aircannonsinc Page 401
Page 401
The scepter in his hand was inlaid with a strange gem, which emitted a warm white light, just like the pure light that Latis had seen before, and seemed to possess a very high level of power.
"What was that just now...?"
Jennifer's surprised voice came from the side. Latis looked up, glanced at the colorful stained glass behind the Pope, crossed his arms, and quickly began to think.
As a science and engineering student, he certainly remembered the various properties of light, but in this strange world with all sorts of magical powers, even if he could explain the phenomenon just now with scientific knowledge, it might actually contain some powers that he had never known before.
Or perhaps there's no real difference between the two? After all, there are indeed many people in this world who conduct research on magic, and magic is certainly a legitimate science.
However, the specific theory is secondary; the main question is, what exactly is the Pope's intention in displaying this?
Latis raised an eyebrow, looked at the Pope who had returned to his seat, and asked:
"Your Holiness, there is a device beside you that can break down normal light into different colors. When you turn off that device, the different colors of light recombine into normal white light, right?"
"……Um?"
The Pope glanced at Latis, then tapped the ground with his scepter, saying with a hint of surprise:
“This Lord of Titania is truly knowledgeable. Hehe, I was just thinking about whether to visit Titania, but I’m getting old and hesitating for so long that I haven’t had time to make a decision yet, and you’ve come in person first.”
He shook his head slightly, the surprise on his face slowly fading, and calmly said:
"Yes, this device is called the 'Dispersed Lens.' It was personally crafted and assembled for Romnia by the Dwarf King when the Dwarf Royal Court still existed. Over the decades, under the protection of the Illuminati, the 'Dispersed Lens' has not suffered any wear and tear, which is why it is fortunate enough to be able to demonstrate this amazing phenomenon to you."
Latis immediately noticed that the Pope used the term "Illuminati," which meant that the Holy City of Romnia and the Holy City of Promea, which called themselves "Cult of the Light," were indeed two completely different factions.
Thinking of the Illuminati, Latis realized that he had almost been tricked by the Pope's maneuvering. The main purpose of this trip was to find out the nature of the Holy City of Romnia and to investigate what impact the Holy City had on Tree Peak Village.
He stroked his chin, mentally planned his words, smiled slightly, and began to speak:
“Your Holiness, that’s just a very simple technique. Where I’m from, it’s called ‘polarization.’ It’s simply about polishing those lenses to retain light with specific waveforms and frequencies.”
After briefly stating his position, Latis, noticing the renewed surprise on the Pope's face, did not continue on the topic but instead changed the subject, asking:
“Your Holiness, besides visiting you as a neighbor on the eastern border of the Kingdom of Norard, I mainly came here to inquire about Tree Peak Village.”
The Pope frowned slightly and asked:
"I heard that the people from Siyuanhua Fort learned about the series of missing persons cases in Shuluan Village some time ago, and now they should be planning to relocate them, right?"
"…Yes and no."
Latis looked at the Pope's calm face and pondered for a moment. He felt that the Pope probably did not know about the second option given in the Imperial Capital Mission Book, but it seemed too direct to say it outright, which would make the Pope realize that something was wrong and thus develop a defensive mentality.
He exchanged a glance with Jennifer without changing his expression, conveying their emotions through their eyes, and then spoke:
“I know that Yindao Town is planning to expand into a city, so relocating Shuluan Village there would be a win-win situation. However, the journey is long and I can’t bear to see those poor villagers suffer such a arduous journey. Therefore, within the time frame given to me by the capital, I would like to try to find out the reason for the disappearance of people there.”
Upon hearing this, the Pope shook his head slightly and said:
"Your Excellency Titania, although you mean well, if I may be so bold, this is not very meaningful. If the villagers of Tree Peak Village find it difficult to endure the hardships of the journey, Romnia can send people to accompany them to help treat any illnesses they may suffer."
"Your Holiness, are you so decisive?"
Latis sighed, stood up, and said:
"As an investigator appointed by the capital, I naturally need to be responsible for the villagers. Although only Shuluan Village has missing persons so far, if we don't find out the reason, other villages may suffer similar disasters, and then it may be difficult to make amends."
"..."
The Pope looked at the three men, Latis, who had all stood up, his eyes darkening slightly, and he twirled the scepter in his hand.
Within the territory of the Kingdom of Norard, even he could not openly oppose the righteous cause proposed by Latis.
"Please, gentlemen, have a seat." The Pope shook his head, and for some reason, the jewels on his scepter slowly turned red. He looked at the three men who had sat down again and said:
"As expected, heroes emerge from among the young. If you are truly determined, I will send a few disciples to assist you in your investigation. Romnia will naturally bear some responsibility for what happened."
"If you can't refuse the request for an investigation, are you resorting to a strategy of retreat?"
Latis muttered to himself, although this might put some pressure on him, it would also be a good opportunity for him to learn more about the true situation of the White-Robed Disciples. With that in mind, he nodded and said:
"So good."
"I hope you will gain something from this."
The Pope looked at Latis, who was smiling, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly asked:
"Lord Titania, you seem to have a profound understanding of the nature of light?"
"Ok?"
Latis's expression shifted; for some reason, he felt inexplicably watched. He stroked his chin and said:
"It's just some research based on previous theories. Does Your Holiness have any advice?"
"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance," the Pope said with a slight smile. "However, I've always been curious why the light that should illuminate the earth in the eyes of the world can be broken down into various monochromatic lights of different colors, such as red, yellow, and green."
“This is the essence of light, isn’t it?” Latis replied, his brow furrowing slightly.
"If you have a prism, you can do an experiment. Place it under sunlight, and white light will disperse into seven colors. This is because different colors of light have different refractive indices, and there is no mysterious meaning behind it."
"It has no mystical meaning... but the power of mystery is based on nature."
The Pope paused, then asked, as if asking himself:
"Does this mean that the essence of light is never singular, but rather composed of a variety of characteristics? Whether they are faith, sincerity, impulse, patience... or even anger, confusion, or even..."
The jewels on the papal scepter suddenly emitted a red light. He glanced at the scepter, smiled, and asked:
"Like this red light, slaughter?"
A powerful force suddenly descended upon Latis, causing him to catch his breath. Then, his blood and qi surged instantly, silently dissolving the terrifying pressure.
However, the chair he was sitting on suddenly exploded.
"Light shines everywhere!"
"Shield of Reflection!"
Upon seeing this, the girls around him instantly changed their expressions and immediately activated their respective divine spells.
However, to their astonishment, the moment Jennifer's powerful purification spell landed on the Pope, it scattered into countless chaotic colored lights, and Leafa's magical shield, which could reflect all malice, was completely ineffective.
"It's alright, we were just discussing the Dao, His Holiness the Pope meant no harm."
Amidst the chaotic wreckage of chairs, a booming sound of surging blood echoed within Latis's body. The intensely activated elven power within the Holy Grail pushed him to the brink of dragon transformation. Despite the draconic might that clasped against the Pope, he sat calmly, hands clasped, legs crossed, looking at the Pope with a smile and saying:
"Returning to the previous topic, you were curious whether light is composed of various characteristics... Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. No one can define exactly what constitutes light. The light that people see is just the appearance of light. Red light, blue light, yellow light—any kind of monochromatic light may be able to illuminate for a while, but none of them can be called true light."
"is it?"
As Latis subtly revealed his dragon-like might, the Pope's expression gradually turned serious. He stood up, raised his scepter and placed it before him, and asked in a deep voice:
"Your Excellency Titania, if true light is too far away, and all that is before us are various monochromatic lights that can illuminate the world, yet people do not regard these monochromatic lights as true light, isn't that... somewhat unfair?"
The light before Latis's eyes shifted slowly. He endured the lingering streaks of light from the different colors in his eyes, channeling the power of his bloodline to control his pupils, which were on the verge of going out of control. He looked at the Pope and said:
"I'm afraid this kind of illumination isn't real illumination. Being in the red light, everything in sight naturally turns red, and the flowers and plants that should be lush lose their beauty in an instant. Can this really be considered illumination?"
He smiled, slowly and irresistibly rose to his feet, and walked step by step to the Pope, facing him directly as he spoke:
"Monochromatic light of various colors needs to find a certain balance to converge into true light. If this process is too difficult, we might as well return darkness to mankind. In the boundless darkness, mankind will find fire and will naturally find light."
The Pope looked down at Latis, who was standing two steps below, and asked:
"What if humanity is not able to find true light?"
“You will find many reasons to believe in humanity, Lord Doyle.”
Latis no longer addressed the Pope as "Pope," treating him simply as one of humanity. Seeing the Pope's slightly shocked expression at being called by name, he waved and was about to turn and leave when, as if remembering something, he grinned and said:
"I suddenly recalled a line from an ordinary novelist long ago: 'If there is no torch after this, I will be the only light.' Before darkness descends, there will always be humanity that brings true light."
"An ordinary novelist...?"
The Pope, regaining his composure, didn't ask Latis how he knew his name. Instead, he looked at the scepter gem gradually turning white again, shook his head, and said:
"Perhaps, or perhaps you'll have a different opinion once you understand more."
“Your Holiness, people may be easily changed, but they are not so easily swayed.”
Latis shook his head, bowed, and said:
"Now that the purpose of this visit has been achieved, I will take my leave to conduct my investigation in Shuluan Village. See you later, Your Holiness the Pope."
Having said that, he decisively took the two girls, turned around, and strode towards the temple's entrance.
The Pope gazed at Latis's retreating figure, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke:
"Your Excellency Titania"
"Hmm?" Latis's eyelids twitched, and he turned to look at the Pope, frowning as he asked, "Your Holiness, is there anything else?"
"I want to ask you a question."
The Pope inserted his scepter into the pedestal beside him, and in the shadows cast by the glare of the stained glass, he spoke softly:
"Does true light, besides the seven colors of light, necessarily contain invisible light?"
"Varied……"
Latis was startled. With the sound of hinges turning, a strange murmur suddenly exploded in his ears. His vision blurred and his head began to buzz.
However, just as the Pope's figure became increasingly blurry in his eyes, a sharp, screeching sound of hinges jamming suddenly rang out, and the invisible murmur vanished instantly. Then, a white-robed disciple suddenly appeared at the side entrance of the sanctuary, bowing to the Pope and saying:
"Your Majesty, the 'Discrete Lens' seems to be malfunctioning."
"..."
The Pope looked at Latis and the other two, who had returned to normal and were now wary again, shook his head, raised his scepter, waved to his disciples, and said:
"It's alright, let's escort our three distinguished guests out of the city."
Chapter 397 Heading to the Underground
The doors of the sanctuary slowly closed, until the Pope's figure was completely blocked inside. Only then did Latis stroke his chin and turn to look at the steep steps he had come from.
Standing at this height, the steps hidden in the shadows became somewhat inconspicuous. Looking around, the sanctuary at the very top of the holy city offered a panoramic view of the villages in the distance. Latis frowned slightly, feeling that this angle was both like being bathed in sunlight and like being secretly watched.
The white-robed disciple's robes fluttered in the wind high above. He silently gestured for them to proceed, then led Latis and the others down the steps without a sound.
The coolness of re-entering the shadows brought Latis back to his senses. He shook his head, feeling as if the environment had instantly become quiet after leaving the sanctuary. His senses were cleared, and he felt much more relaxed.
Before coming, he had thought that he might have some clashes with the Pope, such as talking about what he had learned about the White Robe Disciples' behavior in Tree Peak Village, but he did not expect it to end up like this "discussion," so much so that he did not find an opportunity to subtly question the White Robe Disciples.