Chapter 202: Holy Blood Order (2)
When Kai arrived at the main church of the Solarian Church, High Priest Albert ran out to greet him.
“Oh, Kai! What brings you here without notice?”
“As I already said, you may drop the honorifics.”
“Haha, this is more comfortable for me. It puts my heart at ease.”
After exchanging brief greetings with smiling Albert, Kai explained the purpose of his visit.
“Y-you defeated the Dark Dragon Sineras? That is truly remarkable!”
“It’s a secret for now.”
“If that’s your wish, I’ll keep it that way. Hmm. But the fact that the dwarf tribe was captured by the Church of Muldine is a serious matter.”
“That’s also one of the reasons I came.”
“Oh?”
“I need support. So... is the Holy Blood Order that you mentioned last time, fully prepared?”
“Ah, the Holy Blood Order. Well, about that...” High Priest Albert glanced cautiously at Kai, then continued with a troubled expression, “The organization of paladins assigned to the Holy Blood Order has already been completed. They are all individuals born and raised in the holy kingdom, with deep faith and outstanding abilities. However...”
“Wait, hold on. So, are you saying that most of the members of the Holy Blood Order are residents of this world? What about adventurers?”
“Oh! Of course, we included the adventurers affiliated with the Pray faction, including Saintess Minerva, as you mentioned before. They are the only ones, though.”
That meant that, except for the Pray guild, all members were NPCs.
Was I being too optimistic?
Come to think of it, it was obvious that the Holy Blood Order wouldn’t be composed primarily of players.
Players all have different login times. It would be challenging for an NPC to organize such individuals into a single group.
Of course, there was no doubt about the Holy Blood Order’s capabilities.
Deeply faithful paladins, huh.
In other words, they were the elite of the elite selected from the main church, so Kai wondered what kind of problem could they possibly have.
At Kai’s question, High Priest Albert spoke reluctantly, looking apologetic, “The thing is, I poured my heart and soul into forming this force to support the Solaris Cleric. That’s where the problem lies. Since only the best, most outstanding individuals were gathered, they have extremely strong pride.”
“Pride? They’re paladins affiliated with the church, yet they still hold onto their pride?”
“Paladins are still knights. They value pride and dignity very highly. Of course, their faith in Helik is sincere. Sometimes, their belief is too intense, which causes problems as well. They would barely listen even if a higher-up priest commanded them. In my case, they follow me well because I’m older and hold the position of high priest, but...”
Albert glanced at Kai’s youthful face and sighed. “I honestly worry about whether they’ll follow your words.”
“Hmm. Even at this moment, the dwarves are being taken away. Time is of the essence.”
“Hm. Then perhaps, would you like support from the recently reorganized Solarian Knights instead of the Holy Blood Order?”
“The Solarian Knights...”
He remembered seeing them when he saved Albert from the evil hands of the Church of Muldine last time. Of course, what Kai had seen was only their corpses.
“In terms of combat strength, which one of the two is superior?”
“To be honest, the Solarian Knights are still far superior in terms of skill. However, the members of the Holy Blood Order possess remarkable potential. Some of them are talented enough to lead an entire order in the future.”
“Sigh. To be completely honest, I don’t really like this situation, but... In that case, I’ll try to manage the members of the Holy Blood Order.”
“Are you sure it’s the best time to do that?”
“I’d have to do it eventually. Perhaps it’s better to train them through a battle against the church’s main enemy, the Church of Muldine.”
Even with new shoes, they had to be broken in. So, what about people?
It’s even more so with them.
Just as a superior constantly assessed the abilities of their subordinates, subordinates, too, questioned the level of their superior.
In that case, I’ll start by firmly establishing authority.
At the thought that the dwarf tribe could possibly be suffering even at this moment, Kai’s eyes gleamed with determination.
***
“What’s this all about all of a sudden?”
“No idea. We were just told to gather by command...”
“Interesting. I’ve only ever received assignment letters. This is the first time I’ve been summoned like this.”
“Come to think of it, this is also the first time we’re all seeing each other’s faces.”
Around three hundred male and female paladins, all with powerful physiques, were gathered in the fourteenth training hall of the main church.
They all had an average level of 350. In terms of level alone, most of them were higher than Kai, who was ranked number one!
Naturally, they were skilled individuals whom ordinary players could only look up to with awe. Perhaps because of this, an undeniable pride radiated from their faces.
I am the best.
These were individuals who held the grand dream of inheriting the name of Patrick, once called a legend.
The paladins selected for the new force named the Holy Blood Order looked around at the other members and were surprised.
What? I thought I’d been demoted because of my mistake last time...
Where have these people been all along?
It's not just one or two, they’re all quite impressive.
The strong could recognize the strong. Realizing that the abilities of those gathered here were extraordinary, the paladins grew even more motivated.
Could we have been gathered here to select a commander?
If that’s the case, the commander should obviously be me.
This is the perfect opportunity to showcase my swordsmanship, once called Holy Laterre.
The elite paladins of the Solarian Church were gathered here by direct order from His Holiness the High Priest, but there were also those who seemed out of place, shoved into a corner.
“Master. Those people don’t seem like ordinary paladins, do they?”
“Yes. Even when wandering around the main church, it’s rare to see paladins of that level.”
Minerva, the master of the Pray guild, gulped as she gauged the skill level of those gathered.
I knew that the Radiant Paladin Patrick was a legendary figure in the Solarian Church, but merely inheriting his role warrants this level of support?
They were a formidable force capable of demolishing an average-sized castle with ease! Minerva was certain that if she could command them, she could take Castle Baden within half a day.
“I can’t believe Kai is the commander of such a force...”
“Ugh. I know he’s strong. He’s ranked number one, after all. But dealing with paladins of this caliber... Hmm. There will be issues.”
“If he can silence those issues, he’ll gain immense power.”
Of course, if he couldn’t, this opportunity would fade like a midsummer night’s dream.
Watching the scene with her fifty guild members, Minerva suddenly looked toward the entrance. “There he is.”
“A fitting entrance for the star of the gathering.”
The Pray guild members, who now had a bit of familiarity with Kai, smirked as they welcomed his arrival. After all, they were excited to see what would unfold as the man, destined to bring turbulence to this place, appeared.
A silence, like the moment before a movie began after the advertisements ended, filled the training hall.
“Good day, everyone.” As High Priest Albert, who had accompanied Kai, greeted them, everyone present knelt on one knee in respect. “Haha, please rise, everyone.”
At the High Priest’s permission, the paladins slowly stood up, their eyes gleaming as they awaited his next words. Of course, their interest in the adventurer he had brought was sustained.
Who is that man?
He looks weak and scrawny for a man. A single punch would make him cry out in pain and collapse.
I saw some other adventurers over in that corner. They must be his comrades.
Hmph. I can’t believe I share an affiliation with low-level adventurers... Disgusting.
Naturally, the paladins, who had given Kai a quick once-over, quickly lost interest in him. He was lower in level than them, and he was wearing a Cleric’s robe. They probably assumed he was here just to recite a prayer in commemoration of the new order. However, their assumption shattered in an instant.
“Everyone, please greet him. From this moment, he will lead you as the Commander of the Holy Blood Order, Kai.”
With a benevolent smile, Albert tapped Kai on the shoulder and then stepped back. This was all a staged gesture. It was a clear display of his support for Kai.
Stepping forward after the introduction, Kai looked down at the hundreds of paladins staring at him.
They’re more like hot-blooded youths than I expected.
The ages of the paladins in the Holy Blood Order varied widely, ranging from sixteen-year-old youth to those in their mid-thirties. Though each was unique in their own way, they currently all shared the same mind and purpose.
He wants us to follow this scrawny guy?
Dang it. I got excited when I heard about the restructuring of the main church, but it’s just like before. Is this guy another parachute from above?
Of course. A stagnant swamp can’t purify itself.
The paladins who were skilled but demoted due to lack of political influence quickly showed disinterest. The moment that slender thread of hope people slightly clung to disappeared, they tended to let everything go. Of course, among them were also those who openly displayed strong resistance.
Around 140 paladins raised their hands high. Glaring at Kai with blazing eyes, they waited for Albert to call on them, like students eager to make a presentation.
“Hmm. Do you all have a complaint about my decision to appoint him as commander...?”
Kai politely stopped High Priest Albert from stepping forward and shook his head.
“Your Holiness, please leave this to me.”
Even if His Holiness resolves this peacefully today, the same thing will happen again.
What they needed right now was trust. They needed to know if the person holding the reins above them was trustworthy, and a chance to believe that he was someone capable enough to follow.
In this situation, there’s no need for complicated strategies.
A simple, straightforward approach would resonate best with them. And the moment he won their hearts, he would have the Solarian Church’s most powerful force in his hands.
Kai took bold steps forward and looked down at the closest paladin with his hand raised. It was a young man who still had a boyish face.
The flushed expression of anger on his face clearly showed what he was thinking.
“You. What’s your name?”
“I’m Teferen, once called the Holy Laterre.”
“You look extremely dissatisfied with me being appointed as commander, am I right?”
“Yes. I am very dissatisfied.”
“Alright. If you have a complaint, you should let it out.”
Crack, crack.
Slowly rotating his neck, Kai gestured to the other paladins with a flick of his fingers, and commanded, “Set up a stage. Today, I’ll give those dissatisfied with my command of the Holy Blood Order the chance to challenge me. To anyone who defeats me, I’ll hand over the commander’s position. Think of this as your first and last opportunity. Come at me.”
At Kai’s sudden provocative remark, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
Is he crazy?
I’ve only heard of Holy Laterre by name. He’s not someone to underestimate just because he’s young.
Even if he manages to beat a few of us...
Does he really think he can handle all of us?
Reckless.
He’s either insane or a lunatic. It has to be one of the two.
As the paladins stepped back to create a sparring arena, all of them felt sorry for Kai’s decision—except for Minerva, who smiled.
Then, one of the guild members asked, “Razley, want to make a bet on who’ll win?”
“Sounds good. I’ll put 100 gold on Kai.”
And others began to join as well.
“I’ll bet 50 gold on Kai.”
"Oh, I’ve been spending on new gear lately, so my wallet has thinned out. I’ll just bet 20 gold on Kai."
“What? Just forget the whole thing then. At this rate, the bet can’t even be established."
The Pray guild members’ bets were all one-sided in favor of Kai!
Minerva eventually shook her head with a gentle smile.
Unfortunate.
Of course, if she were to bet, she would have placed her wager on Kai as well.