Chapter 1100 - 166: Massive Military Expansion and the Unrivaled Warrior Luther Huss (Part 3)

Chapter 1100: Chapter 166: Massive Military Expansion and the Unrivaled Warrior Luther Huss (Part 3)

"The reason we are still able to hold on is because of one thing: the Church Knight Order has helped us fend off numerous crises." At this point, Oerstein turned to look at Freya and nodded to her, saying, "We owe a special thanks to Leader Freya for her support. The Corona Knight Order has given us tremendous assistance in dealing with crises. The contribution of the Church Knight Order cannot be overlooked."

Freya slightly nodded and said coldly, "It’s expected. When faced with the threat of evil, all of humanity should stand up."

Oerstein then continued, "But once a major war breaks out, and if the Church Knight Order suffers heavy losses, we will no longer be able to support such a large territory; it would be full of loopholes then."

"Currently, our territory’s finances have a substantial surplus, so expanding the military is only logical. Even just preparing for the Empire’s year-end assessment, we should scale up the army to at least 1,000 Elite Knights."

"Moreover, it’s the seasonal transition from autumn to winter, and we can ease back a little on farming, making it ideal for a winter training session. We can recruit a batch of new soldiers to supplement the High-level Directly Affiliated Attendants, each Knight Order, the Provincial Legion, and the Free People’s Corps."

"Given this, let’s proceed with everyone’s proposal." Su Li decided to follow the general suggestion.

Anyway, with the territory’s fiscal surplus, deploying tens of thousands of Golden Crowns to expand and reorganize the army is entirely feasible.

With Su Li’s orders, and crucially with the support of all governing classes within the territory, the autumn troop assembly and winter training proceeded very smoothly.

The organization of each force was thoroughly restructured, with some previously chaotic and temporarily assembled units being reorganized; some were disbanded, while others were expanded.

The first to be expanded was the Sun of Vengeance Half-Lion Griffin Knight Order. Last year, the fall-winter season marked a peak expansion period for this knight order; while autumn was manageable, in winter the Half-Lion Griffin Knights faced hunting difficulties, and indeed saw a special surge in sales.

Meanwhile, human Knights were resting and nourishing themselves, plump and robust; critically, before entering the Griffin Forest, they would supplement with Steel Wheat Seed, Extraordinary Ears, and other grain seeds continuously for days, reaching a pinnacle in strength. The strength between the two sides would see a significant reversal.

Now, Knights are already capturing a Griffin on their own when they enter the Griffin Forest, without needing to consult Su Li.

Much like the adage inscribed on the "Silvered Beastmaster’s Whistle," "May followers gain a Griffin’s loyalty through courage, not chains."

With the territory’s strength and Su Li’s intelligence support, the Hesse Territory once organized two Half-Lion Griffin Knight Warbands.

The Half-Lion Griffin Knights belong to the Monster Cavalry, with one warband comprising 24 Knights.

This means the Sun of Vengeance Half-Lion Griffin Knight Order currently has 48 adult Half-Lions ready for battle, along with over 50 Preparatory Knights who each possess no less than Elite Level strength, riding majestic warhorses. However, these Preparatory Knights aren’t all without Half-Lion Griffins; among them, over 30 are riding Half-Lion Griffins that are just not yet mature.

If all these Griffins mature, Su Li would have nearly 100 Half-Lion Griffin Knights. Compared to his forecast of 500 Half-Lion Griffin Knights, there’s a considerable difference. Yet, at a baronial level, he is already a unique presence!

Should an Empire assessor witness 100 Half-Lion Griffin Knights arrayed outside the castle, they would probably be jaw-droppingly shocked.

The leader of the Sun of Vengeance Half-Lion Griffin Knight Order is Hilude, a Divine Chosen Knight whom Su Li absolutely trusts, with Divine Magic of Master of Battle Techniques, capable of imparting Violet’s martial arts to the members.

This elevates the combat effectiveness of this knight order to an extreme, effectively representing the highest martial strength of the entire Church, or even the entire Empire!

Without a doubt, the Half-Lion Griffin Knights represent the pinnacle of the Empire’s military strength.

Even within the Emperor’s Forbidden Army and the top-tier Flame Sun Knight Order, the most elite units are none other than the champion-level Half-Lion Griffin Knights.

Occasionally, one or two peerless male characters among them may become Divine Chosen Knights.

Even within the Hesse Territory’s Half-Lion Griffin Knight Order, there are many outstanding figures. Take, for instance, Luthor Huss.

He is a priest of the Redema Church, famous for his justice, erudition, and fervent campaign against Chaos. He is highly popular among the Empire’s commoners but is often shunned by most of his peers because he has not hesitated to smash the faces of those he considers to have heretical tendencies with a hammer.

Despite enjoying a prestigious reputation in the Empire, Huss’s background is somewhat obscure. Even the name Luthor Huss isn’t his real one. People only know that many years ago, on a cold rainy night, a twelve-year-old boy stood on the Empire’s frontier cliffs overlooking the Claw Sea, in front of the Redema Divine Hall there. When the old priest Edso Zeiss asked for his name he didn’t say, nor did he explain his purpose; the boy simply replied that he wished to study. Zeiss found a sharp determination in the boy’s eyes, unlike the innocence of ordinary children. Reluctantly, the old priest took him in.

Unexpectedly, the boy was incredibly diligent, helpful to Zeiss, and particularly studious. Within just a month at the Divine Hall, he was already reading higher-grade theology textbooks. Two months later, he could engage in simple catechetical conversations. A year later, he had fully read through "The Redema Saga" and had begun studying the renowned Church work "Reflections on the Nature of Faith." Due to his diligence, peers became jealous and even bullied him, but the boy always endured without retaliation. Eventually, Zeiss found referring to the boy as "boy" or "acolyte" cumbersome, especially confusing among others, so he had the boy choose a new name. The boy skimmed through a Redema Sect registry and finally selected two names: Adalec Luthor and Poris Huss, and the priest thus named him Luthor Huss.