"Father! When you say farmers, are you referring to those runaway serfs who broke the sacred covenant?"

Everyone was shocked by these words.

Todd, whose speech had been interrupted, looked in the direction from which the sound came.

Several well-dressed nobles stood together, casting him malicious glances.

Todd said in a questioning tone, "I find something strange about what you're saying. These farmers who broke the 'sacred' covenant should be punished by God, so why would the Father use them to perform miracles?"

Seeing the nobles pause for a moment, Todd continued, "I believe these farmers came to Muxi Town because they were inspired..."

"Nonsense!" Several nobles were furious and were about to refute him when the king, seeing the situation was turning against him, quickly changed the subject: "Father, I heard that you won thirty million silver moons in a gambling game at the banquet yesterday?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall immediately perked up, as news of yesterday's crazy gambling game had spread throughout the streets and alleys.

Todd remained calm and composed, and slowly said, "Your Majesty, that was the Father's judgment, and it has nothing to do with me."

Viscount Kennard suddenly shouted, "You cheated yesterday!"

Todd gave him a chuckle. He was bad at poker, but he was a master at crying wolf.

Standing next to the young viscount, a plump, bald middle-aged man stepped forward and said, "Father, I believe that the bet between you and my son is unfair. There is never any reason to arbitrarily change the rules in a bet."

Todd curled his lip and sneered inwardly. After all that fuss, it turned out to be a case of "the son suffers the humiliation, and the father bears the burden."

“Earl Kennard has a point,” the King said with a smile, trying to smooth things over. “How about we each compromise?”

Todd calmly looked at Kennard and his son, paused for a moment, and then suddenly said something that puzzled everyone: "The royal guards who escorted me yesterday were the most disciplined and well-disciplined army I have ever seen."

Although King Guy VI did not understand why the priest brought this up, he still smiled proudly since the priest was praising his own guard.

Queen Mary, sitting beside him, frowned. She looked at Todd's mouth, her body tensing.

"But what I find lamentable is that their saddles were worn down to a dull luster, their sword sheaths were rusted at the bottom, and even their dinner consisted of two people sharing a bowl of meat porridge."

The king's smile vanished instantly.

He understood all too well why this was happening: a lack of money.

Some might find it strange that the royal family of the wealthiest nation in the Western Continent could be short of money.

But that is the reality. At the beginning of the Silver Ring Kingdom, it still adhered to the medieval rule that "the king should support himself." However, with the frequent wars and the expansion of palace expenses, the income from the royal lands, the income from the sovereign's estates, and the judicial income could no longer cover the royal family's expenses.

Taxing the subjects became the only option, and the tax rates and types became increasingly harsh according to the monarch's needs. A saying even began to circulate among the people of Silver Ring City: "Exorbitant taxes are like rats, enriching the monarch at the expense of the people."

But what the king, high above all others, didn't know was that most of these enormous tax revenues ended up in the hands of the nobles who controlled the finances and taxes.

Seeing Guy VI's expression turn serious, Todd suddenly said, "I voluntarily relinquish my right to pursue the Viscount's gambling chips..."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone felt relieved, but what they didn't expect was that the priest hadn't finished speaking.

He continued, “Without the royal guards’ tireless protection throughout the night, I doubt I could have slept soundly last night. Therefore, I hope that Earl Kennard and Viscount Kennard will consider the dedication of these guards to the kingdom and donate a little money to improve their equipment and food.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the people in the hall varied.

The guards standing inside and outside the hall all cast grateful glances at Todd. This was not only because the priest had fought for their interests, but more importantly, because the royal family and nobles always demanded this and that from them, yet few paid attention to the hard work and dedication of the guards.

The nobles offered little opposition; in fact, they all nodded in agreement. This was partly because Todd had voluntarily relinquished his right to pursue the astronomical gambling debt; and partly because the royal guards had indeed protected him day and night, making it entirely reasonable for the priest to secure a reward for them.

King Guy VI was overjoyed, beaming with delight. Firstly, after listening to his advice, Todd immediately relinquished his right to collect the gambling debts, truly giving him both face and substance. Secondly, since the reward was supposedly secured for the royal guards, wouldn't it first end up in his own pocket before being distributed? In that case, he would take the lion's share, and the guards would take a smaller portion, making him a profit as well.

Queen Mary's expression was probably the strangest in the hall. She stood up, first looking at Todd with wide eyes, then seeing her husband's joyful face. She opened her lips as if to say something, but didn't know how to say it. Her expression grew increasingly panicked and helpless.

“Father, your inner qualities and your character are truly the best and truest.” King Guy VI coughed and looked expectantly at Kennard and his son: “My two beloved subjects, what do you think?”

The count and his eldest son discussed the matter with troubled expressions for a while, before finally raising a finger tremblingly: "One...one hundred silver moons?"

The king's face fell instantly.

Todd lowered his head, almost bursting out laughing.