I have a long-lived pawn shop.

Philip's letter was sent that afternoon.

The next morning, a sophisticated mail coach that was a hundred times more complex than the mechanical bird stopped in front of the mansion. The mechanical doll politely rang the copper bell outside the garden, and then handed a metal box and a letter to the servant who came running after hearing the sound.

The Pope kept his promise and handed over some of the Vatican's psychic information, while emphasizing that only his children knew the code to the box.

Only a living and conscious Philip Salohill could unearth this precious treasure.

Wei Xi did not comment on the Pope's vigilance and signaled the guards to take Philip to the library.

She just kept him under house arrest and had no interest in torturing his body.

The mansion of Yalai had been deserted for a long time, like a church where services were rarely held, with moss growing on the stones and vines growing around the windows.

The old smell of the library blended with the musty, unread volumes, the cartouche ceiling, the dark wainscoting.

Wei Xi patted the metal box and saw a small pattern in the corner. The engraving was very old and had a history of hundreds of years. Wei Xi lifted up the corner and looked at it carefully. It was so heavy that he couldn't hold it for a while, but slammed it heavily on the table, causing the guards in the room and Philip who had just arrived to gasp at the same time.

"You need to be careful, Your Excellency," Philip warned.

Wei Xi looked up at him, then lowered her head to straighten the box. Her long black eyelashes drooped slightly, with delicate details at the ends of her eyes, as if she was nonchalant and nonchalant about everything she did, yet she could do everything easily and without any mistakes.

"Open it." The Countess made her request directly.

Philip hated her behavior, as if he was just a dog and a tool by her side. However, Philip had no choice. Abigail's cold and flat tone was enough to show her cruelty in this regard.

The combination lock was activated and the mechanical airlock popped open. Philip took out the books and documents from the box and placed them on the table beside him. Wei Xi picked up the book, but because there were outsiders around, he just flipped through it casually.

It is always more fun to take a quick look than to sit there and read. The cover and inner pages of this book in my hand are in very good condition, and you can see that it has been well cared for by the owner.

The handwriting on the title page was sharp and clear, and it was Todd Saloshir's name.

When I turned to the last page, dots of red marks covered the paper. The red was strangely bright and new, covering the thin, brittle and yellowed pages, and the collision was more beautiful than scary.

Wei Xi went to read the sentence covered in blood——

“You must know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”*

Like a definition. Wei Xi's fingers brushed across the pages of the book, and it seemed as if scattered sparks fell from her fingertips. The dark fire that was originally just burning faintly suddenly swelled up, igniting her limbs and bones, attracting her to unconsciously indulge in reading.

Wei Xi blinked and closed the book indifferently.

This was a harmless little test from the Pope. This kind of knowledge handed down from ancient times usually has some kind of mind control function. People who don't have enough restraint are likely to get lost in it and have their brains blown up by excessive knowledge.

In the past when gods really existed, knowledge = power was no empty talk.

"Your father took out something more precious than I thought. I thought, maybe I should be nicer to you..." Wei Xi looked at Philip who was standing in front of him, and asked someone to untie the chain on his feet.

Philip moved his stiff ankle and said, "Thank you very much for your generosity."

Wei Xi could hear the sarcasm in Philip's words, but she didn't care: "From now on, you can move freely in this mansion, but you must be accompanied by guards."

"Richard, watch him."

Philip found a chair and sat down. "Why don't you watch me in person? I definitely won't run away. After all, I have good food and drink here, shares, a mansion, and the company of a beautiful countess."

"Oh, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I won't stay here long." Wei Xi picked up the pen and continued to review her documents. A white bird with mechanical wings flew over from a distance, fluttered and landed on the table. Its metal beak opened with a click, and it spit out a copper tube towards her, which contained the day's briefing.

"Look at the bright side, at least you can get some money this time." Wei Xi unfolded the briefing and found that the scope of recruitment was getting wider and wider. He couldn't help but say, "How many people have been in and out of the battlefield, climbing over piles of dead bodies, or working hard for a whole year, running around, to get the amount they want. Compared to them, you are much luckier."

Philip blinked slowly. Wei Xi watched him with interest, and subtly felt that he did not not understand, but just did not know how to accept it.

"Please forgive me, sir. From a band star to a prisoner... the difference between them cannot be explained in a few words."

"But you're not the first person to use me to threaten my father."

"I've seen worse situations than this. You're one of the more moderate ones among the detainees."

"Gentle..." Wei Xi laughed, stood up and put the mechanical bird back, motioned Sera to find something in Curry, then turned around and walked to Philip, leaned closer, and said, "I've always wanted to ask, do opera singers have to keep their hair so long?"

"Partly. You don't like it?"

Wei Xi leaned too close, and Philip's long hair fell into the palm of the superior, and was easily twisted around the countess's fingers. She had no intention of retreating, and did not mind that everyone in the room was watching her. The smile was still brightly hanging on her eyelashes.

"I do not like."

The countess suddenly drew her dagger the next instant.

They were too close, and the dagger brushed against the hair on the side of Philip's neck on its way out of the sheath. The young man narrowed his eyes subconsciously. If he tried to dodge, his skin would be cut if he was not careful, so he could only let the countess cut off the hair.

The light golden hair fell lightly, and when it reached the height of their waists, it was scattered in the air.

"Short hair is neat." She sheathed the knife calmly, "Since I have to live with you under the same roof for a while, I hope you will become more pleasing to me."

Philip drew a breath.

He didn't know what that feeling was, but he felt his throat suddenly tighten, as if something like pearls and jade was choking his breath, round yet hard, and stubbornly refused to disappear.

"You still have many chances, Philip, before my patience runs out. Think about what your father desperately wants? Because of this, you have become my amulet. I have never seen an object that dares to resist its master."

Philip pursed his lips, which made his facial lines look a little distorted, and his fingers turned pale because he clenched them too tightly.

There was no expression on the countess's face. She waved her hand and placed the dagger at her waist, along with a revolver.

"Step back." Wei Xi said to him.

……

Yale-Charlotte District.

When tulips are in full bloom, the whole street is as gorgeous as clouds. The wind blows the petals that have fallen in the flower beds, fluttering and bringing a faint fragrance.

The Silver Moon Church is located in the central part of the Charlotte area, and because of this, it has the most seminaries and psychic research institutes.

The Empire's largest perpetual motion research institute is only two blocks away from the Holy See.

In the afternoon, students from Messiah School gathered in groups of two or three, leaning against the ivy-covered wall to chat. The wind blew up the girls' skirts, revealing their slender white ankles.

Messiah is one of the public schools established by the Holy See. Its main students are orphans and children from poor families raised in temples from all over the country. Together with the neighboring Bernti Noble College, it supplies outstanding talents to the highest institution of learning in the empire, the University of Sebo.

The world-famous Sebo University is divided into the Elementary College, the Higher School and the Perpetual Motion Hall, which is known as the "ivory tower".

Children who can enter the elementary school are already the best among their peers, and graduates of the high school and the Perpetual Movement Hall will be the future national elites.

Wei Xi's father once studied at the Higher School of Sebo University. Unfortunately, after being expelled from Yalai, most of Wei Xi's education came from private tutors.

"Anna, how are you preparing for the nun qualification exam?" The two girls were chatting while leaning against the drinking fountain.

"I'm still confident. I've worked hard for a long time. I studied hard in the library for a week, and I have dark circles under my eyes." Anna yawned and pointed to the dark circles under her eyes to her friend.

"I envy you. Your grades are so good. You will definitely be able to enter Sebo University. I'm different. After graduation, I will probably be assigned to work in a temple in another city."

Anna didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only pat her shoulder, then suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Nika, do you know that it seems that the new Saint Selection is about to begin again!"

Nika leaned over, her interest waning: "What's the use of starting it? You want to go to school, I want to work, and we won't have the chance to participate in the selection of such a big shot in the future."

The previous saint was the only daughter of the Pope. Although there was no legal document to prove this, it was obviously a matter that the upper class should be concerned about.

"No, no, I heard that the scope of selection has been expanded a lot this year. Civilians can also participate, and those who pass the preliminary selection will receive subsidies!"

"Really?" Nika's eyes lit up. For orphans like them who were raised by the Church, a subsidy was obviously a good income. "We can try together, Anna."

Anna hesitated for a moment and shook her head. "Sorry, Nika, after I finish the nun qualification exam, I still have to take the recommendation test for Sebo University. I don't have time to do this."

"What a pity! I thought we could meet His Holiness together! During the last blessing, I was too far away and couldn't see His Holiness's appearance clearly. I only saw his large white robe."

Anna was also very happy to see her friend become more lively: "Nika, when you meet His Majesty, you must come back and describe it to me in detail."

The two girls held each other's hands and smiled. They were still in their best years, full of curiosity and hope for everything in the world. They didn't know that besides flowers, there would be blood and battlefields ahead.

And the Pope they revere is now in the Silver Moon Church, the Central Cathedral.

Sixty fully armed knights blocked the entrance and exit of the church. The nuns, priests, and pastors passing by could not help but slow down their steps.

They knew very well what kind of people were sitting in this church now. Their names were not important; what was important was their identities - the Pope and the cardinals, the actual rulers of the Holy See.

At noon, the bell rang, and a group of pigeons fluttered in panic from the tallest tower in the distance and circled. Everyone heard the heavy sound of the door closing. The huge sound echoed between the towers of the Silver Moon Church, like the sound of waves in the quiet night.

There were not many people, so only the scripture hall with white marble floor was used.

There were lecterns on all four sides of the chapel, one higher than the other, and all the people sat on them. The sunlight filtered through the colorful glass of the Virgin Mary, blurring everyone's face. The five people were divided into two groups and whispered to each other. The Pope sat at the top and rang the small silver bell in front of him.

The whispering stopped.

"We all know that the previous Saint Rosalina of the Holy See died in an accident. The Holy See cannot sit idly by and watch. After dealing with all the follow-up, the selection of a new Saint must be put on the agenda."

The Pope spoke very diplomatically, as if the dead girl had nothing to do with him.