Poor Xi Xi
Chapter 237 The Darkest Hour of the Northern Continent
Snow is not a common weather phenomenon in this area located on the warmer coastline.
Lilom has always been a warm, bustling city with the sea as its backdrop.
Because this southern coastal city is geographically located west of the more remote southern border, far away from the large main ports on the southern coast of the Protoss Empire, and the inland behind the city is a large area of mountains and forests, hundreds of kilometers away from the nearest inland city, it is mostly just a tourist city.
Although not particularly rich, the scenery is beautiful.
The entire city is distributed on a series of small islands along the coast and the bridges connecting them. Therefore, the quite artistic bridges have become a very conspicuous landscape in Lilom City, which not only facilitates transportation but also provides an excellent location for viewing the sea.
However, in this rare and extremely cold winter, the storm seemed to sweep all the way from the imperial capital in the north to these border cities.
A light snow fell silently in the night.
The light on the lighthouse appeared faintly in the thin snow curtain. The ships docked in the harbor were covered with a faint layer of white. Seabirds no longer chirped but hid in the warm caves of the cabins or lighthouses. The masts formed a psychedelic silhouette with the distant lights in the fine snow.
Snowflakes gently fell on the city's stone roads, merging with the existing snow on the ground.
The long road from the port to the city hall was covered with snow, and the light became soft and hazy through the snow layer of the lampshade.
After dark, there were fewer pedestrians on the road. Occasionally, those who appeared were wearing thick coats and hats, walking in a hurry.
Their footsteps left traces of water on the ground, dyeing the newly fallen snowflakes pitch black.
These citizens did not seem to be afraid of the cold.
Rather, they feared the harmonious yet strange changes in the Protoss Empire in recent times and the silver-robed priests who could walk on the streets in a blatant manner.
In this deep night, when even the moonlight was about to be hidden,
not far from the city hall, in a mansion matching family background and power,
deep red tapestries hung on the walls. The delicate embroidery depicted scenes of war, trade, harmony, and prosperity, showcasing the history and glory of the Protoss Empire.
In the reception room, two men sat calmly in chairs forged from moonwood and metal, drinking together across the table.
This was like a banquet belonging to villains, which had never disappeared in the history of the Northern Continent.
"Lord of the Resurrection Church, I, on behalf of the lord, toast you."
The man dressed in a gorgeous dress specially tailored for his obese body was obviously a nobleman of this city-state. He raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
"Viscount Francis is really ignorant of current affairs and cannot see the current situation of the empire."
The nobleman shook his head and sighed with a look of heartache, just like a noble figure worried about the world.
As for who he thought was qualified to govern this city-state, his attitude towards the Resurrection Church priest in front of him spoke volumes.
"...Actually, I quite admire that lord."
Across from the nobleman, the silver-armored priest with a dark blue heteromorphic holy seal hanging around his neck, who believed in evil gods, gently shook his wine glass and murmured.
The holy seal on his chest was a blue, precious-quality [Resurrection Mark - Overlord].
Resurrection Church members with this level of [Resurrection Mark] were all high priests with considerable positions. The purple, rare-level seals above them were almost all direct soldiers or confidants of the bishop, not big figures that could be seen in their small border areas.
Pink holy seals were the holy sons and daughters selected by the bishop, even further away. Epic-level seals were the [Bishop's Mark].
Under normal circumstances,
Resurrection Church members would try their best to hide their [Resurrection Mark], only displaying it when they needed to prove their identity to colleagues.
Almost no crazy guys would directly turn it into a seal and wear it openly.
However, now,
in the Protoss Empire, the Resurrection Church had been recognized as a legitimate religion.
And the Cardinal, who had always been notorious in the Northern Continent and feared and hated by all races, had now become the Archbishop of the Protoss Empire, who needed to be admired by the people.
This earth-shattering situation was not forced by the Resurrection Church, nor did the Resurrection Church have the ability to force the Protoss Empire. This was the initiative of the empire.
A few years ago, everyone would have thought the empire was crazy.
But that was the reality at this moment.
"But that lord...Viscount Francis, he has a serious inclination towards the Church of the Goddess of Destiny, and his attitude towards your Resurrection Church is even more obvious, full of fear, especially...he is unlikely to believe in the theories of the Overlord Sect."
The nobleman said this, cautiously sipping red wine, and examining the expression of the silver-armored priest opposite him.
"Then it seems...he is indeed guilty."
The silver-armored priest turned his head to look at the small fountain in the courtyard and muttered to himself thoughtfully.
The entire mansion, from the inside to the outside, was warm and pleasant, with flowing water, and was so comfortable that it was completely different from the atmosphere of the city, or perhaps they were the source of determining whether the atmosphere was good or bad.
"Indeed, so in order for you to preach more smoothly in this city, and to prevent malicious slander of your image by those in power with ulterior motives, I believe that the upper echelons of this city need a change."
The nobleman revealed a satisfied chuckle, drank the wine just now, and wiped the red liquid from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
"...Although our Resurrection Church is now a recognized orthodox sect of the Protoss Empire, we cannot blatantly violate imperial law, otherwise we will still be imprisoned as criminals."
The silver-armored priest seemed to think for a while, then said slowly.
Taking action against Viscount Francis, the orthodox nobleman of the empire and the lord of this city of Lilom, once an investigation was launched by the upper echelons of the empire and the matter was clarified, he, as a highly positioned cleric of the Resurrection Church, would also face a serious crime and be killed as a warning to others.
"Do you know? The lord's daughter has some ancestral demonic characteristics. Even if her parents are undoubtedly human, people with demonic characteristics like her will still be regarded as half-demons and have no right to inherit the territory. Once Viscount Francis is gone, I will quickly make her my family member, and then I will control this city-state. I guarantee that the aftermath of this matter will sink into the sea, and she will have no chance to have anyone from the imperial capital come to verify the cause of Viscount Francis's death."
The nobleman raised the corner of his mouth, and the fat on his face swayed, probably having dirty thoughts.
Called wives and concubines, but in reality, that kind of dirty thing was only worthy of becoming his plaything and slave.
"You are really a bad guy."
The silver-armored priest smiled and picked up his wine glass.
Although dealing with this kind of nobleman would leave a handle in his hands, he did not dare to tease them, the priests of the Overlord branch.