There were no outsiders in the hall, and Tournans didn't have to pretend anymore, he asked curiously, "Your Majesty, what did you and Sylvia think?"

"There are many aspects to this issue. Tournans, you have to be patient. ”

Clement turned to Pero and said, "Setting up a medium-sized prayer circle requires a large number of Holy Power Crystals and at least 80 ounces of Mithril, these extraordinary materials are not something that can be bought with money, plus the cost of maintaining the magic circle, the Cathedral will use up at least 60 Holy Power Crystals every year." ”

"The three cathedrals of the Gambis are all located in the settlements of the homeless, the northern capital of the Augustian family, Ojib, the royal capital of Brinor, and the Wellington family of Weystock. For example, the Joshua family's Waterdeep City, the Nimes family's Vaal City, the Bronze City of Solim, the Yorkist family's Goldwater City, and now the Wild Willow City, have a cathedral in name, but in fact they are just small prayer circles. ”

"Randall's territory is growing at an astonishing rate, but it is located in a remote location, bordered by the Everglades to the west, the Jinshui River to the south, the Dukedom of York to the north, and the Wild Willows and Chebman Territory to the east. Geographical factors determine that Pinghu Town cannot become a transportation hub and material distribution center, and it is not even a rear. This is the front line against ant tides, the outpost of the York family to explore the southern continent, and the future Pinghu City is a military powerhouse. ”

"My student, why did you ask the Cardinal to set up a medium-sized prayer circle in Pinghu Town?"

"Yes, why?" exclaimed Tournans, touching his shiny head, "The Knights of Radiance have recently submitted a military plan to retake a White Crystal mine in the northern wilderness. They intend to draw 6,000 paladins from the Dusk Forest, and also ask for support from the Inquisition and the Templars. I still have the Templars to help you defend the Pinghu Cathedral?"

Bishop Pero frowned, "Archbishop Lazarus recently discovered a rich white crystal mine on the outskirts of the Dark Forest. There's no need for the Radiant Knight to risk the White Crystal Mines of the Northern Wilderness. ”

"That's right. Their military plans did not even work out the timing of the operation. Turnans slapped his thigh and said triumphantly, "I have discussed with His Majesty that the Knights of Radiance are playing tricks of advancing and retreating. They didn't allow us to fight the idea of the Templars, who had to expand north, not south. As soon as the news of the Radiant Knights' intention to recruit paladins from the Dark Forest came out, the Seuss Kingdom jumped up and down in a hurry, and the Cardinal's House and the Ivory Sacred Citadel were under great pressure, and the Radiant Knights' military adventure plans could only be shelved for the time being. We're arguing with the Radiant Knight over whether a new Paladin joins the Templars or a Templar!"

"Have you just shown the slightest sign and start fighting?" muttered Perro, who could imagine the perilous situation Clement faced in the Cardinals.

"It's to be expected. The Pope said indifferently: "Further is to take a step back, and a step back is to take a step further." Lazarus is about to be promoted to level 6 priest and return to the College of Cardinals. I am ready to support Sain in his assumption of the post of Archbishop of Gambis. At the same time, Oleg was transferred back to El to take charge of St. Benedict's Abbey, with Archbishop Brow of Brow as Cru. In exchange, Tamor would support Max as archbishop of the Wharton Prairie. ”

"Teacher, by all means!" Perro exclaimed, standing up sharply.

The secular lords only thought that the Church had three major forces: the Knights of Radiance, the College of Cardinals, and the Presbyterian Order, but the reality was much more complicated.

The Council of Cardinals is nominally the highest authority of the Church. At the height of the power of the Radiant Knights, the six Paladin families directly controlled the Templar Army and the Abbey of St. Ograth, and kicked all the disobedient high-ranking priests to the Benedictine Abbey and the Ivory Fortress, responsible for training junior priests and junior paladins. The College of Cardinals was reduced to a logistical and missionary body for the Paladins.

More than 300 years ago, the secular lords united with the two major monasteries to launch the Holy City Rebellion, forcing the Knights of Light to conclude the New Covenant of Light, the most important of which was that the three monasteries jointly ruled the Cardinals, and the Cardinals decided the order of promotion of priests and paladins.

Since the Abbey of St. Ograth is a descendant of the Knights of Radiance, it is difficult for a priest of this lineage to lead the Cardinals. And the priests of Benedictine Abbey and Ivory Castle competed with each other for the papal throne.

Today, the representative of the Ograth Monastery, the Reverend Friedus, is in charge of the affairs of the Sassan Empire and the Wharton Meadows. Clement, the representative of the Benedictine Abbey, held the papacy, and the Benedictine priests were in charge of the religious affairs of the kingdoms of Gambis, Neville and Bore. The Ivory Castle is represented by the Rev. Tamor, whose archbishop is in charge of the kingdoms of Dordor and Seuss.

Bishop Seon of Gambis and Bishop Crewe of Borui both have backgrounds in the Ivory Sacred Castle, and Clement's support for them to take over the office of Cardinal is tantamount to ceding the two dioceses of Gambis and Borui to the Rev. Tamor in exchange for the Diocese of Wharton Prairie.

Friedes couldn't spill the water of Wharton's Prairie management, and was he willing to let Max, a disciple of Clement, take over the position of Archbishop of the Prairie?

Definitely!

In the context of the Great Frontier, Clement's abandonment of the two dioceses of Borui and Gambis meant that the Benedictine priests abandoned the southern expedition and concentrated on helping the kingdom of Neville conquer the northern wilderness. The Radiant Knights' counterattack on the northern wilderness requires the support of the Nevilles. But Neville's strength can only give the Sassan Empire a hand, and pick up a little leftovers, so there is nothing to worry about.

In this way, the Benedictine priests became collaborators of the Knights of Radiance, and Friedes was of course willing to cede the priesthood of the steppes to the Pope's disciples.

On the other hand, Tamor of Fort Ivory connected the parishes of Seuss and Bore, and the dioceses of Dordor and Gambis, and the priest of Fort Ivory was the undisputed leader of the southern expansion.

Clement did avoid the internal turmoil of the College of Cardinals, but what was the use of the prairie?

Whoever leads the development now is qualified to fight for the resources of the Church, arrange for the promotion of cronies, strengthen the strength of the faction, and control the voice of the Cardinals. In Perot's view, Clement should exchange the Diocese of Borui for the Diocese of Ivory, and connect the three dioceses of Dordor, Neville, and Gambis, and simultaneously realize the strategy of northern and southern expansion.

To put it bluntly, the Holy Power Pool is so big, how many level 6 clergy can it cultivate?

Pero didn't dare to hope for the Pope's throne, but the level 6 clergy had the life delay magic technique, and there was that high-ranking priest who didn't want to live a few more years?

Clement's retreat also removed the Benedictinees' position in the Cardinals, how can they enter later?

The thought of that guy riding on his head and pointing fingers at the teaching affairs of the centaur hills, Perro's heart seeped into panic.

"The terms of the exchange include getting you promoted to a sixth-level priest. Clement seemed to see through his disciple's mind and said lightly.

Turnans squeezed his eyes at Perot and teased: "Boy Pero, you will also be a legendary priest in the future, are you happy?"

Bishop Pero was over half a hundred years old and looked older than the Pope, and at this time he was full of surprise in his heart, and he didn't care about being called a kid by Turnans, and he tried to control his facial muscles, and said with a look of shame: "Thank you, teacher." Perodin lived up to the teacher's expectations. ”

"What do I expect from you?" asked Clement with a smile.

Pei Luo leaned over slightly and said respectfully, "Please give the teacher's orders." ”

Clement raised his hand and motioned for his disciple to sit down, and said, "Tell me first, why did you set up a cathedral in Randall?"

Pei Luo pondered for a moment and spoke: "The main reason is that there are too few clerics available to me, and the Randall family is expanding too fast, and the Randall Lord's religious affairs cannot keep up with the development speed of the Randall Lord. For the sake of balance, I think it is necessary to build the cathedral in Pinghu Town. ”

"First of all, Barony Fenicos and Viscount Randall are essentially one territory. Lord Victor actually controls a population of more than 85,000, the vast majority of whom are homeless workers. And we only have 2 third-level priests, 2 second-level priests, 6 first-degree priests, 20 paladins, and 127 church attendants here. With such a small number of people, even the believers are too busy with medical assistance, they also have to preside over prayer ceremonies, distribute relief supplies, calculate the tithes tax, and monitor the wizards' ......"

"Hey, but I see that Randall's academic affairs are well arranged, and there is no chaos. ”

Tournans said strangely: "Didn't Viscount Randall organize a medical team of more than 700 people to help the priest heal the people and distribute relief supplies? What are the members of the medical team called? By the way, nurses! Nurses are paid 50 copper soles a month. Viscount Randall not only paid the medical team 1,100 silver soles a month, but also donated a large number of supplies to the church. No lord would support the priest's affairs out of his own pocket like Viscount Randall. ”

"That's where I'm worried!"

Bishop Perot sighed and said in a deep voice: "Victor did not let Miller distribute the prickly kidney beans, and the donated materials designated the relief objects. He is taking advantage of the lack of strength of the church in Randall to openly interfere in the affairs of the church!"

Tournans had his mouth open, his face full of shock and bewilderment. Clement said with a deep smile: "In the past two years, Randall's newborn birth rate has ranked first in the Viscount Diocese, even higher than the vast majority of Earldom dioceses. The mortality rate of believers was lower than in any parish, and no one even died of starvation. These are all counted as your merits, otherwise the Cardinal Council would not have easily promoted you to a level 6 priest. The Pope's tone became cold, "What we haven't done well, aren't we allowed Viscount Randall to do?"

Pei Luo was shocked, hurriedly got up, and said sincerely: "Teacher, I was wrong!" He smiled bitterly and explained: "I am also here to protect Viscount Randall." ”

Tournans' face changed to a curious expression, and he asked, "How can you protect Viscount Randall?

"Hmm. Peero nodded and said: "Victor is noble, young and vigorous, there is no knight vassal in the family, and there is Sylvia conniving behind him, he is powerful in Randall. Randall's population is large, and the Church is relatively weak, and I fear that he will raise wizards. ”

Turnansmo rubbed his slick chin and bowed his jaw, "Makes sense." ”

It's nothing new for the High Lord to sneakily nurture wizards, but the outcasts like to accuse each other in exchange for a heavy reward from the Church. It is difficult for the lords to shelter the outcast wizards, and the wizards born into vassal families are often protected by the high lords, and the church has little to no grip on them.

Fortunately, the outcasts far outnumbered the vassals, and the proportion of wizards awakening was higher than that of vassals. However, the Randall family had extremely tight control over the homeless workers, directly managing the food, clothing, housing and transportation of the homeless workers. If Randall had led the wizard to awaken, Victor would have discovered it before the church, and it was very likely that he would raise a wizard, at least he had the guts.

"There's one more problem. ”

Bishop Perro said with a serious expression: "Victor recruits mercenaries, and he has formulated a system of rewards for military merits, one of which is that the war dead will be compensated with 10 acres of arable land, and those who escape without permission will be sentenced to beheading for public display for the crime of defrauding the nobles! Ordinary vassal soldiers are fiefdom first and then serve in the military, and the mercenaries of the Randall family are diametrically opposed...... Victor: This is a sacrifice of the homeless!"

It is not a big crime for a lord to raise a wizard, and it is a matter of handing over the wizard and fining him a large sum of money, at most exile or imprisonment of a scapegoat nobleman. But the consequences of sacrificing the exiles were severe enough to send the emperor to the execution table.

Tournans touched his big bald head and muttered, "I don't think there's anything wrong with that." ”

The Pope was silent, his expression calm, and his gaze was so deep and distant that it was difficult to guess what was going on in his heart.

Perro paused and continued: "I don't want Victor to go the wrong way, but I also know that it will be difficult to convince him. The next step in the establishment of the cathedral in Pinghu Town was to prepare for the construction of a monastery, and then the Inquisition sent a monitoring team to form a complete missionary system in Randall. I think Victor should calm down, as he himself said, power needs to be checked. ”

Clement's index finger tapped on the table and sighed, "Perot, I now believe that you really want to protect Viscount Randall, and there is one more important thing you haven't mentioned. ”