scepter

Perhaps after hearing what his daughter said, Earl Marin realized that his previous behavior was a bit inappropriate. For several days, he not only had dinner with Yannick and the others in person every day, but also told the housekeeper that they must be polite to Yannick. Qi, try to meet any requirements.Aphra and the others went in without knowing it, a little flattered, and lamented that the Earl is approachable and has no airs at all.

The most common way of communication in the aristocratic circle is the party. Although Sophia's temperament is different from that of ordinary ladies, she has also received this kind of education since she was a child. Therefore, after she came back, the Earl's Mansion used her name to publicize A post was held to hold a tea party, and the noble ladies and ladies of the imperial capital were invited to attend.

Those nobles have always rejected people outside the circle, like Yannick and Aphra, although they are priests and mages, but after all, their ranks are too low, and the big nobles may not pay attention to them. Sophia deliberately introduced Ya Nick and the others helped them spread out some contacts, and worried that they would be rejected and despised by the nobles, who knew that the result was far beyond her expectations.

Because of their limited knowledge, Afra and Dantonio are inevitably at a loss in the face of this kind of gathering. Even if Afra puts on the gorgeous dress that Sofia carefully prepared for her, she can't hide her demeanor from a small place. The ladies laughed secretly for a long time.

However, what is surprising is that Priest Yannick Hill used his invincible eloquence, oh no, it was the charm that conquered the noble women who came to the Earl of Marin's mansion, those noble ladies and young ladies with eyes on the top of their heads , not only didn't make any excuses to Yannick because he was only wearing a low-level priest's robe, but tried every means to get close to him.As long as there is a tea party attended by the silver-haired priest, there must be a group of people gathered around him. His charm is so great that it surprised Earl Marin and made a group of men gnash their teeth.

For example now...

"Your Excellency, how do you know so much!" A lady covered her mouth with a small silk fan and said in surprise. No matter how thick the powder on her face was, the lines at the corners of her eyes could not be concealed, but judging by her clothes, This lady obviously still positioned herself on a girl of seventeen or eighteen. "Are there any birds that can speak human language in this world!"

"Of course." The silver-haired priest smiled, and even this smile made the hearts of many wives and ladies skip a beat.

If anyone present besides the priest knew an ancient oriental language from another world, they would definitely use one word to describe the scene in front of them: nymphomaniac.

"Oh my god! Can speak human language, isn't that really a monster?" Another noble lady showed a more surprised expression, "Your Excellency, please tell us quickly, where on earth can such a bird be found?" turn up!"

"I only saw that kind of bird once in the dark forest." The priest flickered without blushing. "It's small and exquisite, with bright feathers all over its body, it won't hurt people, but although it can speak human words, it doesn't understand what it is saying, it can't communicate with humans, it's just a pure imitation. If A trader brought that bird outside, and it must have become a pet for everyone by now."

"This is really amazing!" The ladies and ladies giggled, and talked about other things to the silver-haired priest.

The popularity of Priest Yannick was not even expected by Earl Marin. As a result, it was obvious that the silver-haired priest had become the most popular character at the tea party in Earl Marin's mansion. As the real protagonist, Sophia Marin became foil.

Of course, Sophia was happy to hear about this situation. She was impatient to deal with those delicate noble ladies. If she had a choice, she would rather go hunting in the countryside on horseback.

"Have you seen it? You still treat Yannick like an ordinary person, and you want to spend [-] gold coins to get rid of it! Even those difficult noble ladies have been tamed by him, and now you will doubt me again Does it look like that?" Standing under the tree and looking at the lively scene not far away, Sophia said to her father half complaining half mockingly.

Earl Marin's expression was a bit unnatural. He had already learned about Yannick's origin from Feizel. If even Cardinal Vishelich looked at him differently, this priest really deserves attention.

In contrast, his previous behavior of bringing [-] gold coins to others seemed petty.

With a light cough, the count said, "There will be a grand dinner in the palace in two days, and I plan to invite Priest Yannick to attend. What do you think?"

As expected of a veteran aristocrat, he immediately began to think of ways to win over the priest and make up for the relationship.

Sophia blinked: "Isn't Your Majesty worrying about the invasion of the undead?"

How can you be in the mood to hold a grand dinner at this time?

Earl Marin naturally has his news channel: "Maybe it is to disclose the identity of Lord Chris."

Sophia was shocked by the news. After thinking about it, she felt that she understood the truth: "Could it be that they already know that Lord Chris is a mage, so they want to use this to win him over?"

Seeing that her father didn't deny it, she couldn't help becoming angry: "For so many years, His Excellency Chris has been a topic of discussion in the entire imperial capital with his status as an illegitimate child. Recognized by the royal family and the House of Elders, but look, what have they done now, don’t they know that His Excellency Chris is a powerful mage, so they can’t wait to jump out and win him over? To give him a legal status? I bet Chris Your Excellency will never care about these!"

Her voice involuntarily became louder, so that it attracted other people's attention, even the silver-haired priest cast a questioning look in this direction.

"Keep your voice down!" the count frowned.

"..." Sophia also realized that she was too excited.

She didn't have any friendship with Chris at all, and she couldn't even talk about fighting for him, but after La Serena's experience along the way, she has already equated Chris with her companions, even if the black mage's face is paralyzed. The face has nothing to do with the "poor little pissed off", and Sophia still feels aggrieved for him.

"Look at those noble ladies! Sophia, you should learn how to be a qualified lady!"

After the earl finished his lesson, he said again: "His Majesty the Emperor has always been kind to His Excellency Chris. It's not like you don't know it. He just couldn't publicly recognize His Excellency Chris due to the resistance of the Elder House. If Chris is really like you Speaking of which, if you have already become a powerful mage, then the test of the elders' house must not be difficult to pass."

Sophia pouted, noncommittal.

The count asked again: "What is the current level of magic, Lord Chris? You have been with him for so long, you should know?"

"I only know that he is a dual-line mage. As for the level, he has been wearing ordinary black robes. There are no emblems on the clothes, so he cannot be identified."

"Dual system?!" Earl Marin's eyes widened, not concealing his shock.

The father's unbelievable appearance pleased Sophia: "Of course, the person who can go deep into the dark forest alone and escape unscathed, do you think he will be inferior to Mud Fan?"

"Who is his teacher?" the earl asked. This is really surprising. Although the Garter Empire has never lacked powerful mages, dual-element magic is rare after all, and mages who are proficient in two kinds of elemental magic are even rarer. few.

"I don't know about that. Father, do you still regret letting me go out to practice now?" Sophia raised her eyebrows, "Being able to make friends with His Excellency Chris and Priest Yannick, this journey is not a loss, right?"

It's okay not to mention it, but when this was mentioned, the earl turned black: "But you almost died! My Marin family can't live without an heir!"

"Okay, okay!" Sophia perfunctory, "But let me remind you, my lord father, in this way, your idea of ​​inviting Yannick to the dinner may come to naught. As far as I know, Lord Chris and Yannick Your friendship is very good, I think he will not hesitate to give the priest an invitation, you should think of other ways to restore your image!"

Earl Marin was really worried. Yannick and the others seemed to have no background before. Without thinking, he asked the housekeeper to increase the amount of remuneration, not only to thank them for escorting their daughter back, but also to use gold coins to deter the other party and prevent those greedy People are demanding.This kind of behavior is natural for those who have not seen much of the world, but it is a faux pas for people with real strength.

The family rules of the Marin family clearly stated: It doesn't matter to offend an ordinary person, but it is a kind of stupidity to offend a person who is likely to have a bright future in the future.

So Earl Marin has always wanted to find a chance to repair the relationship with the silver-haired priest.

Fortunately, he racked his brains and finally thought of it.

"You mean, you want to introduce Bishop Lahe to me?" The silver-haired priest was a little puzzled.

"Yes." Earl Marin picked up the teacup, believing that this gift would definitely make up for the previous unhappiness. "Bishop Lahe is the bishop of the Garter Empire. He is very influential in the Garter Empire. I think you should visit him. He usually doesn't see outsiders, but if I recommend him, I believe he will be happy to receive you."

"Maybe I don't need to trouble you." The silver-haired priest smiled slightly, "Bishop Lahe has already sent me an invitation, and we have already made an appointment to meet in the afternoon."

ah?The hand holding the teacup stayed in the air, and Earl Marin's expression froze.

Could it be that he was one step slower?

"Then, there will be a palace banquet in two days, and I plan to invite you to attend, what do you think?" This time the count learned his lesson and changed into a consulting tone.

Yannick smiled apologetically: "Your Excellency Chris has already sent me invitations, not only me, Aphra and Dantonio have also received invitations, so..."

As expected of being the head of the Marin family, the Earl quickly recovered: "It's okay, I hope you can go there in the Marin family's carriage that day."

"Of course, my pleasure."

In fact, the earl was too worried, and Yannick had no ill feeling towards the earl. Although he wanted to overwhelm others at the beginning, he didn't do anything excessive, and they were always here as guests. The owner is also thoughtful enough, there is nothing to fault.For the olive branch offered by the other party, Yannick must be happy to accept it.

As the bishop of the Garter Empire, of course, you can't meet him casually, especially someone like Yanick who is still a low-level priest in name and has no background.

But the situation is a little different.

At the interim meeting in St. Mar City, he revealed his identity. Although he has not been officially recognized by the Holy See, a priest who has the bishop's ring and is comparable to a high-level priest is still different from a real low-level priest. Yes, the fame and praise he won in La Serena also gradually spread to the imperial capital, coupled with the golden badge given by Arthur Vaserich, all the reasons are superimposed, and it is enough for the bishop of the Garter Empire to take the initiative to invite Yannick meets.

The meeting took place in the gardens of the Imperial Church.

It was sunny in the afternoon, and it could be seen that Bishop Lahe attached great importance to the meeting. Not only did he specially choose a lush apple tree, but he also had people carefully prepare refreshments.

I have to say that sitting here, you can see greenery at a glance, with a wide view and a soothing mood, which is very conducive to in-depth conversations.

"I'm very glad to meet you, Bishop Lahe. My father has praised you more than once, saying that you are a kind and wise man." The father Yanick mentioned was his adoptive father and godfather, The ex-bishop of Santos who has died.

The bishop of the Garter Empire has fine lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth, and his smile is indeed kind and kind, but it is often inaccurate to judge the age by this - the life span of priests and mages is usually longer than that of ordinary people, which makes them have more time to spare To pursue a higher magical realm.

"Your father was also a visionary, but it's a pity that he died young. Speaking of which, when we first entered the Holy See, we studied together for a while!"

"Yes, my father also told me about this matter. After he passed away, I wanted to visit you, but I didn't expect those things to happen later..." The silver-haired priest showed regret.

"I sympathize with and regret what happened to you." Bishop Lahe said slowly, "I'm glad that you are safe and sound. I heard that you have made great contributions in La Serena, which is enough for me to Proud of you, your father is in heaven, and he will definitely feel relieved!"

"Compared to you, my little achievement is really nothing." Yannick said humbly.

The two talked nonsense for a long time, but this is actually an essential etiquette. After all, this is the first time they meet, and they don't know each other's temperament. Even if they want to cooperate, they have to try it out first.

Yes, cooperation. Yannick is not the only one who has this idea. Before the meeting, after seeing the resume of the silver-haired priest, Bishop Lahe had already had this idea.

Bishop Lahe's kind face hides a completely different ambition.

It's not a bad thing for a man to be ambitious. At least with Lahe's ability and qualifications, he was able to sit on the position of bishop of the Garter Empire, all thanks to his own efforts.

However, unlike Arthur Vaserich, he has been favored by the Pope since he was a child, and the Pope paved the way for him, so if nothing else, the career of Bishop of the Garter Empire is likely to be the pinnacle he can reach.

But he is not willing to let his career stop here. Bishop Rahe feels that he can go further, for example, Cardinal.

The promotion mechanism within the Holy See is divided into two stages.

High-ranking priests and below can be directly appointed by bishops.

If you want to become a bishop, you must get the support of more than half of the bishops.

To become a cardinal, one must not only obtain the support of more than half of the bishops, but also have the consent of half of the cardinals.

Of course, the pope, as the supreme leader, has a veto right here, but if there are no accidents, if everyone else agrees, unless the pope has a deep hatred for this person, or he really doesn't like him, otherwise he will not Stuck and failed.

Rah is now facing an embarrassing situation: a certain cardinal who had originally supported him died unfortunately due to a magical accident last month, and a position just happened to be vacant, but a problem also came, and now he has no backer , although there are quite a few cardinals who choose to be neutral, it is not difficult for him to get the consent of those people, but among the bishops of the other six countries, it is a bit difficult to get half of the support, because the position of the cardinal is not He wants to sit alone, and so do others!

The appearance of Yannick gave Lahe a glimmer of hope. If he can help the other party to the position of bishop, then not only the other party will benefit, but his own road to the cardinal will be smoother.

And making friends with Lahe also does not violate Yannick's interests. Compared with Fansherich or Mudd Fan, he is more willing to associate with Bishop Lahe, because the status difference between the two parties is not big, and the interests are more important. Close, don't need to worry too much.

So the two priests who had common interests and also liked to pretend to be aggressive hit it off, and it didn't take long for them to cherish each other.

Beck followed Yannick, but it was not convenient for him to be present at the occasion of the secret meeting, so he rested outside, eating the delicious snacks provided by the church, and finally saw the silver-haired priest leave when his stomach was full. Come out, and the legendary Bishop Lahe who is very airy is right next to him. The two of them hold hands and smile all over their faces. The intimacy makes Baker stunned, especially Bishop Lahe, whose smile is like countless A chrysanthemum bloomed on her face.

"That..." When he and Yannick left the church and went outside, Beck asked cautiously, "Are you and Bishop Lahe the long-lost father and son?"

"What are you talking about!" the priest laughed, "How is this possible, do I already have the same wrinkles on my face?"

While talking, Yannick couldn't help touching his face.

"No, no, what I mean is that he is very warm to you, so warm that he sent you out in person... Sophia also said that he is very airy!"

"Oh, that's because of my great charm!" The silver-haired priest said naturally.

The meeting that day did not attract too many people's attention. It is not unusual for an imperial bishop to receive a priest who has made great achievements in La Serena. As for what agreement the two reached, no one knows except the person involved. up.

The palace dinner that is coming soon may be the largest banquet in recent years. Even though the atmosphere in Saint-Mar City is tense because of the undead, this does not prevent the singing and dancing in the imperial capital. Legend has it that at this banquet, His Majesty Emperor Francis II will have important announcements to make.