Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 15 St. Lucia's Winter Cathedral

"The full name of this church is St. Lucia's Winter Cathedral."

Father Joseph led Siron to the front of the church, where an ancient inscription read: "To Saint Lucia of Light, who led us through the harsh winter."

Churches generally follow the tradition of being dedicated to a deity, a doctrine, or a saint; for example, his cathedral is dedicated to Saint Lucia.

This is an ancient saint, and the relevant records are vague, but because the festival of Saint Lucia is near the winter solstice, it has been given the meaning of "enduring the cold winter and looking forward to spring and light".

Xilun nodded.

Joseph continued, "It is located in the Speyside Zero Layer—near the center of the Earth's surface."

Following the direction Joseph pointed, Xiren saw the cluster of buildings on the side.

On the ground paved with steel and giant timber, numerous steam pipes converged toward the center of the city—or rather, they radiated out from there.

The brass steam pipes passed through churches, squares, fortresses, and residences, eventually disappearing into a huge, sloping hole.

In the center of Speyside was a huge, deep hole!

It is about fifty meters in diameter, with an inward-sloping ring of steel plates on the outside, and then the core circle—or rather, the ring of buildings in Speyside.

“This is a chimney,” Joseph said.

He had hoped to see some shock on Xilen's face, but he failed; Xilen simply said "Oh."

For someone who has traveled through time, this thing is not uncommon. He passes by the cooling towers of two thermal power plants on his way to and from get off work. Although their functions are different, they look similar.

Siren looked around the "chimney," where four main roads divided the entire Speyside Level 0 into four fan-shaped sections.

To the south stands the St. Lucia Cathedral, and to the north is the Governor's Guardian Tower; the two buildings echo each other and stand in opposition.

Siren silently withdrew his gaze.

Joseph continued, “The only above-ground structures of the church are the Preaching Square at the entrance, the Cemetery behind it, and the clergy’s living quarters—Spese didn’t pay much attention to the surface layer when it was designed.”

Siren led him and two guards around most of the church.

As he said, there is a square in front of the main entrance where public sermons or masses can be held, and behind it is a large garden with a small area reserved for a cemetery. Next to the garden are several small buildings.

“This is your room—come with me,” Joseph said respectfully.

Last night he tried to get Siron to sleep in the house, but he refused. In the face of the end times, being with the believers was the greatest comfort to them.

The house is an atypical Victorian building, a variant of the Queen Anne style with some Romanesque influences. White marble forms the main body of the building, with four snow-white marble columns outside the door. The interior is black and white, constructed of marble and dark wood.

In Xilun's view, it is somewhat similar to the "Swan House" in Atlanta that he saw during his travels before the time travel, but the windows are smaller, the exterior walls have fewer carvings, and the pillars are very thick, which is in the same style as the St. Lucia Cathedral.

It has two floors, and the interior is covered with expensive furs. Brass steam heating pipes run through its floor, as if the designer wanted it to stay warm even in the coldest winter days.

To its side was the bishop's residence, which contained offices and dormitories for clergy. Not far away, a four-story gray building housed the servants' quarters. Siren looked at the astonishingly ingenious design, a hint of delight flashing in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

Joseph watched the bishop's behavior closely and smiled when he saw Siren's hand unconsciously brush against an exquisite gold-inlaid enamel clock that had been sent from a foreign land.

Passing through the building’s atrium, next to the bedroom, Siren saw a dedicated elevator hall—or rather, an elevator hall, as it was entirely made of gears and steel structures.

To blend it with the surrounding architectural style, the designer seems to have made a lot of effort: white paint, golden sacred emblems, gears carved with decorative patterns, pipes surrounding the sculpture... all of which completely free it from the industrial style brought by mechanical structures, highlighting complexity and sacredness.

Joseph bowed slightly and said, "This is your private elevator. The key is your key ring, which allows you to go directly to any floor."

Curious, Xilun walked forward and saw the ring hole on the elevator.

The parish of Speyside's ring is a solid gold ring for the ring finger set with a huge sapphire. In addition to the regular facets, the gemstone is engraved with patterns of grapes, ears of wheat and crosses, symbolizing communion. The inner band is inscribed with the Latin phrase "I watch over the cross."

The ring itself is a special item, said to be engraved with countless tiny runes, serving as a unique standard for authenticating the identity of a bishop.

Xilun inserted it into the hole in the elevator, where it clicked, and then the steam pipes vibrated, a soft hissing of gas enveloping the platinum-painted elevator, and the eyes of the angel sculpture lit up.

He pressed the button labeled "-1", and the elevator plummeted.
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The elevator in the Guardian Fortress reached the middle level, and a man with medium-length hair and a thick beard stepped out.

"Master Aldridge".

A man dressed in a black collared overcoat, white shirt and black tie stood up from behind his desk, his slightly graying hair neatly combed back.

"Let me introduce you, Schneider, Minister of Public Relations and Advisor to the Governor. Thank you for accepting my invitation."

He extended his hand in a friendly manner, and Aldridge shook hands with him.

"Tea or coffee?" he asked.

"Coffee, thank you."

"Ah—that's wonderful! How did you know I had a siphon brewing set?" Schneider opened the cabinet with a broad smile, showing off his glassware set.

It was a set of equipment that resembled laboratory equipment—an iron frame, two large glasswares, an alcohol lamp, and a filter.

Brass adorns its joints, and the iron frame is intricately engraved with the iris pattern once popular in the empire. A small brass gear structure allows the iron frame to be adjusted in height.

Schneider brewed coffee with the artistry of an artist. This siphon coffee maker, a fashionable gadget that had only become popular a couple of years ago, made the aristocracy feel as if they were conducting a precise experiment, and the sensory experience of brewing coffee was unparalleled.

“You’re from Florence, aren’t you? Their coffee skills are exceptional, but we can’t get in touch with Florence right now. How about you give me your opinion on my skills?” Twenty minutes later, Schneider poured steaming hot coffee into two oriental-style porcelain cups.

Aldridge took a small sip.

"The aroma is superficial, the over-roasting destroys all its essence, and the coffee is served to guests while it's too hot without any final cooling in the container. How hasty!"

Schneider's expression froze on his face.

(End of this chapter)