Chapter 26: The Holy Knight’s Path of Trials

Corleon, who had experienced the era of the knowledge explosion in his past life, understood that while war was decided by force, it was not solely about force.

Perhaps the war had already begun the moment Sir Pegiraov brought the young knight into York Town.

No, perhaps even earlier…

Corleon understood why Pegiraov was so confident in attaining the final victory.

Schemes and entrapments, manufacturing declarations, dispatching vanguards to probe, and finally, mobilizing the army to conquer.

Compared to Sir Helvin’s clumsy and primitive methods of warfare, Sir Pegiraov’s strategic thinking was far more advanced.

However, that did not guarantee his success.

After all, the Elbert Family was a noble lineage passed down for seven generations, and over two hundred years of accumulation would not crumble so easily.

Moreover, as a priest, Corleon had heard from the old priest that the Elbert Family had its own sanctuary within, where mysterious objects were worshipped.

Not the peculiar large stone like the one the old priest had, but true objects imbued with mysterious powers.

…

They lit a bonfire, and Corleon and George sat on stumps in the church courtyard, using wooden spoons to scoop mutton from the pot.

The church had meat for dinner.

Neither man was good at cooking, and the gamy smell of the boiled mutton made Corleon nauseous.

He felt it was not as tasty as the rats he had caught at the church in the past.

But George was very happy eating it.

In his entire life, he could count on one hand the times he had eaten meat, and each time was accompanied by a beating.

Corleon only ate two pieces, and George ate the rest, even finishing all the soup.

George’s physical condition was not strong, and he had not fully utilized the effects of the Commandments.

And since their usual meals were just gruel, George had no way to train his body.

But now, with a sufficient supply of meat, George’s training could begin.

“Monk George,” Corleon spoke.

“Yes, Priest Corleon,” George responded, wiping the meat grease from the corner of his mouth.

“The Lord loves mankind, and the Lord especially watches over you. The Lord has bestowed upon you a strong body, blessed your shield and spear, and allowed you to purify evil.”

“Your faith is steadfast, your words and deeds uphold the Commandments, and your discipline has been recognized by the Lord.”

“Now, the Lord believes that you can become a holy knight who helps the weak and purifies evil. Therefore, the Lord shall bestow upon you the trial to guide you toward becoming a holy knight.”

“Are you willing to accept this trial and become the Lord’s holy knight?”

“This trial will bring you pain, not only physical pain, but your soul shall also be scorched.”

“The road of trial is filled with temptations—the desires of the flesh and pleasure, and the fall of spiritual faith.”

“This path contains the evils of the world, those who hide their sins, and those who revel in them.”

“The road of trials will be extremely arduous, with no clear end. Perhaps it will take your entire life to walk this path.”

“When the time is right, you will journey afar, and no one will answer your doubts. Will you be able to uphold your faith during this trial, and pass on the Lord’s teachings to the lost?”

“So, Monk George, are you willing to walk this path of trials?”

Corleon finished speaking and looked at George.

“I am willing,” George answered without hesitation. “No matter how difficult the path of trials, my faith in the Lord will remain steadfast, like a gemstone.”

“The Lord is pleased. But before you officially set foot on the path of trials, you must train your body well, and I will invite someone to teach you the art of combat.”

“Yes, Priest Corleon!”

…

Borien did not refuse Corleon’s request for him to teach George combat skills.

But he could only provide brief lessons in the early morning, as he was currently very busy.

And Corleon, at the church, could clearly feel the change in atmosphere lately.

The most obvious was the increase in people coming to worship at the church.

Most of them were from Daniels Village, people who had previously been sheltered by the church and had developed some faith in the Lord.

They would pray beneath the Lord’s Throne and help clean and tidy the church, collecting wild vegetables and fruits for it.

And Corleon would give them a portion of the Sacrament.

That was a piece of flatbread coated in icing sugar, small enough to eat in one bite.

With the Daniels Family caravan’s help, the church no longer lacked icing sugar.

Besides those past refugees, what left the deepest impression on Corleon were the people from two noble families.

The families of the two knights who had been taken back from the church.

They donated a large sum of money to thank Corleon for preserving their knights’ corpses.

As for those who had only given a dozen gold coins earlier, it was naturally because the lower members of their families were too greedy and had taken most of it.

At the time, they were too grief-stricken to notice their greed.

Now, they had made those greedy ones pay the price.

They hoped Corleon would accept their apology.

They said they were devout believers in the Lord and would kneel at the Lord’s Throne in prayer.

Compared to the refugees, their prayers looked more proper, and even their written prayers were beautifully composed.

Yet Corleon did not see new threads appear on the Light Orb.

And that was only natural.

Corleon reminded himself of that.

To these people, what they craved was greater benefit.

They had no faith, and naturally, they were greedy.

George was overjoyed that so many people were willing to listen to the Lord’s teachings and pray to Him.

He believed it was the result of Priest Corleon’s efforts in spreading the Lord’s teachings.

So he was very happy.

But Corleon simply told him to learn how to distinguish true believers.

So late at night, Corleon took out the parchment he had asked the Daniels Family to procure.

York Town did sell it, but his dealings with Alton had taught Corleon that without connections, buying such high-end items in town would mean paying several times the price.

So he preferred to wait and rely on the Daniels’ help.

Of course, Corleon now simply didn’t dare enter the town.

From the changes in the church, he could sense that the tensions in York Town were accumulating and growing more intense.

Spreading the parchment open, Corleon prepared to write the Holy Scriptures of the Lord.

After a moment of hesitation, he picked up the quill and penned the prologue.

‘The Lord is One, and also All. The Lord is past, present, and future. The Lord created the heavens and the earth. All glory, power, wisdom, gratitude, honor, and praise belong to the Lord.’

‘And the Lord teaches man to pursue goodness. But more than that, the Lord wishes to see the colorful diversity of the world, just as every person is unique, different, and carries their own emotional experiences.’

‘Therefore, I dare not interpret the Lord’s teachings arbitrarily. Thus, I record my conversations with the Lord here, so that all who listen to His teachings may find their own goodness and receive the guidance they seek.’

‘—Recorded by Corleon at the Flower Church.’

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