aircannonsinc Page 189
Page 189
"Never mind, it doesn't matter where it is."
After hastily drawing a conclusion, Oriana left the crowd and walked into a nearby alley. Once inside, she put down her bag where no one was around. It seemed she really intended to change clothes there.
He planned to finish the report while changing clothes, so he tore a page from a vocabulary card with his mouth and taped it to the ground.
Orange horizontal characters appeared on the slightly dirty wall.
This is the voice of Oriana's superior, Lidovia Lorenzetti, translated and represented as the Nightmare on the wall.
"Is the report urgent? You're using different communication methods every time, which is causing me a lot of trouble when I receive the messages."
"Hmm. This is my policy, big brother. Just give in a little."
Oriana's voice will also be expressed in written form over there.
He started changing his clothes as he spoke.
"I just wanted to tell you that the first phase is over. Big brother here to let you know that although a lot happened on the way, don't worry, all the necessary points have been investigated. And I also got to do some sightseeing along the way."
"You said a lot of things happened, what happened?"
The previous text is deleted, and a new text column appears from left to right.
"Hmm? Oh, that. I encountered a rather troublesome girl. I don't know what kind of power she has, and it doesn't seem to be a superpower."
"...Are you injured?"
"Not yet... yet."
"...Temporarily? Will it affect the plan?"
"No, I can say for sure. You can leave it to me, your older brother."
Although the other person couldn't see him, he still forced a smile and answered.
"Okay. Next, big brother will put on his battle suit. If he can get rid of the impression of his work clothes, the work will be easier, right?"
Which one should she wear? Oriana searched inside her bag. The clothes visible from the open zipper, none of them particularly flashy.
At that moment, an unbelievable string of texts came from Lidovia.
"What, change clothes?"
"Because I forgot to retrieve the signboard when I ran away. Wearing my work clothes empty-handed, even I, the older sister, felt it was not natural."
"……you mean?"
"Oh, right, right. The signboard has been taken back by them."
"...What's going on..."
"It's likely that what's inside has already been exposed. It's the same story as when I, the older sister, was running away through the streets carrying trash."
"Hmm, oh? No problem. Even if the 'Thrusting Hang Sword' incident is exposed, it won't affect the transaction. Losing just one point won't disqualify you from the competition. Besides, real battles are different from competitions. If you make good use of the point you lose, you might actually win."
“I will get the job done. I will absolutely not let anyone interfere with this deal, no one can. If this deal can bring happiness to everyone, I will definitely do it. Right?”
These were the last words he said.
He looked at the sky and said this.
The sky over Academy City was so clear and blue that it was almost peaceful and leisurely, with occasional pops of fireworks like cannon fire.
-
"'The Apostolic Cross'... We call it Peter's Cross here. Really, what's going on?"
The red-haired beauty across from him looked at the message on her phone and then uttered these words.
This is an open-air café very close to the automated bus depot. There are umbrellas on about ten tables, and she occupies one of them. The other seats are occupied by the exorcist, and Tsuchimikado Haruka, who has finally woken up from Oriana's coma spell.
There were only a few desserts and a cappuccino on the table. It wasn't that there was still food waiting to be served, but rather that, apart from Fang Cun, no one else present was in the mood to eat or drink.
Fangcun, on the other hand, couldn't resist ordering everything he wanted to eat because he had finally found a group where he could get free food and drinks.
"Hey, what's that Peter's cross? Is it a cross made of some incredible material?"
“Peter is a person’s name, you idiot. She is one of the twelve apostles, and legend says she is the one who holds the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. But the important thing is not this myth, but the other traditions.”
"The others?"
The spirit asked again, and Tsuchimikado, who had not yet recovered his strength, replied:
"Peter, you know... the owner of the Vatican. No, strictly speaking, the Vatican was founded on the vast lands inherited by Peter, meow—"
"Vatican City...you mean that, the smallest country in the world?"
The Cleansing God tilted his head and asked. Tyr impatiently exhaled a puff of smoke and said:
The name "Vatican City State" was established in the Laterano Agreement of 1929. Previously, it was a territory known as the "Roman Court." Furthermore, it wasn't always this small. The size of the territory varied over time, reaching its peak at a vast area of 47,000 square kilometers, centered on Rome in central Italy. Like Japan during the Warring States period, due to internal strife, the Vatican gradually shrank with the unification of Italy.
Fangcun listened to the beautiful woman tell history while scooping cake with a small spoon. Originally, the brother-obsessed guy named Tsuchimikado didn't want to take her along, but he had no choice since his fists were bigger than hers, so he forced his way in.
Moreover, this guy was only half-heartedly agreeing, probably treating her like a thug, so she didn't hold back when ordering.
"The question is, how do we establish the Roman Catholic Church? What exactly did the Roman Orthodox Church do in the beginning, on the land of Peter's legacy?" the Pure One asked.
She wondered if everyone was working on the wasteland or something.
"It is to build a tomb. To bury Peter's body, and then to erect a cross."
Jing Shen was startled.
The cross of Peter refers to the cross erected on Peter's tomb.
Jōjin's expression wasn't good, but Tsuchimikado ignored her and continued:
"The Roman Orthodox Church believes that because this land is where Peter is buried, the Church should focus on the management of the heritage so that no one can disturb his rest. Initially, Empress Constantine donated the land where Peter was buried and built a church. During the Renaissance, a joyous transformation was initiated, resulting in a large-scale renovation. This is the St. Peter's Basilica designed by Michelangelo—truly the largest church in the world, and a sanctuary built above the dead."
Chapter 337 Mythological Stories
Chapter 337
Peter died in the first century AD, St. Peter's Basilica was completed in the fourth century, and it was donated to the Roman Catholic Church by the King of France in the eighth century. There is actually a considerable time difference between these events, but the initial impetus was Peter's death and the construction of his tomb.
Hearing this explanation, Jing Shen was still not quite clear about the situation.
"Ugh... is that it... like a building for worshipping great figures?"
"Sort of. But from another perspective, it could also be described as 'using the corpse of a saint to strengthen the authority of the newly established church'."
It's hard to say whether this is about protecting the peace of the dead or turning the graves where corpses are kept into tourist attractions.
"I still feel... I don't quite understand this. Is the Roman Catholic Church really a sect that would go to such lengths?"
"What? People do things like that everywhere. For example, there was an archbishop in England named St. Thomas Beckett, who was assassinated by the 'Royal Faction' in a church on December 29, 1170. That church was Canterbury Cathedral—the stronghold of the English Puritans."
After Tsuchimikado finished speaking, he paused for a moment.
Then she grinned, “Canterbury Cathedral used to be a local cathedral far from the capital, London… but because of the death of a great man, it was elevated to the status of a major church. The assassination of Archbishop Beckett, on the contrary, aroused the world’s resentment towards the ‘Royal Faction,’ and as a result, the ‘Royal Faction’ had to recognize the Church’s independence—this place is also known as the birthplace of English Puritanism. Just being the ‘place where saints rest’ has a great effect, you know, it’s a cleansing place.”
Although I don't quite understand what "purifying the spirit" means, the gist of it is that any church associated with a great person will increase its value, regardless of the form it takes.
"...Also, what Oriana transported wasn't the 'Thorned Sword,' but that 'Apostle something,' right? Is that also a dangerous item? Or is it like a work of art, possessing some strange and rare value?"
“Both. But we should definitely pay attention to the former.” Tyr exhaled a puff of smoke impatiently. “Didn’t I just say that the vast territory of the Roman Catholic Church—strictly speaking—begins at the site where the Apostolic Cross was erected? If that’s the case, then conversely…”
"On the other hand?" Jing Shen asked.
"Yes, that means that the places where the Apostolic Cross is erected will be completely under the control of the Roman Catholic Church. Even Academy City is no exception."
Wait a minute...!? Jing Shen was speechless.
Tsuchimikado said in a bitter voice:
"The original legend of the 'Thrusting Dragon Sword' was that it was a sword capable of piercing dragons and pinning them to the earth." She paused to breathe before continuing, "A colossal being with wings, from guarding sleeping treasures to slaughtering driven by selfish desires, such a 'dragon' is also a euphemism for both 'angels' serving God and fallen 'demons,' meow. 'Pinning dragons to the ground' also implies 'making this land a holy place so that angels can protect it...' These bastards."
Jing Shen took a breath.
There are still many questions I want to ask, but words cannot fully express them.
"Wait a minute! What does 'dominate' mean? What are those guys planning to do here!?"
“The Vatican City, as a whole, is like a giant church. The inner space of the Vatican is quite strange. There, the balance of fortune and misfortune is distorted, and whatever you do will benefit the Roman Catholic Church.”
Even with Tsuchimikado Hikaru's explanation, Jojin still couldn't understand.
Tyr then said:
"Specifically, within the Vatican, there is a directional magic. Things usually happen in a way that benefits the Roman Catholic Church. For example, using magnets to manipulate the roulette wheel in casinos, ignoring the original movement of the beads, and making the beads roll into the desired number."
Hearing this, Jing Shen still couldn't understand.
However, she knew the "magic of making the situation work in someone's favor."
"Does this mean it's like that? Like that alchemist, who can make his thoughts come true?" asked the woman named Aureos.
She pushed alchemy to its limits, creating a spell that could "turn everything she imagined into reality." It was also because of this that she was later defeated by her own inner "doubt"...
"No, it's not like the 'golden alchemy' that can extract human will. It's entirely 'automatically oriented in a direction beneficial to the Roman Catholic Church as a whole.' But what would happen if such a thing were erected in Academy City?"
"If you say so..."
Does this mean Academy City will become more favorable to the Roman Catholic Church?
All that came to mind was a rather indifferent impression; Jing Shen couldn't come up with any specific imagery. She simply stated what was on her mind.
"That... it would become advantageous to the Roman Orthodox Church. Wouldn't it be quite fortunate for Roman Orthodox Christians to come to Academy City?"
"Yes, that's about right. If the 'Apostolic Cross' has the same effect as described in the documents? It's not all bad. Roman Orthodox Christians entering this city will win big in gambling, even with huge wins and losses, and they won't be hurt even if buildings are bombed. That's what's unnatural. Plus..."
Tyr gave a sarcastic smirk.
"The Apostolic Cross will also help people other than Roman Orthodox Christians. If Roman Orthodox Christians keep winning money in gambling, of course some people will lose money. But the Apostolic Cross will create a situation where it's good that they've lost. The same goes for bombs; even if a building is destroyed by an explosion, no one will be fatally injured. It will create a happy situation where everyone is okay."
"???"
Jing Shen tilted his head.
If everything Tyr said is true
"Wouldn't everyone be happy in that case? That should be fine, right?"
"It's a big problem."
Tyr uttered those words.
“Listen carefully, if we hadn’t set up the ‘Apostolic Cross’ in the first place, no one would have lost money gambling, and no bombs would have been planted targeting Roman Orthodox Christians. At first glance, everyone seems to be living a happy life, but in reality, the ‘Apostolic Cross’ places a huge burden on those around them, and that is done without them even seeing it.”
With his upper body completely limp and slumped over the table, Tsuchimikado continued:
"Actually, in the history of Christianity, such happy 'switches' have occurred unexpectedly frequently, meow. For example, St. Martin, known as St. Martin in Anglicanism, has a very interesting story. It's about how she destroyed an ancient pagan temple and even planned to cut down a sacred tree in her quest to spread Christianity, meow. The pagan farmers, who didn't want to become Christians, resisted to the end, saying: 'If there really is a God protecting you, catch the sacred tree we cut down. If you are truly protected by God, you shouldn't die.' In the originally carefree Tsuchimikado Gate, they could casually recite Christian myths. This was quite an unfamiliar scene for their classmate, Isojin."
"Upon hearing this, Saint Martin made the sign of the cross over the sacred tree that was falling towards her. Then, something incredible happened: the tree fell in the opposite direction, nearly crushing the farmers of the Heretic Sect. The farmers were moved by the miracle and converted to Christianity... Don't you find that strange, meow? The person who used this incredible power to make the tree fall towards the farmers was clearly Saint Martin herself. She could have easily let the tree fall in a safer place. And besides, why did she cut it down so easily, meow? Why is she being thanked...?"
Chapter 338 Split Up
Chapter 338
"In any case, the result is that the sacred tree that fell in the opposite direction did not kill the heretics. This is because it is the mercy bestowed by God, and the farmers who were given the opportunity to convert are all happy. Whether the result is good or bad, their original history, traditions, and spiritual culture have undoubtedly been completely wiped out."
Jing Shen thought to himself: What's so special about this?
This can indeed bring happiness. But it's not "happiness because of something happening," but rather "happiness no matter what happens."
Tsuchimikado lifted his head from the table and said:
"In psychology, this technique has been recognized as having some effect. First, fulfill the absolutely impossible request A. When the other person begs that it cannot be done, then bring up the original request B. In this way, the request is easier to fulfill than if 'request B' is brought up in the first place. It's like saying, 'B is much better than A, I'm so lucky.' By manipulating the balance of negativity in a specific order, the relative value of happiness can be reduced."
Tyr continued, waving the cigarette in his mouth:
"The Apostolic Cross utilizes this mythological psychological effect. No matter what happens, things will proceed in a way that benefits the Roman Catholic Church, and those around the church who are made unreasonable demands will inexplicably accept them... This is undoubtedly the most comfortable and pleasant 'holy land' for the Roman Catholic Church, isn't it?"
The magicians' words gradually entered the mind of the Cleansing God.
It takes time to understand something of this scale.
"Wait a minute, Tyr. Speaking of that 'Apostolic Cross' deal, what exactly are Orianna and the others planning to do?"
"If this world were divided into two parts, it could be divided into the forces of science and magic. Right now, it's in a state of balance."
Tyr simply replied:
"Among them, the leader of the scientific forces is Academy City. If Academy City were to fall entirely under the protection of the Roman Catholic Church, how do you think the balance of this world would change?"