Chapter 28 Interpretation
Melia spun around the room, using her fingers to pick up the pearls on the bedside table.
Swish—the white-robed priest pulled the wooden door open with force.
He bowed respectfully to the inside, making way for the outside.
[I believe it! This guy really believes it!] Melia held her cheeks tightly and walked out of the room without looking around. A burning sensation hit her face.
What's so hot? It's just autumn and you're already lighting the stove?
"Haha." Elena's sneer came from behind.
They saw the source of the heat almost simultaneously: a large pile of red-hot charcoal.
There are many ways to distinguish between true and false miracles, just as there are ways to identify demons. The trial of water and fire is always the best. Place the "suspect" upside down in a pool of water, or directly into a burning coal.
Whether a person is a demon alive or dead is left to the judgment of the priests. Generally speaking, fast-forwarding to the moment of real-life barbecue is no different from a death sentence.
Gulp, Melia heard the sound of herself swallowing.
For a moment, she wanted to start over right then and there: What a joke! The pain of being burned by flames is much worse than a knife wound! What if the priest has evil intentions and roasts me over a slow fire for a long time?!
Even if we were to resurrect and go back to the time before the barbecue, things wouldn't get much better.
Huh—inhale, calm down, calm down quickly. Thinking of the good cards in her hand, Melia mustered her courage and walked towards the hall with an upright posture.
Step, step, step.
Crisp footsteps echoed down the corridor as Melia and the princess entered the hall simultaneously. The sun hadn't yet fully illuminated the entire palace, but the glow of the charcoal fire could split the deepest darkness.
The high priest sat directly beneath the statue, looking down at the two visitors and the blazing fire.
He waited for Melia to tell some falsehood, but instead she walked straight to the window... pushed open the glass and took a deep breath.
"Ha~hu..." Melia's loud voice echoed in the temple: "Priest, you should open the windows more often when burning charcoal indoors, otherwise you will get poisoned."
Glass these days is not only cloudy but also extremely expensive. During her time in Rome, she only saw such large glass windows in her own home and in the temple.
The window is embedded in the hole like a decoration. There is no slot at the bottom, so it cannot be moved to the side. It must be lifted up from the bottom to open...
Click.
The window made a crisp sound.
Oh no, oh no, someone help me… Melia held onto the glass with a look of despair, watching with everyone else as the entire window collapsed. It would shatter into powder in just a few seconds.
"Be more careful next time."
A pair of hands reached out from the side, and Elena pushed hard, stopping the collapse of the other half. The window was held up in the air, swaying precariously by them.
The stunned priests outside finally came to their senses and came to help, shouting and screaming. Soon the window was tilted back and only needed a brave carpenter to come and reinstall it.
After watching the entire process from his seat, the high priest finally lost his patience and said, "Meliya, you said you heard the goddess' voice. Come here and declare it."
The hall instantly became quiet. The priests who were running around just now stood against the wall, not even daring to look around.
Elena glanced at the fire in the center and knew that this level would be difficult: Melia was probably abandoned.
After thinking about it all night, the high priest was probably ready to completely side with Sura and exchange her fate for more benefits.
I was still hesitating about what to do, but then my sleepy pillow was burned to ashes.
Unexpectedly, when she saw the confident smile on Melia's lips, she wanted to believe in her talent for a moment - how could it be possible? To find a way out of such a predicament...
"Yes, Your Excellency." Melia lowered her hands naturally and walked towards the center of the hall - the pile of firewood.
Everyone held their breath in silence, waiting for her speech with different emotions.
Throughout history, there have been many people who claimed to have received oracles, but only a very few oracles could be confirmed.
"I had a dream last night. A goddess whose face I couldn't see was bathed in glow. She said to me..." Melia took a deep breath. The firelight of the temple illuminated her young face, bringing extraordinary beauty.
"[Child, there is still a precious item missing here.]"
Without waiting for the priest to ask, she expressed her confusion in another tone: "[Goddess, what kind of gem do you need? Or a vessel made of gold?]"
Then, he replied solemnly, "No, I need a treasure that can be passed down through the ages. I need an indelible glory."
Melia slowly dragged out the word "glory," letting the aftertaste linger. Finally, she sighed, "Then I woke up. I thought and thought, all the way to sunrise, and finally, I thought of a treasure I don't have yet, but which will surely be passed down through the ages!"
The high priest's stern expression slowly melted as he listened carefully: "Meliya, what did you come up with?"
Melia raised her eyes and opened her arms towards the high priest and everyone else: "A school, a school that teaches everyone, a school that teaches the principles of life and passes on culture and skills."
The word "school" did not exist at this moment, and she uttered a strange, seemingly made-up phrase.
But surprisingly, everyone understood her meaning from the phrase - this made the high priest shudder: it was not that he did not believe in God, but he did not believe that someone like Melia could be favored by God.
But was the person before him really the old Melia? She seemed to be bathed in divine light, and her appearance, heart, and speech were completely different from the girl of the past.
Taking advantage of his brief moment of distraction, Melia took the opportunity to step forward and, like any noble acquainted with the art of eloquence, raised her voice. "The goddess must have given me this thought. I must not let it become empty talk. Your Excellency, I will donate twenty houses in the West District to build the world's first university!"
She had already figured it out. Muala owned most of the land in the western district, and these lands were a piece of fat meat that no one could give up - except Melia who owned Shadow Rome.
The civilians currently renting there needn't worry; she'll allocate them houses in better areas when she renovates. She's willing to offer them a price they can't refuse.
This sentence was like pouring hot oil into cold water, and someone immediately screamed.
Twenty buildings!
Melia struck while the iron was hot: "I will fund the construction, management, and operation of this school. After it is completed, it and the surrounding streets will be donated to the church free of charge."
The fire was still burning, but the fiercer flames ignited the passion of the priests: whole streets of land! And a school that didn't need their worries!
As for helping with operations… except for the high priest, no one cared. After all, priests weren't allowed to own private property these days, so all businesses were managed by secular people.
To put it bluntly, as long as Melia signs the transfer agreement, they can kick her out and replace her at any time. If Melia runs a good business, that would be even better.
The Pantheon has always collected a 10% tax, so you can get at least 10% of the net profit for free without having to do anything!
I see. Elena's serious expression relaxed, and a light smile appeared on the corner of her lips: This guy is playing an open conspiracy.
The high priest has the power to confirm or refute the oracle, so all he needs to do is make the oracle itself irrefutable.
Donating the world's first university for free... With such a title, not only would the high priest reject it, but even if he would refute it, others would not accept it.
The temple was no longer as peaceful as before, with people constantly whispering about this rather favorable oracle. They praised the god's power, while also envying Melia, who had received the oracle.
The high priest had already calculated the stakes on both sides: Sulla could give, but not necessarily so much. Besides, as long as Melia was still alive, he could always make a new decision.
The balance in his heart slowly shifted to the other side. He looked at Melia with new eyes, calling her as if she were his nephew: "Melia, it turns out that I saw this light in you..."
The priests sighed: "As expected of a high priest, no wonder he called Mu'ala's successor to the street. I thought it was Sulla's request, but it turned out that they were too superficial."
There must be God's will in everything.
Haha, haha, yes, the brilliance of gold.
This old fox hasn't completely relented yet, only agreeing without committing. I'm afraid he's stalling for time, waiting for Sulla to calm down and make a new offer. If he's truly moved, he should be discussing "This is all a misunderstanding, go home, go home."
Melia deliberately glanced at the tilted window. Just when everyone thought she was going to offer two or three panes of glass as compensation, she casually tapped the gemstone at her waist and said, "The goddess has also given me an inspiration. An inspiration to make glass more transparent than gemstones."
The high priest stood up from his seat and raised his hand to Melia. "Since the goddess has blessed you, you only need to obey her."
"Yes~" Melia gave a fake smile and glanced at the fire beside her: "By the way, today is the weekend, right? How about - have barbecue for lunch?"
…
"Hehehehehehehe~ How does it feel like to be on top of the world?"
Melia spun around the room, hooking the pearls on the bedside table with her fingers.
With the High Priest's approval, she could leave after dinner. Even poor Elena had to move to a different room.
Looking at her mocking face that deserved a beating, Elena clenched her fists and said, "If you want to leave, leave quickly. Don't sit on my bed after you've packed up."
Melia put down the pearls and wobbled her head closer to her: "Oh~ Aren't you envious~ Do you want to find a friend to accompany you~ Awooo!"
She covered her head and fell back onto the pillow, hissing, "Forget it, forget it, no jokes... Seriously, will you be okay staying here alone?"
"Are you still worried about me?" Elena glanced at her with a half-smile: "It will only be more dangerous for you to stay here."
When this guy suddenly stopped breathing, it was really... scary.
"Oh~ I'll take a nap first."
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Melia quieted down, resting her head on the pillow and closing her eyes.
"Why don't you go home and sleep if you want to?"
"Don't make noise, I have something else to do..."
Elena's breathing became shallow again, perhaps an illusion. Just as she was about to raise her hand to shake Melia's shoulder, a sudden commotion erupted outside.
Boom, boom, boom, clang.
The white-robed priest pushed open the wooden door and gasped, "Miss Melia, things have changed."
He looked at Melia, who had turned over in a daze, his face flushed. "Lord Sura and Your Highness... I hope you will also rush to the front lines and inspire the soldiers in the name of the God-Blessed One."
The author has something to say:
Thanks to Seventeen, Luomu Xiaoxiaoxia, and Lei Lei from Lobster Express~
Thanks to Guarding the Old City Alone, Mao Ci, x, Once a Stunning Shadow, Seventeen, and I Love the Irrigation of a Lonely Star~
Because the day after tomorrow is a break, it's not very convenient to update, so tomorrow there will be two updates (one of which will be for the day after tomorrow, muah)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
