Iron Powder and Spellcaster

Father Carman had some new questions and needed answers from the old man Hurd.

Watching Kaman's figure disappear behind the curtain, Winters took a long breath and fell tiredly on the cot. However, he accidentally touched the injury on his eye, and his left eye began to shed tears uncontrollably. .

The sun was setting in the west, and the light from the skylight no longer fell to the ground.

The tent seems to have become a cave where humans lived in ancient times. It is small, dark, and isolated, which makes people instinctively feel safe.

Winters lay in this small felt tent, staring at the changing clouds in the skylight, thinking silently.

As a frequent visitor to injuries, Winters can estimate how long it will take for an eye injury to heal without a doctor:

Pain, which subsides in about a week;

Bruising will fade in about two weeks;

Self-esteem... has almost recovered.

Overall, being able to exchange pain, bruises and pride for a priest's confession is enough to be called a small victory.

If we can still take this opportunity to bring the Reform Order to the surface, it will undoubtedly be a great victory.

To hide one person, to destroy the mouth of an entire monastery - the ruthless method of the Reform Order still makes Winters feel like a thorn in his back.

Winters has always hated secret societies, because from the day he stepped out of the ivory tower, boarded the Skua, and stepped into the vast world, none of the underground groups he came into contact with had done anything good, and none of them left him a trace. Made a good impression.

Not to mention, as a defender and beneficiary of the orthodox social order, it is only natural that he resents groups and associations that erode public power.

Therefore, rather than letting the Reformation Order continue to hide in the shadows, and the thought of the Reformation Order is like a thorn in the back, Winters must drag the Reformation Order out of the shadows at all costs.

Getting punched for this is really nothing.

Even if Kaman wanted to pursue the beauty of symmetry, he could smile and stretch out the right half of his face to hit Kaman.

But when it comes to the wasteland, the tribes, and the Hud people, the situation becomes complicated.

If everything is true as Kaman speculated - Arianism has been spreading in the wilderness for hundreds or even thousands of years, and there is a "church" that continues to this day.

So the faith of the Hedians today must be more or less mixed with something from the "One Church".

The evidence is that, instead of showing general hostility towards foreign missionaries and "distant relatives" who converted to Catholicism, some of the Wenduol people in the palace tent showed full respect.

This means that not only do they not regard the old man as "other", they don't even have the idea that "he may be other". They take it for granted that the old man's beliefs are the same as the beliefs they brought from their mother's womb. thing.

Of course, it may be... somewhat... slightly different...

But it's still the same thing - after all, no matter how different it is, it won't be more "different" than the differences between the tribes.

Winters meditated: "Although the current Hurds will undoubtedly be regarded as 'heretics', if a Hurd has unknowingly accepted part of the teachings, does it mean that he is naturally more receptive? Other teachings? Or even formal conversion?

“Or will they hate each other more because they are similar but not similar enough?

“If development continues, will Hurd Heath become the next Northland?”

Thinking of the possibility of the Hurd Wasteland becoming the next northern border, and the possibility of all the Hurd people converting, a complex and strange emotion surged into Winters' heart.

Disgust, curiosity, confusion, indifference, surprise, indifference... all kinds of colors take turns to dominate.

Because the relationship between this matter is too important.

It was so important that his entanglement with the Reform Order was nothing compared to this important event that could affect the fate of millions of people.

But he also understands that the influence he can exert on this is very limited-at least for now.

He was obviously lying on a simple camp bed inside a small felt tent, but he seemed to be in a big river.

Behind him, rolling forward from the past, were millennia of Arian preaching.

In front of him, rolling towards the future, were the souls of the Hedians who did not know where they would arrive.

People always instinctively think that they are at the end of time, and that everything they see in the world will always exist in the future.

Just like the people of the ancient empire sipping wine in the magnificent bathing palace, they thought that the empire would last forever just like the bathing pool built on a solid block of granite beneath them.

But today we know that the wine of the ancient empire people was poisoned by lead. The remains of the baths are still there, but the empire disappeared. One day, even the granite beneath the bath will weather and disintegrate, turning into dust.

In repeated beatings, Winters has gradually learned to look at the world from a dynamic perspective.

Today’s enemies may become tomorrow’s comrades;

Today’s partners may become tomorrow’s opponents;

Today's thousand-year-old city that is full of people, music and dance may turn into a sea of ​​fire one day;

Today the Hurds are "barbarians", "heathens", and people who are not regarded as "people" by some people. Maybe one day, they will become part of the Alliance, but they may never accept the Alliance. , will not be accepted by the alliance.

Just like they may continue to maintain their current beliefs, they may also convert as a whole like the northern countries.

It's just that when all that happens, today's people may be long gone.

But on the other hand, just because people today can’t see it, doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future.

Winters shook his head and floated up from the river of time.

He will not think about what will happen after his death. He will not think about where the Hud people will go in the future.

He refocused his attention on the present, on the here and now, on the question of "what impact the existence of the Arian Order might have on the newly settled lands."

He found that he needed more information.

Because he is now like a commander who knows nothing about the enemy's situation.

How much influence did the Arians have in the Hedian tribes and in the new lands outside?

Did the Reformation ever interfere with the Arian order?

If so, what is their purpose?

If not, how will the Catholic Church react after Kaman reports the situation to the College of Cardinals?

The soldier's instinct reminded him that he must collect more intelligence, the more the better.

There may be a battle, or there may not be a battle, but only by detecting more of the enemy can he possibly win when the battle comes.

And he needs more help.

At this moment, Winters misses Brother Rhett very much. If the old man were still here, he would laugh and scold him, and then analyze the situation and make suggestions for him.

However, Brother Rhett was no longer here. Thinking of this, Winters felt a little sad.

On the other hand, Kaman...

Carman!

Winters became furious at the thought of Kaman.

"This guy Kaman!" Winters thought angrily: "He will always hide it and refuse to say anything!"

Winters jumped up from the cot and went to find Carman.

However, he thought for a moment and lay back down.

"It's not dark yet, so it's not convenient to see people." Winters gently rubbed his swollen eyes, thinking: "It's better to wait until Carman comes back."

Just as Winters was mentally preparing to "feel the beauty of symmetry," Pierre's voice came from outside the tent.

"Your Excellency." Pierre's voice was polite and cold: "Your Excellency Yahaqi wants to see you."

[Part of the Romans and the Bathroom is quoted and adapted from [Three-Body 3 Death Eternal Life]]

[Because it is now released on a regular basis, it is not like writing and posting at the same time where you can mark it in the chapter description as soon as possible, so I will explain it in the author's words instead, please forgive me]

[Original text: The historical significance of the fall of Constantinople became apparent much later. The first thing people thought when it happened was that the Roman Empire had finally completely disappeared. Byzantium is the thousand-year rut dragged behind by ancient Rome. Although it had its glory days, it finally evaporated like water stains under the scorching sun. Back then, the ancient Romans whistled in the magnificent Bath Palace, believing that the empire, like the baths beneath them, was built on a single piece of granite and would last forever. Now people know that there is no such thing as a feast that never ends, and everything must come to an end. ]

[Even though I have forgotten many plots of the Three-Body Problem, I still remember this passage firmly]