Deep Sea Embers - Chapter 277
[Chapter 277 Quick Judgment]
The “smoke” that briefly touched oneself dissipated.
However, more smoke is still escaping from the Cathedral of the Storm, fluttering, gathering and dispersing from time to time, like a dark cloud, gathering invisibly over Prand, and its coverage is getting bigger and bigger, gradually spreading half of the city-state.
Duncan’s fingertips still had a bit of cold touch, he frowned slightly, looked at the sky above the city, and his heart was full of doubts.
Those gray-white fog gave him a feeling… as if a huge creature lost its form, and its soul rose in the dimension of reality, unrestrained into this appearance, as if it was a creature located in reality. The things behind the dimension are gradually releasing their own perception, using the fog as tentacles, “feeling” the outline of the real world.
The second feeling was especially obvious when he touched the smoke.
“Uncle Duncan?” Nina’s voice suddenly came from the side, interrupting Duncan’s wild thoughts, “What are you doing with your hands outstretched?” “
…It’s nothing.” Duncan blinked and said softly.
Obviously, Nina couldn’t see the smoke—nor could Shirley and Alice next to her, nor could the ordinary people gathered inside and outside the pier.
But can the people on the Cathedral of the Storm see it? Can she see the female pope who sits in the cathedral and is regarded as the spokesperson of the “Goddess of Storms” in the world?
Duncan quietly watched the magnificent “Ark” that was almost as huge as the entire port area, watched it decelerate at the edge of Pland, watched its side mechanism slowly deform, extending out as if growing some kind of limb. A long mechanical bridge was built, and it was connected with the trestle on the port.
And the shapeless and invisible smoke has obviously expanded in this process.
Duncan didn’t feel any hostility from the fog, nor did he perceive any harm, so he didn’t take any action for the time being.
…
According to the ceremonial requirements, after firing salutes and playing vocal music at the port of Purland to welcome, the Cathedral of Storms released the long mechanical bridge, completing the connection between the pilgrimage ark and the city-state, and then, a message was sent from the ark There was a second burst of melodious and solemn whistle.
The huge steam valve rotated and opened, and the pressure relief pipes and siren devices all over the patrolling ark were activated at the same time. Straight streams of white air gushed out from the walls and spire of the church, and went straight into the sky with the sound of the siren.
The bell towers on the city-state and the cathedral ark rang simultaneously.
Fan Na took a deep breath—standing in such a solemn scene, even as a judge, she couldn’t help being a little nervous at the moment.
After a while, she saw some colorful flags appearing on the edge of the church ark, and then, a group of apostolic knights wearing special armor appeared on the long mechanical bridge, riding a steam walker , along the mechanical bridge to the pier, one of them went straight out and came in front of a group of senior priests.
“Bishop Valentine, Inquisitor Vanna, the glory of the Lord of Storms is with you.”
The Commander of the Guardian Knight lowered his head—his whole body was covered with armor made of black alloy. You can also see the structure of the booster pipe and the steam valve. A thick steel mask covers the knight’s real face. Fanna can only see the faint red light in his goggles, and hear his voice. The sound is mixed with the hiss of air currents.
Steam is the breath of God, and steel is the bridge between man and God. Under the visor, the airflow in the words neighs with the sanctity of preaching.
“The glory of the Lord of Storms is with you.” Fan Na lowered her head and said together with Bishop Valentine next to her.
“Her Majesty invites you two to board the ark,” the Commander of the Guardian Knights said amidst the hiss of the airflow. “Others, please wait a moment.
” Looking at Bishop Valentine, he saw the same confusion on the latter’s face.
Is there such a link in the ceremony?
“This is the pope’s temporary arrangement,” the Commander of the Guardian Knights explained, seeing the confusion of the two high-ranking priests in front of him. “She wants to ask you about something.” “According to His Majesty’s arrangement.”
Wa Bishop Lundin immediately restrained the confusion in his expression, bowed his head and said respectfully.
Fan Na next to her also reacted immediately and lowered her head to express her obedience to the order.
“Priests and city-state officials, please wait for a while—you can also go to the side to rest for a while,” the commander of the guardian knight looked at Dante and the others, nodded slightly and said, “Please rest assured, we won’t wait too long.”
Fan Na and Bishop Valentine stepped on the mechanical bridge leading to the Cathedral of Storms—the magnificent cathedral was getting closer and closer in her sight, and at the same time exuded more and more thrilling, and even A slightly suffocating majestic aura.
Just getting close to it, Fan Na felt her heart start to pound.
Bishop Valentine noticed the hesitation in Fanna’s footsteps, and the old man shook his head lightly: “Relax, this is not the first time you have seen His Majesty the Pope.” “…Well,
I understand.”
Led by a group of guardian knights, Vanna and Valentine crossed the long bridge, walked through the connecting deck almost as wide as the pier square, and were finally brought into a huge elevator.
Vanna thought the elevator would take her somewhere on the upper level of the cathedral ark, but inside she felt the entire car sinking all the way.
The car’s sinking process lasted for a long time, so long that Fan Na couldn’t help but began to suspect that the elevator was going straight to the sea, and the creaking sound of the steel cables running in her ears suddenly stopped.
The elevator door opened.
The voice of the apologist came from the side: “Please go forward on your own—His Holiness is waiting for you.”
Fanna followed Valentine out of the elevator in a daze, and heard the friction of the gate behind her. The sound came together, and then the two looked forward, and what they saw was a place that was almost completely shrouded in darkness.
He could only vaguely see a figure in Chinese clothes standing in the middle of an extremely dim room.
Fan Na hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.
And just as she stepped forward, the slight explosion of the flame suddenly broke the silence in this dim space.
Bang bang bang, several braziers were lit one after another in a series of slight bangs, and the flames suddenly dispelled the darkness near the elevator, allowing Fanna to see clearly the Pope Helena who was standing not far away, and at the same time She was also shocked to find that the scale of this space was far wider than she had imagined—
even though several braziers illuminated it, the space in the distance was still shrouded in darkness, and Fanna could not see this “room” at all Where is the end of the fire, she can only see the gray-black, slightly rough ground stretching out in front of her eyes, extending all the way to the end of the darkness, while some huge “pillars” can be vaguely seen on the edge of the brazier’s light, There are many criss-crossing shadows connecting between those pillars, which look… like the piping system at the bottom of the cathedral ark, and possibly supporting structures.
Is this the bottom warehouse of the Touring Ark?
Why did the Pope host himself and Bishop Valentine here?
Doubts arose in Fanna’s mind for a moment, but before she could open her mouth, she heard a gentle and majestic voice from ahead: “You are here—Saint Valentine, and Saint Vanna. Welcome to the Ark.”
“Your Majesty,” Fanna quickly restrained her doubts, and after she straightened her expression, she saluted with Bishop Valentine. After the salute, she raised her eyes slightly and said cautiously, “You summoned us Come here, it’s…”
Helena didn’t wait for Fan Na to finish, but suddenly asked a somewhat inexplicable question: “Do you know what this place is?”
“Isn’t this… the Cathedral of Storms?” Valentine raised his head and blinked suspiciously, “The bottom of the Storm Cathedral?”
“This is indeed directly under the Cathedral of Storms, but strictly speaking, it has been separated from the main body of the Cathedral,” Helena smiled. Under the reflection of several braziers, her smile seemed to hide With some deep meaning, “You are standing on the lowest level of the patrol ark, in the ‘belly’ of this giant beast.”
She raised her head, her gaze wandering slowly between Fanna and Valentine.
“Under the watchful eye of the Lord of Storms, this is also the place closest to the deep sea. The Lord’s blessing and the Lord’s judgment coexist here.” Helena’s eyes stopped, but she neither looked at
Fanna nor Look at Valentine.
She seemed to be speaking to nothingness in the darkness:
“Is it difficult to continue to perform duties after your faith has been shaken?”
The expression on Fan Na’s face froze instantly.
The same is true for Valentine next to him.
An unbearably oppressive atmosphere filled this vast and dark space.
After some time, Fanna was the first to react. She took a deep breath: “My belief…” “
I didn’t ask about your belief,” Helena shook her head, “I asked, After your faith has been shaken, has it become more difficult for you to continue to perform your duties?”
Fan Na froze for a moment, as if she didn’t understand the deep meaning of the Pope’s words, but Bishop Valentine next to her was stunned for a moment. With a dazed look on his face, the old bishop immediately said, “I perform my duties as always. I protect the city-state and guide the believers out of my heart…” “
Very well, Saint Valentine, I am moved by your firmness—you should continue to perform your duties.
“Saint Fanna, I can see your confusion. In view of your actual situation, I have to announce the temporary suspension of your duties as the judge of Purdue .
“This decision takes effect immediately.”
Helena spoke quickly, and she finished speaking before Fanna and Valentine could react.
The two saints at the scene looked at each other.
Valentine: “…?”
Fanna: “…?”
(End of this chapter)
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