Chapter 9 Chapter 6 Malilong
The intoxicating dream city...Malilong.The city is named after the great mage who led the people to Simharon, who chose this place as his final resting place after hundreds of years of vicissitudes and eyes overlooking the earth.Now, by the ultimate spell world, he is sleeping in the forest he loves.
Merilon, cathedrals and palaces of crystal, shining like tears frozen on the cheeks of the sky.
It is divided into two layers, the first layer is built on a marble foundation, the foundation floats in the air with the shackles of magic, it looks like a thick cloud layer tamed and shaped by manpower, here is called the upper city, its red color remains unchanged throughout the seasons The light shines on the lower city.
It was surrounded by a magic shroud, and in the summer sun it rained ornamental snow, and the warm air was blown by a brief, cool, sweet breeze.
Who doesn't feel a surge of pride when tourists look down on the entire magical city in a car pulled by a group of amazing and joyful monsters?Who doesn't show love for Merilon on his face?
Saryon was no exception, riding in a walnut-shaped carriage fashioned of silver and gold, towed in front by a magnificent winged squirrel.Saryon looked at the amazing beauty in front of him with tears in his eyes. However, this was not something embarrassing for him. Many members of the entourage who followed Bishop Vanya were also moved by the beautiful scenery of Malilong just like Saryon. cry.With the exception of the cynical Dorches, he had been born and raised in Merilon, and these things had long been the norm for him.The bored expression of Dorches attracted the jealous eyes of many members.
Tears of relief and joy welled up in Saryon's eyes.The past few days on the holy mountain were like years for him. Bishop Fanya successfully suppressed the incident of young people trespassing on the forbidden area of the library.This also impressed Saryon, who believed that the church did this entirely out of consideration for his own future.But Saryon was a very bad pretender, and his sense of guilt made him feel the words Ninth Tribe floating brilliantly above his head all the time, and everyone was staring at him.Poor Saryon would very likely disregard Van Yar's advice and tell everything, without thinking, to the first person who mentioned the word "library" to him.The only thing that saved him from thinking about it was the panic and busyness that came with preparing for the journey.
Everything was as Bishop Fanya expected.
The bishop himself rode in the cathedral's car, speeding ahead of the members' cars.His chariot, shaped like a leaf in polished gold, is drawn in front by two birds with bright red feathers.Van Ya was not at all interested in Malilong's splendor, he had seen all of this many, many times.When Vanya looked down at the whole Merilon, he lazily thought of Saryon, the little sinner, wondering how he got along with other people?
The bishop's bored eyes turned to the crystal walls of the three Way of the Earth guilds.The three Ways of the Earth guilds are each located on their own marble floors, commonly known as the Three Sisters.His gaze turned to the Silk Dragon Inn again. The name of the store comes from the crystal wall of the inn decorated with more than 500 silk ribbons. Each silk represents a room. Create a portrait of a flying dragon, a rainbow of brilliant colors in the night sky.The car passed the houses of the nobles, and the curtains of roses, silk, or swirling mist shone on the crystal walls.Van Ya yawned.However, he sighed when he looked up and saw the palace shining high in the sky like a star.Unlike the group of entourage members, he did not sigh out of surprise or awe. Van Ya's sighs expressed his worries, even anger.
The car continued to speed through the upper city of Merilon, and the group finally arrived at the only place on the way that attracted Bishop Vanya's full attention: the Cathedral of Merilon.It took 30 years of manpower to complete the Malilong Cathedral. In order to entertain everyone, the illusionists of the Shadow Road changed the original yellow crystal spiral roof and buttresses to dance like flames in the sun. The bright red is replaced by a burning golden yellow.While the members of the entourage were staring at the magnificent Merilon Cathedral in awe, Van Ya's eyes were attracted by a small defect.
The posture of one of the gargoyles has shifted slightly so that it is now facing the wrong direction.The bishop mentioned this to the cardinal next to him. The cardinal looked shocked, and the secretary sitting opposite the bishop immediately informed the regional cardinal of the incident by telepathy.The regional cardinal, who is in charge of all affairs in all the churches in Merilon City and the surrounding areas, is standing on the crystal steps waiting for the arrival of Bishop Vanya. His green robe trimmed with gold and silver edges is shining, but his eyes meet Vanya's eyes when he looks up. Afterwards, the face of the regional cardinal immediately turned pale, and the two apprentice monks immediately came to groom the gargoyle that caused trouble.
The bug was finally fixed.The cobweb-shaped gold and silver land bridge connecting all the marble floors in Merilon City was crowded with people, and the bishop followed the members of the delegation to the cathedral amidst the cheers of the crowd.Fan Ya stopped halfway to pray for everyone, and the scene was solemn.Then Fan Ya and others disappeared in the cathedral, and the crowd gradually dispersed, returning to laughter and joy.
There are people everywhere in Merilon City, including the upper and lower cities.Since the coronation ceremony of the Queen, there has never been such an exciting event in Merilon; the visiting nobles from outside the city have stayed at the relatives' homes in the city, and the guests' visits immediately made the host's house very lively. And those nobles who have no relatives living in the city had to stay at the Silk Dragon Inn.The Silk Dragon Inn was also full of people. The magic craftsmen and shapecallers of the Boalban tribe and the Kunalban tribe worked overtime day and night, all in order to provide luxurious rooms for the most famous nobles in Merilon.The guild members of Dao of the Earth are extremely busy, and many guild members even come from afar to help.
As everyone prepares for the biggest festival in history, Malilong's daily life seems to have come to a complete standstill.The melodious sound of practicing music came from the garden and the atrium, the actors were rehearsing on the stage and chanting poems, the vendors were shouting and selling their goods, and the mysterious smoke enveloped the works of the artists in anticipation of the grand occasion.
But no matter how busy they were, everyone still looked up at the palace from time to time.The palace hangs high in the scorching sun, shining peacefully and peacefully. The scorching sun will turn into a perfect rainbow made of colored silk after the birth of the prince.
When the rainbow appeared, Ma Lilong officially announced the start of the celebration, and the whole city announced the start of a two-week celebration; singing and dancing, dressing up for banquets, wine and food will make everyone fall into the realm of carnival.
Inside the cathedral everything was quiet, cool, and dark.As the sun set, the night fell over Malilong. In an instant, the only light source was a night star hanging from the spiral roof.After the faint starlight burst into dazzling fire and color in the city, it disappeared almost immediately, and only the Merilon Cathedral was still immersed in peaceful darkness.Through the transparent crystal ceiling, Saryon noticed suspiciously that the inside of the palace floating in the sky was also pitch black. It was probably no big deal that the palace was completely dark.Saryon remembered hearing his mother mention that the queen might have a difficult delivery this time. Even in the best of circumstances, she was still weak. It was no wonder that the originally bright and shining palace had cast a shadow. Saryon turned his gaze back to the city outside, which was more beautiful than imagined. He began to regret why he didn't go sightseeing with Dorches and others.On second thought, however, he felt that there was nothing wrong with being in the cathedral; there was comforting darkness all around him, and he could hear the novice practicing the sweet hymn of celebration.Saryon went into his room in the monastery, secretly determined to go out tomorrow night. However, on the second night, Saryon and everyone in the cathedral did not go out.As soon as everyone finished their dinner, several Catalyst Saints of the Salakli tribe who followed the healer brought an urgent summoning order to Vanya, and the bishop immediately set off for the palace with a cold and serious expression on his face. It was night, in the cathedral, everyone stayed up all night; from the young monks to the cardinals of the kingdom, everyone was awake all night, praying to God Emin non-stop.The bright and warm light that blooms from the palace above the cathedral corresponds to the cold stars in the dark night.Until the dawn, there was still no news. The starlight gradually faded with the rising sun. The catalyst saints were allowed to temporarily stop praying to deal with their duties, but the cardinal still warned everyone to always pray to God in their hearts. As a member of the entourage, Saryon can be said to have nothing to do. Most of the time, he almost wandered around in the cathedral, occasionally raised his head, and looked through the transparent crystal of the cathedral with energetic and curious eyes. Wall to enjoy the wonders of the surrounding.He saw people floating in the air and doing their daily routine, their thin robes fluttering in the wind; They smile. can i live hereSaryon asked himself.Can I leave my peaceful research life and enter this world full of brilliance and happiness?A month ago, my answer might have been no.I used to be a person who was content with everything, but now I am not, I can no longer go back to the inner library, I can't control my desire, do I want to see the painting on the door in front of the forbidden library Rune gate?No, by comparison, Marilon's life was much better.Saryon thought so.The archbishop is right, I was so immersed in the closed world of research that I completely forgot about the outside world, I should now go back to the outside world and make it a part of my life; I would go to parties and express myself , I will try my best to persuade the nobles to invite me to be their family saint. Satisfied with the change of circumstances, Saryon was only worried that he knew nothing of the duties of the Merilon saints, and he intended to consult Dorches at the first opportunity. However, Saryon never got the chance to ask him for advice.At noon, the two cardinals were summoned to the palace, their faces were lifeless when they left, and the remaining catalyst saints once again gathered to pray.Whispers had begun to spread through the streets, and soon everyone knew that the Queen's labor had begun, and that it was not going well.The music stopped abruptly, and the originally joyful atmosphere immediately cast a layer of melancholy.People gathered on the golden and silver land bridge to discuss in low voices, with serious faces looking up at the palace.The Sihana archmages who controlled the weather had brought in gray-blue clouds, and even the Silk Dragon Inn had to stop flaunting its gorgeous colors and curl up in the shadows.The people of Merilon meditated and prayed under the dark clouds that softly obscured the glare of the sun. As night fell, the palace shone with an ominous, intense light.After dinner, the catalyst saints once again gathered in the cathedral to pray.Kneeling on the marble floor, Saryon nods and nods in drowsiness; he lifts his head up to focus on the light, trying to stay awake. Finally, in the early morning, the bell of victory came from the palace, and the magical atmosphere surrounding Malilong immediately exploded with dazzling flames and a sea of silk flags.The queen gave birth to the prince successfully, and the news that the mother and child were safe came from the palace, and people danced and danced in the street.Saryon rose gratefully from the hard floor, and followed the other catalyst saints to the cathedral's atrium to watch the spectacular celebration outside.It's not the time for them to go out and join in the procession and celebrate together. Although the test ceremony can only be regarded as a routine formal procedure, the catalyst saints will not celebrate the birth of the prince before confirming that the child has the power of life.
Ten days after the birth of the prince, Saryon's heart was not occupied by the upcoming test ceremony. He walked down the marble stairs leading to the basement of the cathedral side by side with Dorches. "What is the work of a saint in an aristocratic family?" he asked. Dorches was about to answer, at this moment, the two came to an unfamiliar three-way intersection in the corridor, and the two deacons stopped, staring at the fork in uncertainty.Finally, Dorches stopped a novice who happened to be passing by. "Excuse me, sister. We are going to the room where the prince is undergoing the test ceremony, can you tell us how to get there?" he said. "I am honored to take you there, deacons from the Holy Mountain." The novice monk replied in a low voice.She was a charming young lady, her eyes wandering behind Saryon's tall figure, and she smiled shyly at him.She walked forward with the young deacons, looking back at Saryon from the corner of her eyes from time to time. Feeling the nun's eyes and Dorches' mischievous smile, Saryon blushed and repeated the previous question. "Family saint." Dorches thought for a while. "It turns out that this old boy, Fan Ya, was thinking about this. I didn't expect you to be interested in this." He looked sideways at the young deacon. "I thought you were only interested in mathematics." Saryon blushed even more, and he faltered a bunch of nonsense about Vanya thinking he should expand his horizons and realize his potential. Dorches raised his eyebrows as they descended another flight of stairs, and while he clearly suspected that Saryon's words buried many secrets, he did not question them.Saryon breathed a sigh of relief. "I have to warn you first, brother," said Dorches gravely. "The work of the saints in the family is very heavy. Let me think about it. How to say it will not scare you. Every morning around ten o'clock, the servants will come in with a gold plate for breakfast to wake you—" "Ten o'clock? What about the morning ritual every morning?" Saryon interrupted, staring at Dorches with uncertain eyes, suspecting that he was playing a big joke on himself. Docques pursed his lips and showed his accustomed sneer expression. This older deacon is likely to end up in the post of deacon because of his harsh words and disrespect to his superiors. The only reason why Vanya chose him as a member of the entourage is, It's just because Dojos knows and understands everything about Merilon. "Dawn Ritual? What nonsense are you talking about! In Merilon, the sun doesn't come out until you open your eyes and wake up. If you do something at sunrise, the whole room will be woken up by you. But think about it again, even the sun can't come out at sunrise, the archmages of the tribe of Sihana control the time of sunrise. Where did I say? Oh, yes, your first job It is to give the servants the power of life they need every day. After finishing this tiring work that takes up to five minutes, you can take a break and then recharge the lord and madam who also need the power of life from time to time. Feed the peacocks or change the color of the eyelashes to match the gown. Then, if there are children in the house, you have to teach the little ghosts to read the holy scriptures or give them the life force so that they can fall in the house. Stumbling and flying around, crashing furniture to make parents happy. After that, you can rest until evening, and then accompany Mrs. Mrs. to the palace for a banquet. You must stand by, because Mrs. sometimes needs your help to summon He used to have visions of making the emperor yawn, or bestowing the life force on the lady so that she would win at a ball in Swan Park or a tarot contest." "Are you kidding me?" Saryon asked anxiously. Dorches looked at Saryon and burst out laughing, and the eager young nun cast him a reproachful glance back. "My dear brother Saryon, you are so naive! Maybe Vanya is right, you really need to go out and see the world more. What I just said is indeed a little exaggerated, but it is only a little bit. But the words Coming back, being a family saint in a noble family is indeed a perfect decision, especially in your case." "Really?" "Of course it's true, you have all the magic resources in your hands, and you can spend the whole afternoon in the library of Merilon University. By the way, the library has the best collection of lost magic books in the world, including several This rare book is not even in the library of the holy mountain. Just walk over the silver land bridge and you can get there. Want to do research in the way of the earth guild, or show them your latest formula that saves time in summoning the reclining chair Is it? Just take the old man's car and go to the three sisters. Maybe you want to see for yourself how the crops that the old man just planted are doing, and the teleportation corridor will bring you to the farm in no time; you can watch the seeds germinate Or what the hell are those poor serf mages doing, you'll never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life. Oh, of course, maybe you'll get married anyway." The last sentence was obviously addressed to the novice monk who was shaking her head disapprovingly, but she still couldn't help but look back at Saryon again. "I think I should like this kind of life." Saryon said after thinking for a while. "Of course, from the point of view of academic research." He immediately added a sentence. "Of course." Dorches replied bitterly. "I said, my dear lady, are you going the wrong way? Or are you going to take us to some remote corner to steal from the rich and give to the poor?" he said to the novice monks. "Deacon!" murmured the novice monk, a blush burning up to the roots of her curly hair. "Just—it's at the bottom of this corridor, the first room on the right." After she finished speaking, she turned around, looked at Saryon for the last time with her big round eyes, and almost left the corridor at the speed of fleeing. "Is it necessary to talk like this?" Saryon muttered angrily, his eyes resting on the departing novice. "Please, take it easy, old man," replied Dorches briskly, rubbing his hands together. "Relax, you will be able to see the colorful life of Merilon tonight. Finally! I can finally leave this old moldy grave of the dead! We can finish the test ceremony of this stinking brat soon, and announce that the prince has life Once everything is back to normal, we can hang out with rich people and pretty girls. You should already know what to do, right?" "At the test ceremony?" Saryon asked, thinking that Dorches was referring to how to deal with rich people and beautiful ladies. "Probably." He replied with a sigh. "I know the instructions for the ceremony by heart. You've done it before, haven't you?" "I've done it hundreds of times, man, hundreds of times. Isn't it your job to hold the baby? There is one most important thing to remind you: remember to hold the baby, hold his little one — um… that thing you know — aim at yourself, not at the bishop. That way if that little bastard pisses, he'll piss on you instead of the bishop." Fortunately, the shocked Saryon finally came to the door of the room where the test ceremony was held. Doques had to shut his cynical mouth, and Saryon was not forced to answer the last sentence Still, by the standards, highly offensive and disrespectful advice. The two walked in stepping on the feet of other Vanya entourage members, and hurriedly performed the ceremony of washing and cleansing.A deacon in the cathedral led them to a room where all children born in Merilon were tested.As usual, there are only two catalyst saints present in the test ceremony of ordinary children. However, in today's test ceremony, a large group of people gathered in the room. The number was so large that the two late deacons could hardly squeeze into the small room. in the room.Among the people present, apart from Vanya who was wearing his best robe, there were two cardinals: the Holy See Cardinal and the Diocese Cardinal, the four Vanya entourage members who acted as witnesses, and then there were Saryon and Doques. Two deacons, they are responsible for carrying out the test ceremony.In addition, there is also the noble Catalyst Saint who belongs to the royal family, and he holds the baby in his arms.Finally, there is the prince himself. He has just had a full meal and is sleeping soundly. "Let us pray to God," said Archbishop Vanya, bowing his head in prayer. Saryon also bowed his head to pray, and the words of prayer spilled out of his mouth without thinking, and he reviewed the ritual process of testing the power of life again in his heart. With hundreds of years of history, it is said that the process of testing rituals originated from the dark world is actually very simple.When the baby is ten days old and strong enough to be tested, the parents take the baby to the cathedral or any nearby faith center to be delivered to the catalyst saints.The baby will be taken to a small room, isolated from all outside influences, where it will be tested. First, the catalyst saint will take off the baby's clothes, place the baby with its back facing the water, and put it into warm water that is as warm as its body temperature. The deacon who is holding the baby will then let go.A baby with life force can lie on the surface of the water steadily without sinking, nor will it roll over or struggle in the water, it just floats calmly and serenely on the surface of the water.The life force in the baby's body responds to protect itself. After the first test, a deacon would bring a glowing, colorful toy and hold it up to the baby's face while it was still floating.Although the baby's eyes cannot focus, he can still feel the toy in front of him and reach out to try to grab it.When the deacon let go of the toy in his hand, the toy will be slowly attracted and floated to the baby's side again under the stimulation and response of the life force in the body. Finally, the deacon will lift the baby from the water, and the catalyst saint will hold the baby and comfort him until the baby feels safe and relaxed.Then, another deacon held up a bunch of burning torches and slowly approached the baby until the life force in the baby could automatically raise a magical protective shield around the body without the help of any catalyst saints. . This is the procedure of the testing ritual - simple and quick.It was only a formality, as Rudoches had assured Saryon. "I don't know why people are still doing testing ceremonies," Dorches had muttered the night before. "In my opinion, for some pauper catalyst saints, this is a good way to give a few chickens or a sack of corn as a thank you gift to the common people, plus the nobles can also use it as a party excuses. Other than that, the whole ceremony is pointless at all." Or maybe it used to be that way, until now.
"Deacon Doques, Deacon Saryon, start the test ceremony." The archbishop said solemnly. Saryon stepped forward and took the baby from the noble catalyst saint. An expensive wool blanket wrapped the baby's small body.Saryon had never held such a small and delicate body before, and he fumbled trying to untie the blanket without waking the baby.Finally, under the impatient eyes of everyone, Saryon picked up the naked baby and returned the blanket he had just untucked to the noble catalyst saint. Saryon turned around and put the baby on the water, looking down at the little boy sleeping in his arms, he immediately forgot the eyes of everyone around him.Although the young Catalyst Saint had never held a baby, he was fascinated by the little boy in his arms.Even Saryon could see the unusual beauty of the baby.The prince was strong and healthy, with a tuft of black curly hair on the top of his head, smooth white skin, closed eyes with a hint of light blue around the eye sockets, and tightly clenched small fists.Saryon touched the prince's fist tenderly, looking intoxicated at the baby's perfect little fingernails and toenails.It's amazing.he thought to himself.This little man must have been created by God himself. Dorches coughed impatiently, bringing Saryon back to reality.The elder deacon had already opened the cover on the warm water basin, and a sweet and pleasant aroma wafted into the air, and one of the novice monks sprinkled some rose petals on the water. Saryon murmured prayers he had stayed up last night to memorize as he gently placed the baby on the water.The warm water gently touched the prince's skin, and he opened his eyes, but did not cry. "What a brave boy," murmured Saryon, smiling at the baby.The prince had the thoughtful, slightly confused newborn expression on his face. "Release the prince." Fan Ya instructed formally. Saryon carefully moved his hands away from the baby's body. Immediately the prince sank to the bottom like a stone. Dorches took a slight step forward, but someone moved faster than him; Saryon immediately reached into the warm water, grabbed the baby, and lifted him out of the water.Saryon held the dripping baby abruptly, and looked at the crowd uncertainly.The prince coughed and spat, and was about to start crying in protest of the rude treatment. "Maybe it's my fault, Your Excellency." Saryon said hastily, and the baby finally caught its breath and began to cry sharply. "I let go too quickly..." "Nonsense, Deacon." Fan Ya replied straightforwardly. "please continue." It is not all that unusual for a baby to fail one of the three tests, especially if some baby has a strong magical gift from a certain clan.For example, a strong wizard of the Way of Fire will most likely fail the test of floating on water. Saryon felt a little relieved when he remembered that the incident had been mentioned in the book.He held the baby and made Doches wave the toy in front of the prince.When the prince saw the shiny toy, he stopped crying. He happily stretched out his little hand to grab it. Deacon Doques put down the toy in accordance with the bishop's instructions. The toy hit the Prince on the nose and fell to the ground in a horrible silence.The silence was instantly broken by the prince's anguished cry of pain and blood dripping down his beautiful skin. Saryon looked at Doques in fear, hoping to see any expression or signal to reassure him, but Saryon only saw Doques's lips that were always sneering tightly closed, and the sarcasm in his eyes disappeared. disappeared, and began to avoid Saryon's gaze.The young deacon looked up frantically, only to see other people in the room looking at each other with confused and wary expressions. Archbishop Van Ya whispered a few words to the noble catalyst saint, who nodded vigorously with a pale and tense face. "Try again." Van Ya ordered. With trembling hands, Saryon slowly lowered the screaming baby into the basin and let go.Seeing the prince sinking again, Saryon seized the baby at the command of the bishop's hasty gestures. "Bless Emin!" the noble catalyst saint whispered in a trembling voice. "It's too late to say this now." Van Ya replied coldly. "Bring the baby here, Saryon." He was so nervous that he forgot to add the official title of "deacon" to his order.Saryon made an awkward attempt to calm the still crying baby, hastily following orders, and brought the prince in his arms before the Bishop. "Give me the torch." Vanya ordered Doques.Dorches reluctantly took the torch, and impatiently handed it to the bishop at once. Van Ya caught the burning torch and stabbed it straight at the baby's face.The baby was crying in pain, and Saryon grabbed the bishop's arm in a frenzy, and pushed him away with a roar. There was silence, everyone in the room could smell the smell of burnt hair, and everyone could see the blood-red scald marks beside the baby's temples. Saryon was trembling, he hugged the child in his arms tightly, turned around to avoid the pale faces and fearful eyes behind him, and gently patted the baby who was still screaming and crying hysterically.The first chaotic thought that popped into Saryon's head was that he had broken yet another commandment, that he had dared to touch his superior without permission, and what was worse, had pushed him away angrily. bishop.The young deacon hunched his shoulders, waiting for the bishop's stern reprimand, but the bishop remained silent.He relaxed his shoulders, raised his head to face Vanya, and finally saw the reason. Perhaps the bishop had no idea that Saryon had touched him.Staring intently at the baby, pale and wide-eyed.The noble catalyst saints clenched their hands, visibly trembling, while the cardinal stood aside and looked at them helplessly. At the same moment, the prince screamed so violently from the pain of the burn that he almost suffocated.Saryon was at a loss, but he finally realized that the crying of the baby had almost caused the tense emotions of everyone in the room to collapse.Desperate to get the baby to stop crying, he finally succeeded in silencing the prince, although it was more because the prince was tired from crying than because he had any talent as a nanny.The silence shrouded the room like a thick fog, interrupted by the baby's hiccups from time to time. Then Bishop Vanya spoke: "This has never happened before, not even before the Iron Wars," he whispered. There was obvious awe in the bishop's words, which Saryon could understand, as did he himself.But Fan Ya's tone also made him shiver, Fan Ya had never spoken in this tone, and his voice was full of fear. Fan Ya sighed, removed the heavy power crown on his head, and stretched out his trembling hands to his bald head. The majesty and mystery that surrounded him seemed to be removed along with the power crown.Saryon patted the baby on the back, noticing that the bishop in front of him had become an overweight middle-aged man who looked tired and frightened.Saryon was terrified by the bishop's reaction, and judging by the looks on the faces of the others, he wasn't the only one in the room who felt that way. "The next thing I ordered you to do, you must implement it without any doubts." Fan Ya said inarticulately.He looked at the power crown in his hand, and absently tapped the gold edge on the power crown with trembling hands. "I can tell you the reason - no, no." Van Ya raised his head, his eyes were serious and cold. "No, I swore to keep the secret, and I can't break the oath. You must obey my instructions, don't have any doubts, you just need to know that I will take full responsibility for my orders." He hesitated for a moment, then began to pray silently in trembling tones. Saryon held the hiccupping baby in his arms and looked at the others, wondering if the others understood what the bishop said, and everyone was at a loss.He had never heard of a baby failing a test.What happened?What terrible things had the bishop ordered him to do?All eyes were on Fanya, hoping that he could show his power to save them; everyone seemed to have opened a transmission channel connected to the bishop, but instead of transmitting the power of life, they absorbed all the power in the bishop's body. Perhaps everyone's reliance gave Fanya strength, and he finally stood up straight and raised his head.The bishop pouted, his eyes were distracted, and his brows were deeply furrowed, as if he was still thinking.Then, he had obviously made a choice.He frowned, and his expression returned to his usual calmness. He put the power crown back on, and the archbishop finally stood in front of everyone again. Bishop Vanya turned to Saryon. "Take the baby straight to the nursery," he ordered. "Don't take him back to Mother. I will report this to the Empress myself and prepare her. In the long run, a quick and decisive separation will be more acceptable to her." At this moment, the noble catalyst saint made a strange sound that sounded like a choking cry.Vanya's fat, wrinkled face was covered with frost, and the chill silence of the room seemed to seep into the Bishop's veins.He ignored the noble catalyst saint, and continued in a cold tone: "From now on, no food or water is allowed for this child. We cannot keep this child, he is a living dead." The bishop continued, but Saryon fell on deaf ears.The baby hiccupped against his shoulder, and his best robes were soaked with tears.The Prince raised one of his fists and sucked it noisily to his mouth, staring at Saryon with his large blank eyes.Saryon could still feel his little body still trembling with sobs. Saryon looked down at the baby, his thoughts racing and his heart prickling.He had heard that all babies are born with blue eyes, but the Prince's eyes were a dark, gloomy blue.Is the prince's appearance as beautiful as her mother's legend says?Saryon remembered that he had heard that the Queen's eyes were brown, and he had also heard that the Queen's dark blue hair was so thick that it didn't take any magic to look as black and bright as a raven's wings.Thinking of this, he looked at the thick black hair on the baby's head and saw blisters starting to form on his forehead.Saryon intuitively stretched out his hand to caress the blister, and began to recite healing prayers with his mouth, accelerating the self-healing speed of the life force in the baby's body.Then he stopped, and suddenly remembered something: there was no life force circulating in the baby's body. What the young deacon held in his arms was a living corpse with no life force. 王子突然颤抖地长吸一口气，似乎准备开始哭泣，但接着仍继续吸吮着自己的拳头，看来这让他很满足。王子舒服地依偎在沙里昂怀里，长着黑色睫毛的大眼睛盯着他。 沙里昂的内心痛苦地纠结着，他不禁想着：从现在开始，我将会是最后一个抱着他、轻拍他的背、抚摸他那长满如丝黑发小脑袋的人。泪水夺眶而出，刺痛了沙里昂的眼睛，他抬头无助地环视四周，无言地乞求任何人能够带走这个沉重的负担。没有人愿意帮他，甚至没有人敢面对他的眼神，除了主教以外。凡亚看到居然有人胆敢抗命，皱起了眉毛。 沙里昂张嘴想说话，他想要质疑主教这个残忍的决定，但声音却梗在喉咙里。凡亚说过众人必须毫无疑问地遵从他的所有决定，而他会承担起一切责任，既是如此，区区一位执事的恳求会打动他吗？一位早已有了坏名声的执事？不太可能。沙里昂做了唯一能做的：他鞠躬抱着孩子离开房间，离开时手仍笨拙地轻拍王子的背，这似乎能让他平静一点。然而当年轻的执事一走进长廊后，他才发现自己在巨大的大教堂里面迷路了，他只知道无论如何自己一定要赶到皇宫。沙里昂在走廊底瞄到一个黑色的暗影，是一位执法官。他迟疑了，那位执法官或许能够指引他前往皇宫的方向，甚至用他的法力直接传送他到皇宫。 看着黑袍执法官，沙里昂打了个冷颤，接着转身往相反的方向前进。他赌气般地想着，我会靠自己找到去皇宫的路，至少，如果我走路的话，就能够给这个可怜的孩子再多一点慰藉，直到……直到…… 沙里昂离开长廊时最后听到的是凡亚的声音。 “明天早上，皇帝跟女皇会公开宣布他们的孩子是个活死人，我会将婴儿带到圣山。明天下午，我们将会在那儿举行守灵仪式。我希望为了我们大家着想，这整件事能够迅速解决。”
为了我们大家着想。 第二天，沙里昂执事站在美丽的马理隆大教堂里面，倾听着活死人婴儿的恸哭声。他一切的计划、希望、愿景、梦想在耳边低语向他道别。 马理隆将不会举办任何庆祝仪式了，这也意味着沙里昂不会被正式引见给贵族家族。人们都还在恍惚中。消息传开，所有的大型庆祝会全都突然被中断停止。锡哈那支派的法师们召唤出灰色的浓雾遮蔽住城市；演员跟艺术家离开了马理隆，学生们被赶回大学去。贵族们在鬼魅般的氛围中轻快地飞行，他们四处穿梭压低着声音互相交谈，试着询问是否有人还记得有关参加守灵仪式时的适当礼节。很少人知道该如何主持这类仪式，皇家已经有很多年没有皇子诞生了，更没有人能够回想起曾听过皇子夭折的。 当然，凡亚主教掌握了所有的资讯。消息终于传出去，正当沙里昂穿着他的哭泣灰蓝长袍站在大教堂里时，整座城市在波阿尔班支派的唤形匠师们跟昆阿尔班支派的魔工匠师们疯狂地彻夜赶工下，已历经了一场大改变。 灰雾持续笼罩着城市。雾气越来越浓，使得阳光完全无法透过城外魔法障壁，照耀里面死寂的街道，以及飘浮在上空的红色大理石平台。城市内所有装饰华丽水晶墙建筑的鲜艳色彩全都消逝不见，改换上代表着哀悼的灰色挂毯，看起来如同雾气具体地形体化一般。即使是丝龙客栈也逃走了。父母亲这样告诉他们的小孩。丝龙为了哀悼王子是活死人，爬回自己的巢穴中。 街道安静且空虚，那些没有参加皇室家族追悼会的人被限制在家中不准外出。表面上这些人参加了邻居们的祈祷会，一起祈求守灵仪式能够马上结束。但是在这些众多家庭中，年轻母亲们张开苍白颤抖的嘴唇祈祷，她们紧抱着有孕的肚子和里面尚未出世的宝宝，宝宝则将手放在飘浮于羊水内的身体上，小小的嘴唇不论如何努力也无法念出祈祷词。
自此之后，越来越多马理隆贵族家中的小孩在测试仪式中失败，虽然再也没有人像王子一样失败得那么彻底，大多数没能通过测试仪式的婴儿都被送去圣山上执行守灵仪式。 大多数，但不是全部。 沙里昂应凡亚的要求待在马理隆为大教堂工作，负责的职务之一包括为这些孩子举行测试仪式。一开始沙里昂恨透了这份工作，他以为自己可能会抗命，并要求一个新职务；任何新工作看起来都比现在这个好，即使是驻村圣徒这种粗重下贱的工作也是。但公然抗命不是沙里昂的天性，所以不久之后他变得比较认命，虽然这并不是由于他的个性。 沙里昂了解有关处决这些孩子们的推论。事实上，主教在测试失败率日渐升高的时候亲自解释过，但困惑害怕的人们开始在背地里谈论着反对触媒圣徒的言论。而在同时，触媒圣徒们正在所有能够想到的书籍经典中努力钻研，试图为这些令人费解的问题寻找出答案。 Why is this happening?要如何预防？还有为什么这只特别发生在贵族家中？因为众人很快发现，居住在马理隆市内的平民跟农庄里的农奴法师们却能够产下拥有生命之力的健康婴儿。马理隆的人们要求一个解答，凡亚不得不在大教堂里发表了一篇安定人心的布道演说。 “这些不幸的婴儿根本就不能够算是孩子。”凡亚严肃地吼道，他的话在教堂的拱形水晶屋顶中回荡着。“他们只能算是花园中的杂草！我们必须拔除杂草，让他们枯萎，就如同农奴法师们对待田里面的杂草一样。如果不这样做的话，他们马上就会让这整个世界的魔法力窒息，不再流通。” 这个恐怖的预言发挥了预期的效用，从此以后，大多数父母终于接受神的旨意，并将他们没能通过测试的宝宝交给触媒圣徒。可是仍有父母亲决定反抗，他们私下为自己刚出生的宝宝做测验，如果宝宝在测验里不合格，他们会将孩子藏起来，直到婴儿大到能够被偷带出城市。触媒圣徒们知道这件事，但他们能够做的只有守住秘密不让大众知道，以免让所有人过度惊慌。 所以，活死人们以越来越多的人数横行在这块大地上。沙里昂某天晚上在日记里这样写着。而我们的恐惧也随之与日俱增。
Inside the cathedral everything was quiet, cool, and dark.As the sun set, the night fell over Malilong. In an instant, the only light source was a night star hanging from the spiral roof.After the faint starlight burst into dazzling fire and color in the city, it disappeared almost immediately, and only the Merilon Cathedral was still immersed in peaceful darkness.Through the transparent crystal ceiling, Saryon noticed suspiciously that the inside of the palace floating in the sky was also pitch black. It was probably no big deal that the palace was completely dark.Saryon remembered hearing his mother mention that the queen might have a difficult delivery this time. Even in the best of circumstances, she was still weak. It was no wonder that the originally bright and shining palace had cast a shadow. Saryon turned his gaze back to the city outside, which was more beautiful than imagined. He began to regret why he didn't go sightseeing with Dorches and others.On second thought, however, he felt that there was nothing wrong with being in the cathedral; there was comforting darkness all around him, and he could hear the novice practicing the sweet hymn of celebration.Saryon went into his room in the monastery, secretly determined to go out tomorrow night. However, on the second night, Saryon and everyone in the cathedral did not go out.As soon as everyone finished their dinner, several Catalyst Saints of the Salakli tribe who followed the healer brought an urgent summoning order to Vanya, and the bishop immediately set off for the palace with a cold and serious expression on his face. It was night, in the cathedral, everyone stayed up all night; from the young monks to the cardinals of the kingdom, everyone was awake all night, praying to God Emin non-stop.The bright and warm light that blooms from the palace above the cathedral corresponds to the cold stars in the dark night.Until the dawn, there was still no news. The starlight gradually faded with the rising sun. The catalyst saints were allowed to temporarily stop praying to deal with their duties, but the cardinal still warned everyone to always pray to God in their hearts. As a member of the entourage, Saryon can be said to have nothing to do. Most of the time, he almost wandered around in the cathedral, occasionally raised his head, and looked through the transparent crystal of the cathedral with energetic and curious eyes. Wall to enjoy the wonders of the surrounding.He saw people floating in the air and doing their daily routine, their thin robes fluttering in the wind; They smile. can i live hereSaryon asked himself.Can I leave my peaceful research life and enter this world full of brilliance and happiness?A month ago, my answer might have been no.I used to be a person who was content with everything, but now I am not, I can no longer go back to the inner library, I can't control my desire, do I want to see the painting on the door in front of the forbidden library Rune gate?No, by comparison, Marilon's life was much better.Saryon thought so.The archbishop is right, I was so immersed in the closed world of research that I completely forgot about the outside world, I should now go back to the outside world and make it a part of my life; I would go to parties and express myself , I will try my best to persuade the nobles to invite me to be their family saint. Satisfied with the change of circumstances, Saryon was only worried that he knew nothing of the duties of the Merilon saints, and he intended to consult Dorches at the first opportunity. However, Saryon never got the chance to ask him for advice.At noon, the two cardinals were summoned to the palace, their faces were lifeless when they left, and the remaining catalyst saints once again gathered to pray.Whispers had begun to spread through the streets, and soon everyone knew that the Queen's labor had begun, and that it was not going well.The music stopped abruptly, and the originally joyful atmosphere immediately cast a layer of melancholy.People gathered on the golden and silver land bridge to discuss in low voices, with serious faces looking up at the palace.The Sihana archmages who controlled the weather had brought in gray-blue clouds, and even the Silk Dragon Inn had to stop flaunting its gorgeous colors and curl up in the shadows.The people of Merilon meditated and prayed under the dark clouds that softly obscured the glare of the sun. As night fell, the palace shone with an ominous, intense light.After dinner, the catalyst saints once again gathered in the cathedral to pray.Kneeling on the marble floor, Saryon nods and nods in drowsiness; he lifts his head up to focus on the light, trying to stay awake. Finally, in the early morning, the bell of victory came from the palace, and the magical atmosphere surrounding Malilong immediately exploded with dazzling flames and a sea of silk flags.The queen gave birth to the prince successfully, and the news that the mother and child were safe came from the palace, and people danced and danced in the street.Saryon rose gratefully from the hard floor, and followed the other catalyst saints to the cathedral's atrium to watch the spectacular celebration outside.It's not the time for them to go out and join in the procession and celebrate together. Although the test ceremony can only be regarded as a routine formal procedure, the catalyst saints will not celebrate the birth of the prince before confirming that the child has the power of life.
Ten days after the birth of the prince, Saryon's heart was not occupied by the upcoming test ceremony. He walked down the marble stairs leading to the basement of the cathedral side by side with Dorches. "What is the work of a saint in an aristocratic family?" he asked. Dorches was about to answer, at this moment, the two came to an unfamiliar three-way intersection in the corridor, and the two deacons stopped, staring at the fork in uncertainty.Finally, Dorches stopped a novice who happened to be passing by. "Excuse me, sister. We are going to the room where the prince is undergoing the test ceremony, can you tell us how to get there?" he said. "I am honored to take you there, deacons from the Holy Mountain." The novice monk replied in a low voice.She was a charming young lady, her eyes wandering behind Saryon's tall figure, and she smiled shyly at him.She walked forward with the young deacons, looking back at Saryon from the corner of her eyes from time to time. Feeling the nun's eyes and Dorches' mischievous smile, Saryon blushed and repeated the previous question. "Family saint." Dorches thought for a while. "It turns out that this old boy, Fan Ya, was thinking about this. I didn't expect you to be interested in this." He looked sideways at the young deacon. "I thought you were only interested in mathematics." Saryon blushed even more, and he faltered a bunch of nonsense about Vanya thinking he should expand his horizons and realize his potential. Dorches raised his eyebrows as they descended another flight of stairs, and while he clearly suspected that Saryon's words buried many secrets, he did not question them.Saryon breathed a sigh of relief. "I have to warn you first, brother," said Dorches gravely. "The work of the saints in the family is very heavy. Let me think about it. How to say it will not scare you. Every morning around ten o'clock, the servants will come in with a gold plate for breakfast to wake you—" "Ten o'clock? What about the morning ritual every morning?" Saryon interrupted, staring at Dorches with uncertain eyes, suspecting that he was playing a big joke on himself. Docques pursed his lips and showed his accustomed sneer expression. This older deacon is likely to end up in the post of deacon because of his harsh words and disrespect to his superiors. The only reason why Vanya chose him as a member of the entourage is, It's just because Dojos knows and understands everything about Merilon. "Dawn Ritual? What nonsense are you talking about! In Merilon, the sun doesn't come out until you open your eyes and wake up. If you do something at sunrise, the whole room will be woken up by you. But think about it again, even the sun can't come out at sunrise, the archmages of the tribe of Sihana control the time of sunrise. Where did I say? Oh, yes, your first job It is to give the servants the power of life they need every day. After finishing this tiring work that takes up to five minutes, you can take a break and then recharge the lord and madam who also need the power of life from time to time. Feed the peacocks or change the color of the eyelashes to match the gown. Then, if there are children in the house, you have to teach the little ghosts to read the holy scriptures or give them the life force so that they can fall in the house. Stumbling and flying around, crashing furniture to make parents happy. After that, you can rest until evening, and then accompany Mrs. Mrs. to the palace for a banquet. You must stand by, because Mrs. sometimes needs your help to summon He used to have visions of making the emperor yawn, or bestowing the life force on the lady so that she would win at a ball in Swan Park or a tarot contest." "Are you kidding me?" Saryon asked anxiously. Dorches looked at Saryon and burst out laughing, and the eager young nun cast him a reproachful glance back. "My dear brother Saryon, you are so naive! Maybe Vanya is right, you really need to go out and see the world more. What I just said is indeed a little exaggerated, but it is only a little bit. But the words Coming back, being a family saint in a noble family is indeed a perfect decision, especially in your case." "Really?" "Of course it's true, you have all the magic resources in your hands, and you can spend the whole afternoon in the library of Merilon University. By the way, the library has the best collection of lost magic books in the world, including several This rare book is not even in the library of the holy mountain. Just walk over the silver land bridge and you can get there. Want to do research in the way of the earth guild, or show them your latest formula that saves time in summoning the reclining chair Is it? Just take the old man's car and go to the three sisters. Maybe you want to see for yourself how the crops that the old man just planted are doing, and the teleportation corridor will bring you to the farm in no time; you can watch the seeds germinate Or what the hell are those poor serf mages doing, you'll never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life. Oh, of course, maybe you'll get married anyway." The last sentence was obviously addressed to the novice monk who was shaking her head disapprovingly, but she still couldn't help but look back at Saryon again. "I think I should like this kind of life." Saryon said after thinking for a while. "Of course, from the point of view of academic research." He immediately added a sentence. "Of course." Dorches replied bitterly. "I said, my dear lady, are you going the wrong way? Or are you going to take us to some remote corner to steal from the rich and give to the poor?" he said to the novice monks. "Deacon!" murmured the novice monk, a blush burning up to the roots of her curly hair. "Just—it's at the bottom of this corridor, the first room on the right." After she finished speaking, she turned around, looked at Saryon for the last time with her big round eyes, and almost left the corridor at the speed of fleeing. "Is it necessary to talk like this?" Saryon muttered angrily, his eyes resting on the departing novice. "Please, take it easy, old man," replied Dorches briskly, rubbing his hands together. "Relax, you will be able to see the colorful life of Merilon tonight. Finally! I can finally leave this old moldy grave of the dead! We can finish the test ceremony of this stinking brat soon, and announce that the prince has life Once everything is back to normal, we can hang out with rich people and pretty girls. You should already know what to do, right?" "At the test ceremony?" Saryon asked, thinking that Dorches was referring to how to deal with rich people and beautiful ladies. "Probably." He replied with a sigh. "I know the instructions for the ceremony by heart. You've done it before, haven't you?" "I've done it hundreds of times, man, hundreds of times. Isn't it your job to hold the baby? There is one most important thing to remind you: remember to hold the baby, hold his little one — um… that thing you know — aim at yourself, not at the bishop. That way if that little bastard pisses, he'll piss on you instead of the bishop." Fortunately, the shocked Saryon finally came to the door of the room where the test ceremony was held. Doques had to shut his cynical mouth, and Saryon was not forced to answer the last sentence Still, by the standards, highly offensive and disrespectful advice. The two walked in stepping on the feet of other Vanya entourage members, and hurriedly performed the ceremony of washing and cleansing.A deacon in the cathedral led them to a room where all children born in Merilon were tested.As usual, there are only two catalyst saints present in the test ceremony of ordinary children. However, in today's test ceremony, a large group of people gathered in the room. The number was so large that the two late deacons could hardly squeeze into the small room. in the room.Among the people present, apart from Vanya who was wearing his best robe, there were two cardinals: the Holy See Cardinal and the Diocese Cardinal, the four Vanya entourage members who acted as witnesses, and then there were Saryon and Doques. Two deacons, they are responsible for carrying out the test ceremony.In addition, there is also the noble Catalyst Saint who belongs to the royal family, and he holds the baby in his arms.Finally, there is the prince himself. He has just had a full meal and is sleeping soundly. "Let us pray to God," said Archbishop Vanya, bowing his head in prayer. Saryon also bowed his head to pray, and the words of prayer spilled out of his mouth without thinking, and he reviewed the ritual process of testing the power of life again in his heart. With hundreds of years of history, it is said that the process of testing rituals originated from the dark world is actually very simple.When the baby is ten days old and strong enough to be tested, the parents take the baby to the cathedral or any nearby faith center to be delivered to the catalyst saints.The baby will be taken to a small room, isolated from all outside influences, where it will be tested. First, the catalyst saint will take off the baby's clothes, place the baby with its back facing the water, and put it into warm water that is as warm as its body temperature. The deacon who is holding the baby will then let go.A baby with life force can lie on the surface of the water steadily without sinking, nor will it roll over or struggle in the water, it just floats calmly and serenely on the surface of the water.The life force in the baby's body responds to protect itself. After the first test, a deacon would bring a glowing, colorful toy and hold it up to the baby's face while it was still floating.Although the baby's eyes cannot focus, he can still feel the toy in front of him and reach out to try to grab it.When the deacon let go of the toy in his hand, the toy will be slowly attracted and floated to the baby's side again under the stimulation and response of the life force in the body. Finally, the deacon will lift the baby from the water, and the catalyst saint will hold the baby and comfort him until the baby feels safe and relaxed.Then, another deacon held up a bunch of burning torches and slowly approached the baby until the life force in the baby could automatically raise a magical protective shield around the body without the help of any catalyst saints. . This is the procedure of the testing ritual - simple and quick.It was only a formality, as Rudoches had assured Saryon. "I don't know why people are still doing testing ceremonies," Dorches had muttered the night before. "In my opinion, for some pauper catalyst saints, this is a good way to give a few chickens or a sack of corn as a thank you gift to the common people, plus the nobles can also use it as a party excuses. Other than that, the whole ceremony is pointless at all." Or maybe it used to be that way, until now.
"Deacon Doques, Deacon Saryon, start the test ceremony." The archbishop said solemnly. Saryon stepped forward and took the baby from the noble catalyst saint. An expensive wool blanket wrapped the baby's small body.Saryon had never held such a small and delicate body before, and he fumbled trying to untie the blanket without waking the baby.Finally, under the impatient eyes of everyone, Saryon picked up the naked baby and returned the blanket he had just untucked to the noble catalyst saint. Saryon turned around and put the baby on the water, looking down at the little boy sleeping in his arms, he immediately forgot the eyes of everyone around him.Although the young Catalyst Saint had never held a baby, he was fascinated by the little boy in his arms.Even Saryon could see the unusual beauty of the baby.The prince was strong and healthy, with a tuft of black curly hair on the top of his head, smooth white skin, closed eyes with a hint of light blue around the eye sockets, and tightly clenched small fists.Saryon touched the prince's fist tenderly, looking intoxicated at the baby's perfect little fingernails and toenails.It's amazing.he thought to himself.This little man must have been created by God himself. Dorches coughed impatiently, bringing Saryon back to reality.The elder deacon had already opened the cover on the warm water basin, and a sweet and pleasant aroma wafted into the air, and one of the novice monks sprinkled some rose petals on the water. Saryon murmured prayers he had stayed up last night to memorize as he gently placed the baby on the water.The warm water gently touched the prince's skin, and he opened his eyes, but did not cry. "What a brave boy," murmured Saryon, smiling at the baby.The prince had the thoughtful, slightly confused newborn expression on his face. "Release the prince." Fan Ya instructed formally. Saryon carefully moved his hands away from the baby's body. Immediately the prince sank to the bottom like a stone. Dorches took a slight step forward, but someone moved faster than him; Saryon immediately reached into the warm water, grabbed the baby, and lifted him out of the water.Saryon held the dripping baby abruptly, and looked at the crowd uncertainly.The prince coughed and spat, and was about to start crying in protest of the rude treatment. "Maybe it's my fault, Your Excellency." Saryon said hastily, and the baby finally caught its breath and began to cry sharply. "I let go too quickly..." "Nonsense, Deacon." Fan Ya replied straightforwardly. "please continue." It is not all that unusual for a baby to fail one of the three tests, especially if some baby has a strong magical gift from a certain clan.For example, a strong wizard of the Way of Fire will most likely fail the test of floating on water. Saryon felt a little relieved when he remembered that the incident had been mentioned in the book.He held the baby and made Doches wave the toy in front of the prince.When the prince saw the shiny toy, he stopped crying. He happily stretched out his little hand to grab it. Deacon Doques put down the toy in accordance with the bishop's instructions. The toy hit the Prince on the nose and fell to the ground in a horrible silence.The silence was instantly broken by the prince's anguished cry of pain and blood dripping down his beautiful skin. Saryon looked at Doques in fear, hoping to see any expression or signal to reassure him, but Saryon only saw Doques's lips that were always sneering tightly closed, and the sarcasm in his eyes disappeared. disappeared, and began to avoid Saryon's gaze.The young deacon looked up frantically, only to see other people in the room looking at each other with confused and wary expressions. Archbishop Van Ya whispered a few words to the noble catalyst saint, who nodded vigorously with a pale and tense face. "Try again." Van Ya ordered. With trembling hands, Saryon slowly lowered the screaming baby into the basin and let go.Seeing the prince sinking again, Saryon seized the baby at the command of the bishop's hasty gestures. "Bless Emin!" the noble catalyst saint whispered in a trembling voice. "It's too late to say this now." Van Ya replied coldly. "Bring the baby here, Saryon." He was so nervous that he forgot to add the official title of "deacon" to his order.Saryon made an awkward attempt to calm the still crying baby, hastily following orders, and brought the prince in his arms before the Bishop. "Give me the torch." Vanya ordered Doques.Dorches reluctantly took the torch, and impatiently handed it to the bishop at once. Van Ya caught the burning torch and stabbed it straight at the baby's face.The baby was crying in pain, and Saryon grabbed the bishop's arm in a frenzy, and pushed him away with a roar. There was silence, everyone in the room could smell the smell of burnt hair, and everyone could see the blood-red scald marks beside the baby's temples. Saryon was trembling, he hugged the child in his arms tightly, turned around to avoid the pale faces and fearful eyes behind him, and gently patted the baby who was still screaming and crying hysterically.The first chaotic thought that popped into Saryon's head was that he had broken yet another commandment, that he had dared to touch his superior without permission, and what was worse, had pushed him away angrily. bishop.The young deacon hunched his shoulders, waiting for the bishop's stern reprimand, but the bishop remained silent.He relaxed his shoulders, raised his head to face Vanya, and finally saw the reason. Perhaps the bishop had no idea that Saryon had touched him.Staring intently at the baby, pale and wide-eyed.The noble catalyst saints clenched their hands, visibly trembling, while the cardinal stood aside and looked at them helplessly. At the same moment, the prince screamed so violently from the pain of the burn that he almost suffocated.Saryon was at a loss, but he finally realized that the crying of the baby had almost caused the tense emotions of everyone in the room to collapse.Desperate to get the baby to stop crying, he finally succeeded in silencing the prince, although it was more because the prince was tired from crying than because he had any talent as a nanny.The silence shrouded the room like a thick fog, interrupted by the baby's hiccups from time to time. Then Bishop Vanya spoke: "This has never happened before, not even before the Iron Wars," he whispered. There was obvious awe in the bishop's words, which Saryon could understand, as did he himself.But Fan Ya's tone also made him shiver, Fan Ya had never spoken in this tone, and his voice was full of fear. Fan Ya sighed, removed the heavy power crown on his head, and stretched out his trembling hands to his bald head. The majesty and mystery that surrounded him seemed to be removed along with the power crown.Saryon patted the baby on the back, noticing that the bishop in front of him had become an overweight middle-aged man who looked tired and frightened.Saryon was terrified by the bishop's reaction, and judging by the looks on the faces of the others, he wasn't the only one in the room who felt that way. "The next thing I ordered you to do, you must implement it without any doubts." Fan Ya said inarticulately.He looked at the power crown in his hand, and absently tapped the gold edge on the power crown with trembling hands. "I can tell you the reason - no, no." Van Ya raised his head, his eyes were serious and cold. "No, I swore to keep the secret, and I can't break the oath. You must obey my instructions, don't have any doubts, you just need to know that I will take full responsibility for my orders." He hesitated for a moment, then began to pray silently in trembling tones. Saryon held the hiccupping baby in his arms and looked at the others, wondering if the others understood what the bishop said, and everyone was at a loss.He had never heard of a baby failing a test.What happened?What terrible things had the bishop ordered him to do?All eyes were on Fanya, hoping that he could show his power to save them; everyone seemed to have opened a transmission channel connected to the bishop, but instead of transmitting the power of life, they absorbed all the power in the bishop's body. Perhaps everyone's reliance gave Fanya strength, and he finally stood up straight and raised his head.The bishop pouted, his eyes were distracted, and his brows were deeply furrowed, as if he was still thinking.Then, he had obviously made a choice.He frowned, and his expression returned to his usual calmness. He put the power crown back on, and the archbishop finally stood in front of everyone again. Bishop Vanya turned to Saryon. "Take the baby straight to the nursery," he ordered. "Don't take him back to Mother. I will report this to the Empress myself and prepare her. In the long run, a quick and decisive separation will be more acceptable to her." At this moment, the noble catalyst saint made a strange sound that sounded like a choking cry.Vanya's fat, wrinkled face was covered with frost, and the chill silence of the room seemed to seep into the Bishop's veins.He ignored the noble catalyst saint, and continued in a cold tone: "From now on, no food or water is allowed for this child. We cannot keep this child, he is a living dead." The bishop continued, but Saryon fell on deaf ears.The baby hiccupped against his shoulder, and his best robes were soaked with tears.The Prince raised one of his fists and sucked it noisily to his mouth, staring at Saryon with his large blank eyes.Saryon could still feel his little body still trembling with sobs. Saryon looked down at the baby, his thoughts racing and his heart prickling.He had heard that all babies are born with blue eyes, but the Prince's eyes were a dark, gloomy blue.Is the prince's appearance as beautiful as her mother's legend says?Saryon remembered that he had heard that the Queen's eyes were brown, and he had also heard that the Queen's dark blue hair was so thick that it didn't take any magic to look as black and bright as a raven's wings.Thinking of this, he looked at the thick black hair on the baby's head and saw blisters starting to form on his forehead.Saryon intuitively stretched out his hand to caress the blister, and began to recite healing prayers with his mouth, accelerating the self-healing speed of the life force in the baby's body.Then he stopped, and suddenly remembered something: there was no life force circulating in the baby's body. What the young deacon held in his arms was a living corpse with no life force. 王子突然颤抖地长吸一口气，似乎准备开始哭泣，但接着仍继续吸吮着自己的拳头，看来这让他很满足。王子舒服地依偎在沙里昂怀里，长着黑色睫毛的大眼睛盯着他。 沙里昂的内心痛苦地纠结着，他不禁想着：从现在开始，我将会是最后一个抱着他、轻拍他的背、抚摸他那长满如丝黑发小脑袋的人。泪水夺眶而出，刺痛了沙里昂的眼睛，他抬头无助地环视四周，无言地乞求任何人能够带走这个沉重的负担。没有人愿意帮他，甚至没有人敢面对他的眼神，除了主教以外。凡亚看到居然有人胆敢抗命，皱起了眉毛。 沙里昂张嘴想说话，他想要质疑主教这个残忍的决定，但声音却梗在喉咙里。凡亚说过众人必须毫无疑问地遵从他的所有决定，而他会承担起一切责任，既是如此，区区一位执事的恳求会打动他吗？一位早已有了坏名声的执事？不太可能。沙里昂做了唯一能做的：他鞠躬抱着孩子离开房间，离开时手仍笨拙地轻拍王子的背，这似乎能让他平静一点。然而当年轻的执事一走进长廊后，他才发现自己在巨大的大教堂里面迷路了，他只知道无论如何自己一定要赶到皇宫。沙里昂在走廊底瞄到一个黑色的暗影，是一位执法官。他迟疑了，那位执法官或许能够指引他前往皇宫的方向，甚至用他的法力直接传送他到皇宫。 看着黑袍执法官，沙里昂打了个冷颤，接着转身往相反的方向前进。他赌气般地想着，我会靠自己找到去皇宫的路，至少，如果我走路的话，就能够给这个可怜的孩子再多一点慰藉，直到……直到…… 沙里昂离开长廊时最后听到的是凡亚的声音。 “明天早上，皇帝跟女皇会公开宣布他们的孩子是个活死人，我会将婴儿带到圣山。明天下午，我们将会在那儿举行守灵仪式。我希望为了我们大家着想，这整件事能够迅速解决。”
为了我们大家着想。 第二天，沙里昂执事站在美丽的马理隆大教堂里面，倾听着活死人婴儿的恸哭声。他一切的计划、希望、愿景、梦想在耳边低语向他道别。 马理隆将不会举办任何庆祝仪式了，这也意味着沙里昂不会被正式引见给贵族家族。人们都还在恍惚中。消息传开，所有的大型庆祝会全都突然被中断停止。锡哈那支派的法师们召唤出灰色的浓雾遮蔽住城市；演员跟艺术家离开了马理隆，学生们被赶回大学去。贵族们在鬼魅般的氛围中轻快地飞行，他们四处穿梭压低着声音互相交谈，试着询问是否有人还记得有关参加守灵仪式时的适当礼节。很少人知道该如何主持这类仪式，皇家已经有很多年没有皇子诞生了，更没有人能够回想起曾听过皇子夭折的。 当然，凡亚主教掌握了所有的资讯。消息终于传出去，正当沙里昂穿着他的哭泣灰蓝长袍站在大教堂里时，整座城市在波阿尔班支派的唤形匠师们跟昆阿尔班支派的魔工匠师们疯狂地彻夜赶工下，已历经了一场大改变。 灰雾持续笼罩着城市。雾气越来越浓，使得阳光完全无法透过城外魔法障壁，照耀里面死寂的街道，以及飘浮在上空的红色大理石平台。城市内所有装饰华丽水晶墙建筑的鲜艳色彩全都消逝不见，改换上代表着哀悼的灰色挂毯，看起来如同雾气具体地形体化一般。即使是丝龙客栈也逃走了。父母亲这样告诉他们的小孩。丝龙为了哀悼王子是活死人，爬回自己的巢穴中。 街道安静且空虚，那些没有参加皇室家族追悼会的人被限制在家中不准外出。表面上这些人参加了邻居们的祈祷会，一起祈求守灵仪式能够马上结束。但是在这些众多家庭中，年轻母亲们张开苍白颤抖的嘴唇祈祷，她们紧抱着有孕的肚子和里面尚未出世的宝宝，宝宝则将手放在飘浮于羊水内的身体上，小小的嘴唇不论如何努力也无法念出祈祷词。
自此之后，越来越多马理隆贵族家中的小孩在测试仪式中失败，虽然再也没有人像王子一样失败得那么彻底，大多数没能通过测试仪式的婴儿都被送去圣山上执行守灵仪式。 大多数，但不是全部。 沙里昂应凡亚的要求待在马理隆为大教堂工作，负责的职务之一包括为这些孩子举行测试仪式。一开始沙里昂恨透了这份工作，他以为自己可能会抗命，并要求一个新职务；任何新工作看起来都比现在这个好，即使是驻村圣徒这种粗重下贱的工作也是。但公然抗命不是沙里昂的天性，所以不久之后他变得比较认命，虽然这并不是由于他的个性。 沙里昂了解有关处决这些孩子们的推论。事实上，主教在测试失败率日渐升高的时候亲自解释过，但困惑害怕的人们开始在背地里谈论着反对触媒圣徒的言论。而在同时，触媒圣徒们正在所有能够想到的书籍经典中努力钻研，试图为这些令人费解的问题寻找出答案。 Why is this happening?要如何预防？还有为什么这只特别发生在贵族家中？因为众人很快发现，居住在马理隆市内的平民跟农庄里的农奴法师们却能够产下拥有生命之力的健康婴儿。马理隆的人们要求一个解答，凡亚不得不在大教堂里发表了一篇安定人心的布道演说。 “这些不幸的婴儿根本就不能够算是孩子。”凡亚严肃地吼道，他的话在教堂的拱形水晶屋顶中回荡着。“他们只能算是花园中的杂草！我们必须拔除杂草，让他们枯萎，就如同农奴法师们对待田里面的杂草一样。如果不这样做的话，他们马上就会让这整个世界的魔法力窒息，不再流通。” 这个恐怖的预言发挥了预期的效用，从此以后，大多数父母终于接受神的旨意，并将他们没能通过测试的宝宝交给触媒圣徒。可是仍有父母亲决定反抗，他们私下为自己刚出生的宝宝做测验，如果宝宝在测验里不合格，他们会将孩子藏起来，直到婴儿大到能够被偷带出城市。触媒圣徒们知道这件事，但他们能够做的只有守住秘密不让大众知道，以免让所有人过度惊慌。 所以，活死人们以越来越多的人数横行在这块大地上。沙里昂某天晚上在日记里这样写着。而我们的恐惧也随之与日俱增。