Turning his gaze to Alfonso, who was in charge of defense and training, Todd asked, "What is the current state of the Kingdom's army?"

Alfonso, who was not wearing a helmet, let the parasitic limbs on his head contract and tremble as he picked up a document and read aloud: "After the knighthood ceremony, the Knights of Twilight have added a total of 116 knights, forming a full-fledged knightly regiment with the existing knights; we also have 451 soldiers, enough to form a heavy infantry regiment, a light cavalry regiment and a horse archer regiment; if Your Majesty issues an emergency mobilization order, we can also conscript about 1,100 peasant soldiers."

Todd noted down the numbers, then looked at Rachel: "What about the alien army and its configuration?"

No longer needing to conceal her identity, Rachel removed her loose nun's robes and changed back into a grass-green formal gown. Looking at the enthroned king, she slowly said, "The cultivation of 'Dragon Bones' is now basically sufficient to meet the needs of all knights. As for the army's mutant abilities, in addition to the existing charge-type 'Knight Successors,' melee-type 'Warrior Successors,' and reconnaissance-type 'Scout Successors,' we have recently attempted to form two experimental mutant combat squads..."

"One is the 'Crossbow Successor,' these mutants possess 'Eagle Eye,' 'Rock Solid,' 'Strength Enhancement,' 'Precision Enhancement,' and 'Focusing Light.' They can carry specially made small crossbows weighing up to sixty kilograms on their backs and move with the army. At the start of the war, they will occupy advantageous terrain, set up the small crossbows, and find the commanders and leaders among the enemy troops. They will use the 'Focusing Light' ability to calibrate the firing line, then adjust it according to the ballistic scale issued by Muxi Academy, and finally snipe the target."

"The other is the 'Elemental Inheritor,' who generally possesses elemental abilities such as 'Oil,' 'Wind Pressure,' 'Flame Breath,' and 'Soil Liquefaction.' When melee units are engaged in combat, ranged units such as archers often choose to cease attacking for fear of friendly fire. But they are different; they can attack the enemy directly in combat by using their abilities over the heads of our soldiers or from under their feet, giving our soldiers a certain advantage."

Todd nodded and turned his attention to Mary.

Even without her royal attire, this woman, once a queen, was the most unique presence in the entire council hall in terms of appearance, speech, and demeanor. Rachel, who had just finished speaking, glanced at Mary with a complex expression.

“Thanks to the help of the monks, the aliens, and the academy, and also thanks to the invention of cement and concrete, the construction of the Muxi Cathedral is progressing very smoothly. The main foundation and load-bearing columns are basically complete. Excluding the upcoming winter, the cathedral is expected to be officially completed by May next year. Your Majesty…” Mary suddenly remembered something and paused in her speech: “Regarding the cathedral, there is something I would like to ask for your permission…”

Todd nodded slightly, indicating that he could speak freely.

"Regarding the frescoes and ceiling paintings of the cathedral, a former student of the Royal Academy of the Papal States hopes to collaborate with his friends to complete these paintings."

Todd asked with interest, "Shouldn't the murals in the church be painted by experienced artists? Are the students' painting skills up to par?"

Mary said with certainty, "This student named Elijah, although not yet thirty years old, has been called a genius by his teachers and classmates in fields such as architecture, physics, natural science, and painting. I believe he is fully capable of undertaking this task, so I recommend him to you."

Rachel casually twirled her hair with her fingers. When she heard Mary mention the word "recommendation," she glanced at her, lowered her head, and gently tugged at her hair.

After hearing Mary's words, Todd was about to ask to meet Elijah, who was called a "genius," but then he thought better of it and decided to see if the student really had any talent: "How about this, let Elijah and his friends handle the work of painting the frescoes and ceilings of the cathedral. I will personally go and admire their masterpiece on the day it is completed."

Seeing Todd turn his face away, Mary sat back down in her seat, somewhat disappointed.

“Joe, it’s your turn. I want to ask, what’s happening in Muxi Town now…”

"uh-huh! "

Before Todd could finish speaking, Cumberland coughed loudly.

The former rolled his eyes and continued, "...How are the kingdom's plans and construction progressing?"

The monk Qiao stood up and bowed: "Your Majesty, the registered population of Muxi City is [number missing]. If we include the refugees and tourists in the surrounding areas who do not have resident status, the population of Muxi City may exceed 25,000. The city area has now expanded to 21 square kilometers, divided into three major areas: the inner circle, the middle ring, and the outer ring."

"The inner circle is the core area of ​​the kingdom, where the commercial, administrative, and military centers are located; the middle ring is the main residential area, including the port area, residential areas, living areas, entertainment areas, and so on; the outer ring is the center of production and processing, including industry, agriculture, handicrafts, animal husbandry, and so on. However, outside the outer ring, there is an area in Muxi City that has not received much attention, generally referred to as the 'immigrant area.' War refugees and tourists from all directions, unable to afford property in Muxi City, are ineligible to register as residents. They secretly build shacks and mud houses outside the city, entering Muxi City during the day to find work and returning home at night. Managing these people may be a hidden danger for the kingdom."

Todd tapped the wooden armrest lightly with his fingers, pondering the monk's question. Regardless of the dynasty or the country, dealing with the poor was always a thorny issue. How to absorb and expand the kingdom's population margins was indeed a formidable challenge for the king.

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