Pirate Kingship.

Chapter 576 Anyone who steals our money will become like us!
In the castle at the foot of the mountain, there was no suspense at the election meeting of the Poor Knights.

Under the chairmanship of the Grand Master, Deputy Master Jacques de Molay, the only remaining fifth-level legendary paladin in the Knights Templar, was successfully elected as the new Grand Master.

The paladin, wearing bright armor and a white cloak with a blood-red cross, did not show much joy on his face. Instead, he subconsciously raised his hand and touched a metal box hanging around his waist.

It was engraved with numerous holy cross seals, which sealed the object inside tightly and prevented any breath of the cursed object from leaking out.

Apparently, just as it was written in the "Rape" script, he really took out the [Ghost Hand Knife] in advance to prevent any accidents.

Jacques de Molay stood solemnly in front of all the members of the Knights, looking at their faces, some weathered and some young and vigorous, and said in a deep voice:

"Everyone, our Poor Knights have reached the most dangerous moment."

The first words he said after taking office caused an uproar among the members.

In the front row, Redjavik, a fourth-rank paladin and the Knight Master of the Knights, asked the question on behalf of the others:
"Captain, it shouldn't be that serious, right?

Although Your Excellency [Holy Fist] has fallen into [Noah's Ark] at the edge of the world, the gem of life has not been broken. Our situation is much better than that of the Knights of Malta next door.

Besides, we are the world's first knight order, protected by the legion title [Sacred Heart Without Regrets].

As long as you follow the Knights' motto: "If the heart is strong, it will be safe", and maintain firm faith, the difficulty of training a Paladin is much easier than that of other Paladin groups.

At our peak, we had 20,000 members, one-fifth of whom were extraordinary people. Even though our main force suffered heavy losses after the fall of the Holy City, we are still able to compete with the other two.

The most important thing is that we have money!"

The Knight Steward is the deputy of the Legion Commander. He is usually responsible for training new recruits and can get along well with most of the new generation backbones. He is considered the second-in-command in the military department and has a high prestige.

Hearing his words, most members nodded repeatedly.

I especially agree with the last sentence: "rich".

This "multinational enterprise" of theirs, which is spread across all church countries, has been developing for hundreds of years.

With the complete fall of the Holy City in 1453 of the Silver Age, the last Crusader state established on the Westward Expedition was completely destroyed.

Although the military mission of the Poor Knights has become less important, it is poised to completely transform from a military organization into a business giant.

The Knights Templar had branches all over the continent, and the people of the continent dealt with the business network of the Poor Knights Templar almost every day.

They either worked on the Order's farms or vineyards, or they had loans from the Order and worked for them in another way.

Now it may be a bit of an exaggeration to say: "There are three things that mainland residents cannot live without: death, taxes and the Knights of the Poor," but if things continue to develop in this way, that day will come sooner or later.

More importantly, the legion title [No Regrets of the Sacred Heart] allows them to distort the "Eight Virtues" and avoid the important issues. For example, believing in wealth from the bottom of one's heart is much easier than practicing asceticism and keeping poverty.

As long as the faith is strong enough, you can achieve the same effect as a normal invincible paladin of the same level.

It has the same effect as "God, I can't live with gambling and drugs" and "Devil, I want to sacrifice my pure love, all I want is a beautiful appearance and endless money."

It was precisely because of their firm belief in wealth that they were able to transform from a poor knight order with two founders charging on one horse into the Holy Cross International Bank, which is now famous all over the world.

Many people study accounting in addition to Paladinhood.

There are even some outstanding ones who have awakened the relevant professional abilities of the Gold and Yuan Sequence, and there is a tendency to create new professions. The only difference from "The Knights of Poverty" to "The Knights of Wealth" is a name.

Who wouldn't be proud with such strength?
But the next words from the Grand Commander made them fall from the clouds in an instant.

“The saints of the church sent me a message the day before yesterday, asking us to move the Knights’ headquarters and the space secret vault of the Holy Cross International Bank to St. Peter’s Cathedral.

The Pope even intends to merge our Poor Knights and the Knights of Malta to become a crusading army directly under the Holy See.

This is also the main reason why I asked you to bring all the assets, account books, deposit certificates, and loan contracts of the branches in various places and put them in the secret space vault."

The top management was startled and immediately realized the crux of the problem:
"The Holy See can't make ends meet anymore, so it's starting to suck the blood of our branches.

No, this is not just sucking blood, it's swallowing us whole, skin and bones."

Although the Knights Templar regard the Church as their suzerain, they are essentially an independent organization.

After the end of the Crusades, the significance and historical mission of the three major knightly orders may have become somewhat unclear.

However, they still retain strong military power and do not obey the control of their local governments. They are like a country within a country in each country.

This led to a highly tense relationship between them and the king and nobles, especially the nobles of Iris, who were always suspicious that the Poor Knights were committed to building their own country.

Just as the Knights of the Notre Dame, who embraced Protestantism, established a duchy in Prussia, and the Knights of Malta, who belonged to the Orthodox Church, proclaimed themselves kings on the island of Malta.

In the past, the church supported them from behind, but now this backer is also going to take action against them.

Jacques de Molay sighed:
"This is a situation where we have a wolf in front and a tiger behind. I'm afraid the Church and the Iris Kingdom have already reached a deal in secret, or at least a tacit understanding. It all depends on who will be the first to take action against us.

Once they take action, other countries will probably rush over and divide up all the Knights' industries in various countries."

All the paladins present were furious:
"Master [Holy Fist] just fell into the Ark for the church's mission. Is the church going to seize our property? We will fight him."

"Everyone in the Knights Templar has shed blood for the church and made contributions to the church. It won't be easy for them to abandon their enemies after their lives are gone."

"It's the same with the Iris Kingdom. This is the accumulation of generations of poor knights. No one is qualified to take it away."

No one is willing to accept the "good intentions" of the saints and sit back and wait for death.

Although both families only want money and have not mentioned killing anyone, the same thing still applies: this is all our money!

If a person has no money while alive, what’s the difference between that and being dead?
Maybe there is still a little difference, that is, life is worse than death!

You guys want to take it away just by talking? You are just dreaming!

If you want money, first ask their guns and swords if they agree, then ask their poisoned crossbows and heavy armored combined battalion if they agree!
Obviously, as a set of export-oriented equipment sold in packages, Byron did not just sell it to one "rich dog owner". His philosophy has been consistent: he only recognizes money, not people, and he will sell it to anyone who is a rich dog owner.

Besides.

"Sha Sha Me", the most powerful killer intermediary platform in the online financial street, has also launched a "dead hand insurance".

As long as the customer pays enough money to "Sha Ma", the insurance clause will be automatically triggered after the customer's death, and the insurance premium will be used to reward killers and bounty hunters to start an endless revenge campaign.

Until the target is killed, or the balance is exhausted.

So if you want to deal with them, you have to ask them whether they agree to give you their money!

Of course, both the Iris Kingdom and the Orthodox Church are the top powers in the Old Continent, so it is hard to say how safe these things are.

Moreover, this is the territory of Iris. Once the relationship breaks out, enemies will only come in an endless stream. The [Iron Law of Royal Power] in the country is not just for show.

The Knights are no longer the strongest army that can confront the Star-Moon Empire head-on, and the number of extraordinary people is only a few hundred.

The atmosphere became visibly heavy.

"Everyone, since the Iris and the church that once supported us are no longer reliable, how about we find another backer?"

I don't know who suddenly shouted this, but it caused ripples in many people's hearts.

It also exposed the compromise and weakness of the petty bourgeoisie. Although they had more money than at the beginning, the knife in their hand was obviously duller.

At this time, the Knight General Redjavik once again said meaningfully:
"Most of us are Iris people and devout knights of the Creator. There are not many forces that have the courage and ability to withstand pressure from both sides at the same time."

Without him calling out names, many people subconsciously raised their heads and looked towards the other side of the strait.

Across the Strait of Dover is the former Kingdom of Hattings, now the North Sea Empire.

Catherine, one of the two queens of the Pirate Emperor [King of the Wild Hunt] Byron Lancaster [Mithril Dragon], has just ascended to godhood and become a fifth-level Mithril Dragon King, and was crowned the title of the Holy Golden Empire [Queen of Finance].

After more than a week of fermentation, news about the indigenous Taino people on Yucatan Island had already spread.

Hundreds and thousands of city-states and the two indigenous empires of Azik and Taya have all become a thing of the past. From now on, there is only the Holy Golden Empire ruled by the [Queen of Finance] Catherine!

They even sent diplomatic notes to various countries in accordance with the etiquette of the Old World, preparing to establish diplomatic relations with them.

The upper echelons of all the continental countries were all shocked. They all knew that the Wild Hunt had a good relationship with the natives, but they didn't know that they had conquered the entire Yucatan Island without making any noise.

Devoured the best of the Bantaan Islands in one gulp.

Byron's title of "Pirate King of the Sapphire Sea" instantly became well-deserved.

You know, the couple, [King of the Wild Hunt], [Queen of War], and [Queen of Finance], are all top-notch warriors who combine the titles of legend, pseudo-god, and king.

It also has two empires, a population of nearly 30 million, and the world's number one industrialization capacity.

Even the five Protestant saints immediately recognized St. Byron's status as the "Messiah" and began to actively spread his holy name in the parish.

As long as he can be promoted to a demigod, it will be natural for the Protestant Church to recognize him as the Holy Spirit.

This was the treatment that the Son of God had never received before he was nailed to the cross.

The only difference between the two is that the [Son of God], not to mention not having a few divisions, doesn't even have a guardian knight, yet he dares to say that he wants to be the king of everyone - the "King of Kings".

Although His Majesty Saint Byron never boasts, he actually has two powerful empires in his hands, and he can have as many divisions as he wants!

I am different from the Son of God. If you don’t understand the teachings, this Holy Spirit also knows a thing or two.

Who the hell can stand this?
Therefore, it’s not that Byron didn’t want to continue to keep a low profile, but that he could no longer hide it.

Certain saints and the Iris Kingdom were obviously getting really anxious.

In this situation, no one can say comforting words like “I know you are in a hurry, but don’t worry for now.”

After the "Knight Chief" Redjavik gave the hint, he kept silent and silently drew a triangular holy emblem in his mind.

"Praise Saint Byron!"

Apparently, this traitor was another follower who was inspired by Byron after reading the forbidden book "The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven".

The timing is right. When they are in dire straits, these former colleagues will naturally know which straw to grab.

The paladins, whose spiritual sensitivity was incredibly sharp, suddenly felt a violent vibration coming from far away under their feet.

Then the "border maze" that concealed the attackers' tracks opened, and dazzling artillery flames and countless meteors illuminated half of the sky.

The new Grand Commander's expression suddenly changed:
"Enemy attack——! Divine domain deployed!"

Under his feet was the Knights Templar’s ​​military fortress, which was also the Creator’s church. With advance preparations, the reaction was quick enough.

From the incomplete zero-level holy relic [Shroud] enshrined on the altar in front of the cross, a beam of light shot up into the sky and expanded into a semicircular light barrier around the fortress.

Although like the "Holy Foreskin" in the hands of the Knights of Malta that can make anyone pregnant if stared at, its main function is not combat, but both can build the divine domain based on the legal network and the faith of the clergy.

next moment.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The bombardment of [Second Level Holy Relic: God of War] had already crashed down onto the light barrier.

Relics are graded based on historical influence, power, and mystery, rather than direct destructive power.

After all, a ship-borne artillery that is not even a rare object can potentially kill a mid-sequence transcendent with a single shot, let alone the most powerful artillery in the world, the [God of War]?

The divine domain suddenly began to flicker violently.

On a branch at the top of the mountain, the raven Fujin slowly opened his eyes, and countless red light streaks passing through the sky were reflected in his black pupils.

Byron had been counting the days, ready to intervene when Louis XI took action. Naturally, he would not relax for a moment and followed his cousin closely for a whole week.

My eyes almost went blind again, and the damage was irreversible.

The inexplicable disappearance of Nicholas, whose identity was replaced by a "rapist", did not prevent Louis XI from continuing to enjoy himself.

I was sad for less than two hours before I found a new love. And what happened next is really hard to describe.

“The hard times are finally over.

Louis XI, after today your good days will begin to count down."

At this time, Byron was watching the [Second Level Holy Relic: God of War] show its power.

Although Louis XI had long known that the Iris Kingdom had considerable wealth and had prepared a secret weapon in advance, he still underestimated the power of this treasure.

Just one gun was equivalent to a salvo from a small fleet, and the firepower was enough to cover a small city.

The level of the second-level holy relic is a bit low, and it has a series of defects such as it can only be fired once every three hours; it can only fire three times in a row at the expense of the opportunity in the next month; it weighs forty tons and can only be used on land.

He still felt that this treasure was meant for him, and he didn't think it was unworthy of him.

At the same time, in the Strait of Dover, the legendary battleship "Golden Hind" was quietly anchored on the water using sail brakes.

Everything that happened in Tulip Castle was presented in the captain's room.

The “Master Knight” was in charge of the Poor Knights, Fokine was in charge of Louis XI, and Muni was always keeping an eye on Mercurius. The three parties with interests were all under control.

In particular, the [God of Commerce] who was determined to find his father God had returned to Florence in a different identity. He turned out to be Grand Duke Cosimo, the head of the Ferdinand family.

In the study, he spread out the History of the Silver Continent and quietly followed the changes in the situation.

Byron was determined to kill Wu Nihan with his opponent and never let him escape again.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read too many Byron conspiracy theories.

That night, after falling asleep with the sweet-smelling queens in his arms, he immediately had a nightmare.

I saw the [God of the Wild Hunt] again, but under the divine light, he was no longer a human, but a monster with half of his body eaten away by something unknown.

The words He said were not: "Come to me quickly", but He was shouting: "Don't come! Don't come!"

Then, countless tentacles suddenly stretched out from the black eye socket where an eye was missing and instantly pulled him in.

But he did not fall onto the chopping board or into the frying pan. Instead, he was tied to the altar on behalf of a certain existence, and his body was completely unable to move. His situation was no less tragic than dying of ALS in his previous life.

This dream is really nonsensical.

Even after Byron woke up and found that his sisters were wrapped around him like an octopus, as if reality was a reflection of his dreams, he did not completely let down his guard.

Therefore, the stone of "human treachery" thrown to test the waters is particularly important.

In another scene, the entire fortress has been completely surrounded by Iris soldiers.

In addition to the [Second Level Holy Relic: God of War], there were also large artillery units that had already been deployed when the general offensive began.

With the blast of artillery fire, the heavy armored combined battalion, which the Knights had high hopes for, was targeted by concentrated fire and was the first to be shot down before they even discovered where the enemy was.

What followed was the rapidly fading divine realm. Even with the protection of the [Shroud] and the divine realm, the fall of the Poor Knights was only a matter of time.

The Iris Army arrived too quickly and too hastily, leaving no time for the new leader to integrate his forces.

"Iris's artillery units and cannon-casting technology are among the best in the entire continent. Once we get them, we can just make up for the shortcomings of the army."

Aunt Meganilla and cousin [Chameleon] Jacqueline are both by Byron's side, and they know the most about the armaments of their kingdom.

When firearms first became popular decades ago, artillery units were extremely expensive.

Cannonsmiths and gunners could only travel around the world as mercenaries, looking for opportunities to serve military powers.

Among the [Gunsmiths] in the [Craftsmen] branch of the Tower Sequence, the most famous one is the fifth-level legendary cannon maker Urban.

He once cast a giant cannon for the Star-Moon Empire, with a caliber of 889 mm and a shell weighing 270 kg.

In the year 1453 of the Silver Age, the holy city that had been impregnable for seven hundred years was shattered to pieces by the roar of Urban's cannon, announcing the complete demise of the Crusader States and the arrival of the God of War on the battlefield.

During the same period, Joan of Arc was also skilled in the use of stone-throwing cannons. Following her goddess of victory, the soldiers captured one barrier after another, and the siege line of Hastings completely collapsed within 6 days.

From then on, Iris became the country that attached the most importance to the construction of artillery power in the entire continent.

Afterwards, with the help of Jacques Cole, a fifth-level legend of the Jinyuan sequence [Golden Eyes], Charles VII reformed the tax system and levied a large number of new taxes such as the poll tax.

This gave the Valois dynasty unprecedented financial strength, and it finally established a national standing army that included powerful artillery.

It was with the help of these artillery that Charles VII, the victorious king, was able to recapture all the fortresses that had been captured by the Hattings within a year.

Byron dared to say that his navy was the best in the world, even the Invincible Fleet had to stand aside, but as an offshore country, there was indeed a gap between him and Iris in the construction of the army and field artillery.

“But it doesn’t matter.

Why did you carve your name on my crown of irises? These treasures will be mine sooner or later."

There were repeated bombardments from artillery units, combined with the [King's Army - Gallic Rooster] activated by Louis XI himself to enhance the effect of breaking the law.

The divine domain did not last long before it was destroyed, and screams were heard from the fortress.

A clergyman came forward with a rescript and announced the crimes of the Poor Knights:

"heresy, betrayal of the church, evil god worship, blasphemy of religious rituals, corruption, depravity, fraud, homosexuality"

In particular, the charge of "homosexuality". The emblem of the Knights Templar was two knights riding the same horse, which was originally a symbol of poverty, but Louis XI made a big fuss about it and said it was a symbol of homosexuality.

There was a shouting and cursing in the fortress.

Louis XI, however, remained calm and turned a deaf ear to it.

In fact, the person who wronged you knows how wronged you are better than you do.

This was the crime he had fabricated for the Knights Templar based on his own personal experience. No matter whether others believed it or not, he was just doing it for show.

Homosexuality, enslaving minorities to pick cotton, and purple potato faces are all old traditions.

Because they have actually done it, they think you can do it too, and when you wrongly accuse others, you believe it without a doubt.

"You should surrender. All the castles, manors, mines, trading companies and real estates of the Poor Knights in Iris have been seized by the kingdom.

Hand over the treasure vault key obediently, and I won’t kill you.”

In the fortress, listening to the wailing around him, the new Grand Commander Jacques de Molay closed his eyes in pain.

"It's still too late."

There has been a voice echoing in his heart since a week ago, asking him to choose a specific option among various pros and cons.

It is clear that when the crisis is perceived, there are other better options, such as: holding an online meeting through the Financial Street, or temporarily changing the meeting location, etc., which may avoid the attack of Iris.

But under the influence of "lucky mentality", he did not do anything, but was determined to die with Louis XI!

Until now, he has not noticed anything wrong, just like many wise and capable kings in history who died at the hands of "traitors".

With his blood boiling, he opened the metal box hanging around his waist without hesitation and grasped the [Level 1 Cursed Item - Ghost Hand Knife].

The requirement to sacrifice the entire family certainly includes the knife holder himself.

Although Jacques de Molay is a paladin and alone without a wife or children, he is undoubtedly a fifth-level legend.

The quality far exceeds all previous offerings.

call--!
A gust of cold wind blew across the entire battlefield, and everyone got goose bumps as if a ghost was blowing on their shoulders.

The Paladin raised the tip of his sword and cursed Louis XI viciously:
"Whoever steals the property of the Poor Knights will end up like us!"

(End of this chapter)