Dawn Knight Order was originally the National Knights of the Bacchus Empire.
Of course, this is no longer the case - they were sentenced to an illegal knighthood by the Bacchus Empire a few years ago and were expelled from the Buckley Continent.
Because their devotion to Goddess of Justice is too fanatical, in the minds of those members who are overly obsessed with Goddess, the standard of blaspheming Goddess has reached the point of being picky.
They committed countless unimaginable atrocities - they sent countless innocent businessmen, farmers and even nobles to the stakes for the purpose of purging their sins.
And those so-called sins are actually some daily trivial matters - such as spitting, horses urinating everywhere, being distracted during prayer, Goddess's altar is not facing the direction of the sunrise, or there is dust on the statue of the god...
These things are all heresy in their eyes! They are all blasphemy against Goddess!
Anyway, to put it simply, everyone is guilty. As long as there is any doubt in this regard, then send the suspect to the stake first and let Goddess distinguish.
Of course, there are probably political reasons for this.
Bacchus Empire is transforming from a purely feudal country to a capitalized country. Since muskets were introduced into the army by Emperor Barkley and the civilian legion system began to be implemented, the status of merchants and civilians has actually been greatly improved.
Because, with the existence of muskets, a farmer who has only trained for two weeks can easily kill a knight who has been practicing martial arts for twenty years...
And how cheap it is for farmers to use...
Therefore, traditional knights based on blood, martial arts, horses and armor are no longer Bacchus Empire's first choice to ensure combat effectiveness.
Since the source of military strength has changed from knights to farmers, and the source of military expenditures and weapons has also changed from nobles to merchants, the status of civilian classes such as farmers and merchants will naturally be improved - although it may not seem obvious, the nobles will definitely feel it.
For example, when class conflicts arise, His Majesty the Emperor may protect the rights and interests of civilians and businessmen; for example, the policies promulgated will mostly be beneficial to increasing the civilian population and developing commerce, but the nobles may suffer losses.
Naturally, the traditional knight class, which has gradually decayed over time, cannot just sit back and watch this situation arise.
The behavior of Dawn Knight Order, in addition to their fanatical beliefs, is probably also the final madness set off by these traditional noble knights in order to protect their own privileges - to implement their 'justice' in the name of Goddess of Justice and clean up those 'heresies' who support the New Deal.
But their behavior of resisting the New Deal was so extreme that even Emperor Barkley could not accept it - who knows whether these fools would send His Majesty the Emperor who implemented the New Deal to the stake for reasons such as not washing his hands before eating and after using the toilet?
Therefore Bacchus Empire expelled them, abolished this powerful armed force, and even started a civil war.
Sir Roland was once a member of Dawn Knight Order.
Sir Roland is not actually from Barkley. He was born in an inconspicuous village in the Bacchus Empire, where Snake Worship Cult was once very rampant. Snake cult followers often raped villagers and sacrificed their blood to the evil god Aziz Dahaka.
The young man Roland was unlucky. He once witnessed Snake Cult followers taking away his parents in the dark. He was only ten years old at that time.
But he was also lucky. After becoming an orphan, Roland received selfless help from a Goddess of Justice believer, who sent him to Barkley to join Dawn Knight Order and received good education and combat skills training.
In Barkley, Roland grew into an outstanding knight.
But he is an outlier among Dawn Knight Order - he has been helped by the followers of Goddess of Justice, and he believes in Goddess of Justice more devoutly than anyone else. But he believes that Goddess does not give anyone the right to judge others privately, and he is not willing to kill innocent people indiscriminately in order to fight for power and profit.
For this reason, Roland swears by his honor that he will not pursue wealth and status throughout his life, but will be the enemy of evil and take upholding justice and justice as his own responsibility.
He made great aspirations in the temple of Astaria and was officially named a Paladin.
'Paladin' is not a noble status or title in the ordinary sense.
It is actually a devout knight who swears allegiance to Goddess, who is willing to abide by the rules and precepts throughout his life, fight only for his beliefs, and aim at sacred ideals.
It can also be considered as an ascetic.
Of course, becoming Paladin from Goddess of Justice means that one cannot have any moral flaws, and does not aim at wealth and land throughout his life, but practices justice throughout his life.
There are naturally very few such people, so Paladin will be respected by most people, and his social status is much higher than that of ordinary noble knights.
But in fact, there are very few people who can become Paladin, or who are really willing to become Paladin - swearing to fight for Goddess, abiding by virtue and strictly abiding by all the precepts can indeed gain the respect of the world, but you will not get any benefits...
In the Bacchus Empire, which has a strong business atmosphere, capital consciousness has risen, and egoism and colonial mentality have gradually become prevalent. Paladin who do not seek personal gain for themselves may even be considered fools.
Especially when Dawn Knight Order's fanaticism has ruined their reputation - this knighthood is actually secretly called the 'Dawn Idiot Group' in Barkley because of its overly fanatical behavior.
But becoming Paladin, you can no longer listen to others' orders - Paladin will not be loyal to the royal power, but to the divine authority and faith, and at the same time has the responsibility of passing on the faith and combat skills of the entire knight order.
Since he no longer pursues power and wealth and only serves Goddess, Paladin does not have to obey anyone's orders, which also prevents Roland from being ordered to kill innocent people.
After becoming Paladin, Roland also intends to correct Dawn Knight Order's behavior - his dedication to true justice and fairness is completely different from what other Dawn Knight Order members do.
But that correction gradually turned into a disagreement.
The differences are so great that they are at odds with each other.
When everyone is lying, the only truth is a lie; when everyone is evil, the only good becomes evil.
As a result, Sir Roland was exiled by Dawn Knight Order, and a reward was even offered for his arrest.
Roland had to escape Barkley and return to Pendor.
As a Paladin, the black and white coat of arms on his chest was originally a symbol of honor, but now it has become a wanted symbol...
Dawn Knight Order The last Paladin was regarded as a traitor and hunted down by Dawn Knight Order. The situation in this world is always so incredible.
However, Roland did not despair.
While escaping, Sir Roland kept dreaming of Goddess of Justice Astalia asking him to correct the fallen Dawn Knight Order and drive away all evil on the earth.
He dreamed that Astaria called him 'the only Knight of the Dawn'.
Goddess of Justice also told him that when justice and justice return to rule the earth, Astaria will come back.
This was his lifelong belief and he never doubted it.
Therefore, he still firmly fights against heretics, still charges against bandits who harm civilians, still helps the poor, the weak, and the poor, and still maintains flawless morals.
Although he is still on the run and is still being hunted, as long as justice and light do not come to Pendor, he will not fall.
"I believe that after the night comes the dawn. One day, Goddess of Justice Astalia will return to the earth... I am very happy to fight side by side with you to drive out the heretics, Lord Li Ang."
Sir Roland finished speaking and performed a standard knightly salute, intending to leave.
"Wait, this is your trophy, you should bring it..."
The lord handed the broad-bladed knife more than two meters long to Roland.
Of course Li Ang respects such a devout believer. This is a real Paladin who dares to charge against any heresy alone - and Roland's skills seem to be really worth making friends with.
As for the story of Roland, the lord believed it - because he himself heard a female voice claiming to be Astaria not long ago. Although he was not sure whether it was Goddess of Justice.
But Roland shook his head and refused the trophy. "Although the weapon itself is not sinful, I am not good at using this weapon... You can keep it, it is not convenient for me to carry it."
"But, Sir Roland, where are you going? You want to correct Dawn Knight Order... but how can you do it alone?"
Li Ang threw the long sword to Kloze, jumped off the horse, took a lance from the cavalry behind him and handed it to Roland.
"To be honest, I don't know how to complete this mission right now... but I will definitely do it! Thank you for your gift."
Roland is obviously a person who pays great attention to etiquette. When he saw Li Ang dismounting and talking to him, he quickly turned over, took off his helmet, and bowed down to take the ordinary lance.
The lord sighed, "You have to guard against pursuit, deal with heretics, help the poor and practice justice, and correct Dawn Knight Order...Pande Continent There are your enemies everywhere, but you are alone without allies - I guess the nobles of the Pande Continent will not help you, how can you do this?"
Roland lowered his head and fell silent.
But after a moment, he raised his head again, his eyes still bright. "There will always be a way... Maybe, I can build a new Dawn Knight Order."
The lord shook his head and smiled, "Then you have to set up a garrison first, right? And establishing a knighthood is no different from opening up a territory. It requires a lot of dinars. You don't look like a rich man..."
Roland is certainly not a rich man. In fact, he is almost penniless as he insists on helping the poor and those in need during his escape.
This time, Sir Roland frowned. "This is indeed a problem..."
"I am willing to help you, Sir Roland. But I hope that you can fight for me without violating Goddess of Justice's will. I can guarantee that you can refuse any fight that you think is unjust. And you can supervise me so that I will not become corrupted."
Li Ang once again started the recruitment mode. This Paladin with firm faith will serve Goddess of Justice for life, and he will not swear to serve any lord.
But as long as he doesn't do anything that goes against his beliefs, such a person will be more reliable around him.
The lord will not believe the oaths of most people, but he believes in the beliefs of people like Roland - Sir Roland doesn't even want any trophies. He is really just to eliminate heretics.
Moreover, he believes in justice. The more friends he has, the better. At least he can trust him on the battlefield.
As for whether the lord will occasionally do some less just work secretly - Li Ang There are countless ways to make his actions at least seem just...
Sir Roland thought for a while, "Thank you, Lord Li Ang, you are right, I do need help. If it is like you said, of course I am willing to fight side by side with people like you. But can you lend me some money? I saw terrible tragedies in Serenmis in the south... the people there need help."
"Serenmis? What happened there?"
"Almost all the young people there were killed, and the village was plundered... I can see that it was the work of the heretics who blasphemed Goddess. The flesh and blood armor on the heretics just now may have come from there. It was Goddess who showed me their location, so I came here. Now there are only some moribund old people left in Serenmis. I want to help them, but I can't do anything."
The lord's heart sank, and he could realize that it was probably the king's tacit consent that Prophet Legion did it!
Ulrich... What is the difference between his method of driving heretics to deal with rebels and what his father Mad King did?
"How much do you estimate it will cost, Sir Roland?"
"It costs about 8,000 dinars to resettle them. It is a big village, but almost nothing is left. At least more than a thousand people died... Now there are only a few hundred old people left there who have lost their children."
Sir Roland calculated it and frowned.
Of course the lord can afford eight thousand dinars.
But Li Ang doesn't intend to do this.
This kind of charity seems noble, but in fact it is useless and will kill more people - if dinars are given to the elderly, bandits and scoundrels will swarm in just a day or two later, and no elderly person there will be able to survive.
"Sir Roland, giving money will not solve the problem, it will only allow thieves to run rampant and kill them.
You can bring those people to my territory, and I will let them farm to support themselves. The old people may not be physically strong, but at least they have sufficient agricultural experience, and I just need them.
You adhere to the principles of Goddess of Justice, which is very respectable.
But you should also learn the rules of Goddess of Order Eunomia - let everyone play a role in establishing order, and use this to establish orderly groups and legal principles to protect the people."
The lord stretched out his right hand. "Every Goddess has its own meaning. A single belief will make Goddess fall into the abyss. You have been in Dawn Knight Order for so long, and you have met your former colleagues. You should understand the actions of officials. Simply giving money for relief is a kind of arrogance in itself. Sir Roland, you should forget your noble status, so that you can truly understand the mission Goddess of Justice has given you."
Sir Roland is like being struck by lightning.
After a long time, he stretched out his hands and held Li Ang's hand tightly.
"Lord Li Ang, thank you for your teaching. I know what to do. It must be Goddess who guided me to meet you here. Goddess knows that you will give me real advice!"
This bearded man in his late fifties had eyes flashing with excitement.
Like a teenager.
"I am Astaria... Fight for justice, kid."
Li Ang once again recalled the voice of Goddess. Perhaps, Goddess was indeed guiding him, and also guiding himself, so that he could meet Paladin, the last of Goddess.
'Sir Roland joined your team'.
This battle did not have the best result as expected, Three Prophets was taken away by Lion Knight Order.
Those Lion Territory cavalry and mercenary groups were also very frustrated - all Misfortune Bringer members had been killed in the battle, and they failed to successfully capture any woman.
It cost nearly a hundred people dead and injured, but achieved almost nothing.
Because of the shrinkage and fear they showed when Three Prophets broke out, the Lord did not give them a good look and did not even let them clean the battlefield.
Li Ang asked the troops to take away Three Prophets's weapons and Misfortune Bringer's wing hammers, and looted most of the trophies, leaving only the Misfortune Bringer's corpses to the cavalry and mercenaries.
Those Misfortune Bringer are very rich, and they carry many valuable things with them, such as the luminous pearl obtained by the lord, as well as the jewelry, gold bars and some Noldor products they carry.
These things are worth at least 10,000 dinars, which is quite a harvest.
However, before the lord left, he generously gave the leading knight under Duke Alma a chance. "You should know that with your fearless performance just now, I shouldn't let you get any benefits..."
The knight remained silent. They took the initiative to apply to fight, but were afraid on the battlefield. This was indeed a huge stain and a loss of honor.
"But now, I can give you an idea... If you lose troops here, Duke Alma will most likely cause trouble for you. But if you bring your troops back to Lion Lake City to swear allegiance to Lord Forster, I think he will most likely be able to keep your position, and even you can move to the next level. I can help you write a letter to Forster to ask him to accept your surrender."
With that said, Li Ang took out a bag of jewelry. "This is a payment for you. Madam Bella is the leader of the heresy under Three Prophets. Duke Alma didn't report the knowledge. He will definitely not be able to return to Lion Lake City in the short term. You can seize the opportunity yourself... I am still a good friend to you, right?"
The knight's eyes widened suddenly. After being stunned for a few seconds, he accepted the bag of jewelry and nodded. "Lord Li Ang, I understand what you mean. Thank you for your reminder and help, I will repay you!"
The bag of jewels was only worth about a thousand dinars. This was not a bribe, the lord was indeed just giving him money.
What Li Ang really means is - let him take away the troops stationed in Long River Town, take advantage of Alma being involved in a heresy lawsuit, and return to Lion Lake City to join forces with the young master of the Horton Family again.
Li Ang can't take advantage of these garrison troops. Their families are all in Lion Lake City. It's impossible for them to stay. Sending them back to Lion Lake City is the best way to deal with it.