socalfunplaces Chapter 167 Invitation to Confer an Office
Chapter 167 Invitation to Confer an Office
Chapter 167 Invitation to Confer an Office
Time is like the wind; it passes by in a flash.
But the wind will also leave its mark; what is etched in buildings is called ruins, and what remains in books is called history.
History is the sediment of time, inherently possessing a profound quality.
Heraldsmen's studies are often inextricably linked to history.
So Anne liked to stay in the library, burying herself in her studies and enjoying the profound atmosphere.
From a young age, Anne loved listening to the stories Aaron told her.
Anne admired and envied those heroes, or rather, those powerful figures.
But as she grew older, she realized that such people only existed in stories.
In reality, there are only treacherous villains who only care about profit, and short-sighted, mean-spirited scoundrels.
However, as her reading volume increased, her views changed again.
Great figures are indeed rare, but they do exist.
If we lay history out on the table, we will find that their brilliance still shines even now.
The mythological period is too distant, and it was a time when mythical creatures were active.
Historians still debate whether those creatures truly existed, which is why many people doubt the authenticity of the entire historical period.
Given this, the idea of trying to find heroes in that era is inherently flawed.
Just from the legendary era, Anne could name many illustrious heroes, such as Clarence the Conqueror and Jerome the Despise.
Puttscott, the “sky-shattering” man.
The prominent figures of the pre-Ming era were closer to the heroes in Anne's mind, both in terms of their deeds and their style, such as Iron Emperor Rex, Crimson Prince Zachary, and "Unyielding" Nebnil. However, after entering the Faith era, the number of figures comparable to these characters suddenly decreased sharply.
The most famous figure is undoubtedly King Eugene, but Anne can think of no other one besides him.
Once upon a time, Anne also wanted to be like them, to do something earth-shattering, and to make herself famous in history.
But she has now resigned herself to her fate. She knows she doesn't have that ability, and besides, she is a woman.
Although Anne hated those who looked down on her because she was a woman.
But Anne had to admit that very few women could leave their mark on history.
The legendary Gretna is one such example; she was indeed a woman who had a profound impact on history.
In the early days of the people, Annie could only barely find one Queen Mother of the Purple Thorn.
As for the current period of faith, Anne really couldn't choose any.
The Duchess of Lorraine Plain, Brianna Lorraine, was a rather legendary woman.
However, her experience and influence pale in comparison to those of truly great figures.
But Anne was very curious about this person. What kind of woman was the Duchess, known as the "servant of evil"?
If Anne had been born a few decades earlier, she might have had the chance to meet the Duchess.
She never had her own personal coat of arms, so all records about her are kept in the coat of arms book of the Lorraine family on the plains of Goldwheat.
However, these records do not reveal what motivated the duchess to do these things.
It is extremely rare for the author to leave a comment that is "unfathomable" and neither praise nor criticism.
Of course, descriptions of this lady appear not only in the heraldic canon but also in other books.
Regardless of the writer's attitude and evaluation of this lady, they all praised her beauty.
Even when she was fifty, many young nobles fell in love with her at first sight.
Anne was very curious about what kind of stunning beauty this duchess possessed.
Unfortunately, the book contains few illustrations of characters, so Anne's curiosity may never be answered.
"when-."
"when-.."
The bell rang four times; it was already four o'clock in the afternoon.
It was time for Anne to go help Joseph, so she closed the book and prepared to head to Teacher's Tower.
Anne usually meets with Joseph at a fixed time every day.
Joseph, on the other hand, would teach Anne some thinking skills and arrange some after-class exercises.
However, there are occasional exceptions, such as yesterday when Lola came to the college to find her.
Anne cherished every moment she spent with Lola.
Only when she is with her family can she completely relax and let go of all her worries.
Yesterday, Lola told Anne everything that had happened to her.
Annie was stunned; her sister had lost half a year!
But upon closer reflection, using the word "lost" doesn't seem quite right either.
Fortunately, Aaron is aware of this matter, and as long as Aaron helps to find a solution, this situation should not happen again.
Lola was expelled from school, but fortunately, she didn't seem to care, so Annie didn't have to try to comfort her.
Anne found it strange; did Lola really have nothing she cared about or wanted to do?
Even the older sister sometimes can't figure out what her younger sister is thinking.
Lola left before nightfall last night.
Fortunately, Lola has already promised Anne that she will come once a month, so it won't be long before she sees Anne again.
Just as I stepped out of the library, several men suddenly surrounded me and said:
"Annie! You're finally out! We've been waiting for you for so long!"
Anne stared at them for a while; they turned out to be her classmates from the same year.
These men had repeatedly provoked and humiliated Anne.
But ever since Joseph publicly declared Anne to be his disciple, no one has dared to cause Anne any trouble in person.
But why the sudden need to find Annie now?
Anne didn't know the answer, but she didn't want to give these people a friendly look.
Offering unsolicited favors is either a sign of malice or theft.
She asked with a stern face, "What is it?"
"Actually, it's nothing much," the leading man said, scratching his head. "I just wanted to ask you, Professor Joseph, what has he said to you lately?"
"I am his disciple, so of course he talks to me every day," Anne replied coldly.
She wasn't going to waste her time with these people, so she started walking forward.
However, the male apprentices all chased after them.
"We certainly don't want to pry into your private affairs," the man said. "We just want to ask if you know anything about the next exam."
"The academic year exams are coming up soon, and the grades from those exams will directly affect whether a tutor will be willing to accept them as a formal student, so this exam is very important."
Annie had heard about this, but she already had a tutor, and besides, she had never worried about exams. "What does this have to do with me?" Annie continued walking briskly.
"Because the person who set this exam question was none other than Sanders, and his nickname is 'Strict.' The questions he sets are exceptionally tricky."
A group of people immediately followed Anne. "Anne, since you're Sanders' student, we've come to ask you if he's revealed any information about the exam questions to you."
“He’s the one who set the questions, and I only found out now,” Anne said. “Besides, even if I knew something, I wouldn’t tell you.”
"Huh? Why?"
"Why? Humph!" Annie sneered. "Didn't you call me a slut and a whore?"
"This—haha, misunderstanding, misunderstanding!" the man said with a stiff laugh. "We were talking about ourselves."
"Oh? Myself?"
"Yes! It's ourselves! We're the real sluts and whores!"
The man immediately added, turning to the person beside him,
"You mean it, right?"
"Ah! Yes, yes!"
"right-..."
The man, with a fawning smile, said to Annie:
"Look, Annie, it was all a misunderstanding before. We're here to apologize to you and hope you can forgive us. So, Annie, we hope we can put our differences behind us. Could you find out for us what kind of questions Professor Sanders plans to set next?"
At this moment, Anne had already reached the foot of the Teachers' Tower.
She didn't even look at the group of men, and answered arrogantly:
"I will not do these things for you."
Why?
"You call yourselves sluts and whores, but this is a heraldry academy, training heraldry masters. You should find a brothel that accepts men and indulge in your lewd moaning."
After speaking, Anne went up the stairs and headed straight for Joseph's office.
Anne felt a surge of pleasure; she could picture the twisted expressions on the men's faces.
But she still felt unsatisfied. She wasn't some magnanimous man; those people had insulted her, and she could never forgive them.
However, Anne also knew that while she might feel good about humiliating him back, Joseph would definitely scold her if he found out.
Joseph had warned Anne not to let her emotions control her actions.
Instead of seeking revenge on certain individuals, we should think about how to utilize them and turn them into our own resources.
Anne knew Joseph was right, but she still wanted to do it.
She had already arrived at the door, and without knocking, she pushed the door open and entered.
Despite Joseph's nickname being "stern," Anne hardly ever sensed this side of him.
On the contrary, Anne was occasionally a bit unruly and careless, but Joseph just noticed it without ever criticizing her harshly.
Anne wasn't sure if this was Joseph's true nature in private, or if he was only like this with Anne.
In short, Anne was already used to entering Joseph's office without knocking.
But basic politeness is still necessary, so she took the initiative to greet him:
"Joseph, I'm here."
"Oh, Anne, you've come at the right time. I have something to tell you."
Joseph took off his glasses, turned to look at Anne, and gestured for her to sit down in the seat next to him.
Joseph then took out a letter and handed it to Anne:
"Take a look at this."
Joseph would occasionally show Anne the letters of appeal that the college had received, asking her to give advice on the content of the requests.
If the answer is unreasonable or lacking, Joseph will point it out, thus revealing Anne's situation.
How should we think and make suggestions?
Of course, occasionally Anne would offer one or two answers that satisfied Joseph.
Joseph would then relay Anne's suggestion to the other tutors in his name.
Joseph would also inform Anne once the recommendation was adopted.
Joseph did not steal Anne's work; she understood Joseph's intentions and he was merely trying to motivate her.
So when Anne received the letter from Joseph, she didn't expect it to be the usual training session.
But after Anne finished reading it, she realized something was wrong.
Instead of a letter asking for help, it was an invitation.
A cardinal of the Principality of Saints died, and the College of Heraldry invited a representative to attend the coronation ceremony of the new bishop.
Joseph said, "Clerical heraldry is a unique branch of heraldry. The succession of cardinals often involves many things worth recording and studying, so the college attaches great importance to it."
"However, the high-ranking members of the Vatican generally live very long lives, with many living past eighty. The one who just passed away was ninety-one years old, so the academy hasn't received this kind of invitation for a long time."
Anne said, "Since they invited the Herald Academy, it shows that they also value the Herald Academy."
"You've noticed that, not bad!"
Joseph smiled and nodded.
"The Heralds recommended by the Herald Academy are located all over the world, but the Academy does not have a clear faith. From the perspective of the Vatican, as long as we can increase their influence in the Academy, it is undoubtedly equivalent to sending a wave of faith to all parts of the world."
Anne asked, "Whom does the college plan to send?"
"What do you think, Annie? This invitation is in my hands now."
Anne raised her eyebrows and said worriedly:
"But Joseph, although you are indeed in relatively good health, your destination is overseas. Even if you manage to complete the journey, it will absolutely be a form of torture for your body!"
"Hmph! I really don't want to admit I'm old," Joseph said cheerfully, "but Anne, I can't argue with you this time. At my age, I'm really not suited for long journeys."
"Since that's the case—"
"...But Annie, do you know that this mission wasn't something they pushed onto me; I took it on my own initiative."
Annie asked, puzzled, "Why?"
"Because I never intended to go in the first place," Joseph said. "Annie, I want you to go in my place."
Annie paused for a moment, stunned: "Me?"
“Yes, you!” Joseph said. “How long has Jonas been gone?”
Anne thought for a moment: "It's been more than half a year, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it's been more than half a year," Joseph sighed. "You've made great progress in the past six months, but you're still young, not even sixteen yet. And you've only been an apprentice herald for a little over a year."
"You are talented and hardworking. To be honest, your level is already quite good. But the place you are going to is Platinum Castle."
"That is the heart of the kingdom, shrouded in the storm of power. Moreover, the current situation is murky and turbulent. Without top-notch skills, it will surely be torn to shreds by the storm."
"You're not yet strong enough to stand firm after the storm, but you only have six months left, Annie. You should know how urgent that is."
"I will work even harder!"
"Some things can't be solved by hard work," Joseph said. "Experience can only be gained through two things. One is ample time, which you obviously don't have. So you can only rely on the second: profound experience."
Anne wasn't unable to understand these principles, but:
"If I go, will I definitely grow enough?"
"This is what I wanted to tell you: attending Vatican ceremonies and seeing and interacting with a wide variety of people and things is only one part of it, but if it goes too smoothly, the growth you can achieve will be limited."
Joseph said,
"Therefore, to be on the safe side, you need to use this trip to conduct research in the Principality of the Holy Envoy and write a paper."
"paper?"
"Yes," Joseph nodded, "You are still too young, and the snobbish people in the court will surely question you. An approved paper will be your strong armor."
"But what's the title of the paper?"
"You'll have to discover that yourself."
This is too difficult, Anne thought to herself.
But she must not be afraid of difficulties, otherwise all the hardships she has endured to get to where she is today will be meaningless.
"I understand, Joseph. Since you've explained it in such detail, it means you've thought it through for me. Okay, I agree."
Anne answered calmly.
"But I still have two questions. First, how do I get to the Principality of the Holy Envoy?"
"There are only two options: by sea or by land," Joseph said. "The sea voyage may take less time, but it is not safe because of the pirates that roam the seas. So I have arranged for you to take the land route."
"Another advantage of this route is that you can learn about the culture of the towns along the way, and this rich experience is a valuable resource for a herald."
Anne frowned and said, "But the land route is not safe either. Bandits and brigands may block the way at any time. Joseph, this is my second question. I am just a woman. I have no power to protect myself. What if I encounter danger?"
"The fact that you think of your own safety shows that you have a sufficient sense of crisis. If you want to get involved in the power struggles of the court, without this quality, you will inevitably become someone else's pawn and sacrifice."
Joseph nodded approvingly.
"However, Annie, don't worry, I've thought of that for you too. I won't let you go alone. I've already chosen escorts for you, and they will make sure you get to your destination safely and bring you back to the Herald Academy in perfect condition."
Anne asked, "Them? Who are they?"
Joseph's lips parted slightly, but then he suddenly remembered the knocking sound:
"Knock knock knock".
Joseph smiled and said, "Ha! They've arrived just in time."
"Speak of the devil," Annie thought to herself, "and he appears just like that."
"They came on official business, and therefore received admission permission from the college, which is why they were able to come directly to me,"
As he spoke, Joseph shouted towards the door.
"Please come in."
Then, a man with thin eyebrows and big eyes walked into the house.
The man was fairly handsome, wearing a full set of armor, with a long sword hanging at one side of his waist.
On the other side, he was holding his helmet.
At this moment, he bowed to Joseph with a friendly yet refined manner: "If I'm not mistaken, you are Professor Sanders."
Joseph nodded, and the man turned to Anne, bowed deeply, and extended his right hand:
"Then you must be Miss Anne Booker!"
Seeing this, Anne also extended her right hand in response.
The man leaned forward and kissed the back of Anne's hand.
Anne asked, "Who are you—"
Joseph answered for them, "Anne, you should know them. They never fail to fulfill a commission they accept; the world says of them, 'They will not return until they have completed their mission.'"
How could Annie not know?
We swear an oath to the Knights, and we will not return until our mission is accomplished.
The man who ambushed and harmed Lola was one of them.
Anne clenched her fists tightly.
The man in front of me placed his hand on his chest and said with a broad smile:
"Beautiful lady, I guarantee your safety. My name is Seth Kelly, but you may call me by my nickname—"
"A gentleman."