The morning after the trial ended, Todd, now in human form, sat in the King's audience chamber, quietly reading a letter from Queen Mary of St. Victory.
After expressing her longing for her, Mary wrote the following in her letter:
There is evidence that serious divisions have emerged within the Church of God the Father.
Some priests in the church, along with the believers of their respective churches, voluntarily went to the Protestant kingdom, seeking the protection of Protestantism.
The priests said that the radicals in the church had escalated religious debates into personal persecution and doctrinal warfare.
In those countries where the Church of God is staunchly loyal, horrific incidents of arresting and killing Protestants occur daily.
The stakes that were once used to burn witches and sorcerers at the stake are now reserved for Protestant believers who hold the same Bible.
Not long ago, the massacre of a village in Isaiah became a fuse, spreading the flames of this religious war to the central region of the entire continent.
Scouts from the Holy City explored Franron, Tiris, Aurel… In these places, the bodies of thousands of innocent people were found near burned villages, buried in shallow pits, where the executioners were unwilling to even set out to create a proper burial pit.
In the grassy areas along the roadside, you can see wild animals carrying human remains in their mouths, feasting on the flesh and blood.
Meanwhile, in the Papal States' capital city of Terro, more and more nobles gathered in front of the church, launching one question after another and shouting angrily, demanding that the bishops give a reasonable explanation.
After reading the letter, Todd slowly placed it on the table and said softly, "It's about time."
The knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Your Majesty, Commander Ackerman of the Holy Army and High Shaman Minnie request an audience.”
Todd put the letter in the drawer, tapped the table lightly, and said, "Let them in."
The dark elf Ackerman hesitated at the door for a moment, then composed himself before entering the room.
In comparison, Minnie seemed much more at ease.
The old woman moved slowly to a relatively comfortable sofa in the audience room, sat down, and looked as if she had returned to her home in the north.
Todd glanced at the two men, then gestured to the guard, who closed the door.
“You look like you have something to say,” Todd said with a smile, looking at Ackerman who was standing there, somewhat at a loss.
Ackerman pursed his lips and gave an awkward smile.
“My holy king… that bard, Beatrice, committed suicide in prison last night…”
Upon hearing this, Todd showed no surprise: "Suicide? Or murder?"
Ackerman looked even more uneasy: "It was probably suicide, but perhaps there were other factors involved..."
"Is it that those angry Crusader soldiers simply can no longer bear to let that scum live even one more night?"
Ackerman lowered his head and sighed: "There was an elf among the jailers who, upon hearing the bard boasting about his romantic exploits in prison, could not bear it any longer and burned the man to death..."
Todd waved his hand dismissively: "So what if you're dead? I called you here today because there are other things to discuss."
Minnie placed the white oak cane beside the sofa, took out a homemade cigarette from her pocket, lit it with practiced ease, and took a puff: "Are you worried about racial divisions?"
Todd, smelling the smoke in the air, raised an eyebrow and asked Minnie, "New formula?"
"This year's newly harvested tobacco from the Enkat Plateau, plus fern root, honey fruit, and eleven other spices..."
Todd smiled and reached out his hand to Minnie.
Seeing this, Ackerman quickly added, "I'd like to try it too."
And so, a dragon, a dark elf, and an old shaman sat on the sofa, exhaling clouds of mist, discussing matters.
Ackerman took a deep drag on his cigarette, his eyes glazed over, and said, "Sometimes, I still think back to those days, those days in the arena... under the Red Champion, enjoying the cheers of the audience..."
“Back then, Caspar was still alive. We danced with swords by day and ate and drank around the campfire by night. Although life was hard, it wasn’t boring…”
Todd glanced at the burning tobacco in his hand, then gave Minnie a questioning look.
The old shaman whispered, "Some relaxing spices have been added to the tobacco..."
“Son of the Gods, when we were together, you always had the appearance of Boyle, but now…” Ackerman scratched his neck, “Your appearance has changed so much that I often don’t know what to do.”
Todd flicked his cigarette ash onto the metal plate on the table: "Whether it's Boyle or this current state, it's no longer who I truly am..."
Ackerman slumped back, sinking deep into the sofa: "I'm no longer the village chief of Chiki Village, but every time I look at myself in the mirror, I can't believe what's happened..."
Todd tossed his cigarette butt into the metal tray, nodded, and said, "I have some questions for you. There are different races in the Crusade. What are the relationships between these races, and between them and humans?"
Ackerman was stunned: "Relationship?"
Minnie smiled across her wrinkled face: "You want to ask whether there is sexual intercourse between different races?"
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