Chapter 517 You are right here
Aiwass quickly realized what Gray meant.
——Because the unicorn had no reaction to his touch and riding, it could even be said that it was quite close to him.
But how do I know why this unicorn is so close to me!
As a symbol of the highest echelon of the Theocracy, only cardinals are allowed to ride a unicorn—and they must also be virgins of pure and kind heart. Even male or married cardinals are forbidden from riding. If anyone harbors evil intentions, the unicorn will refuse to ride them.
And it's obvious.
He was neither pure nor good, nor a virgin, nor a girl. He was not even a cardinal.
Ai Hua suddenly couldn't hold it anymore -
You're doing it twice! You're doing it twice!
Unicorn, is there something wrong with your play this time?
"...Is it the Path Affinity?"
Aiwass asked softly: "After all, I am already at the fourth energy level."
"Cardinals are all at the fifth level."
Pure White replied, "The unicorn is a beast that holds a candle and gazes at the moon. If you are not a girl, then you are the only exception in the past few thousand years."
"I remember... unicorns have an affinity for both the paths of devotion and love."
Aiwass asked hesitantly, "Could it be the affinity of the Tao?"
Could it be that it was because of the Tao characteristics given to me by the Twin Mirror?
After all, No. 14 is a virgin and the child of the moon... Maybe the unicorn saw through his identity as Aiwass and smelled the scent of No. 14?
"What do you think, Master Pansy?"
Pure White reached out and gently touched the long spiral horn on the unicorn's forehead, which was long enough to pierce an adult's chest.
"To be honest," a cool and indifferent female voice sounded, "this is the first time I've seen something like this.
"But my body certainly didn't react in a way that was resisting stress. Now that things are like this, I don't want to just continue with the same old routines. We have to understand that times are changing, and we can't just refuse to accept things because we say, 'I don't understand.'"
That was the unicorn speaking.
It was more like teaching and scolding the Gray Saint than chatting.
"Yes, Master Pansy."
The Gray Saint did not react at all, but nodded and humbly accepted the teachings.
"Hello, Master Pansy."
Aiwass greeted the noble unicorn politely: "May the candle protect your glory."
In a sense, this unicorn can be considered a senior civil servant of the Eternal Church.
Unicorns and griffins are completely different supernatural creatures.
Impure-blooded Griffins often rely on the advancement of their allies to more easily reach the fourth level, achieving full maturity and complete intelligence. If a Griffin's allies are able to ascend to the fifth level, they themselves may be dragged along to the fifth level as well, effectively creating a two-sided relationship.
Unicorns are typically fourth-level transcendental creatures—they're born at level four, but it's not easy for them to ascend to level five... After all, unicorns' lifespans are far longer than griffins. They can even outlive elves... This unicorn named "Pansy" likely lives even longer than Avalon.
Because although unicorns are mounts, they do not have such a close alliance with their masters - the fate of the griffin and its comrades is even permanently tied together.
Unicorns change masters quite frequently. When their master is no longer pure and kind, they will also change a servant.
Because of this, although the upper limit of the unicorn is much lower than that of the griffin, it has become a symbol of higher status... Because of its special affinity for "pure people", it has become a kind of Avalon lie detector.
Rather than being a mount assigned to the Cardinal, it is more like a disciplinary supervisor who acts as a driver.
It has probably served many saints by now.
"Hello to you, Aiwass."
The friendly unicorn turned around and looked at Aiwass with his clear sapphire eyes.
It was clearly a horse face, but Aiwass always felt that it was smiling - he even clearly saw a human-like expression on the unicorn's face: "This is the first time I've carried a man. If the action is too intense and makes you uncomfortable, please don't be shy and speak up in time."
Aiwass understood what she meant.
The implication is that if you hit your balls, remember to tell them and don't be embarrassed to say it.
Hearing her words, Aiwass felt somewhat shy. He coughed and said nothing.
It felt like I was talking to my aunt at home. From a distance, it felt quite close, but I also felt like I was being teased.
"Also," the unicorn said, "I wish Sizhu to protect you as well."
As it spoke, the unicorn tilted its head back slightly and held its horn towards Aiwass.
Aiwass speculated that this might be Pansy's imitation of the "handshake" etiquette. So Aiwass carefully extended his fingers and gently touched the unusually sharp horn, as if reaching out to gently pinch the tips of two fingers of the other person.
At this time, they had already walked out of the port.
There were even more people outside—it was bustling, even.
Elves, trolls, lizardmen, humans, goblins, moon children...Except for the dwarves, Aiwass has seen almost all intelligent races.
They are all different in height, weight, and appearance, and even their clothes are completely different.
These immigrants or tourists all wore clothes from different cultures and gathered in groups of two or three. However, few of them spoke Elvish, and they all spoke their own ethnic languages.
The style of the shops here once made Aiwass feel like he was dreaming back to Earth.
The streets are densely packed with shops, one after another. In front of the shops there are also street vendors or people selling street snacks.
The biggest difference is that there is no "road" here.
Although there were many horses passing by—Aiwass even saw camels—there was no asphalt or marble road here. The ground here was completely wooden, so when the unicorn's hooves stepped on it, it would make a crisp and long echo.
From Avalon's perspective, the roads here are quite wide. So wide that even with street vendors on both sides of the road, there is still at least two lanes of space in the middle.
In the distance, you can see many skyscrapers.
Lloyd's of Avalon's headquarters is a unique building in the country. From Aiwas's perspective alone, there are three or four buildings taller than it within sight.
Aiwass even saw a true "skyscraper"—it was embedded directly on the edge of the giant tree's outer ring. Like an external elevator, it lay outside the first and third rings.
The "outer shells" of all these buildings are also made of wood, though some are inlaid with glass. Rather than being built houses, they are more like buildings that have grown out of the ground.
The area of the first ring is undoubtedly the largest and highest layer.
When Aiwas just came out of the port, he looked up and saw the silhouette of the towering tree.
From his side, he could only vaguely see the fifth ring.
The part above was not because Aiwass’ eyesight was poor, but because it had been distorted by the atmosphere and submerged in the blue sky.
"Do you want to buy anything?"
Gray suddenly asked.
"Of course there is."
Aiwass hesitated slightly: "After all, this time I brought... brought money."
He wasn't sure if asking Gray Saint for money directly would annoy her...
After all, many elves don't really like dirty things like "money." The older the elves, the more they scorn money.
Although the Theocracy is the world's trading center, the elves don't like trading - this is no joke.
Rather, the elves truly believe that the concept of "money" is fundamentally contrary to the concept of giving. Its essence is private property. However, trade is an act of equilibrium, so the elves don't overly object... However, the more primitive "barter" trading method is more popular among the elves.
The value of this kind of transaction is actually not aligned at all, so what is essentially being traded is "favors."
Therefore, there is no concept of "currency" in the Eternal Church, at least among the pure-blood elves.
Whenever an elf needs something, they only need to ask for it, and someone will naturally help them get it. The elves will also help others, and this cycle repeats... After all, the elves are the children of the giant tree and have inherited the giant tree's blood of sacrifice.
"Don't worry," Gray knew what Aiwas was worried about, so she comforted him, "I'm not that old-fashioned person who wants amber... Times have changed, I know that.
"I am an elf born in the new era. I was born after the opening of the Theocracy—I also have some White Crown coins."
Yes, White Crown Coin.
Aiwass knew that the currency used by the elves today was also the White Crown Coin issued by Avalon.
Because of this close relationship, some races that don't have a good grasp of the history and political situation here... such as the lizardmen in the eastern desert or the trolls in the south, may even think that Avalon and the Theocracy are actually two regions of the same country.
But it's actually quite simple.
Strictly speaking, the Theocracy does not have its own legal tender.
In the Church, the practice of using "money" to buy things has only begun in the past few hundred years. It's been less than a thousand years at most.
Long ago, crafts made by artisans, paintings by painters, clothes made by tailors, potions, brewed wines, and food—all of these things were casually placed on windowsills or in the yard. If you saw something you liked, you would just take it.
For some old-fashioned elves, they didn't have these things when they were children, or even throughout their teenage years... but now it's completely different.
At the end of the Helasar Empire, the Eternal Theocracy, which had been internally closed, decided to open up to the outside world and began to slowly come into contact with short-lived species under the decision of a certain Pope.
The peaceful, comfortable, and prosperous atmosphere of the Theocracy immediately attracted many immigrants. The internal security and order also attracted some merchants to trade here.
Originally, the elves were actually looking forward to these immigrants... just like humans raising cats.
Their shorter lifespan meant they had more need for help. As intelligent beings, they could easily communicate with one another, and their ability to speak the profound Elvish language meant they were at least not too ignorant in terms of knowledge and wisdom, making it easier for them to form friendships with lonely elves—at that time, most elves were still unaware of the implications of lifespan theory.
But before they felt the cruelty of the theory of lifespan, the elves felt the quality problem of the "outsider cats".
Scholars and poets who longed for elven culture, or merchants and travelers who hoped to obtain elven specialties, gradually gathered on the side of the Theocracy.
However, they cannot be as carefree and have simple desires as the elves.
The local elves recruited them to work for them, and just providing them with food and shelter was not enough - they also had to pay them. But the bigger problem was that the elves simply didn't have that many jobs for them.
When these short-lived species ask for supplies or gifts, they don't just stop at what they want. Instead, they are insatiable... Simply satisfying their needs isn't enough; they want more.
The result was a large-scale chaos.
It is known in history as the "Currency Chaos" - this is a required course in middle school history at Avalon because it is directly related to the birth of Avalon.
It was also from then on that the short-lived species could only gather below the fifth ring, and the elves also began to use the currency of the short-lived species.
"Actually, I understand how the elves feel."
Aiwass said from the bottom of his heart: "If I had been there, I would have just kicked them out."
He truly understood the feelings of the elves.
It felt like the guild's warehouse, overflowing with potions, materials, and money for newcomers. There were also some used gear from the older bosses... selling it wouldn't bring in much, and it wouldn't be enough to make a living. So, why not provide some convenience for the newcomers? This was a common practice in many of the games Aiwas played.
Even Aiwass offered a lot at that time.
Suddenly, a group of people joined the guild. Aiwass still couldn't figure out whether they were professional guild raiders or if there was a mole inside the guild who had revealed his wealth.
The result was that they were obviously no longer newcomers and did not need these things at all, but they took everything away - and they did not use them themselves, but put them up for auction.
Not only that, after they robbed the things, they didn't even hang out in the guild group - it would be fine if they just wanted to make some acquaintances.
The problem is that no one knows you!
The most outrageous thing is that they didn’t even run away—and they did it with a clear conscience!
Why not run away and wait for the next wave of resources to grow?
Infuriated, Aiwass kicked them out and posted their IDs online.
"That's because the elves are good-tempered... I only drove them below the fifth ring and even changed my habits to accommodate them."
Aiwass complained: "If I..."
He shook his head and didn't continue.
But apparently, it's not just Aiwass who is dissatisfied.
The sudden forced change in living habits also made many elves feel disgusted with these greedy and low-quality short-lived species.
Yes, they are not annoyed because these short-lived species have taken away too many things, but they are annoyed because they have to adapt to the living habits of the short-lived species and change the habits they have developed over hundreds of years - just like a roommate who suddenly keeps a lot of pets.
It's not that I'm short of food, nor do I dislike animals. But it does feel troublesome.
I don't raise you, why are you biting my line!
——That’s probably how it feels.
It was from then on that the Theocracy fully supported Avalon.
Since the stray cats from other places are not of good quality, why not raise one yourself? The elves thought so.
When Avalon was first founded, the elves contributed greatly. The Pope even sent over twenty young Papal Guards, a gesture of friendship. At the time, the White Crown, a foreign trade currency, was guarantored by the Theocracy. The Theocracy directly established Avalon's legal tender as its own, sending large quantities of supplies to Avalon.
In order to prevent the people of Avalon from learning bad things from other short-lived species, the Theocracy also prevents them from coming into contact with other races - if it were not so difficult not to come into contact with humans, they would not even want Avalon to come into contact with other humans.
This is also the origin of Avalon's xenophobic culture.
Even so, Avalon gradually fell into decline. Consequently, the Theocracy's opinion of Avalon declined significantly. While it was still considered "their own cat," they weren't as involved in its management.
Seeing Aiwass's reaction and sensing his mood, Gray couldn't help but feel more favorable towards Aiwass.
Although she was one of those who were more friendly to the short-lived, over the years, few short-lived people realized that they were wrong. They were more likely to stop based on morality, rather than understanding the elves from the bottom of their hearts.
It makes sense that the Theocracy now only accepts humans who have dedicated themselves to the Way as high-ranking officials. After all, only those who have dedicated themselves to the Way can truly understand the elves' anger back then, and understand the complex relationship between the elves and the short-lived species today.
I like it, but I don’t want to keep it; I do love it, but it’s also annoying.
"If you're not in a hurry now, come with me first and go through the paperwork. If you want to buy something later, I can come shopping with you in a few days."
Gray said, "You are now an archbishop, but you only wear priest robes... This is not in accordance with etiquette.
"His Holiness the Pope has instructed that upon your arrival, you must be taken to change into a bishop's robe."
"Your Majesty, do you wish to see me?"
Aiwass was a little surprised when he heard this: "I remember that His Holiness the Pope can contact everyone at any time, right?"
He felt Gray's body tense slightly behind him for a moment.
"His Majesty is asleep and is temporarily unavailable."
Gray said nonchalantly, "Maybe I'll be free next year."
——It will be fine if you can hold on until next year.
It’s only February!
But after hearing her words, Aiwass roughly understood.
I'm afraid the Eternal Pope's tree-like disease has already broken out.
Has the plot... started for a while?
In that case...
Aiwass subconsciously turned around and glanced at Gray's eyes tied with ribbons.
Have the Gray Saint's eyes turned into amber now?
Are the cardinals aware of this?
Noticing Aiwass's gaze on her, Gray stopped breathing for a moment.
——He found out? Why?
...No, that's not right. There's no way he could know.
Maybe I'm too sensitive...right?
At this moment, the unicorn had already walked onto a platform.
"Gray."
The unicorn lady called Pure White by her real name: "Are you ready?"
"——Guards, prepare for takeoff!"
Suppressing the uneasiness in her heart, Gray said calmly, "Please, Master Pansy. Let's go to the thirteenth floor."
As he spoke, a pair of translucent wings as beautiful and clear as moonlight suddenly lit up behind the unicorn.
Immediately afterwards, the Pope's guards took Lily and Sherlock to ride on Pegasus with swan wings.
They don't need to take the elevator-like platform - this is why the cardinals can go to other rings even after blocking access to each level.
The next moment, they were stepping on the rainbow and rising from the ground.
——Flying vertically into the sky!
A 5,500-word update, today is a two-in-one update!
Thanks to the leader of the Thousand-Faced Chaos Radish that feeds the enemy, thank you meow!
By the way, a group of Avalonians in the book club suspected to have been bombed for fifteen days during the Cruel Autumn incident. Avalonian refugees can now seek refuge in the Eternal Kingdom, and then return once Avalon is rebuilt as Camelot.
...No, man, is this also going to recreate the game's plot?
(End of this chapter)
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