Chapter 274: The City Lord of Lyra
Usually, internal purges of the Church were not announced externally, but Kaelen was different. He had people post the impeachment board at the large square, arranging for a literate person to sneak into the crowd, reading the impeachment board aloud for the city citizens to hear.
The news of the two White-Robed Cardinals being publicly executed immediately stirred up a storm in everyone’s hearts. The sins these monks committed, the citizens in Lyra city and its affiliated towns and villages knew vividly, but they did not expect there would be a day they were brought up to the gallows.
"The Holy Son is sagacious! The Light has finally shone upon our place!"
"I said it already, how could the highly respected Pope be a mediocre person who only knows how to hoard wealth like this bunch of monks in Lyra city. It is just that there were worms below covering His eyes!"
An old woman knelt right in the middle of the square, kowtowing while crying. Her son had his leg broken by Mohamet three years ago; the complaint petition sent up to the branch three times all vanished without a trace.
But amidst that cheering crowd, there were still a few heads huddled together whispering.
"Truly strange. For so many years has the Church ever slapped its own face? Why suddenly making a big fuss now?"
"I heard that Holy Son brings along a bunch of non-humans as followers. Not even putting chains on their necks, just blatantly walking around like normal soldiers."
"I know this. Yesterday I was also at the city gate, saw everything in my eyes. That Holy Son not only did not put chains on those non-humans’ necks, but also allowed non-humans to sit in the same horse carriage with him. Furthermore, those non-humans were even taught magic!"
"I completely cannot understand, those high and mighty people do not even put humans like us in their eyes, why would they value those non-human children like that? There is definitely something shady."
A butcher snorted coldly: "I see they are all of the same ilk. Weren’t those two guys dangling up there also like that when they arrived? Just wait and see, sooner or later that Holy Son will also reveal his true face."
Amidst the cheers and whispering discussions, a group of people stealthily eavesdropped in the crowd, then gradually disappeared, running towards the City Lord’s mansion.
The City Lord heard them report, resting his chin pondering. He turned to the person sitting beside him, asking:
"What do you think about this matter?"
The person sitting on the same level with the City Lord had their whole body covered tightly only revealing ice-blue eyes, but from the small and fair hands exposed outside, one could guess this was a woman.
The woman heard the City Lord ask like that, blinking slightly; her right hand touched the magic stone-inlaid silver bracelet on her left hand, her fingers caressing the magic stone. A moment later, she spoke softly:
"Yesterday I tried to probe them, the result was being discovered by the little girl beside that person. But they did not do anything to me, making me unable to guess what intention they have."
The City Lord was stunned: "With your magic, actually being discovered so easily like that? And discovered by a little girl?"
The woman nodded: "That is right, I just applied the magic clinging to the wall edge, that little girl already discovered it. Furthermore, I have a feeling, the magic that little girl executed is completely different from mine."
The City Lord sat up straight, pacing back and forth a few rounds. Then he immediately called the butler in:
"Prepare a generous gift portion, today I want to personally visit this Holy Son."
The butler bowed: "Yes Sir."
Waiting for the butler to leave, the woman also stepped away from her seat, stepping forward grasping the City Lord’s hand: "Do you need to go personally? Can you not just send a congratulatory gift?"
The City Lord hugged her into his embrace, patting to comfort her: "The person arriving is a Holy Son, me personally going to greet him is also not considered a disadvantage. Furthermore, I want to probe to see what stance this Holy Son has. If he is also like the majority of monks on the Continent, then we will just draw a clear boundary with him like before."
The woman was worried: "Then you must hide carefully. I fear he might discover the anomaly on your body, at that time it will be difficult for us to detach ourselves."
The City Lord uttered an "mhm", then hugged the woman’s shoulders, supporting her back to the resting room.
"Your body is not well, rest. Do not think too much, I will return soon."
The woman nodded, taking off that suffocating cloak layer, then leaning her body lying on the soft bed. The City Lord helped her pull the blanket up, then sat beside patting her to sleep. The woman was truly tired, before long sinking into a deep sleep. The City Lord gently kissed his mate’s forehead once before finally leaving.
In the branch’s headquarters, Kaelen in his miniature form was teaching the Elf kid Paul to carve an array onto jade. This amount of jade was him ordering people to dig all up from the roads in the headquarters and the decorations on the pillars, only keeping one-third for the children to learn carving arrays.
The remaining amount he handed entirely to the Goblin kid Brian and Harbet to find a way to sell outside. Brian although weak and timid, after a period of being taught, Kaelen discovered the boy was a business genius.
The commercial math problems that Kaelen posed, the boy could give the most optimal answers. Entrusting the job of selling jade to the boy, Kaelen was completely at ease.
"Boom!"
Paul was once again blown flying backward by the power from the ruined carved array, Ivy used vines to wrap around his waist pulling him back. Brian stepped forward to check the jade’s damage level, taking out a notebook to record: "The damage level is too high, cannot be reused to make magic jewelry. We can only cut it into small pieces then inlay them onto normal jewelry."
Paul with his whole body pitch-black ran over to look, dejectedly slumping down to the ground: "Lord, this attack array is too difficult, I have carved ruining ten jade pieces already."
Kaelen said leisurely: "Only ten times, not yet considered a heavy loss. It is because you are too eager to finish therefore continuously carving ruined. Take a break today, continue tomorrow. You go back to wash up and reflect first."
Paul scrambled up, despondently returning to his room.
At this time, the Lion kid Steven ran in announcing the City Lord of Lyra city had come to visit. Kaelen smiled:
"The big fish has arrived."
His whole body flew up, when touching the ground he had transformed into a normal person. Opening his hand, the golden mask appeared. He wore it on his face, slowly stepping outside. Ivy and Steven followed behind him.
The City Lord sat properly on the guest chair, holding a teacup staring blankly. Because the main hall of the Church branch headquarters now was jagged as if a dog had gnawed it. The solid jade paved floor had been completely pried up, replaced by a cool green grass carpet.
The golden chairs were replaced by reddish-brown wooden chairs looking extremely ordinary. The premium black tea that the monks often used to receive guests was replaced by a kind of water having a sweet taste. It could be said in this headquarters, besides the glazed tiles and the pure gold Deity statue remaining unchanged, all other interior items had been completely replaced.
At this time, a figure stood in front of him, creating a shadow layer. The refreshing fragrance of plants and rainwater flooded into his nasal cavity; the City Lord was startled back to his senses.
He raised his eyes; his gaze immediately met the golden mask.
The person before him wore a pale green silk robe, platinum blonde hair braided into a puffy braid draped in front of his chest. Standing there without saying a word, yet the whole hall seemingly softened, the stifling heat of the afternoon dissipating to nowhere.
The City Lord hurriedly stood up, put the teacup down, clasped his hands bowing: "I am Elric Vandenberg, City Lord of Lyra, paying respects to Your Excellency the Holy Son."
"Sit." Kaelen leisurely sat down on the opposite wooden chair. "Lord City Lord is too polite."
Elric sat down, his heart becoming a few more parts puzzled.
He had received not a few high-level monks of the Church. Those guys stepped into the door raising their chins, sitting down choosing the host seat, opening their mouths the first sentence was always inquiring about the City Lord’s "reverent sincerity" dedicated to the Light. Speaking bluntly it was asking how much he intended to offer this year.
Yet this person invited him to sit in the guest chair, personally sitting on a wooden chair, drinking from a ceramic cup.
Elric’s gaze unconsciously darted around the hall again.
"Lord City Lord seems unaccustomed." Kaelen said.
Elric was startled, smiling forcedly: "I wouldn’t dare. It is just... slightly different compared to the previous time I came."
"I had it all dismantled." Kaelen answered calmly: "Vain and luxurious, unable to cover up the rottenness inside. I prefer it like this, both practical and close to nature."
Hearing that, Elric hurriedly lifted the teacup to take a sip, hiding his twitching mouth corners. Finishing drinking, he waved his hand. The attendant beside him presented a rectangular box made of Nageia fleuryi wood.
"Coming to greet you for the first time, I brought a small gift, hoping the Holy Son does not disdain it."
Kaelen nodded waving his hand, Ivy stepped forward receiving the box, bringing it back placing it onto the tea table by Kaelen’s right hand. After that she walked behind the Deity statue, bringing out a somewhat old wooden box, bringing it before Elric. Kaelen smiled saying:
"I also have a small return gift, hoping the City Lord accepts it."
Elric froze for a moment, then personally reached out his hand to receive the box in Ivy’s hands. Finishing handing the gift Ivy then returned beside Kaelen, her appearance looking leisurely like an aristocratic lady.
Elric’s gaze at this moment could no longer hide his astonishment.
For the first time! This was exactly the first time he brought a gift to present to the Church, yet the Church people presented a return gift!
Where exactly did this Holy Son pop out from? Why completely not following the script like this?