The First Knight Order

Following the inauguration ceremony of the new High Priest of Order, the Orthodox Churches Alliance Conference commenced immediately. Inside an upscale banquet hall within the Holy See, Kred was tasked with entertaining the gathered Hierarchs. Although the subordinate gods of Order had recently forced their main god to fall, this did not in the slightest disrupt the warm camaraderie among everyone present; it was as if old friends were reuniting after years apart, the atmosphere genial and familiar. Everyone was realistic and drew clear distinctions: battles between deities belonged to the divine realm, while mortals naturally had to focus on the immediate present. The banquet proceeded smoothly enough. All they needed to do was eat, drink, display intimacy, and project their political stances and gestures to the outside world. Meanwhile, the grand hall where specific alliance affairs were being negotiated resembled an utterly clamorous bazaar. Budalas held a small black mallet, acting like an auctioneer. Every time a clause was settled, he struck the mallet down. The tool crackled with inherent lightning, releasing electric serpents that slithered across the walls and ceiling of the chamber. Karen should have left the Holy See by now, but the unplanned role of Acting High Priest forced him to stay and share the burden. Thus, he sat behind Budalas the entire time, taking no part in the concrete discussions and serving merely as a proper mascot. In truth, with Budalas presiding at the front, Karen really had nothing to worry about. The banquet on the other side convened ten times over ten days, eager to swap to a fresh theme each day, while the alliance conference here ran non-stop for ten days and ten nights. At first, the delegation members consumed their own spirit potions. Later, as their supplies ran dry, they all began drawing spirit potions provided by Order. Concurrently, the Holy See stationed several hundred priests in the hall to assist with healing and blessings. At last, key provisions—alliance regulations, rules, division of responsibilities, and resource allocations—were all finalized. The Hierarchs convened a collective open assembly, and Kred, serving as their representative, read out the alliance proclamation. From that moment on, an alliance founded upon the orthodox churches was officially established and named the Holy Alliance. The very night the proclamation was issued, numerous large, medium, and small churches released statements of their own, openly or covertly opposing and denouncing the orthodox churches for this unscrupulous conduct. This was not about faith, allegiances, or individual historical grievances. When those various churches attempted to rely on returning deities to elevate their stature and mount an upward charge, the orthodox churches acted out of fundamental self-interest, suppressing them from above as a unified class. The Church of Order had little interest in such squabbling, but since its primary objective was targeting deities, it was well-pleased to see this unfold. Two days after the proclamation, significant clashes in religious circles surged to nearly a hundred incidents. Most were provoked by the orthodox churches, paving the way for the large-scale annexations to come. Against this backdrop, the war of mankind against gods—and the war among mankind itself—officially commenced. ... "Thank you for your hard work, Budalas." Karen and Budalas walked along a garden corridor within the Holy See. Lush and picturesque, it possessed immense aesthetic charm; every bouquet of blossoms and patch of lawn was steeped in rich history. "It was also because the upheaval occurred so early, exerting intense external pressure. Otherwise, ten days would have been far from enough." "Now, the time has truly come for us to take the battlefield. Has everything been arranged?" "Diknuo has drawn up a detailed battle plan. However, one urgent question requires a final decision: whether to deploy the First Knight Order first, or the other knight orders." "What is Diknuo leaning toward?" "His advice is that either is fine, but they shouldn't be mixed together, or efficiency will plummet." "And Kred? What's his view?" "High Priest Kred leans toward using the other Order knight orders first. You know how Commander Daan and the others are—they've been pent up for so long they're nearly suffocating. If they aren't sent to a battlefield facing deities soon, they might just go mad." "Everyone is testing boundaries—even the knight orders." Karen sighed. "The moment High Priest Norton departed, external pressures began compressing inward." In the past, the commanders would only dare put on aggrieved faces, hoping the High Priest would notice and pat them on the head to placate them. Where would they have found the nerve to send official missives stating their demands openly like this? "It's inevitable. Even with your strong backing, it still can't compare to when Norton was around." "Mobilize the First Knight Order first," Karen decided. "Back when High Priest Norton was here, he said that marching to one's death, glorious as it is, must be done in an orderly queue, batch by batch." "The commanders are gathering at the War Court this afternoon to receive the battle plans. It's practically an attempt to force our hand." "I'll go." Karen stepped out of the courtyard and headed to the Administrative Temple first. The Administrative Temple had regained its former bustle. Ribbons of light reappeared, guiding each priest arriving on official business toward the High Priest's area. Although Kred could not handle every affair with boundless energy single-handedly like High Priest Norton once had, another desk had been placed before his own, and seated behind it was Alfred. Possessing the phantasm legacy and favored by Tyrannus, Alfred was indeed capable of replicating the scene of High Priest Norton handling official duties back then. Even so, Alfred deliberately passed along certain routine matters of appropriate rank that were easy to handle to Kred behind him, keeping him occupied and fulfilled. This also demonstrated how clearly Kred understood his own position. Even though the former High Priest had kept Alfred by his side for a long time before falling, Alfred was ultimately Karen's man. By using Karen's secretary as his own, Kred was letting his guard down completely before Karen. Furthermore, Kred retained and trusted Budalas, who remained an enigma to him, and entrusted his own War Court to Diknuo, whom Karen had recommended. Looking at it now, Norton's choice of Kred as his successor was indeed deeply justified. Anyone else—even Foden—would likely have been corrupted within the vortex of ultimate power, unable to maintain Kred's clear-headed composure. When Karen arrived, Kred rose to his feet. Alfred momentarily paused his work to tap his quill, activating the tea station. The ashtray and cigars on the coffee table were gone, replaced by a map. The map possessed twelve layers of light and shadow, corresponding to twelve locations—the zones where deities were descending on a massive scale. Thus, the Church of Order's obsession with the number twelve was fundamentally influenced by the God of Order, who adhered to this number even when releasing deities back into the world. Kred sighed. "Only after the Chief left did I clearly realize how easy we had it when he was still around." "Will the alliance commit troops?" Karen asked. "The main fight will still fall to us. We will demand resources and war machines from them, and at most allow them to dispatch one or two elite corps to take part. I don't want to see an undisciplined mob of armies bickering and holding each other back; that would severely degrade our combat effectiveness. Besides, they're far more interested in annexing those large, medium, and small churches. A bunch of underhanded opportunists—we can hardly expect them to play a serious role on the grand stage." "You're quite right." "Daan and the others want the vanguard." "We can't let them have their way," Karen shook his head. "Preserving more living people means preserving more of the church's future." "Don't you think it would be a shame to expend the First Knight Order?" "Didn't our forebears slumber for two epochs precisely to await this day? Foundation reserves are meant to be spent at critical junctures like this; otherwise, we'd just be misers." "I agree with your view, but do you have a way to convince Daan and the others?" "I do." "I'm not your match," Kred chuckled. "I thought you'd say you'd try your best." "Right now is no time for modesty." "How about this: I step down and pass the High Priest's position to you right now, and I head back to work at the War Court?" This was no test; it came straight from the heart. Ever since the day Kred personally draped the High Priest vestments over Karen, it was as if he had attained enlightenment and let go completely; otherwise, he wouldn't have stripped himself of authority so willingly. "You should remain in the seat. That way, I have a bit more freedom to handle things outside." Kred retrieved three scrolls from the sleeve of his robes and handed them to Karen. "These are three decrees. I've already affixed my seal and left my spiritual imprint. Once you've dealt with Daan and the others, go to the First Knight Order in my stead at once and issue the official order to prepare for full-formation awakening." Only the High Priest possessed the authority to mobilize the First Knight Order. Karen took the scrolls into his hands and bowed to Kred. "I heed your decree." ... Inside the council hall of the War Court, eleven commanders and twenty-two vice commanders, led by Daan, packed the room to capacity. While it was reckless for senior commanders to gather outside their posts on the eve of battle, the risk was negligible considering they could return to their military camps via teleportation arrays in an instant. The War Court was Kred's old system, yet even Kred himself would probably have found this situation an immense headache. Indeed, that was exactly why Kred stayed away and left Karen to resolve it. Diknuo had just distributed the battle plans and was currently collecting feedback for revisions. Daan glanced at Silma, who took the initiative to stand up and say, "We have only one opinion: why does this battle plan include an alternative? Are we the reserve, or is the First Knight Order the reserve?" Diknuo responded, "Isn't it completely normal to have a contingency plan?" Silma said, "In a war of such gravity, where one must often face death without any hope of return, how could there possibly be an alternative?" Diknuo remained composed with a smile. He genuinely feared no pressure from these commanders; in terms of seniority, he was their true elder predecessor. However, given the current situation, unless they were properly placated, it would be difficult to carry out the battle plan. From outside came sounds of salutations. Hearing them, the commanders inside rose to their feet en masse under Daan's lead. Karen walked in. "Greetings, High Priest." "Greetings, High Priest." The commanders were soldiers, but they were by no means simple-minded; they deliberately omitted the prefix "Acting." Diknuo yielded his seat, but Karen did not walk up to take the head chair. Instead, he stopped in the center of the council hall. "I heard everything from outside," Karen said, facing Silma. "Since you know the war is grave and demands the resolve to face death without return, what are you all squabbling about here?" Seeing Karen state his stance so bluntly, their expressions darkened. Daan spoke up: "The First Knight Order is the foundation of our church. I believe that while we still have the strength to fight, we should not disturb our forebears' slumber. We, too, should leave more of our legacy behind for future generations." Karen smiled faintly. "I am not here to negotiate with you. I am here to deliver orders: the First Knight Order will be deployed to the battlefield ahead of all your knight orders. Only when the First Knight Order is mostly expended will you move in to fill the gaps." Daan said, "Acting High Priest, this is neither fair nor reasonable." Karen looked at Daan and said, "Commander Daan, you have the right to reserve your opinion." With that, Karen pointed around at all the commanders present and continued, "Every one of you has that right. But by the same token, I have the right to reserve the post of commander. Our Church of Order has no need for commanders who do not obey orders. Don't think the knight orders won't know how to fight without you. What the First Knight Order has in greatest abundance is commanders! If worst comes to worst, I will dismiss every one of you and have the Holy See awaken commanders from previous generations to take your place!" Fury flashed in everyone's eyes. This was no discussion; it was a brazen threat. Daan asked, "Karen, must it be like this?" Karen said, "Daan, you can try bringing knights into the Holy See once more and see if you succeed." At the side, Diknuo, who had witnessed the entire exchange, could not understand why the Young Master—usually so tactful and measured—would deliberately push the situation toward the most precarious and rigid impasse. Still, Diknuo had no doubts about the Young Master's capability, merely blaming himself beforehand for not understanding politics. At that moment, a vice commander could not resist speaking up: "But the Temple's intention was to support us taking the vanguard!" Daan instantly glared at the vice commander. As a direct loyalist of the former High Priest, how could he ever tolerate being entangled with the Temple? With Norton gone, the Temple had grown active at once, brazenly reaching out its tentacles. Karen was hardly surprised by such foolish behavior from the Temple. Just then, a commotion rose outside once again, this time from an even larger group of people. A priest keeping order at the doorway ran inside to report to Karen. Karen replied, "Invite them all in." "Yes, Acting High Priest." Soon, a large group was ushered in. Every one of them was elderly, their hair white as frost. When these old men entered, most of the seated commanders instinctively stood up from their chairs. For these elders were mostly retired knight order officers. Many of the active commanders here had once been their subordinates or students, and quite a few were even related as father and son or father-in-law and son-in-law. Liwen and Piro walked at the front. Following Karen's instructions, they had brought over all the core members of the Church of Order Senior Citizens Club. Seeing this, Daan looked up, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. He already sensed that his attempt to force the leadership's hand was doomed to fail. Yet he felt little disappointment, for in this young man, he saw the silhouette of the Chief. To him, the church transitioning from the Chief's era back to the God's era was not something he couldn't accept. Liwen tugged at his collar with one hand and pointed accusingly at the commanders with the other, shouting, "I say, what are you bastards making a fuss about here? What's all this whining? If anyone has the right to kick up a fuss, aren't we far more qualified than you? Do you have any idea that we've already drawn up a roster? Me, him, him, and him—this whole crowd! We've all planned to commit suicide beforehand at the right time to preserve our bodies in prime condition so we can enter the First Knight Order as reserves! If it's about competing and fighting for the front, aren't we far more qualified than you 'youngsters'? What, just because the First Knight Order is queued ahead of you, you can't take it? Feeling wronged, are you? Ready to make trouble? Bah! I'm telling you, even after all the forebears of the First Knight Order finish awakening, it won't be your turn right away—we old bastards are queued ahead of you too!" "That's right! It's not your turn!" "Scandalous, completely disgraceful! Daring to force a confrontation—how long has the former High Priest even been gone?" "Does this behavior do justice to the former High Priest? Does it do justice to the lords who just fell?" "Do you still deserve to wear the robes of Order, don the armor of Order, and command the knight orders of Order?" The council hall instantly erupted into chaos. Some elders unleashed indiscriminate tirades, while others singled out their former students and subordinates; some even kicked their sons and sons-in-law in the rear without giving them an ounce of face. Karen deliberately kept silent, letting the mayhem play out a little longer. When he felt the time was right, Karen raised his hand. The elders gave Karen plenty of face and fell quiet at once. Had Neo been here, he surely would have teased: *Look at you and your damn affinity with old men!* "The forebears of the First Knight Order take the battlefield first. Now, does anyone still object?" Liwen shouted the lead: "If you dare object, if you dare disobey the Holy See's orders, us old bastards will kill ourselves right here today—no, we'll self-immolate!" "Right, we won't live! Just frees up spots for you lot anyway, since you don't want us ahead of you!" "Hahaha, exactly! In your eyes we're just useless trash anyway!" After this chaotic uproar, the commanders' prior unity was thoroughly shattered. Silma had it the worst; his former superior and father-in-law was still twisting his ear without letting go. Daan took the initiative to speak: "The Order knight orders will forever obey the Holy See's commands and pledge our lives to uphold the High Priest's decree." The rest immediately followed suit: "We pledge our lives to uphold the High Priest's decree!" A political coercion with military backing was finally defused. As long as these commanders bowed their heads and yielded, the rank-and-file knights under them would be pacified without any trouble. Karen retrieved the decrees Kred had given him from his pocket and said, "Since you're all already here, accompany me to the First Knight Order."