Throne of the North.

Chapter 443 The power of the Church and the power of the Empire are all in one person

King McReynolds' words left Ryan a little confused, but if you listen to it literally, the matter seems a little scary.

"Humans cannot become gods. Magicians never believe this. The ultimate goal of any magician is to master the magic of killing gods."

"If you want to kill them, you must understand why they are great."

King McReynolds' voice came and went, and his soul seemed far away from the palace.

"So, did you succeed?"

Ryan felt that the legendary magician in front of him might be a little scary to be powerful.

"Not yet. If I succeed, I will become a demigod."

"A life that touches the will of the gods is a demigod."

King McReynolds said this, and after the last word came out, the feeling of weightlessness that Ryan felt disappeared.

"But I still want to thank you for giving me the opportunity. Divine bone potion is very rare. You are really lucky to meet a dying god."

At that time, the godslaying in the world of Gam and Fenrir is still a secret. No one knows what happened on the other side of the plane gate that opened in the Frozen Territory that day.

Having a shared secret brings the relationship between King McReynolds and Ryan to a new level.

"I came here to ask your Majesty, between the Holy See and the Empire, you have to choose one."

Ryan said this, he called the other party the king, and he was no longer facing the identity of a legendary magician.

But the nobles and the king.

King McReynolds didn't answer the question directly, and he didn't seem to want to choose anything.

"The Holy See wants to turn back time to 130 years ago. At that time, the Pope's orders could not be questioned even by the Emperor. The order on the Holy Mountain could make the king abdicate and replace him with any nobleman as the new royal family."

"But this is impossible. Time cannot be turned back, and the Holy See cannot question the inheritance within the royal family."

The King of Serra said this, and it was obvious that he rejected the absolute power of the Holy See.

However, he could not change the power of the Holy See.

"The whole world is bathed in the glory of the Lord of the Dawn. Both the dawn and the light represent the same great being."

"The emperor of the empire is no exception."

"If the Kingdom of Sera surrenders to the Empire, it will definitely die before the Empire, and the Empire will be no exception."

The king in front of him said this, as if he had seen the day that would come sooner or later, when the whole world would be plunged into a sea of ​​blood and corpses, with the empire and the church standing on top of fifty corpses, and finally one of the buildings would collapse.

The world at that time may not be the same as in the past, but there will definitely not be any cannon fodder left.

King McReynolds not only possesses the power of a legendary magician, but also has extremely wise political means. Just like his meditation and retreat, the Serra Kingdom seems to be leaderless, but in fact there is not much chaos.

After listening to this, Ryan also understood the other party's headache.

"It seems that you don't want to choose anything, but you have no choice."

"You can't get away with it by bluffing. His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire has already sent an army into the Kingdom of Andara. When the threat of the orcs disappears, the army will not return to the Empire, but will appear on the border with the Kingdom of Sera."

"The Empire must make more people understand that the emperor's authority can override the pope. This has not been the case for thousands of years, but it will be in the future."

The more powerfully the Holy See suppressed the aristocratic rulers in the past, the more terrifying the backlash force was. There was no way to deal with it before, but with the formation of the Extraordinary Legion, the nobles have the confidence to resist.

Ryan did not doubt what the king said, that one day in the future, an extremely tragic and desperate war would break out.

Is it a challenge from the royal power to the divine power? No, it is a confrontation between all the people who have been suppressed by the Church for thousands of years, a war between the old and the new.

Even if the Vatican wins, it will not be what it is today; even if the empire wins, it will not be what it is today.

"If Your Majesty has not figured out what to do, I do have an immature suggestion."

"Since the Church has become a part of the Kingdom of Serra, Your Majesty cannot divide it, so why not remove some of the Church's power."

"The existence of the Holy See represents an irreconcilable conflict between the Kingdom of Sera and the Empire. The Emperor is only willing to see a Kingdom of Sera without the Holy See."

"Remove some of the power of the Church and add some of the power of the Empire."

King McReynolds looked thoughtful and puzzled.

"In that case, is the Kingdom of Sera still my kingdom?"

"No, this just proves that the Kingdom of Serra will truly become your kingdom. Neither the power of the Church nor the Empire can completely control the authority of the king."

"What do you think should be done?"

The king was obviously interested and wanted to hear Ryan's ideas.

"It's quite simple. The Church used to collect monetary tributes directly from the nobles. Your Majesty can help them so that they can collect taxes from the entire population of the kingdom."

“Give them the power.”

"But the price is that the Church will lose the power to recruit troops on the land of the Kingdom. They can have an army, but it can only be composed of pure believers."

"People have to live, so by then, the Vatican won't have too many troops."

"Strictly speaking, this is not a restriction on the Church, but a restriction on the nobles, making them ineligible to directly provide troops to the Church."

If the three major subjects, politics, military and economy, are all under control, it will be a complete country. If the king and the church possess the power of these three subjects on a piece of land at the same time, it means that there are two countries on this land.

The fact that two countries with complete powers coexist on the same land without any conflicts is due to the fact that the Holy See was too powerful in the past.

Giving the Holy See certain political and economic powers but depriving them of their military powers is equivalent to breaking up the second country on the land and integrating it into the first country.

"This kind of thing has never happened before."

The king's meaning was simple. Such a thing had never happened before. People would become hesitant and reject it because of unfamiliarity. The Holy See would never agree to this sudden change.

"It doesn't matter whether the Holy See agrees or not."

Ryan took a deep breath and finally said:
"This matter requires the recognition and unity of the nobles. In the end, the Holy See will naturally have to agree."

"Of course, the Church might react halfway through, and conflicts leading to war might break out, but in the Kingdom of Sera, this can be avoided."

"As long as Archbishop Adriana of the Holy See does not become the one who commands the Holy See to deny your order, then the Holy See will not be able to prevent this from happening on the land of the Kingdom of Sera."

"I think... Archbishop Adriana would not have such thoughts."

Ryan boldly guessed that if such a proposal had been made in the Andara Kingdom before, needless to say, Pastor Soto would have brought 100,000 Vatican believers to crush all related remarks the next day.

But in the current Kingdom of Sera, Archbishop Adriana has the ability to do it, but will she do it?
Most likely not, because until now, Ryan, who killed a large number of Vatican clergy, has not been strongly condemned by the Vatican.

This was the result of his night of waiting.

Archbishop Adriana must have known about this, but she did not respond.

It was a very bizarre result, but it did not prevent Ryan from using it to convince King McReynolds in front of him.

"Waiting is fruitless. Only by taking the initiative can we become stronger."

"The Empire has changed the world. If the Kingdom of Sera does not keep up, it will probably become a thing of the past."

Ryan gave a heartfelt exhortation, and then made a second suggestion.

Naturally, when changing the power structure of the Holy See, the power of the empire was introduced as a balance and compromise.

"I can build the Northern Brave Guild in the Kingdom of Sera. In the name of fighting against the North, adventurers in the Kingdom of Sera will be eligible to enter the Empire to participate in certain competitions, thus establishing some connection between the Kingdom of Sera and the Empire."

King McReynolds looked at Ryan.

"Is this what you want? You want to gain more power?"

"I'm the best choice, right?"

"I participated in the founding war of the Kingdom of Serra, and the Holy See recognized the establishment of the Kingdom of Serra, so it must recognize my contributions and status in the Kingdom of Serra."

"But if the Kingdom of Sera welcomes another noble from the empire, the Church will naturally doubt your motives and whether you are suspected of betraying Dawn."

"I am the most suitable and only answer." "And what I said is not entirely because of myself. Perhaps you don't know that the Northern Brave Guild does not only belong to me, but there is another person who is also the owner of the Northern Brave Guild."

"One of the empire's electors, His Highness Volvo Columbus, the Northern Brave Guild's entry into the Sera Kingdom means that the empire's electors have power over this place beyond politics."

"But no matter what kind of power it is, the Chosen Emperor has become a part of this land."

"If he becomes the emperor in the future, the Kingdom of Sera will provide him with benefits. If he fails, he will become a marquis. At least for a hundred years, the relationship between the kingdom and the empire will not be strained."

"As for the world a hundred years from now, none of us can predict it, right?"

Ryan persuaded Volvo to invest 10,000 gold coins and finally took advantage of the other party's identity.

The value of this cannot be measured by ten thousand gold coins.

"It is impossible for the Emperor Elect to touch the power of the Kingdom of Serra himself. If that happens, not only will the Church of Dawn have a huge reaction, but the empire will also suspect that he has established a relationship with the Church of Dawn through the Kingdom of Serra. If that happens, he will definitely be the first Emperor Elect to be eliminated."

"I have once again become the most suitable and correct candidate."

In the founding war, in other words, Ryan was the loyal minister of the Serra Kingdom, and the one with the greatest contribution. No one could criticize his power in this land. This was the beautiful virtue of the nobles. Otherwise, other nobles would not be supported in their ideas in the future, because the nobles would think that the noble would not guarantee the interests of his supporters afterwards.

They praise any noble person who deserves praise.

He represents the power of the empire.

Even if the emperor does not recognize it, all the conditions have been met.

At this moment, Ryan finally understood why even a king with all the power in the world would still be constrained by many things. It was not because their power was not absolute, but that the world was never simply black and white.

Just like here, doesn't Ryan represent the power of the empire? But he is a noble of the empire, and the power he exercises on the land of the kingdom has the shadow of more nobles of the empire.

This in itself is a manifestation of power.

Would the Church be willing? The Church would not be willing, but Ryan's founding of the Kingdom of Sera had a historical significance. The Church more than a hundred years ago could make such significance disappear, but now it is more than a hundred years later, time will not go back, and the Church can only pinch its nose and recognize the rules of the nobles.

……

"But, how do we change the power of the Holy See in the Kingdom of Serra?"

King McReynolds was persuaded, and besides, one of the two things had already been accomplished. Since Ryan had put forward the idea, there was no obstacle regarding the power of the empire.

The most difficult thing now is the Holy See.

Even if Archbishop Adriana did nothing, it would be impossible to shake the ancient customs of the Holy See.

This is not stubbornness, but because any change will bring killing and death.

"I have already said that the solution to the problem lies not with the Church itself, but with the nobles."

"The nobles agree. If the Church cannot unite, there is no other choice. If the nobles disagree, then we can replace them with a group of nobles who agree."

"If change means death, then...why not?"

Ryan looked at the king, his eyes as cold and dead as those of the North.

"The southern third of Norris' land is not lacking in nobles, right?"

……

After leaving the king's palace, Ryan walked out and saw Otto, Roland and Keld again.

Ryan nodded to Roland, then looked at Otto.

"Your Highness Otto, you don't seem very satisfied with the Holy See. Do you want to establish a second Flor Empire?"

"I wonder if that hammer can help you accomplish that goal."

Ryan said, causing Otto to scratch his head, not understanding what he meant.

Watching Ryan's departing back, Otto wanted to stop him, but was stopped by Roland. Looking back, he saw that their father had already left the palace.

"It looks like Valencia will get a piece of land."

"Reproduction and inheritance are the most important things for nobles. I hope Valencia will not disappear from the pages of history again."

Ryan said this, and Keld behind him was shaking with excitement.

"Lord Ryan, are you telling the truth?"

He couldn't believe that the goal that Valencia had dreamed of for decades was accomplished so easily. Suddenly he couldn't help but burst into tears.

“The real challenge facing aristocrats is never before they become aristocrats, but after they become aristocrats.”

"As wandering nobles, I think you understand the meaning of this sentence better. Only when you lose something do you know how to cherish it, and only when you cherish it do you know what to do."

“Otherwise, one day the Valencia family will become wandering nobles again, or by then, you won’t even be able to guarantee your inheritance.”

"Of course, I understand."

Caird was confused. He remembered the family records clearly. If he had not held on tightly to the nobles and had not received help from other nobles, Valencia would not have fallen to its current state.

It is easy to conquer a country, but difficult to keep it.

Leaving the palace, the royal city of Serra is still under intense construction. However, a large open space has been cordoned off and a large number of slaves are carrying construction materials. The Northern Brave Guild will be established here.

"It looks really tall."

Ryan looked up at the wooden structure that had been built. The building here would be semi-circular and belong to him.

"I don't think you'll cut any corners, will you?"

Ryan turned around, and the head behind the pair of glowing eyes shook wildly.

"Lord Ryan, materials can be lacking anywhere, but your place definitely won't be. Don't worry, this will definitely become the most dazzling building in the royal city."

The wandering nobles came to the royal city and became construction contractors. But now Ryan has given them the opportunity to change their identities. How could these wandering nobles not grab it?

"If that's the case, I'm relieved."

Ryan faced these wandering nobles with a smile and kindness, which was the key factor in gaining their support.

Only he himself knew that behind this kindness lay a vast amount of blood and death.

And it arrived quickly.

After leaving the royal city, Ryan learned of the king's order before he even reached his own manor.

"The Valencia family was crowned by the king and the Archbishop of the Holy See who was not present, becoming the baronial family of the kingdom."

"The fiefdom is right on the edge of the Barony of Mendes. Since the land is not large, the first and second generations of Valencia were all pioneering nobles."

In short, the barony given is not enough to become a barony. If you want it, you can develop it yourself.

The Valencia family suddenly received a large influx of population. After all, it is easier to become a vassal of a noble than to become a noble.

Taking both new and old grudges into account, the first precise goal of Valencia's rise was the hatred with the Baron Mendes family.

"The honor of the nobility cannot be desecrated!"

Now Valencia can say more than just Valencia. Instead, it can wear the crown of nobility and tell the world righteously that the dignity of nobility needs to be maintained with sword and blood.

The Dean family has long been like this.

On the road, gorgeous carriages passed by the Unicorn Fortress. Wherever Ryan passed, flames seemed to ignite the firewood on the land, and disputes and thick smoke rose one after another.

Along the way, Ryan's badge flag did not encounter any obstacles. On the first night after arriving at the manor, he slept comfortably for more than ten hours.

When a new day comes, I feel that the sunshine is still warm as if winter has not yet left.

"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to tell His Majesty the King, am I still the commander-in-chief of the Sera Kingdom's army?"

"In this case, when the Vatican's military power in the kingdom is taken away, then... will I also inherit this part?"

(End of this chapter)