The Holy Church Begins with Bestowal of Blessings

Chapter 238: Burial

Ever since the Monastery issued a Proclamation to the south, many surviving scholars from the south had come to the Monastery. Here, knowledge that had been deliberately ignored by the lords and simultaneously sealed off by the scholars of the Association was quickly unearthed, then continuously put into practice and utilized.

The great ship docked by the port, named York, was the product of applying this knowledge.

Its carrying capacity matched that of five George-class Cargo Ships, with manpower-driven oars in the lowest deck serving as the main power source, and sails on the deck serving as auxiliary power.

The shipbuilding scholar expressed regret, saying that if the sea were nearby, the sails could have been the main power source, greatly increasing sailing speed.

After all, Lake Salvador was an inland lake, rarely stirred by strong winds.

‘This York Ship ought to sail upon the vast and magnificent ocean.’ That scholar said so.

But conditions were limited for now, so only one York Ship had been built, and it was mainly meant as a vessel for the Senators.

Agamemnon and Melia stood at the port, looking up at something on the ship wrapped in thick burlap. The bundle was enormous, requiring eight strong men to lift.

“What is that?” Melia asked with some doubt.

“That is the remains of Knight Wolf,” Agamemnon replied. “He fought until the very last moment. His entire body was eroded by Mystery, and this will polluted everything around it. Because of this, the nobles who besieged Knight Wolf did not destroy his remains, but instead sold them to us through trade.”

Bevan walked over and said, “Not just the remains. Even Knight Wolf’s Holy Relic has been returned.”

Behind him, a squire carried a box inlaid with golden threads.

Melia asked, “Do we know who did it?”

Bevan glanced at Melia, then said to Agamemnon, “We do not know who exactly, but it can be confirmed that eighty percent of the nobles deep within the Principality of Patlin took part.”

“Because too many nobles were involved, if we were to pursue accountability, it would incur collective resistance from them. For now, the merchants we control are only barely accepted. If we were to break relations now, this balance would collapse, and our merchants’ reach would be cut off.”

“That is why the Senate has decided to pin the crime of attacking Knight Wolf upon Viscount Youn,” Bevan concluded. “After all, they already had conflicts.”

Bevan did not underestimate Agamemnon because of his age. In the education of these nobles, when a child could walk, he must learn to hold a sword. When he could swing it, slaves would be captured and placed before him to be slain. Once he no longer held reverence for human life, family affairs would be arranged for him to handle.

Killing, diplomacy, governance—age was never a reason to deny power. In fact, the younger one was when he mastered it, the more awe he commanded.

Such a person must either have absolute, overwhelming power behind him to turn the tide at any moment, or else his own ability must be strong enough.

Bevan had not interacted much with Agamemnon and did not know if he was the latter, but at the very least, the power behind him was undeniably strong.

So Bevan treated Agamemnon as an equal.

Thus, when Agamemnon heard his words and asked, “You mean to move against Viscount Youn?”

Bevan answered simply, “Among the southern nobles, only he still resists accepting our merchants. After Earl Gregor, together with Earl Richard riding a Dragon-Eagle, negotiated with him, he too stopped resisting our merchants. He even established a Church within his territory.”

Melia looked at Bevan, then at Agamemnon. Her lips parted, but she remained silent.

Agamemnon pondered, then finally asked, “Any news about Priest Landon in Viscount Youn’s territory?”

Bevan replied, “The same as before—he continues to be humiliated by Youn. The latest report said a piece of flesh had been cut from his thigh.”

Agamemnon asked, “And the reason?”

Bevan answered, “Perhaps because one baron, whose land had been annexed by him, rose in rebellion and, after reclaiming his territory, sought our protection. This must have enraged him.”

Through gold coins and the intimidation of Solov Fortress Town, Bevan had divided and drawn over the noble whose land, neighboring Baron Morn’s territory, had been annexed by Viscount Youn.

York Territory supported their independence and provided assistance. In return, their lands had to allow York to trade with them, accept York’s unified merchant taxes, adopt York’s monetary system, and Proclaim loyalty to York’s lord.

Though this condition nearly seized their lifeline, these lords barely managed to accept it.

They had no choice. After Solov Fortress Town was completed, one test shot from its Giant Catapult wiped out a camp of Viscount Youn’s knights stationed nearby.

Once Earl Richard had gained recognition from everyone within his lands, he gave one corner of the Triangular Fortress directly to York. The fortress belonging to Viscount Youn was taken by Knight Julian and his men.

The expelled knights were ordered by Viscount Youn to watch Julian’s army and intimidate nearby nobles and gentry.

Yet their camp was destroyed by the newly installed Giant Catapult, and only half the injured warriors returned with the knight to Viscount Youn’s land.

It was such intimidation that forced those nobles to accept the conditions.

But compared to this, when it came to the Church’s conditions, the nobles refused no matter what.

They were told not to build churches privately, to accept the entry of the Church’s priests, to follow the guidance of the Sacred Scriptures, to listen to the Lord’s Teachings, and to implement the Monastery’s decreed laws within their lands.

Not building churches was acceptable, since nobles of their rank had no way to create Holy Relics anyway. But accepting the Sacred Scriptures, listening to the Lord’s Teachings, and following Monastery laws—those were things they could not accept.

They had read the Sacred Scriptures. If followed, their noble “freedom” would be curtailed. And the laws of a territory were the lord’s privilege.

If they lost such authority, could they still be called nobles?

Of course, after the Honorary Knights Order helped maintain order in their lands, and after Viscount Youn retaliated by killing one baron, they compromised.

So, once the first nobles accepted York’s “help,” the rest followed their example. Now, Viscount Youn’s lands had already been devoured until only the western strip by the Northwind Mountains remained.

Agamemnon asked, “Has this Proclamation already been issued?”

Bevan shook his head and said, “Not yet. It is only the plan. I returned also to discuss with the other Senators how to mobilize troops, and whether the Wall should be dismantled.”

Once the Proclamation was issued, military action would be the next step. Thus, advancing the army at the same time as issuing the Proclamation was better than waiting to gather troops afterward. The initiative was in their hands.

Moreover, advancing by land was more convenient than transporting warriors to Light Port and then striking west.

Half of the neighboring southern nobles and gentry had already sided with them, giving conditions for dismantling half the Wall.

After all, when Viscount Youn polluted the lands, it was only the area adjoining York. Not in the south.

Agamemnon pondered briefly, then said, “The matter of Viscount Youn will be handled by the Church.”

Bevan froze at his words. Though York’s warriors and other forces were nominally under the Senate, everyone knew the Senate itself was supported by the Church. In truth, ultimate power in York still lay in the Church’s hands.

The minds of the common people who formed the grassroots productivity, the issuance of York Gold Coins, the development of Monastery technologies, and each time the New Year bell rang with more noble and official children born—all reminded them that the Church was constantly spreading its influence.

The Church controlled all the vital things. The Senate only held certain management rights when the Church did not intervene.

But Bevan, who had contact with the Church’s core, also knew the Church drew clear lines between what belonged to the Church and what belonged to York. It even felt like the Church deliberately kept some separation.

At present, the Church only recognized its own combat forces as those of Glory Fortress, the Honorary Knights Order, and a few Temple Warriors at the Adrian Diocese Great Church under Bishop Marl.

All together, there were fewer than ten knights and under a hundred warriors.

Even if Viscount Youn was in decline, he could still muster two thousand men in his lands.

Bevan hesitated a moment, then asked, “Is this the Bishop’s will?”

The Bishop he referred to was, of course, Corleon at the Clock Tower.

Agamemnon nodded, then shook his head after a moment, saying, “No, it is my will.”

Bevan looked deeply at Agamemnon and said, “I understand. I will raise your intention in the Senate. But whether it can be done, we must still consider.”

“After all, as you know, Viscount Youn, no matter how fallen, is still a viscount.”

Bevan had switched to honorifics, though he did not dare agree outright.

Though he knew the Church was mysterious, they could not afford failure—not only because the Church was the current power distributor, but also because the Church was increasingly becoming the spiritual home of the lower and middle classes under York’s influence.

‘When people die, the innocent may ascend into the Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom, free from hunger, free from disease, free from war…’ Such promises of a destination after death, combined with the Church’s efforts to create a “Heavenly Kingdom on Earth” free from hunger, disease, and war—

In York, no one starved. Even the elderly unable to work were given a bowl of Sacrament by the Church. Abandoned orphans were taken in and raised to adulthood.

In York, anyone who fell ill was treated by priests. If priests could not cure them, apprentices of the Monastery were sought, curing most diseases. Those who still died of sickness were buried by priests, who declared them brave for struggling against illness, and prayed angels would guide them to Heaven.

As for war, with new warriors born of York’s liberated productivity, and the various weapons forged by the Monastery, flames of war would only burn outside the Lord’s shelter.

Moreover, priests served as interpreters of laws, helping them defend their rights.

So compared to life two years ago, these commoners, who gradually felt they now lived like real people, how could they not see the Church as their spiritual refuge?

Yet such a refuge, if defeated—even if York itself could seal the news—would give nobles and gentry in other regions the chance to waver.

Agamemnon, as the Church’s de facto administrator, naturally understood this. So he nodded and said, “Of course. Tomorrow, I will go to the Senate to discuss this matter with the Senators.”

Bevan froze, his heart pounding. This was the first time the Church’s holder of power would speak directly in the Senate.