I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 330 Anger and Punishment
Looking at the priest Crawford standing in front of him, and the trembling militia captain standing to the side, Chris's lips twitched uncontrollably a few times, making his current expression look a bit like a sneer.

No, or rather, Chris is indeed sneering right now.

The sound of the prince's fingers tapping on the table was exceptionally clear and cold in the silent room. Each tap seemed to strike the priest Crawford's heart, causing his round body to tense up involuntarily.

The prince's uncontrollable, cold smile made the priest of the Church of the Earth Mother feel the temperature in the room plummet.

The prince's guards always say that His Highness Chris is a soft-hearted, overly kind, and saintly person, but Crawford doesn't think so... Would a kind person allow the Inquisitors to carry out a massacre in the country?

Chris is furious.

To be honest, the Chinese mindset somewhat harmed Chris. After suppressing and warning the two churches of the Earth Mother Goddess and the Goddess of Agriculture in the early stages, he no longer paid them any attention, thinking that the priests would behave themselves.

Just like modern monks and Taoist priests.

Chris never imagined that church personnel, who had no soldiers or guns, would dare to cause him trouble... No, perhaps he had thought about it, because the Earth Mother Goddess had done it once, so he still maintained a certain level of vigilance towards her.

Chris had also privately instructed some players and high-ranking officials to be vigilant, pay attention to information about the Church of the Earth Mother, and not give them any room to cause trouble.

But Chris never expected that the church that was preparing to cause trouble for him would be the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture.

This was completely unexpected for Chris.

Chris subconsciously tapped the table with his left index finger, pondering how to deal with this unexpected situation.

First of all, forgiveness is impossible. What Oliver, that idiot, wants to do has a terrible impact on Chris's refugee resettlement plan. This guy actually wants to use Chris to profit himself, but the backlash he suffers is all on Chris's shoulders.

Priest Crawford's report was clear and complete, without any embellishment; he simply recounted Oliver's insidious plan and his attempts to win him over verbatim.

Therefore, Chris could also deduce that idiot's logic... He had no logic; he just disliked those Miniseyan refugees and found a reason to cause them trouble, while also making things difficult for himself.

From a normal person's perspective, especially Chris's personal opinion, this whole thing is fucking stupid.

"Using food...to force conversion?"

While the priest Crawford and the militia captain trembled, Chris finally spoke. His voice was not loud, but it had a metallic quality, and every word was chilling.

"In my camp, with the resources I provide, he's going to carry out his narrow 'holy plan'? Very well, Priest Oliver, he's quite something."

Chris's cold smile deepened. He stopped tapping the table and leaned forward slightly, his gaze like a sharp blade, as if trying to pierce through the wall and nail himself to some unfortunate priest.

"Priest Crawford"

Chris's voice regained its usual calm.

“You did a good job. You stopped a stupid thing that could have ruined all my previous efforts, Captain. You… never mind, you can leave.”

Chris waved for the militia captain to leave; the latter had also nearly made a serious mistake, but it wasn't his fault.

What kind of education and knowledge could a militia captain have? He even speaks Chinese haltingly and fluently, which shows that he was originally an honest and simple Bagnian peasant.

It's perfectly normal for someone to be easily frightened by a priest and become completely disoriented, believing whatever the priest says. There's no point in blaming or punishing them.

This incident only illustrates Chris's inadequate supervision and education of the lower classes, rather than indicating that the militia captain intended to betray him.

“Priest, the refugees of Minissia, whatever their beliefs were before, are now my resources. Oliver’s actions are not only an open defiance of my orders, but also an attempt to sow seeds of hatred towards Bagnia and towards me in the hearts of the refugees. This is more dangerous than the swords of the Retalians!”

Chris hated the priests of the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture more than the militia captain.

This bastard is definitely a terrible teammate. If he did it on purpose, then he's a bad guy. If he did it unintentionally and it was just an emotional outburst, then this idiot is both bad and stupid.

Such a scourge must be dealt with immediately.

Hearing Chris's praise, Crawford felt a little relieved, knowing that this matter had nothing to do with him or the Church of Mother Earth. He quickly bowed.

“Your Highness is wise. I was merely doing what the Earth Mother taught us to do, which is to protect life and maintain order.”

Chris nodded slightly, agreeing with the fat priest's words. Anyone can say nice things, like that priest named Oliver, the goddess of agriculture, who used to spout grand principles when speaking to his soldiers in the army.

When he was spouting nonsense to the militia captain, he spoke with an air of righteous indignation. And then you see what he was about to do—is it something a human being could do?
To put it in Chinese terms, that bastard's son was born without an anus!
Therefore, Chris only listened to the nice words spoken by the Earth Mother priestess.

"As for Priest Oliver..."

Chris's voice became emotionless, as if he were reading a cold verdict.

His "devotion" to the goddess clearly needs further "refinement".

Near Hygrand in China, I recall a newly discovered vein of low-quality iron ore. It's not very valuable for mining, but it's perfect for 'reforming' sinners.

He looked up at the clerk standing to the side.

"Record command".

The clerk immediately picked up his pen.

"First, Oliver, the priest of the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture, abused his power, incited conflict, disrupted military order, and intended to persecute religion."

His actions were heinous and unforgivable. He is sentenced to three years of forced labor, immediately sent to a mine in Northeast China to work as a miner. He will be strictly supervised by the mine supervisor to ensure he completes his daily work quota. During this period, he will be stripped of all his clerical privileges and only guaranteed the bare minimum for survival.

The clerk's pen scratched across the paper, the cold words seeming to have cast Oliver into a hell without light.

For a pampered priest, three years of mining is tantamount to a death sentence. Since the mortality rate for miners is already extremely high, and these miners are committing crimes, wouldn't the player, as the mine owner, use them to the fullest extent of the law?

Players who can mine in Bagnia, especially low-quality iron ore, are ruthless and vicious. Oliver falling into the hands of such a person is definitely a sign of his "ruin".

"second……"

Chris continued, his tone completely flat.

"Priest Oliver's foolish actions reflect a serious dereliction of duty by the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture in the selection of its personnel and the guidance of its ideology. As punishment, the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture's application to establish a new church, the 'Hall of Abundance,' in the capital city of Vortradnoine is rejected."

Reason for rejection: The church's internal management is chaotic, and it does not yet possess the capacity or qualifications to establish a large sanctuary in the capital. The rejection document must be drafted personally by the scribe, and the wording must be... clear and unambiguous, letting them know the reasons, and that there is no misunderstanding in this matter.

This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture.

Building a magnificent church in the capital was a symbolic step for the church to expand its influence and win the support of the royal family and nobility.

Chris's rejection caused the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture not only material losses, but also enormous political and reputational humiliation.

Farmers are a very practical group when it comes to survival. Whether there is one more or one less church will affect their choice of faith.

If they knew that the priestess of the goddess of agriculture had been punished for offending Prince Chris, they would naturally side with the prince and spontaneously reject him.

The priests of the goddess of agriculture at most say a few nice words during prayers and distribute holy water, but Prince Chris will give them fields!
Isn't it obvious who is more important?
"third."

Chris's voice remained steady, but with an even stronger penetrating power.

"Given that some priests accompanying the army may be influenced by similar erroneous ideas, in order to purify the ranks and ensure the stability of the army, effective immediately, all priests of the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture accompanying the army will be investigated. The investigation will be carried out by the Military Affairs Department in conjunction with the Intelligence Bureau to assess their past words, deeds and ideological leanings."

Those who fail the evaluation, or whose ideology is radical or who pose a potential risk of sabotage, comprising half of the current priests accompanying the army, will be immediately relieved of their military duties, stripped of their military allowance and special supply quota, and ordered to return to Baghnia within three days to be handed over to the church headquarters for 'reflection'!

Chris directly wiped out half of the priests accompanying the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture!
This was not merely a punishment for Oliver personally, but a systemic crackdown on the influence of the entire Church of the Goddess of Agriculture within the military.

The repatriated priests will lose the opportunity to build connections, spread their faith, and gain practical benefits within the military, representing a significant loss of talent and resources for the church.

If there were no benefits, why would the churches of the Goddess of Agriculture and the Earth Mother so eagerly send priests into the army just because Chris said one thing?

The clerk scribbled away quickly, and as the pen scratched across the A4 paper, fine beads of sweat appeared on Crawford's forehead.

His Highness's methods were as ruthless and efficient as ever, hitting the nail on the head.

He could imagine that once the disciplinary order reached the country, Oliver, the priestess of the goddess of agriculture, would have absolutely no chance of serving his three-year sentence in the mine; the church of the goddess of agriculture would definitely send fanatics to kill him.

absolute.

The good situation that the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture had achieved through tremendous effort and sacrifice was largely ruined by a careless "divine plan" by Priest Oliver.

Thinking of this, Crawford felt a mix of schadenfreude and delight. No matter how kind-hearted he was, he wouldn't refuse such a windfall... This was his opponent's own mistake!

After Chris finished speaking, his gaze returned to the priest Crawford.

"Priest Crawford"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Crawford felt a chill run down his spine.

"Your timely report prevented greater chaos. The Church of Mother Earth Goddess demonstrated the necessary 'wisdom' and 'sense of order' in this matter."

Chris's words carried a subtle, almost imperceptible undertone.

"I hope your church can maintain this clarity... Go on, the medical and comfort work in the refugee camp still needs your attention."

"Your Highness, we will obey your command and the Church of Mother Earth will fulfill our duties and live up to your trust!"

Priest Crawford bowed deeply, his back already soaked with cold sweat. He knew that the prince's last words were both an affirmation and a warning.

The Church of Mother Earth has done a "good deed" today, and the reward is the head of a refugee camp. If Crawford does this well, he will definitely receive a reward and promotion from the church.

But His Highness never relaxed his vigilance against any religious forces, which kept Crawford on edge, unable to relax.

Your Highness... is so suspicious.

Priest Crawford left, leaving only Chris and the scribe in the room.

Chris leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tracing the smooth surface of the table, his gaze fixed on the bustling refugee camp outside the window.

Oliver's foolish behavior served as a thorn in his side, reminding him of the danger and stubbornness lurking beneath the seemingly docile surface of religious forces. He thought his initial warnings were sufficient, but he underestimated the fanaticism and folly that came with religious fervor.

"Religion... is such a hassle."

Chris muttered to himself, a hint of barely perceptible irritation in his voice.

He came from a country where religious influence was greatly suppressed, and he had an instinctive aversion to this kind of power that required a lot of effort to counterbalance and could not be completely eradicated.

But he also knew that in this era, it was unrealistic to completely deny religion.

All he can do is, like pruning thorns, constantly cut off those branches that are too sharp and try to hurt him, so that they can always creep and grow within a controllable range.

Oliver will be thrown into a dark and sunless mine, the expansion plan of the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture will be aborted in the capital, and half of the accompanying priests will be humiliatingly kicked out.

These swift and decisive measures will be like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of all clergy, ensuring they remember this ironclad rule for a long time to come.

On Prince Chris's turf, any attempt to challenge his authority, sabotage his plans, or use his resources for religious maneuvering will come at a terrible price.

The clerk presented the recorded orders, which Chris glanced at to confirm they were correct. Then, he pressed his ring, which indicated his identity, firmly onto the sealing wax.

"Execute immediately."

These cold words stamped a merciless mark on the fate of Priest Oliver and the setbacks of the church behind him.

The late autumn at Anvil Fortress seemed to have grown even colder.

(End of this chapter)