Werewolf Hunting Rules.

Chapter 504 Association
Conionai was a nobleman.

It was as if a bell suddenly rang in Clayton's mind, reminding him of a problem that had been ignored for a long time.

Yes, although he already knew that Conionne was a nobleman, Clayton was still inspired when Archbishop Weiod stated this fact in person, because the archbishop himself filled the gap in the puzzle.

The issue is Her Majesty's attitude toward the change in Weaudi.

Three minutes earlier, he, like the Friendship Society, thought that as long as the situation in Weodia stabilized, and the merchants asked their allies in Parliament to make a show of force, the Queen would have no choice but to accept everything that was happening here and then "reward" the group's representatives, because the center of power was too far away and it would be very difficult to intervene.

But what if Her Majesty is determined to help Conionnai?
It is not impossible that Her Majesty might feel that supporting Conionnai would be more worthwhile than indulging in Yu'ai, even if it requires more effort.

Conionne's first advantage was her noble status; it was only natural for the king and nobles to stand together, and protecting the nobles would benefit Her Majesty the Queen's own reputation.

Its second advantage is that the title is not high; the head of Conionai is merely a private knight, and if Duke Weiod were to deny Conionai's status, this noble title would cease to exist. Besides Duke Weiod, only Her Majesty the Queen can continue to vouch for their status, so they will certainly be loyal.

Its third advantage is that no matter how much the werewolves misbehave, they will eventually not dare to go too far because of their identity. Just as people from the same country will strictly abide by the law when doing business abroad, for fear of being exploited by law enforcement, werewolves will also worry that the church clergy will find an opportunity to attack them, so they dare not commit crimes openly. This is already better than many fools among the human nobles.

Its fourth advantage is that the werewolf's identity makes it easier to deal with the Druids, and some deals that the Queen cannot openly make can be completed through them.

Compared to this, the benefits that the Friendship Society could bring to the Queen were pitifully small.

Their only two advantages are, firstly, their human identity, which makes them naturally more likely to gain the trust of their own kind than werewolves.

Secondly, the Friendship Society has already expressed its aversion to the Darkborn. Supporting them is beneficial for demonstrating our stance and strengthening cooperation with the church. After all, sects like the Yellow Light Society are a minority in the church, and even they still harbor a subtle discriminatory attitude towards the Darkborn.

Having discussed the advantages, it's time to talk about the disadvantages. The disadvantage of choosing the Friendship Society is obvious—they are not loyal.

The Nightingale's disappearance was clearly a tactic employed by the Fellowship of Friendship, and their alliance with the conservative faction within the Druids was also their doing. It cannot be said that their alliance was entirely without benefit to the Queen, but such benefit was weak, because they lacked sufficient mystical knowledge to ensure the stability of the cooperation.

In conclusion, the Friendship Association is not a very good investment target.

If it were closer to Asia New, it might become the target of punishment.

Clayton considered his old friend Norris's views on the Queen. The monarch probably still had a psychological trauma from the collusion between the colonial army and merchants. She had sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives to regain control of the army across the ocean and had no good feelings towards merchants. It was not impossible for the young people to support Conionnai out of a sense of pride.

The only organization that will support the Welsh Folk Society in Weodia is the church.

In reality, the church was only providing normal assistance to the Fellowship, but since Conionne did not receive this assistance, it seemed that the church was showing favoritism towards the Fellowship.

Although the church does not comment on the current situation, they are still regarded as one of the church's trump cards by the Friendship Society.

Coincidentally, because of the church's refusal to cooperate and its provision of security services to any generous believer, Conionnai also believed that the church was a backup plan for the Muay Thai Society.

This is equivalent to the Friendship Association playing a card they didn't actually have.

Is it possible for something fake to become real?
no way.

Clayton's heart pounded wildly. The two cases within the church seemed to be unresolved, but he already knew how the Church of Weaudi would choose.

He is not actually politically astute, but the recent developments of the Friendship Association are reminding him of these things.

They cannot command the church.

The monks who were enemies of Conione were not from the Church. They were either the True Brotherhood, which was almost considered heretical within the Church, or pilgrims who went north. Since these people had not received ordination, they were just slightly higher-ranking believers.

Regardless of whether the Dragon Slayer Society and the Yellow Light Society wanted to take sides, they could not escape Archbishop Weaudie's independent will.

If Archbishop Weaudie wanted to take sides, these two cases wouldn't have needed to be discussed for so long.

However, although the local church has not yet made friends with anyone, its enemy is already clear: the society that is mostly in hiding.

Whether it's the Witchcraft Society or any other organization, maintaining the organization requires funding and time.

In the context of the White Sect, this kind of offering is called "tithing" and "worship." Regardless of the reasons for the formation of these associations, they have actually robbed the church of its supporters. A worker works six days a week and is only free on Sundays. He doesn't earn much money, so if he gives his time and money to an association, he can no longer give it to the church.

When more people join associations, the church's income will decrease.

The church needs money, so it will rely more on the big donors who regularly donate—such as the Friendship Society. However, the Friendship Society cannot handle associations. Instead, the werewolves of Conionne have the power and experience to handle associations.

Moreover, the clergy could not possibly turn a blind eye to the introduction of the Fellowship into Druidism, which could almost be called a betrayal—the members of the Fellowship were not outwardly unbelievers, but rather members of the White Church, which is why they donated to the White Church. The clergy only refrained from immediate conflict for economic reasons.

Based on various considerations, the Church will not take a clear side unless the archbishop receives some more reliable information or one side offers him an offer he cannot refuse.

Having figured this out, Clayton realized that he too had once wavered on the scales of the church's inclinations.

In order to take away the silver from Warehouse 96, he asked the Nelimatians' guild and the Burigaians' guild for help. Where are the people from these two guilds now?
If someone of Norris's stature leaves Weodia, someone else will fill his vacancy and do what he is supposed to do. But if the two guild members leave Weodia as they agreed, who will take their place?

The departure of the two unions was not good news for the workers of Nilimat and the workers of Buri who had not received their wages.

Without a union, who will they turn to for help when they encounter difficulties?
Clayton already had the answer in his heart.

Associations, or cults. They are competitors of the church, uniting people where the church is powerless. They can be useful for the survival of workers, but they also have a high probability of leading people astray.

A faint bitter taste rose in the lieutenant's mouth, but he wouldn't say he regretted it.

He suddenly felt that after leaving here, he should go to the old sites of the two unions to check on the situation.

He now understands somewhat the sense of helplessness Norris expressed, that "all actions can potentially harm others."

At six o'clock, the clergy's meeting ended.

As Clayton had largely predicted, Archbishop Weaudie demanded that both the Dragon Slayer Society and the Yellow Light Society reconcile in court as if nothing had happened. He also ordered all monks to refrain from privately accepting exorcism requests from believers; all requests had to be submitted in writing to him for his initial decision.

He also set a rule prohibiting all churches represented by the attendees from showing or lending out their internal relics to believers during this period, and also prohibiting them from being opened to pilgrims for exhibition.

This regulation is to prevent borrowed relics from being used in battle, resulting in damage or loss.

Especially those pilgrims preparing to head north—these people are steadfast in their faith but also prone to disregarding the local church. These wandering monks would steal relics and simply leave Weaudi, and no one could do anything about it.

Clayton noticed that the elderly archbishop must have something else to say, but he also noticed that the werewolf was still there and that it was getting late, so he adjourned the meeting.

The church's internal meetings weren't boring at all; Clayton learned a lot from them.

Dorne is a theocratic state, and the perspective of the clergy is the missing piece in his understanding. If he could understand the needs of these people, Clayton would be able to live more comfortably in this society.

Norris should study this very deeply.

After the meeting, Clayton picked up the Builder and mingled among the monks as he left the Hall of Charity. The monks were surprised to find that he hadn't actually left before.

Following his previous plan, he walked to the former site of the Nelimat Workers' Union, expecting to find it deserted. To his surprise, the lights were still on, people were going in and out of the door, and the sign of the Western Workers' Mutual Aid Association was hanging on the door.

After greeting the doorman, Clayton went up to the office on the second floor, where the original chairman, Wright, was still sitting. Upon seeing Clayton, he stood up in surprise.

"Friend, you're still here!"

Perhaps because he wasn't personally involved in the last warehouse move, he's still able to maintain this friendly attitude.

“I was about to say that too, my friend.” Clayton walked up to him step by step, leaning on his cane. He scrutinized his blond hair and long face with the astonishment of someone looking at a baby: “I stayed because the money wasn’t in my hands, and the Bassbee men wouldn’t keep chasing me. I don’t know why you’re staying. Didn’t you take your share?”

Wright sat down again: "I took it. It was a lot of money, equivalent to ten years of my salary. I've sent it back to my family to manage, while I'll stay here to fulfill my responsibilities."

Clayton sat down across the table from him: "You really love helping others that much?"

"To be frank, it's not just that. It's a job that can't be stopped just like that. There are hundreds of union members, but not all of them get paid. The rest have to stay here to work and live, and many of their affairs are still being dealt with. You can think of it as a family not being able to immediately lose its patriarch. Before leaving, I have to choose a successor."

At this point, Wright's face showed a look of emotion.

He didn't take the notebook off the table. Clayton could tell it was an account book, half of which was text and the other half was written in symbols that only Wright probably understood.

"By the way, what brings you here tonight? Is there any other work you'd like to introduce to us?"

“No,” Clayton replied; “I just came to check in and ask a few questions. You all work very hard, do you still go to church on Sundays?”

Wright looked at the lieutenant, not quite understanding his meaning: "I will go myself, but some union members have converted, or simply become abelievers. This union doesn't manage the beliefs of its members, so why are you asking this?"

Before Clayton could answer him, the doorman burst in, interrupting their conversation.

"President Wright, a huge flock of crows is coming!"

The situation is terrible.

When Albert made the above judgment, it meant that the situation was really bad, without the slightest exaggeration.

This isn't to say that the sheriff felt hopeless because he was like a rock, easily kicked by anyone with some status, whether before or after his promotion. Rather, he discovered that the society's power seemed a bit too great.

He was busy from afternoon to evening, but only made some progress in the first two hours. After Julius disappeared, there was no further activity.

It seems like half the suspicious people in the city have disappeared.

They didn't really disappear, of course; they just went into hiding.

The news spread so quickly that he began to suspect there were damned members of the society among the police, and if that were the case, his work would be very difficult to carry out.

Fortunately, the captured members of the society relented under torture and confessed to providing information about a secret society and its address.

Without delay, he excitedly led his men to the scene, only to find the werewolf Clayton Bello standing with the other side's leader.

"Damn it, not again?!" Sheriff Albert thought angrily.