Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 585: The Rights of Spellcasters
Chapter 585: The Rights of Spellcasters
TL: Rui88
Nathan sat on the second floor of the tavern, watching the crowd gathered below. With him was Sita, her body wrapped in massive iron chains.
The crowd outside the tavern seemed to have filled the entire street, a bustling scene as if some celebration were being held. In the distance, a court official from the Duchy of Eton climbed onto a high platform, unfurled a roll of parchment, and began to read its contents aloud.
Nathan and Sita were too far from the official to hear clearly what he was saying, but judging from his exaggerated gestures, the official was shouting at the top of his lungs.
The people gathered around the official showed expressions of surprise, then began to whisper and discuss amongst themselves. As their discussion spread, the news began to ripple outwards, spreading from the distance towards the tavern where Nathan was.
The clamor of voices finally reached the ears of Nathan and Sita.
“Wizards? Wizards?” “The Grand Duke has recognized the legal status of wizards?”
“Are wizards actually real?” “Nonsense. If wizards don’t exist, has the Church been fighting the air all these years?”
“I heard a rumor in the tavern a few days ago…”
Nathan and Sita, of course, knew what the official had just announced to the public. The Grand Duke’s edict first denounced the Church’s oppression of the Horn Bay nations, which had caused countless losses of life and property, ultimately forcing the coastal nations to resort to armed resistance. The Church army’s unprincipled, despicable, and sneaky flanking attack had put Eton in a perilous situation. To protect the lives and property of the people of Eton, he had no choice but to accept the help of spellcasters. He then praised, with great emotion, the decisive role the spellcasters played in resisting the Church’s army. Thanks to their valiant efforts, the lives and property of the people of Eton were preserved, and all the people of Eton should be grateful for the spellcasters’ help. To thank the spellcasters for their immense contribution to Eton, the Grand Duke announced the abandonment of all past misunderstandings and prejudices, granting all law-abiding spellcasters within Eton the status of normal people, enjoying all the rights protected by Eton’s laws just like anyone else.
Naturally, as soon as the contents of the edict were announced, it immediately caused an uproar. The populace discussed it animatedly, with all sorts of opinions being voiced. However, after only half a day, the crowd on the street dispersed in twos and threes.
“It seems to have gone much smoother than we expected,” said Sita, who had been silent all this time. “I thought it would cause a massive riot on the spot.” This chain-bound figure had been standing by the window the whole time, watching the commotion on the street with a blank expression.
Nathan raised his cup and gulped down several large mouthfuls of beer, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “Isn’t this great? Mortals may be ignorant, but they know basic right from wrong. Who attacked them, and who protected them? Isn’t the choice clear?”
“And… the Grand Duke played a little trick. A week ago, he quietly spread the news of recognizing the legal status of spellcasters among the people. The streets, alleys, taverns, and inns had already been quietly discussing it for a long time, but there was no official statement. After so many days of brewing, the official announcement was suddenly made. The populace was actually already mentally prepared.”
“Now that the first country has stepped forward, let’s see how much of an impact it will have on this world. Er… by the way, Nathan.” Sita suddenly asked, “Where is Lady Mariana? I haven’t seen her today.”
“Ah, I was so busy drinking.” Nathan scratched his head in embarrassment. “I received a message from Gabella yesterday and had to leave urgently in the night. I should have told you as soon as I saw you.”
“A message from Gabella?” Sita was startled, and the chains on her body rattled. “Could it be that something major has happened on His Highness’s side?”
“She didn’t even tell me. Perhaps,” Nathan said with a shrug. “Do you think the two princes are about to have a showdown? That would be quite a show to watch.”
“If that’s the case,” a hint of regret appeared on Sita’s face, “it is truly disappointing not to be able to contribute my strength by His Highness’s side and witness that great moment personally.”
“Hahaha!” Nathan laughed. He looked at the no-longer-crowded street outside the window. “I, for one, don’t care. It’s the same wherever I am. Aren’t we making a huge contribution by pinning down the Holy See’s forces here?”
Sita’s face returned to its usual expression. She nodded and said, “You are right. I was being too narrow-minded.”
……
Within the Golden Dome Temple of the Holy City of Light, a suffocating and oppressive atmosphere filled the air.
Pope Harrington II and the high-ranking officials of the Holy See sat around a conference table, discussing the latest situation in Horn Bay.
“That idiot Elvis has made a complete mess of Horn Bay. It’s one thing to make a mess, but he should at least be able to clean up his own ass. Now he has the nerve to come to us for help.”
Turs, the head of the Religious Tribunal, was cursing Elvis, the bishop of the Horn Bay Church, slamming the letter written by him on the table with a loud thud. His foul language made one doubt if he was a high-ranking cleric.
Harrington II frowned tightly. From the very beginning, the Holy See had not supported, and even implicitly opposed, the witch-hunting campaign initiated by the Horn Bay Church. Now, they had been dragged into it. There was no doubt that in the eyes of the Holy See, the so-called “New Protestantism” concocted by the coastal nations of Horn Bay was an out-and-out heresy. But who was it that had given birth to this heresy?
After Turs’s venting came to an end, he slowly said, “Accusations and curses will not solve the problem now. The Horn Bay Church has suffered a huge defeat on two fronts. The heretic armies are advancing on the Church’s garrison in Collins. Should we sit by and watch them bear the consequences themselves, or should we intervene to save them?”
“Send troops to help them now!” “Let them fend for themselves, then we will go and eliminate the heretics!”
Two voices sounded almost simultaneously. There was nothing to discuss about the New Protestant heresy; of course, they should be eliminated. But as for the timing of the intervention, the high-ranking officials of the Holy See present were divided.
The two sides argued endlessly, giving Pope Harrington II a headache. He quietly asked a young cleric sitting beside him.
“What do you think, Antonio?” Perhaps this young man could give him a different perspective.
“Your Holiness, I can only say…” the young cleric replied, “if my house were on fire, I would do my best to extinguish it before the flames spread throughout the entire house.”
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Chapter 585: The Rights of Spellcasters
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