Simon rode his war horse through the streets full of noisy crowds and feces everywhere.

Some pigs raised by townsmen were being kept cleaned of dust and dirt on the road under the supervision of a middle-aged townsmen wearing a broken felt hat. However, the stench emitted by the pig itself and its dirty and huge body seemed to make people more disgusted than feces.

Since many of the townsmen in the city walls are farmers engaged in agriculture, in addition to many shops and houses for people to live in the city, there are also many small vegetable fields that have been opened and enclosed for captivity.

"It's so stinking that it's unbearable!" Simon just frowned and shook his head slightly.

Like many people of this era, Simon has gradually become accustomed to the various odors that are everywhere in human activities. It is no exaggeration to say that even if there are dung piles around him, Simon can eat a piece of black bread with thick soup without changing his face - because even the tavern or other hall used by other lords to entertain guests is not much better.

"Young Master, there is a church ahead!" The fat man pointed to the brick and stone church in front of him, which was obviously different from other wooden and stone buildings. In the fat man's opinion, every step he took now brought him one step closer to the Holy and Almighty God.

Although the church in Cologne is not as magnificent as the later Cologne Cathedral, it is also larger than any monastery in the impression of Simon's former owner.

The Diocese of Cologne is said to date back to 88 AD and was a bridgehead for preaching to the Lowlands and Black Forest barbarian tribes. Before Simon's tenth century, there were at least four saints in the archbishops of Cologne.

Therefore, in this Cologne Church, which has a long history and has been continuously repaired and expanded, various facilities have been relatively complete and complete.

Simon and the fat man walked through the gate of the outer wall of the church and entered the church. The monks around him were wearing simple all-black monk uniforms, doing their own work, shuttled and traveling through the church.

On the left hand side of the entrance, there are pharmacies and medical rooms for refugees, poor and patients. A monk was cooking unknown herbs next to a pot outside the open space outside the medical room where the occasional groaning in pain.

Next to the medical room is the residence of tenants and slaves who work for the church. Simon could see the straw mattresses and small wooden barrels for urine through the door opened by the simple wooden house.

Next to the tenant farmer and slave residence was a not-so-large horse hut, and a young horse boy was working hard to add water to the sink.

"We park the horse in the hut and take the things up to find the bishop." Simon said to the fat man who looked around curiously.

After the two tied the horses, they walked towards the largest brick and stone building.

"Hello, these two respected gentlemen, are there anything you have to do when you come to the Holy Cologne Church?" At the entrance of the church were two soldiers wearing spears, soft armor caps and segmented nose guard dome helmets, and inlaid iron plywood leather armor and leather gloves.

These two soldiers may have often seen nobles who came to visit the bishop, so even though they did not recognize the family emblem on Simon's burqa on his chest, they still maintained the polite and kind tone they deserved.

"This is Sir Simon who defeated Sir Dorsten, who once ransacked the Norman pirates of Lyle Monastery. We come to see Archbishop Cologne with devout hearts." After the fat man finished speaking, the two soldiers guarding the door were shocked.

"What, Simon of Dorsten! Come in quickly, I think the Bishop will definitely be very happy," a soldier looked at Simon with his eyes wide open, his eyes full of awe. "The Bishop was so worried about the tragedy that happened in the Abbey of Lyle. This respected Lord, after the news of your victory over those damn robbers came, it really made the Bishop smile for a long time!"

"Is that true?" Simon curled the corners of his mouth slightly. It seems that although he had not met the Bishop, he had already had a good impression of himself, and it might be much easier to deal with him at that time.

After Simon entered the masonry cathedral, the first thing he saw was a rectangular pool. The corners of the rectangular pool had towering columns that extended to the top of the church. You could see an opening on the ceiling of the same size as the pool above the ground.

Around the pool, some townsmen and pilgrims from afar were whispering, and there was a solemn atmosphere in the whole courtyard.

This is the atrium of the church, a place for religious people to communicate. However, this atrium has a very ancient Roman style, and it seems that it has been repeatedly repaired and renovated over the long years.

"Hello, Lord," at this moment, a young monk came into the gate behind Simon and whispered to Simon, "I heard from Larson that you are here to find the Bishop. We have just finished our lunch break. The Bishop is receiving a group of pilgrims. Please follow me."

Only then could Simon look at these servants of God close up. The young monk was wearing a Mediterranean hairstyle that symbolized Christ as a crown of thorns, wearing a black hooded robe made of thick and hard cloth, a tight trouser strung with a small silver cross hanging around his waist, and wearing simple slippers on his feet that reminded monks to be as humble as Christ at all times.

Simon and the fat man followed the young monk through the atrium, and saw the young monk approaching and opening the gate connecting the nave to the front hall.

"Wow!" The fat man behind Simon couldn't help but sigh.

The nave has tall beige arch roofs and magnificent and exquisite arch column side corridors on both sides. There are two rows of old and heavy benches in the center of the church, all shrouded under the illumination of dancing candlelight on the walls on both sides of the arcade, all exuding a sacred and solemn atmosphere.

In the semicircular apse facing the gate of the nave, the sun shines through the colorful glass of the church on the bishop wearing a white robe standing on the sermon stage next to the sermon stage. The believers and pilgrims in the sermon stage devoutly closed their eyes slightly and listened carefully to the bishop's reading.

"I believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and the life-giving person, and is jointly produced by the Father and the Son. He and the Father and the Son are revered and glorious, and he spoke through the prophets. I believe in the only, the Holy, the Most Holy, the Most Holy, the Lord, the Church passed down from the Apostles. I admit that there is only one baptism for forgiveness of sin. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next life, Amen!" The passionate words of the Bishop fell.

"Please listen to us!" the believers bowed and trembled slightly.

"I believe that the Lord will definitely feel your piety and faith. God is with you." After a long time, the bishop pressed his hands and went to the Bible and walked down from the Scriptures.

The believers and pilgrims excitedly suppressed their voices and discussed in a low voice, slowly walking towards the gate of the nave. Many people have been able to go to the historic Cathedral of Cologne and have a mass under the presidency of the Archbishop.

"Huh?" Wade Fred, the tired Archbishop of Cologne fief, rubbed his temples tiredly, and the young monk who led Simon to the gate of the nave was whispering something beside the bishop.

Suddenly, Bishop Wade Fred showed joy and looked a little surprised. He hurriedly looked up at the gate of the nave. Sure enough, a young man wearing a mail and an emblem burqa followed by a fat attendant was looking at him at the gate of the nave.

"Go over, the Bishop wants to see you." The young monk quickly returned to Simon's side and said with a gentle bow.

Although Simon had no expression on his face, he felt his heart beating.

Simon slowly walked forward from the aisle between the two rows of benches and walked towards the semicircular apse. Facing the aisle in front of the nave gate was a holy altar, and a cross on it was inlaid with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was now emitting dazzling colors under the sunlight reflected in colored glass.

Simon took a deep breath and walked to the bishop who was looking at him with a smile on his face.

"May God be with you, Simon of Dorsten. To be honest, it's great to see you." Bishop Wade Fred drew a cross on his chest.

"So too, my respected Bishop." Simon replied respectfully.

"I heard some time ago that you defeated the Normans who had looted the Abbey of Lyle. I am so proud of you, my child. Not long after I talked about this with Brother Brandt at noon, you appeared before me. I have to say, maybe this is God's wonderful arrangement. Oh, Lord, praise God!" Archbishop Wade Fred looked very happy. Obviously, from his kind words and slightly excited tone, this is a bishop who is very devout to God.

"Yes, I believe that all this is God's arrangement," Simon said, turning back to the fat man and blinking at the fat man. The fat man immediately knew the God's leadership and walked up with the bag of spoils. "In addition, the omnipotent and loving God has also arranged for me to return the precious sacred instruments lost to the Lair Monastery that I took back from the Norman Pirates to you and to the church, my respected Bishop."
Chapter completed!