Chapter 16 Chapter 15 Trial

On a stormy night, the Sistine Chapel. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers blocked the entrances and exits, and there were also blazing cavalry in the ranks. The knights half-kneeled on the ground, and the heavy guns and giant swords on their backs were all pointing to the ground. Spit out white steam from time to time. Four black horses dragged the fully sealed prison cart into the back door, and two powerful soldiers lifted the prisoner in straitjacket from the cart and dragged him to the small square scripture hall. Four muskets were pointed at his waistcoat. The huge black iron gate opened with a bang, and the candlelight in the sutra hall poured out like a sea tide.The escorting soldiers all stepped lightly, they knew what kind of people were sitting in this scripture hall, the names of those people were not important, but they all had the same honorable title—Secretary of the Cardinal.

Tonight, the meeting of the Council of Cardinals will be held in this small scripture hall. As the highest authority of the Papal State, the Cardinal Council does not have a fixed office address. The Cardinals have several meeting places, and they hold meetings in rotation to prevent the conference hall from being attacked by armed forces, and the top power holders of the Papal State will be wiped out. This unremarkable scripture hall is one of the conference halls dedicated to the Cardinal Council.Usually this church is open to the public, but before the cardinals arrive, an emissary will come and throw a black spice block into the fireplace of the Sistine Chapel.

This morning, the chimneys of the Sistine Chapel were emitting white smoke, and the corridors were filled with a refreshing fragrance.The priests knew that the cardinal was coming for a meeting, and immediately closed the front and rear doors of the church, waiting for the army to take over the place.After nightfall, black limousine cars drove into the church one after another, and old people in red robes and sterling silver masks stepped into the scripture hall with the help of attendants. Those are the Cardinals, whose identities are kept secret and therefore wear masks.Only a handful of people know the full list of cardinals.

The topic tonight is the trial. In the middle of the scripture hall stands an iron cross as tall as one person. The soldiers handcuffed the prisoner’s hands to the cross with iron cuffs, and made him kneel under the cross before taking off his mask. . As if the black curtain was drawn, and the mask was removed, the purple-eyed boy looked up at the height, with a faint smile... such a faint smile, but with deep-seated sarcasm, the candlelight flickered in his eyes. However, people mistakenly think that there is a scorching fire gushing out from the pair of pupils. Behind the raised lectern gleaming silver masks were the noble cardinals, and the boy who dared to mock those who controlled the fate of the world was tantamount to mocking the world itself.

The Pope, who was sitting under the mural, waved his hand, and the soldiers immediately withdrew from the scripture hall. The huge black iron door was completely closed, and there was silence in the scripture hall. The sutra hall is surrounded by reading platforms, one level higher than the other. César is located at the bottom of the sutra hall, as if bound in a deep well.The lectern was strewn with silver candlesticks, and because of the lack of wind the pillars of fire rose straight up, illuminating the silver faces. "I haven't seen you in three years, César, your appearance has changed a lot," said the old man in the middle, "but I still remember your iconic eyes."

"I haven't seen you for three years, but Master Cicero hasn't changed at all. I can easily recognize you through that mask." César twitched the corners of his mouth and smiled. One of the leaders among the cardinals, Archbishop Cicero, César directly called out his name.This was nothing to Cicero, whose identity was still open to "insiders." "Have you still not got rid of that rebellious problem?" Archbishop Cicero said calmly, "Cesar, we all know that you are excellent, but you must first learn to respect God, respect rules, respect elders, respect The things you can't get past."

"Simply put, I have to respect you, the honorable cardinals. You represent God and set the rules. You are the elders, something I cannot surpass." "That's not a bad thing to say." Archbishop Cicero said, "I hope you will cooperate in the next trial, so that we will all save a lot of trouble." "I will cooperate, because I know what will happen if I don't cooperate." César tried to raise his head, the belt on his straitjacket was fastened tightly. Put on this confession, "But I want to know, what's my new crime?" "Three years ago, I was also the presiding judge in this small scripture hall. I convicted you and expelled you from Feilengcui. From that day on, you are no longer a member of the Crusaders, but a Ordinary people who can’t even mention their surnames, you must not reveal any military secrets, and you must not use the knowledge you have learned to fight against this country, otherwise we have the right to change the sentence to death.” Archbishop Cicero shook his head slightly, “And in In the church of the Marston Royal Mechanical Academy, you put on our ultimate mobile armor, the Seraph armor, and destroyed all the legions responsible for clearing the field, including three expensive Prometheus mobile puppets. You're not just against this country, you're literally damaging this country."

"Then what do you think I should do? According to the order of the cardinal, everyone who was in the church that night must die, and I was in that church. If I don't kill every armed person who storms into the church , then I am the one who died." César said coldly, "If the difference is only to die in that church and die on the execution ground in Fei Leng Cui, then why didn't I resist?" "Of course people can fight against the country in order to survive, but the country will also eliminate some dangerous elements for its own survival. You are one of the dangerous elements in this country. You know how this country works. You are also an excellent soldier. , you can even put on the armor of Seraphim...but you are the enemy of this country, the more powerful you are, the more dangerous it is to the country."

"Archbishop Cicero, I think the purpose of our meeting here today is to find out whether Cesare is more useful to us or more dangerous." A certain cardinal intervened between Cesare and Cicero Dialogue, "A heretic once condemned to ride our holy Seraph armor is what bothers us. Rundstedt destroyed the entire Seraph army, if we want to rebuild that army , not only need to remake the Seraph armor, but also need someone who can wear the armor, in this case, César's ability is very important to us." "Just ignoring his heretical nature just for his talent, it's like freeing death row prisoners, arming them, and wanting them to go charge, but how do you know he won't turn his guns on you?" Another The cardinal said with a sneer, "I think the more capable César is, the more he should be sentenced to death!"

"What a scientifically illiterate idea!" A certain cardinal sitting on a high place jumped up. Among the group of calm and dignified cardinals, he was a little too lively. Before he spoke, he had already twisted for a long time, like a cat. The fighting dog preparing to go on the field, "How can such an important research object be sentenced to death? He is the one who can control the 'King of Light' armor of Rundstedt! There is an absolute resonance between him and Seraphim!" "Professor Franco, I don't know what absolute resonance is! But the Minerva agency's responsibility is to recreate the Seraph's armor, not to talk to the cardinal's important person!"

Archbishop Cicero shook the small silver bell to stop the quarrel that was about to erupt, "As for the armor of the Seraphim, we should still listen to the opinions of professionals, and invite our witness, Knight Lixini, the deputy director of the Bureau of Inquisition. He is one of the last remaining Seraphs." Li Xini, dressed in military uniform, slowly stepped onto the witness stand surrounded by wooden railings. His blond hair shone like fire in the candlelight, but his whole body was like an ice sculpture.After the fall of Rundstedt, he can probably be called "the first knight of the Papal State", and his testimony is very important. César's heart tightened slightly, he was completely unsure about this man who looked like an eternally frozen ice peak.The communication between the two was very comfortable, but if Veron and Poincaré hadn't arrived in time, the Scarlet Death's heavy machine gun would have blasted César's heart. "Deputy Director Li Xini, I hope you can briefly describe the situation that day. Just tell what you saw with your own eyes. None of you here have ever been to Marston, and they need intuitive feelings." Archbishop Cicero said. "Respected cardinals, respected presiding judge, respected Holy See, thank you all for your trust in me, but unfortunately, I don't have too many facts to describe." Li Xini didn't look at César at all. , bowed slightly to those old men wearing silver masks, "When I rushed to the church, this made the 'mithril ghost' Petrov think that his invention was vulnerable to the blazing knights, so he shot himself. But in fact Neither the Seraphim nor the Holy Sword armor could be mass-produced. The sword that cut Prometheus' chest looked elegant and calm, but it was also the limit of the mobile armor. "The Papal State wants to show this kind of absolute violence, so as to suppress the brand-new thing like giant mobile puppets, lest it challenge the status of mobile armor. After the Yenisei Empire stopped developing Prometheus, the Minerva Agency secretly Several planes were imitated and secretly put into battlefield experiments. "Prometheus is not proven to be stronger than the Seraph Knight in combat, but the armor and firepower make it an excellent mobile steel fortress. At the Battle of Marston, the original plan was to use Prometheus as the final battle Weapons, but they arrived late because the preparation time was too long, so they were used to clear the field. "Wearing the armor of the King of Light, holding the holy sword suit Excalibur, he cut off the head of Prometheus with one sword. This was originally done by Rundstedt, but it was done by César... Thinking of the person who was bound below When the boy in question might be the second Rundstedt, some of the cardinals' eyes flashed a faint ghost... Such a boy really cannot be kept alive." "This is unbelievable," said a certain cardinal suspiciously. "As far as we know, Seraphim will have a serious mental impact on knights because of the ancient neural circuit, and only one in ten thousand people can endure that." This is the reason why it was hidden in the snow later. Could it be that the prisoner happened to be the one in ten thousand talent?" "It's not one in ten thousand, it's one in one hundred thousand, or even one in a million." Li Xini said, "And César Borgia is precisely the talent of that one in ten thousand." "You mean he is better than most Seraphs?" "Yes, those who can wear the Seraphim's armor may not be able to control Rundstedt's 'King of Light'. When the prisoner put on that armor, it was severely damaged, almost scrap iron, wearing scrap iron It shouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he is a one-in-ten-thousandth talent by destroying the entire field-clearing army with the ordinary Seraph armor.” "One in a million talents?" Archbishop Cicero looked at Li Xini, the pupils under the mask shimmered, "As far as I know, there are two other people who have received this praise, one is Rundstedt, and the other is yourself, Knight Licinius!" "Yes, Your Excellency the Judge." Li Xini bowed slightly. "Excellent testimony, objective, detailed, and a complete reproduction of the situation at that time. Thank you very much, Chevalier Licini, now you can take a short rest and let us listen to the testimony of several other witnesses." Cicero The archbishop rang the bell again. "Chevalier Poincaré, thank you for coming from Marston to testify." "It is my honor to be recruited by all the cardinals." The man in white with a sword on the witness stand bowed to all sides. "In Marston, you used to have a position to hide your identity, the dean of the Marston Royal Mechanics College." Archbishop Cicero said slowly, "That is to say, among the people present, you know the most Prisoner, you watched him grow up." "My lord Cicero, the Holy See must be excluded, right?" A cardinal said with a sneer, "Isn't the person who watched this devilish boy grow up with his own eyes our Holy See? The Holy See It’s not too much to help him grow up with both hands, right?” It was only then that people remembered that the Pope who stood on a high place never said a word from the beginning to the end. He just sat there with his legs crossed, slowly flipping through a "Bible", and the candlelight flickered on his glasses. "My lord Gracchus, what you said seems to be very inappropriate for you." A gentle and dignified voice came from behind the pope, "It is true that the prisoner once served as the secretary of the Holy See, but since he was expelled from Emerald, the Holy See has been Cut off all contact with him. The Holy See is the agent of God in the world. To say that the Holy See raised him up with both hands is like saying that God raised him with both hands? But you also said that the prisoner is a boy like a devil, Will God support the devil?" It was a tall and thin figure standing in the dark, and in the candlelight, his blood-red robe fluttered in the breeze——the head of the Pope's hall, Archbishop Spencer.Few outsiders know that the minister is also an archbishop, and many people mistakenly think that he is a senior secretary serving the pope. The cardinal whose name was called was Archbishop Gracchus, one of the most powerful among the archbishops, but in front of Director Spencer, the always competitive Archbishop Gracchus did not refute at all. Because there is no way to refute it, in terms of theological attainments, Archbishop Spencer is the number one person in the church.He makes no mistakes in the debate, but always catches the opponent's loopholes. He just caught the language loophole of Archbishop Gracchus. Although everyone knows that César is the Pope's illegitimate son, there is no document to prove this. Legally speaking, the relationship between the two is that the Pope once hired César Zell as secretary. The pope is still reading the Bible, and this alternative pope has little interest in theological books. "Let's save time and listen to important testimony." Archbishop Cicero rang the small bell. Poincaré's testimony is not as attractive as Lixini's testimony. Lixini has said the key points. What Poincaré can add is only Césaré's performance in school before, and the cardinals have nothing to do with it. This is not of interest.The next witness, Veron, was even more lackluster in his testimony. However, in the minds of the cardinals, the scene of that night was gradually restored. These powerful old people could not visit the scene in person, so they could only understand what happened through other people's narration. Their opinions gradually became clearer.Opinions were divided into three factions. The faction headed by Archbishop Gracchus believed that César would definitely become a trouble to the Holy See in the future. "My lords! I really can't explain science to you theological heads, but as the most scientific person in this city, I can conclude that little César is our treasure! He was given to us by God. One in ten thousand is qualified! By studying him, we can learn more about the blazing armor, and even reproduce the technology of the year! How can you destroy him? This kind of stupid decision is simply to make Fei Leng Cui the most beautiful It’s like the girl pulling the cart for you, but let the strongest horse accompany you to breakfast! This is completely putting the cart before the horse!” Professor Fulango shouted loudly, almost bursting into tears. His language style has always been so entangled, but his heart to protect César is obvious, and the degree of urgency can easily make people mistakenly think that he is César's biological father. The calmest one is still the pope, as if the one who is handcuffed to the cross is not his son at all. "Professor Franco, you make it sound like this prisoner is the hope of rebuilding the Seraphs," Archbishop Gracchus sneered, "but shouldn't you be the ones who rebuild the Seraphs? You created it a hundred years ago Seraphim, so far the complete set of blueprints of Seraphim are still kept inside the Minerva agency, and you do not allow any 'outsiders' to see those blueprints, even the cardinal is no exception. But now you say that if there is no César Boll Giya, you can’t make new seraphim-level armors, does it mean that your technical level is constantly regressing? Is this due to a problem with the general commander’s ability of this generation?” "Bishop Gracchus! As I said just now, your wooden theological head cannot understand science!" Professor Franco simply grabbed the silver mask and put it on the table. A mysterious mask, hiding in a small scripture hall full of murals! He will turn into a mad dog and bite every cardinal's thigh." "One in a million qualified people? It's just an exaggeration! You need qualified people, just select them! If the entire western world can't choose qualified people who can control the armor of Seraphim, then Seraph can also withdraw The stage of history has come!" Archbishop Gracchus did not back down. On the witness stand, Li Xini, Veron and Poincaret stood upright with their military caps on. Three handsome and resolute faces were clearly defined by the candlelight. "Professor Franco is acting as the Pope's thug this time?" Veron lowered his voice extremely low. "The Pope must have paid quite a price to hire that lunatic to be his thug, right? I heard that the last time Professor Franco came to the meeting was three years ago. For the past three years, he has always entrusted Wei Ruolan The professor abstained on his behalf, but today he seems to be ready to block the faction of Archbishop Gracchus alone." Poincaré stared straight ahead blankly. "What do you think?" "I hope he lives." Poincaré said softly. Veron was taken aback. "No matter how you say it, he is my student... He is standing on the edge of the cliff now, but he can't and won't plead for himself. At this time, the teacher should do his duty!" Poincaré never laughed from the beginning to the end tonight , that handsome face is like ice, at first glance it looks like a copy of Li Xini. "Hey, friend! This is not the occasion for us to speak!" Veron stretched out his hand as a tiger's claw, locking his wrist silently, and his eyes were extremely sharp. He can probably understand Poincaré's mood.Although Poincaré complained about how difficult it was for those noble students to serve, the white college was after all the place where Poincaré lived for several years, and it has now become ruins. Burnt laurel trees, boys and girls buried under the ruins. The cardinal would issue an order from far away in Fei Lengcui, saying that destroying that college would destroy that college, as easy as erasing a dot on a map, and for Poincaré, every name on the death list It was a face he was familiar with.As a soldier, he certainly couldn't resist the cardinal's decision, but if he regarded himself as a teacher, then César below was his last student. But this is indeed not an occasion where Poincaré can speak. He, the lieutenant colonel of the Inquisition Bureau, may be a high-ranking military officer in the eyes of others, but in the eyes of the cardinals, he is just a small person. "I'm sorry to interrupt the conversation of the adults, but as a knight, I have to correct your misunderstanding about the qualified ones." A voice without warmth suddenly appeared in the church. The voice was not very loud, but it was very clear. It suppressed Professor Franco's crazy voice and Archbishop Gracchus' sneer.It was like throwing stones into a pool, and the sound of the water suppressed the crows of the trees. "Knight Licini?" Archbishop Cicero slowly turned his head, his eyes were unfathomable, "It's a surprise." It turned out to be Li Xini who broke the silence, and he was ahead of Poincaré.This man seldom expresses his opinions, but only executes them at high speed. Archbishop Cicero said that he was very surprised, meaning that the person present should stay out of the matter the most. Cardinal will be the clearer killer. "Am I qualified to speak? Your lord." Li Xini bowed slightly to Archbishop Cicero. "Of course, at any time we should listen to the opinions of the Lixini knights. Who can ignore our new knight king?" Archbishop Cicero subdued those cardinals who tried to oppose him with his eyes. "The qualified ones are not selected, they appear on their own, and they have another name." Li Xini looked at Archbishop Gracchi from a distance, "God-given knight." "God-given knight?" Archbishop Gracchus was taken aback. "Because there is no scientific basis to help us judge what kind of boy can resonate with the Seraph-level armor, two boys who look very similar, one of them may be able to resist the mental impact of the armor after a few training sessions, The other will lose control of his mind and die in the armor, and the number of the former is far less than the latter, so the so-called selection is simply an aimless attempt. Among the attendant knights who entered the Seraph Knights at the same time as me, only I finally Put on Seraphim." Li Xini said, "It is said that those who are gifted are also called god-given knights, which means that this ability is gifted by gods and cannot be strengthened through learning." "Then how many of the hundred attendant knights can wear Seraph-level armor?" "There is no fixed ratio. In the best case, one can be selected. Even if the screening is open, it may not be possible to find the qualified candidates we need." "So César may be an isolated case?" Archbishop Gracchus pondered.The Cardinals still want to rebuild the Seraphs, and the Cardinals are not willing to give up this ultimate force, but to leave this dangerous boy in order to rebuild the Seraphs? "Yes, Lord Gracchus, his case is very rare, and studying him may even help to understand the principle of Seraphim." "That's great! What Knight Lixini said meant exactly what he said to me!" Loud applause came down from a high place. It was Professor Franco who was ecstatic. found his allies. It's a pity that most of the people present didn't think that what he said meant the same as what Li Xini said. They didn't quite understand Professor Franco's logic, they only saw that he was agitated. "Please also allow me to make appropriate additions." Veron continued.Although this is not the occasion for him to speak, but his friend has decided to keep the boy, so he has no choice. "According to the intelligence of the military department, the armor manufacturing standards of countries such as Charlemagne, Constantinople, and Yenisei are rapidly improving, and the performance of the new generation of armor will be similar to that of 'Blazing Iron Knight IV'. In addition, there is information that shows that, After Marston's failure, Chu Shunhua is recruiting a large number of mechanics, obviously preparing to form a mobile armor unit." Veron said. "This is impossible! The mechanical level of the Easterners is at least 50 years behind ours!" A certain cardinal was obviously shocked. "With all due respect, what you said is already a thing of the past. In Luoyi, the capital of the Xia Kingdom, the Metallurgical Bureau and Machinery Bureau under the direct leadership of the royal family have been established for three years. We have reason to believe that Chu Shunhua The research on mobile armor has already started, and after the Battle of Marston, he has greatly accelerated." Veron looked into the eyes of the cardinal, "You can buy scrap armor on the black market now, what is the imitation? hard?" "Nonsense! We have been studying mobile armor for hundreds of years! How could the Easterners steal our technology within a few years?" The cardinal turned to look at someone sitting high, with anger flashing in his eyes, "Anthony Marshal! Do people in your military department dare to exaggerate in front of the cardinal?" The Cardinal sitting on a high place was extremely burly, even the red robe couldn't hide it, and he was wearing heavy military boots.Everyone would think that it was a soldier.Now his name has been shouted out, Marshal Anthony of the Crusaders, the highest-ranking active soldier in the Pope. "Knight Veron is not exaggerating. Although his mouth is a bit stinky, he is a recognized intelligence expert. With the establishment of the Metallurgical Bureau and the Machinery Bureau, there is no suspense that the eastern-style mobile armor is being researched. If someone said that Chu Shun Hua is obsessed with mobile armor, and I will believe it if he turns his official residence into a mobile armor museum." General Anthony said coldly, "The information has already been written in a separate report and presented to you adults, but I guess you don't have time to read it. It. We thought it would take at least ten years for the Easterners to create their own mobile armor, but now it seems that the eastern-style mobile armor may already have a prototype!" The scripture hall suddenly fell silent, and the cardinals looked at each other in blank dismay. The news is too creepy.They just destroyed Xia Guo's main army near Marston, but Chu Shunhua has already started trial production of the prototype of the Eastern-style mobile armor, so when he comes again, why not ride a Stein heavy machine followed by steel Knights?Can such a Chu Shunhua be killed even if the scarlet god of death is dispatched? "This is an unprecedented critical moment. We need Seraphim at this time! The top priority is to rebuild Seraph, and anyone who is useful to rebuild Seraph should be reused!" A cardinal suddenly reacted, "I think we can give up Discuss whether to execute César." "Stupid! Do you still want to introduce this heresy into the army and hand over deadly weapons to him?" Archbishop Gugula said loudly, "Everyone, this is seeking skin from a tiger!" "But we need Seraphs! Archbishop Gracchus, we need Seraphs! Is Cesare the one who can threaten us? No! Our real threat comes from those disobedient vassal monarchs, as well as Chu Shunhua! During the war Even condemned prisoners can be sent to the battlefield with weapons, why can't we give Cesar a chance?" "Yes, if Seraphim cannot be rebuilt, our armored knights will no longer have an absolute advantage. The vassals will betray us one after another. At that time, we will lose control of the western world. How can we march to the east?" One cardinal concurred. "I have to remind you, my lords! Those who were present at the time declared César Borgia a heretic and expelled him from this city!" Archbishop Gracchus' voice was filled with awe-inspiring anger, " But today, three years later, all the dignified cardinals, are you going to welcome him back like a distinguished guest?" "Given the crimes he committed back then, a pardon is very easy. We just need to consider whether his value outweighs the danger he poses." "What danger can he be in? It's just a boy. The real danger is his mother..." The cardinal was halfway through speaking, and his heart suddenly turned cold. He felt a cold gaze cast from a very high place, like an arrow through the heart.He suddenly looked up and saw that Pope Borgia III was still slowly turning the pages of the book, moving his lips and reciting scriptures.It doesn't seem to have moved at all. "Yes, Archbishop Gracchus. He made mistakes, but he also made contributions to the country. He commanded the army to attack the capital of Ceylon. Reasonable words used by such a person are beneficial to the country." "Strict supervision is enough. He was just a juvenile delinquent three years ago. For juvenile delinquents, we can give him a chance to change his mind..." The balance of victory and defeat began to tilt to the side of Professor Franco, and the centrists expressed their opinions in support of Professor Franco and Licini's proposal, and the voices of Archbishop Gracchi and his supporters were drowned out. The cardinals really don't like Cesare, but compared to the man known as the Great Xia Sparrow, Cesare can be regarded as "one of our own".They also don't like the current pope, but in order to fight against Chu Shunhua, they need a strong man, so they endured Long Borgia until today. The three military officers who acted as witnesses were still standing on the witness stand with their heads held high. Li Xini was still staring straight ahead with no expression on his face.But it was this man who seemed taciturn.Cleverly exploiting the fear of Chu Shunhua among the cardinals, coupled with Veron's calm push, completely reversed the situation. Veron glanced at his old friend very quickly, and couldn't help feeling that the other party was, after all, the deputy director of the Bureau of Inquisition of Heresy, a person in the camp of high-ranking officials, whose skills were becoming more and more mature. Archbishop Cicero simply ignored the arguments of the cardinals. He walked down the steps slowly, stood in front of the cross, and looked down at Cesare, "Cesare, are you proud?" César looked at this powerful old man coldly. "Because of you, the high and powerful people are arguing endlessly. Some people think you are a hope, some people think you are a devil, some want to protect you, and some want to kill you. Maybe this is your charm? Wherever you go, And blood will follow," Archbishop Cicero said. César was slightly taken aback... Yes, bloody, he always brought bloody, from Ceylon to Marston, he brought disaster from one city to another.With nothing to do during his captivity, he thought over and over of his three years in Marston. Sometimes he would think, if he hadn't gone to Marston, maybe all that would not have happened, the self-confident Fabio, the proud Byron, the deep-eyed Anne...and that stupid effervescent Minay, they were all living happily, quarrelling, endlessly. He imagined the Midsummer Eve celebration that hadn't been held in time, Fabio knelt down on one knee and invited Anne to dance, the shyness in his eyes seemed to turn into dew, and the light organdy dress was flying in the night wind...beautiful It's like a painting. "Don't you want to justify yourself?" asked Archbishop Cicero. "No, the facts are all there, and there is nothing to justify." Poincaré felt that this sentence sounded familiar, and after thinking about it for a while, he suddenly remembered that Césaire had said something similar that night in the dean's office.This boy, no matter how much you mock him and despise him, he won't respond, but his heart is as unruly as a lion, and he won't beg for anything when he's pushed to the edge of a cliff. "You think you should be able to get out safely, right? The pope has used huge resources to protect you. The Minerva agency wants you, and the army also supports you to keep you. As a qualified person, you have great value for us to rebuild the Seraph Corps." It is very important, in this case we should be more tolerant to you. You must think so, right?" Archbishop Cicero's voice was still so beautiful. César looked directly into the unfathomable eyes of Archbishop Cicero, without answering.The status of the cardinal is also different. César is very aware of the status of Archbishop Cicero in the cardinal council. He has not expressed his opinion so far, because once he speaks, others will have no chance to speak. Once the lion speaks, the wolves can only whine. "But have you heard the story about the farmer and the snake? In winter, the farmer picked up a frozen snake on the side of the road. Out of kindness, he put the snake into his arms. The snake after waking up follows its nature. , bit on the farmer's chest. The farmer died because of his own kindness." Archbishop Cicero said quietly, "This story teaches us that doing good to others will not change their nature. Now you Wearing a straitjacket, tied to a cross, you look pretty well-behaved, even a little pathetic, but how do we know you're not a poisonous snake?" "You're telling the wrong story." Cesare said coldly, "You are going to drive the lion to fight for you, but you are afraid that its teeth and claws will turn against you, so you use the lion's Pull out the minions, but what use is such a lion to you? If you want to drive the lion, you have to bear the risk... If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight!" "This should be regarded as... young people's mockery of old people, right?" Archbishop Cicero shook his head, "But have you ever thought about what really supports this country? Is it a soldier as brave as a lion? Or is it God's blessing? ?” César was taken aback again. "It's the rules. It's the rules that really support this country. I reminded you three years ago that some things are insurmountable. That's the rules. But you like to challenge the rules so much that's why you were exiled." Archbishop Cicero Said softly, "A country can only become strong if everyone abides by the rules." "This is a country where the nobles, the rich and the high-ranking people do whatever they want, such as you. You can ignore the law, you can decide a person's life or death with a single word, but you, the highly respected Cardinal, say that everyone must abide by the rules?" "The superior can do whatever they want?" Archbishop Cicero still shook his head, "You should ask your father if his power is restricted. Son, you have never really understood the past of this country, so you cannot understand the history of this country." Now. We executed the last emperor of the old Roman Empire a hundred years ago. Since then, there are no real kings in the world. We have ushered in a new era. In this new era, everyone is subject to rules. The people in this scripture hall No exception, but you, you are the one trying to break the rules. You are the most dangerous black sheep among us, always trying to break through the sheepfold. You really have the ability, you are a rare genius I have seen, said It’s not an exaggeration to be a monster. You may be able to help us rebuild the Seraphs, but your power is destructive, if your power is not limited, sooner or later it will hurt our country.” He leaned closer to César's ear, "Don't rush to call yourself a lion, I know exactly what you are, you are a dangerous poisonous snake, no matter how obedient you are." There was still a gentle smile in his voice I mean, but every word I spit out is icy cold. “您想……处决我么？”西泽尔缓缓地打了个寒战但仍在强撑。 “不，我只想告诉你，这件事没那么容易结束。这个世界是公平的，有人犯了错，就要有人支付代价，当然，未必是同一个人。博尔吉亚家希望赦免你的罪，那么就得有博尔吉亚家的人为此支付代价。”西塞罗大主教转身返回自己的座位。 他摇晃银铃，朗声说，“下面，有请我们今天的第四位证人！凡尔登公主殿下！” 西泽尔猛地抬起头，脖根处的青筋暴起。 凡尔登公主殿下，他当然熟悉这个称呼，这是他妹妹阿黛尔·博尔吉亚的封号，她的封地就位于凡尔登，是那座城市名义上的领主。犯罪的是他而不是妹妹，因此“凡尔登公主”这个称号从未撤销过。那个猫般的少年在马斯顿穷得连新裙子都做不起，可西方世界的绝大多数公主见到她都要屈膝行礼。 公主驾临的时候就像一团光。她穿着纯白色的宫装长裙，软玉般的双手在身前交叠，，栗色的长发盘起在头顶，用价值连城的钻石发冠固定。金色的腰带束紧了少女特有的纤细腰肢，长长的裙尾由乖巧的小女仆托在手中，老练的宫廷女官板着脸站在她身后。 全体枢机卿都点头向这位尊贵至极的少女致敬，李锡尼、贝隆和庞加莱半跪下去，以手按胸，作为骑士，这是觐见公主殿下时必备的礼仪。 公主根本没看他们，公主俯视着下方的男孩，男孩用尽全力抬起头来，仰视公主。 漫长的沉默之后，公主的唇边流露出一丝淡淡的笑来，几乎就在同时西泽尔也笑了。他完全是下意识地在笑，即使他预感到最糟糕的情况就要发生，可他还是见到了妹妹，知道她还安好，于是平安喜乐由心而生。 笑着笑着，阿黛尔的眼泪落了下来，打在秘书捧来的圣典上。 “以凡尔登公主阿黛尔·博尔吉亚之名，在圣典前起誓，我接下来所说的一切皆为事实，无变更，无悔改。”阿黛尔手按圣典发誓。 庞加莱和贝隆迅速地对视一眼，也都觉得不对，西塞罗大主教为什么要召唤阿黛尔为证人呢？阿黛尔显然不会做出对自己哥哥不利的证词。而西塞罗大主教看起来是不想轻易地给西泽尔自由。 “感谢公主殿下的配合，如果没有别的事，让我们开始吧。”西塞罗大主教说。 “好的，那我们就开始吧。”阿黛尔表现得非常恭顺。 “据我们所知，你的哥哥西泽尔·博尔吉亚于三年前被判有罪、并逐出翡冷翠之后并无悔改之意，他心里认定这是枢机会对他的迫害，甚至可能有报复的想法。”西塞罗大主教念诵着早已列好的问题，“是这样么？” “哥哥并没有报复的想法，”阿黛尔微微地昂起头，“他说他想当个机械师，有份不错的薪水，娶个不好也不坏的女人，就这样就很幸福了。但他确实不认为自己有罪，他也没想过悔改，他只是厌倦了这里的一切。” 贝隆心说你还你说前面半截就好了，后半截可不能算是有利的证词啊。 西塞罗大主教点了点头，“他的情绪不太可控，有时候很温和，但也存在着暴力倾向，对么？” “凡是他认定为敌人的，他就会不遗余力。他以前也是这样的，各位大人想必都知道。”阿黛尔轻声说。 “事发当晚，他试图救助那名魔女，并因为魔女的被杀而愤怒，因此袭击普罗米修斯，对么？” "yes." “正如你所说，一旦他认定教皇国的士兵为敌人，他就会不遗余力，所以他毁灭了整个突击队，不留一个活口，对么？” "yes." 阿黛尔每说一个是的，佛朗哥教授就哆嗦一下，李锡尼眉间的寒意就重一分，庞加莱急忙看向贝隆，贝隆则完全懵掉了。他们努力到现在所得的战果被阿黛尔轻而易举的葬送了，形势急转直下。 在四位证人中，阿黛尔是唯一一个经历了全称的人，她最了解自己的哥哥，她的证词杀伤力也最大。根据她的证词，枢机卿们很容易得出结论说这是个不可控的男孩，他对枢机会抱有怀恨之心，为了魔女杀害教皇国军人。这种罪名成立的话，死刑是必然的。 最惊恐的还是西泽尔。他并不是为自己担心，而是他意识到情况有什么不对！他绝对信任阿黛尔，阿黛尔不会做出有损他的事情，即使用枪顶着她的额头或者教皇的额头，她都不会让哥哥受丝毫伤害。过去的三年里，对枢机会怀恨在心的人其实并不是他，而是阿黛尔，因为枢机卿们伤害了哥哥，所以阿黛尔是不会原谅他们的。 可阿黛尔竟说出了对他这么不利的证词，这完全不对！ “这样的话情况就明了了。您的哥哥西泽尔·博尔吉亚，他确有才能，但又不服管束。这样的孩子，本不该获得枢机会的特赦。”西塞罗大主教远远地看着阿黛尔，“但他那么优秀，我们也不愿看着他就此断送，我的意思您明白么？凡尔登公主殿下。” “明白，”阿黛尔点了点头，“根据旧罗马帝国传下来的法典，亲属能以自己的付出为犯人赎罪。” “那么您已经准备好了？” 阿黛尔深深地吸了一口气，“如果必有博尔吉亚家的人要为此支付代价，那么这个人应该是我。我，阿黛尔·博尔吉亚，是我哥哥唯一的亲人，我爱他，愿为他赎罪。我愿接受审判长提出的条件，嫁给查理曼王子克莱德曼。” 女孩清冽的声音回荡在经堂中，枢机卿们彼此交换眼神，贝隆可以想象那些银面具下的老脸上浮现了笑容，连暴躁的格拉古大主教也摆出了释然的姿态。 这个解决方案虽然不算完美，却解决了国家当前的大问题。阿黛尔答应下嫁查理曼王子，查理曼王国跟教皇国之间的关系就会越发亲近，两国之间的债务问题也就迎刃而解。而在这个动荡不安的时期，如果查理曼国王宣誓继续效忠教皇国，那么各国多半都会跟进，局面会就此稳定下来。 同时西泽尔的命得以保全，会对重建炽天使有所帮助，虽然留下这个危险的男孩也许会埋下些隐患，但跟眼下的直接利益相比，又算不得什么了。 不愧是西塞罗大主教，不愧是枢机卿中的领袖，原来对此早有安排。 可束缚野兽的铁链猛地绷紧，西泽尔如狂怒的野兽那样往前扑出，经堂中回荡着他的吼声，“西塞罗！你想做什么？” 那双总是眼帘低垂的紫瞳中，爆出了慑人的凶光。庞加莱简直不敢想象，那个总是安安静静与世界疏离的男孩会暴露出这样的一面，他忽然化身为狂怒的幼狮，如果他有谗毛，那么每一根鬃毛必然都是站着的，钢铁般坚硬。 也许人人都有这样的一面，当最核心的利益被人触动的时候，内心的狮子便会苏醒……也许这男孩的心里本来就藏着一只狮子，在马斯顿的三年里，他努力地控制着，不令那狮子咆哮。 “如你所听到的，我和公主殿下达成的协议是。我们尊贵的凡尔登公主将与查理曼王国的继承人理查德曼订婚。她将前往查理曼王国的首都亚琛，等到十八岁成年的时候，和查理曼王子举行婚礼。”西塞罗大主教的声音仍是那么平静，“这是我们和查理曼王室都乐于看到的结果，今夜亚琛将会举行盛大的庆典，为这场被神祝福的婚姻欢呼。” “你是用我妹妹去偿还你那该死的战争借款！她只有十五岁！你却要把她送去地狱！西塞罗你这个疯子！”西泽尔完全忘了自己还被捆在十字架上，刚刚扑出去就失去了平衡，鼻梁几乎撞断，鼻血横流。 “与其说我是疯子，不如想想她是在为谁赎罪。是你啊，西泽尔，你妹妹刚刚亲口说了，她是爱你的。若是她不爱你，凭我怎么能说服她嫁给克莱德曼呢？” 西塞罗大主教淡淡地说，“这个世界是公平的，你做错了事，你妹妹为此承担责任。何况这还算是一场完美的婚姻吧，除了新娘太小了一些。” 也只有他还能保持平静了，其他的枢机卿都有些不安。那个满面流血的男孩狂暴地挣扎着，似乎能把那钢铁的十字架从地上拔起来，然后扑上读经台，锁住西塞罗大主教的喉咙，逼他中止这份婚约。 从没有人敢在枢机会的决议下如此反抗，卫士们端起火统从四面八方瞄准了西泽尔。 一直在读书的教皇终于抬赶头来，扭头看了一眼背后的史宾赛斤长。史宾赛厅长微微欠身，大步走下读经台，站在了西泽尔面前。有史宾赛厅长站在那里，卫士们自然不敢开枪了。但西泽尔对父亲的使者也并不恭顺，仍在嘶声咆哮。 高瘦的史宾赛厅长纹丝不动地站在西泽尔面前，像是城墙那样挡住了这只幼狮的怒火。 “你父亲让我给你带口信说……废物！”史宾赛厅长的声音压得很低，这场对话仅限于他和西泽尔之间。他忽然出手，杷藏在衣袖里的针管扎在了西泽尔的后颈上，把大剂量的镇定剂注入。 天旋地转的感觉汹涌而来，西泽尔连站都站不稳了，眼前史宾赛厅长那张枯瘦的脸是破碎而寒冷的。他还在吼叫，可吼声越来越嘶哑，最终化为混合着血沫的喘息。 “你父亲说，你若真是狮子，就该知道何时亮出爪牙。还不是你亮出爪牙的时间，你妹妹还未成年，三年内她都不会和理查德曼成婚，只不过作为人质居住在亚琛。”史宾赛厅长的声音仿佛从极高处传来，“你父亲说，三年的时间足够他的儿子毁灭一个国家了，就像当年你毁灭锡兰。在那份需要被毁灭的国家的列表上，查理曼列在第一位，迪迪埃必须死，他的儿子理查德曼也不用即位。没有了新郎的婚礼自然无法举办，那一日我们也会举办盛大的庆典，庆祝查理曼王国被我们吞并了！” 他转身离去，留下精疲力尽的西泽尔倒在十字架下。西泽尔木然地看着经堂的屋顶，眼神渐渐苍白。 “很高兴事情能够这么解决，为了这孩子可是费了西塞罗大主教您不少心思。”某位枢机卿欣慰地说。其他枢机卿也纷纷起身，用掌声对西塞罗大主教的睿智表示敬意，除了教皇。 西塞罗大主教正要谦逊，忽然听见女人惊呼说，“公主殿下！公主殿下！” 身着长裙的凡尔登公主竟然撑着证人席的木栏一跃而过，像只敏捷的小鹿。女官根本来不及制止她，只能眼睁睁地看着公主殿下踩着银色的高跟鞋，在一层层的读经台之间跳跃，去向她的哥哥。在马斯顿王立机械学院，庞加莱也听说过这个女孩的美貌，可直到这一刻，看着那女孩噌噌噌地在枢机卿之间跳跃，白色的裙裾抽打在那些银面具上，他才觉得那女孩真是美得让人神往。 经堂中一片寂静，人人都被公主殿下这离经叛道的行为惊呆了，只能眼睁睁地看着她一路跳到哥哥的面前。她默默地站在西泽尔面前，如同一团光，她脚下的男孩穿着黑色的拘束衣，满面鲜血，像是地狱中的鬼魂。可她在男孩身边坐下，把他的头抱起来放在自己的膝盖上，轻轻地梳理他脏得黏在一起的头发。 她的背后恰恰是那副圣母升天前的画像，圣母把神子抱在怀中，抚摸着他的面颊，恰如这一刻的情景。枢机卿们对视一眼，都保持了沉默。 她把哥哥的头发梳理好了，脸上的血污也擦去了，眼泪也滴在了哥哥的脸上。“我要走啦哥哥，我不想离开你的，可这是我唯一能想到的办法。”她轻轻地哭着说，声音在经堂中回荡。 她想这些哥哥都不会知道了，但她还是要跟哥哥说。在那个暴风雨的夜晚，西泽尔小心翼翼地问她想不想家，其实她确实是想回翡冷翠的，毕竟在翡冷翠她过的是公主的生活，在马斯顿她连吃顿甜食都要盘算半天。她看得出哥哥对自己很歉疚，觉得自己是因为哥哥的缘故才流落到远方。 她努力地跟哥哥表示说，跟哥哥比起来翡冷翠就是个狗屁啊，为了呆在哥哥你身旁，我可以不要漂亮衣服不要大房子也不要我那匹心爱的小马……可哥哥看起来并不完全相信，哥哥还是觉得女孩子要过富足的好生活吧？哥哥希望自己活得像个公主。 可她说的都是真的，她的世界只是哥哥身边那么大一圈，跟哥哥比起来，翡冷翠就是狗屁。她是只会自己找食物的小猫，她不怕跟着哥哥去世界上任何遥远的角落……可现在她要离开哥哥了，她很想大声地哭出来，可她不愿让这些枢机卿听到。 她只想小声点跟哥哥说话，哪怕他全无知觉。 可她的手忽然被人抓住了，那双紫色的瞳孔仿佛在地狱深处张开。不知是什么力量，让西泽尔扛住了那针能够麻翻一头牛的大剂量镇静剂，他没有昏死过去，仍然残存着最后的意识。 “查理曼王迪迪埃，”男孩的声音透着浓重的血腥气，“我必将带领军队踏破他的国门！我必将审判他的罪行，把他钉死在十字架上！今夜每个为这个婚约拍手称庆的人……我都要他们追悔莫及！” 他嘶哑的声音回荡在经堂里，从枢机卿到卫士再到女官，心中都是一震，再是一寒。这种话听起来像是无意义的狠话，却也可以理解为某种誓言和某种诅咒，这男孩竟然立誓要将查理曼灭国，更要惩罚所有为这场婚姻祝福的人。 可你怎么毁灭查理曼？那可是西方最强大的国家之一。别以为你是教皇之子你就无所不能，你是个法律不会承认的私生子，你也不复当年的身份，你是被负罪之人，等着被研究，像实验用的动物那样，你何来那支用来踏破查理曼国门的军队？很多人都在心里嘲笑这个男孩的不自量力，偏偏无法驱散那股萦绕不去的寒冷。 阿黛尔也愣住了，但几秒钟之后她破涕为笑，那沾染了泪痕的笑容美得让人心中一颤，她说，“好呀，那我在亚琛等哥哥，和哥哥的军队！一定要来啊！我们去过……幸福的生活！” 她咬破嘴唇，把带血的吻印印在哥哥的额头，“我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣。愿你的国降临。愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。愿你保佑我的哥哥，加火焰于他的利剑之上，所有欲伤他的人都被灼伤，他所恨的人都被烧为灰烬！带着这个吻印，无论他去往何方。无法抵达之地终将无法抵达，所到之处必将光辉四射！” 她的声音那么轻柔那么动听，却又像挟裹着风雷。她以凡尔登公主之名当众祈祷，这祈祷词沉重无比，不是西泽尔的嘶吼能比的。这间经堂里只有妹妹相信了哥哥的狂言，尽管这可能要用她的一生幸福作为赌注。 几乎就在下一秒钟，她被扑过来的女官拖走，西泽尔也被冲上来的卫兵制服。他在地下爬行，努力地把手伸向远处的妹妹，但沉重的枪托打在他的胸口，让他彻底昏厥过去。 黑衣军官们拖着西泽尔去往西侧的通道，女官们则紧紧地围拱着阿黛尔，想把她推往东侧的通道。阿黛尔没有嚎啕大哭也没有挣扎，她只是默默地流泪，看着哥哥的身影消失在通道尽头。 “我会自己走！”她擦干了眼泪，冷冷地呵斥那些女官。 女官们打了个寒战，恢复了恭顺。今时今日，这个女孩已经不是凡尔登公主那么简单了，她是查理曼王子理查德曼的婚约者，这意味着她将会成为尊贵的查理曼王后。她们怎么敢要挟持未来的王后殿下呢？ 公主的仪仗在片刻之内恢复了，阿黛尔擦干了眼泪，拎起裙摆，昂首阔步地离开经堂。自始至终她都没看最高处的那个男人，她的父亲，教皇隆·博尔吉亚。 “这样的结果，圣座满意么？”西塞罗大主教抬头看向教皇，“今天的圣座，格外地安静呢。” 教皇合上了一直在读的那本书，随手把它丢在桌上，起身离去。 “可怜啊。”他用那惯常的、冷漠的声音说。 带着博尔吉亚家玫瑰花徽记的黑色礼车开出了西斯廷大教堂，白衣修士们骑着斯泰因重机随行，他们的白衣在夜风中翻转，露出下面锃亮的铜制枪械。 教皇坐在礼车后排，翘着腿闭目养神，这个男人脱去了那身教皇礼服后完全没有教皇的味道，更像个军人。史宾赛厅长坐在旁边的座位上，透过玻璃看向外面灯火通明的翡冷翠，这是一座不夜城，晚归的贵族们有些认出了教皇座驾，便急忙从马车或者礼车上下来，站在路旁恭恭敬敬地行礼。 “难得圣座您也会顾及子女的感受啊。”史宾赛厅长淡淡地说。 “我有么？”教皇缓缓地睁开眼睛。 “您有，在经堂中西塞罗大主教问您是否满意的时候，您说自己的子女可怜。” “你理解错了，我没说他们可怜。我是说那帮冒犯我儿子的人，真是太可怜了。”教皇的声音里透着一股寒冷而坚硬的味道。