"It doesn't matter if the story is true or not. Silvia looked at Victor deeply and said, "The important thing is that you must learn to listen to stories and tell stories from your own point of view, and not be led by the nose by rhetoric." ”

"Konstantin is an excellent lobbyist, and he tells us in a storytelling way, euphemistically telling us that the Knights of Radiance have found an excuse, and anyone who dares to undermine the relationship between the Sassan Empire and the barbarians will be violently counterattacked by the Knights of Radiance. ”

"My dear, I'm going to teach you today how to listen to stories from your own standpoint. Sylvia pursed her lips and smiled, and asked, "Why did Constantine go to the trouble of telling the secrets of mages, warlocks, and the first popes?"

Victor thought for a moment and said, "I can't think of it. ”

"On the other hand, what is the use of this secret to us, and what effect does it have on the church?" asked Sylvia, in a casual manner.

"There is no impact. Victor shook his head and said, "It seems...... It doesn't work for us. ”

"It's useless for us, but it's useful for Konstantin. Sylvia said, "He threw out a secret of little practical value, which aroused everyone's curiosity and increased the weight of his words." First of all, the paladin family knows the secret, and the listener does not. When Konstantin shares secrets, we are eager to learn more about them, to feel close to those who have the secrets and are willing to share them, and unconsciously put ourselves in a lower position. Konstantin thus seized the initiative in the conversation. Secondly, by exposing the partnership between the church and the mage, Constantine implied that the original pope was the chosen one, and that he was a knight, and that the paladin family was on the side of the knights, which paved the way for his next conversation. ”

"1,500 years ago, the Paladins seized the opportunity to override the papal line, seize control of the church, and interfere in secular politics, which has been criticized by the lords. Now that the paladins consider themselves knights, that usurpation of power has become a struggle between the knightly class and the ordinary clergy, thus breaking our resistance. ”

Then, Konstantin threw out the heroic deeds of Fahild, showing that the paladins have always been the protectors of the human kingdom, and have the highest law enforcement power, and they occupy the name of righteousness. ”

"There is no evidence that the barbarian relics have anything to do with the power of the wizards, but Konstantin simply linked the two. He made another inverifiable speculation, saying that a catastrophe was coming......." Sylvia sneered, "It's a threat and an excuse. ”

"Clergy must take an oath and obey the Radiant Code in order to master the mid- to high-level divine arts, and if they break their oath, they will lose their divine favor. However, anything that involves legendary wizards and disasters is a taboo for lords, and clerics can take tough measures without fear of breaking their oaths. In other words, the Knights of Radiance had unified their understanding within the Templars and the Inquisition, and as long as they gave the order, the mid- and high-ranking paladins and battle priests dared to sanction the liege. Even if the crime is false, the law enforcement cleric will not be repelled by the oath, if the paladin who ordered him loses his divine favor, he is still a knight, and the Radiant Knights have already arranged a retreat for him, at least he can become a lord in the Sassan Empire. ”

"Which lord dares to act rashly?"

The clergy exercising their law enforcement power over secular knights must be subjected to the torture of the Radiant Code, and this kind of torture from the soul level is by no means something that can be fooled by stalking the neck and mouth. For too long, the hands of the priests of the Inquisition were stained with the blood of innocents, and many paladins and priests were unable to face the guilt in their hearts and thus lost their holy powers, but some determined fanatics wore the civilians who sheltered the wizards on wooden spikes, allowing the victims to wail and scream and bleed to death, but still gain divine favor. They rely on the words "clear conscience".

Victor nodded silently, and Sylvia continued, "Constantine finally stated the true purpose of the Knights of Radiance, and they did not allow others to fight the barbarians. We must neither get close to the barbarians, nor can we be lazy, otherwise we will threaten the security of the human kingdom. To put it bluntly, the Paladin clan is worried that the southern kingdoms will try to win the favor of the barbarians and destroy their important layout!"

Sylvia shook her head and sighed, "Only Sophia told a valuable truth, she said that Elder Harald may not have known about the calamity, and that the barbarians were only following the prophecy of their ancestors when they crossed the river south in search of holy relics. That's the truth of the matter. The barbarians have guarded Mount Arret for generations, and they are brave and tenacious, how can they fear enemies and disasters? ”

Victor was stunned for a long time, and said with a wry smile: "I actually forgot each other's positions and was confused by Konstantin's story." He imitated the tone of the holy warrior and said: "We know many secrets, we are nobler and older than you, we are also knights, usurpation of power is for the benefit of knights, we are still clergy, it is our duty to defend the human kingdom, the affairs of the barbarians are related to the great wizard, Arret is going to undergo drastic changes, it will affect the human kingdom, you all have to listen to us, whoever is disobedient, we will clean up whoever is disobedient...... Is that so?" he raised his voice and said angrily, "Does the Paladin family think that they have unified the kingdoms and are the emperor of everyone?"

"Isn't that it?" Sylvia said lightly: "The eleven taxes paid by the kingdoms are provided to the paladin family, and the paladins can recruit paladins among the believers of the kingdoms, and their templars can freely pass through the territories of the kingdoms, and they control the Inquisition and can punish the lords of the kingdoms...... You say, "Isn't this the emperor of the kingdoms?"

Victor was dumbfounded and said, "Then what kind of unification war is the Sassan Empire fighting?"

"What do you say, dear?" asked Sylvia, stroking her hair with a smirk.

How can you be looked down upon by your own woman?!

Victor's chest heated, X-3 was running at high speed, and his thoughts gradually became clear.

There used to be two empires on earth on which the sun never set: the Spanish Empire and the British Empire. The sun shines on its territory at all times. As the Old Testament Psalm says of the Messiah: "He shall reign from sea to sea, from the river to the poles." ”

However, centuries later, the empire collapsed and the colonies became independent, with many wars and bloodshed, and the fiercest rebels were precisely the descendants of the colonists. The fact that there were trains, ships, and telegraphs at that time shows that geographical proximity and kinship were not the main conditions for the first dimension.

The so-called unified human empire must implement the same economic policies, the same laws, and the same values. If the suzerain is unable to maintain the interests of the liege, it is impossible to achieve a unified empire.

Although the palms and backs of the hands are full of meat, the five fingers have their own lengths, and it is very difficult for the emperor to want a tank of water to be level. The Radiant Knights have stood at the pinnacle of power, and as long as they maintain the status quo, they can reap the greatest benefits, and the unification of the human kingdom is a thankless task.

Victor let out a sigh and said, "The Sassang Empire's attack on the Three Kingdoms is to divert internal contradictions, and the internal contradictions of the Sassan Empire are also deliberately created by the Radiant Knights. ”

"That's right. Sylvia approvingly, "Paladins have the strongest force and bear the heaviest responsibilities, but they don't enjoy the most rights. They had long been dissatisfied with the Holy See, and their seizure of control of the Church was entirely expected. However, the binding force of the Radiant Codex was too strong, and the Paladins wanted to get rid of the constraints of the Codex, but they were unwilling to give up the power of magic, so they secretly established a secular regime. ”

"There are three major forces in the Sassan Empire, the east and south belong to the Freet family, the west belongs to the Barcelius family, and the central lord group and the moon bear family in the north are the buffer of the two royal families. The reason why the paladins had to arrange this way was to firmly tie down the Fredet family, or to control the fallen paladin family. ”

"Originally, the Fredet family was just a small exiled family, but the Radiant Knights put them on the throne of the Empire, and those paladins who lost their divine favor continued to marry the Freit, and to this day, the royal family of Sassan and the family of paladins are connected by blood. However, paladins who master divine arts are different from ordinary knights after all, even if they come from the same lineage, there is a big gap between them. The root of the conflict lies in the fact that the Knights of Radiance order the descendants of the world to assist them in their battles. ”

"I did the work of a paladin, but I didn't have the treatment of a paladin. Victor said with a smile.

Sylvia bowed her jaw and said, "So, the Knights of Radiance have set up a formidable rival for the Frerett family, the Barcelius family. The Fredet family could only rely on the assistance of the Knights of Radiance to maintain their position, and they obeyed the orders of the paladins. ”

"In order to deflect the internal contradictions of the empire, the Knights of Radiance instructed the Fredet family to wage war against the kingdom of Duoduo. Of course, this war was necessary, because once the unification of the three kingdoms was completed, it would pose a great threat to the Sassan Empire. The specific way to divert the contradiction is to use war to promote the green wheat trade. ”

Sylvia pointed out sharply: "From the standpoint of the church, the unsellable green wheat should be free for the common people to eat." The royal family of Sassan exchanged food for wealth, and the lords of the empire were happy, and of course they were willing to assist the paladins against the wild orcs, even the Barcelius family. ”

After a moment of silence, Sylvia said leisurely: "His Majesty Enoch, the first Pope, is truly breathtaking, he may have expected that the Paladin family would rebel, and the existence of the Radiant Codex has avoided the most fundamental danger. Just imagine, if the Seven Paladin Families unify the human realm, they will definitely fall into an internal struggle for power and profit, and the inability to balance the interests of all parties will lead to bloody internal friction in the human empire, and the fate of mankind will really be in jeopardy. Now, as long as the paladins don't want to lose their powerful magic skills, they can only cooperate sincerely to open up more living space for humanity, and we are also the beneficiaries. ”

Sylvia smiled at Victor and asked, "Have you ever heard of ale?"

"It is said that a long time ago, the lords of the north would use green barley to make wine, but since the fall of the Iron Mountain Empire, there was a shortage of food for human beings, and green wheat was no longer used to make wine. Victor replied.

"Soon it will be brewed again. Sylvia said: "The water conservancy project and the intensive cultivation method will increase the grain income, and the green wheat of the Sassan Empire will be greatly surplus, except for the needs of population growth, the green wheat trade will basically come to an end, even if the Sassan Empire starts a larger war." Green barley is unsalable and can only be used for brewing. With ale, the Sassans could emulate the kingdom of Neville, break free from the constraints of water sources, build small castles and sentry posts in strategic locations, and expand into the eastern wilderness. On the other hand, in the south, there was purple cane wine and gin, and the barbarian Arrett Hill became the main market for ale wine. The Sassans wanted to exchange the ale for the resources of the Arret Mountains, especially the mineral resources, which was the most important layout of the Sassan Empire at present. ”

"No wonder the Knights of Radiance do not allow the Southern Lords to spoil the relations between the Sassangian Empire and the barbarians, and even use the Grand Wizard and the Calamity as an excuse to intimidate us. Victor nodded.

"My dear, the barbarians are just an opportunity, and it is you who really change the direction of the situation. Sylvia kissed Victor lightly on the lips and said, "They have their plans, we have ours." ”

"The Knights of Radiance's strategic focus will shift to the Northern Wilderness, and while they will still maintain pressure on the Three Kingdoms of the South, the intensity of the war will be much less. The Kingdom of Dordor must hurry up to recover, while the Kingdom of Neville should focus on the construction of new farming and water projects, and the Marquis of Farul has hinted to Constantine that they will not help the Sassan Empire against the Centaur Clan, but will provide iron to the Sassan Empire. Gambis could set his sights on the southern continent, and Archduke Williams used the Pope's speculation of disaster to coerce the major lords to support him in building a port, so that the royal family could take control of the southern expansion. And I will not allow Sophia to take in the powerful Barbarian followers on the grounds of pressure from the Knights of Radiance, and if Sophia does not listen to the advice, I will drive her out of the Centaur Hill when the Barbarians have crossed the river. Anyway, at that time, all our strategic goals were achieved. ”

"Honey, this matter is not negotiable, don't blame me. Sylvia whispered.

Victor shook his head and said, "How can I blame you, I don't want Sophia to have a gold-level berserker by her side." If Regazo goes crazy, I really can't do anything about her. ”

"Uncontrollable forces are a huge hidden danger. Sylvia bowed her head slightly, and said with a coquettish smile: "You go to accompany Miss Gillian tonight, and ask the Chebman family about the port." Auguste's intervention in the Chebman family is a foregone conclusion, but I still have to have the attitude that I should have, and in short, I can't let them succeed easily. Tomorrow morning, we will set out to the Randall Territory, and the Barbarian Elders will go with Sophia, and the Pope will not go. ”

"Didn't His Majesty Clement say that he was going to visit the Randall family? Why didn't he go?" Victor was immediately anxious, he was still counting on a little benefit from the Pope's hands, and it was best to let Turnans help Nelson complete the fusion of the two secret forms and vibrational secret methods.

Bishop Perot did not say it explicitly. Sylvia shook her head and said with a strange expression, "But with Clement's character, I guess he has already gone to Randall's Domain." ”

Victor opened his mouth, secretly thinking that the Pope was playing with a private interview......