Penniless Sakre

All the major dioceses on the Saint Cassis Continent received a personal letter signed by a Cardinal and the Pope. The letter was concise: spread the Holy Father's blessings without prejudice. All gods are the Holy Father's children, and Archbishops should treat them equally. The Overgod's light is everywhere, and only when people are ignorant and blind can they then resort to thunderous force.

The implied meaning of the content was easy to understand: keep fooling others, don't stop, but don't use the old tricks. Keep up with the times and use new slogans. It doesn't matter if everyone believes in false gods, because those false gods also believe in the Holy Father. The Holy Father's light is everywhere. However, if someone remains stubborn, we will continue to deal with them.

In addition to this letter, an important notice from the Church headquarters was attached. It detailed the story of a barbarian woman living in Outpost County who, after awakening her racial abilities, gratefully embraced the Holy Father's carefree, happy little life, and resolutely rushed into the Holy Father's embrace, becoming a Candidate Saintess for the Church. It was simply a classic case of a "plain Jane" becoming a "rich and beautiful" success story.

The implied meaning of this notice was also simple: everyone should quickly memorize the talking points and use Dina as a model for brainwashing. Look, even Dina, who is valued by the gods of the Savage Ancient Plains barbarians, believes in the Overgod. You commoners, don't hesitate, quickly come into the Holy Father's embrace.

When various factions received this news, they were all stunned.

At the headquarters of the Ice Goddess Cult in the far northern lands.

"Shameless to the extreme!" The raging wind and snow were mixed with the roar of Archbishop Ist!

Inside the royal palace of the Duchy of Rothel.

King Gathel III looked at Princess Hathaway beside him with a wry smile.

Hathaway, who was stunningly beautiful, held another letter and said with great interest, "I seem to have some impression of this Baron Allen."

Gathel took the letter from Hathaway's hand, read it, and said with a chuckle, "Truly audacious!"

Hathaway let out a giggle, and the old military ministers beside her stared blankly.

In the Royal City palace of the Kingdom of Locke.

King Manrosal sat majestically on the throne, the crown inlaid with diamonds and precious jewels tilted on his head. He held the King's scepter, symbolizing supreme power, in his hand, and was rubbing it up and down inside his back clothes, muttering, "It's so itchy."

Several ministers not far away could only offer wry smiles.

Manrosadi ignored them and looked at Grand Duke Claire, asking, "Old Man, that brat Allen really can't change his ways, can he?"

Kerlai's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he sighed repeatedly.

Manrosadi probably would have given Allen a good beating if he were there.

In the tent of the Great Chieftain's tribe in the Savage Ancient Plains.

Great Chieftain Gistain looked at a barbarian chieftain sitting in the corner with a dark expression, his tone full of dissatisfaction, "Old Zak, your Bloody Hoof Tribe is truly a disaster tribe."

Old Zak's aged face showed helplessness. He clenched his fists and stood up, saying, "We will handle our tribe's affairs ourselves."

Grand Elder Rayne snorted disdainfully, "Your tribe is already on the brink of collapse, and with the impending war between the hundred thousand barbarians and the Earth Dragon Legion, how are you going to resolve this?"

"You don't need to worry about it. I'll take my tribesmen and go to Outpost County to snatch someone!" Old Zak said, then left the tent with a look of determination.

Gistain watched Old Zak's retreating back and said dismissively, "He doesn't know his limits!"

When the Church Knights galloped and handed this important notice from the Church to Wood, they then carefully presented him with a red envelope bearing the Pope's private seal.

Wood trembled as he opened the red envelope, his face flushed. After carefully reading every word, his usual composure vanished, and his old face bloomed like a chrysanthemum.

He waved his hand, beckoning a priest, and Wood asked with a smile, "Where is that barbarian servant, ah no, Saintess Dina? Has she not arrived yet?"

The priest looked troubled and said in a low voice, "Saintess... Saintess said that the jujube trees in the old castle have matured, and the jujubes haven't been picked yet. If..."

"If what?"

The priest looked as conflicted as if he had eaten feces and said, "If they are not picked today, the jujubes will be snatched away by the priests of our diocese under various pretexts."

"Absurd! How much is that thing worth! Tell the priests to stop freeloading at the old castle from now on." Wood said anxiously, "The Cardinal of the Northwest Diocese will be arriving at Outpost County in two days. This foolish maid hasn't learned anything. What will happen then?"

The priest lowered his head, not daring to respond, but inwardly he was complaining: It was you who told us to go freeloading under the pretext that the Holy Father needed all sorts of offerings...

Wood snorted and walked out of the church, deciding to personally "educate" the master and servant in the old castle.

The old castle was no longer as peaceful as it used to be. The rusty iron gate was wide open, and several office workers in the administrative uniforms of the Kingdom of Locke were moving about inside.

Yorkshire was diligently handling official business with a goose quill pen, his expression grave.

Allen, who was not attending to his duties, was arm-wrestling with Sakre, while the lackeys of several Counts cheered loudly nearby, constantly egging on their masters.

When Allen forcefully pinned Sakre's hand, he shouted, "I won! Three gold coins."

Seeing their master lose, the lackeys excitedly clapped their hands in celebration.

Sakre rushed forward furiously, kicking each of them and yelling, "Did you bet on him to win?"

The seemingly administrative staff looked as if their parents had died.

Allen crossed his arms and laughed, "Let this be a lesson to you, hahaha."

Sakre, jumping with rage, pointed at Allen and roared, "You cheated! You are simply despicable and shameless."

"I'm also vulgar," Allen shrugged indifferently.

This was actually their third match.

The stake for the first match was five copper coins, and Allen lost with an absolute disadvantage.

The stake for the second match was ten copper coins, and Allen lost again with an absolute disadvantage.

The stake for the third match was three gold coins, and Allen won with ease.

The old butler sighed and patted Sakre on the shoulder, his expression utterly helpless.

Seeing Allen's rogue-like demeanor, Sakre deflated like a leaky balloon and sat down helplessly on the stone stool, staring blankly at the three gold coins on the round table that served as the stake.

When Wood arrived at the old castle, he saw Dina, the newly promoted Candidate Saintess of the Church, holding a book in her hands. She was idly using a long, slender stick to hit jujubes on a tree.

Wood put on his most benevolent expression and walked behind Dina. Just as he was about to speak.

Dina turned around, and a stick swiped at him. She shouted, "Old man, eat this!"

Holding the children's book scribbled by her young master, Dina finally saw clearly that the person with a large bump on his head was Wood.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to! I was just too absorbed, I didn't mean it," Dina quickly apologized and fumbled for the rag in her pocket, which she used to wipe Allen's worn-out boots, to clean Wood's forehead.

"It's... fine!" Wood suppressed his anger and tried to get friendly. "The treasure of the Outpost County Diocese, my dear Miss Dina, what are you doing?"

Dina handed over the book she was holding and said, "My young master drew this. It's about a fire-elemental beast, the Vajra Scarlet Ape, who accepted a bounty mission from the Church to escort a reincarnated Pope to obtain a handwritten copy before he ascended to godhood."

Wood's face darkened further. He felt that any one of the commoners at the entrance was definitely more devout than Allen.

"Take a look, it's very interesting," Dina said before resuming hitting the jujubes with her stick.

Wood glanced at Allen, who was arguing fiercely with Sakre not far away, shook his head, and opened the children's book.

After a few glances, his eyes were glued to it. A few jujubes hit his head, but Wood didn't seem to mind.

Allen had seen Wood long ago but couldn't be bothered to acknowledge him, continuing to berate Sakre.

Ever since Xiulunte left, the Church had issued an order for the Earth Dragon Legion to be stationed outside Outpost County. They were forbidden from harassing the commoners and the old castle within the county. They were to remain in place until further orders and not to rush into the Savage Ancient Plains to begin the heretic subjugation campaign.

Sakre, who was already sidelined as Chief of Staff, had nothing to do and ended up staying at the old castle.

Unfortunately, after only a few days, the great benefactor Sakre was now impoverished and destitute, relying on the old butler's thick skin to freeload meals.

The rent for him and his lackeys to stay in the castle's guest rooms daily was as high as ten copper coins, not including food expenses.

Then Allen started finding ways to fleece him. Sakre, being a masochist, had to compete in everything.

At first, they competed in martial arts, then archery. Later, Sakre wanted to compete in anything that could be thought of. Who could eat more, who could pee farther, who could do more pull-ups, who could do more push-ups, who could hold their urine longer after drinking, and so on.

One was Baron Allen, who had been teasing others since childhood, living a life of idleness, doing everything except his actual duties.

The other was Count Sakre, who had been diligently practicing martial arts since childhood, honing his Battle Qi year-round, and doing nothing but his actual duties.

And then... there was no "then." Sakre, except for his underwear, was not wearing any of his own armor. It was just something Allen had temporarily lent him to cover himself.

Sakre, who had long since been corrupted, was very cunning. During the day, he pretended to be unconvinced and reckless, but at night, back in his room, he tirelessly wrote and drew with a goose feather pen.

Sakre confusedly called a lackey over and said tiredly, resting his face on the table, "Starting tomorrow, you will train according to the Body Strengthening Finger Technique that Baron Allen discussed with me this morning. I want to see if breaking the human limit is really as simple as he says. Also, don't forget to find some craftsmen outside the old castle to build a sand table."

The lackey said with a troubled expression, "But sir, we're out of money."

Sakre turned around, about to speak, but was startled by the lackey who was only wearing his underwear and no shirt. He immediately kicked him and cursed, "Where's your armor?"

"S-Sir, you forgot. During the day, you competed with Baron Allen to see who was longer below, and in the end, you lost my armor."

Sakre painfully slapped his forehead. Thinking he wasn't angry enough, he went up and kicked the lackey again.