Chapter 289: Distribution of Benefits

“Actually, it’s just to let you teach those people what a knight should possess, such as swordsmanship, mounted archery, and military matters. Of course, that’s only the foundation. On top of that, they also need to be guided to learn the perseverance of the various knightly orders. Then, after graduation, they can find their own path, becoming knights through that perseverance, rather than merely seeking noble investiture.” Leo spoke very directly.

“The orphans taken in by the Church should be the main apprentices of the Academy. But those children are still too young, so for now, the warriors in Glory Fortress will be your first batch of apprentices, serving as your teaching experiment.” Vito said.

Leo continued, “Perhaps because they are already adults and did not experience the Church’s former weakness, their hearts are not pure enough. They cannot become Temple Warriors, so it is better to let them become knights instead.”

Vito followed, “But they are all Third-Tier Upper Warriors, so likely by next year they will choose to graduate and join the Crusade. Of course, starting next year, the orphanages established by the Church will send children of suitable age, and those will become the main source of apprentices for the Academy.”

Leo said, “Knight training requires a long time. After this first batch, the children entering the Knight Academy will generally begin at the age of ten, continuing their studies until sixteen, when they reach adulthood and graduate.”

Vito said, “The reason for all this trouble is because the knights now do not meet the Church’s standards. So, we must cultivate them ourselves. You know, although the Oath Knights, vaguely referred to as the First Knight Order, already have more than seventy members, only five have been truly recognized as Oath Knights.”

Leo said, “That is precisely why the Church can only place its hopes on future knights who meet the standard, and thus the Glory Knight Academy was founded.”

Vito said, “That’s the meaning behind Agamemnon’s words.”

Leo said, “Of course, you also know that priests always like to speak half and leave the other half for people to guess.”

The words that Agamemnon spoke about heritage and such matters were directly turned by Leo and Vito into an order for Borien and the others to take on apprentices.

Borien and the other two merely listened, not daring to interrupt.

Although the Glory Knights were directly subordinate to the Church, they ultimately were not part of the Church itself.

Borien asked, “If that’s the case, then should the perseverance of the Church’s Guardian Knights also be brought into the Glory Knight Academy?”

The two exchanged a glance, sighed, and Leo said, “Forget it. We’ve both ended up as caretakers of children now.”

Borien had heard that Glory Fortress had adopted many infants born over the past two years—more than four hundred, according to casual rumors.

But Borien did not take their words seriously, understanding that it was merely their way of refusal.

Just as the two had said earlier, the Church was dissatisfied with the knights of today, so it had directly established the Glory Knight Academy to slowly reshape knightly spirit through the next generation.

For the knights truly belonging to the Church itself, perhaps the requirements were even higher—thus, those children were being raised from infancy.

Hearing their refusal, Borien did not press further. After a few words of agreement, he excused himself.

Leo and Vito would help them establish the Academy, but the collection of the various knightly orders’ perseverance was something Borien and the others still had to do themselves. Though they did not know how to gather it, contacting the leaders of those knightly orders would surely be a start.

After Borien left, Leo said, “He realized that we want to train knights from childhood?”

Vito said, “Who doesn’t know? Adopting children of clean background and raising them entirely under the Church—that itself is a means to cultivate direct bloodlines. The nobles knew this long ago. Weren’t we raised in this way?”

Leo sighed and said, “There’s no helping it. The Pope’s standards for Guardian Knights and Punishing Knights are too high. If not for luck, how could we have become Guardian Knights?”

Vito said, “Are you complaining about the Pope?”

Leo said, “No. I’m just a little envious of the so-called Three Great Knight Orders.”

Vito said, “Then you’d best focus on raising the children. Perhaps before we die, we can bring forth a Guardian Knight Order.”

…

From the beginning of the Crusade until now, six months had passed. During this time, all sorts of knightly orders were continuously established, then quietly extinguished in battles against the Fishmen. Only the Three Great Knight Orders remained active at the forefront.

In the military hall of Astrid Fortress Town, a group of people were discussing the next phase of the Crusade.

“Now, the nobles of the south have already built fortresses and carried out initial counterattacks against the Fishmen. The Senate has already dispatched noble titles and land grants to some of them.” Julian said.

As time passed, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the names of the three former principalities.

Julian added, “But by advancing this far, they will soon face the Fishmen’s counterattack. The Marshlands are the largest settlement of Fishmen.”

The Marshlands, in the southeast corner of Greenwood, were larger than a marquisate. Humans could barely survive there. That was why, in the past, the Corlay Family had placed their capital in the north. To the south, this Marshland, together with the Demis River, formed a natural barrier between the Principality of Corlay and the Altlinsmann Empire.

Puniel chuckled and said, “Those fellows are ambitious. They want to slaughter over a million Fishmen in one stroke, to seize the greatest merit in this Crusade.”

Julian shook his head, “Even with catapults and powerful crossbows bought from York Territory, it is not enough to exterminate them. Dealing with even one hundred thousand Fishmen led by multiple Deep Divers is already extremely difficult.”

“Hahahaha! That’s only because their knightly orders are too weak!” Richard laughed heartily.

The celebrated three Knight Commanders were all present.

Of course, it was not merely because of their positions, but because they were two earls and one knight order directly under the Diocese of Rod.

Indeed, their three knightly orders together numbered more than one hundred and fifty knights. Without squires, clad in full plate, their charge could smash through an army of one hundred thousand Fishmen.

Even Deep Divers would be crushed before them—unless the Deep Divers gathered in a group to block them.

Ignoring Richard’s words, Marl said, “Knight George has already hunted down all of the Explorers. Next, we should continue advancing.”

As he spoke, he pulled out the markers for several Explorers pinned on the map.

Inside the military hall, apart from the three bishops of the Church, the others were stunned.

“That Knight George… he actually hunted down all of the Explorers?!” Richard’s voice carried disbelief.

He and Crulud had expended tremendous effort to kill even one Explorer. Crulud had only just recovered recently. Yet Marl now claimed that George alone had slain the remaining five Explorers.

Marl glanced at Richard and said, “Otherwise, how could you slaughter the Fishmen so recklessly? The Explorers are the rulers of the Fishmen—their intelligence resides with them.”

Richard was somewhat disappointed, “I was preparing to fight another Explorer. I feel I’ve grown stronger.”

No, it is the Fishmen who have grown weaker, Marl replied silently in his heart.

But he did not say it aloud. Only with such morale among the knights could the old be purged, while the survivors aspired to the new knightly orders.

Marl said, “Next, you must fight alongside Crulud. As for your knightly order, you must quickly appoint a vice-commander.”

“Can I not continue to lead my knightly order myself?” The Commander of the Oath Knights requested.

Marl refused, “This time, we plan to break directly through the middle, to reach the sea. How long would it take relying only on knightly charges? Your task is to hunt the Deep Divers.”

Richard was disappointed, while Gregor was envious—he too wanted a mount like the Dragon-Eagle.

Mighty, and soaring high above the skies.

Puniel said, “Breaking through the middle is not a problem, but after breaking through, we won’t have enough commoners to populate the land.”

The total population was under six hundred thousand. In the past, even the smallest of the three principalities, the Principality of Patlin, had a resident population of more than eight hundred thousand. Even if they broke through, they lacked enough people to settle there.

This was no longer the past. According to the scholars of the Monastery, under healthy reproduction, it would take at least two generations to fill this land. Two generations—at sixteen years each—meant thirty-two years.

Marl said, “Then let the lords worry about that.”

Puniel froze, his eyes brightening.

Marl continued, “After breaking through the middle, there will be noble titles and fiefs granted. Seventy percent of Greenwood will be distributed, excepting the Land of Anathema and lands corrupted by Original Sin.”

Before this, the highest noble rank had only been baron, mostly as incentives. No higher titles had been granted. Thus, even now, the highest nobles of Greenwood were only two earls.

Marl looked at Puniel, warningly, and said, “This news can be spread, but remember—it is only after this round of offensives is completed. Without first eliminating the main forces of the Fishmen, even if lands are granted, they cannot be held.”

In this military hall, only Puniel would undertake such matters. Of course, it was tacitly allowed. After all, only Puniel still kept contact with the nobles.

Letting him spread the word also served to motivate the nobles to act.

The purpose of this Crusade itself was to use profit to redraw the map of power upon this land, cleansing and reshaping the nobles and knights of the former three principalities, thereby accelerating the people’s recognition of the Kingdom of Greenwood under the Lundex Family.

In a sense, after the first clash, the Fishmen had already declared themselves the bread to be divided as spoils in this Crusade.

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