Law of the Devil

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(Update sent today.

Chapter 280 [Maximus]

The Archbishop of the North-Central Diocese did not keep Dewey waiting long and arrived the next morning.

The arrival of an archbishop with several provincial services on one side naturally triggered an earthquake by local officials. The identity of an archbishop, the Duke of Biduvi, can only be described as high or low. Not to mention, having mastered the education of several provinces, holding large fiscal revenues each year, and also holding a holy knight's regiment, millions of followers in the parish, and possibly future popes.

Such a man is not as arrogant as Dewey imagined. It's not what the mayor said before. The Archbishop did not follow much. In fact, Dewey had expected a convoy, but in the morning, there was only one carriage on the dock.

Under the crowd of local officials, several of the Archbishop's entourage boarded the boat and met with Dewey.

The first meeting was very friendly. The Archbishop Maximus was a very stylish old man, wearing a black clergyman's robe. As can be seen, he was wearing a simple robe, which was also old, with some signs of wear on the corners. And one of his silver hair, standing very clean, with a warm smile on his face and a friendly eye. In no way does he look like an archbishop who runs several provincial missions, but rather like a priest in a small local religious institution, an elderly man with a common face and a friendly smile. The only difference, I'm afraid, is his eyes.

His eyes were clear and deep, flashing the wisdom and ingenuity characteristic of an old man his age.

“Dear Duke.” Archbishop Maximus owes Dewey slightly: “I would like to begin by thanking you for allowing me to take your boat back to Dido and for waiting for me here all night. ”

Dewey smiled and paid her respects: "You are too kind, Lord Bishop. It has been an honor to have such a guest on my boat. Besides, staying here for one more night is nothing, you see, the view on the riverbank is great. ”

After two chilling sentences, the Archbishop introduced his entourage.

In fact, as archbishop of a diocese, Dewey wondered how few of his entourage there was. When he came aboard, there were only three of them but himself. A chauffeur, an old man in a clergyman's robe, probably an associate bishop or something. There is also a knight in armor, except that the knight helped the driver to move the ceremony.

Dewey then dispatched the local officials who were on their way and welcomed Maximus into his cabin.

“Have a seat, my Archbishop.” Dewey smiled and asked his men to bring tea and said, “Honestly, you are the highest clergyman I have ever met. ”

“Oh?” Maximus moved: “Duke, you were born in Didu. Haven't you seen His Holiness the Pope before in your capacity? Although His Holiness the Pope has rarely appeared publicly in recent years, the annual Temple Festival is presided over personally by His Majesty. ”

Dewey shook his head: "No, oh, I'm sorry, I'm not a follower of the Temple. So I didn't attend the Light Temple ceremony. ”

This Maximus was very stylish, and after listening, he didn't show any strange expression. He just smiled casually: "I hope the Duke enters the arms of God soon. In the future, if you have a day to change your mind, I will baptize you myself. ”

Maximus then introduced Dewey to the other old man beside him: “This is my close assistant and most loyal friend, Father Rams, and one of our vice-bishops of the North-Central Diocese.” After a pause, he laughed: "We are returning to Emperor Du to attend the annual Temple Festival, while, according to tradition, we also meet His Holiness the Pope and report to him personally on our work in the parish last year. Unfortunately, our boat broke down and we had to disembark temporarily. I would have brought dozens more followers, but because the convoy was moving too slowly, I had to leave the convoy in order to get here and arrive alone in a light wagon. ”

Dewey nodded and thought, "No wonder you're so anxious to get back to your debriefing job and to please the Pope. You'll be able to score more points in the competition to inherit the Pope's position in the future.

“Don't worry, Archbishop, I have many servants on board, and you will be treated with the most honorable guests in my presence," he said with a smile. I've already cleared out a clean cabin for you to rest in. Well, also, I'm sure you haven't had breakfast, and I'm ready. ”

The two men were chilled for a while, but the deputy bishop Rams had been hiding some disturbing appearance. Compared to the style of Maximus, the deputy bishop Rams appeared a little more obscene, as if he were the most ordinary old man, and his eyes were also white and black, lean and boneless, and his appearance was quite unpleasant.

Watching Maximus and Dewey chill, he seemed to stop talking a few times.

At this time, there was a loud and powerful voice outside, heard through the door panels, all groaning like thunder.

“Lord Bishop, the salute is ready. ”

Maximus, listening to this voice, smiled with a sincere smile on his face: "Ah, this is my escort Rhine, Duchess, please let him in. ”

With Dewey's permission, the cabin door was pushed open and a big man walked in from the outside!

Even though Dewey was accustomed to seeing all sorts of fierce generals in the northwest, including Lombardon and Gaida under his own command, he was a big guy, and after a trip to the Northwest Army, he saw many fierce generals under Lu Gao...

Nevertheless, Dewey couldn't bear to take a deep breath when he first saw Maximus' escort!

This guy... is he really a warrior?

Visually, this guy named Rhine is at least two meters tall! And I'm afraid he's a little giant! Because he was standing in the cabin, his head was just above the ceiling.

He was wearing the largest set of knight armor and the style of the Holy Knights Knights Knight. He was as big as a giant bear, like an explosive force! And he was bare outside his armor, muscle knots, and I'm afraid the so-called "Mr. Kenmei” that Dewey had seen in his previous life was far worse. Such a giant man... Dewey just glanced and immediately determined one thing: this guy's arms are definitely thicker than his own thighs! And twice as thick!

Such a monster... is he still human?

His appearance is also very strange, a square and correct face, the outline is still like a normal person, but the appearance is not really like a human. The lion's nostrils, with those eyes like a bronze bell, are like a grown lion. Plus his long brown hair, it looks even more like a lion's beard!

Such a person, if not seen during the day but encountered in the middle of the night, would definitely frighten people into softening their legs, thinking that it was a monster who saw a lion-headed person.

He just stepped into the cabin, next to him, two of Dewey's guards, looking like dwarves. And Dewey feels, as if, this guy named Rhine, with his eyes full of an indelible taste of wildness.

As Dewey gauged his own escort, Maximus laughed: "Grand Duke, this is my escort and my most loyal man, Rhine. I named him Rhine. He looks strange, and he's pathetic. Years ago, I found him in the wild, and he actually grew up with a bunch of animals, as if he had been abandoned in the wilderness by his parents because of his strange appearance, raised by animals. I looked sorry for him and took him back to feed him. Now, it's been over a decade. Don't look rude, he's actually a good kid. ”

After that, he searched for a hand, and his face was filled with a merciful expression: "Rhine, give Tulip the Grand Duke a gift. ”

“Yes.” Another thunderous voice, this Rhine immediately knelt down on one knee, one of the most solemn knights ever kneeling. Looking at him kneeling heavily, Dewey even worried that the guy was about to kneel down on his cabin floor.

“Seen the Duke of Tulips.” The muffled thunder sounds almost all cause Dewey's eardrums to ache. Seeing such a mighty man, Dewey couldn't help but like him. Hurry up and ask someone to move the chair for him. It's just that he's so big that there's no chair for him. Ordinary chair, pressed by his ass, suddenly snapped and broke.

Looking at Rhine blindly, Maximus Haha laughed: “My knight weighs too much more than a normal person, he weighs five or six times more than a normal person, he can't sit in an ordinary chair. Duke, let him stand. ”

Dewey also laughed haha: “I have a quarrel with the prairie people in the northwest. My favorite is a fierce general like Knight Rhine. It doesn't matter if I can't sit in a chair!” Then he drank out loud and immediately let someone move a short collapse, which sat this Rhine down. Another order was sent to deliver the prepared meal, which was eaten with Maximus in the cabin.

A large barrel of wine and a basin of beef is also especially prepared for this Rhine.

Dewey was most interested in this Rhine, watching Rhine sip a big, cheerful drink, a barrel of wine, he casually lifted up a large barrel of wood, grew wide mouth, mumbled a few times, thick throat up and down, suddenly poured down a small half barrel. Dropping the barrel, he sighed and looked at Dewey with a thick smile: "Thank you! I haven't had this much fun in a long time. ”

Dewey stunned: "What, you haven't been drinking all day? I remember the Holy Knight demanding painstaking repairs, but not obnoxious to wine. ”

And Maximus looked down: "Rhine, have you forgotten my words again? Why don't you pray before you eat? ”

Rhine immediately dropped the barrel and the puffy's face was full of shame: "Yes. ”

Maximus then joined the Bishop of Ramses, wrapped his hands around him, and prayed with his eyes closed to the food in front of him, saying the words: "Thank God, I have food to eat, clothes to wear..."

Though Dewey didn't think so in his heart, the devotion of looking at Maximus' face came from within, without falsehood, without much to say. Out of courtesy, also put down the knife and fork until they are finished praying.

Finally, after several people opened their eyes, Dewey laughed: "Lord Bishop, you must have been too harsh on this knight, such a fierce general, have you not had a drink during the week? ”

Maximus laughed bitterly and had to be slightly embarrassed, whispering; “You don't know, Duke, Rhine is far more tall than the average man, and his food is amazing, and he eats five or six times as much as the average man every day, and I'm afraid he's ten times twenty times more alcoholic. As Archbishop, my salary is limited, and I don't usually have much money to buy him a drink. ”

Dewey couldn't help but wonder when he heard that.

Payroll?

Are you kidding me! The Archbishop of the Hall, living off his salary?

Though Dewey also knows that every official clergyman is paid... What is the Archbishop's identity? It's like being one of the people under the church! Manage church finances and force in several provinces!

Does a man like that, when he says that to himself, want to show his integrity? Dewey has always had no good impression of the people of the Temple of Light, because in his view, these guys are nothing more than some scamming priest. In the northwest, the local bishops of several temples that he knew were all fat. You look like you have mercy on people, and the food behind you is delicious wine, and you eat the sweat of the ordinary poor!

It's also a tax collection, but handing over the money to the official is very different from handing it over to these clerics. At least Dewey asked himself, in the northwest, that the official collection of taxes notwithstanding, build a bridge today and a road tomorrow. They are also responsible for civil affairs on weekdays, and so-called taxes are levied on the people and used for the people.

But these fat clerics, they collect taxes. What do they do? Just sit in the warm summer temple and pray to the gods and take a sweat from the followers?

But this... Archbishop Maximus reveals in front of himself a completely different kind of integrity from other clerics?

Is this true or false?

From Dewey's point of view, such a man is either a true saint of mercy to humanity, a noble saint of morality, or an heir to the great evil!

Looking at Dewey's expression, the deputy bishop of Rams smiled. Not only does this guy look dirty, but he also seems to speak sharply and harshly: “The Duke, presumably a member of our temple, has always been a bit biased. I do not deny that elsewhere, some clergy acted in disgrace to their robes. But in the jurisdiction of Archbishop Maximus, including ourselves, every clergyman lives strictly by his own salary. Absolutely no deficit temple religious taxes, much less greed, corruption and ugliness. ”

Saying, this Bishop Rams pointed to the delicious dish in front of him and laughed: “It is also thanks to the blessings of the Duke that we can eat such delicious food today. Lunch with Lord Maximus on weekdays is just a plate of bean stew. ”

The expression on Dewey's face was a little strange, and this Rams continued: "As for wine… Lord Maximus has always advocated conservation, wine is a luxury and a lot of food is wasted to make it. Therefore, in our Sino-North Diocese, His Holiness the Bishop has always advised those who do not promote alcohol. ”

After listening to this, Dewey carefully weighed these guys and started to wonder, but look at Maximus and Rams. The robes are half old and worn out. And this Rhine, the armor style on his body, is also very old, and even the leather boots under his feet are obviously wearing something for a long time.

These guys are on their boats temporarily, and they don't have anything to do with themselves. If they're faking, there's really no need to disguise themselves like this.

And this Rhine is, at first glance, a heartless, crude man, definitely not like a liar.

Is it true... that the people of these temples are truly devout followers of all things, true compassion for mankind?

To think of it, Dewey's heart gave birth to a few tributes, and another barrel of wine was sent up, laughing: “In that case, let this Knight Rhine have a drink on my property today. ”

But this Rhine, after drinking a bucket, honestly dropped the bucket and said, “Thank you, Duchess, but... one bucket is enough. I am responsible for keeping the Godfather safe and afraid to get drunk. ”

Godfather?

Dewey glanced at Maximus and Maximus smiled slightly: "Well, yes, I raised this child as a child, and I have officially baptized him, and he has recognized me as a godfather. ”

Dewey nodded and looked at this Rhine, suddenly moving in his heart, his eyes falling on the knight's badge on his chest, and he couldn't help but be a little stunned.

Hussein, who was originally the Great Knight Commander of the Holy Knights next to Dewey, told Dewey all the hierarchical signs of how to identify the Holy Knight's badge on weekdays.

Generally, two badges are worn on the chest of the Holy Knight, one representing the official Knight rank badge issued by the Knight's Association and the other representing the Knight status of the Holy Knight.

But this Rhine's chest doesn't have the Knight's Guild badge... that is, he doesn't have the official Knight rank?

And even his only insignia symbolizing the Holy Knight's identity... according to the insignia level that Hussein told Dewey, this insignia on Rhine's chest is one of the lowest in the Holy Knights rank!

A “Alternate Divine Knight” badge!

Candidate?

In other words, such a giant man is not an official holy knight, but merely an alternate.

Dewey is not a look-alike idiot. Of course he doesn't think this guy is big enough to be good at it.

However, this Maximus dared to take such a guard on the road, which leads to the conclusion that this Rhine must have excellent skills.

Just a... alternate knight?

As soon as Dewey moved, he asked intently: "Since Rhine is a holy knight, he should have his salary on a weekday basis. I have heard that the Church treats the Holy Knight very favourably. Doesn't Knight Rhine have the money to drink on weekdays? ”

Rams appeared to be a man who was very good at observing the colours of the speech, and he laughed: "This... Rhine is not yet an official holy knight, he only hung a name for the convenience of the Bishop. ”

Maximus laughed and fainted: “Rhine has been with me for a long time, and I don't want him to leave me. Duke, you know that if you want to be a true Holy Knight, you have to leave me for the Knights headquarters for rigorous training. This kid hasn't left me since he came to me ten years ago, and I can't stand him to leave. So, just let him hang up on a name. ”

After a pause, he laughed again: "And Rhine has practiced no martial arts or swordsmanship, and relies only on brute force. Not quite, you say, he won't even do basic swordsmanship until now. So, I'm afraid he won't make it if he goes to Holy Knight training. Rams was right to let him hang up as an alternate knight, just to keep up with me, nominally more convenient. ”

Dowie didn't have a good time getting here, and a few people randomly talked about some of the local scenery in the northwest and some of the things in the parish.

After the meal, Dewey was about to send them back to their cabin to rest, and suddenly the old smoke came in, his face was a little different, and after entering the door, he said: "Duke... there is something strange on the river ahead. ”

“What's wrong? ”

Old Yan hesitated for a moment, said Dewey. “Go ahead and say it. ”

“Yes!” the old cigarette face solemnly said: "This is the narrowest part of the river, a big boat stopped us from going in the middle of the river, we flagged it and let them make way, they replied that the boat was broken. ”

“Can't we go around?” Dewey frowned.

“My lord.” The old cigarette took a deep breath: "Their boat was not small and they were lying on the river, and they dropped a few boats around, and our flag bearer told me that they were ready for the boat to take the cargo from the big boat ashore. But then it blocked the river, and we couldn't get past it. Besides, I see those boats are weird... I've slowed them down and told my brothers to be on guard to see what they're up to. ”

Dewey, um, didn't see any joy, just a glimpse of Maximus around her.

Indeed, that Rams face immediately changed, but Maximus looked at Dewey and sighed: “Duchess, we seem to be causing you trouble. ”

“Trouble?” Dewey smiled.

Maximus seemed a little embarrassed and muttered: "Duke, stop the boat, please, and give us a boat, and we'll go ashore. Is this about us, your honor, or don't get involved. ”

In this statement, Dewey also committed a muttering in his heart: “What did His Holiness the Bishop say... In your capacity as Archbishop of the Diocese during the day, does anyone dare to publicly intercept you halfway? Is it the Pope's order? ”

The Deputy Bishop of Ramses hummed: "How could His Holiness do such a thing! Hmm, His Majesty has always appreciated our Bishop... only...”

Speaking of which, Maximus coughed and Rams quickly closed his mouth.

“Duke, please give us a boat and let us ashore.” Maximus' face is sincere: “This is something inside our temple, and if it involves you, it will cause you great trouble. I thank you for letting us take the boat, but I'm not like letting you get into this. ”

And after that, he said to Rhine, “Rhine, those guys came the other day, and we're leaving. ”

“Yes, Godfather, you wait here, I'll go out and take care of them first!!” The giant man immediately lost a cow's leg in his hand and stood up and went outside.

The old cigarette looked at Dewey and waited for Dewey to give the order.

Dewey looked at Maximus and looked at old cigarettes.

That's right, I really don't need to be involved in this kind of thing...

However, when people are on their boat, when things come to their door, they throw them off the boat... If so, how can my Duke of Tulip continue to mix? Shame on you!

Besides... Looks like it's the temple's infighting?

The infighting... very good! That's great!

To think of it, Dewey said with no expression: "Your Eminence, please sit down. Since I'm on my boat, it's my guest. Tulip is not a great person, but it is not a frightening coward. ”

Then Dewey stood up and ordered the old cigarette: "Go, raise my tulip flag! I want to see who dares intercept my boat on the way! ”

After the old cigarette went out, Dewey took a deep look at Maximus and said, "Lord Bishop, you don't have to say anything to get off the boat! Since you are on my boat, whether you disembark or not, I cannot escape this trouble. In any case, you are my guest on my boat, and if my guest is damaged on my property, will I be used as a person by the Duke of Tulips in the future? ”

Then he went two steps closer and lowered his voice: “What kind of trouble is it, I think you need to tell me something. ”

Maximus' eyes flashed with a hint of gratitude and then sighed for a long time, not directly answering Dewey's words, but said this as if slightly:

“His Holiness the Pope has been worse and worse for two years...”

It seemed to have nothing to do with Dewey's question, but when Dewey heard it, he realized something, smiled on his face, looked back at Rams, and asked, “Are you from the south? ”

Rams hesitated for a moment and whispered: “It must be the Southeast Parish. ”

When Dewey heard about it, his mind settled in a few points and soon came up with an idea.

Church fights?

If that's the case, this thing, if you let me hide, I won't hide!

He deliberately revealed his anger on his face, shouting: “The southeast parish people reached north! You really think we're clear up north? ”

After that, Dewey has taken a giant step out of the cabin.

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