This isn't a souls-like game at all.

So he nodded and asked:

"If that's the case, then why doesn't Firebird just solve the remaining problems?"

The old magician shook his head.

"The current Firefly is still essentially a backward feudal country based on the serfdom system. The bulk of the grain output comes from this system, while the feudal nobility holds the most slaves and the largest land."

"Even the Empire only dared to vigorously develop industry and finally implement slavery reform after it had completely solved the food problem with the help of the Hall of Stopping War and the use of magic."

Upon hearing this, Ye Yiyi's expression froze.

He thought of the dark dead man Azana who created the "magic of life" but died at his hands.

The magic he created, "Surge Growth", completely solved the food problem of the Rodno Empire, and he himself was even regarded as a believer and worshipped by people in many places.

The old magician didn't notice Ye Yiyi's expression, and just continued:

"The aristocratic group actually knew this. To protect their own status, they united and forced the monastery to establish the 'State Religious Council,' a national decision-making body."

"I know that."

Ye Yiyi silently relaxed his expression and nodded.

"This forced the power of the Pope-King to be divided. While the Firefly achieved a centralized system in name only, it remained internally fragmented."

"Some reformists within the Fire Sparrow Monastery and the aristocratic group want to align themselves with the Kingdom Alliance, gaining its support and even joining it. Only in this way can they purchase magical machinery from the Empire to replace manual farmland, thereby significantly liberating productivity and strengthening national strength."

"The aristocracy, wanting to maintain their status and wealth and continue to promote slavery, used the food crisis as a threat and opposed the monasteries in various ways."

"It sounds like the best solution is to kill them all."

Ye Yiyi frowned and thought.

"How can I govern the country with this bunch of insects?"

"That's what I said."

The old magician sighed, "But the aristocratic group is a veteran force in this land, and their strength should not be underestimated."

"Can they still defeat Reimu I & Nireishi Rinfin (IV)? Or even defeat the Fire Sparrow Monastery that wields the power of the hymns?"

“First of all, the power of hymns is not unique to monasteries.”

The old magician retorted.

"The Firefly Kingdom was a country that believed in fire a long time ago, before the Firefly faith was even born."

"Also, considering what happened in Platinum Crystal Town yesterday, Master, aren't you curious about the existence of those suspected cultists and where they came from?"

Ye Yiyi's pupils shrank when he heard this, and he looked at the old magician in disbelief.

"You mean...?"

"To the north of Platinum Crystal Town lies the dangerous Forest of Falling Stones. To the east and west are heavily guarded cities, and to the south lies the royal capital."

"So to some extent, although that place is on the border, it is safer than the capital."

The old magician hinted, "Master, you were wandering around in the forest earlier, which means they didn't come from across the forest. If that force didn't come from abroad, then where could it come from?"

"Then it can only be from the country..."

Ye Yiyi's expression was gloomy.

As for what forces in the country can do this, there is no need to say more.

"But that wasn't necessarily done by the aristocracy themselves."

The old magician said:

"Those people aren't stupid enough to leave something for others to exploit."

"From your description, Master, they possess powerful combat skills, even destroying the church and easily killing the bishop. This group of people is most likely the fallen knights they hired from abroad."

"Fallen Knight?"

A new word popped up. Ye Yiyi thought about it for a long time before he remembered that Brother Huixin had also mentioned this word.

"What is a Fallen Knight?"

"A specialty of the Iron Kite Knight Country."

Halwell replied.

"?"

specialty?

What kind of bizarre specialty is this? Ye Yiyi was stunned.

"Speak clearly."

"It is a group of knights who have betrayed the chivalric creed and are considered degenerates by the Oathed Knights of the Round Table."

Halville stroked his beard, picked up the water glass from the table, took a sip, moistened his dry lips and teeth, and then continued:

"Although the Iron Kite Knight Nation is called a nation, it is actually a mercenary organization composed of multiple knight orders organized around the Round Table of the Oathed Knights."

"I know this."

Ye Yiyi said, "Tell me something I don't know."

"Let's use the Firefinch Flower as a comparison. First, the 'Round Table of Sworn Knights' is the State Religious Council, the de facto 'ruling body' of the Knight State."

"And there are seats at the Round Table, with the Knights of the Golden Kite holding the largest number."

"The Golden Kite Knights have the longest history and the largest number of powerful warriors, so they hold the highest status. They are equivalent to the Fire Sparrow Monastery in the country."

"Although the other knightly orders hold fewer seats in the Round Table, they all have bases within the country and absolute autonomy within their bases, so they are equivalent to feudal nobility."

"You are really simple and clear."

The corners of Ye Yiyi's mouth twitched.

“This is also for easier understanding.”

Halwell smiled:

"However, unlike the Fire Sparrow Kingdom, all the knight orders in the Knight Kingdom have different faiths. This means it is a multi-faith country."

"Knights adhere to the Chivalric Creed and swear an oath to the object of their faith, thereby establishing a connection with their faith."

"The Fallen Knights are a group of knights who have violated the chivalric creed and are therefore considered fallen by the Round Table."

"That sounds plausible."

Ye Yiyi nodded.

"So what does this Fallen Knight have to do with the Creature Cult and the Cultists?"

"Ugh……"

Hearing this, the old magician sighed, "This is the biggest problem."

"The Round Table is extremely open-minded. As long as they adhere to the chivalric creed, they are willing to accept all different beliefs, whether they are just or evil..."

"That is to say..."

Ye Yiyi reacted and his expression became strange.

"In other words, a Fallen Knight is not necessarily evil, and a non-Fallen Knight is not necessarily good."

The old magician sighed, "Some knightly orders are knightly orders on the surface, but in reality they are no different from cultists. The only difference is whether their beliefs are real or fabricated."

"As long as they abide by the Chivalric Creed, the Knight Nation will have no reason to attack them. After all, 'the sworn knights are like one family.'"

This familiar sentence reminded Ye Yiyi of the butterfly knight she had rescued in the forest before. She had said the same thing at that time.

Thinking of this, he mentioned the names of the original knight orders again.

"What about the Dark Knights, the Feathered Knights, and the Butterfly Knights? Have you heard of them?"

Halville narrowed his eyes and said quietly:

"I haven't heard much about the names of the two knight orders, Feathered and Butterfly, but I'm very familiar with the name of the Dark Knights!"

Ye Yiyi thought to himself, as expected, the Dark Knights are not a good group.

"How to say it specifically?"

"The Duchy of Frodo, bordering the east, once hired knights from the Dark Knights to participate in a war of defense against another duchy's invasion. However, after annihilating the enemy, the Dark Knights turned around and attacked the border city they had just defended, slaughtering every soldier in it."

"And the cause was simply that those soldiers accidentally soiled their flags."

"banner……?"

Ye Yiyi was stunned and didn't react.

"It's the banner of the Knight's Oath."

Harwell said, "Those knights valued that thing more than their lives."

"What then?"

he asked next.

"Then there was no Principality of Frodo."

Halwell spread his hands.

If all the soldiers defending the city were killed, wouldn’t the enemy still be able to march straight in?

"Grass!"

"Since then, the Dark Knights have become famous."

"But this..."

Ye Yiyi suddenly didn't know what to say.

"But no one said anything about this rebellion on the battlefield?"

"Of course not, but the Oath Knights are as close as a family. If you dare to resist the Dark Knights, then the other knight orders in the Knight Kingdom will boycott you."

"In the end, it was the Golden Kite Knights who stepped in and solemnly explained the importance of the oath flag. Plus, that country was destroyed, so the matter was ultimately dropped."

"Tsk!"

Ye Yiyi smacked his lips, and then heard Halville continue to mention:

"I forgot to mention that the biggest financial backer of the Golden Kite Knights is the Rodno Empire... Now you understand, don't you?"

"more or less."

Ye Yiyi sighed slightly. After the other party's popular science explanation, he had a basic impression of the Iron Kite Knight Kingdom, which was not mentioned much in the game.

"So we want to go across the river legally from here, what should we do?"

"Legal status?"

"Yes, what's the problem?"

"That's a big problem!"

Halwell's eyes widened.

"Master, besides being magicians, what other identities do we have that Firebird and Iron Kite can both consider legitimate?!"

"What do you mean?"

Ye Yiyi was stunned and asked curiously:

"If we're going from Firefinch to Iron Kite, don't we just need to have the Firefinch identity? What does it mean to be considered a legitimate identity by Iron Kite?"

"The Iron Kite Knight Nation isn't a tourist destination. It's a nation-wide mercenary organization. Since we don't use our magician identities, we can only go there as a mercenary group or freelance mercenaries."

"That's not right."

Ye Yiyi pointed at the leather armor on his body.

"Am I not a freelance mercenary now?"

"But do you have a certificate?"

"What?"

"A mercenary certificate proving you are a freelance mercenary."

"Wait, you need a license to do this job?"