order." The old man slowly peeled the beets.

Winters' first reaction was not to admire the church's amazing work efficiency, but to compare it with the timeline of the empire's expansion of the northern territory based on the times given by Saul.

"Two hundred and eleven years?" Winters frowned again unconsciously: "About... the middle of the third century in the Imperial Calendar? The emperor failed to ask for the crown of Via, and the Great Northern War started? The North had already been converted by that time, right? "

"The North converted to Catholicism, but what about the demigods? Where did they go?"

"They're all dead."

"died?"

"That's right, he's dead." Old Saul peeled the beets attentively: "The Reform Order killed them, we killed them."

Winters didn't react at first. The moment he understood the information contained in it, he stood up suddenly: "Are you also a priest? Are you a user of divine magic?"

The old man raised his eyelids slightly and made eye contact with Winters: "All members of the Reform Order are users of divine magic."

…

"Madam." Mrs. Medellin, whose hair was tied up in black gauze, walked into the living room: "Mr. Montagne has gone home."

Although she has heard it countless times, Anna's cheeks still get a little hot every time someone calls "Mrs."

Ana sat up straight: "He went home?"

The single officer's apartment was very small, with only a thin wooden wall separating the corridor and the living room behind the door. Winters' footsteps are very special, and Anna can always distinguish them easily.

Mrs. Medellin said Winters went home, but Anna was sure she didn't hear Winters enter.

"Where is Mr. Montagne?" Anna picked up her coat: "The stables?"

"Kitchen," Mrs. Medellin answered.

In order to prevent fire, the single officers' apartment did not have a separate kitchen, but shared a large one in the yard.

When Anna came to the kitchen door, Winters happened to open the door and come out.

Anna originally wanted to ask Winters why he got to the kitchen first when he got home, but she saw that Winters was not in a good mood, and when she spoke, she changed to: "What's wrong?"

Facing Anna's concerned gaze, Winters forced out a smile: "It's nothing, are you cold?"

Anna held her face in her hands and whispered coquettishly: "Cold..."

In fact, it's not all coquettishness. The Navarre sisters grew up in Hailan and have never experienced the cold winters of Plato.

Facing the cold wind that can crack the skin, Anna occasionally goes out for a walk, while Catherine completely becomes a cave animal. Little Madame Navarre even turned down all invitations to balls, leaving the young men of Gevaudan disappointed.

By coincidence, Kaman opened the door and walked out of the kitchen.

Anna was so ashamed that fortunately Father Carman was also worried. Kaman bowed to Anna in confusion and left in a hurry.

"What are you doing in the kitchen?" Anna asked curiously: "Why is Father Carman here?"

Winters sighed: "It's a long story."

Anna could feel that Winters was feeling a little solemn, so she reached out to hold her lover's arm: "It's so cold, let's go home first."

After thinking about it, Winters decided not to tell Anna for the time being.

At this moment, he began to understand the meaning of his adoptive father's words, "You don't know what we paid for."

Can love allow one person to accept everything about another person without reservation?

Including all flaws and dark sides?

Who knows?

Not to mention love, even if it is a flesh-and-blood relationship, can a son accept his father's "evil deeds" without reservation?

Winters wanted to confess to Anna that the saddest thing in the world was not being understood by anyone.

It was like a middle-aged farmer stopped his farm work, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked to the horizon.

People passing by thought the farmer was lazy, but who dares to say that the inner world of an ordinary farmer is not full of chaos? Does anyone know what hardships he has experienced in his life?

Or the inverse proposition is easier to understand: having a "confidant" is the most fortunate thing in living in the world.

But Winters didn't dare to explain, because he vaguely felt that the process and results of this matter would not be very good-looking. He did not want Anna to be afraid of him or think that he was a "bad guy."

Winters finally understood why the Church of Gevaudan had to kill Saul and offered such a high price - what the Church of Gevaudan wanted to kill was not a heretical theologian, but a man who had probably lost control. User of divine magic.

Perhaps the Church of Gevaudan had been waiting for Saul ever since the Reformation was purged.

Perhaps they had sent people into Hed tribes to investigate, but to no avail.

So they could only wait and wait. If there was no news, they would keep waiting. If there was news, they would immediately find a way to execute him.

Winters even had an unspoken guess: Father Carman might be the one waiting for Saul.

The best weapon against a magician is another magician. What about sending one priest to deal with another priest?

There is no special cleanup department for spellcasters within the Alliance Army - or in other words, Winters doesn't know if there is a cleanup department for spellcasters within the Alliance Army.

But after a self-assessment, Winters concluded that without such a law enforcement agency, it would be too dangerous if a spellcaster lost control.

Take Winters, for example. If an out-of-control Winters were allowed to walk into the throne room where a meeting was taking place, not a single Veneta would come out alive.

The alliance does not have one, which may be explained by the fact that the caster system has only been established for a short period of time and is not yet complete.

So as an organization that has lasted for thousands of years and can drive users of divine magic, does the Catholic Church have a 'law enforcement' department within it?

However, this speculation also has some awkward joints. For example: Suppose Saul doesn't show up for a day, will Carman have to wait forever? Is the Catholic Church really willing to spend such a large sum of money just for a priest who may be dead?

Winters again thought of the subtle relationship between Carman and Mrs. Ellen Mitchell... His skull was aching again.

Back to old man Saul.

It's one thing to protect a waning heretic theologian, it's another thing to protect a user of divine magic.

Moreover, the risks and rewards are far out of proportion. Although the waning magic users have been excommunicated, they are still pious.

In Winters' view, if piety could be measured, Saul's piety was even deeper than Carman's.

Kaman cannot tolerate any attacks on the church and will erect his needles like a hedgehog when provoked.

Saul, on the other hand, could discuss "heresies" calmly, which can be regarded as an example of "I have sinned and I have converted, but my soul will always belong to the Lord."

"Anna." Winters called softly as he entered.

"Yeah." Anna helped Winters take off his coat.

"I'll explain it to you later, okay?"

"Um."

Winters breathed a long sigh of relief. He hugged Anna from behind. The physical contact with Anna always brought him a special sense of security: "I want to say something sweet that will make you blush, but I I don’t know what to say. Can you try to imagine it yourself?”

"This is the corridor." Anna's cheeks turned red: "Mrs. Medellin will come over."

"Then go to the bedroom? I can do that."

"Bad guy! You really are!" Anna gritted her teeth and stepped hard on the toe of Winters' boot. Suddenly she felt a little disappointed: "Mr. Leo, I don't think we can drag it out any longer."

【I was wrong】

[Debt repayment plan: In the coming days, strive to update every day until the debt is repaid]

[The green code turns yellow, follow the district’s epidemic prevention requirements and stay at home for seven days]

[Seals, cameras, no going out, no need to go to work]

[Plan: Work hard to write]

[Reality: Hahaha, are you quarantining at home? Hahaha, why not play around the world? Quite capable of killing time]

[Pinched five little people: Winters, Anna, Bud, Andre and Mason]

[Just after the emergency landing, Bud started harassing Anna like crazy. Obviously I had already set up "Anna and Winters are an unmarried couple", you bastard, why? ]

[After repeated harassment and being rejected, Bud and Anna fought, and Anna's leg was permanently disabled...(艹艹)]

[Unable to look directly at Bud]

[Unable to endure it, restart the game, add the ‘asexual’ trait to Bard, delete the ‘handsome’ trait of Anna, and add the character ‘Catherine’]

[Then it was the turn of the two brothers Andre and Mason to harass Catherine...NMD, why, Catherine is only sixteen years old! ]

[Six people survive on an alien planet, and the most reliable one is the little sister Catherine. Ms. Navarre worked day and night sewing clothes to make money to support her family. She even bravely rushed out of the base to rescue Andre at the most critical moment. In a hail of bullets, Dragging the unconscious Andre into a safe area greatly changed my impression of this character]

[Finally, watching the senior being captured by pirates - exiting with grief and anger]

[What? Today is Wednesday? ]

[The above is the author’s experience these days, without getting into trouble...]

[To a certain extent, it is better to enter the game...]