Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Nathan sat on the second floor of the tavern, observing the crowd gathered below. With him was Xita, who was wrapped in huge iron chains.
Outside the tavern, the crowd seemed to have filled the entire street, bustling as if they were celebrating some event. In the distance, a court official from the Kingdom of Eaton climbed onto a platform, unrolled a scroll of parchment, and opened his mouth to read its contents aloud.
Nathan and Xita were too far from the official to hear what he was saying, but from the official's exaggerated gestures, it was clear he was shouting at the top of his lungs.
The people surrounding the official displayed looks of astonishment and began to murmur amongst themselves. As their discussions intensified, the news started to spread outward, creating ripples that reached the tavern where Nathan was sitting.
The sounds of their chatter finally reached Nathan and Xita's ears.
"Wizards? Wizards?" "The Duke has recognized the legal status of wizards?"
"Is it possible that wizards actually exist?" "Of course, if wizards didn't exist, what has the Church been fighting against these past few years?"
"I heard some rumors about it in the tavern a few days ago…"
Nathan and Xita of course knew what the official had just announced to the crowd. The Duke's decree first condemned the Church for its oppression of the coastal nations, leading to immeasurable loss of life and property, which ultimately forced the coastal nations to resist militarily. The Church's army acted shamelessly and dishonorably, attacking under false pretenses, placing Eaton in a dangerous situation. To protect the lives and property of the people of Eaton, the Duke had no choice but to accept help from the mages, and he passionately praised the decisive role the mages played in resisting the Church's army. Thanks to their efforts, the lives and properties of the people of Eaton were preserved, and all citizens should express gratitude to the mages for their assistance. To thank the mages for their tremendous contributions to Eaton, the Duke announced the abandonment of previous misunderstandings and prejudices, granting all law-abiding mages within Eaton the same rights and protections under Eaton's laws as ordinary citizens.
Naturally, once the contents of the decree were announced, it caused a huge uproar, with the crowd buzzing with various opinions. However, just half a day later, the crowds on the street began to disperse in small groups.
"It seems to be going much smoother than we expected," Xita, who had remained silent, said. "I thought there would be a large-scale riot or something." The chain-bound man stood by the window, expressionless, watching the commotion outside.
Nathan raised his glass and gulped down a few large mouthfuls of beer, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Isn't that good? Mortals may be foolish, but they still know basic right from wrong. Who attacked them, and who protected them? Isn't it clear what they should choose?"
"And… the Duke played a little trick, quietly spreading the word about recognizing the legal status of mages a week ago. In every street and alley, in taverns and inns, it had already been discussed for quite some time, but there was no official indication. After so many days of brewing, the announcement came suddenly, and the public was already psychologically prepared."
"Now that the first country has stepped forward, let's see how much impact this will have on the world. Uh… by the way, Nathan." Xita suddenly asked, "Where is Lady Marianna? I haven't seen her today."
"Ah, I was too busy drinking," Nathan said sheepishly, scratching his head. "I received news from Gabella yesterday, and she urgently departed in the night. I should have told you as soon as we met."
"News from Gabella?" Xita was startled, the chains on his body clattering. "Could it be that something big happened over at the palace?"
"I didn't get to tell you, but perhaps," Nathan shrugged. "What if the two princes are about to confront each other? That would certainly be quite the spectacle."
"If that's the case…" A hint of regret appeared on Xita's face. "Not being able to contribute my strength by the prince's side and witness that great moment truly makes one feel unwilling."
"Hahaha!" Nathan laughed, looking at the now less crowded street outside the window. "I don't mind; it's all the same to me. By pinning down the Church's power here, we are still making a great contribution, aren't we?"
Xita's expression returned to normal as he nodded, saying, "You're right; I've been too narrow-minded."
....
Inside the Golden Dome Cathedral of the Holy City, a heavy, stifling atmosphere filled the space.
TLN: Holy Vatican, Holy City, City of Light, Holy See are all used interchangeably.
Pope Harrington II sat around a conference table with high-ranking members of the Church, discussing the latest situation in the Horns Bay.
"Elvis, that fool, has messed up the Bay, and not only that, he has the gall to come to us for help after getting himself into this mess."
The head of the Inquisition, Turs, was loudly cursing the bishop of the Horns Bay, Elvis, slamming the bishop's handwritten letter onto the table, making a loud noise. His foul language made one doubt if he was a high-ranking cleric.
Harrington II frowned tightly. The Church had initially not supported and even subtly opposed the witch hunt initiated by the Horns Bay, and now they had been dragged into it. Undoubtedly, in the eyes of the Church, the so-called "new sect" stirred up by the coastal nations was an absolute heresy, but who had given birth to this heresy?
After Turs finished venting, he slowly said, "Pointing fingers and cursing won't solve the problem now. The Bay Church has suffered significant defeats on both fronts; the heretical army is advancing towards the Church's base in Collins. Should we sit back and let them bear the consequences, or should we step in to save them?"
"Send troops to help them now!" "Let them fend for themselves, and then we'll wipe out the heretics!"
The two opinions sounded almost simultaneously. There was nothing to say about the new sect heretics; they certainly should be eliminated, but the timing for intervention was a point of division among the high-ranking members of the Church present.
The dispute left Pope Harrington II with a headache. He quietly asked a young cleric sitting next to him.
"What do you think, Anthony?" Perhaps this young man could offer him a different perspective.
"Your Holiness, I can only say…" The young cleric replied, "If my house is on fire, I will try my best to extinguish it before the flames spread throughout the entire house."
(End of the Chapter)
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