Chapter 3, there is no worst, only worse

Of course there is, for example, it is also a magical version

So it can be said that this assassination has the involvement of the Turks

I thought that matters concerning werewolves were not uncommon said the bishop, raising his eyebrows in confusion. Although the king had not yet engaged in state affairs, the court was never short of rumors and gossip

"Why do you think so, Your Majesty?" The bishop paused for a moment, then revealed a look of inquiry: "What person has led you to such a conclusion?"

Although this possibly unique materialist of the seventeenth century is now unaware of how long his rational cognition can endure without collapsing "I had never seen a werewolf until a werewolf was only one foot (approximately 325 millimeters) away from me"

The influence of wizards in Italy is indeed deeply rooted, however, my family is merely mortal, no, no, Your Majesty, the Holy See has not fallen to such a degree yet. " Mazarin said with a smile, "It is my sister's husband; people believe he is just a wealthy merchant, but in fact, he hails from an ancient wizarding family. In the world of wizards, his family possesses both power and authority. I must admit, I have also greatly benefited from it..." He stood up to stoke the fire in the king's hearth: "For certain reasons, Marie had to leave her parents and come to my side, but I assure you she is trustworthy, and I believe she has already proven that, hasn't she?"

However, the cardinal's tone shifted: "Since such an event has already occurred today, I must involve you in a new course, Your Majesty. I had not intended for you to be exposed to another world so soon, but unfortunately, our enemies do not share that sentiment." He sighed

"Oh, Your Majesty, yes," the Cardinal furrowed his brow. "Werewolves, a group of devils from Serbia, indeed, we must investigate this matter."

"Do you know about werewolves?" the king asked in surprise

The king pondered for a moment; he had many questions, but it was clearly not the right time to ask. "You mentioned earlier that these werewolves come from Serbia."

This remote palace, even after the expansion by Louis XIII, still has a meager number of rooms. The king, the queen mother, the king's brother, the cardinal, and the royal guards have filled the entire second floor, while the ground floor, originally intended for stables, armories, and furniture storage, has been converted into bedrooms for those of lesser importance

But this is life

The werewolves each possess their own distinct characteristics. The bishop explained: "The clergy skin them and burn the remains clean, transforming their bodies from wolves into a human form. This is a phenomenon unique to the werewolves of Bohemia or Serbia, and their pelts are also more luxurious than those of the werewolves from Poland, Hungary, or Moldavia. Only the werewolves from Russia can compare with them, but the pelts of Russian werewolves are mostly silver-gray, heavy, and deep in color, which is a trait exclusive to the werewolves of Bohemia or Serbia"

The king took the wine cup, yet he had no desire to drink. He felt the need to remain sober

But... she is your niece, which means your sister... No, don't tell me you are also a wizard

"Yes," he continued, "this is not something that can be publicly discussed. Your Majesty, many believe that our relationship with the sorcerers is as opposed as fire and water, but the annals of the Holy See contain certain secrets that cannot be perceived by outsiders. For a long time, aside from war, I have struggled to find a way to describe our conflicts with these heathens. However, you must not simply label it as a war... We are indeed mortal enemies, yet at times, even with the devil, we must join hands and dance. But you must not merely call it a war... We are indeed mortal enemies, yet at times, even with the devil, we must join hands and dance... Especially... (here, he cast a meaningful glance at the king) when we must face a significant crisis together, those who have not been involved or in contact can never imagine how intense and complex the situation among the three of us can be."

"You seem to be troubled," said Cardinal Mazarin, understanding and perceptive. He sat down before the king. Mazarin was a handsome man with a well-proportioned appearance, sporting a Louis XIII-style beard (a combination of a mustache and a goatee) and curly brown hair. His fair complexion and the deep red robe he wore added an air of authority and sanctity to his presence

But that is just a legend ... I mean, fictional, false, just like ... Louis wanted to say fairy tales, but he was unsure whether the genre of "fairy tale" existed at that time. After all, the concept of childhood was still very vague; people either regarded children as "animals" or as adults: "In short, it is something that does not exist in reality"

"This is not news." Louis frowned in distress, as there were many enemies of Bourbon, both within and outside of France—this depressing answer led to a brief silence in the room, until the wine had grown cold. The king raised a finger, "The last question... Mary Mancini"

Similarly, what concerns Cardinal Mazarin is not the peculiar perceptions of the king; his only concern is whether anyone is whispering dangerous words into the ears of the young ruler to influence his mind. However, if those thoughts originate from the king himself, he would be quite pleased. After all, in this era, the majority are blind followers, foolish individuals who neither think nor wish to think. Of course, it does not matter if they are a farmer, a merchant, or even an earl; one might even say that the Church would prefer to have more such people, as it would save the preachers some effort and thought. Yet, a king—especially the one supported and loyal to Cardinal Mazarin—would rather accept a fate of being ultimately neglected and exiled than work alongside a great fool who does not understand how to think and judge.

"This is my oversight," said the Cardinal. "However, Your Majesty, according to people's views, you are still quite young." In fact, neither the Queen Mother nor Mazarin intended for him to be exposed to the outside world and political affairs too early; they were quite indulgent towards him, almost never telling him, 'Go on, have fun, let the adults deal with those troublesome matters.'

Although he had been prepared for some time, the king could not help but exclaim: "A witch! A witch! Bishop, Innocent VIII issued the bull condemning witches in 1484!"

At first, I was uncertain. We originally had established rules, which were that although there were bishops and sorcerers in every court, extraordinary powers generally would not manifest in worldly conflicts. However, when I discovered that the werewolves in the suburbs of Paris had suddenly disappeared... Bishop Mazarin gazed into the flames: "The werewolf clans possess a strong exclusivity; foreign werewolves are met with hostility and expulsion. Yet, if the outsider is stronger or has allies, then the native clan will be completely eradicated." He made a terrifying gesture: "They have crossed the line, Your Majesty. I must inform you of matters that, at this inappropriate time, should not yet be brought to your attention. I suspect that the situation will worsen in the future—this is why I detest those who do not abide by the rules."

He looked at the fire in the fireplace, "A wise person knows that they need both angels and demons, while a foolish person, if not shown the power of the demon, will surely cast aside the angel as well. Sometimes we feel helpless, but this is the reality.

Mazaran looked gently at the king and said, "She is my niece," and then he added, "and also a witch"

It is evident that Cardinal Richelieu believed that this conversation lasting only a few minutes was sufficient for the young king, as the amount of information contained within it was rich enough to drive an ordinary person to madness. He departed, while Louis had completely lost his drowsiness; compared to his physically exhausted state, his mind was as active as if it had been stimulated by morphine.

Even the king had to share a room with the cardinal, but the king did not mind at all. He sat in a chair while the cardinal walked over to pour him a glass of warmed wine. "Unfortunately, there is no honey, Your Majesty," he said. "But drink up; it will warm you up."

Although he was once an adult, Louis never paid much attention to this. When he was just five years old, he was placed on the throne by his mother. As others have criticized, in 1642, the power in France was seized by Cardinal Richelieu. After Richelieu's death, the country was managed by his mother and Richelieu's successor, Mazarin. However, he held no ill feelings towards the Queen Mother and Cardinal Mazarin. Having transcended the thinking of a toddler, child, and adolescent, he understood clearly that what he needed most was to comprehend and familiarize himself with this unfamiliar and perilous world. Although Mazarin and the Queen Mother were indeed power-hungry, without them, the surrounding hyenas would have likely torn the young king and his brother apart long ago—when someone is willing to shield you from the storm, you should not complain that they forget to provide you with sunshine.

The king and his entourage finally reunited with Cardinal Mazarin and his group the following afternoon, at a location approximately four leagues (one league is roughly equal to four kilometers) from Paris, in the town of Versailles. This area is characterized by forests, hills, and marshes. Initially, it was here that Henry IV built a castle in the style of the Renaissance during his hunting expeditions, along with a small church, several houses, and inns. Over time, people gathered in this area, forming several small villages, yet there remained only one road suitable for horseback riding. This area is characterized by forests, hills, and marshes. Initially, it was here that Henry IV built a castle in the style of the Renaissance during his hunting expeditions, along with a small church, several houses, and inns. Over time, people gathered in this area, forming several small villages, yet there remained only one road suitable for horseback riding.

Mazaran shrugged his shoulders and said, "It seems that your history teacher is quite diligent, Your Majesty; that nobleman indeed has a bit of a disdain for wizards." He kindly added, "However, a more convincing reason is that both the Holy See and the kings were somewhat financially strained at that time."

We encountered a werewolf

Louis realized that he had made a mistake. Of course, if he were indeed just Louis XIV, a boy born in the seventeenth century, even though he was destined to become the King of France, he would not possess the rational understanding that an adult educated in decades of materialism, centuries later, would have. He would, like others, believe that deities, demons, heaven, and hell all exist, and werewolves would be no exception.

What could be worse than discovering that you are Louis XIV while still in the cradle

Louis nodded slightly, having previously mistaken Bishop Mazarin's intention as being to protect his niece by allowing her to travel with the King and the Queen Mother. In fact, it was quite the opposite, or more accurately, it was only one of the reasons: "Did you anticipate that we would be targeted by the werewolves' snipers?"

... ...

It is hard to say, said Bishop Mazaran: Perhaps it is the British, the Austrians, the Spaniards, or it could also be the French