The firewood crackled in the hearth, and the bright yellow flame undulated.

"If you are suggesting that 'all magical arts originate from the magical arts of the church,' it would be a bit too arrogant." Winters put down the cup: "But it seems to be the consistent style of the Catholic Church."

Saul put the peeled beetroot on the stove, turned the fire a little brighter, and added some firewood: "No, just the opposite."

"Oh why?"

Saul turned his back to Winters and did not answer directly: "You have seen pagan magic, right? Judging from your attitude, it should be said that... you have personally come into contact with pagan magic."

Winters was not a devout believer, and he did not shy away from being rescued by the Hed shaman: "Yes."

"You have also been exposed to church magic."

"Isn't Kaman your priest?" Winters said without hesitation: "I have seen him heal the wounded."

After hearing Winters' words, Saul shook his head: "What do you think are the similarities and differences between the two?"

Winters considered the words: "Different paths, similar destinations."

"In other words, you also think they are similar, right?"

"From what I know, there are some similarities." Winters replied cautiously: "But I don't know much."

"For..." Saul paused and calmly used the third person: "For the priests, even just 'similarity' is already a serious offense."

"Pagans also eat bread with their mouths, hold knives and forks with their hands, and have limbs and facial features." Winters frowned slightly: "Wouldn't this blatant plagiarism be even more offensive?"

The door was pushed open, and Carman walked into the kitchen angrily: "Saracens don't eat bread! They don't use knives and forks! St. Philip thinks they are a 'fourth country', so it's completely normal for Saracens to look the same as us."

I can understand it!”

"Why are you back again?" Winters asked helplessly.

"Allowing leaks is also against my oath." Kaman replied stiffly.

"Don't worry, Father Carman, I haven't broken my oath." Saul slowly sat back on the bench and said with a sigh: "I'm just telling some things from the past to those who want to listen."

"Then can I sit in?" Kaman immediately requested.

"Of course, of course."

The kitchen in the officer's apartment was very small, with only two benches, one for the old man and one for Winters. Kaman was angry and refused to leave, and he couldn't bear to sit on the table or the stove, so he had to stand.

Winters caught a glimpse of a bench in the woodpile, but he planned to tell Carman later: "The origin of the Saracens, I think you have come back. What about further east? Brother Rhett also has two

Arms, two legs? He's from the Far East."

"There is also a rich and powerful country in the Far East that believes in Catholicism, and their ruler is named [Priest John]." Kaman suddenly became serious: "So they are also descendants of Adam and Eve, and naturally they look the same as us.

"

Winters' expression became a little subtle, and he looked at Kaman with pity: "You...could you have been deceived by that old guy Red?"

The old man Saul was present, so Kaman could not get angry. He suppressed his anger and explained seriously: "Priest King John is a descendant of the three wise men from the East. He has been gifted by the Lord and is immortal and immortal. [He] is more powerful and more powerful than anyone else in the world."

Wealthy. His roof and inner walls were built with gold, and the weapons of his army were also made of gold]. In the year 237 of the Imperial Calendar, the pope at that time received a letter from the Priest King, and popes of all dynasties also received it many times.

Send people to find the Priest King..."

The more Winters listened, the more outrageous he became. He turned around and asked old man Saul: "Do you believe it?"

Old man Saul seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and was noncommittal.

Silence is the greatest contempt. Kaman felt aggrieved: "Everything I said is clearly recorded in the archives of the Supreme Church."

Winters didn't want to continue this topic, but he couldn't control his desire to refute: "Is it true if it is written on parchment?"

The feeling of grievance and unwillingness disappeared, and Kaman gradually became cold and stern: "Your current thoughts are no different from those who swear to be anti-religious."

Winters was silent for a long time and whispered to Carman: "Have you forgotten? I am not your lamb."

Kaman's momentum was instantly shattered.

"If the dossier is wrong, then the Pope's decree may also be wrong. If the Pope's decree is wrong, then the Gospels may also be wrong." Old Saul slowly peeled the beets.

Said: "The more authoritative it is, the less it can be questioned. No matter when, people's will to defend their beliefs is always very strong. Because that is not only denying the doctrine, but also denying the meaning of the existence of the priests."

"It's okay to deny it. People are still alive, right?" Winters decided not to tell Kaman about the other stool: "Someone once said to me, 'Existence first, then meaning. Reality is always ahead of concept.

'."

Old man Saul stopped what he was doing: "First there is matter, then there is consciousness. Has the Enlightenment school spread to Plato?"

"I'm from Veneta." Winters was a little embarrassed.

Saul seemed to smile and continued to peel the beets: "Actually, look at Carman...Father, you should also be able to understand why the clergy do not think - or do not want to think that the pagan magic comes from [the first schism]

]."

Winters didn't fully understand yet and waited for Saul to continue.

"Divinity is a confirmed miracle and a direct expression of the Lord's will." Old Saul said bluntly: "If the pagan magic in the north comes from [the first great schism], it means that pagans can also

Using Catholic theology, the definition of theology would fall into a paradox."

"Hmm." Winters asked thoughtfully: "Like the paradox of [kindness and omnipotence]?"

"Yes."

Winters glanced at the silent Kaman: "But someone gave the answer during a sermon - the Lord sent suffering in the hope that humans would love Him."

"If you are willing to accept this explanation, that's fine." Old Saul sighed: "Religion and religion have always been two different things, just like politics and political science."

Winters couldn't help laughing loudly, while the corners of Carman's eyes twitched slightly.

"So? What does all this have to do with you and the Reformation Order? You still haven't told me." Winters stopped smiling and his posture became more upright: "Why does the Church of Gévaudin want to kill you? Why does Gévaudin want to kill you?

The church can’t wait to kill you?”

"After the [First Great Schism], the exploration of divine magic has always been a taboo within the church." As if he recognized Winters, old man Saul stopped beating around the bush: "It is human instinct to explore the unknown, and to kill.

It’s impossible to kill them all. After coming into contact with the ‘evil magic’ in the north, most of the priests felt like they were facing a formidable enemy, but there were still a small number of priests who felt inspired..."

Just like the mist blown away by the storm, Winters has woken up: "What you want is pagan magic!"

The old man lowered his eyelids and acquiesced to Winters' words.

"Because it is taboo to explore Catholic theology, so you circumvent restrictions by studying pagan magic? So this is what the Reform Order does?" Winters burst out laughing: "Then the name is too conspicuous, flaunting innovation.

Doesn’t that mean we are setting up a target for others to shoot at? Maybe... it would be better to put up the sign of the Inquisition."

Kaman stood where Winters couldn't see, his fingertips trembling slightly, and his pupils expanded violently unconsciously.

"Mr. Montagne." Old Saul put down the paring knife and beetroot in his hand, straightened his back, and looked at Winters solemnly: "The name of the Reformed Order comes from Brother Sephire who founded it, so please

Don't joke about this."

Winters felt a little rude: "I'm sorry...what happens next? What happened after the establishment of the Reformation Order?"

The old man picked up the paring knife again: "The next step is to apply for an edict from the Pope."

"Then?" Winters raised his eyebrows slightly.

"It took two hundred and eleven years to obtain the order." The old man slowly peeled the beets.

Winters' first reaction was not to admire the church's amazing work efficiency, but to compare it with the timeline of the empire's expansion of the northern territory based on the times given by Saul.

"Two hundred and eleven years?" Winters frowned again unconsciously: "About... it was the middle of the third century in the Imperial Calendar? The emperor failed to ask for the crown of Via, and the Great Northern War started? The North had already been converted by that time, right?

"

"The North converted to Catholicism, but what about the demigods? Where did they go?"

"They are all dead."

"died?"

"That's right, he's dead." Old Saul focused on peeling the beets: "The Reform Order killed him, we killed him."

Winters didn't react at first. When he understood the information contained in it, he stood up suddenly: "Are you also a priest? Are you a user of divine magic?"

The old man raised his eyelids slightly and made eye contact with Winters: "All members of the Reform Order are magical users."

…

"Madam." Mrs. Medellin, whose hair was tied up in black gauze, walked into the living room: "Mr. Montagne has gone home."

Although she has heard it countless times, Anna's cheeks still get a little hot every time someone calls her "Mrs."

Ana sat up straight: "He went home?"

The single officer's apartment was very small, with only a thin wooden wall separating the corridor behind the door from the living room. Winters' footsteps were very distinctive, and Anna could always distinguish them easily.

Mrs. Medellin said Winters came home, but Anna was sure she didn't hear Winters come in.

"Where is Mr. Montagne?" Anna picked up her coat: "The stables?"

"Kitchen," Mrs. Medellin answered.

In order to prevent fire, the single officers' apartment did not have a separate kitchen, but shared a large one in the yard.

When Anna came to the kitchen door, Winters happened to open the door and come out.

Anna originally wanted to ask Winters why he got to the kitchen first when he got home, but she saw that Winters was not in a good mood, and when she spoke, she changed to: "What's wrong?"
To be continued...