Chapter 64: Buy Them
The Lord's tournament had begun, and Ando and Melia pulled Agamemnon along to watch.
Cicero had no interest in such duels and stayed at the church construction site, shaking his head at the nearby residence being built for Nyx.
Corleon and Nyx sat under the shade of a tree not far from the church.
Now that the church's framework had vaguely taken shape, the sound of hammering echoed throughout the day.
"Are these people warriors of Knight Wolf?" Corleon asked, watching those building Nyx's house.
"Didn't they continue to follow Knight Wolf into battle?"
The family of Knight Wolf, who sent them to help, knew the church offered free Sacraments, so they didn't provide them with food.
And when these people partook in the Sacrament, Corleon recognized them.
"Yes," Nyx looked up; he was copying the Holy Scriptures on a board.
"The power of Dominion isn't merely about controlling the body but about twisting the will."
"They lack protection for their will or the steadfastness of knights."
"Having their will twisted three times in a short period has caused irreversible trauma to their minds."
"This is a loophole; unless a mage repairs them or casts a spell to make them forget, they can't fight normally."
"On the battlefield, they're highly susceptible to stimuli—either charging like madmen or cowardly trying to flee. Both are unacceptable in war."
"Even as family guards, they could easily harm their masters."
"So now, they can only rely on their strength to create value for their lords."
At this point, Nyx paused his copying and sighed.
"In the face of Mystery, ordinary people are still too fragile."
"They were trained as professional warriors. Once they can't fight, they become laborers. But how can laborers' food compare to that of professional warriors?"
"Unequal treatment exacerbates their emotional fluctuations, making them more prone to losing control. If they lose control in front of their masters, they'll cause destruction, be captured, and then killed on the spot."
"Even if they can control their emotions, after losing the food supply meant for warriors, their physical strength will rapidly decline, gradually becoming like ordinary laborers. Eventually, as they age, they'll be abandoned by their masters."
"Those who were originally laborers can rely on accumulated experience and relationships with their lords to do odd jobs, farm, or become hunters."
"But their minds are already filled with combat; they can't survive in the outside world."
"Perhaps being swept into becoming bandits wouldn't be a bad outcome, but the current lord won't tolerate bandits in his territory."
Nyx shook his head, lamenting these people's fate.
"Just three short sentences, without even lifting a hand, and they'll die a slow death."
"That's the terror of Mystery," he subtly hinted to Corleon.
Corleon withdrew his gaze and sat on the grass.
"They are brave warriors and shouldn't be treated this way," he said.
"But they're also unstable individuals. Precisely because they're brave warriors, the damage they cause is greater than that of civilians," Nyx replied.
"Knight Wolf has already treated them well."
"At least they can live a normal life for a few more years."
"The Hughes family demoted the sole survivor who returned to them directly to a slave. His price is now listed on the Rat Path."
"Of course, he was originally a slave, merely the guard of a deceased Prospective Knight."
"Those who fled out of fear have also been issued bounties by the Hughes family."
A gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness.
"I know the priest sympathizes with them, but this can't be changed," Nyx spoke coldly.
"The simplest way to help them repair their twisted will is to find a mage. But those who sell themselves to lords for magical research charge enough for one service to train ten professional warriors."
Corleon fell silent.
He recalled the faith he sensed in them when distributing the Sacrament.
With the ability of [Revelation], even without looking at the Light Orb, Corleon could vaguely sense who had faith.
Perhaps it was due to the Blessing before battle, or maybe Corleon's final [The Lord is Here] saved them from being controlled.
They had developed some faith in the Lord.
Because of this, Corleon led them in a prayer during the Sacrament.
At that moment, Corleon saw their tranquility.
"I want to help them," Corleon said.
"Alright, you are benevolent," Nyx, having copied most of the Holy Scriptures, wasn't surprised by Corleon's decision.
As a scholar, he wasn't optimistic rationally but admired Corleon's kindness emotionally.
"I'd like to ask for your help," Corleon stood up and slightly bowed to Nyx.
"Of course, this is a good deed; I will certainly help you," Nyx put down the board, stood up, and bowed to Corleon.
After straightening up, Nyx stepped out of the shade and asked, "So, priest, to what extent do you wish to go?"
"Let them live normally, utilize their strengths, and realize their self-worth," Corleon replied without hesitation.
"Well, that's still too idealistic," Nyx shook his head. "To achieve that, their twisted will must be repaired, which requires a significant cost, unless..."
Nyx stopped.
"Of course, before all that, the priest needs to do one thing."
"What is it?" Corleon understood what Nyx meant but didn't mind asking.
"Buy them."
"Buy them?" Corleon was a bit surprised. "Would their lords be willing to sell? And they're not slaves, right?"
"Then let me put it nicely: it's the cost of transferring their household registration and settling them," Nyx said with a smile.
"..." Corleon fell silent.
"As for whether they're willing to sell," Nyx continued.
"If it's ordinary people or other families wanting to buy, it's naturally difficult."
"But if the church purchases them, and I mediate, it's still possible."
Nyx showed a reserved smile.
"As a scholar, I not only provide information consulting for the lord but also handle the territory's administration."
"Sir Helvin is a diligent lord, but he spends most of his time at banquets. I handle most of the territory's administration for him. In the process, I've formed some friendships with them, so they'll give me face in such matters."
"Moreover, the current lord has no plans to appoint a new scholar."
So, the simplest way for their family's children to receive enlightenment is to maintain a friendship with a scholar 'neighbor.'
Corleon understood Nyx's implication and asked, "Then how much gold do I need to prepare?"
"Rather than gold, what I need to know is how many people the priest can shelter."
Every lord values the church greatly, and depending on the lord's needs, they impose different restrictions on the church.
Nyx knew that Sir Helvin only allocated one priest and one monk position to the Flower Church.
This was a suggestion he made after realizing Helvin had lost hope in the church.
He just didn't know how many positions the current lord had given Corleon.
"Four priests, twelve monks, twenty church armed personnel, and each village is allowed to build a small church, which can have one priest and one monk," Corleon replied without hesitation.
"Oh, what a generous lord," Nyx was quite surprised.
These positions were comparable to those of major nobles' churches, and they were even allowed to form church armed forces.
"With these positions, it's enough. There were fewer than thirty survivors from that battle, and not all of them will be sold."
"What about the gold?" Corleon asked.
"Let's discuss the gold after I finish negotiating," Nyx shook his head.
"Sometimes, special resources like friendship are more valued by these families."