Chapter 77

The Medieval-Modern Man With A Gamer Mindset 77

77. The Bishop’s Proposal

On a summer day when the humid air rustled through the bushes.

The urgent plea for help from the Principality of Penrad became an opportunity to test the effectiveness of the Peace Alliance.

The unholy fog that covered the coast, and the pagan raiders from across the sea who emerged from the fog.

In the face of this horrific scale, estimated to number 10,000, past grudges no longer mattered. The secular lords, who had repeatedly divided and dispersed in pursuit of their own interests, as well as the Church, were all united.

Even the Principality of Powys, which was considered the weakest in power and unlikely to help easily, joined.

Even appointing the powerful knight Terbaire, whose fame extended beyond the principality, as the commander-in-chief. Moreover, it was not only Terbaire who distinguished himself in this expedition.

“With righteous anger, I call upon the starlight, and with a heart for my compatriots, I become a blade. Drive out those who follow the sunset as the sunrise, those who rejoice for the setting sun. Knights, cut off the remnants of the old world.”

This is because Narva, the Bishop of Powys, who had been busy taking all sorts of drastic measures until now, had appeared in public for the first time.

And his appearance, with his black eyes as smooth and sharp as obsidian and his black shoulder cape bestowed by the Pope, was reminiscent of a beast. People commented on Narva, the Bishop of Powys, who appeared in public, as follows.

‘He doesn’t have a kind and gentle face.’

‘A raven. It’s an unexpectedly clever beast, but I wouldn’t want to keep it around.’

He was probably among the worst first impressions among the brothers of the Principality of Powys.

Unlike the reliable eldest son Edelred or the honest and straightforward Terbaire, he had a gaze that made people uneasy just by being around him. But it was undeniable that there was a strange tension in his gaze.

This unique and peculiar atmosphere was not entirely bad.

For the hardened conservatives who believed that the nobility should be different from others, Narva was a case of differentiation, although in a bad way.

Of course, not everyone denied and disliked Narva.

“Yes, Your Grace. As a torch that will bring about the dawn of mankind, I will surely drive out their dusk!”

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“Oh, starlight of mankind, protect them. May your will be with those who go forth to fulfill the will of man.”

The mentioned impression and atmosphere may have been a failure as a clergyman, but they were suitable for rebuking the enemy with a strong sense of intimidation.

Perhaps because of this, the knights, led by Terbaire, did not seem to dislike Narva. Rather, they often praised Narva for maintaining a calm and sharp attitude rather than boasting of his flamboyant rhetoric.

This mood reached its peak when Narva himself swung the censer and blessed the knights who were going out on the expedition.

After the pungent incense and the sound of footsteps passed, the knights cautiously raised their heads, immersed in religious ecstasy.

‘Stigmatist. The one recognized by the starlight of mankind blesses our path.’

‘I don’t know about his footsteps, but his eyes were full of energy. As expected, he is worthy of the praise that Sir Terbaire has given him.’

Narva had only appeared at this moment.

The still very young bishop disappeared without a trace as soon as the expedition ceremony was over. Some were wary of his meaningful actions, while others were fascinated by his status as a stigmatist and began to speculate that he was indeed mysterious.

However, in the face of an unprecedented event, an expedition against the pagans, even Narva’s actions seemed trivial.

Terbaire immediately mounted his horse and turned his helmet upside down.

“The bishop has blessed us. Let’s go, brave warriors! Let’s save our brothers in faith from the old world!”

“Thank you, Sir Terbaire. And everyone…! I will surely, surely repay this favor!”

Terbaire’s words were the signal.

The soldiers began their march with the sound of Sir Gavin’s cries of emotion.

The Principality of Powys had finally mobilized its strongest available force.

***

Of course, it went without saying that Bishop Narba of Powys had not absented himself simply to lie low.

As the dispatch ceremony was in full swing, there was business he had to conclude. While everyone’s attention and interest were focused on the dispatch ceremony, Narba was sitting in the reception room, looking at the man sitting opposite him.

With long eyelashes and a thick beard that covered his lips, the man was Pheasan Orbarasta.

He narrowed his eyes at Narba, who had summoned him, and looked at him suspiciously. Why had he been asked to meet Narba alone? Count Pheasan, who had been inferring the cause and effect in his own way, soon came to a plausible conclusion .

“Do you intend to sentence me as a heretic? In exchange for a price?”

“Hmm?”

“There is no reason for you to call me out here and ask for my opinion otherwise. There will be differences in our respective positions…”

Perhaps those who would resort to sinister tricks would appear in the absence of Terbear, the strongest knight in the Principality.

To prevent that, they would use oppressive politics of fear, such as threatening to accuse anyone of heresy, thereby suppressing internal strife. This had been the case since long ago, and it was a moment when various political deals were being made.

The Church mediated between secular powers while opposing them.

He wondered if they would do the same this time, and he was trembling with fear.

“hahahahaha! Count Pheasan, you were so brave in the audience chamber, so why are you so afraid now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I do not. The stability that is sought by falsely accusing innocent people is nothing more than a stopgap measure. If you repeat it without a proper solution, it will only end up as rags that will be torn apart by the wind.”

“?”

Surely, if the Church had tried to sentence heretics or apostates without cause, it would have provoked opposition from all.

However, it was not the case that they never falsely accused anyone. The Church sometimes colluded with local forces for economic or political gain and tried to interrogate heretics.

They mainly targeted widows and widowers who did not make a confession of faith, or wealthy people who had no heirs.

It was also a decision that ignored moral and ethical values in order to prevent the property from flowing into a secret society of another world. Count Pheasan, who knew this background information, found Narba’s declaration quite different.

“Then why did you call me?”

“Count Pheasan. I know that your loyalty to your lord is not that strong.”

Clack.

‘So, it is true.’

Here it comes. Count Pheasan tried to suppress his agitation while swallowing his saliva inwardly.

“However, I also know that you love your territory and your people terribly.”

“…?”

“Otherwise, you would not have devoted yourself to developing your territory instead of trying to collect church funds.”

Only then did Count Pheasan realize Narba’s true intentions.

“Abolishment of the monastery… It would be strange if you didn’t know.”

For minor lords or knights who had acquired a manor, a monastery was an essential existence.

If they colluded with the monastery, they could embezzle the offerings of the serfs and avoid the tithe demanded by the diocese by distributing it appropriately. This advantage had greatly contributed to the promotion of the monastery.

Most monasteries were run with the backing of people of similar status to Count Pheasan. That power was by no means small.

If the one who led the abolition of the monastery had not been Narba, who had the full support of the Pope and the status of a stigma bearer, but just a bishop, he would have been assassinated in the blink of an eye.

“So you are going to charge me with that crime? For not paying taxes or offerings?”

“I will let it go. In fact, don’t you and I have the same goals?”

“The same?”

“Count Pheasan wants to spend money on his territory, and I want to spend money on the Principality.”

The two men looked at each other for a while.

Perhaps it would be appropriate to say that he glared at him. After glaring at him for a while, Viscount Peasen opened his mouth first.

“It seems you’ve grown quite arrogant, subordinate.”

“Hmm. It’s simple. I’m equally concerned about what you’re worried about, Viscount.”

And Narva’s story began to draw a sigh from Viscount Peasen.

Narva said that the more the unholy fog spreads, the more the pagans will plunder and invade. Before that happens, we must make the most of the given time to build a defense system.

Of course, it was a frustrating story for Viscount Peasen.

“Subordinate, if you were really concerned about the well-being of the Grand Duchy, you shouldn’t have sent Sir Terbear!”

“Then, if the peace alliance becomes a dead letter, will it be possible to endure with only our Grand Duchy’s strength?”

“Even Powys without Sir Terbear is like a naked prostitute in front of the pagans, a prostitute!”

Viscount Peasen poured out his anger, even using explicit vocabulary.

It was only after confirming this appearance that Narva brought out the real subject.

“I have enforced the abolition of the monastery in order to escape such a situation.”

Narva’s proposal, which began in this way, was.

“Let’s use the structure of the abolished monastery as a temporary fortress?”

“There are many isolated places, but there are also many places close to the surrounding villages. In particular, I know that there are cases where the monastery is close when there is no manor or the lord is in charge from afar. The purpose is to gather serfs and stockpile weapons in these monasteries in case of emergency, and to train an army to confront the enemy.”

“Even if we use serfs, there must be a limit?”

“Depending on the economic situation, four or ten households should be required to arm one or two adults. Instead of being excluded from farming, they will be stationed in the constructed fortress for a certain period of time to receive training, and when the next shift period comes, they will be replaced by others to receive training, so as to minimize the shortage of labor. Of course, it will be difficult to deal with the pagans like this.”

In addition to the fact that Viscount Peasen had considered everything that he had not expected at all.

“In order to defeat the pagans, we ultimately need strong knights. So I plan to propose to lords who own manors, commissioned knights, or free knights, who can bring along knights, to lend them church territory and exempt them from rent in exchange for the obligation to protect isolated fortresses. On the other hand, it would be a way to have free knights temporarily rent church territory and similar demand obligations as knights commissioned by the church.”

“But subordinate, there are many places where there is not enough labor to use serfs. How do you plan to deal with such places?”

“When that happens, the number of refugees who will abandon their homes and flee to avoid frequent looting and invasion will increase significantly. I will try to prevent them from having no place to go by using them as day laborers or serfs owned by the church and lending them to knights and lords who will bear the military burden.”

It was quite reasonable.

“Viscount, what I will call you for and propose is financial support for this defense system. To be exact, it is a way to more firmly secure the safety of the Barasta region, which has been put on the back burner in building such a system because there is little looting. If the Viscount helps with the defense of the neighboring regions and the maintenance of this mobilization system, the church will also add a tithe and ensure the safety of the rear.”

“….”

“Of course, that’s not all. If there is room for funds with the Viscount’s financial support, I also plan to actively promote the establishment of a branch of the Knights’ Order by mobilizing the church’s connections. I believe that this is the best way to stabilize the Grand Duchy and the Dawn Islands, and to preserve the Viscount’s territory. It’s a way for everyone to win.”

At that moment, Viscount Peasen’s eyes sparkled.

“The establishment of a branch of the Knights’ Order should be located in the safest Barasta region, so that continuous support can be expected, right?”

***

When Viscount Peasen returned after finishing the exclusive interview, his vassals could not help but cast anxious glances.

“Your Excellency, what did the bishop-elect say?”

“That fledgling who’s still wet behind the ears is already scaring people with heresy and what not…!”

It was the moment when they, who were united in antipathy, uttered one word at a time.

“Stop talking nonsense!”

“W, what?”

“From what I saw, he’s much more helpful than the previous bishop.”

Knowing what kind of person the previous Bishop Barnard was, the vassals had no choice but to look at each other’s faces and raise questions.

“…Is it that much?”

“The current bishop-elect is at least someone who thinks about what the fundamental solution is and how to overcome the situation.”

Viscount Peasen looked around at his messy nature due to the aftereffects of the expedition and continued.

“At least he’s more trustworthy than the kind King Athelston.” Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.