Chapter 3 Chapter 2 The Crusaders

César and Minet ran across the railing, jumped onto the passing car, each occupied a sofa chair, lay down sprawled, and breathed in the air laced with the fragrance of flowers.The carriage was empty, just the two of them. "Victory!" Minai felt that he had just turned around the gate of hell.Filled with the joy of narrow escape. As long as he catches this train, César will definitely be able to catch the novice priest qualification exam.Cesare had said he was going to do two things this afternoon, win some money and get a priesthood, and now he had both without a doubt.César has such an ability, he will definitely do what he says, no matter how incredible the process is.

"Your share." César counted ten out of sixty gold coins and threw them to Minei. "Didn't you say that if you win, you will give me 30% of the money?" Having said that, Mi Nei was still very happy. Unexpectedly, César was able to win 60 gold coins with that little principal, and he also made a profit by dividing him ten coins. "I owe you ten gold coins. I'll give it to you next time. I still need the money." César stuffed the rest of the money into his purse, leaned comfortably on the back of the chair, and enjoyed the warm breeze of early spring. Pass.

The so-called Dangdang train is a slow-speed steam train running on the track. When passing an intersection, the driver will shake the small bell on the front of the car to make a "dangdang" sound, so it is called Dangdang train. Visitors to Marston must try the Dangdang car here. The journey from the lower city to the upper city is an extremely pleasant thing.The hot spring eye is located on the top of the mountain. The spring water contains a large amount of limestone. It flows down layer by layer along the hillside. The limestone is deposited on the mountain rocks, and finally the whole mountain is white.Dangdang cars drive along the hillside, people are like driving in the clouds, with a panoramic view of the distant and near scenery, when passing above the bathing place, you can also see seductive ladies sitting in the spring water wearing tulle, smoking He smoked a slender pipe filled with tobacco from the East.In the distance, a long black iron dragon spouting white steam gallops on the railway tracks in the mountains, and countless wild flowers and grass blades dance in the gusts of wind. There is a sound like a giant beast whimpering from the southeast, which is the sound of steam whistles. It must be that a merchant ship returning from the east is entering the port.The group of windmills on the top of the mountain rotates slowly, and the cobweb-like wires send the electricity converted from wind energy to the houses in the upper city.

This is an era of prosperity, but only a hundred years ago, this world called "Erob" was still devastated. Erob, in the language of the ancient Canaanites, means "land of sunset". The Canaanites are known as the oldest navigators in the world, and their ships can even go to the far east.The Canaan navigators used stars to mark their routes. No matter where they sailed, the stars would always shine above their masts. They called this continent "Xingluo Ancient Land". According to the map of the Canaanites, the area of ​​the ancient Xingluo land is an astonishing 750 million hectares. The north is a perpetually frozen sea of ​​ice, and the south is a fiery rainforest. When people in the east welcome the sunrise, the west is still sleeping in the dense In the dark night like ink, it is so magnificent and beautiful, and there are still many places that humans have never reached.

With the Mediterranean Sea as the boundary, the Canaanites called the east "Asu", which means "the place where the sun rises", and the opposite west is Erob. In the world view of the Canaanites, the sun rises from the sea from Aso to the east, passes through the vast Star Luo Continent, sets in the sea to the west of Irobo, and returns to the east through the deep undersea tunnel, repeating itself. The ancient king of Canaan once wrote a letter of credence to the king of Asu. The beginning of the letter was like this, "From the son of the land where the sun sets to the son of the land where the sun rises."But the letter was never delivered to the king of the East, because the journey was too far away, and even the most experienced Canaan navigators died in the sea in all likelihood.

The history of Erobor is a history of wars. Since the beginning of human beings, wars have never ceased.When the Roman Empire rose, the war reached its climax, and the monarchs of all countries regarded themselves as conquerors. The words "the great Irob the conqueror, ruled by the world chosen by fate" were engraved on the throne of the Roman emperor. War was the supreme truth of that era. The kings believed in the law of the weak and the strong. If I am stronger than you, your land should belong to me. If I completely overwhelm you, then your palace, daughter and even the queen should belong to me.

It was the cruelest era. The bones on the battlefield were trampled by war horses and piled up in layers deep in the soil.To this day, there is still the profession of "bone pickers" near the ancient battlefield. They dig up the soil, peel off the rusty armor from the bones, and re-forge them into steel. It was also the saddest time, when both grandpa and father died in battle, crying boys took their place holding the hilts of their swords with immature hands, while their mothers and sisters were plundered by conquerors as trophies and glamorous as playthings , ordinary people act as slaves.

It was an era when you could eat or be eaten. If you didn't sharpen your sword and be ready to fight at any time, someone else's sword would fall on your neck tomorrow. The Messianic religion emerged in that era. At first, they were just a small group of priests, spreading a new religion in remote places. They claim that there is a unique God in the world, the world and human beings are God’s creations, God loves this world and the world, God just left this world temporarily, but one day God will return, and on that day the kingdom of heaven The court held a trial, and all the crimes were written on the sky, one for another, only those who believed in God could be redeemed by God.

In Latin, Messiah means savior, and the church says that before the day of judgment, there will be a savior "Messiah of Light" who will descend from the sky, wearing armor made of holy light, and carrying a holy sword condensed by flames .North, south, east, west, whichever direction he swings his sword, that direction is the sea of ​​flames, and the army of the God-Defying Ones will be reduced to ashes in the sea of ​​flames. In the eyes of the priests, wantonly launching wars and harming lives is unjust and violates the mercy of God.Such orders, of course, were not appreciated by the monarchs, and they set out to make laws, and if the believers did not renounce their belief in the Messiah, they had to be hanged on the gallows.For a time gallows were erected in every city of Erobor, and every day hung corpses.

The Messianic Order, which originally had hundreds of thousands of believers, now has only a few hundred staunch missionaries left. Although the land of Irob is vast, there is no room for them.In desperation, some of them stood up and said, according to ancient scriptures, there is an island named Avalon in the vast northern sea, where is the last paradise left by the gods in the world, as long as they arrive in Avalon, they will be blessed by God No one dared to put a sword on them anymore.Other priests said that Avalon did not appear in the official scriptures, but was recorded in the "Apocrypha", and it was absolutely unbelievable. Besides, the northern sea was full of icebergs, and the result of the wooden boat hitting it was torn apart. In fact, in that era, there was no There are no ships that can navigate the northern seas of ice.

The result of the dispute was that a group of priests stayed behind in anonymity to avoid the kings' arrest, while the priests who believed in Avalon sold out their property and bought a wooden boat that was not suitable for long-distance sailing.In the eyes of the remaining priests, this is a stupid act of martyrdom. Those who went to sea have no intention of returning. No one has ever reached Avalon. It only exists in scriptures.Legend has it that it is protected by the power left by the gods in the world, where time does not flow at all, and there is an eternal spring paradise, where no one will die, and no one will be sad.Such a paradise does sound too far away. The remaining priests were all hanged by the king, and the priests who went to sea never returned to any port in Irob.But one hundred and twenty years later, an unbelievable city appeared in the southern wilderness, just under the Apennines, in a valley full of Turkic roses.It was a city founded by the Messianic Order, and they have changed their name to "Messiah Holy Order"!They are no longer the new small religious order that was active in the mountains and remote places. They are preparing to spread their teachings to every corner of the world. They firmly believe that they have mastered the truth between heaven and earth, because their ancestors found the legend Avalon in!The holy scriptures are confirmed!God is confirmed!So the Messiah will come down from the sky, and the judgment of the kingdom of heaven will be held! But none of them had ever seen Avalon, and they had only heard it from their ancestors.It is said that the ship miraculously avoided countless icebergs, and finally ran out of food and fresh water. On the eve of death, the priests collectively prayed at the bow of the ship. At this time, an orca suddenly passed by the ship and bit the iron anchor. Dragging them forward, towards the faint island on the sea level. What they found was not Avalon, which is like spring all the year round and time never flows, as mentioned in the scriptures, but a desert island, but there were groups of seals living on the desert island, and they survived by hunting seals. Even bigger discoveries than seals are "red mercury" and "shadow metals". According to the scriptures of the Messianic teaching, God was angry with the fall of mankind twice and destroyed the world, once with a flood, and the other time with red mercury, which is an extremely flammable metal that bursts into an astonishing explosion when it burns. With the heat, God ordered the rain of red mercury to fall from the sky, turning human cities into seas of fire.The fire scorched the entire earth for seven days and seven nights, and even the sea was burned into a salt flat. The priests found a blood-like liquid under the ice layer. After drawing it, they found that the liquid was mixed with fine black metal fragments. This liquid was extremely flammable, and if the purity was high enough, a single drop could blow up a small boat.They exclaimed that this was the red mercury left over from the last destruction of the world. It landed on a small island in the icy sea and was frozen and was well preserved. The iron filings mixed with it were from the previous world destruction. Ashes, according to the records of the holy scriptures, the burned world is full of ashes, which are metal residues after being repeatedly burned by red mercury.There are smelting technicians in the church. These metal scraps are separated and smelted. They have extremely rare properties. From gold, silver, copper to gray tin, it can form a uniform alloy with them. These are called "secret gold" , "Mithril" or "Wind Metal" alloys have different excellent properties, and the most refined steel cannot compare with them. After returning from the icy sea, the religious group accumulated wealth and power by relying on the super technology derived from red mercury and shadow metal, and finally built the city named "Emerald", known as the paradise on earth. Cross-age technology has reversed the fate of the entire Irobe. With Emerald as the capital, the Messianic Church established its own country. The name of this country is very long. The full name is "Established with God, The heaven on earth guarded by the Messiah of Light", because the name is too long and difficult to remember, everyone calls it the Pope's Kingdom. The Pope replaced the Roman Empire and became the most powerful country in Irob, and dominated the order of Irob, and the war subsided.The new technologies brought by Red Mercury and Shadow Metal have also flowed into various countries, and the world has entered the track of rapid development. After the problem of high-purity fuel and metals was solved, steam technology developed to a high degree. At that time, the technicians of the Roman Empire had created the prototype of the steam engine, but in the hands of the Holy Church of Messiah, the steam technology finally took shape.The diluted red mercury is injected into an advanced double-flow ultra-high pressure steam engine, which is installed on a large sailing ship, and can cross the ocean even in calm weather; in the era of the Roman Empire, electricity was still the imagination of a few scientific madmen, and a book was published on it Several pioneers in China were sentenced to prison for spreading heresy, but under the impetus of the Holy Church of the Messiah, the energy of red mercury was finally transformed into electricity. From then on, the bustling city was brightly lit even in the middle of the night; The roads and cobweb-like railways stretched in all directions, and the distance that originally took three months to reach by horse-drawn carriage was shortened to six or seven days. Derricks were erected in all countries, and people drilled deep into the earth to find the remaining red mercury. They did find it. Red mercury was not limited to the small island in the northern ice sea.This discovery prompted more people to embrace the Messianic teaching. But so far, no one knows what red mercury is, except that it releases surprisingly high heat when burned in reasonable circumstances.The mysterious northern island of Avalon has never been discovered again. It seems that it has sunk under the sea of ​​ice since the priests left the island.There are also skeptics who believe that there is no such thing as Avalon, and that it is just a lie of the religious order. It is just that the priests discovered the rare mineral red mercury by accident, and since then opened a new era belonging to the holy religion of the Messiah. , As for the so-called "shadow metal", it is just a new type of metal that has not yet been named.But it is undeniable that the Holy See, which has mastered red mercury, shadow metal and the highest steam technology, has become the master of the new era. The only flaw of the new technology is that red mercury is too rare, so the expensive steam technology can only be used in the lives of the military and nobles. While the trains are traversing the continent, the carriages are still running in the cities, even in a paradise on earth like Emerald. Even in urban areas where civilians live, candles are still used for lighting. But in any case, this is a new era, and everyone is full of hope for the future. "It's already April, so it's time for the city hall to start preparing for the Midsummer Eve celebration? Which girl are you going to have as your dance partner?" Minet looked forward to the midsummer night celebration. Every year Marston hosts the Midsummer Eve Celebration, where holidaymakers and locals sing, dance and drink champagne for an unforgettable evening.Everyone will be drunk that night, drunk and talking nonsense, or whatever you want to say, the boys say it's a celebration of first love, and you should fall in love with a girl that night and tell her in public. "I haven't thought about it. If any of them are not so annoying, I don't mind doing a few dances." César said lightly. "There is always a general goal, right? Susan must be the best dancer, but the partner doesn't really need to be good at dancing, right? Anne is the one who is beautiful, oh those long legs! It's great! But do you think she will be a bit unattainable if she wears high heels? Shayana is the best, she is very charming. She will lean on you intentionally or unintentionally when standing next to you. Let's dance... oh oh oh oh!" Minnie's imagination flashed. "Whoa, are you a rooster?" César breathed out softly, "Are you thinking about my partner or reviewing your history of lust?" "It's useless for me to be obsessive." Minet made no secret of his longing for the famous and beautiful girls in Bertha College, "They have no interest in the future Baron Minet, I can see that they look at me as if Looking at the eggs! It’s different for you, they are secretly fighting over you!” Everyone in the school said that César had a pair of devil's eyes, because most of the devils described in the holy scriptures said that it had a pair of demonic purple pupils.But when this sentence is spoken by a boy or a girl, the meaning is different.Cheerful or reserved girls are paying attention to César, and many pink diaries have César's name written in them.Anne's six-two-fold organdy dress was made to challenge Cesare, and walked straight across from him at the Midsummer Night's Ball, staring defiantly into his eyes to see if he dared Invite yourself to dance.This is their most beautiful and craziest age. They are confident that even the devil will bow down under their long skirts. Conquering the devil with charm is more fulfilling than conquering a hero. "I'm not interested in the game where I'm the prey." César looked into the distance, unfocused, "What about you, have any girls offered you an olive branch?" "Where can I see the local girls?" Minai hummed, "I'm waiting for the Emerald girls to come, I am a good hunter who specializes in hunting Emerald girls!" There are many beautiful girls in Bertha College, but what the boys look forward to most is the girl from Fei Leng Cui. In the whole Irobo, where are the girls who are the most fashionable, cutest, dignified like a lady and cunning like a fox? Emerald girl of course.Some people say that all the beauties in the West are married to Fei Leng Cui, and the girls they give birth to are of course the most beautiful, so Fei Leng Cui is not only a holy city, but also a capital of beauty and fashion.This was not what the pioneers of the Messianic religion had anticipated when they founded that city. Of course, if you want to win the hearts of emerald girls, you must be worthy of them.The main reason Minay said this is because his opportunities in Berthe College were really limited, and he could be regarded as a beautiful boy when he was serious. Come. "Girls who want to chase emeralds should give them roses and jewels, read long poems to them, talk about music and art, it is better to have a priesthood status. If you are the heir to the duke or marquis of a big country, then you don't have to chase, They'll throw themselves at you. They're very simple." César's voice was flat, but his words were harsh, which was his usual style of speaking. "Speaking of which, César, isn't your family from Fei Leng Cui?" "Not really home, but I lived there until I was fourteen." "I live in Emerald, but come to Marston to go to school? Emerald has a number of famous theological schools, and the Vatican Academy is known as the highest institution in the world." Minet said, "It's too expensive, and admission is too difficult, otherwise I would Go to the exam." "You don't like Fei Lengcui, you just like Fei Lengcui's beautiful girl." César smiled. "Your family lives in Fei Leng Cui, so you should know a lot of important people?" Minet tried to inquire about the situation of César's family. Some people have always speculated that Cesar is a mixed race of East and West, because he has black hair and purple pupils, and he does not look like a pure Westerner, but Cesare never talked about his family. The strangest thing was that he didn't have a surname. On the roster he was called Cesare.Bertha College is full of noble students. For nobles, the surname is the most important thing to reflect their status. Everyone will proudly pronounce their full name in public, but Cesare is just "Cezel" , It seems that there is no father or mother. Cesare closed his eyes and seemed to be asleep.In the warm spring and summer, the Dangdang bus does not have glass windows, and fresh air flows past the passengers at any time.Right now is the season of laurel flowers in full bloom, the wind permeates the cold and clear direction, the sun shines on Cecil's delicate and sharp face, and scattered pink petals float down from the hillside, falling on the corners of his eyes and brows . No one chatted with Minei about beautiful girls anymore, Minei felt a little bored, so he had to turn over and stare outside in a daze.In fact, those words are all nonsense, Minet is very clear that César is interested in those famous girls in the school, EMI, César only cares about the number one beauty of Berthy School, Adele. But Adele is Cesare's sister, her own sister. In the winter three years ago, César and Adele transferred from Emerald to Marston.Before the people arrived, the news arrived first. All grades were talking about transfer students coming from Feilengcui. On the day they came, the student union sent someone to pick up the car, and many girls asked to follow.Boys look forward to girls in Feilengui, and girls look forward to boys in Feilengui. Although Marston is also a historic city, compared with Feilengui, it is only a rural place suitable for vacation, and the most prominent families live in it. In Fei Leng Cui, there are countless young dukes and marquises, and only a boy who marries Fei Leng Cui can become the most honorable lady in the world.The girls are looking forward to this emerald boy.Meine went too, because there were a lot of pretty girls going. It was unexpectedly cold that day, there was light snow in the evening, and the train was delayed.In order to impress Fei Lengcui, the girls all wore beautiful skirts and high-heeled shoes, shivering from the cold.Just when they were about to lose their patience, the whistle sounded from far to near, and the train coming from Fei Leng Cui with thick white steam passed through the mountains, slowed down and pulled into the station, and slowly stopped on the platform. The boy in black stepped out of the steam and stood on the empty platform like a stray black goat. The girls were very disappointed.The boy was wearing a simple black windbreaker, without servants, and without any accessories. He didn't look like a child of a big noble family at all.Probably the child of some bankrupt nobleman?This helpless boy, with his equally helpless sister, came to Marston to join some distant relative? There were very few guests coming from Feilengcui that day. Although it is a tourist city, winter in Marston is definitely off-season, and the nobles have gone to the seaside of the South China Sea to spend the winter.The boy stood alone at the end of the platform, turned his head and scanned the surroundings, and only after confirming that it was safe did he turn around and reach into the steam, calling out, "Adele." A hand in a white glove emerged from the steam and rested on the boy's arm.The girl in a white skirt and a white cashmere coat jumped out of the car, her heels were studded with metal soles, and there was a "ding" when they landed. The whole world suddenly became quiet, and when the girl arrived, it was like a ray of light, illuminating Marston in the haze. The elder brother is so simple, but the younger sister is a real princess. The silk embroidered long dress is undoubtedly the handicraft of the top oriental craftsmen. The high-heeled boots carved with deerskin are fashionable and warm. A small hat with a light blue bow tied on it, and a long white gauze fluttering in the wind. Standing in the cold wind, the girl let out a breath of white air, and the next moment snowflakes fell on her long eyelashes. "Is this Marston? It's cold," she said softly. The words that didn't have any special meaning came out of her mouth, and there was a sense of pity. Yeah, how can it be so cold?Who could have the heart to send such a rosy maiden to such a cold place?What if she is frozen?What if she is sad?All her life, she should stay in a sunny greenhouse, be cared for, surrounded by flowers, silk and lace. The only city suitable for her in this world is Fei Leng Cui!The boys all thought so, feeling a little heartbroken and even wanting to beat their chests and feet. César took off his windbreaker and put it on his younger sister, buttoned it up for her, touched her cheek, "Thank you for accompanying me to such a far place." "It's not hard," the younger sister blew into the palm of her hand, showing a small smile, "It's not hard with my brother around." "From the map, there are still a few steps from the station to the school. I have to find a carriage. I have to walk a few steps. Can I persist?" "Yes, I will tell my brother when I can't walk." The boy is carrying a box, and the girl is supporting each other, walking in the white steam and white snow, leaving two parallel footprints on the platform, the boy's footprints are clear, while the girl is wearing high-heeled boots, the footprints are like a kitten's footprint. Minay suddenly remembered a few lines about Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, "Hand in hand, they walked slowly wandering steps, left Eden, and embarked on their lonely journey. From now on, there will be no place to stand in the world. "It's rare for him to think of poetry. "Looking at you like this, brother is still quite handsome!" Lulu praised softly. "Yes, yes!" Annie also came to her senses, "I didn't feel it when I got out of the car!" "Annie, don't you have a brother too? Is your brother handsome or that Emerald boy handsome?" "Don't mention the pig in my family at this time, if you don't dislike it, I will give it to you, but I want to remind you in advance, he is the kind who will grab my sister's cake and stuff it into his mouth without hesitation. Mysterious creature." The girls were chirping and talking, their faces were obviously blushing.Strange to say, after the younger sister appeared, her shabby black goat brother seemed to suddenly become handsome.He is like an obsidian statue in the dark, which looks dull at first glance, while his sister is a warm lamp. When bathed in the light, the obsidian statue will reflect a particularly dazzling light. When they realized that they came to pick up the station and not gossip, the brother and sister were already standing at the gate of the station waiting for the carriage. They chased after them in a hurry, shouting loudly and waving at them.César turned around to block his younger sister, raised his eyebrows, at this moment he suddenly turned into a vigilant beast, with fierce eyes, repelling people thousands of miles away. On rare occasions, César would reveal this look, which was extremely unflattering, disgusting and disturbing.Minet always couldn't understand why a smart person like César would show such unfriendly eyes, until later he ran into a lion on the grassland, and the lion stood at the windshield and looked at him coldly.Minai suddenly understood that it was a look declaring territory, and if you don't attack, it won't hurt you. "We... We were sent by the student union of Bertha College to pick us up..." Lulu, the chairman of the student union, said tremblingly. Adele froze for a moment, then smiled silently. She picked up her skirt and performed an elegant curtsy. The skirt opened like a white rose blooming in the snow. After a few seconds, all the girls held up their skirts and curtseyed, and the boys had to put their hands on their chests and bow.They came here to welcome a pair of unidentified Fei Leng Cui brothers and sisters, and later suspected that they were just children of a bankrupt nobleman, but in the end they used the most solemn etiquette just like welcoming a prince and princess. The fine snow fell on them, boys and girls reported their full names one by one, and finally Adele, she said softly, "I am Adele Beau..." "Come to Marston, you have lost your last name," César interrupted his sister, "from now on your name is just Adele." It took a long time for Minet to realize that Adele's actions during the first meeting had revealed her identity. When the nobles met, the last person to report their name was naturally the most noble person, just like the princess at the royal ball. He always waits for the ladies to introduce themselves before saying their noble surname in a calm and calm voice. Although you have that kind of angel-like younger sister, it's actually very boring. Minai often educates César, so that other beautiful girls are vulgar fans in your eyes. Who else can you fall in love with in this life?But that's your sister again, the younger sister is the temporary property of the elder brother, and it will be handed over sooner or later, since it is going to be lost, it is better not to have it. César always said calmly, Minet, do you know?What I admire most about you is that you can use your lower body to direct your brain, which is really a biological miracle. After a while, César didn't make a sound, as if he really fell asleep. Minet poked his head out of the car and looked up at the blue sky, where the wires cut the sky into geometric pieces. The kestrels fly over and over, which is probably a courtship ceremony among raptors. The train climbs the mountain with the sound of "dangdang", and below are the terraced fields for cultivating tulips. Such a beautiful afternoon is not very rare in Marston. In this small hot spring town far away from the center of power, people spend it so easily every day. Years later Minet would always recall that afternoon when the torrent of history swept over Marston and everyone in the city.He left Xanadu, never to return. Sirens sounded throughout the city.The brakes of the clanging car made a sharp friction sound.The wheels slid on the rails, sending out dense sparks.Cesare and Meine were almost thrown to the front row.The indicator light turns from green to red, indicating that the railway has been switched to a closed state.Steam-powered automatic roadblocks popped up, blocking the road ahead. Mounted police showed up on the streets and controlled all intersections within minutes.Marston's crime rate is very low, so the mounted police are very loose. Usually it is good to carry a baton on the street, but today they are loaded with live ammunition, and everyone looks very nervous.The captain of the mounted police stood on the cross street with his horse, his face frozen. Messianic teachings brought the world into the age of gunpowder and the steam engine, and many cities today have their walls removed, except Marston.Its ancient city walls are made of white limestone and are very famous.While the mounted police were galloping across the street, the city gates leading to the four directions began to close, and the iron gates weighing several thousand catties cut off all the roads in and out of Marston. "What's going on? What's going on?" Mi Nei got up, rubbing his painful head and looking around. The ground shook, like a mighty cavalry regiment crossing the plain.César suddenly turned his head to look to the northwest. At that moment, it seemed that the light of a sword unsheathed flashed in his pupils. The black flag jumped up from the distant horizon, flying against the wind, like a cluster of pure black flames, and when it stretched, it revealed a golden cross wrapped around thorns.Thousands of cavalry followed the leading banner. They wore black woolen military uniforms and silver military badges on their shoulders. Their faces were covered by dust masks, and only their blade-like eyes were exposed.What they rode were not horses but two-wheeled military land vehicles, with long poles of firecrackers and fighting swords crossed above the rear wheels. "The Crusaders! The Crusaders!" Minet exclaimed. It turned out to be the Crusader Guards, the central army of the Papal State, known as the armed forces of God in the world.Marston is located between the East and the West, thousands of miles away from Fei Leng Cui.Moreover, although it is considered a Western country in terms of culture, Marston belongs to the neutral country of Gawain Republic, and the troops of the Papal State should not appear in the territory of Gawain Republic. But that was the Crusader Guard.Almost all the boys would widen their eyes and let out a cry of surprise when they saw the army like Minai.Every Western boy yearned for a Crusader's uniform, which even changed the style of dress in the West.The aristocratic costumes have gradually changed from elegant and luxurious dresses to military-style dresses, with slim waists and a heroic look.Changes in men's clothing styles depend on changes in women's aesthetics.For Western girls, the so-called perfect man is no longer a lazy nobleman, but a heroic and handsome young officer. If they have the title of nobility, they will be even more perfect. That kind of two-wheeled locomotive was the symbol of the Crusader Guards, and the presence of red mercury made it possible to miniaturize the steam engine.The mechanics of the Papal State installed the precise power core on the two-wheeled locomotive and created this kind of transportation machine called "Stein Heavy Machinery".In mythology, Stein is the steed that the angels ride around the sky. From appearing on the horizon to reaching the city of Marston, Stein only took a moment, and his speed was no less than that of the most powerful war horse.But the iron gate has already fallen, and the hot spring city Marston stands in front of the Crusader Guards, like a small white stone blocking the steel frenzy.This is a neutral city, and no army from any country is allowed to enter it. The Crusader Guards were clearly prepared for this, they spread out and poured into the surrounding trails, continuing to advance.Stein heavy machinery left a strong smell of burning, and firecrackers left a strong smell of gunpowder, and the streets and alleys were filled with burning smell.At the end of spring when the laurel flowers are in full bloom, the people of Marston were expecting the distinguished guests from Emerald Jade, but in the end what they waited for was Emerald Emerald's God's Blade. "Is there a war? Is there a war?" People asked each other anxiously in the streets and alleys. The Crusaders of the Crusaders are known as the "Immortal Army", and they usually work to defend Emerald, where the Holy See is located, and once they are mobilized, it means that a war has begun. After the cavalry regiments passed, came the baggage army, drawn by strong pack horses.The goods on the cart were all covered with black dust covers, sewn from expensive velvet, embroidered with different patterns, some embroidered with chains and chains, and some embroidered with mysterious skulls and crosses. badge.The goods were tightly wrapped, obviously not wanting outsiders to see their true colors.But when the wind blew by, weapons that were too bulky were still exposed from under the dust cover, some were heavy revolving firecrackers, some were five-foot-long super heavy swords with sharp black serrated edges. "Blazing Cavalry! Blazing Cavalry!" Minai then exclaimed. The blazing iron cavalry, this is the ultimate treasure bestowed by God to believers, and it is this weapon that finally established the status of the Papal State today. Going back to the time when Emerald was first completed, Nero, the last emperor of the Roman Empire, wanted to conquer this new small country and gain control of red mercury and shadow metal.As one of the most famous tyrants in history, Emperor Nero had an astonishing desire to possess. He firmly believed that things that transcended the times would play the greatest role only in his own hands. He sent the strongest expeditionary force.At that time, the battlefield was still dominated by cold weapons, but the black knights of the Roman Empire were already equipped with the most advanced arquebus guns. The strongest army in the world.Even if the other kings unite, they will only be tied with them. And the new "heaven on earth established under a covenant with God and guarded by the Messiah of Light" has no allies at all. It is composed of a group of believers who are good at making machines but have no combat experience. It seems that there is no one in the world who can stop it. Its demise, the kings of Irobor are waiting for the news of Emerald's demise. 远征军的将军给教皇送去了倨傲的劝降书，说如果信徒们不屈服，铁蹄将踏破他们的城门和头颅，骑兵们将用无数的火把把翡冷翠化作祸害。教皇回复说，既然神已经把这片土地许给他的子民们建城了，他就不会允许它被毁灭，光之弥赛亚会从天而降保护翡冷翠的。 将军收信之后哈哈一笑，说光之弥赛亚？这么有幽默感的教派，简直让人不好意思毁灭它了。 清晨，罗马骑兵们带着战马走过雾气弥漫的原野。将军已经下达了毁灭翡冷翠的命令。骑兵们并未打起十分的精神应付接下来的作战。根据情报教皇国根本没有军队可言，毁灭它就像用手指碾死蚂蚁那么简单。骑兵们更感兴趣的是在战斗结束后如何分配美貌的女性。 忽然间，久经沙场的骏马警觉地竖起了马耳，它们的眼睛里透出了恐惧的光，甚至不敢嘶鸣。战无不胜的罗马骑兵团在荒野上站住了，对面的雾气中，响起了金属的脚步声。 魔神们踏破雾气而来，他们全身上下都被金属包裹，背负着沉重的锯齿剑，肩膀后部的黄铜喷管吐出浓密的白色蒸汽，黑色的大氅上，刺绣着火焰的纹章。 那就是光之弥赛亚？怎么看那都是地狱里逃出来的生物！ 骑兵们还没来得及组织起防御，魔神们就已经发起了冲锋。那些东西挥舞着锯齿剑穿越整片战场，仿佛死神挥舞镰刀经过生命的麦田，它们肆无忌惮地收割，背后涌起冲天的血泉。 那是罗马皇家骑兵团的覆灭之日，魔神们摘下染血的面罩，年轻俊美的面孔在朝阳中熠熠生辉。他们高举锯齿剑，向着远方的翡冷翠致敬，说：“哈利路亚！光之弥赛亚，将一切逆神者的血肉，化为焦炭！” 教皇国的甲胄骑士们第一次暴露于世人面前，他们自称“炽天铁骑”，虽然他们其实并不骑马而他们以蒸汽为动力的新型甲胄被称为“炽天武装”。 信神者拥有一支身穿机动甲胄的神秘兵团！ 信神者拥有一支身穿机动甲胄的神秘兵团！ ! 信神者拥有一支身穿机动甲胄的神秘兵团！ ! ! 这个消息在几个月内传遍各国，君王们惊得从宝座上起身，向他们的情报官员怒吼着说：“这不可能！这绝不可能！” 各国最精英的机械师聚集起来开会，炽天铁骑的形象被绘制在黑板上，幸存的帝国骑兵详细描述那种甲胄的性能，技师们也惊呼说：“这不可能！这绝不可能！” 半具机动甲胄的残骸被送往罗马大学的研究所，在那里它被仔细地拆解开来，见过它内部构造的机械师们都说那是奇迹，他们中的绝大多数人在那次拆解后昄依了弥赛亚圣教。 那是跨时代的战争武器，它的精密程度不可想象，机械师们说它属于几百年乃至千年后的未来，但弥赛亚圣教提前将它们造了出来。它的外部覆盖着青铜和锻造钢叠合打造的甲板，内部用秘金和秘银制造小型化的助力机械，以高纯度的红水银蒸汽驱动。 阿瓦隆岛上的发现给人类带来的不只是造福世界的科技，还有致命的武力。 在各国发了疯似的研究炽天武装的时候，教皇国已经高速地行动了起来。他们选拔勇敢的年轻人，在“炽天铁骑”的基础上组建了“十字禁卫军”。 之后的十几年里，炽天铁骑横扫西方诸国，以摧枯拉朽之势，继续的摧毁诸王的军队，君主们纷纷在教皇面前忏悔，宣布昄依圣教。 最后，他们冲破了罗马城的黑铁巨门，宣布尼禄皇帝为异端，将他烧死在火刑架上。罗马帝国被纳入教皇国的版图。从那一年开始，教皇国彻底主导了西方世界的秩序。 如今使用蒸汽动力的甲胄骑士已经是战场上的核心力量，通过拆解和仿造炽天武装，各国都建立了自己的骑士团……光辉骑士团、神怒骑士团、圣剑骑士团、狮心骑士团……唯有最强的战士才有资格穿上这些沉重的超级甲胄，他们能独自对抗军队。 “骑士”成为一个专属名词，唯有能驾驭机械甲胄的精英战士才能称作骑士，他们每个人都是国家的珍宝。 但究极的甲胄骑士仍是教皇国的“炽天铁骑”，他们使用的甲胄只有教皇国的核心技术机关“密涅尔机关”才能制造，数量极其有限，从被发明出来到今天，只造出了大约三百具。 按世代划分，目前通用的版本是圣历1974年面世的“炽天铁骑Ⅳ型”，为了适应各方面需要，在武器和配置上做了不同的强化，装配了锯齿重剑的是“青铜切断者”，装配了转轮火铳的是“咆哮雷神”，搭配起来可以应对各种战场。 这是近乎完美的战争武器，除掉高昂的成本和复杂的工艺外，唯一的弱点就是活动时间很短，红水银蒸汽作为能源固然强劲，但高浓度的红水银存在爆炸的危险，人类只能把那种血红色的液体稀释后使用。因此炽天铁骑的蒸汽背包只能荷载有限的动力。在极限状态下，炽天武装的活动时间只有区区五分钟。当背包中的红水银蒸汽耗尽，骑士凭自身力量根本无法驱动重达上百公斤的甲胄。甲胄就成了废铁。但什么样的敌人能在炽天铁骑面前撑五分钟呢？所以这是个可以忽略的缺陷。 关于炽天铁骑还有个很让女孩心动的传闻，那就是只有年轻人才能驱动那神秘的甲胄，因此炽天骑士团的现役骑士都是英武俊美的年轻人，他们在战场上会被敌人看做恶魔，在社交场上却是谨守骑士道的年轻贵族。 跟“我要当上公爵夫人”相比，“我要嫁给英俊的炽天骑士”才是女孩们真正的梦想周围忽然安静下来。几分钟前城外的轰响仿佛雷鸣，此刻却静得能够听见风声。斯泰因重机在道路两侧列队，骑兵们手按剑柄昂首挺胸。 形体巨大的白色礼车卷着尘埃驶来。数百面纯白的旗帜簇拥着它，像是白色海洋，旗帜上用金线绣着玫瑰徽章。 骑乘着斯泰因重机的白衣修士方阵作为先导，他们抛洒圣水和白色花瓣，礼车上端坐着威严的胜者，他头戴白色圣冠，手持黄金铸造的十字法杖，遥望马斯顿城唱出祈福的圣言。 “哈利路亚！哈利路亚！哈利路亚！”所有人都高唱着这句希伯来文，赞美世间唯一、至高无上的神。 那辆蒸汽驱动的白色礼车名为“阿瓦隆之舟”，是教皇博尔吉亚三世的法驾，教皇亲临马斯顿！ 因为有城墙阻隔，所以阿瓦隆之舟停在位置更高的山坡上，好让城里的人能仰望教皇的圣容。尽管是中立国，但马斯顿城中有大量的弥赛亚圣教信徒。他们都跪了下去，在胸前画着十字，流下了激动的泪水。 What an honor!那可是号称“神之代行者”的男人，竟然会出现在这个遥远的小城，这一刻人们都沐浴着神的光辉。 “哈利路亚！哈利路亚！哈利路亚！”米内跟着大家一起高呼，注意力全都放在教皇身上，因此没有注意到同伴的眼神。 西泽尔也遥望着教皇，却没有跪下。他坐在最后一排，双手扶着椅背，目光重又变得如同深渊。此时此刻，在这座城市里，唯有这个十六岁的男孩摆出了和教皇平等的姿态，象征博尔吉亚家族的黄金玫瑰倒映在他漆黑的眼瞳中，像是金色烈火燃烧在黑暗的井底。 祈祷结束后，骑兵们继续赶路，斯泰因重机和拉辎重车的骡马混杂在一起，城外道路被挤得水泄不通。谁也不知道教皇国调来了多少军队。 “见鬼！你还有牧师资格考试！这可怎么办？”米内猛地想起这件事来。 因为十字禁卫军的到来，马斯顿城进入了戒严状态，铛铛车也停止了运作。骑警们控制了大街小巷，任何人试图冲击路障，他们都会抬起枪口指向你，用冰冷的眼神逼迫你呆在原地不要动。 前方不远处就是伯塞公学，只隔几条道路他们就能赶上牧师资格考试。西泽尔原本已经完胜了，他如愿以偿地赢到了钱，还要在罗曼神父手里拿到牧师资格证书。但历史的狂潮忽如其来，将他们吞没。 西泽尔确实能算到很多事，却无法算出历史的潮流。历史是一辆战车，它轰隆隆地驰过，无论轮下碾碎了多少幸福甚至白骨，都不足以让它减速哪怕一分一毫。 西泽尔看起来倒是不怎么在乎，他默默地看着外面。阳光里月桂花悠悠地落下，打着漂亮的旋儿。