The Holy Father's Grace at Morland Castle

At this moment, Reiland, armed with Reiner's order, had taken control of the more than twenty soldiers under the Moreland Family's command in the castle. As a highly decorated general of the Rhodok Kingdom, his skill in commanding infantry was unparalleled.

Perhaps he couldn't compare to legendary figures, but at least in the Northern Territory, his leadership ability was among the best.

Furthermore, he didn't need to worry about their loyalty. While he couldn't guarantee the loyalty of Morland Castle's soldiers, the units summoned from the System were loyal to Reiner. They would absolutely never betray their true master at the command of their current leader.

The order appointing Reiland as infantry commander left many puzzled, especially the knights. They couldn't understand why the Baron would let an outsider of unknown origin lead the army.

And the few squad leaders in the army were secretly a bit resentful. In the past, the Baron himself led them, and they were wholeheartedly obedient. But now that someone else was their superior, it was inevitable they'd feel some dissatisfaction.

However, Reiner wasn't worried about this. He believed Reiland could handle it. After all, he was a four-star hero according to the System's evaluation, and he had commanded thousands of troops on the Calradia Continent. Twenty-odd soldiers were nothing to him.

A general of this caliber could give him a huge advantage on the battlefield, far beyond what a half-baked commander like Reiner could achieve. Moreover, the Rhodok Sergeants were about to manifest, and a Rhodok general leading a Rhodok army was an even more perfect match.

Reiner's days had been quite fulfilling recently. The residents sang praises for his series of victories, causing his prestige in the territory to skyrocket. He proceeded to appoint tax collectors in his newly acquired territory, tasking these tax collectors, who were relatives of the Moreland Family, with indoctrinating the residents.

He was also scouting locations for the three hundred acres of fertile land rewarded by the System. It had to be said that this fertile land, just from its description, indeed had immense potential. However, its exorbitant price also deterred Reiner; the cost-effectiveness was too low. He didn't want to spend his merit points on something that didn't require merit to obtain.

In the training ground, practicing with a wooden sword against Wendell, Reiner sped up his movements as soon as he heard the System's prompt. He defeated Wendell in two or three moves and hastily said, "That's enough for now. I have something to attend to. You can continue practicing with Sir Valas!"

With that, he left the training ground under Wendell's puzzled gaze. The only thing that could make him this excited, besides the successful arrival of the redeemed army, was likely nothing else.

At this moment, the System's manifestation countdown had begun. Reiner rushed back to the castle. Sir Cord, as a close relative of the Moreland Family and the executor of many of Reiner's affairs, along with his son Lumbard, essentially resided permanently in Morland Castle.

"Uncle! Gather everyone in the castle center. I have something to announce to everyone!" Reiner said to Sir Cord.

Sir Cord usually obeyed Reiner's words without question, never presuming on his status as Reiner's uncle to defy his commands. In fact, he almost invariably complied with Reiner's orders.

Upon receiving the order, he immediately went to relay Reiner's message. In less than twenty minutes, the castle's male and female servants, cooks, and the garrison stationed in the castle—totaling over a hundred, nearly two hundred people—stood shivering in their cotton clothes in the castle courtyard.

Reiner stepped out of the main keep, checked the time on the System, and deemed it sufficient. He had about twenty minutes left, enough time for him to play the role of a divine prophet. Although religion in this world wasn't as powerful as in his past life's Western Europe, it held significant sway in the hearts of commoners and even nobles.

He planned to pretend to be a divine prophet, claiming that the army redeemed from the System was a gift from the Holy Father. He, as the Holy Father's most devout follower, had been chosen as an envoy to spread His grace further.

At that point, the commoners would respect him even more, and upon seeing the Holy Father's army descend, they would implicitly believe Reiner's words. This would also resolve the issue of an army appearing out of thin air, and it would lay the groundwork for his future plans. He was quite pleased with his "three birds with one stone" approach.

Reiner strode confidently to the front of everyone. Seeing their bewildered expressions, Reiner smiled and called out, "I know you're confused by my command, but I have a reason for doing this!"

"Last night, I had a dream. I dreamed I ascended to the Heavenly Kingdom, a land flowing with milk and honey, surrounded by countless holy angels, filled with joy and laughter. There, I experienced happiness that even an Emperor could not enjoy. Later, I even met our benevolent, omniscient, and utterly majestic Holy Father!"

"He caressed my head and said to me: 'My child, I am very pleased with your team's devotion and faith in me, but I wish for you to spread my grace even further. I created all people, yet they have forgotten me, forgotten me, their creator!'"

Reiner mimicked the voice of the non-existent Holy Father and continued, "They have forgotten me, forgotten who created them. They cannot glorify me, nor can they revere me, yet they trust those who either do not exist or are great gods disguised by devils. Go, and spread my grace further. You are my most beloved child on Earth. I will send my envoys to you, and they will help you spread my existence. When you have accomplished all this, you will dwell forever in the Heavenly Kingdom, forever enjoying all its beauty!"

After saying all this, Reiner looked at the astonished people and said, "Soon, the time the Holy Father spoke of will come. His envoys are about to descend. Make way, ladies and gentlemen! Do not hinder the Holy Father's envoys!"

Upon hearing this, everyone shifted towards the edge of the open space.

"Has the Baron gone mad? How could something like this happen!"

"Quiet! The envoy is about to descend. Show some respect!"

"The Baron truly is blessed by the Holy Father! The Holy Father has actually sent envoys to help the Baron. Thank the Holy Father!"

Everyone was whispering. Some expressed disbelief in Reiner's words, but more were in a state of semi-belief, only truly believing when these "envoys" actually descended.

Little Wendell's face was also filled with curiosity. He genuinely wanted to know what the Holy Father's envoys looked like. Did they have wings? Or were they bathed in holy light?

Sir Cord, however, frowned in thought. He had assumed Reiner gathered everyone to issue some command, not that Reiner would pull such a stunt.

He didn't really believe in such things as the Holy Father's envoys. He had never seen the Holy Father manifest, and most people hadn't either, so he was skeptical about the matter.