Todd flipped through the booklet in his hand, which contained a detailed list of the high-ranking officers of the church's army and their recent activities.

Todd's hand stopped when he turned to one of the pages.

"Who is this Katili?"

Abel replied, "Cartier is the southern contact person for this arms procurement, and I've heard that he has close ties with the Imperial Army."

What kind of person is he?

Abel pondered for a moment, then said, "This person is clearly from the Southern Empire, yet he has the face of someone from the Northern Plains. Whether he speaks or acts, he doesn't seem like a soldier, but rather like a fallen nobleman. No matter when or where, he always wears thick clothes and has a persistent, strong perfume scent."

“Cathili…Cathili.”

Todd racked his brains, but the name didn't really stick in his mind.

Just as she was about to ask something else, Ivy walked to Todd's side, leaned down and whispered in his ear, "The Grand Master of the Twilight Knights has returned."

Todd paused, then turned his head and asked, "Is Cumberland alone?"

Ivy pursed her lips and said in an even lower voice, "The Queen of Holy Guard City is here too."

Todd nodded, indicating that he understood, and turned to Abel, saying, "I understand the situation. I will have the Prime Minister of the Kingdom confirm the details with you."

Knowing that the king wanted to leave, Abel lowered his head, bowed slightly, and took a few steps back.

Todd stood up from his seat, turned and walked into the passageway at the back of the hall.

Ivy followed closely behind, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "Who are you planning to see first?"

Todd glanced at her sideways: "Cumberland, of course."

Evie shrugged. "Cumberland is in the King's audience chamber, and Mary is in her bedchamber. I was just worried you'd gone the wrong way."

Todd shook his head helplessly, followed the corridor stairs to the second floor of the main hall of the palace, and pushed open the door to enter the king's audience room.

Wearing full armor, Cumberland stood in the audience chamber like a javelin, not even having had time to wipe the dust off his clothes.

If Cumberland were to live in another world, he would be considered an elderly person.

But whether in his words or actions, he still exudes an indescribable sense of authority and resilience.

"His Majesty."

Cumberland gave Todd a simple military salute, then spread a large stack of reports and letters on the table in the audience room.

"The situation on the eastern border is not good, or rather, it is very bad. The kingdoms that support Protestantism and the Church of God have split into two irreconcilable forces."

Pointing to the map covered with countless red crosses, Cumberland said in a deep voice, "Graham, Gonzano, Farlakes... every parish has become a battlefield, and fire and smoke can be seen everywhere on the land."

"The children of the Knights eat and sleep on horseback every day, all for the sake of saving one more village and killing one more bastard!"

“Last week, due to the long distance and the inability to provide timely assistance, the Duchy of Quiconaville was captured by thugs overnight. The Grand Duke and his family, who were Protestants, were stripped naked, had their limbs cut off, were hung upside down from trees, had cross-shaped wounds cut open in their abdomens, and had all their internal organs removed.”

Cumberland, growing increasingly agitated, slammed his fist heavily on the table: "Your Majesty, this cannot continue!"

Todd flipped through the documents and reached out to stop Cumberland's roar: "I met with the cardinal of the Church of Heaven today, and he brought a consecration document."

Cumberland was taken aback: "A consecration document?"

"They wanted to unite Protestantism with the Church of God and elected me as the new pope."

Cumberland was puzzled: "Why?"

Todd spent a few minutes giving Cumberland a brief overview of the factional struggles within the Church of God.

The latter quickly realized: "Your Majesty! This is a great opportunity!"

“I understand that if everything is really as the cardinal said, then this is the best time to resolve the religious dispute once and for all.”

Cumberland rubbed his hands together excitedly and said, "I'll go back right away and start preparing the troops and taking stock of the soldiers!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cumberland turned around, walked to the door, and stopped just as his hand touched the handle.

"Your Majesty, there is something else."

Cumberland slowly turned around, his expression somewhat subtle.

Todd asked curiously, "What is it?"

Cumberland hesitated, a rare expression on his face: "Your Majesty, I don't like to beat around the bush. I want to ask, has the Knights of Twilight lost their value to you?"

Todd looked at the old knight in surprise: "Why do you say that?"

Cumberland sighed: "In the north, you single-handedly established the Crusaders. These alien soldiers, no longer human, are superior to the knights in combat. My men often tell me that His Majesty values ​​the Crusaders more, and the Knights are doomed."

Todd frowned but did not interrupt Cumberland.

"Many members of the Knights heard that the Crusaders were servants of the gods and that they would be able to enter heaven after death. In order to have a good place to rest after death, they either forcibly left or left without saying goodbye, abandoning everything and taking a ship to the north to participate in the conversion ceremony."

Cumberland shook his head as he said, "Especially those young people. They yearn for the power and status of the Crusaders, ignoring their parents' objections and their wives' and children's pleas. They'd rather sever ties with their families and give up everything to go to the North and try their luck at the conversion ritual. In their words, if they succeed, they will not only possess unparalleled power but also become one of the servants of God. Even if they fail, it's nothing; when their souls return to heaven, they will have a good home and won't be sent to hell to suffer torment."

After saying these words, Cumberland lowered his head, his weariness making the old man look even older.

"Apart from those steadfast elders, the morale of the Knights has gradually crumbled. People no longer revere honor and responsibility, but instead pursue the power and immortality brought by other races."

Cumberland raised his head and looked at Todd: "Your Majesty, if you wish to replace glory with faith, then I implore you, out of consideration for the past, to at least give the children of the Knights a proper way out."

"As for me... I'm old... When I wake up in the morning, I can even hear the rusty rattling of my bones. I've gotten used to being human, and I don't want to die and see my wife and son in heaven looking like a foreigner. That would be a laughingstock."

"Your Majesty, when the Knights are no longer needed, that will be the time for me to retire..."

After saying this, Cumberland gave the king a military salute and walked out of the king's audience chamber with heavy steps.