"Your Holiness, Bishop Doxia has once again defied the decree, refusing to follow the religious edict you issued. He has extensively opened trade routes in his jurisdiction, conducting business with other nations, and has repeatedly made contact with spies from the Boar Empire. There may be a risk of betrayal!
Additionally, the eastern regions of our Papal States have suffered severe disasters this year, with the death toll among victims sharply increasing. There's a risk of refugees forming, and many areas have even seen some protests. If we don't open the grain stores this year, I'm afraid..."
Adam's assistant took advantage of His Holiness's rest period to approach and quietly report the news.
The system of the Papal States was completely different from that of nations like the Boar Empire. Power in the Papal States was concentrated in the Church, with everything subject to Church control. His Holiness the Pope was little different from an emperor, and might even surpass one in terms of authority.
Meanwhile, nations like the Boar Empire more closely resembled the feudal lord system of medieval Europe, with countless major and minor lords. The king actually held little power, being more like the strongest lord. All land and people were divided among the various lords, so aside from the lords themselves, everyone else were serfs.
However, this also meant intense competition existed between lords. The size of a lord's territory and number of serfs determined their strength and family's survival, which led most lords to not treat their serfs too harshly, lest they flee to other lords' domains. Moreover, the king didn't collect taxes from serfs directly, but taxed the lords instead.
This created a major difference between the Papal States' centralized system and the Boar Empire's feudal system: peasants in the Boar Empire almost never rebelled, with only territorial wars between lords occurring. But the poor in the Papal States would indeed rebel!
"Enough!" His Holiness Adam raised his hand to stop him.
His Holiness Adam's eyes were cold: "Within our Papal States, Doxia can't stir up much trouble. Since these people can't get enough to eat and can't survive, then let them die sooner. The Boar Empire has been scheming for so long yet still can't make up their mind - utterly useless!
Since they don't dare to strike yet can't bear to give up this opportunity, I'll deliver this chance right into their hands!Effective immediately, we shall dispatch troops against the Boar Empire and surrounding nations!
Forcibly requisition food assets from major nobles, merchants, and wealthy households to supply the military. Compulsorily conscript starving people who can't afford food, dragging them all to the battlefield.
Starving to death is death, dying in battle is death - why not make full use of everything and make everyone happy!"
Of course, the main purpose was to deplete the vital forces of various nations and the unstable elements within the Papal States, severely weakening the power of major nobles and the living strength within the Papal States. This would keep the Papal States' nobility preoccupied with their own affairs, prevent starving people from accumulating rebel strength, plunge all Southern Continent nations into the attrition of war, and stabilize the entire Southern Continent so no one would have spare energy to cause more trouble!
Only this could solidify the Pope's rule, only this could keep the Divine Corpse in the back mountains remaining quietly in place!
If half the people die, they can still regenerate, and reproduction might even become more vigorous. But if the Divine Corpse has problems, that wouldn't just be a matter of half dying.
-
Before deep winter even arrived, the good days had already come for the poor of the Papal States.
With one month remaining until deep winter, the new Pope His Holiness Adam suddenly issued a Holy See proclamation.
He declared that the Boar Empire remained villainously ambitious, attempting to take advantage of the Papal States' disaster year to plunder amidst chaos. The surrounding smaller nations had colluded with them, defaming the Church and vilifying God. This was a great insult to God, a trampling of the Church's dignity!
God is holy, the religious state is sacred! All who dare invade, no matter how distant, must be punished!
Therefore, His Holiness Adam decided to conscript soldiers and launch comprehensive war against all Southern Continent nations, determined to restore order and rectify God's holy name!
This sudden move not only shocked the entire Southern Continent, but even Norton was stunned.
He had a premonition that great chaos was coming, since all major factors were present - the Papal States were surrounded by wolves, everyone knew they had become a fresh piece of meat on the chopping block, just waiting to be divided and cooked.
Who would have thought that the one starting the great war wouldn't be other ambitious wolves, but the Papal States itself, this sick tiger!
Norton crouched in the clock tower's attic, gazing downward.
He had a strong premonition that great chaos was coming, since all major factors were present - the Papal States were surrounded by wolves, everyone knew they had become a fresh piece of meat on the chopping block, just waiting to be divided and cooked.
Some had panicked expressions, dodging everywhere trying to escape capture by Church conscription teams. Others looked anxious, wanting to return home to hide their wealth somewhere.
"The current Pope is stubborn and self-willed - what nation launches wars during deep winter? This is practically joking with food supplies!"
"Why are they requisitioning our property too? Damn it, was it easy for me to collect this little wealth from the poor?"
"This is cotton I just purchased this year! I was counting on selling it to recover my capital!"
Rino City was filled with lamentations.
Previously these merchants and wealthy households had been quite vocal in taverns, putting on patriotic fronts as if they'd be the first to charge into battle if war came. But now that real war had arrived, they weren't stepping up.
Not only were they not stepping up, they couldn't even bear to part with the slightest bit of wealth.
However, whether they were willing or not, the Church Knights in their steel armor and their great swords wouldn't allow refusal!
The Pope's holy decree could not be resisted by anyone! Whether wealthy households or nobility, all needed to obediently provide food, clothing, and somewhat substantial assets according to His Holiness Adam's demands... Those who dared disobey would face light punishment of entire families being arrested and conscripted into the army, or severe punishment of immediate beheading.
Although the existence of Holy Knights had lowered the dignity of Church Knights, just like when Norton first saw Church Knights hunting werewolves, these knights raised and brainwashed by the Church were actually the peak of ordinary human combat power at this stage!
Moreover, they feared neither death nor injury, blindly following His Holiness the Pope. They were truly the Papal States' real foundation, aside from the Holy Knights!
Each city had two hundred Church Knights, and each state had at least three or four cities, up to six or seven cities. Important bishops like Bishop Doxia could govern three states, and the Papal States had eight Purple-clad Cardinals total. One could imagine how terrifying the Papal States' foundation was!
Even without the Holy Knights' existence, the Papal States remained the Southern Continent's most powerful empire!
This was also why those five Cardinals said the old Pope's accumulated foundation was nearly exhausted by His Holiness Adam.