Chapter 48

Segalot stayed in Desinia Territory for a total of seven days.

During that time, Xia Zuoyi summoned Grove and the other priests, and the Pope personally conducted their appointment ceremony.

From then on, Grove became the bishop of Visas Church and was authorized to appoint another person as acting bishop.

Grove and the other priests had never expected to see the Pope in person within Visas.

They knelt on the ground with excited expressions, thanking the Pope for his grace.

Segalot said to Xia Zuoyi, "If you are ever dissatisfied with them in the future, you may replace them at any time. You do not need the Holy See's permission."

The clergy of the Holy See were not subject to the control of nations or territories.

They possessed special privileges. The Holy See alone could bestow favor or punishment upon them, and even kings had no authority to interfere with their dismissal.

If a clergyman violated the laws of an empire or any smaller nation and committed a crime, the king would submit a document to the Holy See explaining the circumstances.

Then, the Holy See would send an archbishop specializing in local affairs to conduct a thorough investigation...

Segalot's personal statement meant that Xia Zuoyi now possessed this privilege.

Leaving aside the dismissal of Grove and the other priests, even their lives were now firmly in Xia Zuoyi's grasp, to be dealt with as he pleased.

Grove's heart tightened, and he nearly could not resist raising his head to reveal his shock.

Since childhood, he had taken pride in becoming a clergyman who served the Creator God. After entering the Holy See, what he heard most often were rumors about the current Pope.

It could be said that everyone, from cardinals to the lowest-ranking subdeacons, sincerely respected and submitted to the Pope.

Grove held a natural reverence for the Pope.

And now, the Pope had granted the lord special privileges. What did that represent...?

Grove's thoughts churned. He lowered his head once more, his expression becoming even more humble.

The priests behind him were the same.

Xia Zuoyi accepted Segalot's goodwill.

Still, he always felt that the current Pope's gaze upon him seemed especially... affectionate?

It had to be an illusion.

Segalot did not intend to remain in Desinia Territory for long.

Before leaving, he handed Xia Zuoyi an exquisitely crafted box embedded with gemstones, saying it was a gift.

"After I leave your territory, I probably will not be able to see you again for a long time."

Segalot sighed softly. "I thought I should give you something to carry my feelings of longing."

Xia Zuoyi: "..."

There was really no need.

There was absolutely no need for this.

Seeing the tiny expression that inadvertently appeared on Xia Zuoyi's face, Segalot could not help curling his lips slightly.

Before Xia Zuoyi could react, he suddenly bent down and murmured almost inaudibly, "Little rose, I look forward to your growth."

After saying that, Segalot turned and left with the black-robed man, his carriage gradually disappearing into the distance.

Xia Zuoyi stood where he was, opening his mouth slightly. Holding the exquisite box in both hands, he could not help looking toward Judith. His cheeks slowly puffed up, and he stared with big caramel-colored eyes, clearly looking like he had something to say.

Judith leaned over slightly and asked, "What is wrong, my lord?"

Xia Zuoyi said, "Judith, can I change the design of my family crest?"

"Of course not, my lord," Judith replied with a proper smile.

Xia Zuoyi looked troubled as he handed the box to Judith and told him to hold it properly. Then, with his fair hands crossed at the wrists like a flower supporting his chin, he tilted his head and asked, "Do I look very much like a plant?"

Judith froze at his words. Then, the tips of his ears slowly turned red, little by little.

He gave a dry cough. "My lord, how could you possibly resemble a plant?"

How could he make that gesture? It was far too unfair.

Xia Zuoyi thought the Pope had no manners at all, actually giving him a nickname...

After secretly pursing his lips, he soon stopped dwelling on it and began wondering what gift the current Pope, Augustus, had given him.

"Judith, open the box."

"Yes, my lord."

The item inside the box was soon revealed before Xia Zuoyi.

It was a badge only half the size of a palm. Golden and silver lines cast from copper intertwined across its surface, forming a pattern of a radiant sun and a bright moon meeting at the boundary between light and darkness.

Xia Zuoyi looked astonished.

Judith blurted out, "The Pope's Edict."

Only the Pope could possess this badge.

Anyone else who possessed it could freely dispatch any clergyman from churches and temples to serve its holder, and could even command cardinals in certain matters.

Xia Zuoyi had not expected the Pope to give him something so precious.

In an instant, the mixture of embarrassment and irritation he had involuntarily felt when Segalot called him little rose vanished.

Call him whatever he wanted. It was nothing. He really did not mind.

The badge before him was something that could not be measured in money. It was worth it.

Churches and temples dedicated to the Creator God began to be built in Visas.

At the same time, Xia Zuoyi focused on paving the city's roads and other infrastructure.

Of course, the most important and basic facility that had to be built first was the drainage system.

After all, water use was undoubtedly both extensive and essential in daily life.

The water that needed to be drained through a drainage system included wastewater, sewage, rainwater, melted snow, and more. Moreover, Visas was close to the sea, so its drainage facilities had to be the very best.

In order to understand the specific processes of urban drainage and the details of the entire system, Xia Zuoyi spent quite a bit of prestige in the library on the system interface, exchanging it for many related books.

He first had to read and understand this knowledge before he could bring out the important contents and guidance from the books to discuss and study with the engineers from the Artisans' Guild and others.

The drainage system required careful deliberation, while the construction of flood-control and flood-prevention facilities also needed clear planning.

Xia Zuoyi calculated his future reconstruction plans once again.

There had originally been only two cities, Visas and Komoy Fort, but now there were thirteen cities...

Reconstruction was not yet complete. The lord still needed to work hard.

His current plan was to let the advanced lead the less developed.

Once one or two cities had been successfully rebuilt, the people of the territory would see the results, and both their enthusiasm and initiative would follow...

But a tall tree caught the wind.

Too many things that had never existed before had already appeared in Desinia Territory: the plant medicines and ointments still being produced, Papermaking, Watermarked Paper, bricks, Movable-Type Printing, the asphalt concrete roads that would soon be laid, and more...

None of them could be overlooked.

Once he possessed them, however, standing out too much could make him a target of public criticism anywhere, in any country.

Xia Zuoyi had originally wanted to develop beet sugar as soon as possible, but then he reconsidered. The Gadayat Kingdom had only just become history, and Desinia Territory had only just been established.

It was the only independent territory of its kind on the Western Continent. Who knew how many eyes were covetously watching it from the shadows?

He could not risk introducing something even more tempting, such as white sugar.

At the very least, before he possessed military strength sufficient to intimidate other nations, he could not carelessly ignore any risks.

Now was the time to recuperate and carry out comprehensive construction.

With the Thorn Merchant Guild backing Xia Zuoyi, money was not a problem.

After planning for the future, he marked military schools and ordinary schools as priorities. What they still lacked most was talent, and schools were the most direct places to receive and discover talented people.

Desinia Territory thus entered a period of comprehensive reorganization.

Construction beginning in Visas would gradually expand into the other cities, and this was a plan and goal that required long-term implementation.

Three years later, winter arrived.

A heavy snow fell as expected, covering all of Visas in silver and making it crystalline and beautiful.

The city had now completely changed.

After three years of development, its prosperity and liveliness far surpassed the former royal capital of Kaies. It stood as the unquestionable administrative center.

Komoy Fort lay beside Visas. As one of the rebuilt cities, its changes were equally astonishing.

Although Visas and Komoy Fort were still under construction, the focus of development had gradually shifted to other cities, and the Artisans' Guild expanded accordingly.

Three years was neither long nor short.

Desinia Territory had changed too much. The snow concealed much of it for the moment, and besides, Xia Zuoyi and the others were not in the territory.

They were deep in a mountain forest outside the royal capital of Gaina.

Gaina's royal palace.

After reading the note in his hand, Light tossed it into the fireplace and burned it.

Watching the flames gradually consume the words on it, he turned and said, "I understand what your lord means."

"Gaina has already split in two. It is no great loss to give him this half-ruined country. I only want to personally cut off Bruno Green's head..."

There were only two people in the enormous study belonging to the king.

One was Light Green.

The other was wrapped entirely in a black robe. However, because he was indoors, the robe was slightly open, revealing the silver-white armor beneath.

The man was tall. He held the helmet he had just removed in the crook of his left arm, while his right hand rested on the hilt of his longsword. Hearing this, he smiled. "Your Majesty is not the only one who bears a grudge against Bruno Green."

"The lord agreed to your request because he once made a promise to someone: to let him avenge a blood debt and personally kill Bruno Green."

"I cannot guarantee whether he or Your Majesty will be the first to kill that traitor."

During those three years,

Desinia Territory had continued developing without pause, while major events had likewise unfolded in Gaina.

After more than a year of silence,

Bruno Green had finally become unwilling to remain merely a minor lord.

He secretly plotted with the king of Helgoda and reached an agreement.

Helgoda would provide military support, while he promised that after succeeding, he would cede part of Gaina's territory to Helgoda.

Helgoda was the kingdom neighboring Gaina.

The entire country was surrounded by the Aibuting River. As a result, shipbuilding was highly developed there, and nearly nine out of every ten people were skilled swimmers.

However, Helgoda's territory was extremely small, and travel was possible only by boat.

Though this was highly inconvenient, there were advantages and disadvantages. The Aibuting River's encirclement had also ensured that Helgoda had never suffered harassment or invasion from any nation.

With Helgoda's secret support, Bruno Green had once nearly succeeded in assassinating Light.

Fortunately, Xia Zuoyi had always had Ferdinand keep a close watch on him, giving them the chance to notify Light and allow him to prepare in advance.

Even so, Gaina split into two from that point onward.

Bruno Green became wary and retreated to his territory, waiting for another opportunity to strike when the time was right.

He guarded his territory like an iron fortress. Even though Xia Zuoyi wanted Ferdinand to seize the chance to kill him, they could not find the slightest opening.

During that time, Light had continually attempted to retake the cities occupied by Bruno, and the tug-of-war had lasted for nearly half a year.

It had to be said that Bruno's intelligence and methods were indeed remarkable.

After fully unleashing his ambition, he quickly won over the vast majority of people to serve him. Naturally, threats and coercion were also involved.

Although Light was a qualified king, he was kind by nature.

He had not hardened his heart enough to kill Bruno back then, remembering their brotherly bond. As a result, Bruno Green now used every possible means to kill him and take his place.

Bruno Green's goal had always been Gaina's throne.