The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Chapter 1678 - 473: The Distance Between Faith and Legend

The Judicial Court is the King's accomplice.

Edward is not the only one who had such an awakening; a minor figure far away in the Sparrow Wood Territory also couldn't help but have this thought in his mind.

His name is Hank.

But unlike Duke Edward, the Duke certainly knows that thing is just a saying, something meant to be told to outsiders.

While Old Hank truly feels this way from the heart—

Saint Sis is probably really dead.

"By order of the 'Radiant Knight' Heigmer Devalu and the Grand Referee Ximenes, to demonstrate the mercy of the King and the Holy City, and to save the other starving compatriots in the Twilight Province, Sparrow Wood Territory, as a devout model, now my master requires you to offer your harvest! All the grain will be uniformly allocated and distributed to those who need it! This is supreme merit, my master will witness your devotion..."

In the square of Wheat Field Village.

A cavalryman riding a tall horse came in front of the villagers, cleared his throat, and read aloud the decision of the Judicial Court in a loud voice.

The autumn sun should have been warm, yet at this moment, falling on the villagers of Wheat Field Village, it only made them feel a chilling cold from their very bones.

Just yesterday, these people walked into the village with kindly faces, praising them as the most devout citizens of the entire Twilight Province, the most loyal lambs of Saint Sis.

But upon seeing the grain exuding the aroma of wheat, those "shepherds" immediately put on a completely different face, urging them to prioritize the greater good by handing over the still-warm grain.

It must be said, Ximenes is a skillful Judge, his expertise certainly isn't limited to killing.

He knows how to use conciliatory measures on devout believers, which is the so-called "carrot and stick" strategy.

For example, those villages that cooperate with the Judicial Court's "procedural justice" will find themselves adequately fed, while those resisting the Judicial Court's cleansing will be treated as heretics and subjected to focused "settlement."

The children who lost their fathers of course harbor hatred for the Church, but now these irreligious orphans might first face hostility from other villagers. With just minor adjustments in the distribution of grain, they can transform the villagers' hatred of the Church into internal animosities among the villagers.

Now the entire Twilight Province is starving, only the farmers in Sparrow Wood Territory have grain, so this grain of course must come from here.

And the King is a clever pretender in sleep; upon waking, he waves his hand grandly and sends orders to the Earl.

Looking at the murderous Judicial Court and thinking of the dagger under his pillow, Count Thelon pondered repeatedly, realizing his mere hundred pounds of flesh truly wasn't enough for them to cut. Ultimately, he gritted his teeth and decided not to take sides, letting these people backed by God fight it out.

Now he has become the most devout person, staying inside the castle's church all day long to humbly learn theological knowledge from the Priest.

The Judicial Court knows he's a fool, they simply don't bother with him. The Salvation Army certainly won't force him to go to his death, after all, replacing him with someone who curries favor with the Church would only be more troublesome?

It's just unfortunate for the farmers in Wheat Field Village.

"...This is our grain! Why should we hand it over?!"

Before the cavalryman could finish speaking, a voice suppressed with anger erupted from the crowd.

It was Hank's neighbor, a burly man known for having a fiery temper. His face reddened with anger, voicing the sentiment of all the villagers.

Soon, voices echoed in response.

"That's right!"

"Not a single Priest died in Sparrow Wood Territory! Isn't that enough to prove our devotion? When the Green Forest Army came here, we were the ones who protected them!"

"We don't oppose assisting the citizens of Twilight City, as we had once sheltered them during their plight... At least let them buy it with money! They're not without it!"

This clear reasoning truly couldn't be imagined by the farmers of Wheat Field Village; most of it came from the outlanders who were fortunately settled here thanks to the Holy Daughter.

They came from as far as Grey Stone Town, and as near as Twilight City. Now, they've all started new lives here, naturally needing to speak for their new hometown.

Seeing these stubborn farmers, the cavalryman furrowed his brows, about to scold them not to forget their status.

However, at this moment, a hand wearing a black glove gently lifted, preventing him from admonishing someone to stop at the precipice.

A black-robed judge accompanying them slowly stepped forward from the team.

He was tall and thin, under the hood, only a pair of cold eyes were visible, staring like a snake at the roaring farmer.

"Because... this is the Earl's land." The judge's voice was calm and hoarse, without a trace of warmth, "The crops grown on this land naturally belong to the Lord first, then to you."

The burly man's momentum instantly diminished.

Under the law of the Ryan Kingdom, this statement is an indubitable iron rule. The grain produced by the peasants must first be handed over to the Earl, and then distributed as porridge by the Earl's Steward.

In fact, the Salvation Army initially performed this duty, providing them meals while they farmed, which was their main incentive to go and open up land.

Although the Holy Daughter promised that once the crops grew they would all belong to them, she now had been driven away by the Judicial Court, not even lasting until harvest.

Reason tells the burly man not to mention this, but he still harbored a bit of unwillingness, squeezing out a hesitant defense through grit teeth.