Chapter 123: The Clown and the Gold Coins (Part 3)

  The Merchant Guild Leader's old face turned greenish. He couldn't believe that after all his efforts and careful planning, and just as he had finally won Her Majesty the Queen's appreciation, the Cardinal completely disregarded him, nullifying all his efforts with a single sentence.

  Her Majesty the Queen sighed deeply, a troubled expression on her face. "But Erathia's current situation isn't stable. Due to trade disruptions, both economic production and commerce show signs of decline. Moreover, several thief gangs within the country grow increasingly rampant, causing significant harm. The demons beneath Nighon are also restless. At this time... to rashly raise an army would be most inappropriate. I believe it's necessary to observe and wait a while longer."

  The Cardinal said in a deep voice: "Is there anything more important than maintaining the Lord's glory and the faith of believers?"

  The troubled expression on Her Majesty the Queen's face remained undiminished as she gently shook her head and said: "But the domestic situation is truly like this..."

  "Your Majesty, I remind you. While you are indeed the king, you should still place faith in the Lord and loyalty to His Holiness the Pope above all else." Cardinal Eschol withdrew his gaze, and his voice seemed to lose its intimidating power, but this statement alone caused half the people in the hall to change their expressions.

  The hall suddenly fell deathly silent. The ministers seemed afraid even to breathe forcefully. Although subtle friction between Her Majesty the Queen and the Church had been faintly perceptible, this was the first time it had been expressed so directly and bluntly.

  "Naturally, rest assured." Queen Katherine's expression showed no violent reaction to this statement; she merely nodded and sighed lightly. Her willow-leaf-shaped dark eyebrows, as if carved by knives, lightly furrowed, and the troubled expression on her face deepened. Such an expression appearing on her clear, elegant yet originally dignified face was more moving than any delicate weakness.

  The ministers didn't look upward. Having navigated official circles for a lifetime, they all knew what demeanor was appropriate in such delicate situations. Thus, none of them saw the Queen's expression. But the Merchant Guild Leader Luther below saw it clearly.

  The Merchant Guild Leader was cursing the Cardinal viciously in his heart. In his view, these clergy who knew nothing of physical labor or the five grains yet held high positions, while people like himself worked hard to earn money to support them and still had to endure their disapproval—this alone was sufficient proof that the Lord didn't exist, and even if He did, wasn't worthy of respect.

  He heard the Cardinal's words and saw the expression of his revered Queen. Especially seeing that incomparably beautiful face show a hint of grievance mixed with unwillingness, a surge of anger rose from his churning stomach and burst out.

  But though it burst out, decades of diplomatic tact and experience subconsciously made his words mild and polite, entirely befitting his status: "Your Eminence, Her Majesty the Queen, as the sovereign of tens of millions of believers in Erathia, her piety is unquestionable. Moreover, Her Majesty must manage so many affairs and naturally has much to consider. You needn't trouble yourself with these secular matters you don't understand much about. Bishop Ronis of the Eastern Continent never meddles in government affairs, yet the Magic Academy's status in the Ainfast Empire remains as high as the sun at noon, with no one able to..."

  "Insolence!" A sharp, angry shout suddenly erupted, cutting off the Merchant Guild Leader's words.

  The female Temple Knight behind Cardinal Eschol opened her phoenix eyes wide in anger, her golden long hair stirring without wind. Her words and gaze toward Merchant Guild Leader Luther were filled with killing intent. "Are these words someone like you should utter? Insubordination toward a superior and offending His Eminence the Cardinal, coupled with your earlier words that misled people—these are sufficient to send you wailing in repentance on the stake."

  The Merchant Guild Leader's old face turned deathly pale. He had already been badly startled by the loud shout, and this sentence almost made him collapse to his knees.

  "Respected Temple Knight, please remember this is the Erathia palace, not Celeste's The Radiant Citadel." A voice listlessly sounded.

  The speaker was a middle-aged swordsman in light armor standing among the ministers, closest to Queen Katherine. Though wearing armor and carrying a sword in the palace, he showed none of the imposing aura a military commander should possess. His face was even sallow, with a slightly sickly appearance, and he occasionally clenched his hand into a fist, placing it by his mustached mouth to cough lightly.

  "I know where this is. No reminder is necessary." The female Temple Knight looked proudly at the sickly swordsman. Her sculpturally defined facial lines displayed sculptural coldness. "But anywhere, I need not restrain my faith in the Lord or my anger toward blasphemy."

  The swordsman didn't speak, barely glancing at the female knight, just kept his hand by his mouth, coughing lightly. The female knight, however, stepped forward, her golden hair, like threads forged from gold, fluttering even more wildly.

  "Knight Talise, control yourself." Cardinal Eschol waved his hand lightly. "Every generation of Erathia's kings have been devout believers, loyal defenders of the faith, making immeasurable contributions to spreading the Lord's faith. This place truly deserves everyone's respect. And Her Majesty the Queen is no different—this is undeniable." The Cardinal gave Queen Katherine an extremely rare smile. "Your Majesty, please forgive her impulsiveness."

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  Queen Katherine also smiled at Eschol and nodded. "Knight Talise's piety and faith in the Lord are beyond reproach. How could I possibly blame her?" She waved a hand at the swordsman below. "General Orrin understands this too."

  The sickly swordsman nodded listlessly, still not speaking.

  The Cardinal continued smiling: "I see Your Majesty was deeply troubled by those petty thieves earlier. Why not let Knight Talise resolve this trouble for you? It could also serve as her training."

  "Then I must trouble you. With a Temple Knight renowned across the continent taking action, it seems my troubles will soon disappear." Queen Katherine's smile grew increasingly captivating. She nodded at the female knight, then looked back at Cardinal Eschol. "Your Eminence, rest assured. I will arrange domestic affairs as soon as possible, and then we can discuss the matter of Oufu."

  The Cardinal smiled and nodded at the Queen. These two instigators of the tense atmosphere now acted as intimately and harmoniously as a pair of mutually respectful and appreciative friends from different generations, their tones and expressions filled with friendliness. The awkward atmosphere that had just filled the air immediately dissipated under this mood.

  When Cardinal Eschol turned back to look at the Merchant Guild Leader, his expression once again carried solemn majesty.

  Merchant Guild Leader Luther was now terrified, fearful, and uneasy. Originally, he would never have dared meet Cardinal Eschol's gaze directly. But the Cardinal's eyes, like ancient wells, seemed to hold a strange attraction. Once they met, he couldn't look away. Not just his attention, but even his soul seemed to gradually sink into those two eyes.

  "In the name of the Lord, I forgive you. But after you return, you must reflect deeply, pray daily, and purify your soul corrupted by money." The Cardinal said only this lightly to Merchant Guild Leader Luther. Then his gaze fell upon Lord Bolgan, who had been standing foolishly like a puppet beside him.

  This Oufu envoy had only made a fool of himself after entering, howled like a street crier a few times, and then remained motionless, seemingly without any change in expression. Almost everyone had ignored this person, as if he had become a strange decoration in the hall. The Cardinal's eyes scanned the Oufu envoy from top to bottom again. His lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, he didn't speak, only showing disgust at this clumsy, comical dwarf, as if unwilling to waste words and energy on a cockroach or rat. Then he stood up, bowed slightly to Queen Katherine, and said: "I will take my leave of today's meeting here. Your Majesty, please allow me to take my leave."

  "Your Eminence has worked hard." The Queen smiled and bowed in return. The Cardinal turned and left with the female knight, without another glance at anyone below.

  After Cardinal Eschol left, the ministers finally revived, and discussions resumed in the hall. But Merchant Guild Leader Luther seemed overly frightened from earlier, appearing somewhat dazed.

  Her Majesty the Queen, however, seemed to have lost interest. She didn't speak further but sighed lightly on her throne, looking slightly distracted toward the hall's entrance.

  No one could tell what Queen Katherine was thinking at this moment. That peerlessly beautiful face, condensed from worldly cares, remained inscrutable in its silence. After a moment, she stood up and said in a somewhat languid voice: "Let's end it here for today." Her gaze swept across the ministers below, finally landing on the faces of Merchant Guild Leader Luther and Lord Bolgan.

  These two had remained motionless standing there—the merchant with a dazed expression, the envoy with a foolish, comical look. Queen Katherine showed a very complex expression toward these two, gave a bitter smile, turned, and left.

  This originally extremely important audience thus ended inconclusively. The ministers seemed somewhat bewildered. Many approached the merchant and envoy to inquire further about Oufu matters, but the merchant was distracted, and the envoy wore a foolish expression—nothing could be learned from them. So the ministers dispersed. The merchant and envoy also left under escort.

  That evening, in the rear garden of the Erathia palace.

  Queen Katherine sat alone on a lounge chair, thoughtfully gazing through the carefully trimmed shrubs and flowers at the distant council hall. At such a distance, the massive council hall appeared very small, but the carving above the main entrance was still clearly visible.

  The marble carving above the hall's entrance depicted two different swords crossed. One sword was mighty and sharp, symbolizing supreme secular power, while the other was sacred and solemn, symbolizing supreme religious authority. This was deliberately carved on the orders of Erathia's greatest king during construction. At that time, with the Church's help, he had expanded Erathia from a small kingdom to its present state. It was also then that the king granted a piece of land named Celeste to the then-Pope Gelasius I and helped establish The Radiant Citadel, the Church's headquarters that continues to this day.

  The two swords were identical in size, with no indication of which was more important, fully reflecting the intimate relationship and equal standing between royal and religious authority at that time.

  Sculptures naturally never change, but circumstances never cease to change.

  A light cough brought the Queen's thoughts back. General Orrin walked along the flower path and bowed to Her Majesty the Queen.

  "Has that female knight already departed alone?" The Queen asked without turning, her voice flat.

  "Yes. After inquiring about the several thief gangs from me, she departed alone, without requesting any attendants or making any demands of me."

  The Queen thought for a moment and asked: "Do you think she can truly eliminate those thieves alone?"

  "Every Temple Knight is a genius selected from tens of thousands by the Church, then meticulously cultivated and trained in Celeste. Each is without exception a warrior of supreme martial skill, with impeccable judgment, military strategy, and tactics. In any country, they would be pillars of the state, sharp weapons for expanding territory. Since His Eminence allowed her to train alone, he must have his own confidence." General Orrin coughed lightly, took two breaths, and his face showed a barely perceptible smile. "But other thief gangs aside, the Shamushi gang won't be so easily dealt with, especially for someone so young."

  The Queen nodded and said: "I heard The Shamushi Thieves' Guild has considerable strength and is cunning and vicious. Even after several of your suppression campaigns, they managed to escape. I hear they've recently started dealing in slaves too."

  "Yes. Somehow, they captured several elven women. All were sold at high prices."

  "Both Church doctrine and our nation's laws prohibit slavery." The Queen sighed lightly. "Go and caution those ministers and nobles who bought slaves. Don't let this matter become public, otherwise I cannot protect them."

  "Yes."

  Footsteps approached. A lady-in-waiting hurried over, reporting to the Queen: "Your Majesty, the Oufu envoy has disappeared."

  "Oh. Fled so quickly?" The Queen seemed surprised. "Didn't I say to keep watch over him?"

  "According to the guards, the envoy entered the inn and never came out. Later, someone saw what seemed to be a blue light inside, but when they went to check, no one was there. They examined the room carefully but found no suspicious traces. We don't know how he escaped."

  "Teleportation scroll. Probably set up a temporary teleportation array in Oufu. Quite an expensive escape." The Queen smiled slightly and waved to the lady-in-waiting. "Go on. This wasn't the guards' fault. No need to punish them."

  After the lady-in-waiting withdrew, General Orrin said in a deep voice: "It seems we should have killed that fellow then."

  "Never mind. Even His Eminence the Cardinal disdained to act, how could we blatantly and ostentatiously kill a clown?" The Queen gave a bitter smile. "Besides, they meticulously planned this diplomatic mission. The performance was complete, the scapegoat prepared, the conflict instigated for us, everything observed—the successful escape was naturally part of the calculation."

  General Orrin sighed heavily and shook his head thoughtfully: "If it really comes to fighting... not easy to handle."

  As dusk deepened, Orrin coughed a bit louder, and the sickly look on his face seemed to intensify...

  The audience with the Oufu envoy seemed to bring no significant impact to Erathia. Court affairs continued as usual afterward. Only occasionally did some ministers still discuss the audience during tea or meals, and the clown-like envoy.

  However, an aftermath remained in another place.

  Since returning home from the palace visit, Merchant Guild Leader Luther had been perpetually depressed. Originally not very interested in the Lord, he now prayed and confessed daily before the cross and religious icons at home, neglecting food and drink. Within a month, he had become emaciated beyond recognition. His family and friends were very worried about this change, so they had him attend a gathering, hoping to cheer him up and lift his spirits.

  But right at the dinner table during the gathering, Merchant Guild Leader Luther suddenly shouted: "I am guilty!" Then he reached out and pulled out his entire tongue, dying instantly. Blood gushed from his tongueless mouth, spilling across the table and floor.