Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

In the south of Yoda, Padua is like a shining cultural pearl. It is not only the cultural and academic exchange center of the region, but also the city with the most concentrated Yoda Imperial Academy.

There are many schools here, and people from all over Yoda gather here to study. In addition, with the end of Ludwig's reign of terror, people can often be seen promoting their ideas in public places in the city.

However, the presence of so many full-time students also brings some thorny problems to the city.

They often engage in disruptive behavior such as gathering in groups to make noise and riding their horses recklessly in the city, causing headaches for the local city council leaders.

But what worried them even more was that these students actually gathered together to discuss the politics of the Yoda Empire, and most of their comments were critical. This was undoubtedly a major event that could be severely punished in the imperial capital.

The Public College of Padua is the institution with the strongest faculty in the entire city and also the place where the largest number of forensics gather.

As soon as noon arrived, the school cafeteria became a battlefield for students' ideological confrontation, and a fierce debate began.

"I think that nowadays, serfdom is only in name only. If those people in the Parliament of Nobles want to force serfdom, it will go against the development of society."

One student slammed the table, his eyes determined, and he spoke in a shocking manner, throwing out his views in a loud voice.

If this statement had been made in the imperial capital, the person who said it would have been arrested long ago, but in the relatively relaxed academic atmosphere in Padua, it would not bring about fatal disaster for the time being.

"I think there's something wrong with what you said."

Another student immediately stood up, crossed his arms, frowned, and revealed a hint of disdain in his eyes.

"Serfdom represents the state's control over the lower classes. If serfdom is abolished, a large number of serfs will rush into the cities. Will the cities be able to afford it?"

He raised his voice and spoke rapidly, trying to justify the necessity of serfdom by the city's carrying capacity.

"Moreover, these serfs will steal jobs from the citizens, causing conflicts..."

He then added, listing the possible disadvantages of abolishing serfdom.

"Stop talking nonsense."

The students who proposed the idea of ​​abolishing serfdom sneered with disdain on their faces.

"It's because you are the son of the manor owner and you are afraid that the serfs working for you will run away."

He pointed out incisively that the other party might have selfish motives to protect his own interests, which caused many students around him to laugh.

"Bullshit!"

The accused student's face turned red, he shouted angrily, and waved his arms emotionally.

"Don't spit on anyone!"

"That's it, otherwise why are you so anxious?"

The other party refused to give in, with the corners of his mouth raised in a mocking smile and his eyes full of disdain.

"I think you deserve a beating!"

The enraged student slammed his fist on the table, causing the plates and cups on the table to bounce.

Soon, the two started to wrestle with each other, punching and kicking each other. The scene was very chaotic. The students around them did not hide when they saw this. Most of them excitedly cheered and shouted loudly to cheer them on.

"Stop fighting, and go to the Padua Cathedral. There are hundreds of priests from other places protesting at the door!"

A shout exploded in the cafeteria like wildfire, and the students were instantly excited.

The students who were still fighting were shocked by the news and stopped, and the booing in the cafeteria came to an abrupt end.

Then the students rushed out of the cafeteria, fearing that they would not be able to grab a good seat if they arrived too late.

The midday sun was hanging high in the sky above the Padua Cathedral. The scorching sunlight shone on the magnificent stone exterior walls of the church, reflecting a dazzling white light.

A few meters in front of the main entrance of the church, hundreds of people dressed in priest and deacon uniforms were protesting loudly and passionately.

Some of them waved Bibles, some held high banners, and some muttered something, but the noise from the crowd around them was so loud that even the fastest students could not hear what they were protesting against.

"Hey, what's going on up ahead?"

A student patted the shoulder of a citizen who was watching the excitement nearby and asked curiously.

When the citizen saw that it was the students who were causing trouble all day, he immediately showed a disgusted expression and dodged to the side as if he was avoiding the plague:

"It's all about indulgences. You students should mind your own business and go back home."

After saying that, he hurried away.

The student who was poured cold water was not discouraged, but continued to look for other witnesses.

Soon, his eyes were fixed on a man dressed as a butler.

When asked, Minzer frowned slightly. He was dragged by Walden, the priest junior, to attend the Padua Theological Conference. He originally thought that he could meet some colleagues from other places and build some connections here, but he didn't expect to encounter such a scene as soon as he arrived.

He sighed and explained in a low voice:

"I heard that the bishop from the French King's Office made some kind of indulgence, which was selling very well. When our local priests heard about it, they didn't want to be outdone, so they followed suit. As a result, the two groups fought here to grab the business..."

"The people from the French King's Office said that their indulgences were brought from the Holy City and were much more effective than ours. The local priests were so angry that they said that if they didn't sell them, no one else would sell them. They also quoted words from the Bible, accusing the other party of violating doctrine and making private profits..."

“Oh, I see…”

The student nodded thoughtfully, turning his gaze to the priests who were stopped outside the cordon by the city soldiers.

Some of the priests and deacons were making impassioned speeches, some were gesturing at passages from the Bible, and others were pushing and arguing with the soldiers. The scene was in chaos.

"And yet he is still a clergyman."

The student curled his lips in disdain.

"After all this fuss, they talk about doctrine, but all they think about is business."

His words resonated with the surrounding citizens. An old man with wrinkles on his face sneered:

"That's right! I heard someone say a few days ago that some priests, in order to sell more indulgences, even skipped the most basic confession ceremony and just collected the money and left it at that."

"No!"

A younger citizen echoed:

"My cousin works as a handyman in a monastery. He said that the priests there are too lazy to do anything and don't even listen to the confession. They just ask the offender to pay money and say a few prayers and that's it."

The students were stunned. They originally thought that clergy should be the most pious and most doctrinal-abiding group of people, but they didn't expect that such things would happen in private.

"Now what?"

The student turned to Minzer and asked.

“Will these protesting priests succeed?”

Minzer shook his head:

"It's hard to say. The French King's Office has the support of the Archbishop, and our local bishop dare not offend them easily. And..."

He lowered his voice.

"I heard that the bishop himself also made a lot of money from it."

At this moment, the door of the church suddenly opened, and a group of people dressed in gorgeous bishop costumes walked out.

They looked serious and were followed by a large number of sword-wielding guards.

Seeing this scene, the protesting priests immediately quieted down but still refused to disperse.

The leading bishop looked at the crowd around him and said loudly:

"The clergy who are invited to participate in the theological debate conference enter the cathedral, and all other outsiders leave immediately!"