Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 11 The Cathedral

"Yes, he just arrived in Speyside, and our men were beaten up by him at the door."

Renn scoffed, "You got beaten by a priest and you still have the nerve to complain? Make him hand over all the money he embezzled, then go get twenty lashes. Go ahead."

The messenger stood by, sweating profusely.

“I know everything.” Renn rubbed his right hand, where the amputation had reached the elbow, leaving only a mechanical prosthetic hand with rotating gears and flashing lightning. “I just didn’t care.”

"……Yes."

“But the bishop caused this mess as soon as he arrived, which doesn’t match the information.” Renn frowned as he held a bag of documents. The information on the documents stated that he was a good-for-nothing, a parasite of Lundin, whose best skill was using his seemingly learned mind and handsome face to sleep with noblewomen.

The messenger kept his head down and remained silent.

"Did you really fight? Where are you injured?" Renn asked.

"...He shoved a red-hot gold pound into Oliver's hand, branding him." The messenger was drenched in sweat.

Ryan laughed: "Pretty creative, isn't it?"

The messenger dared not answer.

"Are those refugees with their livestock still in the church?"

"Yes...yes."

"Have someone keep an eye on it."

"Yes."

"Also, that guy, whether his name is Orifen or Oredo—get him to work in the coal mine."

"Yes Yes!"

"Go."

"Yes!"

Ryan opened the metal casing of the lighter, flicked the flint wheel, and the flame illuminated a shadowy area, lighting a newly drawn cigar.

Soon, the office was filled with smoke.

------

Xiren led the refugees into the city, but suddenly realized a problem: he was completely unfamiliar with the place and didn't know where to take them.

He stood on black steel plates and wooden planks, the heat of the steam preventing the snow from accumulating. Before him were rows of iron-gray barracks and watchtowers, their bright gas lamps shining on the tops like lighthouses, yet flickering in the wind and snow.

There isn't even a road sign here.

Just as Siren was awkwardly pondering this, an aged voice rang out: "Ah! Your Excellency, God help you, you have finally arrived!"

He was an old priest dressed in a black robe, with short silver hair combed to the sides, wearing a black woolen cap, and small round glasses perched on his nose.

He jogged up to Xiren, took his hand, and kissed his ring.

Siren was still a little disoriented and shivered. "Ah—I am Father Joseph, the parish priest of the Xilin Church," he said. "I have been waiting for you here for two months. The Northern Throne has not arrived yet, and I have been praying for you all this time... Merciful Lord! Thank you, Almighty Lord, for sending you back to me. The journey must have been tiring, haven't it? I cooked some beef stew in red wine at home, using beef from the Fischer region. If you don't mind..."

“Wait, wait, wait—” Siren interrupted him, “Take me to my cathedral first.”

Joseph chuckled sheepishly and stood up. "Ah, it was my oversight. I'll lead the way now."

On the way, Joseph would occasionally turn his head and look at him with a resentful look, which gave Xilen goosebumps.

He remembered the church in Syllenhaal, which was actually not close to Speyside. This meant that Father Joseph had abandoned his parish two months ago and come to Speyside to wait for him.

He had only received the bishop's appointment the day before yesterday, but Joseph was unaware of this. All he could be sure of was that since Spesse had built a cathedral, there must be a bishop.

Having seen through these sycophantic tricks, Siren didn't expose them. After all, Joseph was currently the only member of the church's influence in the city, and his feelings had to be considered.

On the way, Xiren admired the magnificent city and casually asked, "How have things been these past two days?"

At this point, Joseph sighed with a worried expression: "What can we do? Speyside was never finished. Last week, the engineers said that it was planned to be completed before winter, but they froze to death outside early yesterday morning... The city has been in chaos these past two days. Governor Hoffman is a capable man. He quickly suppressed the situation and ordered the gathering of nearby civilians to provide shelter, but he also took the opportunity to control all the militia, engineers, and mechanics in the city..."

Siren didn't interrupt, listening quietly to his complaints, gradually sketching out Speyer's character.

According to the conjectures of the Church and the Empire, the "disaster" should begin as early as this winter, so all the major shelters must be completed before winter arrives.

But the cold snap struck suddenly at the end of summer, and the world temperature instantly dropped to below -10°C. Construction in Speyside came to a standstill, countless people died, and the city was in chaos.

Governor Ryan Hoffman used an iron fist to mobilize his own guards to suppress the riots in the city. At the same time, he conscripted all the militia under the pretext of "emergency". On the one hand, he controlled the highly educated people such as engineers, mechanics and clerks, and on the other hand, he won over the nearby civilians to stabilize the people's hearts.

This is undoubtedly a good thing; otherwise, if the chaos were allowed to spread, people would face even greater danger.

However, the execution of the order resulted in numerous casualties, and it is an undeniable fact that Ryan seized the opportunity to monopolize power in Speyer.

“He not only disregarded the church’s rights, but also made all the villagers with livestock stay in the cathedral, saying that they ‘might be carrying diseases and must be observed and monitored,’ and refused to allocate them houses…” Joseph said with a mournful face, “You must do us justice!”

“Isn’t there any other space to put the livestock and villagers?” Siron asked.

“Of course there are!” Joseph raised his voice. “Speyer is more than a hundred meters underground, with 18 levels and eleven sections. Why put people in the cathedral when there are no other places to put them? It’s an insult to you!”

Xilun nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

Soon they passed through the houses and fortresses on the ground and arrived in front of the cathedral.

It was a greyish-white Romanesque church—no wonder Xilun had never seen the church's spire, because it was low yet magnificent, like a crouching rock behemoth, supported by thick arches and pillars. It lacked the complexity of Gothic architecture, only the solemnity of antiquity. Although it was a newly built cathedral, it seemed to have come from the Middle Ages, a solemn fortress that had withstood the test of time and war.

The most popular style of church today is Gothic, which features soaring spires supported by flying buttresses and slender columns. However, the designers considered that Speyside might face unknown enemies and cold storms, so they adopted an older design.

Romanesque churches are the precursor to Gothic architecture. Their first impression is one of heaviness, with walls made of granite up to two meters thick, which could even be used as city walls.

Pushing open the thick oak doors of the church, Siron entered his cathedral.

But he did not see the magnificent murals and ceiling decorations, nor his own bishop's seat, nor the choir, clergy, or those who came to greet him.

There was only cow dung, horse dung, and pig dung scattered everywhere, and chickens, ducks, and geese running around on the ground. People were leading their livestock in fear and sitting in the empty and cold church.

(End of this chapter)