Chapter 30: Zhenla

The merchant ship made frequent stops, causing many delays along the way, but after a sixty-one-day voyage, Ambrosius and his party finally reached their destination: Phnom Penh, the capital of Chenla.

At that time, the sailing speed of most merchant vessels hovered around 12 knots. The clipper ships that would soon appear would push sailing speeds to a new height of 20 knots. One knot is equivalent to 1.852 kilometers; at a speed of 12 knots, a ship could cover 533.37 kilometers in a single day. The total distance from Venice to the port of Phnom Penh was approximately 26,000 kilometers.

In Rauscher’s eyes, bringing heretics back to the true faith was a profoundly noble cause. It was for this very reason that Archbishop Rauscher spared no effort in assisting Ambrosius. To ensure the safety of Ambrosius and the success of his mission, he even recruited a special religious group known as the "Combat Brotherhood."

Ambrosius was initially surprised to learn that the Austrian Church possessed such an organization. However, the moment he stepped onto the ship, he finally understood why they were called the Combat Brotherhood. These priests averaged over 1.85 meters in height—a stature that, in an era where the average European stood at 1.7 meters, was nothing short of legendary. Even more striking was that each of them carried a rifle, with pistols and cold steel weapons tucked into their belts. Were it not for the Bibles chained to their waists, it would have been impossible to associate them with the clergy.

These giants all wore ferocious expressions. To call them priests would be less accurate than calling them executioners. Two of them were slightly shorter than the rest, but one was covered in scars with severe facial burns, his voice as raspy as a demon from hell. The other, though he spoke like a pious believer, had the Bible tattooed onto his face in Latin, making him look like an exorcist covered in protective sigils from afar. This priest’s name was Sart, an exorcist from the Diocese of Linz.

Ambrosius remarked sincerely, "Father Sart, even without any holy relics, your appearance alone would be enough to frighten away demons."

Thus, a general, accompanied by two officers, a diplomat serving as a translator, seventeen adventurers, three missionaries, and fifty combat priests, embarked on the journey. Apart from two adventurers who tragically perished at sea, the rest arrived safely in Chenla.

Phnom Penh, the capital of Chenla, was an inland port located in the delta between the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, with direct access to the South China Sea to the south. Although Ambrosius had prepared himself, Phnom Penh was far larger than he had imagined—nearly double the size of Florence, the capital of Tuscany. Yet, the people here seemed somewhat numb. Ambrosius had every reason to believe that their group would have drawn crowds in any European city, but the workers in this port seemed entirely indifferent to their arrival, moving cargo with vacant eyes as if they were ghosts.

A Vietnamese official at the pier glared at Ambrosius’s party with disdain, seemingly intent on giving them trouble. Ambrosius quickly produced a string of zinc coins, handed them to the official, and said in broken Vietnamese, "Wishing you wealth and prosperity, and a long life."

Zinc coins, also known as "white lead money," were the primary currency in Vietnam at the time. The Vietnamese official took the string of coins, shoved them into his pocket, and waved for them to pass. However, when the missionaries walked by, the official blocked their path and said, "No preaching, or you die." He made a throat-slitting gesture, and the missionaries nodded in acknowledgment to show they understood.

Before arriving in Phnom Penh, the French captain had repeatedly warned the Catholic priests that the Vietnamese Emperor Minh Mang had issued a national ban on proselytizing; any priest caught preaching in private would be arrested and sent to Hue, and anyone caught hiding them would be executed immediately. However, since this was Chenla, the Vietnamese laws were not enforced with absolute strictness.

Zacher, the diplomat in their group, gave the Vietnamese official another string of coins to find out where the Chenla officials were located, as this was, after all, a Chenla port. After receiving the money, the official pointed toward an inconspicuous small hut nearby. Once the group had departed, the official adjusted his conical hat and spat on the ground. "A bunch of poor wretches, only fit to do business with the Chenla people."

At that time, the Vietnamese were exceptionally arrogant, considering themselves the second most powerful nation in the world, with no rivals other than the Great Qing Empire.

When Ambrosius’s party entered the Chenla foreign affairs office, the local officials stared at them with curiosity. Under Vietnamese rule, the Chenla government was a mere shell, and no one had come calling for a very long time. Guan Jinpan was a member of the Chenla nobility and a second-rank civil official, yet under the Vietnamese occupation, he possessed almost no real power. He and the other officials were curious about the purpose of the group's visit, as the party was truly bizarre.

Why were these foreign monks carrying weapons? Their stature and appearance reminded the officials of the wrathful Vajra guardians in a temple. Furthermore, with the Vietnamese ruling Chenla and enforcing their own laws, any missionary caught preaching would be immediately arrested, executed, or sent to Hue for punishment. Were these people truly not afraid of death? Yet, looking at them, they did not seem like typical missionaries.

In truth, the Combat Brotherhood was merely a product of the "fox mourning the death of the hare." Following the French Revolution and the incident of the twelve priests, Catholic organizations across various nations lived in constant fear, dreading that they might meet the same fate. During the French Revolution, priests who refused to swear allegiance to the new French government were rounded up and executed, and church property was ruthlessly plundered. Consequently, a self-defense organization composed of zealots emerged. Initially formed to protect church property, these fanatics soon expanded their objectives, one of which was to use force to protect the safety of missionaries.

When Franz first heard of this organization, another name had surfaced in his mind—the Astartes. It was only because Franz knew of the existence of these "Astartes" that he dared to send Ambrosius to Chenla to rescue the princess.

At this moment, Ambrosius broke the silence. "Greetings, officials of Chenla. We are envoys of the Austrian Empire, and we hope to establish diplomatic relations and engage in trade with your nation. We have brought gifts for your royal family and hope you can introduce us."

Zacher, the diplomat accompanying Ambrosius, brought out several small gold bars and placed them into the hands of the Chenla officials. The officials were immediately flattered and felt a sense of warmth toward the foreigner who spoke their language. However, when they heard the request to see the royal family, they exchanged uneasy glances. Only Guan Jinpan saw this as an opportunity; perhaps he could exploit the foreigners' ignorance of the local political situation to extort a significant sum.

"I am the Superintendent of the Chenla Foreign Affairs Office, Guan Jinpan."

Ambrosius followed suit and introduced himself. "I am a special military observer sent by the Austrian Empire, Ambrosius. I hope to observe the training and combat of your troops."

Suddenly, another Chenla official jumped up and said, "You barbarian of a vassal state, you have no manners! You stand before Lord Guan Jinpan, yet you do not kneel?"

"Kneel?" Ambrosius looked puzzled.

Zacher, the Austrian diplomat standing beside him, twitched his face slightly and spoke up. "Grand Duke Ambrosius is a member of the Austrian Imperial family. Please mind your attitude."