Pirate Kingship

Chapter 1106: Chapter 575: Anyone Who Robs Us Will Transform to Be Just Like Us!

There was no suspense at the election meeting of the Impoverished Knights Order in the castle beneath the mountain.

Under the guidance of the Grand Abbot, the only remaining Fifth Order Legendary Holy Knight of the Order, Deputy Commander Jacques de Molay was successfully elected as the new Grand Master.

The Holy Knight, clad in bright armor and draped in a white blood-cross cloak, showed little joy on his face and instinctively touched a metal box hanging at his waist.

It was etched with densely packed Holy Cross Seals, firmly sealing the contents inside, preventing any trace of the Cursed Object’s aura from leaking.

Clearly, just like in the "Traitor" script, he indeed took out the [Ghost Hand Dagger] in advance to avoid any accident.

Jacques de Molay stood solemnly in front of all the members of the Knights Order, looking at faces either weathered or full of youthful vigor, he said in a deep voice:

"Members, our Impoverished Knights Order has reached its most perilous moment..."

His first sentence in office caused a stir among the members.

In the front row, Rediaweike, a Fourth Order Holy Knight and the "Chief Knight" of the Order, directly voiced the others’ doubts:

"Grand Master, it shouldn’t be that serious, right?

Although the esteemed [Sacred Fist] has fallen into the [Noah’s Ark] at the Edge of the World, the Life Gem hasn’t shattered, and our situation is far better than the Order of Malta Knights next door.

Moreover, we are the world’s first Knights Order, under the protection of the legion title [Sacred Heart with No Regrets].

As long as we adhere to the Order’s maxim: ’A strong heart must remain unscathed,’ maintain a firm belief, training Holy Knights is much easier than in other Holy Knight groups.

At our peak, we had up to twenty thousand members, one-fifth of whom were Transcendent beings. Even though our main force suffered heavy losses after the fall of the Holy City, we can still rival the other two.

The most crucial point is, we... are wealthy!"

The Chief Knight is the deputy to the Legion Commander, responsible for training newcomers, often bonding with most of the new generation’s pillars, considered the second in command in the military department, and highly reputable.

Upon hearing his remarks, most members nodded repeatedly.

Especially agreeing with the last phrase "wealthy."

This family-run "multinational enterprise" spread across all church nations has developed for hundreds of years.

With the complete fall of the Holy City in Silver Era 1453, the last Crusader nation established on the westward expedition perished.

While the military tasks of the Impoverished Knights Order became less important, they transformed into commercial giants.

The Order has branches all over the continent, and the continent’s citizens engage with the Order’s commercial network almost daily.

Be it working on the Order’s farms or vineyards, or having a loan from the Order, essentially working for them in another form. freewebnσvel.cѳm

It might sound exaggerated to say: "There are three indispensable things for continental residents: Death, Taxes, and the Impoverished Knights Order," but at this rate, that day will undoubtedly come.

Even more importantly, the legion title [Sacred Heart with No Regrets] allows them to twist the "Eight Great Virtues," downplaying some aspects, like sincerely believing in wealth, which is far easier than penance or keeping poverty.

With sufficient conviction, one can achieve effects similar to those of undefeated normal Holy Knights of the same rank.

It’s akin to the motto "Heaven above, I won’t share a sky with gambling and drugs," or "Devil, I sacrifice my pure love, only for a beautiful facade and endless money," comparable in essence.

It’s precisely due to their unwavering faith in wealth that they transformed from the launch of two founders on horseback to today’s world-renowned Holy Cross International Bank.

Many pursue accounting alongside holy knight studies.

There are even outstanding individuals awakening relevant professional abilities of the Gold Sequence, almost creating new professions, so the transition from "Impoverished Knights Order" to "Knights Order of Wealth" is merely a name’s change away.

With such capability, who wouldn’t be proud?

However, what the Grand Master said next brought them crashing down from their lofty aspirations.

"Three days ago, the saints of the Church sent me a message asking us to move the Order’s headquarters and the Space Secret Vault of Holy Cross International Bank to St. Peter’s Cathedral.

The Pope even intends for us, the Impoverished Knights Order, to merge with the Order of Malta Knights and become the Protective Army of the Church directly under the Papal Throne.

This is why I’ve asked you to bring over properties, ledgers, deposit slips, and loan contracts from regional divisions into the Space Secret Vault, primarily."

The high-ranking members’ hearts sank, immediately recognizing the crux:

"This is the Papal Throne unable to sustain itself, starting to leech off our branches.

No, this is no longer leeching, but a move to swallow us whole, including skin and bones."

Though the Order reverently serves the Church, it is essentially an independent organization.

After the Crusades ended, the significance and historical mission of the three major Knights Orders somewhat blurred.

Yet they still retained strong military power, unfettered by the governments where they resided, making them practically a country within a country in various nations.

This has led to highly tense relations between them and the King and Nobility, particularly with the Nobility of Iris constantly suspecting the Impoverished Knights Order strives to create their own nation.

Just like the Knights of the Holy Mother, embraced by the Protestant Doctrine, establishing a duchy in Prussia, and the Malta Knights Order under Orthodox Church, claiming kingship on Malta Island.