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The day after Genoa was occupied, the lord ordered a solemn funeral to be organized. The fallen soldiers were collected and laid to rest, and over a thousand crosses, like a birch forest, were erected in the southern cemetery.
Some of the people prayed and wept nearby, while other soldiers continued to carry coffins in and out. The continuous rainheralded the arrival of early autumn, and the scent of burning tree branches in the air added a mournful tone to the scene.
The lord, wearing a black robe, conducted the ritual of mourning alongside clergy who had come from Florence.
"May the love of the Father, the grace of Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you," a priest from Florence proclaimed loudly.
"—And with your spirit," the crowd murmured in response.
The local cardinals of Genoa stood by with grim faces, sensing the awkwardness of the situation, yet unable to protest or warn anyone. Even the Pope's severe punishments toward kings now seemed like mere pinpricks; as subjects of the defeated country, they could lose their lives at any moment.
"—May the Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive our sins, and grant us eternal life."
Hedy lifted her head, gazing at the cross, and softly whispered, "Amen."
Her eyes had lost much of their former softness, becoming more determined and profound.
This new lord seemed to be a complex and contradictory figure. After the war ended, she immediately began organizing post-war recovery and compensation. She took in beggars and orphans from the streets and even sent people to offer basic care to elderly widows who had lost their sons.
Not only that, but the relevant decrees and proclamations were soon issued, strictly investigating mercenaries for theft and robbery while also providing adequate reassurance.
The public was not fully convinced, but they continued to learn more about the matters related to the war. They heard that the Holy Roman Empire was involved, and these southerners were fighting to reclaim lands that originally belonged to them.
It also seemed to be related to the Pope? What exactly was going on?
Before they could gossip further and form more opinions about this female lord, another piece of news hit like a stone thrown into water, causing public opinion to surge once more.
The cardinals of Genoa were dragged to the square, where they were publicly stripped of their ecclesiastical titles, and a chaplain from Florence was openly nominated by the lord as the new bishop!
How absurd this was! For centuries, the church's authority had always recognized the power of the emperor, but when did things reverse like this?
"The Holy Roman Church has long been defiled and invaded, fallen into the darkest of realms," the ceremony officer shouted loudly. "Our lord will restore the rightful order and bring prosperity to the world once again—"
The lord, dressed in a deep purple robe, turned around on the podium to face the crowd, which was boiling like the waves of the sea. On either side of her, armored guards assumed defensive postures.
"—From this day forward, the tithe is abolished!"
At the moment those words were shouted, the entire square fell silent, as if a flock of crows had been struck dumb.
What?! How could this be possible?! Was it really the day that the infamous tithe would be abolished? They couldn’t possibly be dreaming, could they?!
Leonardo stood by the flagpole, raising the golden-red flag high.
Luris shouted with a voice so loud and powerful that it resonated across the square.
"Wherever the flag of the Immortal Bird flies, the church will never again have the power to control!"
"From Luka to Genoa, from this starting point to every city in the future, countless parasitic taxes will be reduced and erased. Merchants and farmers will have equal protection before God!"
"Abolish the tithe! From now on, all are equal before the New Faith!"
The crowd screamed and shouted in disbelief, unable to process what they were hearing.
"—No more indulgences in this world!" Leonardo roared.
"—No more indulgences in this world!" Countless voices echoed back, their arms raised high as their cries reverberated like the howling of wolves in a valley.
No more indulgences in this world!
