By then, Reiland had taken control of the more than twenty soldiers of the Moreland Family stationed inside the castle, using Reiner's written orders. As a renowned general of the Rhodok Kingdom, his mastery of infantry command was unparalleled.
He might not have measured up to those legendary figures, but at least in the Northern Frontier, his ability to lead troops was among the very best.
Moreover, he had no need to worry about the other side's loyalty. He could not guarantee the loyalty of the soldiers at Morland Castle, but the troops summoned by the system were loyal to Reiner. They would never betray their true master because of their commander's orders.
The order appointing Reiland as commander of the infantry left many people puzzled, especially the knights. They could not understand why the Baron would let an outsider of unknown origins command the army.
The few junior officers in the army were secretly somewhat dissatisfied as well. They had wholeheartedly submitted when the Baron commanded them, but now that someone else had become their superior, it was only natural that they felt some resistance.
Reiner, however, was not worried about this. He believed Reiland had a way to resolve the matter. After all, he was a four-star hero character according to the system's evaluation, and someone who had once commanded armies numbering in the thousands on the Calradia Continent. More than twenty soldiers would be nothing for him to manipulate.
A commander of this caliber could give him a tremendous advantage on the battlefield. He was not someone a half-baked commander like Reiner could compare with. Besides, the Rhodok Sergeants were about to materialize. With a Rhodok general commanding a Rhodok army, they would complement each other perfectly.
Reiner had also been very busy these past few days. The residents sang the praises of his successive victories, causing his prestige within the territory to soar. He arranged tax officials in the newly acquired territory, then had those officials, who were relatives of the Moreland Family, indoctrinate the residents.
He was also looking for a place to install the three hundred mu of fertile farmland rewarded by the system. He had to admit that, judging from its description alone, the farmland had an astonishing effect. However, its exorbitant price made Reiner hesitate. Its cost-effectiveness was far too low, and he did not want to spend those Merit Points to exchange for it unless he could do so without expending merit.
In the training grounds, he was sparring with Wendell using wooden swords. When he heard the system's notification, he immediately sped up his movements and defeated Wendell in just a few exchanges. He hurriedly said, "That's enough for now. I have something to take care of. You can practice with Sir Valas first!"
With that, he left the training grounds under Wendell's confused gaze. Other than the successfully delivered army he had exchanged for, there probably was nothing else that could make him this excited.
The system's materialization countdown had already begun. Reiner hurried back to the castle. As a close relative of the Moreland Family and the executor of many of Reiner's affairs, Sir Cord essentially lived in Morland Castle year-round with his son, Lumbard.
"Uncle! Gather everyone in the center of the castle. I have something to announce to them all!" Reiner said to Sir Cord.
Sir Cord usually obeyed Reiner's words. He never relied on the fact that he was Reiner's uncle as an excuse to disobey his orders. In fact, it could almost be said that he followed Reiner's commands without question.
After receiving the order, he immediately went to relay Reiner's instructions. In less than twenty minutes, the male and female servants, the cooks, and the guards stationed inside the castle—more than a hundred people, nearly two hundred in total—were all standing in the castle courtyard in padded clothes, shivering from the cold.
Reiner walked out of the main keep and checked the time in the system. It was fine; there were still around twenty minutes left, more than enough time for him to play the part of a holy man. Although religion in this world was not as powerful as that of Western Europe in his previous life, it still held a considerable position in the hearts of commoners and even nobles.
He planned to play the part of a holy man this once. He would claim that the army exchanged from the system had been bestowed by the Holy Father, and that he, as the Holy Father's most devout believer, had been chosen as His emissary to spread His blessings to more distant lands.
By then, the subjects would respect him even more. After witnessing the Holy Father's army descend, they would also believe Reiner's words without question. This would solve the problem of an army appearing out of thin air and make arrangements for his future plans as well. He felt rather pleased with this method, which killed three birds with one stone.
Reiner strode to stand before everyone. Seeing their puzzled expressions, he smiled and called out, "I know you're confused by my order, but I had a reason for doing this!"
"Last night, I had a dream. I dreamed that I ascended to Heaven, a paradise flowing with milk and honey. Countless holy angels surrounded me, and the place was filled with laughter and joy. There, I enjoyed a happiness that even His Majesty the Emperor could not experience. Later, I met our merciful, omniscient, omnipotent, and infinitely majestic Holy Father!"
"He stroked the top of my head and said to me: Child, I am very pleased that your people love and worship me so deeply, but I hope you can spread my blessings to more distant lands. I created everyone, yet they have forgotten me—the one who created them!"
Reiner imitated the voice of the nonexistent Holy Father and continued, "They have forgotten me. They have forgotten who created them. They cannot glorify me or worship me, yet they trust those false gods who either do not exist or are demons in disguise. Go, spread my blessings to more distant lands. You are my most beloved child in the mortal world. I will send my emissaries down to you, and they will help you spread knowledge of my existence. Once you have completed all this, you will remain in Heaven forever, enjoying all this bliss for eternity!"
After finishing, Reiner looked at the astonished people present and said, "The time spoken of by the Holy Father will arrive soon. His emissaries are about to descend. Step back, ladies and gentlemen! Do not obstruct these emissaries of the Holy Father!"
At those words, everyone moved toward the edges of the courtyard.
"Could the Baron have gone mad? How could something like this possibly happen?"
"Be quiet! The emissaries will descend soon. Show some respect!"
"The Baron really is favored by the Holy Father. The Holy Father has sent emissaries to help the Baron. Praise the Holy Father!"
Everyone whispered among themselves. Some did not believe Reiner's words, but most remained half-convinced at best. They would only believe once these "emissaries" truly descended.
Little Wend's face was filled with curiosity as well. He genuinely wanted to know what the Holy Father's emissaries looked like. Would they have wings on their backs, or would their entire bodies shine with holy light?
Sir Cord, meanwhile, furrowed his brows in thought. He had assumed Reiner had summoned everyone to issue some kind of order and had not expected him to put on such a performance.
As for things like emissaries of the Holy Father, he did not really believe in them. He had never seen the Holy Father manifest, and neither had most people. Thus, he remained skeptical about the matter.
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