Chapter 1555: Chapter 1555
Chapter 1555: Chapter 1555: Dawn
The snow-white marble slowly descended upon the top of the structure, outlining the shape of the exquisite building.
The figure standing in front of the building cheered instantly.
Rote raised his head, looking at the completed construction in front of him, then turned to the woman beside him in the white robe, “Is this the ‘temple’ built for the Divine Being?”
“No,” the woman in the white robe gently shook her head. Her expression was somewhat stiff, and she slowly said while looking up at the bustling construction site around her, “This is a ‘church’.”
“Church?” Rote was slightly taken aback, “Are these the ones from the nearby city?”
The woman in the white robe lifted her head, gazing at the warm sunlight overhead, and continued, “Yes, have you also learned about these?”
“Only roughly, I don’t have detailed information,” Rote replied with a smile, “You know, although Her Majesty Kela granted us this land in the southwest of the Kingdom to establish New Rock City and promised us a position in the Free State, there are still a large number of Suburban Barbarians and Exotic Beast Groups around here. I need to clarify these matters and integrate defenses.”
“Recently, I’ve conducted investigations among several southern cities and found that their religious organizations are all named as ‘churches,'” the woman in the white robe nodded slightly, looking at the building in front of her, she explained, “for instance, the church of Venus, the church of the God of Knowledge, the church of the God of Order.”
Looking at the entire structure of the church, she continued, “The organizational structure of these churches is more complete and advanced than our faith organizations and I plan to transform our faith organization into a church as well, and this will be our church’s first ‘church’.”
“Sounds good.” Rote raised his head, looking at the church in front of him.
The creaking sound of movement came from the side.
Rote turned his head, looking towards where the sound originated.
A wooden cart was being pushed over, carrying a finely crafted marble statue.
The statue was over two meters tall, with an indistinct face, slightly open hands, and gazing downward.
Rote raised his head and happened to meet the gaze of the statue.
Amidst indistinctness, he seemed to feel the compassion and love from the statue, yet also sensed its boundless majesty and awe.
As the wooden cart approached, Rote stepped back a few steps, allowing the cart to move into the church.
“This statue was crafted by the best sculptor we found in Xiqilelan,” the woman in the white robe spoke softly, “It basically restores the demeanor of the Divine Being everyone witnessed that day.”
“Very impressive,” Rote nodded gently, then softly said, “By the way, may I make an additional request?”
The woman in the white robe lifted her head, looking at him in confusion.
“I wish that near the church, in the name of the…church, we can build a school to provide low or free education for poor children,” Rote said slowly, “Of course, when necessary, this school can also serve as an orphanage.”
“A church school?” The woman in the white robe paused slightly, “With our current church organization, I’m afraid we don’t have such funds.”
“In the early stages, the city-state government will provide some financial subsidies,” Rote said slowly, “Of course, ideally, the church will sustain itself later.”
“Building a school is beneficial for evangelism and the church; I can agree to it, but,” the woman in the white robe looked at him, “You could also use city funds for construction, why let the church handle this?”
“Simply put, it’s just an experiment,” Rote laughed, “I will allocate specific funds for building schools and orphanages, but I cannot guarantee that every governor will be like me. Moreover, eventually, Rock City may be merged with other city-states or kingdoms, bringing completely different laws and rules, you know, it’s still a chaotic world,”
He raised his head, looking at the towering roof of the church in front of him, “But faith will be ingrained in the habits and culture of the Roke people, rulers of the city will change, policies may be completely overturned, but the church schools might persist alongside ancient customs.”
Saying that, he chuckled, “Of course, it’s also possible that none of these will continue, but who can tell what the future holds?”
“Alright,” the woman in the white robe nodded gently, her gaze also fixed on the new church, “I will try to build as many schools as I can.”
“Can your body endure the start of construction?” Rote asked as he looked at her.
“I can handle it,” the woman in the white robe nodded lightly, “Her Majesty Kela released me from the ice seal, without leaving any major aftereffects, just a bit of muscle stiffness in the short term,”
She paused, looking at Rote, and smiled, “Although the Storm Temple is gone, and I am no longer a Storm Priest, I still possess Magic,”
She hesitated for a moment, “However, the prophecy ability is gone, and those ravings that have always troubled generations of Storm Priests have also dissipated a lot.”
“Do you know why?” Rote asked with curiosity.
“Her Majesty Kela said the ‘Storm Priest’ in the Rock City State might have been deliberately cultivated by the person behind this snowstorm to monitor the outside world and serve as a backup. My ability to enter the Ice and Snow Core was probably also arranged by the person behind,”
The woman in the white robe sighed softly and said slowly, “Now that the person behind it has been killed by Mr. Haien, the ‘Divine’ gained from that person is also gone.”
She sighed lightly, smiling, “But this is good news, as generations of Storm Priests have been driven crazy by the ravings brought by this prophecy ability. All I can say is, thank the Divine Being,”
She quietly watched the benevolent statue being carried into the church, her gaze pious, “May God bless us.”
“May God bless.” Rote also gazed at the statue, his look devout.
Falling snowflakes drifted through the slender corridor, where a dignified soldier in heavy armor stood at the edge of the hallway.
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed on the corridor’s floor.
“His Majesty prefers quietness, so when entering, do not shout,” said the middle-aged man with brown hair, wearing a complex outfit, as he lowered his head and seriously told the young blond man in a simple shirt and pants beside him.
“Alright, I understand,” the young blond man bowed his head and asked in a low voice, “I’ve heard that the Queen of Xiqilelan is ageless and possesses Magic that controls ice and snow. She’s been ruling Xiqilelan all along, is that true?”
“I don’t know,” the brown-haired middle-aged man glanced at him and shook his head.
Then he continued under the slightly puzzled gaze of the blond young man, “I only know that when I was a child, His Majesty was already .”
The previously puzzled blonde man was suddenly taken aback.
The brown-haired man seemed satisfied with the other’s surprised reaction upon hearing this and continued forward.
However, the blonde man’s surprise did not last long. He lowered his head and asked seriously, “Is she an angel?”
This question made the brown-haired man pause, and he shook his head and said, “I don’t know what you mean by angel. If you mean a servant of a Divine Being, then we are more inclined to believe that Her Majesty herself is a Divine Being. For years, Xiqilelan has enjoyed favorable weather and no powerful exotic beasts have disturbed us, all thanks to Her Majesty’s protection.”
“Of course, I know,” the blonde man nodded. “The name of the Queen of the North has long been known in the south. Everyone knows that the Northern Country has a powerful, noble, and kind queen who protects numerous city-states.”
The brown-haired man seemed very pleased with this compliment. He stopped in front of a large door carved with countless patterns, and the soldiers on both sides pushed open the heavy door together.
Sunlight streamed through the large glass windows, casting luminous bands of light on the floor, with patches of dappled shadows outlining mysterious and intricate patterns.
The brown-haired man led the blonde man into the spacious palace, reaching the steps before them.
He bowed low and respectfully said in a gentle voice, “Your Majesty, the guest from the south has arrived.”
“Your Majesty,” the blonde man also lowered his head and respectfully said, “I have come with the sincerity of the south.”
The faint light shining on the floor, traced with ancient patterns, revealed only the stairs not far away and the exquisitely crafted carpets laid upon them through the corner of his eye.
“There have been no visitors from the south in a long time,” a somewhat cool female voice echoed in the empty hall.
Upon hearing this voice, the brown-haired man slowly raised his head.
The blonde man followed suit, raising his head as well.
What met his gaze first was the shimmering white gown with hints of ice crystals, the lazily cascading snow-white hair, and a serene face with a touch of youthful roundness. At the edge of her long hair, one strand was loosely tied and adorned with a jewel-embellished ribbon that sparkled in the sunlight.
Her lakeside-calm icy blue eyes were slightly lowered, quietly gazing at the two below.
This queen, who had ruled the Northern Borders for decades, appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen based on looks alone. Yet, as she sat there, she exuded an intangible aura of sanctity and pressure that made it hard for others to meet her gaze directly. The source of this content ɪs novel※fire.net
“Your Majesty, I am Ellenska,” the blonde man withstood that invisible pressure and said seriously, “I have come for a matter concerning the entire world.”
“You may speak your desires plainly to me,” the figure on the throne spoke calmly, her cool voice resonating in the vast hall.
“We are planning to unify the known world, establish a Federation that spans the seas and lands,” the blonde man said directly, “bringing humanity back into an age of civilization.”
Before he could finish his words, the brown-haired man standing beside him had his face wetted with sweat and immediately tugged at his sleeve.
But the blonde man’s posture did not change. He looked at the queen on the throne and slightly bowed, “We have already gained the support of many city-states in the south, some through proactive cooperation, others by surrendering during warfare,”
He continued earnestly, “We are also preparing to construct a large city on the East Coast, a grand city of civilization.”
By now, the brown-haired man had stopped tugging at his clothes. He immediately took two steps back, glaring at the blonde man in anger, “Are you threatening Her Majesty with war against Xiqilelan?”
Then he turned his head quickly and said, “Your Majesty, I did not know he intended to say such things to you. Please forgive my transgressions.”
“We have mastered a fortress technology that can repel exotic beast attacks, partially isolate pollution, and create a completely safe city,” the blonde man bowed calmly and said, “We do not intend to start a war. The cities we target are usually those mad cities controlled by the Evil God,”
He continued seriously and earnestly, “And Your Majesty is one of the most rational rulers we have encountered. We sincerely hope to gain the support of Xiqilelan and Your Majesty.”
The brown-haired man beside him trembled as he further distanced himself from the blonde man, bending forward until his head nearly touched the ground.
“Is your new city using this technology?” The figure on the throne did not seem angry but instead asked a seemingly unrelated question.
“Yes, once this city is built, it will become the largest city in the known area, where all its inhabitants will be free from the troubles of exotic beasts and pollution,” the blonde man earnestly replied. “If Your Majesty is interested, once construction is completed, we welcome Your Majesty to visit.”
Upon hearing him mention ‘the largest city,’ the figure on the throne slightly lifted her downcast gaze, her cool voice echoing in the empty hall, “What is your city’s name?”
This time, a trace of embarrassment flickered across the blonde man’s serious and earnest expression for the first time. He spoke softly, “Your Majesty, since the city has not yet been completed, its name has not been decided,”
He paused slightly, as if trying to recover from the embarrassment, and continued softly, “But we have considered some names as backups, such as Dawn, Black Reef, First City, Morning Light, Hope…”
As he spoke, the blonde man seemed to feel the air around him turn momentarily cold.
He looked up, and the figure on the throne maintained the same serene majesty, unchanged yet somehow different from before.
After a brief pause, the faint cool voice spoke once more, “Dawn is a good name.”
“Your Majesty, I also like that name,” the blonde man lightly coughed, lowered his head, and smiled, “It’s the name I support, but persuading my peers might take some effort.”
As soon as he finished speaking, that cool voice rang out again, “Let’s leave it at that for today. Come find me again once your city is built.”
“Your will.” The middle-aged brown-haired man quickly placed his hand on his chest and bowed.
Then he immediately grabbed the blonde man to lead him out.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” The blonde man also smiled, bowed slightly, and followed the brown-haired man away.
Once the heavy door was closed again, a chubby little dragon, resembling a downsized Giant Dragon, flew up from behind the throne and landed on the girl’s shoulder.
The girl slightly raised her head, looking at the drifting snowflakes outside the window.
Her snow-white hair fluctuated with her movements, and the strand embellished with jewels swayed along.
Under the drifting snowflakes and bright sunlight, it reflected a dazzling brilliance.