Chapter 1: The purest call

001, the purest call ()
"Great, solemn, loving, Goddess Isis, the mother of the earth's abundance, and the hope of the living; God's power protects Eju, the never-ending light that shines on the world's King God of Horus; born in the beginning of the lotus, the nun who created everything God the Father, the Nine Union Gods at the source of the river of God, dominate all the gods of the earth and the sky! ... Please listen to my prayers and the instructions of the gods. Only the purest pious heart can get God's mercy. I May I dedicate everything to Isis, and please give me the tears of the gods ... "
Aiko-Maria was praying to the gods on a remote town on the border of the Hati Kingdom, which belonged to the Egyre Empire. In this desolate and remote place, the size of Duke Town is no small, it has hundreds of households and 2,000 residents. The town of Dashti is a nobleman with the title of Lord Hatti, and also has the status of a citizen of the Aegean Empire, and enjoys the citizen privileges of the Aegean Empire.
Such a remote town, the identity of the mayor is so prominent, of course, because of its special status. Duke Town belongs to the southernmost part of the Syrian city-state under the Haty Kingdom. The three things produced by Syria are the most famous. They are also the most important commodities of the Hati Kingdom's foreign trade and the most precious tributes to the Aju Empire: Iron, stone, snow fir.
Iron can create the sharpest weapons, especially the finest iron that can be refined by craftsmen. The armor and sword created by it are both sharp and tough. It is a symbol of strength, a guard and a weapon for plundering wealth. Many countries on this continent produce iron, but the output is still very limited, and iron production and trading are strictly monopolized by the government. The iron produced by Hati is the most famous. Although the iron output in Duke Town is not high, it produces very rare fine iron. Almost all the adults in the town are both miners and blacksmiths.
Cedar fir, which is produced in the western plateau of Hati and in the high mountains on the banks of the Youdi River, is the best shipbuilding material after soaking in cold water, drying, and baking in oil. The ships built with it can travel in the lakes, rivers and seas. It is not only an army for the war, but also a necessity for businessmen to travel to various countries. Duke Town does not produce cedar. Although it is the lush mountains and cedars that grow cedar in the east outside the town, it is unimaginable to cut down huge cedars and transport them out of the mountains.
The most important property of Duke Town is not the finest iron, but the stone. This kind of thing is very scarce on the Tianshu continent. The Syrian state of the Haty Kingdom is one of the important producing areas, and the stone produced in Duke Town accounts for almost half of the entire Syrian state. Every country on the Tianshu continent needs a stone, especially the noble priests who possess the highest divine magic in each temple, and they are extremely eager for it.
Many ordinary civilians and slaves do not know what the use of the stone is, but they have seen the stone inlay on the priest's scepter or the noble warrior's armor and weapons, which seems to be a symbol of identity, wealth or divine power. God stone itself is also the most expensive currency on the mainland. The value of a stone is equal to twenty times the weight of equal weight gold, and it is indivisible.
As the noble circulating currency, it is the most common standard stone. Its texture, size and shape are exactly the same without any slight difference. Its weight is also the standard of measurement and measurement on the Tianshu continent. The weighing unit commonly used on the mainland is "Baht." "It is the weight of a stone. I heard that the extravagant priests even used the stone as the standard weight on the heavenly urn.
This time, Aikou-Maria followed Rhodes, the principal and priest of his home city and city, to Duke, and of course he asked the gods not an ordinary stone, but the legendary tears of the gods. Only by getting it can we be recognized by the high priests in the Temple of Isis in Memphis, and become the saint who protects the goddess of Isis. According to legend, only the purest call can communicate with the gods and get the tears from the gods, which means that her identity has been approved by God.
Aigou-Maria's prayer is so devout, but in fact, any stone produced in the continent, including the precious tears of the gods, was not given by the hands of the gods, but was mined by the hands of the miners .
Maria's residence is located at the southern end of the town, near the Temple of Horus, and is one of the most beautiful courtyards in the town. It was originally the town's mayor. Like other cities and towns on the mainland, the most important building where people live is the shrine, where the local guardian deities are worshipped and sacrificed. Whether the shrine is magnificent is also a symbol of whether a certain city-state is strong.
Of course, the temple in Duke Town cannot be compared with a large city-state, but compared with other ordinary towns, the Temple of Horus here is majestic enough to be built with tall white boulders and inlaid with blue-black stone carvings. The white marble used to build the pillars was transported from outside, and the lapis lazuli, which is shining with turquoise luster, is a specialty of the nearby mountains. It may be expensive elsewhere, but it is the most common stone here.
There are two main shrines of comparable size in the town of Duke. One is dedicated to Horus, the patron saint of the Egyre Empire. This place is subject to the elder Pharaoh, and is built south of the town. The main body is white marble. The other is the goddess Mu Yun, a patron saint who has been worshiped here since ancient times. She is widely worshipped in Hati, Assyria in the northeast, and Barron in the southeast.
The Kingdom of Hati is an alliance of dozens of city-states. Although the Aegi Empire conquered this place, in order to better manage and allow the Hati people to submit more submissively, Aegut Pharaoh Thun allowed them to worship their guardians. God, did not destroy the original temple, but at the same time ordered the worship of Horus, the patron saint of Ego.
Maria prayed in the bedroom on the second floor. Every morning after waking up, before lunch, and when night fell, she prayed like this. It has been three days since she came to Duke. The most strictly trained temple warrior could not help but secretly approve in her eyes, secretly saying that she should meet the requirements of a saint, and the gods may have pity on her.
In the territory of the Egyre Empire, there are two vast fertile soils along the Roni River, called Upper Ege and Lower Ege. Gabriel was a samurai sent by the Temple of Isis in the capital of Lower Egypt to protect Maria. In response to the report and request of Lord Dick, the chief priest and governor of the Lower Egue Cape State. The Temple of Isis will send protection to all candidates who have passed the test of God and are eligible to become the patron saints of the goddess of Isis.
While Mary was praying, Gabriel stood downstairs, at the gate of the courtyard. There is a heavy long sword hanging from her waist, and a stone is inlaid on both sides of the middle of the sword. Even in a non-dangerous environment, she is still meticulously wearing silver armor, with a solemn and solemn expression. In this position, you can see the blue-gold dome of Mu Yun Temple on the other side of the town, her mouth squinting, and there is a little sneer in her eyes.
Apparently, the guardian warrior of the Temple of Isis had no good opinion of the deities worshipped by other races, but Pharaoh Ecuador allowed the original temple to be kept here, and she could not say more. Her role was only to protect Aiko-Maria. Don't worry about other people's gossip.
Gabriel's body is long and tall, and healthy. Her face has the characteristics of northern aliens, her skin is fair, her nose is straight, her eyes are charming blue. The golden curls were draped over the silver armor, and the femininity and perseverance were so harmonious. She is young and beautiful, but the children in the town who are throwing stones at each other are not consciously far away from the courtyard and dare not play at the door.
When people saw her, the first thing she noticed was probably not a beautiful woman. Around her, there was a sense of self-confidence and pride, as if full of strength, without concealing.
Only Gabriel was guarding the courtyard, and the Temple of Isis only sent her such a samurai to protect Aiko-Maria, one of the Virgin candidates. But Gabriel also knew that in the nearby Temple of Horus in Duke Town, there was a pro-guard, brought by Rod Dick, with a total of 60 well-armed elite soldiers.
Obviously, this Dick doesn't believe she can protect Maria alone. Although crossing the desert between Eju and Hati is full of danger, it is obviously a bit exaggerated to bring so many elite warriors. Lord Dick did not say anything because of the good cultivation of a nobleman, but Gabriel could feel it. He was dissatisfied.
Gabriel did not care, not only because of a cultivation, but also a noble pride.
...
At the other end of the town, in a small building near the Temple of Mu Yun, Roddick looked at Gabriel's courtyard from a distance with a wine glass and a window. The brown eyes were a little deep. Silently thinking about--
It seems that the temple warrior from Memphis is not accustomed to convergence, and always advertises her strength. It is no wonder that one of her duties is to preach the majesty of the gods. But this is not a good habit for hereditary city-state aristocrats such as Rod-Dick, people always need to hide something, they can't expose all their strength to potential opponents, but just show the real time the power of.
The battle for secular power and wealth is always brutal, and it is necessary to always be prepared to show appropriate deterrence and leave a contingent hole card.
Not far from the small building where he is located is the temple of the goddess Mu Yun. Lord Dick didn't think there was anything wrong with it. People on this continent originally worshipped various gods, large and small. Some are legendary gods, and some are the guardians of the local residents.
The Pharaoh of the Ego Empire claimed to be the human incarnation and spokesman of the Horus, the son of the gods, who ruled the king of the upper and lower Eju. The traditional patron saint of Xiaju is the goddess Isis, the legendary mother of Horus. Her main shrine is located in the capital of Xiaju. Almost every country on the Tianshu continent is under the unified monarchy and divine power. The monarchs are claimed to be the spokesperson of the gods. The Temple of Isis in Monforts City is the most important center of power in the Lower Egypt.
This time, the Temple of Isis only sent a samurai to protect the candidate of the cape state. Lord Dick was obviously dissatisfied and thought that he and the cape state represented had been despised. The cape state is located at the border of the northeast corner of the Aegean Empire. It is the closest to the kingdom of Barron and Hati. Outside the border is a vast desert, which cannot be compared with other rich and rich city states.
Its geographical location is very important, but this importance does not bring all the benefits to the Cape State. Once a war breaks out, the Cape State will bear the brunt of war. In the age of peace on the surface, it is an important port for business transactions with countries in the Northwest, and is full of countless opportunities.
Now that the kingdom of Hati is surrendered to Aegi, Lord Dick has also faintly heard that many city-state lords in Hati are unwilling to accept the fate of such subordinates now, always wanting to join forces to resist in secret. It happened that the Temple of Isis chose the maiden. Dick certainly hopes that the maiden comes from the cape state. This not only means the glory of the city-state, but also in the event of conflict, I hope that the temple of Isis and the power of the whole Lower Egypt will be more protected Cape state.
Of course, Dick didn't want Maria to have an accident, so he brought the most elite pro-guards around him. Such a force is obviously unnecessary to protect a person across the desert. Of course, Dick had his own plan. At a young age, he became the principal and priest of the cape state, mastering the power of the integration of politics and religion. In addition to the prominent identity of the lineage, of course, with his own talents, he can make the most of all the benefits of one thing. .
The Temple of Isis only sent one person, or that would save a lot of bribes. When she saw Gabriel, Dick felt that the samurai guarding the temple was different from many greedy priests. She was like a proud cock, disdainful of accepting any bribes, and it seemed that she seemed to be wealthy There is no concept.
Gabriel seemed to be unclear about the value of the long sword she was wearing, so she swaggered around her waist. If she walked alone, this sword might not be able to protect her. The first thing to attract was robber. Just like Gabriel, with a sword, came from Cape Month to Cape Town. Even Rod-Dick was surprised. She was so lucky that she could arrive safely! Perhaps it was because the thieves along the road knew her identity and did not dare to offend the Temple of Isis.
With so many personal guards and entourages in the name of protecting the maiden and serving Gabriel, of course, the huge convoy has prepared a variety of materials, mainly the most popular wines and food in Duke. With the presence of Gabriel, the checkpoint at the border between Eju and Hati will naturally be released without any inspection, and of course no tax will be charged.
The gods mined by the residents of Duke Township must be handed over to the city-state in the form of taxes. The city-state law stipulates that one out of every ten belongs to them, and that is their due. At the same time, of course, Rhodes-Dick also clearly knew that Dusty, the mayor of Dusty, would not be so selfless, and he would have to hold back a lot.
Shenshi is a currency that is twenty times the value of equal weight gold, and it is the same in Duke. However, the products of Duke Town are both rich and barren. Except for the production of stone and iron, only a few barleys are planted on the barren land for the abdomen. All other living and enjoying materials need to be transported from other places. And its location is too remote, everything is much more expensive to ship here than anywhere else.
The people in Duke may not be clear. They may be the richest residents in the Tianshu continent. At the same time, it is also the most expensive place in the mainland. Although the taxes levied on the commercial roads are heavy, a successful transaction. Still profitable.
In order to cover the trading supplies he shipped to Duke, Dick also organized a cape city-state's caravan to come with his convoy. Businessmen are naturally willing to follow Master Dick's convoy, which is equivalent to getting absolute security, eliminating the cost of mercenaries, and with Gabriel and Dick, the tax collectors along the way will not maliciously blackmail They can only do business, they are grateful to the dick, who is compassionate, and many aristocratic officials will not take care of businessmen like this.
At dinner, Lord Dick just had a pleasant conversation with the mayor of Dusty. What's more pleasant is the transaction between them, both sides are satisfied. In addition to the stone, Lord Dick also purchased the precious fine iron from the mayor. This is smuggling, which is not a secret of humanity. Both of them secretly accompany the wine and food.
Although the transaction was pleasant, Roddick didn't like this place, especially because there was a smell of smoke and fire everywhere, which made him feel uncomfortable. He felt a little anxious and wondered what time to wait.
The reason why he brought Maria here, in addition to doing a business under this name, was another attempt to get the tears of the gods. The high priests of the Temple of Isis announced to the deities that a tear of the gods would be given to the world, and the person who obtained it would be the patron saint of the goddess Isis.
In this regard, Rod Dick has his own thoughts. The tears of the gods are nothing more than a more precious stone. If it does appear, the biggest possibility is in the place where the stone is most concentrated. When you wait in Duke Town, you are most likely to be the first to board. This is of course a kind of gambling, but this gambling is profitable regardless of success or failure. If luck is successful, everything will be perfect.
He told Maria that she had been guided by the goddess Isis in her dreams, and Maria reported to Gabriel and convinced the temple warrior to come across the desert border.
When he came to Duke, Maria prayed prayerfully every day, but Rod Dick, who made up the lie, was a little impatient. In this town where the blacksmith's furnace is burning everywhere, the harsh environment makes Master Dick intolerable, and he doesn't want to stay longer for a day, and can't help but remember the legend about the tears of the gods.
He was already a little drunk and cursed: "Gods give mercy? Is it God ’s will or the priests made up lies? When did this ancient deity spread? It was just a stone, no matter how precious it is But it is a useful stone. Rather than praying to the gods, ask the miners for help, does getting the tears of the gods mean a maiden? Then who is the miner who mines it, and it may be a dirty old man! "
I just thought about it, a wind with a hot flame was blowing out of the window, Dick inexplicably fought a cold war, and the wine awoke, and quickly put his hands on his chest and prayed: "The great goddess of Isis, I don't think right You are disrespectful, just a frank expression. "
At this moment, Rod-Dick suddenly held his back. What he seemed to feel was a mysterious wave of power. It was both mysterious and strange. The unpleasant heat and the inexplicable chill seemed to be affected by something. Soothing. The source of the fluctuations came from a family on the edge of the town.
Rod Dick immediately lowered the glass and called out: "Fayol, come in fast, tears of the gods may appear. Go and do as I tell you!"
...
Gabriel suddenly raised her head and looked sideways towards the town. She felt a mysterious and familiar wave of power trembling slightly in the air. It was neither detectable nor clear. The inexplicable light flashed in his eyes, and he looked back at Maria's window.
...
A "ding" sounded a crisp sound, and then a fine buzz reverberated in the room for a long time. Amon held a heavy sledge hammer and smashed a fist-sized, cobblestone-shaped cobblestone.
The hammer looked so heavy, and fell with the sound of severe wind. When it fell on the surface of the stone, it became light and fluttering, as if only a feather, and only gave out a crisp, "ding".
Amon's posture of holding the sledgehammer is a bit funny, and the position of holding is very forward. The entire upper arm from the wrist to the elbow is affixed to the hammer handle. He is not too tall. After all, he is only 14 years old this year. Not fully grown up.
But the muscles in his body were very strong and strong. When he waved the sledgehammer tightly, there appeared to be snakes on the raised muscles. According to the rules of Duke Town since ancient times, a child of his age is not qualified to mine the stone alone. Using Duke Town's unique hammer technique to open the arduously mined nucleus is the last and most crucial step to obtain the God Stone.
But today he has to do this at home, because his father drank too much, his hands trembled and he couldn't control the hammer, and tomorrow he must hand over a stone.