I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 318 The New Religion
Chris felt that Diu Ni Rem had something important to tell him, but sometimes, things just don't go as planned.

For example, now.

"Ring the bell once!"
Push the lever to start the piston and pump...

Ring the bell twice!
Press the button, start the engine, ignite the turbine, inject life...

Ring the bell three times!
Sing in unison, praising the god of machines!

Chris froze, staring at the man in front of him, dressed in a long red robe, holding a book in his left hand and a gear-shaped scepter in his right. Suddenly, he felt as if his memory was malfunctioning.

Holy crap, what happened? Where's the "Damn Rem" mayor I remember? When did he become a priest of the Mechanicus from Warhammer 40?
Chris was stunned as he stared at the player in front of him, who was loudly chanting and swaying his head.

"You...what are you doing?"

Rem didn't answer Chris's question; he was engrossed in his own world.

"Your Highness, I request that the Cult of the Machine God preside over the Harvest Festival!"

"Wait, wait a minute? The Cult of Machines!?"

Rem mistakenly thought Chris didn't know what the Mechanicus was, so he explained.

"We discovered from the operation of machines that they not only possess power, but also a soul,"

Diu Ni Rem's voice carried an almost fanatical certainty, and his slightly comical but exceptionally well-made red robe swayed slightly with his excited movements.

Chris opened his mouth, feeling there were too many things to complain about and he didn't know where to begin.

Chris knew that the player was acting, trying to deceive him, the NPC, in order to achieve his own goals.

"The spirit of machinery..."

"Alright, alright, stop trying to convert me, let's get down to business."

Chris waved his hand, interrupting Rem's long-winded explanation. How could he not know about the Cult of Machines?

"Is your Mechanicus Cult registered with the Religious Affairs Bureau? Is it a legal religion?"

"Of course it's legal."

Rem pulled a document from his pocket and placed it on the desk in front of Chris.

"We have completed the registration and passed the approval process."

Chris picked it up and saw that the Mechanicus cult had indeed passed the application, but the approval date was yesterday, as was the application date.

After reading it, Chris was speechless. Wasn't this a bit too presumptuous, showing no respect for this prince?

Shouldn't this review process, if followed according to the rules, take ten days to half a month?

The location of the church, the qualifications of the missionaries, and the legitimacy of the doctrines of the Mechanicus Church all require strict review, but it clearly ignored all of these in just one day.

Chris could imagine what the document looked like on the religious affairs office desk: it would be stamped repeatedly with a "bang, bang, bang," as efficient as a bribed Indian official.

Chris realized that the director of the Religious Affairs Bureau was a player, and then he looked at the player mayor in front of him wearing a bright red robe, and he immediately understood.

"Hey, hey, can't you guys give me some face when you're doing things? Don't go this far!"

When Chris complained, Rem turned his head away guiltily, looking elsewhere, not daring to meet Chris's gaze.

Okay, at least Rem knows to feel guilty, which means he still has some respect for himself. Let's leave it at that.

It doesn't count, there's nothing we can do about it, that's how it is.

"What did you just want to say?"

Chris rubbed his temples and decided to stop worrying about the approval process, which was clearly being "specially handled" by the players.

"You just said you wanted the Cult of Machines to preside over the Harvest Festival?"

He sighed.

"What's the reason? Agriculture and machinery—that's quite a big leap!"

"The steam plow used for tilling the fields is just a machine. I plan to use this as the focus of the festival to let farmers know the function of the steam plow, so that they can come to the Ministry of Agriculture to borrow the machine, or seek help from the cult of mechanical gods."

"Where is the church?"

Chris continued asking questions.

"According to religious law, any religious presiding or holding of a legal festival can only take place within one kilometer of its church. Does the Cult of Mechanism have a church now?"

"Oh, is there such a provision in religious law?"

Diu Ni Rem was extremely puzzled. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small booklet, and began to look through it.

"Why can't I find it?"

"Oh, I just wrote this rule."

Chris remained unfazed, completely unaware of how Indian his behavior was.

Even Rem was speechless, and Prince Chris was also... well, whatever, he's the boss after all.

"It's alright. I have several places to choose from for the church and such, and it can be built tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll write you a note."

Chris took a piece of paper, wrote a series of "medical" characters on it in a flamboyant style, stamped it with his seal, and then handed it to Diu Ni Rem.

Medical script is a good thing. It was created by Chris to prevent people from imitating his handwriting. Apart from NPC scribes and medical students, ordinary people can't understand it at all, let alone imitate it.

"Is there anything else important?"

"Yes, regarding the railway, with war against the Kingdom of Minicia looming at the end of autumn, should the railway construction plan prioritize the railway leading to the border with the Kingdom of Minicia?"

"You can make your own judgment based on the situation. If this will not affect the overall railway plan, I will allow you to adjust the priority of railway construction."

"clear."

Now, Rem has returned to her serious demeanor.

Chris knew that the so-called Cult of the Machine God was probably a product of the players' whims, just like the Cult of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. No one could say for sure how this religion would develop. It might just disappear on its own tomorrow because the organizers lost interest.

Even if it develops, Chris doesn't care. He can use the Cult of Machine God to balance out the churches such as the Earth Mother Goddess and the Goddess of Agriculture.

"Also, regarding..."

The conversation lasted for more than an hour. The moment Diu Ni Rem pushed the door open and left, the clerk outside walked in.

"Your Highness, Marquis Dirac requests another meeting."

"kindness?"

Chris was a little confused. Hadn't he just left?

Something important has come up.

"Permission granted." Chris would regret his words. The Marquis of Dirac practically rushed in right behind the clerk the moment the clerk opened the door, before the heavy oak door could even be fully closed.

"Your Highness!"

The Marquis's voice was so loud it could shake the dust off the fireplace.

"I was in such a hurry that I forgot something important!"

"what?"

"Your Highness! The foundation of the kingdom lies in its lineage! The stability of the throne lies in its bloodline!"

Marquis Dirac's voice was melodious and full of the old-fashioned aristocratic speaking style.

"You are of marriageable age! For the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of our ancestors, and for the sake of our millions of subjects, choosing a virtuous, noble, and pure-blooded queen is of paramount importance! It cannot be delayed!"

Pressuring them to get married!?
To be honest, Chris was stunned after hearing what Marquis Dirac said, because he had never expected this at all. He had never thought of it when he returned to Bagnia from Niyama.

Does Chris have physical needs?

Yes, but he deliberately ignored it because he didn't care about many things that ordinary people needed: the succession of their descendants, the stability of their rule, and... the thoughts of their subordinates.

Chris's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, making a dull "thump-thump" sound.

He stared at Marquis Dirac’s wrinkled yet resolute face and suddenly realized he had made a serious mistake… He had been too focused on the kingdom’s reforms and war preparations, completely neglecting the issue of “royal succession” that his subordinates cared about most.

Players certainly wouldn't care about an NPC's lower body issues, and even if he doesn't have a son, players wouldn't think it has much to do with them.

A game's lifespan can be as short as a day or as long as a dozen or twenty years. Why bother whether an NPC has a son or not?
Players don't care, but the NPCs who are planning to follow Chris clearly can't ignore this problem.

“Dirac…”

Chris carefully considered his words.

"These are turbulent times. The Kingdom of Minicia is watching us with predatory eyes, and domestic reforms are at a critical juncture."

"That is precisely why Your Highness needs a virtuous and capable wife!"

Marquis Dirac waved his arms excitedly, the gold thread on his cuffs glittering in the sunlight.

"Think back to when the late king was your age; he already had three sons!"

Chris had something to complain about, but he couldn't get it out. First, the late king, Auckland, was still alive; he was just far away in the Kingdom of Minicia and didn't dare to come back.

Secondly, I'm only three at my age, is he a henpecked husband?

"But I have another question... Whose daughter should I marry?"

Chris spread his hands. He wasn't against marriage, but given his current situation, it was unlikely he would experience any love.

Ordinary people can pursue love, but for someone like Chris, pursuing love is obviously more likely to lead to trouble and make him more vulnerable to being taken advantage of.

A prince of a country, unless it is a tiny nation like those in medieval Europe, smaller than a small town in China, must be careful about his marriage partner.

As for a figure like Chris, who is destined to be the ruler of a country, he has to consider many factors when choosing his own wife.

The girl's background, character, political leanings, fertility, and social status were all taken into consideration.

On the contrary, the girl's appearance is the last thing to consider... as long as she's not ugly, it doesn't matter if she's ordinary.

Unfortunately, there are currently no women in Bagnia suitable to marry Chris... Those former nobles who once held prominent positions are being hunted down by the Inquisitors who have been hacking down entire streets.

Daughter of a wealthy businessman?

Without a chance, Chris returned to Bagnia and never attended a single banquet. He refused invitations from anyone, so much so that he had no opportunity to meet any young women suitable for marriage.

Chris hadn't thought about similar issues, which is why he's still single.

Chris knew that Dirac did not have a daughter, so he did not think the latter would have a suitable partner to recommend to him.

“I have a daughter of marriageable age named Elena Tia.”

Marquis Dirac carefully took a miniature portrait from his pocket and presented it to Chris with both hands.

"This is a portrait secretly sent by an old friend of mine in Minicia. The woman is eighteen years old, fluent in multiple languages, and her family controls one-third of the iron ore mining rights in Minicia, as well as a merchant fleet."

"kindness?"

Chris narrowed his eyes.

"The Tia family? Judging from your description, this family doesn't seem like a small family in the Kingdom of Minicia. They don't need to marry foreign princes to improve their family's status in noble circles."

So, has this family run into trouble?

“Yes, Your Highness. The Tia family does indeed hold a high position within the Kingdom of Minicia, but now within Minicia…”

Dirac was silent for a moment, then suddenly realized something.

"The Kingdom of Minicia is indeed on the verge of civil war!!!"

Marquis Dirac was invigorated. The discussion not long ago was just speculation, but now it had been confirmed, and it was information that Dirac himself had obtained.

The reason he hadn't thought of this before was because Dirac was blinded by his own involvement. He only thought that Prince Chris had a suitable marriage partner and didn't consider what might happen in Minicia that would force powerful families like the Tia family to consider their options.

Dirac was very excited as he connected all the dots. If Prince Chris’s insistence on attacking the Kingdom of Minicia in the fall was a gamble, then now he truly felt that this was an excellent opportunity.

“Your Highness, if that’s the case, then you are not in a good position to marry into the Tia family right now.”

Dirac said seriously.

"Oh, why?"

Chris found it a bit strange.
"The price isn't enough. The dowry the Tia family can offer Your Highness right now isn't much. Once this year is over and the Minesian civil war breaks out, the dowry the Tia family can offer in order to seek protection will definitely be ten times, or even twenty times, more than it is now."

If our offensive goes smoothly, we will capture the Tavitsky Province of the Kingdom of Minicia as planned, then…

At this point, Dirac became so excited that his nose turned red, like a drunken old man.

Taking advantage of someone's misfortune?

Chris couldn't help but glance at Dirac again.

Well, as expected of nobles. In order to maximize profits, they don't hesitate to betray even so-called old friends, without considering feelings like friendship at all.

What would Chris think about this?
He didn't care. Chris didn't care about his so-called future wife, nor did he feel any guilt about hurting his future father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Why worry so much about something that's barely even started?

"You handle this matter."

Chris said, after a moment's thought, he added.

"If possible, it would be best to obtain a stable intelligence channel within Minicia through this matter before we launch an attack."

"Understood, Your Highness."

(End of this chapter)