Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 298: The Flame Sun Knights Headquarters and the Awakening Bell

Tens of thousands of golden crowns were delivered to Su Li's room by the person in charge of the Griffin Heart Arena. So much treasure filled an entire wooden box, and the golden light illuminated the entire room.

Su Li was very generous. He immediately waved his hand and ordered the knights, whose breathing had become heavy, "Each of you take your own gains and put them in bags!"

The knights cheered, spent a few copper coins to buy a few sturdy cloth bags from the arena, and went forward to receive their share.

Even Seranville, who had the smallest share, received more than 48 gold crowns. Not only did she pay off Hildreth's debt, she also had 38 gold crowns left.

She couldn't even imagine that her fate would change so quickly. Just this morning, she was still a lowly slave who had been eliminated. Even the smelly crew members on the ship could tear her prison clothes unscrupulously. If this man hadn't broken the darkness with a dazzling golden light and rescued her from the dampest and darkest bottom cabin, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

In just a few hours, she already had nearly 40 gold crowns in her hands, a fortune she had never seen in the Elven Kingdom. Even if her parents doted on her, as a young girl, the pocket money she had saved only amounted to 2 gold coins, 37 silver coins, and 49 copper coins.

She couldn't help but look cautiously at the young figure sitting in front of her, remembering his domineering words. From now on, her fate would be shared with him.

But as the brightest spotlight in the room, Su Li was completely oblivious to the quiet, invisible gaze in the corner. After Hildreth had distributed all the gold coins proportionally, he spoke ambitiously, "We've earned so much from gambling in Maraisburg. Next, we'll host a competition ourselves, and we'll surely earn even more. We must successfully organize our own Summer Solstice Glory Competition, creating a grand occasion for the territory and also using it as an opportunity to improve our finances."

Fastrick immediately asked with an excited smile, "Then, Lord, are you still betting at the competition? Can we continue to bet with you?"

Su Li smiled and waved his hand, saying, "A little gambling is just for fun. I won't participate in the competition. I guarantee the fairness and justice of this grand ceremony."

If he were to go on the field, the people in the territory knew his personality too well and would definitely follow his lead in betting. No matter how he operated, there would be little profit, and winning or losing would only lead to loss of public support.

Furthermore, his daily intelligence refreshed randomly, and this betting information had finally come across him after dozens of days. So it wasn't that he didn't want to be a gambler, but rather that the intelligence wasn't supportive. This intelligence was more inclined towards strategic opportunities that would permanently strengthen him, allowing him to continuously expand his power and secure a steady stream of financial income. It wasn't about being a gambler, relying on daily refreshes of wealth, living from hand to mouth. If he stopped refreshing these opportunities, his income would vanish, and he would go bankrupt.

However, perhaps Maleburg is indeed a prosperous commercial city, and his direct income in Maleburg this time is indeed quite a lot.

Su Li looked at the ratman head put into the box. This was the head of the Ratman God's Chosen, the Skinner, Quicklik Baneblade. He was notorious for his crimes and thirteen forces were hunting him down, with a bounty of 6869 gold crowns.

Su Li decided to take this guy's head to the headquarters of the Flame Sun Knights to maximize his benefits.

Of course, it would be most appropriate for this thing to be brought over by Hildurd, the Chosen One of the Goddess of the Fiery Sun. Su Li looked at Hildurd and asked, "Did you kill it smoothly?"

Hirud wielded his sword with a dashing air, then lifted the bloodstained box with one hand. He replied, "It went very smoothly. It was an assassin, assuming no one could track its whereabouts. Arrogant and careless, it exposed itself on the flat grassland, where Sylvanas and I attacked from the air. It had no chance of resistance at all. Sylvanas was also very helpful in this battle; her foot-binding technique made it very difficult for Quelik to move."

Footbinding is a gifted skill of the Wood Elves. Just as the High Elves have the blessing of Isha, the Wood Elves also have the blessing of Tal. This basic magic is more like divine art, a gift of their bloodline and race, and can be used directly without risk. Unlike powerful magic, which carries with it great risks, a miscast can result in trauma at best, a head explosion at worst, or corruption by the winds of Chaos, transforming the caster into a deformed monster.

Sylvanas immediately stepped forward and took out two more items from the box containing the spoils. She smiled sweetly and said to Su Li, "My Lord, these are the spoils I collected for you. They are all treasures of Quelick. This black-green dagger is a rare weapon. It is the infamous Poison Fang in Maraisburg. It has blood-like veins on it, which can corrode and disintegrate extremely strong defenses. Even against powerful Chaos Knights, it can destroy a heavily armored squad in a short time. However, this rare weapon does not have Aether Gold, so it cannot change shape. It will also spread Skaven Corrosion, which is not suitable for us human knights."

"The other is a powerful item: the Dragon Noose. It's made from dragon tendons soaked in a hardening potion, creating a rope that's both flexible and hard..."

Huh? Soft and hard at the same time?
Su Li didn't listen to Sylvanas's introduction later. Isn't this what he has been looking for?
It's the perfect material for making leg spreader straps to tie up Alyria and Freya's wrists and ankles while they lie down.

He coughed lightly and said, "We must take such a dangerous item back and purify it. Put away this dragon noose and I will deal with it myself. As for the poisonous plague fang, don't use it. You can give it to President Yi Li. I have a few more tasks here. Please do them."

She is a Knight of the Green Fields, and her style is different from that of the Knights of the Flaming Sun. Going to the headquarters of the Knights of the Flaming Sun will bring limited benefits, so she can bring guards and accompany several ministers to bring back the opportunities of [The Broken Sword Knight's Sad Wish], [The Dwarf's Rune Rubbing], [The Street Boy's Treasure] and [The Second-Hand Bookseller's Chaos Manuscript].

These tasks are basically not difficult. You just need to bring resources and food and follow the intelligence instructions to carry them out, and you can quickly seize these opportunities.

Su Li took Hilde, Fastrik, Aliana and Seranville directly, and under the leadership of Dean Stephen, went to the most magnificent headquarters of the Knights of the Flame Sun in the city of Maleburg.

The Cathedral of the Eternal Flame, the headquarters of the Knights of the Flaming Sun, sits on high ground on the south bank of the Maleburg Canal. Together with numerous castles, it forms a magnificent architectural complex, a perfect blend of the holy aesthetics of the Violet Church and the solemnity of a military organization. Made primarily of white marble and devoid of ostentatious ornamentation, it exudes a grandeur that combines both holiness and power.

Its most significant feature is its extreme height and grandeur, stretching from the lowest fortress to the castle complex at the top of the hill, with a height of over a hundred meters. The central main hall, in particular, covers an area of ​​over a thousand square meters and is over 40 meters high. A dome with a golden flame emblem stands on the top, symbolizing the eternal burning of the light of faith. Fortress-like towers extend from the four wings, adopting Violet's classic three-section structure. The base is made of rough axe-hewn marble, and the central columns adopt a double-row Corinthian colonnade. The capitals are carved with a composite totem of flames wrapped around swords and shields. Above the eaves are arranged twelve apostles holding swords, integrating religious narratives with military glory.

There are a large number of functional areas in this huge fortress complex. The core area is their command area, including the Golden Eagle Main Hall Operations Hall and the South Wing Strategy Room. In addition, there are training areas, city wall fortifications, the Violet Chapel in the West Wing, the Medal Exhibition Gallery of Past Dynasties, the North Tower Logistics Center, and so on.

Dean Stephen was very familiar with the place and introduced it to Su Li, saying, "This cathedral was completed in 1315 of the Imperial Calendar. It was subsequently expanded by successive deans and knights, taking over 700 years to finally expand the complex to its current size. Over 1430 stained glass fragments are on display within the cathedral, depicting the glorious battles and honors won by the Knights of the Flaming Sun. These include Grand Master Otto Berengar slaying the legendary Beast King Kazaz, and Archbishop Konrad Balk dueling the Archdemon, Keeper of Tzeentch."

A group of castles built over 700 years of history?

Su Li couldn't help but sigh. The Empire truly had its unique and desirable qualities. Countless knights were willing to fight and die for it, and countless resolute warriors were willing to protect its glory and civilization to the death.

How many forces can last for more than 700 years, continue to advance a strategy, and continuously expand and operate through generations?

Su Li looked at the sacred and magnificent cathedral and the majestic and imposing fortresses and couldn't help but murmur, "I hope our Hessen Territory can last for hundreds or even thousands of years."

He couldn't imagine how powerful the Black Forest Territory would be if he could survive for thousands of years relying on the consecrated wisteria pods. However, such a thing was too far off, as the saying goes, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." He needed to focus on the present, so he asked, "Dean Stephen, you're very familiar with this place."

Stephen was in high spirits as he revisited his old haunt. He stroked his beard, a look of nostalgia on his face. "About 46 or 49 years ago, I successfully passed the assessment of the Knights of the Flaming Sun as an elite knight and became a Knight of the Goddess of Light and Glory."

"I spent approximately eight years here with my lover. We trained together, studied together, conducted tactical simulations together, and even experimented with all sorts of novel knowledge and war machinery. Later, we began traveling for a year or two to test our knowledge. Unfortunately, my lover died during that trial in a beastman attack on a human farm. I passed the trial and became a high-ranking priest at the Cathedral of the Eternal Flame, living there for another ten years. I was then sent to a remote church for further trials, to hone my faith and abilities, with the intention of returning to headquarters to continue my role as bishop."

"Obviously, my strength and wisdom are not enough to support me to reach the position of bishop, so although I came back today, it was in a way I never imagined."

49 years! How many 49 years are there in a lifetime? This venerable priest had been stuck at the elite level for half a century. This was the typical fate of most elite knights in this world. Without opportunity, most knights would face a bottleneck after reaching the high-elite stage, and it would be difficult to make any breakthroughs.

However, although this is a pity for Su Li, for the vast majority of civilians and ordinary people, they are glorious existences to look up to, and their light shines throughout the lives of their peers.

As introduced before, ordinary knights of the empire who are able to break through to the elite level are all those who have been among the best and have made great achievements since childhood.

Since childhood, they have been the children of other people's families in their parents' eyes. In a school or a training camp, they have always been firmly in the forefront, shining their light on countless peers, making it difficult for ordinary people to catch up.

Then, only such a knight, who is one in a hundred and always surpasses his peers, will break through to become an elite knight.

So, after hearing about Knight Stephen's wonderful life, Seranweier couldn't help but yearn for it and asked, "Then, Your Excellency, how can I become a goddess knight as brilliant as you, bathing in the goddess' grace and feeling the goddess' glory?"

"That's a good question!" A deep, high-pitched voice came from the steps in the direction of the cathedral. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged knight in black gilded plate armor striding to the edge of the steps in the bright sunlight of noon, staring at the group of people below with a sharp gaze.

He was not wearing a helmet, and had short, masculine brown hair like a lion, with hard, curly beard extending from his chin to his ears. An old scar on his left cheek ran diagonally across his cheekbone, splitting his resolute face in two. The muscles under the scar tensed as he spoke, making him look particularly tough and resolute. There was a majestic look in his eyes like a lion, and he was obviously a knight who had held a high position for a long time.

As everyone was amazed at the middle-aged man with a lion-like majestic gaze in his eyes, he took the initiative to speak and said, "Welcome the Bauhinia Knights and Hildreth's Chosen One to the Eternal Flame Cathedral."

Stephen quickly recognized the majestic knight above him and bowed slightly respectfully, saying, "Greetings to Bishop Hector. May the glorious light of the goddess shine upon you forever."

He then introduced Su Li, "This is the dean of the Eternal Flame Cathedral and the Grand Mentor of the Flame Sun Knights' Border Princely Headquarters, His Excellency Hector Goetz."

Su Li immediately led all the knights behind him to pay tribute to the powerful dean and knights, and then asked: "Why is Dean Hector here?"

Hector smiled and said, "I've been waiting for you here. Come up quickly, Redbud Knight, I'll take you into the church to worship."

Su Li raised his head in surprise and asked, "Does Dean Hector know about our arrival?"

Hector raised his hand, pointed to the petals of the pure lily floating in the air, and said, "Listen! The melodious sound of brass bells in the wind! This is the Awakening Bell atop the cathedral's dome. Whenever one of Her Majesty Violet's chosen ones arrives, the Awakening Bell will stir without a breeze, and twelve melodious chimes will be carried by the wind throughout the headquarters fortress complex. At the same time, under divine grace, the sacred lilies, symbolizing the goddess' purity, will instantly bloom on both sides of the sacred corridor, stretching from the cathedral all the way to this entrance. Beautiful petals will rise with the wind and fill the air."

Su Li raised his head and looked upwards, and sure enough, he saw a scarlet carpet laid under the holy corridor. On both sides of the corridor were holy lilies that looked like dreams. Countless petals were blown away by the wind, making the entire cathedral look like it was bathed in a rain of flowers.

But soon Su Li felt something was wrong. He touched his chin, looked at Dean Hector suspiciously, and asked, "Are you sure this bell only rings twelve times? Why do I feel like it has been ringing since we came in... Is it broken?"

Dean Hector's expression was also a little unstable. The bell sound was indeed too strange. It kept ringing, so much so that the knights who were training were alarmed. They walked out of the training ground and came to the holy corridor and the pious square in front of the church, looking at the top of the church.

"What happened? Why is the Awakening Bell ringing? How long has it been ringing? Could it be that a large number of God's Chosen Knights have arrived at the headquarters today?"

"Is it a monkey? Did a monkey run up there and keep knocking? Or has a Chaos God contaminated this place?"

"Could it be that the goddess is giving us some warning?"

Su Li also came to the square with several followers. Standing behind the crowd, he looked up at the dome of the church. The hanging brass holy bell was swaying slowly in the wind. The melodious sound did not seem to be corroded by chaos, and there were no monkeys, ratmen or the like climbing up.

It was not until about five minutes later that the melodious awakening bell finally stopped slowly. At this time, the whole courtyard was full of flowers, and the fragrance of holy lilies and the beautiful flower rain lingered in the entire fortress complex.

Dean Hector looked up at the Awakening Bell, pondering for a long time before turning to look at Su Li and saying, "Knight of the Redbud Flower, this is the Goddess's enlightenment to us and her high hopes for you. Your future achievements are destined to be limitless. I have lived for over 200 years, and I have never seen the Awakening Bell ring for so long."

"Ah?" Su Li was stunned and asked, "So this awakening bell is ringing for us?"

"Of course," Bishop Hector said with conviction. "Without a doubt, you are the only chosen ones visiting the cathedral today. This is your honor. Perhaps the goddess is also reminding us to hand over some opportunities to you."

Su Li waved to Hildurde and said, "That's just right. I also have something to give to the Knights of the Flaming Sun. This is the head of the Ratman Chosen One, Quelick. Will you accept it for me, Dean?"

(End of this chapter)