Under the Gattuso family, they have sponsored many industries, including investments in religious enterprises.
Few people know that the Florence Cathedral has actually been under the Gattuso family's ownership for a long time.
The tall, rising marble dome is constructed in the most perfect geometric form, resembling a temple. On its dome, the most elite artists have painted the Ascension of Christ.
At this moment, the cathedral's hall is brightly lit, with golden lights illuminating the magnificent sanctuary.
Frost walks briskly, showing no interest in the extravagant sculptures and paintings around him. He keeps his head down and walks into the inner hall, pushing open a door that is never open to the public.
What comes into view is a much smaller but even more luxurious prayer hall.
The floor is made of gold, and the surrounding columns inlaid with gemstones reflect each other, creating a dazzling display of wealth.
In the center of the prayer hall is a massive round table, already surrounded by people.
Everyone is dressed in yellow hooded robes, wearing pale masks. The masks bear strange symbols made of three twisted lines.
Frost lowers his head, maintaining a submissive and respectful posture, and speaks softly, "Bishop, there's been an incident."
"Do not panic, Frost."
The person sitting at the head of the table is calm, lightly tapping his fingers on the table. He speaks steadily, "Sit down and speak slowly."
"Yes, Bishop."
Frost steps forward and sits across from the table.
Once he has composed himself, he says, "Just now, I received news about Albert. Caesar was attacked in Naples. The assassin's identity is unknown. The weapon used was a large sniper rifle. Now, Caesar has fallen into the sea and is suspected to be dead."
Thud!
The sound of the tapping stops abruptly, and the prayer hall falls into a deadly silence.
In an instant, the others at the round table, all wearing yellow robes, turned their heads in unison. Though their faces were hidden by masks, Frost could clearly feel their gazes fixed on him.
The oppressive and heavy atmosphere made Frost's heart race. His face turned as pale as paper, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"Then what?"
The bishop finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"I've already arranged for Albert and the execution team to do everything they can to search for Caesar," Frost sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
He nervously responded, "I believe we'll have results soon. You won't be disappointed, Bishop."
"Who do you think did it?"
The bishop leaned back in his chair, asking in a casual tone.
"This..."
Frost looked troubled. He couldn't think of anyone who would do such a thing.
"Never mind."
The bishop seemed uninterested, waving his hand. "Caesar isn't so easy to kill, and this isn't so simple. I'll send someone to help you investigate and get to the bottom of it."
"Yes, Bishop!" Frost finally breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he even thought he might die!
"The second matter concerns Cassel."
The bishop turned to the other members of the congregation, his voice carrying a hint of pressure. "I was very disappointed by the last failure."
An indescribable weight of pressure surged, like a tidal wave, as if a storm were about to hit the sea. The oppressive killing intent in the air made the candles flicker, as though they might go out at any second.
Frost lowered his head deeply, his pupils filled with fear.
The other masked members of the congregation remained silent, seemingly too afraid to provoke the bishop's bad mood.
"I can forgive you for the last incident," the bishop's voice was deep and heavy, like thunder hidden beneath dark clouds, making everyone in the room feel the pressure intensely.
"But this time, we cannot afford to make a mistake. We must gather all the sacrifices before 'Aldebaran' appears," the bishop slowly stood, pressing his hand against the desk.
His voice was filled with an overwhelming pressure. "Lu Mingfei, Xia Mi, Caesar. Not a single one can be missing. Understood?"
"Yes, Bishop."
The congregation stood up and made the sign of the cross in front of their chests.
"Lancelot, Galwen, this matter... you two will work with Frost to complete it, understood?" The bishop called out their names.
The two men to his left lowered their heads. "Yes, Bishop."
"The rest, prepare the ritual items."
After the bishop spoke, he waved his hand. The invisible wind blew out the candles, signaling the end of the meeting.
The masked, yellow-robed figures slowly exited the prayer hall.
Frost was the last to leave. He stood outside the church, feeling a sense of exhaustion as the cool wind hit his face. His clothes were soaked in sweat.
Looking back at the church, he felt deep fear in his heart. "The Secret Order is terrifying."
After everyone had left, the prayer hall was empty, except for the 'Bishop.'
Suddenly, an old figure appeared in the deserted church, wearing a tattered yellow robe, with a frail, thin body.
"Faking death to escape, founding the Secret Order, using Caesar's patricide as a pretext, secretly manipulating the Board of Directors to bring out the three sacrifices... Truly, the deepest hidden person. Pompeii."
"It's you, Sogetsu."
At that moment, the bishop removed his mask, revealing his true face. He shouted passionately, "Everything, is for the great King in Yellow!"
The man had long golden hair that shone brightly, casually falling to his waist. When he raised his head, his handsome face could make most women fall madly in love with him. His sea-blue eyes were like pure gems, and the smile at the corner of his lips added to his noble aura.
If Caesar were still alive, he would immediately recognize the man sitting in the bishop's seat—his father, Pompeii Gattuso, who he had beheaded with a single strike!
"Not bad, not bad. It seems you've delved deeper into our Lord's dream."
'Zaratul' smiled, clearly pleased with Pompeii's progress. He casually asked, "How is the 'Wind-Blessed' potion?"
"It's excellent! It matches my authority perfectly!" Pompeii's face twisted into a grimace. "When will you give me the rest of the potions?"
'Zaratul' carefully observed. Beneath Pompeii's skin, his blood vessels seemed to squirm like worms, his entire body was in an extremely excited state.
Clearly, the potion hadn't been fully digested yet, and his spirit was already "tainted."
Of course, 'Zaratul'—or rather, Uchiha Sogetsu—didn't care whether Pompeii had fully digested the potion.
The powers of the King of Sky and Wind were highly compatible with the 'Tyrant' path, which had been expected.
The combination of these forces created a fascinating chemical reaction, allowing Pompeii to advance to Sequence 6 without fully digesting the potion. This was truly miraculous.
Uchiha Sogetsu speculated that it was likely the Dragon Race's unique constitution and their inherent control over authority that made the potions more effective for them than for humans.
However, to be certain, further testing would be needed.
'Zaratul' nodded in satisfaction. He then reached beneath his tattered yellow robe and retrieved a vial of thick, viscous liquid. "This is the Sequence 5 potion, the Ocean Songster."
Without hesitation, Pompeii grabbed the Ocean Songster potion and drank it down in one gulp.
"I can feel the Sky and the Ocean calling me!"
He shouted with excitement, his voice booming like thunder, sending shockwaves through the hall.
'Zaratul' smiled silently, observing the changes in Pompeii's spiritual state. "Well then, I look forward to our next meeting, Mr. Pompeii."
With that, his figure gradually faded away, as if he had never existed.
********
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