Sophia's beautiful purple eyes instantly turned green, like a bottomless cold pool, and she used her fighting spirit to suppress the vibration in her heart.

The elegantly decorated small reception room was silent for a while, as if even the air was frozen by the properties of the Void Water Elemental, and after a few seconds, Sylvia broke the cold silence, pressed the back of Sophia's hand, and said with a calm expression:

"Don't be fooled by this guy's words, the power of the Lord of Radiance is not just a divine skill, it is more like the core political force of the human realm. Since Pope Enoch founded the Church of Radiance, countless people have sought the power of the Lord of Radiance, and the most successful representative is the Six Paladin Families. They even overthrew the Pope in order to seek the power of the Lord of Radiance, so what did Victor want to do so?"

A strange smile appeared on Victor's face, and he shook his head and said, "Sylvia, you are not surprised, but I am surprised." ”

"What's so strange about this, at a certain stage, almost every big lord will have similar thoughts, and if you don't have this kind of thought, I will find it strange. Sylvia chuckled, "The difference is that I have this ambition, but I don't have a good way. And you not only think, but also start to lay out. It's just your layout, I don't understand. ”

"I ...... Completely incomprehensible. Sophia smiled bitterly, and when she saw Sylvia drinking her coffee slowly, without any interest in explaining, she turned to her husband for help.

Victor smiled and said, "For thousands of years, the knight family has been trying to ask whether the Lord of Radiance is self-conscious......? This leads to the second question, if the Lord of Light has no self-awareness, then he is a powerful force that can be mastered, and if His Majesty Enoch can control this power, why can't we?"

"From the Golden Age to the Bronze Age, the main political struggles of the human kingdom were for the power of the Lord of Light. More than 1,500 years ago, the noble forces in the United Church of the six major families of the Holy Knight overthrew the pope and became the biggest winner. More than 300 years ago, some of the aristocratic forces in the United Church of the Southern Secular Lords challenged the Knights of Radiance and secured a place in the Pontifical Council of Cardinals...... To this day, the struggle has not stopped, and Sylvia has been drawn into it. ”

Facing Sophia's inquiring gaze, Sylvia nodded and said, "Neowest's raid on Ryan was instigated by Nakhtigar, and King El wants me to support Neowest and restore the Rand Empire, so as to expand secular influence, and then cultivate and absorb low-level clergy through the Rand Empire to help them return to the power center of the church." In the final analysis, it is also to seek the power of the Lord of Radiance. ”

"However, the Guardians of Light have long been marginalized by the Church, and their potential is limited. When I mingle with them, I will only move further away from the power of the Lord of Light...... The House of York was still very weak at the time, and even if they could occupy a high position in the New Rand Empire, when I fell, York would be attacked from all sides, and even exterminated. ”

Sylvia chuckled lightly and said lightly: "So, I moved westward, and it seems that I ran to the western edge of the human realm, but politically, the York family is close to the Cardinal and the Knights of Radiance. ”

Sophia was stunned for a long time, and said quietly: "I really don't know that you big nobles think about these things all day long...... I thought the church was very calm now. ”

Victor smiled: "You like the peace of the church, and you don't want the church to be turbulent, because the clergy have created a fairer environment, and if you are in trouble, you can go to the church to complain." But you've forgotten the extraordinary attraction feature...... I met the Templar Dimat, himself a beginner knight in the kingdom of Naville, who had mastered the art of the gods and possessed the strength, power, and status of the Golden Knight. What status can an unnaturally promoted junior knight have in the Centaur Hills? Serving the family for decades, he is just a small lord. If they had the opportunity to master the arts, would they be willing to throw themselves into the arms of the Church? However, there were so many positions in the clergy that it was impossible for the Knights of Radiance, the Cardinals, and the Presbyterians to fight for it. And the struggle within the church has spread to the entire human kingdom, and we are involuntarily involved in it. ”

“...... When the ant tide swept through the Centaur hills, I almost got into it with my life...... I wonder, the same lord, the same eleven taxes, why did the Radiant Knights transfer all the holy warriors from all over the country to the Sassang Empire, but they turned a blind eye to the centaur hills?

Victor restrained the anger in his eyes and said coldly, "From that moment on, I was secretly determined to seek the power of the Lord of Radiance. ”

Sylvia lifted the teapot, elegantly poured Victor full of snow fungus tea, lowered her eyes, pursed her lips and smiled: "Honey, I look forward to your method even more." ”

Victor pondered for a moment and spoke: "The political structure designed by Pope Enoch is so ingenious that there are hardly any loopholes...... The knights ruled the world, and the clergy held the divine power, but in the vertical of time, the rise and fall of the knightly family, and the horizontal of space, the geopolitical forces fell against each other, and this vertical horizontal divided the knight family into pieces, and the church took root in the largest mortal community, drawing on the power of faith. It's like if the church makes up the trunk of a big tree, the knight family is the branch of the big tree, and the branch can never fight against the trunk, and when the branch representing a knight family withers, the church will immediately give birth to a new branch to replace it. The human kingdom is resilient as a result. ”

Sylvia's expression moved slightly, and she tried to ask, "The Seven Paladin Families?"

Victor bowed his head and said: "Testil's support for the Sassan Empire, and the concubine of Rael Garrell and Neowest became a companion and dyed the territory of the Guide Continent, all examples of the Paladin family's branches. I believe that there must be many similar examples in history. After a pause, he exclaimed: "His Majesty Enoch is really an outstanding person, the tree he planted has not fallen for more than 9,000 years, even if the papal line is hollowed out, the clergy of the church has always held the supreme authority of the human kingdom. Scattered secular lords simply cannot contend with a complete church, and the church does not allow secular lords to unite into one great empire. If the secular regime is unified, the contradictions between the two sides will be irreconcilable, and the final result will be that everyone will be doomed together. ”

"Sharp confrontation is definitely not the solution to the power of the Lord of Radiance!" said Victor in a sonorous voice.

Sophia thought and thought, and took the break between Victor's tea and asked, "Honey, I think...... Wouldn't that be nice?"

Victor glared at her with hatred, and sneered: "It's okay there? The Paladin family has begun to develop worldly powers, let them develop, how much divine support can we get? We don't strive for the power of the Lord of Radiance, the whole is marginalized!"

"Alright. Sylvia put down the silver spoon and said dissatisfiedly: "If you have the opportunity in the future, you will close the door and learn one by one...... I just want to know now, how can you use the Golden Cluster to gain the power of the Lord of Radiance?"

Sophia bit her lip lightly and snickered and handed Victor a wink.

"Hmm......" Victor coughed dryly and continued, "I have found two insurmountable flaws in the church. First, the greater the number of believers, the greater the number of clergy, but the number of clergy cannot rule the corresponding total number of believers. Otherwise, the church will kill the Black Emperor and completely control the discourse of secular politics, and will not be defeated by the attack of the orcs...... They can't control that many people. ”

"Second, to rule and to be ruled are always opposites, and it is impossible for the church that relies on the power of faith to stand on the opposite side of the believers, and the believers will migrate to the rear when they encounter danger, production will stagnate, the defense line will collapse, the knight family will follow and withdraw, and the church will be so anxious that it is useless to jump to the ground. ”

"The Church needs secular lords, who are interdependent and mutually influential. Testil felt that the secular lords were disobedient, so they supported Frederick's royal family. The Sassan Empire and the Knights of Radiance are mutually supportive, and the Paladin family has become more and more influential in the church, and there is a tendency to overwhelm the two major factions of Clement and Tamor. ”

"As the Paladins continue to expand their secular power, if we don't take other measures and continue to develop like this, the influence of the Centaur Hills on the Church will only become weaker and weaker. And the Golden Regiment can break through the limitations of geography, penetrate the major cities and towns of the human realm, and connect countless free people, and she has unimaginable potential. For example, the Guerrero Goats pose a serious threat to the Duchy of Teuton, and if the Duchy of Teutoni falls, our Centaur Hills will also be affected. I don't want to leave my fate to the Knights of Radiance and the Moon Bears, and I can send support to the Barbarians and the Teutonic Duchy through the Golden Order...... The worldly power of the Golden Order is so strong, what will happen if she supports Clement?"

Sylvia's eyes lit up and she smiled, "I see, you want to use the Golden Regiment to prop up an agent within the church. ”

"That's right. Victor stood up and said in high spirits: "Developing the Golden Regiment is like digging a canal, each member family is a reservoir node, and our control of the management of the Golden Regiment is like controlling the control gate, putting all the power in the palm of our hands, helping Clement or Tamor to hold more power, and they will in turn help us control the Golden Regiment...... Of course, I was more inclined to Clement, because he was in particular need of the support of secular powers, and the Diocese of Wharton Prairie was in his hands. ”

Victor turned his gaze to Sophia, sat down again, and said, "Sophia, let me tell you, what would have happened to the Golden Order without my intervention? Your golden regiment is also under the king's rule, and she will still not belong to you. ”

"That's why I'm in a hurry, we must dig the canal of the Golden Regiment before things get out of hand, and don't give the other lords and kings a chance. ”

Sylvia pressed the back of Victor's hand and looked at him with affection, exclaiming, "Very wonderful! ”

"What do you say, dear cousin?" asked Sylvia, looking sideways at Sophia, with a deep look in her eyes.

Sophia got up, pushed away the chair and took a half step back, lifted the hem of her skirt, and curtsy, "I'm willing to join." ”

"But I insist on keeping the management rights of the Golden Regiment, and I hope that the two Highnesses will live behind the scenes of the Golden Regiment in accordance with the family guardian system. ”

Sylvia stepped forward, took Sophia's hand, helped her back to her chair, and said affectionately, "Don't be so serious, you and Victor's children will inherit the Golden Regiment." The affairs of the Golden Regiment, the two of you can discuss it. I don't interfere, I don't ask, and if things change, I'll clean up the mess. ”

"Victor, you should show your sincerity and remove the bear group and your mercenaries. In this way, it will be easier for Sophia to win the trust of the Marquis de Vermick and Princess Angel, and quickly occupy two important trade hubs. As long as Dengshi City and Bronze Halberd City join the Golden Regiment, other free folk private business organizations will not want to transcend geographical restrictions. ”

Victor frowned: "The bear group without armed forces is like a piece of fat meat to be slaughtered. ”

"Just a temporary avoidance. Sylvia then said to Sophia, "Sophia, I must warn you that the Golden Order is particularly easy to penetrate, and if you want to control her, you must bring in another force to form an internal balance...... There is no better option than Victor's men. ”

"I agree, I'll arrange this. Sophia nodded in agreement, smiled sweetly at Victor, and asked, "My Guardian, what's next for the Golden Regiment?"

Victor said confidently: "You are in charge of the northbound route, and I am in charge of the eastward route for the time being." When you open up the trade route connecting the Sassan Empire, I will hand over all the trade road network in my hand to you. Also, find an opportune opportunity to meet the Countess de Caesser in the near future. ”

"Mrs. Dolly?" asked Sophia, confused.

"Hmm. Victor nodded and said, "If you establish a partnership with her, you will enter Clement's sight." Behind...... If I'm right, he'll come to you and talk to you about building a port on the shores of Lake Fez. ”

Sylvia frowned and asked, "Are you going to build a port for Neowest?"

"No, it's to build a port for the Golden Group...... The Golden Regiment must win the right to ship the Jinshui River directly to the sea!" Victor paused, and the corners of his mouth drew a sly smile: "I suspect that His Majesty Clement has some kind of connection with the Neowest family...... Because the port on the shore of Lake Fes is related to his Middle Kingdom strategy. With the help of the Pope, the commercial shipping of the Jinshui River is simply in our pocket. ”

Sylvia also wanted to ask for details, when the sound of high heels tapping on the floor came from the hallway outside the door.

After a while, the door was pulled open from the outside, and the beautiful girl Tracey was wearing a white dress, leaning against the door, and asked coldly:

"Have you negotiated, if so, please give me back my man. ”