Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 430 The Mighty Church of Dawn and the Nuns' Generous and Passionate Ritual of Springtime

After Su Li got up, Hilde entered the room with his maid Ilya, who had already prepared all the toiletries for him.

Seeing Su Li's excited expression, a flash of surprise crossed Hilde's handsome face as she asked, "Lord, what good news is there? It's been a long time since I've seen you so excited."

Su Li nodded excitedly, grasped her fair wrist, pulled her in front of him, gazed at her solemnly, and said excitedly, "That's right. We have a legendary opportunity. This means that it may not be long before you can also advance to the legendary level."

Upon hearing this, Hilde was overjoyed. Only by personally looking up at a legendary-level creature could one know just how difficult the path to becoming a legendary-level creature truly was.

如果说从精英级到冠军级难度是1～10，从冠军级到神选级是10～100，那从神选级到传奇级简直就是100～100000。

The road ahead was incredibly easy for Hilder; she advanced triumphantly. Breakthroughs were as simple as eating and drinking.

Especially after she received divine grace, improved her aptitude, and embarked on the path of cultivation again, with a flick of her longsword, she broke through from a mere mortal to a full-fledged knight. Su Li was so shocked at the time that his jaw almost dropped.

Even with Hilde's terrifying talent, she hasn't made much progress in the years since entering the Chosen God level. To this day, she is still a mid-level Chosen God, and hasn't even touched the threshold or bottleneck of the Legendary God level.

Therefore, she was acutely aware of just how precious and rare a legendary opportunity truly was!

She immediately asked with concern, "Who's about to advance to Legendary level? Is it Thranville?"

Su Li shook his head. Although Seranville, with her bloodline as the Ice and Snow Valkyrie, would definitely advance to the legendary level as long as she didn't perish.

But that only means she doesn't have the threshold for legendary status and will ascend naturally like a dragon. This is the racial advantage of their immortal race.

But she still needs to cultivate, at least to raise her rank.

Currently, Thranville is still at the high-level champion level. Without major battles and exceptional opportunities, she has no way to immediately break through to the God-chosen level, and is still far from becoming a legend.

Su Li never hid anything from Hilde, so he immediately replied, "It's Anker Redbeard. The legendary mission he's carrying needs to be resolved."

"Chaos the Transformer has appeared?" Hilde was extremely intelligent and immediately guessed the key. She was the one who introduced Ankol Redbeard's strength and history to Su Li. Therefore, she remembered the legendary status Ankol Redbeard carried perfectly.

"Yes."

Upon receiving Su Li's confirmation, Hilde nodded and pondered, "We have several legendary-level quests in our territory, and I didn't expect him to be the first one to be eliminated. But it's like finding a needle in a haystack."

That being said, it's actually quite reasonable that the first one to appear was Chaos the Transformer.

Since the Spear of Heaven was originally taken back from the followers of Tzeentch, and both Tzeentch and Selene coveted this strategic treasure, it was only natural that it would attract a large number of Tzeentch and Selene warbands.

"The only problem is that we need to be away for more than a cycle before the Chaos Transformer can take advantage of the situation."

Hildegard responded calmly to the question, saying, "Then let's leave for a while. Perhaps Maleburg would be a good choice. We can also inquire about the assessment of territorial nobles. With Marshal Orstein here, if Chaos the Transformer dares to show up, our legions will surely be able to grind him to dust."

Why was the Spear of Heaven built on the Flashspear Plains? Because the very existence of the Spear of Heaven enhanced the faith in the Goddess of the Sun and her divine blessings, greatly amplifying the knights' charging power. That vast, flat plain was the perfect battlefield for human knights to unleash their mobility and impact!
Basically, as long as battles take place near Flashspear City, it's as if the followers of the Sun Goddess have chosen a pre-selected battlefield and maximized their own advantages.

Furthermore, to enhance this advantage, the priests of Rongen built several monasteries and magnificent statues of the goddess in the area. These marble statues, tens of meters high, stood atop the earthen slopes of the plain, overlooking the flat terrain for miles around. Under the divine blessing, the melee skills and morale of the followers of the Goddess of the Sun were boosted.

Unfortunately, the effects of the Temple of the Blazing Sun cannot currently reach this area; they only affect the eastern and northern parts of Blackforest Territory. The Flashspear Plains are located in the western part of Blackforest Territory.

Ideally, Chaos the Shapeshifter would emerge from the Crimson Plateau in the northeast, then rapidly march to the vicinity of Flashspear City, where he would be surrounded by the powerful air cavalry and knightly legions of the Blackforest Territory. He would then fall into the ambush prepared by Orstein, and be blasted to smithereens by dwarven cannons, the Academy's war wagons, and various powerful war machines.

Therefore, Su Li was not worried about the war after he left. Then he looked at the languid and powerless Ingrid. This forest witch was really in a bad state after being tormented. She didn't even have the strength to move a finger.

With her frail body, it was certainly impossible for her to serve Su Li, the powerful champion knight.

It just so happens that I'll be away for a while, which will give her time to create a legendary ring.

So Su Li pondered for a moment and then replied to Hilde, "Then let's announce the news. We will set off for Maleburg after the Spring Blossoms Ceremony."

"However, right now, our top priority is to properly handle our Springtime Ritual."

Hilde immediately wrung out the wet towel and stepped forward to wipe his face, saying, "My lord, breakfast is ready. Patriarch Fandall of the Church of Dawn and many nuns are waiting for you to go to the Ring of Maidens."

Su Li then decisively got up and walked out of the treehouse with Hilde.

The arrival of the Spring Festival signifies that Rhea has taken over the reins of power from Yurik. This goddess truly lives up to her reputation as the most generous and benevolent; the winter chill immediately dissipates, and the air that blows in carries warmth and moisture.

As the goddess of dawn, the activities of the Church of Rhea place particular emphasis on vitality and hope. The air is filled with the fragrance of new leaves and damp earth, and the joyful songs and laughter that drift from afar are several times more enthusiastic than last year.

At this moment, the entire Black Forest Territory seemed to be splashed with a layer of flowing gold and green paint. A huge archway woven from new willows and newly blooming wildflowers stood in the village square; along the country paths, farm women were gently sprinkling blessed dewdrops on the children's smooth foreheads, the wheat-ear-shaped watermarks clearer and fuller than last year, shimmering with the faint light of dawn, symbolizing a more powerful "new life force" sprouting within the children.

When Su Li arrived at the dining table, the maids had already prepared an exceptionally lavish breakfast for him. The main course was smoked venison steak, made from the tenderloin of a mature male venison from the Blood Pine Forest. It was marinated overnight with rosemary, juniper berries, a small amount of black pepper, and rock salt, and then grilled over fruitwood charcoal until medium-rare in the morning, resulting in a crispy exterior while the inside remained tender and juicy. It was served with a drizzle of a thick sauce made from wild berries and honey. This was a classic staple on Su Li's breakfast table.

For the main course, a celebration, we used precious pearl wheat bread! It was made with finely milled pearl wheat flour from the blood fields of Quessfield Estate last year. The bread was small in size but extremely soft, with an interior as delicate as a cloud, exuding the unique sweetness of grains and a subtle, almost imperceptible, fresh aroma, like morning dew.

The side dishes were plentiful, including pan-fried forest mushrooms, poached eggs with truffle crumbs, honey-soaked spring berries, warm honey milk, and even a luxurious side of garlic-flavored ham rabbit!
Su Li invited Fandral and the three nuns who were waiting there to sit down at the table: "Today's breakfast is exceptionally lavish, even Fire Rabbit is served, let's have some together."

Fandall smiled and said, "Then we thank our lord for his gift. This is a rare treasure."

"However, our Fire Rabbits also had a bumper harvest this year, so we were able to enjoy them."

The Fire Rabbit is no longer very effective against fire-attribute knights of elite level or above. Su Li is now using it to gently nourish and moisturize her body, hoping to slightly improve her aptitude over time.

Su Li took a big bite of the tumbler rabbit meat. The rich and fragrant juices burst on his tongue, giving him a strong taste sensation. After swallowing it, he felt warm all over and his limbs felt exceptionally comfortable.

He closed his eyes in enjoyment, unconsciously tightening his grip on the two fragments of the twin-tailed comet in his hand, purifying himself from the corrosive effects of Selene.

These two fragments of the twin-tailed comet were mythical-level materials he had accumulated over a long period of intelligence work; they could have been used to create powerful weapons.

But Su Li used it entirely to maintain her purity and dispel the corruption of chaos.

Otherwise, he was genuinely worried that his personality, which was characterized by a love for beautiful women, delicious food, and art, could easily be corrupted by sexual abuse.

Then, he opened his eyes, looked at Fandral, and asked, "How many Fire Rabbits do we have right now?"

Fandall immediately replied, "Currently, the main animals grazing on the entire Bauhinia Noble Ranch are these extraordinary magical beasts, and there are also a large number of wild Fire Rabbits in the Sacred Forest. Even if you try to drive them away, they will not leave."

"With sales every month, we currently have around 1350 to 1480 trevally available rabbits, including over 800 cubs. The quality of trevally meat is greatly reduced when the rabbits are immature. Therefore, the number of trevally available for consumption is around 700. We are very proud to announce that our church's breeding of trevally rabbits is fully keeping pace with the growth of our territory's strength."

The number is around 1350 to 1480, with a fairly large range, almost one-tenth of the total. This inevitably leads to spoilage.

But Su Li didn't blame them. After all, in this dark and desperate world, completely eliminating them was utterly impossible, even wishful thinking. Besides, rabbits aren't as easy to count as horses.

Consider this Su Li's reward to the Dawn Church. Just as they said, the number of Fire Rabbits has completely kept pace with the growth of the territory.

When the territory's population was 3,000, there were only about a hundred Fire Rabbits. Now that the territory's population has exceeded 30,000, the number of Fire Rabbits has increased tenfold! This is extremely remarkable.

After all, although Su Li's territory only has a population of just over 3, which is less than a township in a feudal dynasty, its territory is extremely vast. With its expansive territory and magnificent mountains and rivers, it naturally attracts immigrants from the north.

It is extremely difficult for the Dawn Church to increase the scale of Fire Rabbit without any external help, relying solely on its own diligence and hard work.

Of course, this also means that the tiers and proportions of people who can actually obtain Fire Rabbits haven't changed. It's still roughly one in thirty.

Su Li then asked, "How are the sales of Fire Rabbit?"

Fandall immediately said, "Fire Rabbits have a peak sales season every year, and the fire-attribute knights in our territory will buy them regularly. That's why our army has someone successfully breaking through every now and then. Last year, we earned more than 48000 gold crowns just from selling Fire Rabbits."

Su Li nodded in satisfaction. As the territory prospered and expanded, the initial investments were beginning to yield returns. In particular, these extraordinary magical beasts and plants were each a significant source of revenue for the territory.

Each month, Fire Rabbit alone can provide the territory with 4000 gold crowns in revenue.

How can the territory's finances not be improved quickly?

Carl then asked, "And what about the light-scaled fish? How many are there?"

Fandall immediately replied, "The Lightscale Fish is even more popular than the Firefly Rabbit, after all, the Lightscale Fish's effect applies to all knights. We currently have 463 Lightscale Fish in Lake Leiflin!"

This number is much less than that of the Firefly Rabbit, but after all, the Lightscale Fish require certain hydrological conditions. If there is not enough psionic energy in the lake, but there are too many Lightscale Fish, Lake Lovelyne will become a dead lake, with a foul stench and all kinds of dead fish floating on the surface.

Therefore, if the Hessian Territory falls, all of this will soon be abandoned. The various pastures, fish farms, gardens, forests, and vineyards of the territory all need careful maintenance.

Su Li finished the last piece of rabbit meat on her plate in one gulp, then tilted her head back and drank the milk in one go. She wiped her mouth, stood up, and said, "Let's go then, to the Ring of Maidens, to preside over this year's Springtime Ritual. How many Fathers of Grains will be able to participate in the blood sacrifice this year?"

While extraordinary plants and animals generate substantial revenue for the territory, they are like ornate carvings on a tall building—the icing on the cake. The vast wheat fields, capable of supplying countless grains, are the most crucial foundation of the entire territory. Without this foundation, all superstructures are like castles built on sand; a single wave will shatter them into scattered sands.

Therefore, Su Li paid close attention to blood sacrifices and farmland.

Fandall immediately followed behind Su Li and replied, "My lord, we currently have 37 nature spirits in our territory, 12 of which are from the Father of Grains, Bolevik."

Upon hearing this, Su Li's eyes widened in surprise. She turned to look at Fandral and asked, "How can there be so many?"

Su Li felt that she had always paid close attention to this aspect, but last year during the Spring of All Things Ceremony, there were only 4 Poleviks.

He felt that he hadn’t paid attention to it for the last quarter or two, so how could the number of natural spirits have increased so much?
Fandall replied with a smile, “My lord, this is actually quite normal. The main reason is the expansion of our territory. With its vast expanse, it naturally encompasses more mountains, more forests, more expansive plains, and more rivers and lakes. These areas may contain natural spirits. Normally, they are scattered in various places and are difficult to discover. The nuns of our Church of Dawn have simply gathered them together.”

"Another reason is the prosperity of the territory. The spirits of nature made a pact with Leia in ancient times to help humanity's production and fame. In the past, this territory was desolate and barren, so there were naturally not many spirits of nature. But as our population increased, and large amounts of farmland and pastures rose up, the scope of civilization continued to spread across this desolate and vast land, which naturally attracted more spirits of nature to appear."

In that case, Su Li had to admit that what Fandral said made a lot of sense.

The main reason is that the territory has expanded almost three times. Assuming there is one spirit in every few hundred miles of land, with the expansion of the territory, naturally more spirits will appear in the territory of Black Forest Territory.

Indeed, farming in his territory was very successful. It used to be a desolate land, overgrown with thorns and weeds, so tall that people couldn't even see themselves inside. Tigers and wolves roamed everywhere.

Today, vast stretches of barren grassland have been transformed into fertile fields, numerous pastures have sprung up on the flat land, and smoke rises from countless villages, as the trajectory of civilization continues to spread. This will undoubtedly attract even more spirits of nature.

For example, the Fire Mother needs enough ash and smoke to condense.

Su Li and Fandral then led their guards quickly toward the Ring of Maidens. When they arrived, the Ring of Maidens was already surrounded by a huge crowd. In addition to a large number of Dawn Sisters and farmers who had come from nearby villages, there were also a large number of halflings. They loved to join in the fun and had excellent business acumen, bringing a lot of handicrafts and food to sell.

On the Ring of Maidens, Rhea's statue has been erected, and it is surrounded by a dense array of various natural spirits.

In addition to Polevik, Lady Logan, Beastmaster, Sleeping Root, Hearth Grandmother, and Swamp Sage, several new Nature Spirits have been added.

For example, the Spirit of the Sentinel Wall is a moving, living fence, composed of tangled thorns, brambles, and honeysuckle. Blurred human faces appear on its surface, and its eyes are hanging poisonous berries. Its nature is that of a suspicious guardian, aggressive towards unfamiliar footsteps, yet gentle as a nanny towards familiar livestock. It demands that humans never completely prune it, that its "wild dignity" be preserved, otherwise it will deliberately let weasels into the chicken coop.

There is also the Whispering Beetle, a giant bee whose wings shimmer with iridescent light. Its compound eyes are made of hexagonal honeycomb cells, and instead of a stinger, it holds a drop of golden honey that never falls. When it flies, it scatters pollen and light dust.

Its personality is that of a talkative orator, who loves to impart gardening skills and scoffs at humans' clumsy grafting techniques. It can command bees to pollinate precisely or drive away pests, double the yield of fruit trees, and ensure that flowers never wither.

Sipping the golden nectar from its tail end grants a brief ability to communicate with plants, revealing crop diseases or soil susceptibility. However, it requires humans to recite poems or proverbs to it daily; otherwise, it will command the bees to interrupt human prayers during the most solemn moments of church bell tolls.

There was even a cellar grandmother, a hunched old woman pieced together from planks of aged oak barrels, her hair adorned with hanging moldy strands, her skirt exuding the aroma of wine and vinegar. She walked with a long-handled ceramic spoon. She was an absolute perfectionist, extremely strict about food preservation methods, and abhorred the "frivolity" of fresh ingredients.

Its ability is to accelerate the fermentation of food in the cellar, making sauerkraut crisp in three days and cheese fragrant in a month. Or it can freeze spoilage, allowing a basket of fresh fruit to remain in the cellar for three years without spoiling.

Humans are required to offer her the first jar of newly brewed wine each year for her to "taste"—in reality, this means pouring it into the cracks between the bricks in the cellar, otherwise the mead will turn sour and the cured meat will become infested with maggots.

In the center of the venue stood twenty-eight nuns, clad in brand-new, emerald-green robes that seemed dyed from the first leaves of spring, standing solemnly. Before them lay one of the most important offerings of the year: over three pounds of incredibly precious pearl wheat, placed in a sacred platter carved from a single piece of moonstone, radiating a warm, jade-like luster. This was the key to all newborns receiving the blessing of the "Goddess's Embryo" this year!

The materials for the blood sacrifice—the mountain of sacredly purified monster and rebel remains—were placed on a massive, makeshift stone platform behind the monument, covered with pristine white linen sprinkled with freshly picked herbs and wildflowers, temporarily concealing the grim atmosphere beneath. Twelve Poleviks lay silently around the platform, their very presence radiating a rich aura of life and earth. Beside them stood a hundred new, finely crafted iron plows, adorned with ribbons and twigs by halfling artisans, awaiting the upcoming spring plowing race.

Under Su Li's command, they will together perform a sacred sacrifice to the Goddess of Dawn. At that time, the entire territory will be filled with hymns praising the Goddess of Dawn, and sacred scenes will be everywhere. The sacred tremor will spread like invisible ripples, and Leia's gaze will surely be drawn to this place.

This is the first Spring Festival held since the city of Flashspear was built in the territory, and it is destined to be far more successful than last year!
"The Lord has arrived!" As the master of ceremonies announced, the hall fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on Su Li.

As Patriarch, Fandral walked to the center of the arena, raised his arms high, and his booming voice resounded throughout the surrounding area: "In the name of Rhea! Spring brings forth all things, the earth revives! The celebration—begins!"

A melodious, ancient tune arose, played by farmers using panpipes, bone flutes, and hand drums crafted from new wheat straw. The twenty-eight Dawn Sisters danced once more, their movements more skillful and graceful than last year. Their numbers had doubled, and the spirals they formed as they danced were even grander, like ever-flowing waves of wheat undulating in the wind.

"Lord of life, Mother of fertile land!"

"Your skirt sweeps across the frozen ground, and the glacier sings with joy!"

"In the name of Leia, the covenant continues forever—the land gives me abundance, and I give the land reverence and new life!"

As the clear, melodious chants filled the air, the ceremony reached its climax. The twenty-eight nuns simultaneously ceased their dance, their slender fingers caressing the ramie sashes around their waists. Their emerald robes slid down like fallen leaves, revealing twenty-eight young bodies bathed in the morning light—like the purest gift of the earth, laid bare before the devout believers. Their skin glowed like dew-kissed petals on newly blossomed flowers, their curves gentle as rolling hills, their flowing hair like golden streams. At this moment, there was no lust, only the most sublime praise and sacrifice to the very essence of life.

"Praise be to the generous goddess Leia!" A thunderous roar of praise resounded through the sky, and the fervor of faith almost made the air boil.

(End of this chapter)