Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence

As Oliver said, Lady Verena is the goddess of knowledge and justice.

Their church's motto is "Speak the truth. Speak the truth."

The church's symbol is a combination of a long sword with the blade pointing downwards and a horizontal scale, with the scale serving as the sword's pommel, extending to both sides, with two golden plates hanging to symbolize justice and balance.

Among the gods, some myths regard Verena as Morr's bride. Although at first glance this seems like an unlikely pairing, they are united by the common theme of "judgment." They simply oversee different aspects of the same concept. Morr judges the dead, while Verena judges the living.

Some myths even say that she is the mother of Shallya, the goddess of healing and mercy, and Myrmidia, the goddess of war and strategy. She is a steadfast and serious goddess, a benevolent force, and many appeal to her to be freed from tyrannical rule.

The followers of Shallya's church recognize this myth, but the followers of Myrmidia scoff at it, considering it nonsense. Because the Church of Myrmidia believes that Myrmidia ascended from mortal to godhood.

On this point, the followers of the Church of Myrmidia and the followers of the Imperial Cult of Sigmar are at odds, because the latter believes that only Emperor Sigmar was ascended from human to god.

But in any case, these three goddesses have implicitly formed an alliance in the south of the Empire, because compared to the violent and barbaric male gods in the north of the Empire, such as Ulric, Sigmar, Ursun, etc., these three gods have a unified characteristic: they all relatively respect knowledge and wisdom.

Especially the Church of Verena, their sect tends to run and fund universities to promote learning and education.

Different organizations within the Church of Verena may have different motivations, but one thing unites the different sects: the preservation of knowledge. They are committed to acquiring writings on any subject, collecting this knowledge in their vast libraries, where they can return some of this knowledge to the collectives they support.

Because the sect is so committed to preserving knowledge, the invasion of Chaos is especially terrifying to Verena's followers. Every war brings destruction, destroying treasure troves of knowledge and depriving humanity of generations of accumulated knowledge. Therefore, when such a threat arises, Verena's followers will quickly help the Empire organize its defenses, running to the front lines to move scrolls and tomes to safety, even stepping over screaming wounded.

As a direct result of their obsession with knowledge, the worship of Verena often finds itself at the center of controversy more easily than other rival sects. Among some of the more radical clergy in the sect, there is a belief that all writings, regardless of content, are worth protecting. This view puts the sect in conflict with witch hunters, especially the Imperial Cult of Sigmar, who would like to see these heretical scriptures thrown into purifying fires. This is a serious point of contention within the sect, but it is also a division that Verena's followers are willing to put aside in order to protect the sect's best interests.

Therefore, from various perspectives, the Church of Verena is the perfect ally for the Black Forest Territory, and this alliance may even last until Su Li attempts to seize the imperial throne.

Among the electors, the elector who believes in the Church of Verena will definitely support Su Li.

In this way, if Su Li unifies the Border Princes, it will be equivalent to holding three votes, because the Church of Myrmidia will definitely support Su Li.

However, it is worth mentioning that, due to not possessing absolute violence, neither the Church of Shallya nor the Church of Verena has the right to vote in the Electoral College.

The Imperial Cult has three votes, the Church of Ulric has two votes, and the Church of Myrmidia has recently obtained one vote.

The Empire essentially still reveres violence. Only those forces that control military power and possess outstanding combat power are qualified to determine the future direction of the Empire.

And the elector who believes in the Church of Verena is the Grand Principality of Solland!

So after Oliver finished introducing Verena, Su Li looked at him with interest and said, "Let's be frank, you were exaggerating from the beginning because of the White Terror in Solland, right?"

Oliver straightened his collar and said calmly, "That's right. Lord, you probably don't know, a white terror is about to descend on your head. At least four champions of the gods will launch an assassination against the members of your castle tonight."

After speaking, Oliver waited for everyone to panic.

No one can face the assassination of four champions of the gods without being moved, not even a legendary!

In the absence of saints, the legendary level is the top combat power on the continent.

A sudden attack by four champion assassins, caught off guard, even a legendary would be at risk of falling.

But Oliver straightened his collar until it was perfect, but found that facing such terrifying news, all the surrounding knights were calm, as if what was coming were not four champions of the gods, but four petty thieves!

So Oliver smiled and said, "It seems that the rumor that you, Lord, are the all-knowing information source of the Black Forest Territory is true."

Su Li also looked at him calmly and said, "And you, champion, should also be honest about your purpose. As a champion of Verena, are you also involved in the White Terror wave in Solland Province?"

Oliver flicked the white scholar's robe behind him. This white robe symbolizes purity and justice in the teachings of the Church of Verena. He calmly replied, "Our church will not participate in secular political struggles. Contrary to what you think, I was entrusted by someone to come to your territory to take a look. That person once helped and favored me. According to the teachings of the Goddess of Justice, I must repay him. So I couldn't resist his kindness and came to the Black Forest Territory to take a look."

Su Li really didn't expect this to be the reason. Who entrusted him to come to the Black Forest Territory?

Among the people Su Li knew, was there anyone who could have been kind to a champion of the Goddess of Justice?

Could it be the help behind Earl Thorn again?

Since the arrival of Knight Connor, Su Li has also strengthened contact with Thorn Valley, sending two gifts to Thornburg, one was 10 dragon blood stones, and the other was 5 blessed wisteria tree pods.

Although these things are relatively common specialties in the Black Forest Territory, they are valuable and precious materials outside the Black Forest Territory.

Especially the 5 blessed wisteria tree pods, which can extend the lives of five people. It is said that the elders of the Thornflower family praised Su Li.

The voices within the family about Count Sunar's preference and funding for Su Li suddenly subsided a lot.

So Count Sunar was happy, and used his connections to entrust this champion to come to the Black Forest Territory?

So Su Li asked curiously, "May I ask, who entrusted you, sir?"

Oliver calmly said, "Of course. It was Steward Kurt, who specifically visited me at the Royal Griffin Military Academy of Middenheim."

Steward Kurt?

The steward of the Westermann Trading Company!

Su Li really didn't expect it to be this fat man. The cause planted at the beginning has finally borne fruit.

So Su Li said in surprise, "I really didn't expect Steward Kurt to know a champion. How was he kind to you in the first place?"

Oliver did not avoid it and said, "At the beginning, my village was attacked by the grave guard of a vampire count. Steward Kurt's caravan happened to pass by and paid the price of more than a dozen guards and mercenaries killed or injured to repel that powerful grave guard, otherwise I would have died under the poisonous hands of the vampire."

"Later, when I passed the Royal Griffin Military Academy of Middenheim with excellent results, and needed a letter of recommendation, he took the initiative to help me find a priest of the Church of Justice, so I was successfully selected into the academy among the many shortlisted candidates."

Su Li nodded with emotion, the Empire never lacks talents!

Top talents are everywhere, but only those young people who have received recommendations from celebrities can get more opportunities.

This is the Empire version of 'talented horses are common, but discerning horsemen are rare'.

Su Li then asked, "You have also observed in the Black Forest Territory, how do you feel?"

Completely different from what Su Li expected, Oliver sighed and said, "Your territory has a feeling of being splendid on the outside but rotten on the inside."

"Indeed, the buildings in the territory are tall and magnificent, the hygiene is clean and tidy, and even thieves are subject to the death penalty, and the security situation is good."

"But in the corners that your highness cannot see, corruption is rampant, criminals are rampant, and even rebels and coup plotters are hiding in the city."

"And externally, you lack strong allies and have not established solid alliances. And strong enemies surround you, threats are everywhere, and all kinds of crises that are enough to destroy the territory may happen at any time."

"To sum up, your situation can be described as precarious, and there is a danger of overturning at any time. In the current situation, although you have won hundreds of battles, it is not enough to turn the tide. One defeat will lead to irreversible disaster."

Tyberius was a little exasperated when he heard this and said, "Lord, don't listen to his alarmist talk! This guy, I think he is just a liar who talks big and likes to bluff!"

Laun also nodded in agreement and said, "Lord, I also agree. This may be a suspicious priest who is swindling and deceiving. Our territory is thriving, how can it be precarious?"

But Su Li frowned slightly, without getting angry, because he also had this feeling! It should be said that this dark and desperate world is always in crisis.

Su Li also deeply felt that the territory always encounters various crises, but he didn't know why, and he didn't even know what kind of strategy and decision-making should be used to solve this problem.

Although this Oliver has deliberately exaggerated, but writers, especially talented ones, always have some shortcomings of arrogance. Moreover, Su Li felt that he really needed a top bureaucrat to help him build a strategic vision for achieving imperial dominance, and plan the foundation for a grand cause.

So Su Li did not argue with him, but said seriously, "Lady Verena is the goddess of bureaucrats and scholars. Since you are a champion of Verena, you must have rich knowledge to help me. May I ask, if I invite you to be the president of my provincial affairs council, how will you help me achieve a career?"

Oliver then smiled and said, "If I am the president of the Provincial Affairs Council, the primary task, of course, is to select talented people for the Lord! Wherever my discerning eyes observe, I will not miss any talent. There is a famous saying in the distant East, 'Within ten steps, there must be fragrant grass; in a town of ten households, how can there be no outstanding talents?' With my personal experience, there is no shortage of talents in the Empire, what is lacking is a discerning eye to select them."

"As a champion of the Goddess of Justice, I have the eyes of a hawk, just like my title. Under my selection, no bloodline that has the hope of breaking through to become a knight will be missed."

"After that, I will vigorously promote education, enlighten the wisdom of knights, and greatly increase the probability of knights being promoted and breaking through. Moreover, I can observe the bloodline state of knights and help them choose the most appropriate time to break through."

"If all the outstanding talents in the towns and farms are selected by the Lord, then the rebels and coup plotters will quickly disappear. The internal troubles and corruption in your territory will be greatly alleviated."

"Finally, I will work hard for the Lord, rectify officialdom, sort out taxes, increase the territory's finances, and greatly reduce construction costs."

Su Li nodded and said, "The territory's internal affairs do need a capable minister to take the helm."

If the Black Forest Territory can defeat the claws of the Green Dragon, then it will need to recuperate and improve the territory's finances for a considerable period of time.

At least it cannot be like it is now, with monthly fiscal deficits, completely relying on windfalls and loot to supplement the treasury. Once the windfalls are insufficient, the territory will collapse after only two or three months of deficits, or even financial collapse.

Su Li does need such a capable official, a champion of the god of bureaucrats, an apostle of the god of justice, to clear corruption and rectify government affairs.

But Laun felt threatened and cautiously advised Su Li, "Lord, you can't easily believe his one-sided words. What if he is a spy sent by Solland Province?"

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Oliver was not angry when he heard this, but nodded with satisfaction and said, "Be vigilant against suspicious people, but be even more vigilant against those who have no doubts. This is the idea of our church. As part of the church's mission, to spread the ideas of learning and justice, so our church always takes wandering the Old World as missionaries. These missionaries go to Kislev, the Imperial Duchies, and the Border Princes under the rule of tyrants, where the concepts of justice and learning are either ignored or put aside, supporting autocratic rule. If you are not so arbitrary, I can show my value, such as as a champion, I can help you see through the enemy's conspiracy tonight and increase the success rate of your ambush tactics."

Su Li nodded and said, "If you can help us successfully ambush the four champions, that will be enough to show your value. As a southern faction that respects knowledge, I can even allow your Church of Verena to preach in the Black Forest Territory and support you to establish a higher education institution. The territory needs a higher education institution to cultivate more outstanding talents."

Oliver bowed slightly and said, "I am very happy, Lord. Although Lady Verena is not as good at fighting as Lady Myrmidia, her church also has the Knights of the Eternal Light, the Knights of the Sword and Scales, and the Knights of the Scroll. The priests of our church are very good at using strategies to help the Knights win."

Su Li waved his hand and said to everyone, "Then take him back to the castle."

The Black Forest Territory just lacks a top-level wise man. The territory pays too much attention to grandeur and neglects conspiracies and tricks.

Oliver just makes up for this deficiency.

After returning to the castle, Su Li went straight to the vicinity of the bathroom. The bathroom was already under lockdown, with only Violet, Ohrstein, Ron, and Dietrich allowed to enter.

The knights guarding the area immediately straightened their bodies, gripped their halberds tightly, and opened a path when they saw Su Li.

As Su Li walked in, he saw Hildegard standing with her arms crossed at the bathroom door, while Ron the priest kept his head down, silent. Inside, Ohrstein was making adjustments.

Su Li walked up to Hildegard and asked with concern, "How's the arrangement going? Why don't I see anyone else?"

Hildegard's heroic face revealed a faint smile, and her expression was somewhat strange. She said, "It's going smoothly enough. The others probably don't want you to see. Is the person behind you the talent we're here to welcome?"

What do you mean they don't want me to see?

Dietrich is a priest of the Church of Sharja.

The alliance of the three goddesses of the South, the Goddess of the Sun, the Goddess of Healing and Mercy, and the Goddess of Wisdom and Justice, all have priests here, but I haven't met the priest of this healing church.

Dietrich has been in the Black Forest for some time, and Su Li had not met him. Today was a good opportunity to chat with him, but why didn't he want me to see him?

Oliver didn't think too much and took a step forward, saying to Hildegard, "You must be the recently famous War Saintess Hildegard Cosonia? I am Oliver Samuel, the chosen of the Goddess of Justice."

War Saintess?

Su Li looked at Hildegard in surprise, not expecting her to have such a resounding title outside the territory.

However, considering the divine spell [Holy Guiding Arrow] bestowed upon her, her combat direction would indeed be like a saintess, inspiring countless followers of the Sun Goddess in the rear.

Hildegard said to him faintly, "Welcome to our territory. I look forward to fighting alongside you and adding glory to the territory's banner."

Just as Oliver was about to explain that his abilities were different from those of a knight, Knight Ohrstein walked out of the bathroom with a strange figure.

However, this figure was acting strangely, looking evasive. He didn't look like a knight, but rather like a follower of Lanord. Why was he afraid to show his face?

Su Li raised an eyebrow and asked Knight Ohrstein, "What's going on?"

Ohrstein, seeing Su Li's inquiring gaze, tacitly stepped aside and said, "Let Lord Dietrich introduce himself to the Lord."

Since things had come to this, Dietrich, who had been keeping his head down, finally couldn't avoid it any longer. He had to raise his head and said to Su Li, "Greetings, Lord. Sharja be with you, may you be far from all diseases."

Seeing his appearance, everyone couldn't help but laugh, struggling to hold back their smiles.

The handsome middle-aged man's face was bruised around his eyes, like a panda, obviously having just been beaten up, and looked very embarrassed.

Dietrich was well aware of how bad his situation was, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Lord, we have deployed four religious icons here, one of which is a large shrine, a statue of Sharja, installed between the bath and the fountain. The rat-men won't notice anything. It is inscribed with a passive divine spell, Light of Life, a powerful divine spell that can illuminate the target's heart and dispel darkness and fear."

"If the rat-men's mages use curses or fear effects, it can make our knights immune to their negative curses and control."

Immunity to fear is a very powerful ability.

In a small-scale close combat battle, even magical fear caused by a scarecrow that controls an opponent for two seconds is fatal enough. This could lead to the rat-men stabbing multiple times, seriously injuring a knight.

"Another religious icon is inscribed with a divine spell [Enhanced Healing]. After activating this religious icon, it can bless our knights with healing every 10 seconds. However, this is a shrine built into the wall, and golden light will shine when releasing the blessing. If the rat-men break this shrine, the effect will be lost."

"The other two religious icons are from the Church of the Sun Goddess, and Ron will introduce them to you."

"Dietrich, you despicable bastard, you never remember me for good things, but you never leave me out of bad things. Back in Heiligerburg, when you went to the obstetrics and gynecology department to see the beautiful noblewomen, you always acted secretly and alone. When their husbands brought their clans to your door, you dragged me along to help you take the punches and kicks!" An angry roar rang out from the grass in a corner, and Ron stood up from the ground in exasperation.

Su Li looked in the direction of the voice and finally couldn't help but laugh heartily. Ron's face had a huge shoe print, and two streams of blood were flowing down his nose. He looked extremely funny, standing next to Dietrich's panda-like face. They didn't look like two serious religious patriarchs, but rather like two bear children who had just come back from a fight!

Dietrich, facing Hildegard and Oliver's surprised gazes, immediately turned red with anger and cursed, "You... you treacherous fellow! As expected, your oath cannot be trusted. You once swore in the name of Sharja that you would never mention any of this in front of outsiders! For this, I even treated you to a 13 gold coin meal! Do you know I almost pawned my pants for that meal?"

Ron said with confidence, "I am no longer a follower of Sharja, so of course I can expose your past. I not only know that you almost pawned your pants, but I also know that you accompanied a female countess of Heiligerburg to pay off your debts, and took her stockings and underwear when you left, lying that it was for your own collection, but in reality, you sold them to the bastards of the Pleasure Seekers Association."

"When the countess found out about this, she was furious and almost mobilized her high-ranking attendants to chase you down throughout the city. Who do you think helped you clean up the mess?"

Su Li couldn't help but啧啧 admire. What a wonderful past.

Looking at their fiery appearance of blowing their beards and glaring, who could imagine that they had previously almost broken off their relationship and would never see each other again?

But this also made Su Li sincerely envious. No wonder some people say that youth is a passionate affair, and the four words passionate affair sound like a group crime.

These two, who now look like venerable and elegant religious patriarchs, were once so young and frivolous, and uninhibited in their youth.