After saying goodbye to the two nuns, Todd strolled through the town of Twilight and suddenly noticed that there were many more strange people in the town than before.
These people, dressed smartly, stood in stark contrast to the hurried and busy residents around them. They pointed at the houses on both sides of the street and occasionally stopped to ask passersby who the owners of the houses were.
He found a resident on the street and wanted to ask him what was going on.
Because Todd was wearing a lab coat, the residents didn't recognize him at first. After a while, he looked at the inquirer's face, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "His Holiness! It's His Holiness!"
His shout immediately attracted the attention of everyone on the street, and people flocked over like a tide, offering a continuous stream of praise and blessings. Seeing the situation was turning against him, Todd recited a couple of prayers, made the sign of the cross, and quickly slipped back inside.
At the church entrance, Huggins was pacing back and forth anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan.
To the man, Todd's appearance was like the arrival of a savior.
Huggins looked the other man up and down, then hurriedly said, "My lord! Quickly! Quickly change into your holy robes!"
Seeing the man's flustered and helpless appearance, Todd touched the bridge of his nose in confusion and asked with amusement, "Why are you in such a hurry? It can't be that the Pope is here, can it? Haha!"
Harkins' solemn expression made Todd, who sensed the awkward atmosphere, chuckle awkwardly a few times before involuntarily stopping.
The other person's next words startled Todd so much that he jumped up from the ground.
The Papal States' envoy will be arriving soon.
——————————————
"Is there anything wrong with my attire?" Todd, dressed in full Holy Orders, stood at the entrance of the town, gazing at the plains to the east, and asked Huggins beside him.
A large, curious crowd had already gathered around the priest. News of the impending arrival of the Papal States' envoy had spread far and wide through the streets and alleys by those with connections.
Huggins tensed up, completely unaware of Todd's question, and remained silent.
At the edge of the distant plain, a procession of knights carrying the Holy Cross wound its way towards the town. As the procession approached, Todd lowered his head and looked at the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure approaching him.
He wore a deep purple-red, floor-length robe, with a white, knee-length overcoat over it, and a large, deep purple-red shawl over it. A cross hanging from a green striped rope was positioned on his chest.
Todd quickly straightened his posture and said devoutly, "Holy messenger, you bring the Father's infinite mercy. Please bless us, the apostles..."
Cough cough!
The incredibly familiar voice made Todd look up. Seeing who it was, he exclaimed in surprise, "Bishop Fabian, it's you?!"
The bishop turned his head to the side with an embarrassed expression, and Todd then noticed that there was an inconspicuous young man in a black deacon's robe standing next to him.
The man was in his early twenties, with a head of fluffy, curly brown hair, an upright posture, and unremarkable features, but his smile was warm.
Todd glanced at the young man's ordinary black deacon uniform, then looked at Bishop Fabian in disbelief, stammering, "This...this is...?"
The bishop looked somewhat helpless and puzzled. He said, "Fellow Catholic Todd, let me introduce you. This is the Holy Envoy of the Papal States, Tristan Gresham Bennett."
Before Todd could even exchange pleasantries, the envoy took two steps forward, grabbed the priest's sleeve, and asked a question that startled the priest: "I heard you have an alchemy laboratory?"
Todd glanced nervously at the rest of the Papal States delegation and noticed that the Papal knights and their entourages showed no unusual expressions, as if they were used to it.
Unsure of the envoy's intentions, Todd, his mind blank with tension, managed a few dry laughs: "Your Excellency, it's almost noon, why don't we have lunch first..."
Tristan turned to the leading knight of the delegation and said, "You should follow the priest's entourage to the meal first."
Watching the rest of the delegation follow Huggins into the town, while the Holy Envoy looked at him with hopeful eyes, Todd sighed deeply and had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead Tristan toward the experimental building.
As the two passed by the church entrance, they happened to run into Rachel and Karin.
Just as Karin was skipping and jumping around, talking about funny things with Todd, the latter noticed that Rachel and Tristan were staring at each other in the street.
The envoy from the Papal States, looking at the oversized nun's robe worn by Rachel, blushed deeply and finally burst into laughter.
The head of the convent glared at the young deacon before her, grabbed the reluctant Karin, and strode away.
Watching the departing nun with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, Todd, his mind a jumble, asked the young man, "Your Excellency, do you know this sister?"
Tristan wiped his eyes and nodded with a smile: "Ah, yes! That's right, it's just a few meetings."
You're kidding me! Judging from your expression, you're clearly acquainted with that little fox!
With these thoughts in mind, Todd opened the laboratory door.
Tristan's eyes lit up. He entered the "sea" of experimental equipment and reagent bottles, examining each item carefully, and finally his gaze fell on Todd's microscope.
Laymen watch the spectacle, experts watch the details.
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