Chapter 1369 - 584: Old Guard Construction_2

Chapter 1369: Chapter 584: Old Guard Construction_2

"Mm~" Alfred suddenly understood something.

"As someone who truly wants to change the status quo, Luther Huse, that Combat Priest, had a good starting point. But he never thought about where he stood. Young men are always like this: they believe they hold the truth, so they go challenge authority. Remember this, Afu—whether in the court or in the Church, you must never reveal your ideals and grand designs too early, unless you’ve already reached a high enough position." Laine spoke with deep earnestness. "Most of the time, truth won’t help you. Authority, on the other hand, will come down on you."

"Failing to put himself in the right place is Luther Huse’s biggest problem. Do you think Archbishop Vicma doesn’t know about some of the issues inside the Church? I’d say he knows better than anyone." Laine concluded, "For now, just do your own work well. The Freya Ancient Church District is currently a blank sheet of paper; you can build it according to your own ideal plans. You need to learn how to use the people His Majesty Vicma sent you; they also obey your orders, and that’s enough. Those Paladins, Combat Priests, and Temple Knights who’ve been dispatched here inevitably carry a bit of bureaucratic airs, but that’s unavoidable."

"Mm, true. They work hard, and they’re brave when fighting against Undead harassment." Alfred nodded, then sighed. "Indeed, I shouldn’t deny all their contributions just because there are some things about them I don’t like."

Many people in the Old World pass rumors around and mistakenly believe that in Brittania there is only the Lake Fairy faith. In reality, that’s wrong. It is true that most Knights basically do believe in the Lake Fairy, but other Sects likewise spread within the Knight Kingdom. The Knights are not, as some imagine, hostile to other Sects. If they were, the Merciful Goddess Shalya Sect and the Sea God Manannan Sect would not have established their Main Divine Halls in Kulona and Boldro in Brittania. In fact, aside from the Holy Grail Knights, when other Knights die or fall in battle, their remains or ashes are also interred in the cemetery gardens of the Death God Moore Sect.

However, Alfred obtaining a piece of land really counts as an epoch-making step forward. Before this, the reach of the Justice Church extended at farthest only to Montfort, where the largest Justice Church in all of Brittania had been built inside Montefel Castle. The reason the Justice Church’s missionary work ran into such difficulty lay more in the conflict over faith between the Justice Church and the Lake Fairy Church. It’s the same logic as when the Yurik Sect did everything it could to block the War Goddess Milmedia Sect from opening a military academy in White Wolf City, because their missionary target was the same group of war-merit Nobles—especially Generals and Knights.

"That’s about it, Afu. Let’s stop here for today." Laine came up out of the water; the two of them really had soaked long enough.

"Mm, thank you, my friend. What you’ve said has answered so many doubts I’ve had for a long time." Alfred’s condition had improved considerably.

The two men stepped out of the water and dried themselves off with bath towels.

"It’s fine." Laine nodded, then suddenly said, "Oh right, tomorrow Surya and I are going over to the Old Guard Camp to take a look. Do you want to come along?"

"Of course."

"Good."

... I am Vive l’empereur! — dividing line ...

The founding of the Old Guard has recently become the single most talked‑about matter among Peasants in the entire Knight Kingdom—or at least in all the southern Knight Kingdom.

Ever since this news was released, in the southern part of Brittania practically every Peasant has been hotly discussing this Old Guard.

Because from this new army, they have for the first time truly seen the chance to rise from Peasant to Knight!

Although three years ago Laine already used the hand of the Lake Fairy Church to promulgate the "Knight Promotion Order", in reality the Peasants still felt that advancing into the Knight Class was impossible and hopeless.

The reason is very simple: even with three slots a year, to be promoted into the Knight Class still required a double review by the Knight King and the Lake God Witch. And as long as the crown of Knight King remained on Richard’s head, those three slots were usually handed out to various Noble bastards. Three years isn’t long; in total that’s only nine places. But the Great Nobles’ illegitimate sons can be counted by the wagonload. For a Peasant to get a turn? Even after another hundred years, they might still never have a chance.

Yet Laine never actually planned to rely on this to select promising Peasants and promote them to Knight. His true aim was to shatter the fixed mindset of all Nobles and Peasants in the Kingdom. Through the "Knight Promotion Order", the previously insurmountable chasm between Noble and Peasant had already been cracked open. And once people were mentally prepared, Laine then introduced the concept of the "Old Guard"; the opposition he faced was thus greatly reduced.

It’s like being in a stifling, airless room. Someone proposes opening a window for ventilation and everyone objects. But if that person suddenly declares he’s going to tear off the entire roof so they can breathe fresh air, everyone will be frightened and hurriedly stop him. At that point, when he goes back to suggesting just opening a window, that proposal becomes far more likely to be accepted.

Therefore, once this news spread, the Peasants all across Brittania boiled over.

The Old Guard!

Higher pay! Better food! More generous benefits, and their own independent elite camp!

The Peasants who become Old Guard will enjoy the status of "Honored Free People"! They will receive complete guarantees of personal safety and a fully sacred protection of their private property! Politically, they will hold a status almost identical to that of Knights, and the Battalion Commanders can even enjoy Knight‑level treatment and bear Knight titles! The Lake Fairy has already given her assent: as long as the Old Guard perform outstandingly, they can be directly enfeoffed as Knights and granted Knight titles!ℴℴ𝘮