Chapter 2021 - 544: There Are Things More Terrifying Than Humans_2

"Do it cleanly."

"As you command."

Marinus lowered his head again, but after a moment he remembered something and raised his drooping brows and eyes.

"There's one more thing, Your Majesty."

"Speak."

"Commander Heigmer is on his way back to Roland City. However... his entourage has grown much larger than when he departed."

Theoden's brow furrowed slightly, a kind of frustration akin to discovering a mouse in the house, yet unable to simply throw it out.

"What has he done this time?"

"The Lion Heart Knight Order stopped several merchant caravans belonging to local nobles along the way under the name of 'wartime requisition,' acquiring a large amount of food and supplies."

Marinus paused, "Of course, our knight order commander did not keep these resources for himself, but fulfilled his 'sacred and ancient' duty by distributing them to the kingdom's citizens. Now, those refugees you cleared out of Roland City are following behind his horse's hooves like a snowball rolling... the number might well be in the tens of thousands."

Upon hearing these words, the last trace of gentleness vanished from Theoden's eyes, replaced by a coldness that elongated the corners of his squinted eyes.

"That fool!"

The king's voice was filled with suppressed fury.

He had exerted great effort to drive that group of wastrels out of the Royal Capital, letting those lowly dregs fend for themselves in the countryside and turn into fertilizer for the land.

But this benevolent Heigmer has brought those tens of thousands of beggars back!

Does he not think there's already enough gunpowder in Roland City?

"Do you want me to persuade him?" Marinus cautiously asked, "If those refugees enter the city again, it might further worsen the public order of Roland City... especially now with petty crimes roaming the slums."

That was another piece of intelligence he gathered through the Tombkeeper Organization's contacts, claiming that the Campbell people had invented not only trains but also created a new type of intelligence agency unlike traditional ones.

They no longer rely on insiders within the royal family, but promote scouts from the professional army, blending in with the civilians of Roland City.

This is something novel on the Aus Continent.

Although most royal families have their own intelligence systems, these systems are generally centered around the court and are entirely different concepts from this militarized intelligence system, despite having the same name.

Theoden's lips curved into a cold smile.

"You persuade him? I suggest you save your breath; even I can't move him."

Marinus fell silent.

In this power-centric world, while Extraordinary Power does not represent everything, when strength is needed to speak, it represents all.

With his strength, he could help the king kill two people, but persuading the famous "Radiant Knight" to turn back... seemed indeed a bit arrogant.

Theoden leaned back in his chair again, wearily rubbing his brow.

At that moment, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

This is the sorrow of being a mortal king.

To counter the ever-expanding power of the Church, the royal court had no choice but to rely on legendary figures like Heigmer. However, such mighty personal strength is a double-edged sword, capable of cutting off the Church's hand reaching for the throne, but also capable of pointing back at the royal court behind it.

Theoden looked at the compassionate Saint Sis Statue at the front of the Cathedral and suddenly felt a strong longing.

If there existed a third kind of extraordinary power in this world, that would be ideal.

It should have no thoughts, no morality, unchecked by any form of rules, capable of fully implementing the king's will... just like the angel buried deep within the Church and descending upon the head of Twilight City!

If he had the power to summon angels, both the arrogant Church and the disobedient knights, as well as those nauseating nouveau riche downstream of Rushing River, would all prostrate at his feet!

Thus, the issues presently facing Ryan Kingdom would cease to be issues!

Just then, a hurried and chaotic set of footsteps from outside the church interrupted Theoden's weary and vexed thoughts.

Theoden waved his hand.

The monk standing by the candelabrum nodded slightly, and silently stepped into the shadows beneath the candelabrum, as if he had never been there.

A few seconds later, the heavy doors were pushed open.

A figure in a scarlet bishop robe stumbled in.

The visitor was Claude, once the court jester, now the regional bishop of Ryan.

He didn't even bother to adjust his somewhat slanted high hat; as soon as he entered, his knees went weak, and he knelt heavily on the cold floor, practically sticking to the ground.

"Your Majesty..."

Claude's voice trembled, full of evident fear.

"I am incapable... please punish me, Your Majesty!"

Theoden was slightly taken aback, then he wore an expression of mixed emotions and rose from the bench, walking to the door of the Prayer Hall.

"Bishop Claude, what's going on? Stand up quickly." He extended an old but well-maintained hand, kindly holding Claude's trembling elbow.

The voice was gentle like a true elder comforting his own aggrieved child.

However, being held by those hands, Claude cried even harder.

"Your Majesty... the people from the Holy City... they're utterly wicked!"

The bishop of Ryan Kingdom, at this moment, cried without decorum, with snot and tears staining his wrinkle-covered face.

He wiped away tears while angrily and resentfully accusing.

"Those priests in holy robes! They're nothing but a bunch of vampires, truly evil! I wrote to them explaining the situation in Roland City, pleading for them to open their purses and help us through the crisis. Yet this morning, a grey owl dropped the letter at my window... they've arrogantly and coldly rejected us! They wouldn't even part with a single copper coin!"