When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

"Powerful minister... Tomley... uh... is it this, Cardinal, something something isolating inside and outside, the Papal States are in danger... hmm..."

"Old Frik, are you even capable? You've been studying two lines for half a day."

"Don't shout, don't shout." The old man named Frik rubbed his half-blind eyes, facing the faint sunlight, and shouted loudly.

His eyes were half-blind, but his voice was loud, hurting Madelaine's eardrums.

"Oh dear, the ink is smudged, the following is, you are also a Cardinal... awaiting something something, ah, then, something something, and finally something something, ah, then the power can be returned."

Madelaine looked at the old man in front of him and said helplessly: "Old Frik, were you really a bard when you were young? You've been talking for so long, but I haven't understood anything."

Frik retorted: "I was, what does a little brat like you know?"

Madelaine was a little helpless. Among the many villagers he trusted, this old Frik was the most credible and was on his side.

Those who followed Madelaine were either refugees or serfs. What kind of culture or paper could they have?

Among Madelaine's two hundred or so men, less than ten were literate, and only Frik was trustworthy to Madelaine.

After autumn, there was still a hint of chill in this drafty shed with grass curtains hanging.

The old man in front of him was wearing a wrinkled, patched, knee-length robe, revealing his dry wrists with skin clinging to bones and veins.

Dragging a three-legged stool from the garbage heap, Madelaine brushed off the dust and sat down: "Then tell me, what exactly does this secret letter from the Pope say?"

"Alas, the Pope is like that, why always use such flowery words? I thought I was reading a boring knight's poem."

Complaining, old Frik still bit the bullet and explained: "This, His Holiness the Pope means, probably maybe should be, to ask you to attack the monastery as soon as possible and kill the powerful minister Tomley."

"Me? Kill Tomley? Is that really what the Pope means?" Madelaine widened his eyes. "Do we have the strength with these old, weak, and disabled people?"

Old Frik was just saying it casually, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt it made sense: "Otherwise? All those armed farmers are on Tomley's side, the Pope is even forbidden to leave the monastery, and the Pontifical Guard is blocked outside the door.

There must be treacherous officials in our Papal States. Chirves and Grampman are both on Tomley's side, Danji is neutral, who else can His Holiness rely on besides you?"

"But we are no match for Tomley, alas, why did His Holiness issue such an order?"

Having learned Hoen's "true" intentions, Madelaine had a headache.

Although he and Tomley were extremely at odds, he mostly had to endure it, because Tomley's backing was the vast number of armed farmers.

Compared to most serfs and refugees, these armed farmers were not only physically stronger, but most even had weapons such as chain mail, leather armor, short swords, and longbows.

The church's night watchmen are actually a militia organization, formerly the Night Watchman Brotherhood, which was formed by armed farmers.

So more than 90% of the night watchmen are from armed farmer backgrounds.

As long as Tomley wanted, he could quickly pull out twenty or thirty night watchmen. The weapons and equipment of those armored soldiers were also in his hands.

However, Tomley's power also had a problem, which was that the armed farmers were very brave when facing refugees and serfs, but as soon as they faced the church or nobles, they would immediately become defeatist fighters.

This is also why Hoen felt that once the church sent troops, Tomley would surrender immediately.

The consequence of not surrendering was: Your ministers are about to surrender first, why does Your Majesty fight to the death?

But Hoen never asked Madelaine to fight Tomley head-on.

He asked Madelaine to contact Yeshka, tip him off at a critical moment, guard the monastery gate, and prevent Tomley from running out to join the armed farmers.

However, this most important part was omitted by Frik. He could only understand that the beginning was scolding Tomley, the end was the return of power, and the middle was all his own brain supplement.

Putting a bottle of turbid wine on the table, Madelaine walked away worriedly.

Frik leisurely picked up the turbid wine, humming a ditty, and drank it himself.

But after only taking two sips, another person walked into the shed, also an old man: "Frik, where did you get the wine?"

"Tsk, big brother, want a couple of cups?" Frik became excited when he saw this old man. This was his cousin, and they were drinking buddies who often drank together.

"Come on, hey, I just saw Brother Madelaine leaving in a hurry, what did he go to do?"

"Hehe, can't say."

"What kind of relationship do we have? What can't be said? I promise not to tell anyone else."

The old man took out a half-raw roasted hairy pheasant from his pocket, threw it on the table, and took out half a bottle of mead, shaking it: "Is it enough?"

After a few cups of wine, Frik's face turned slightly red. He glanced at the roasted chicken, hesitated for a long time: "Then I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else."

"Tell me, I promise not to talk nonsense."

"Come, put your ear closer."

"............"

"What? His Holiness the Pope asked Madelaine to get rid of Tomley."

The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ said ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥⊥ book ⊥⊥ bar ⊥⊥ first ⊥ hair!

"Speak softer, speak softer." Frik said in a loud voice, "Don't let outsiders hear."

He shook the wine in his glass, and said with some pride: "Look at your old brother, now even the bishop has to come and ask my opinion, how am I compared to that forest sage Herro?"

"Bullshit." The old man scolded with a smile, and drank wine together.

................

"What?" Tomley suddenly stood up from his chair. "Madelaine is coming to assassinate me the night after tomorrow?"

The raging fire in the fireplace roasted everyone's faces red, and the leaping firelight shone on the floral Bosch shrine on the wall, making Messala, wrapped in the sacred tree, appear uncertain.

"Where did you get this news?" Chirves put down his wine glass, his dwarfish long beard constantly shaking.

The young man with curly soft whiskers on his lips replied: "It's my second brother, the daughter of his blacksmith master married Madfa of Tumulus Village, and the little aunt of Madfa's ex-wife's cousin is from Madelaine's side."

"Is the news accurate?"

"Absolutely accurate, my second brother told me not to tell anyone else."

"Okay, I got it." Tomley threw out a dinar, "Reward you, get out."

After the young man left, only Tomley, Chirves, and other core members were left in this small monk's house.

After waiting for a long time in the firelight, Grampman frowned and asked: "How did Madelaine know that you were going to the monastery to meet the Secret Party envoy the night after tomorrow?"

"You ask me, who can I ask?" Tomley's face was not good-looking, "I guess, 80% of the time there is a traitor in our internal affairs."

"A small Madelaine, dare to assassinate us?" Chirves rubbed the wine glass in his hand, "Ask more people tomorrow, and be sure to investigate clearly."

"It will be too late to investigate clearly, that Madelaine has had a grudge against me since last time, maybe he really wants to do this." Tomley stood up, "This matter may be instructed by that Hoen, during this time, where is he willing to stay honestly, those refugees now all follow his lead."

"Then what do you say to do?" Grampman asked.

Tomley raised his palm and made a downward chopping motion: "Instead of sitting still and waiting for death, it is better to take the initiative to attack. Tomorrow night, let's catch Madelaine first and teach that Hoen a lesson.

Hmph, he may be the leader of the Secret Party, but we are not easy to mess with!"