Chapter 98 Hope Blue Diamond (XV)

◎Departure◎

Redrick walked down from the second floor of the Portia Palace in a hurry. The man who used to be frivolous and arrogant had lost his annoying temperament. After spending a few years in the Knights' Order under Leshert, he seemed to have a much better temper than before. Although he still looked down on all servants of humble origins as always, at least he would no longer deliberately embarrass them.

When the servants saw him coming down, they quickly retreated to both sides of the corridor and bowed deeply.

Redrick walked past them self-righteously and went down the stairs. The servants guarding at the bottom of the stairs held his sword and armor in their hands. Redrick raised his hand towards them, ready to wait for them to put the armor on him, but after raising his hand for a while, they did not make any move. The face of the young man, who was already violent, suddenly darkened.

He opened his mouth to curse, but found that the servants were winking at him frantically, indicating that he should look away.

Redrick was stunned for a moment, turned his head, and found that there was another person in the hall besides him.

The Portia Palace is vast in area and has numerous buildings. It is a group of connected palaces where the direct descendants of the Portia family live. The current patriarch is Julius, but he has not yet married and had children. So tracing back to his father's generation, the main direct family members from his father's generation onwards also still live here and have not moved out - mainly Delacroix's wife and children.

According to the family tree, Delacroix's eldest son Frederick, second son Nidro, and daughter Sulina all still live in the Portia Palace, as well as their mother, Lady Cassandra, the last female member of the Claudius family of the old empire.

The magnificently decorated hall is extremely spacious, with crystal chandeliers weighing hundreds of pounds hanging from the dome. Luxurious oriental carpets cover the entire hall. The small semi-open reception room on the side is furnished with soft benches and sofa cushions, and the tapestries are embroidered with scenes of Portia's ancestors outing in spring.

A woman was sitting in the middle of the sofa, drinking tea.

She was wearing a whalebone dress which was fashionable in Florence. The royal blue satin dress spread out in a full semicircle on the ground. The ribbons and silk threads bound her waist tightly. This kind of beautiful weapon that could kill without blinking made it impossible for women to breathe freely. They could only maintain the most "elegant" posture at all times, tense their whole body like a soldier ready to fight. Regardless of those luxurious and dazzling jewels, the sapphire necklace on her snow-white chest alone was enough to make many noble ladies envious.

She looked to have passed the most beautiful age of youth, with her golden brown curly hair tightly coiled on her head, and every strand of hair was meticulously smeared into the bun, flattening the skin on her face and sunshades. On her bun was a gold leaf chain crown made of sapphires of the same color. This soft crown and her necklace and bracelet formed a complete set of jewelry that could be pieced together into a crown or taken apart and worn separately. Redrick was very familiar with it because it was one of the birthday gifts his father gave to his mother when he was eight years old.

The woman sat there, and years of widowhood seemed to have worn away all her warmth and softness, making her look like a ruthless statue of the Virgin Mary, or the most standard specimen of a noble lady. Specifically, later Oriental students would be more familiar with this special serious temperament, and they would call such people "dean of studies."

Redrick's nerves couldn't help but tense up.

"Mother." He walked over almost at the same time and bowed his head to greet Lady Cassandra.

The woman finally raised her eyes, and her sharp eyes flew out from behind the teacup. She circled around her son before squeezing out a "hmm" from her throat.

Redrick stood there, with no intention of sitting down, and said a few bland words. Lady Cassandra saw that he wanted to leave, and there was no expression on her face. She just said lightly: "I heard that you are going to Assyria to fight."

Redrick hesitated for a moment, but finally admitted: "Yes, I think, I think... I might be better at this, I mean... when I was in the Knights before-"

His words were interrupted by Lady Cassandra, who seemed to have no interest in knowing how her son was regarded by the Holy Knights, nor did she care why he suddenly became passionate about war. She just coldly ordered: "No."

"As the eldest son, your duty is to do what the Duke of Luxembourg should do. Go hunting, fool around with your friends, or go to your fiefdom as before. All these are fine, but don't foolishly lose your life in Assyria."

According to current practice, the eldest son of an aristocratic family inherits the title and most of the family property, the second son joins the army and controls military power, and the third son enters the church and becomes a clergyman. This is also a small "Trinity" model that helps to consolidate the family's heritage. The nobles, who are very dissolute in other aspects, have shown extraordinary rigidity in matters of inheritance, and disrupting this order seems to be something that would be unjust.

The woman's voice was flat and her tone was exactly the same commanding as Redrick's. It was obvious that her son had inherited his mother's essence in this regard.

She seemed to have not considered at all that her son might disobey her. After saying this, she put down the cup and prepared to stand up.

Redrick didn't move or speak.

Lady Cassandra noticed his reluctance and looked over with a cold gaze: "Do you have any objection?"

Her tone was as calm and distant as every time before. Their conversation was too polite. It didn't seem like a conversation between mother and son. Instead, it seemed more like job advice between unfamiliar strangers.

Lady Cassandra was born into a noble family. As the bloodline left over from the old empire, her marriage had an extraordinary high value from the beginning. A huge rift had arisen between the long-extinct empire and the "nobility" instilled in her by others. She grew up in compliance with old-fashioned dogma, became a woman who adhered to doctrine and ladylike norms, and eventually married Delacroix.

A devout believer, a conservative mother, and a well-behaved wife, this is the complete portrayal of her life.

Redrick has never seen his mother smile, which doesn't mean that she is not happy sometimes, but she will never show her "inappropriate" side to outsiders - Redrick is also one of the "outsiders".

In accordance with the education she received, each child left her within a short time after birth, and the maids and servants took over the mother's responsibilities. She strictly abided by the rules and met them twice a week, once in the reception room and once in the outdoor garden. Before the meeting, they changed into solemn dresses, bowed and greeted each other, and then talked about the vocabulary they had learned recently and the books they had read. The meeting time should not exceed an hour, and there should be no overly intimate physical contact during the process, no kissing, no hugging, and no sweet talk. They also had to bow when leaving, and only at this time could they get a kiss on the cheek from their mother - also a requirement of etiquette.

They have the deepest blood connection, but they live like polite strangers.

Redrick did not deny her love.

She tried her best to meet their wishes and give them the best of everything, and rarely blamed them even if they got into trouble.

But this is different.

Redrick said suddenly: "According to the order of succession, the one sitting in the Papal Palace now is the father's eldest son - the legitimate eldest son."

When he said the latter sentence, he felt both angry and happy. He was angry at the fact that he was powerless, and happy that a different look finally appeared on his mother's face, which had been frozen for years.

"He will be included in the family tree of the Portia family as my elder brother. Then, as the second son, can I join the army, mother?"

He couldn't help but use hurtful words to hurt the woman.

Lady Cassandra was indeed as he thought. Her expression was much uglier. She raised her eyelids, examined her eldest son, and suddenly asked, "Are you still resentful of the Holy Father?"

The young man's expression changed.

"I hope you understand that this is a matter between me and your father. You have no right to hate a person who cannot choose his own birth, regardless of whether he is born in a legal marriage relationship. You should be pious, tolerant, kind, upright, and brave, and fulfill your duties as a duke. Respect the Holy Father as you respect your father, because he is the one who can save your soul."

The woman said slowly.

An unbearable expression appeared on Redrick's face. He suppressed the anger that was about to surge to his chest, swallowed the roar that was stagnating in his heart, and took a step back expressionlessly: "Thank you for your teachings. I will remember it in my heart, mother."

After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave.

But before he took two steps, Lady Cassandra called out to him, "Stop."

Redrick could hardly hold back his anger and turned his head impatiently. The woman on the sofa was still like a snow mountain that would never melt. She sat there majestically and coldly, looking at him with unchanging eyes.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Redrick realized something. He took a step back, a self-deprecating and twisted smile flashed across his face. He bowed respectfully to the woman and said woodenly what he had repeated countless times: "It's a pleasure to meet you today. I look forward to seeing you next time, mother."

This time, Lady Cassandra did not stop him from leaving.

Rederic rushed out of the Portia Palace, grabbed the helmet from the servant who was chasing him and put it on his head. Without even putting on armor, he ran towards his horse.

The first army of Florence set out a week later and boarded a ship bound for Assyria. The leader was not Leshert, but Rederic - this was a choice that stunned everyone.

Everyone knows how deep the "hatred" is between the Duke of Luxembourg and His Majesty. This word may not be appropriate, but who among the nobles living in Florence does not know about the entanglement between the young Master Portia and Raphael? When Raphael was first brought back by Delacroix, he was only a member of the side branch of the Portia family. Although many people speculated that he was related to the Pope by blood, no one was stupid enough to say it out loud. Only Rederick regarded Raphael as a thorn in his side and kept making trouble for him for years.

When Raphael was at the Florence Seminary, Frederick threw away all of Raphael's books, sealed his dormitory, and fought with him more than once. Even after Raphael went to the Papal Palace to serve as Delacroix's secretary, he still had to endure sarcasm every time he met Frederick.

The conflict between them seemed to be just a dispute between teenagers, but after more than ten years of fermentation, it is far from being summed up in such simple words.

They hated and were hostile to each other, but they knew they would not go to the point of life and death. Raphael allowed him to join the Knights Templar to realize his ambitions, and Redrick did his best to develop his talents - even they themselves could not explain the crux of this twisted and complicated relationship.

Raphael appointed Redrick as the leader of the army only because Leshert recommended him. Raphael believed in Leshert's judgment, and this was an opportunity to show his tolerant image.

Even if the army was placed in Redrick's hands, what could he do? All his relatives are in Florence. Based on his many years of experience, Raphael believes that this guy is just a strong-looking guy with a weak heart. If he is asked to rebel, will he really dare to do it?

He thought so, but Redrick might have thought more.

When Raphael handed him the flag symbolizing the Holy See in front of everyone, the young man, who had always been proud, bowed silently to Raphael for the first time.

Lowered his head.

"The Holy Lord laid a stone in Florence and laid the foundation of the Holy City. This magnificent country was once called the reflection of heaven on earth and the most perfect and happy place in the world. Today, the old century is already halfway through. The Holy Lord has given us new land by His will. This war is not only to obtain the crown of the secular world, but also to bring eternal peace to Assyria, which is sinking in sin and chaos, so that the blessings of the Holy Lord can be brought to every piece of land, so that every people can get peace and happiness, and the Kingdom of God on earth that exists in the Holy Book but has never appeared in the world can truly come!"

"My children, go and plant the first flag for my Kingdom on Earth."

The large terrace with a loudspeaker effect carried these words to the ears of all soldiers.

So not only the soldiers who gathered in the square waiting for the review, but also the ordinary people who stood outside and looked up at the Pope showed excitement, and they roared like a tsunami in their surging collective will.

"For the Kingdom of God on Earth!"

"For the Holy Lord!"

"For the Holy Father!"

What a grand and beautiful dream it is to establish a true kingdom of God on earth! Every devout believer is willing to let the glory of the Holy Lord descend upon the world. They are willing to go through fire and water for this sentence, even if it means giving up everything they have!

It is conceivable that when these words were spread, how many believers would travel across mountains and rivers to Florence and join the Florence expeditionary force without hesitation.

The mighty army set out. Julius, who was standing on the terrace as the secretary general, looked up at Raphael above him, with a hazy look in his eyes.

When Raphael came down, Ferrante blocked Julius first. He pushed the wheelchair in his hands and helped Raphael to sit on it. His movements were skillful and gentle. Julius stood by and watched silently, as if indifferent. When Ferrante stood behind Raphael, the two of them looked at Julius at the same time, and the Secretary-General slowly adjusted his glasses.

Somehow, Raphael suddenly felt that Julius now had a moment of madness and morbidity.

But the feeling was fleeting.

"Your speech is very inspiring," Julius said calmly, "but have you considered the feelings of the Assyrian people? They probably won't like to hear that their country has become the prototype of the 'Kingdom of God on Earth'. This is a challenge to their beliefs. I am afraid that under the organization of their high priests, the army of the Papal States will encounter unprecedented and resolute resistance."

Raphael placed his hands loosely on the armrests and smiled. A brief cunning flashed across his lavender eyes. "Of course I thought of it, so I prepared another gift for them."

“I give them freedom of belief.”

As the master of the Holy See, the monarch of Florence, and the pope with the most believers on earth, he spoke briskly and said words that were enough to make people gasp.

"I give them the power to choose, to believe or not to believe, it will be their own choice, which means they can become the chosen people of the Holy Lord, or they can stick to their old beliefs, or believe in other religions, or even... he can become his own believer."

His voice was calm, but the meaning in it was enough to make the believers scream in fear.

“…What a blasphemous statement. Only the most evil devils and pagans could say such words.” Even Julius was speechless for a moment.

"You're giving them more than just freedom, it's going to cause a huge mess, bigger than any mess ever could."

He had not finished speaking. As Pope, Raphael would be dragged into the vortex of dispute and might even be nailed to the pillar of shame of the Vatican.

"Really?" This was the only thing Raphael was not worried about. He smiled meaningfully, "But I think Assyria is already in enough chaos now."

He deliberately answered something irrelevant, and Julius stopped talking.

Ferrante pushed Raphael away, and the shadows of the standing and sitting people briefly intersected on the ground, and then moved far away, like a silent motto.

The author has something to say:

The issue of freedom of belief will be discussed later. Raphael has not announced it yet. It is just a prototype of an idea.

But what can I say, this idea was really brave. He just wanted to completely mess up Assyria. It was already chaotic enough, and there would be no construction without destruction. He might as well turn it into a mess. This would make it easier for him to sort things out in the future. After all, the theocratic rule of the Papal States was not suitable for a large country like Assyria, and Raphael actually hated the Assyrian system where theocracy was above royal authority.