Cathedral of Holy Light, Great Hall of Light.

Veronica quietly reported the recent changes in the south to Pope St. Ivan III: "...After capturing the Rock Fortress, Gauvin Cecil blocked the entire southern border and announced the establishment of the Principality of Cecil or, in other words, the reconstruction of the Principality of Cecil.

"At present, only licensed caravans can enter and exit the southern border, and they can only stay around the Rock Fortress. In order to conduct trade, the Cecil family set up a new town called "Stone City" in the south of Rock Fortress.

"Either the merchants nor the messengers sent by the nobles should be allowed to cross the city of Panshi. Therefore, the situation in the hinterland of the southern border is completely unknown, and only sporadic news has spread that Duke Gowenceil has begun to integrate the southern border and eliminate the influence of the southern border nobles in the past hundred years. He has implemented a large number of new policies to ensure his rule."

Saint Ivan III listened quietly until the end, and sighed softly: "It seems that this ancient hero has a strong desire to control..."

He paused and asked slowly, "Lymont's body is still in the hands of the Cecils, right?"

"…The Rock Fortress did not respond to the church's request. Bishop Lemont's body is still in the southern border and is said to have been cremated."

"Purify the corpse with flames... Fortunately, the Cecils at least did not make any blasphemy against Bishop Lemont's body, but it would be great if they were willing to return the holy ashes to us," sighed softly, "so that at least we can confirm Bishop Lemont's real cause of death."

A regional bishop died in the "noble war" in the southern border. When the news was just passed back to the Cathedral of Holy Light, it caused a big storm. However, in this war, the supposedly neutral church turned to the nobles in the southern border for false reasons and took the initiative to invade Cecil's territory. In addition, the Cecil family completed the de facto rule over the southern border in a short period of time, so the church had no reason or opportunity to control the situation. When they finally freed up their hands from expanding the diocese and attacking heresy, Cecil's army had already entered the Rock Fortress.

After that, the church also sent envoys to contact the southern border. The envoys were blocked outside the gate of the Rock Fortress. They only received a letter from Grand Duke Gowenceciel, which expressed disappointment at the actions of the Church of Holy Light in the southern region and conveyed a shocking message:

Although Bishop Lemont died in the process of the noble war, he was not killed by the Cecils, but was attacked by the Eternal Sleepers.

Only a few people in the church know the content of this letter, and the Pope and Veronica are two of them.

"The situation in the southern diocese is not optimistic now than in the east. Although Duke Gowan has not publicly expelled our priests, according to sporadic news, he has blocked the city of Lu'an and banned all priests from moving and preaching in the southern border. The reason for the need to investigate the corruption and infiltration of the church by the nobles in the southern border and maintain post-war policing," Veronica Moen said. "He was equivalent to house arrest in the entire southern church in a post-war manner."

"...The Southern and Eastern Countries have always been tricky places, but now they are just more difficult," the old pope said calmly, "Now the main energy of the royal family is focused on the East Countries rebels. We want to use their power, so we can only focus on the East Countries... Veronica, you have contacted that ancient duke. Now if you think about it, what is his possible attitude towards the church?"

Veronica lowered her eyes: "...He is indeed a person without faith, or the power of 'faith' is just a tool for him. I have only been in contact with him for a short time, and it was a year ago, but based on his actions within this year, I can guess what he thought: he actually does not care about 'God', neither awe nor a resistance, but follows pragmatism. I have studied the new policy he implemented, and found a rule from it: all his systems consider practicality first, cost and efficiency, and finally legal morality, which can illustrate his style of action."

"Arrogant, but qualified to be arrogant," Saint Ivan III closed his eyes, "but his indifference is always better than Edmund Moen's hostility. Since he regards faith as a tool... it means that he will at least not reject this tool."

Veronica's eyebrows slightly raised: "Mr., what do you mean..."

"Wait first and see what he wants to do to Lu'an City next. If the situation remains unchanged, then we will ignore it for the time being. If the situation worsens... Veronica, you have to be prepared and talk to the ruler of the South."

Veronica lowered her head deeply: "As far as you wish."

"Go down, I'm a little tired," Saint Ivan III closed his eyes, and his body, which had been trying to sit up straight, gradually hunched over. His voice was vague, as if part of his mind had floated to the kingdom of the Holy God of Light, "I want to take a nap... and listen to the voice of the Lord."

Veronica bent down and whispered in the old pope's ear: "Yes, the Lord is with you."

Saint Ivan III breathed evenly and gently, and on his face, a satisfied and indifferent smile gradually spread.

Veronica walked off the platform where the Pope's throne was. With a wave of his hand, a hazy layer of holy light enveloped the entire platform, protecting the Pope and isolating it from the sea of ​​holy light clouds that lingered in the Great Hall of Light.

...

Night gradually fell, and the royal capital shining under the stars was shining in tranquility.

In Saint Sunil City, No. 4 Crown Street, Military Intelligence Agency Jipley stood quietly on the balcony of the mansion, looking at the gorgeous but stale building complex outside the balcony.

At No. 4 Crown Street, some buildings have become pure historical relics, but many noble descendants still live in the rest, inherited from the ancient houses of their ancestors. Every day from morning to night, many ornate carriages come and go on this street. Whenever a large number of carriages stay in the same area, the lights that remain all night will light up in the manors there, and the music of the lyre and tambourine will continue until the morning of the next day. On the next day, the carriages will carry their drunk owners away and return to their manors and castles inside and outside the royal city.

Even though the country is in a civil war, even if warriors die on the eastern front of the Holy Spirit Plain every day, even if refugees displaced by war are about to spread to the Jumu Road intersection, the nobles of this country have not reduced the frequency and scale of their feasting.

Jipley is already tired of this.

Fortunately, today is a rare quiet day: there were no banquets in the recent courtyards. It is said that because the Earl of Bahrain held a larger banquet in the south of the city, half of the nobles in Crown Street received invitations, and their departure gave Gipley a chance to enjoy the night.

The sound of carriage wheels crushing the stone road sounded in this quiet night.

Gipley withdrew her gaze. She saw a carriage with magic crystal light hanging on it parked in front of the door of the mansion, so she quickly left the balcony and returned to the study.

A moment later, Pierce, tall and thin, wearing a knight's casual outfit, appeared in front of her.

"It's getting harder to travel at night," Pierce said while taking off his coat. "The nobles' banquets are getting more and more frequent, but the curfews in the craftsman and merchant areas are getting tougher. If it weren't for the Duke's mark on the car, I wouldn't have come back tonight."

"After all, there have been rumors in the city recently," Jepley nodded, "It's not good to go east of the plain."

Pierce smiled, and after glanced across the room, he came to the window calmly. He closed the window and then activated the magic runes under the windowsill.

A small soundproof barrier covers the entire room.

"The headquarters sent an order," said the Military Intelligence Agency clarified and clear, "we are ready to evacuate."

"Evacuate?" Jipley opened her eyes wide, "Is the situation worsening?"

"The Duke has captured the Rock Fortress, and the Southern Territory has become the Principal of Cecil. The Ansu royal family will soon react to this. No matter what the reaction is, we will receive more attention in the royal capital," Pierce explained quickly. "We have been publicly active here for a long time, and you have also come into contact with the mage circle many times. We are no longer suitable to continue to stay here."

Jipley couldn't help but frown slightly: "What should I do with this stronghold?

"There will be a new working group to replace us but they will stay lurking in the dark," Pierce explained. "The lord still needs the capital's intelligence, but we are just going to evacuate early, who can no longer hide and disguise."

Jiple was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed with a little emotion: "Is that right... it seems that I really have to leave."

"It is also a good thing. It is said that the local area is developing very fast. The newcomers in the headquarters are much more advanced than ours in terms of skills and equipment. When we go back, we can hurry up and make up for the lessons. Otherwise... I'm afraid that after we go back, we will not be able to keep up with those novices," Pierce said with a smile, and glanced at Jipley, "By the way... are you still very nostalgic about this place?"

"I don't miss it here," Jipley's lips showed a sarcastic smile, "It's better than the smelly streets here, the wind on the Baishui River is fresher."

...

The night wind in Baishui River is very fresh. Since a long time ago, Gao Wen liked to come to the high platform on the river bank, blowing the cold wind to watch the scenery on the river bank, or thinking about the future, recalling the past, or simply thinking about nothing, just enjoying this scenery.

The scenery here is changing all the time.

When we first arrived here, there was only a deserted beach by the Baishui River. Eight hundred refugees set up simple tents on the deserted beach. The guards of the camp used braziers and simple fences to protect the safety of the land. At that time, as long as the sun sets, people must return to the camp immediately, because there were hungry beasts hidden in the dense forests outside the camp, and people could only stay anxiously in the tents to survive the night...

Then the tent turned into wooden houses, wooden houses turned into brick houses, fences turned into city walls, sentry towers were built on the city walls, wooden bridges on Baishui River became mechanical bridges driven by giant repulsion mechanisms, temporary docks built by wood became permanent docks built by cement, and even the most desolate north bank of Baishui River has now become a busy "North City New District"...

After nightfall, the light of the magic crystal stone lamp will shine on both sides of the river, as if bright stars are falling on the earth.

All this took less than two years.

As someone who created all this with his own hands, Gao Wen can feel the greatest sense of accomplishment from these changes.

He knew that the speed of development of this city was a miracle, even on earth. The reason why the Cecils could achieve this almost cheating miracle was not only the huge power of the sudden emancipation of productivity, but also the development of magic technology.

"Magic technology..."

Gao Wen murmured in a low voice, raised his hand under the lights of the stars and the lights on both sides of the shore, and a hazy glow appeared in his palm.

This is not a knight combat skill or spell, but just a luminous phenomenon after the free magic power in the air is stimulated. It reminds Gao Wen at all times: magic is everywhere.

"Everywhere, seemingly endless energy..."

Waving his hand to dissipate the gathered magic, Gao Wen couldn't help but frown slightly.

A rustling sound suddenly came from the river water not far away, interrupting Gao Wen's thoughts. The latter raised his head and saw a splash of water rolling up on the river surface, and Tyr's head floated up from the splash.

"Lord, are you here to be lazy, too?"
Chapter completed!