When Barbara and Randall entered the King's audience chamber, Todd was talking to Minnie about the Crusades' future plans.
Upon seeing the couple, Todd pointed to the sofa, indicating that they should sit down first.
“I don’t want people to think that members of the Crusades are superior. They are soldiers, civilians, and believers, and should be treated equally.”
Todd tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought, and said, "In the current Twilight City, every human being, whether a knight or an ordinary citizen, is scrambling to become a member of the Holy Order. This phenomenon is not normal and deserves our vigilance."
Minnie, sitting on the sofa, twirled her cane: "Perhaps the Dragon Kingdom could enact a law to suppress the authority of the Holy Order..."
Todd responded, "That's one way, but not the best way."
"So what do you mean?"
"The key is to find a suitable way to balance the power between races, rather than relying on force to suppress the development of one side."
Todd shifted his gaze to Barbara and Randall, who were sitting upright, and said with a smile to the elven woman, "You two really stole the show at the Crusader trial just now."
Barbara grabbed Randall's hand and said first, "Your Majesty, although we were wrong in this matter, we did not start the trial."
Todd shook his head with amusement: "Still have complaints?"
Barbara blinked. "How could we dare to complain? If it weren't for your wisdom, Randall and I might be in prison by now."
Todd waved his hand: "No need to flatter me. I want to ask you, what are your plans next?"
Randall was a little confused: "What do we do next?"
After a moment's thought, Barbara quickly understood Todd's meaning: "What we said today has thoroughly offended the Crusaders. I'm alright, I only contradicted the elven chieftain, at most I'll never return to the elven settlement again... But, Randall, you've caused a huge disaster."
"Me? I've caused trouble?"
Barbara grabbed Randall's arm with her fingers, her face full of anger: "At the trial, in front of the Dragon God, you revealed all the racial conflicts within the Crusader! These conflicts were originally secrets between the Crusader races, but you told the Dragon God about them, which is equivalent to damaging the image of all Crusader members and undermining everyone!"
Seeing Randall's sudden realization, Todd smiled and said, "Actually, even if you didn't say it, I would know about the conflicts between the alien races. However, by bringing up these unsavory matters in front of everyone, you will indeed offend a lot of people."
Barbara interlaced her fingers and said earnestly, "Supreme Dragon God, we are all your devout followers, please help us!"
Todd asked, "Help? How?"
Barbara was momentarily speechless.
Todd smiled and said, "How about I send you two to Lone Rock in the south? There are fewer Crusaders there, which would be perfect for you to take refuge."
Barbara shook her head vigorously: "I almost lost my life there, so I swore that I would never set foot in Lone Rock again in my life!"
Minnie, who was sitting next to her, asked with a smile, "If you're not going to Lone Rock, where do you plan to go?"
Barbara and Randall exchanged a glance, both at a loss for what to do.
Seeing their embarrassed expressions, Todd suddenly suggested, "I have an idea."
Barbara looked up and asked hopefully, "A solution?"
"You two should get married."
Randall's eyes widened: "Husband and wife?"
Todd smiled and said, "I will announce to all Crusaders that I approve of your marriage and will offer my blessings. I will also tell you frankly that I am deeply moved by your love, and I not only approve of your marriage, but I have also decided to allow intermarriage within the Crusader ranks."
Minnie looked at Todd and said softly, "Intermarriage within the Crusaders? If I remember correctly, before joining the Crusaders, everyone must swear to renounce all worldly possessions, including their family..."
Todd nodded and said, "That's right. The prerequisite for becoming a Crusader is indeed to give up everything from the past, because the conversion ritual means rebirth, and the recipient will become a completely new race... But there is one thing: I only said to give up the family before conversion, but I have never prohibited forming a family after conversion."
"In fact, couples have already formed within the Crusader. These men and women from different races, although not registered as husband and wife, inevitably develop feelings for each other and want to start a family together after living and fighting together for a long time."
Todd said with some helplessness, "Forcibly separating these couples and prohibiting their interactions would not only damage the morale of the Crusaders but also be detrimental to the stability of the army. Therefore, rather than turning a blind eye, it's better to allow intra-Crusader marriage. Moreover, this way, the members of the Crusaders will be grateful for Barbara and Randall's contributions. After all, it was because of them that I allowed intra-Crusader marriage, and any resentment or grudges will naturally disappear."
Minnie glanced at Barbara's delighted expression and reminded Todd, "I have no objection to allowing marriage between Crusaders. After all, we are training an army, not monks. However, I hope you will proceed with caution regarding the marriage of these two individuals."
Upon hearing this, Barbara became restless: "If intermarriage within the Crusader is allowed, then why can't Randall and I be together?"
Minnie pointed at Randall and said, "What is the Crusader? The Crusader is a group of beings who were once human but have been transformed into other races through a conversion ritual. Although Randall is nominally a member of the Crusader, due to his human identity, almost every other race excludes him from the Crusader's ranks and regards him as a completely human being."
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