Man on the ark, forced to become king

Have beer and bread found new markets?

Although devout monks should not be so obsessed with worldly things like money, prayers and scriptures cannot fill an empty stomach... Over time, even the naive young nuns are inevitably affected by financial difficulties.

"Oh, it's Brother Sidjia. You must be exhausted."

The older monks gathered at the entrance also noticed the travel-worn young nun. One of the older female monks beckoned to Sidjia and affectionately ruffled her hair.

"Grandma Viya, what's going on here?"

Xi Dejia put down the package on her back, her big eyes full of doubt. She really couldn't understand why her elders were acting so strangely today, when they were just like usual when they went out in the morning.

"We don't need to go out to sell bread tomorrow; we have important things to do."

Sister Viya said this, and Sidja blinked, even more confused.

Serious business? What is serious business?

Their main jobs are tending farmland, feeding lemurs, brewing beer, and making bread, aren't they?

Besides that, I've been consistently practicing prayer and spiritual discipline every day without fail...

“That is what we must do. The situation at the monastery will soon be changed. Until we return, do not go out. Focus on your practice and protect our home.”

"Oh……"

Xi Dejia didn't quite understand, but she wouldn't disobey her elders' arrangements. Just as she was about to nod, she suddenly noticed that Grandma Viya's attire was different from usual. She had changed out of her nun's habit, which was inconvenient for movement, and replaced it with a simpler outfit. She also had a bow and arrows on her back.

Previously, the bow and arrow were not visible because they were blocked by the body due to the angle. Now, from this position, we can see that the elders are all dressed like this, and they also have daggers and short swords.

Those were clearly not weapons used for daily training, but genuine, formidable weapons.

The young nun suddenly felt a little scared. Her intuition told her that something big must have happened in the convent, so much so that even the older nuns had to take up arms to deal with it.

Is this really... a good thing?

The history of Langdon Abbey is a compulsory course for every monk to study. The abbey's predecessor, the 'Langdon Guard,' initially developed by accepting military service.

However, with the development of the times, Lateran no longer needs to hire monks from monasteries to fill military vacancies. Even though teachings on combat have always existed, the opportunity to actually participate in combat may have been long gone.

Even if such needs arise again, they should be left to the younger generation to handle.

But the reality is that the older generation seems to intend to leave these young people behind while they themselves take up arms again.

What could possibly require doing this?

It can't be that you just feel itchy and finally get a chance to go out for some fresh air, right?

Although the seniors usually seem unreliable, Xi Dejia doesn't think they would let themselves go to this extent.

Even though they had a 'glorious history' of missing the Outstanding Monk Awards Ceremony for five consecutive years due to a collective hangover, even though the bishop, who was always dozing off, often led everyone to slack off, even though...

As she pondered, the little nun suddenly realized that she might not be so resolute anymore...

"Grandma Viya, what happened?"

Unable to figure it out, Xi Dejia simply grabbed Viya's arm, looking determined not to let go until he got what he wanted.

Her intuition told her that the entire monastery, and even Lateran, might be facing some kind of emergency that forced the elders to take action. If she couldn't find out the truth, she would never easily accept the arrangement to stay behind!

“Tell her, Viya, the children also have the right to know the truth.”

Sakta, who was much younger than the others, sighed and his smile faded.

"Moreover, they must always be prepared, and not be completely unaware when they actually encounter the enemy."

"Well, you have a point."

Viya frowned slightly, and after thinking about it, she realized that this made sense.

“We are about to face a war, not just at Langdon Abbey, but throughout Lateran.”

“A terrible enemy has declared war on Lateran. His Holiness the Pope has ordered the army to be assembled. The Landon Guard will not be absent. However, that is a problem for us to solve. You just need to stay in the monastery and wait for us to return.”

"war?"

Xi Dejia's eyes widened; this answer was completely unexpected.

How could Laterano be facing a war? Especially one that requires the mobilization of the entire army? This makes no sense!

This word was so distant from them, so distant that they could only find it in history books. Hearing it suddenly, they felt nothing but astonishment, and even had the thought that 'is this a joke?'

However, no matter how unreliable the elders may be in general, they would never joke about such a thing, like the Pope himself.

War has truly arrived, it's imminent...

However, Xi Dejia did not panic because of this somewhat unbelievable news. Instead, she hugged Viya's arm even tighter, as if she wanted to hang herself on it.

"Grandma Viya, I want to go with you!"

"Stop joking, this is no joke."

Viya gently stroked the girl's long golden hair with a mixture of helplessness and affection, softly advising, "This is not something you should have to go through. Listen to me, stay in the monastery until we come back, and don't go anywhere else."

"Don't be lazy or slack off on your studies while we're not around."

"No, I cannot accept your arrangement this time!"

Sidgar shook his head vigorously, showing no intention of letting go, and firmly retorted, "I am also a member of the Landon Guard, and it is my duty to fight alongside you!"

This reason is indeed irrefutable.

Because the girl's talent was indeed outstanding, she had already obtained the status of a formal member of the Landon Guard long before.

Having undergone several institutional reforms, Langdon Abbey is now very different from what it used to be, but the 'Langdon Guard,' the predecessor of the abbey, has always existed.

The difference is that the monastery used to be the Landon Guard, but now only monks who meet the required standards can be admitted to the Landon Guard. Every member of the guard has extremely strong individual combat skills and is in no way inferior to other Lateran military groups in terms of combat power.

In terms of status, the still young Sidja was actually the same as many of the seniors present. She was truly qualified to participate in the monastery's military operations, and if she insisted, no one else had any reason to exclude her.

"But……"

Viya was still hesitating when she was interrupted by the chaotic footsteps behind her.

Xi Dejia followed her gaze and saw that the seniors in the monastery had changed into clothes that were easy to fight with, and were carrying weapons that should have been placed in the warehouse. Walking at the front was none other than Bishop Landon, the most unreliable, the most slacking off, and also the most authoritative in the entire monastery.

These men standing together form the Langdon Guard.

Seeing this, the little nun couldn't help but feel a little fortunate that she hadn't returned too late today. Otherwise, she had no doubt that these seniors would have left immediately after the gathering was complete, leaving her to guard the convent.

They are absolutely capable of doing such a thing!

In that case, wouldn't she be excluded by everyone? What use is her identity as a member of the Langdon Guard other than being a topic of conversation?

Moreover, for a soldier, being excluded by his comrades when facing battle is an insult in itself!

Xi Dejia said he could not accept such a thing!

She's a member of the Langdon Guard, so why can't she fight?

Thinking of this, she grabbed Via's arm, stood in front of Bishop Landon, and with a stern look on her face, asked seriously, "Are you planning to remove me from the Landon Guard?"

"Forehead……"

Bishop Langdon was taken aback by the little sister's sudden outburst of questioning. He scratched his head, his eyes blank. After thinking for a while, he seemed to understand what was going on. He looked enlightened and clenched his fist on his other hand.

Snapped!

"I completely understand now, so that's how it works."

How could you do such a thing?

"If the child is being difficult and disobedient, just give them a good beating!"

Chapter Ten: Reunion, Yet Also Conflict

"Your Holiness, all active-duty musketeers have completed their assembly. The recall of retired musketeers will take some time. The garrison is arranging for the evacuation of civilians, which will also take time. After all, this kind of thing has not happened for many years."

With her purple hair and black dress, Sakota clasped her hands on her lower abdomen and respectfully reported to King Ivangelista XI, who was praying with his eyes closed.

“Well done, Violet. Where are the others?”

Pope Ivangelista XI did not open his eyes, but the halo above his head shone with an extraordinary light, as if he were communicating with something. The radiance fell on his slightly obese body, revealing a touch of divinity.

“The executors of the Zhongting Notary Office are scattered across various countries and cannot return in a short time. The same is true for the Universal Messenger; currently, only a few executors and messengers have given a clear response.”

"Landon Abbey reacted the fastest, replying that they would immediately assemble manpower and rush to the border to take precautions in advance."

"That's enough. We've appeased the public. If necessary, we can use tough measures. Now is not the time to let them run wild."

The Pope nodded slightly; the current situation was roughly as he had predicted.

The Central Court Notary Office exists to collect fees from citizens and urge them to fulfill various legal obligations. It is mainly responsible for protecting the rights and interests of Lateran citizens. Its activities are not limited to Lateran, but are spread throughout various countries and independent city-states, and its personnel are relatively scattered.

It's simply unrealistic to recall the executors scattered across the world in just a few days. Even if they received orders, they couldn't possibly traverse the vast distances between the countries in such a short time.

Sarkaz's wings of light are not real wings after all, so they can't carry them into the air.

The World Messenger travels between nations. Its initial purpose was to strengthen ties between countries. Although the number of messengers is small, each one is quite capable. However, they also face the same problem as the executors: being scattered all over the world, they cannot return to their homeland quickly.

From the beginning, the Pope never regarded messengers and executors from all nations as a standing military force.

In large-scale wars between nations, only the Papal Knights, who wield revolvers, and the Landon Guard can play a crucial role.

The former is currently the strongest firepower unit in Laterano, and it is feared in large-scale wars. Even the Ursus Empire, known for its powerful army, does not dare to provoke it easily.

The latter is a long-established civilian organization. Even though it is now in financial crisis and gradually declining, its members still retain their strong individual combat skills and high mobility, making them the best scouts and protectors.