"Help me tie this strap."
"Okay, right away."
How did the Holy Crusaders come up with such difficult-to-wear standard equipment?
"Never mind that, but I'm quite interested in their mindset. They're supposed to be an elite force, yet they're only wearing soft armor like this?"
"I actually know that... I asked Duolin before, and he said that most of the soldiers and strongmen of the Tree Worship Church fight using different forms of Alienation, so their need for armor isn't that high."
"I see, that makes sense."
"I've also heard that since the outbreak of the Demonic Tide, there have been very few large-scale wars in this world. After all, it's difficult for everyone to survive, and most forces are focusing on building elite troops."
"No wonder... I've always wondered why there were no troops stationed in White Wax Town..."
That must be the reason.
The two players exchanged greetings while donning their new outfits. Just then, they heard a familiar voice—the quest leader, [ Zhongde ]:
"Everyone, assemble!"
The players emerged sparsely from the woods, forming an irregular formation, each wearing a nonchalant smile.
This scene ignited a nameless fire within Jerry, who was standing next to [ Zhongde ].
How could a bunch of guys who couldn't even stand in formation have defeated the Holy Crusaders First Knights of Aduolin Province?
He could hardly believe it, but it was the truth, and now he had no choice but to believe it, because Jerry's current status and title were...
[Temporary Military Advisor to the Provisional Holy Crusaders of the Second Holy See ].
This title is actually quite significant. First of all, military advisors are only there to solicit opinions and do not actually have any real power.
Secondly, the existence of both "temporary" entities suggests that the Second Holy See's Holy Crusaders are unlikely to remain in existence for long.
Jerry didn't feel any resentment about the change in his identity.
He was straightforward by nature, and after figuring out what kind of people his former colleagues were and just how corrupt the Holy See had become, he joined the Second Holy See almost effortlessly, expressing his loyalty to Ed as Pure Ones.
The last group of Pure Ones to join the Second Holy See in this way was Duolin and his squad. Needless to say, these people have now become the trusted confidants of that Son of God.
Therefore, Jerry doesn't actually need to worry about his future, because even though his personal abilities are somewhat lacking, he still possesses the attributes that Ed values most right now—
loyalty.
He's just a bit straightforward; as long as he's loyal enough, there won't be any problems.
As for things he couldn't think of... the players have plenty of clever ideas, so it's not his place to come up with strategies.
Jerry, seamlessly integrated into the new company, was quickly given the title of "military advisor" and assigned his first job.
They helped the " Holy Crusaders," a temporary force formed by the Second Holy See, enter the third town adjacent to White Wax Town and Weeping Willow Town — Ginkgo Town.
Yes, this is the next stage of the elaborate scheme devised by [ Zhongde ] and others: to disguise their identities and then flaunt their wealth in the small town of Aduolin Province.
Because the previous battles with the Holy Crusaders were not intense, the Soul Returner captured almost five hundred standard uniforms issued to the Holy Crusaders of Aduolin Province.
Now, these uniforms have been worn by 500 players who have joined the mission, forming a highly realistic Holy Crusaders- like Holy Crusaders.
Although most of them didn't quite understand how to tie some of the straps, resulting in their dignified and sacred church battle uniforms looking more like those of bandits, they were still a powerful force in the Aduolin Province at that time.
Looking into [ Zhongde's ] suggestive eyes, Jerry finally understood why he was there.
He was a "military advisor" to Hammer, and looking at the chaotic scene below, he knew his true identity was actually "Standard Etiquette Instructor of the Tree Worship Church."
Under Jerry's guidance, the players quickly learned how to wear the uniforms, officially transforming from bandits into regular soldiers.
[ Zhongde ] walked to Jerry's side with satisfaction and said loudly to the players in front of him:
"From now on, I am Squad Leader Simon, and he is still Squad Leader Jerry. We are here to support Ginkgo Town on the orders of Grand Knight Commander Motley. Everyone must be mindful of their words and actions!"
A cheer erupted from the players. Although Jerry didn't know what they were cheering about, since they were so happy, they must have their own plan, right?
Indeed, that was the case. Having gained experience from infiltrating Weeping Willow Town as part of the Inspector's Guard, and having been exposed to the dangers of this capture operation, the players already knew what they needed to do next:
The first step is to enter the city as Holy Crusaders and take over its defenses.
The second step is to exchange the secret code with the bishop of Ginkgo Town and obtain the list of Fallen One.
The third step is to accurately capture the corrupt bishops according to the list, and incidentally hang them on the church door to extract their Territory Secret Pact.
The fourth step is to gather the townspeople, release the experimental subjects, and explain everything that has happened.
The fifth step is to gather the Pure Ones, escort the Stained Ones, protect the experimental subjects, and restore peace to the town.
The sixth step is that once the new bishop appointed by the Second Holy See arrives in the city, they will move to the new town and begin a new cycle.
It's a perfect plan.
Players who had never participated in such a program in such an extremely realistic game were all in high spirits, and the route that originally took two days to complete was finished in just one and a half days.
So, on a somewhat cloudy evening, [ Zhongde ] led a large contingent of players, the Holy Crusaders, to the foot of the walls of Ginkgo Town.
This was a rammed earth wall less than two people high. Although it looked very solid, it was so low that [ Zhongde ] even doubted whether it could withstand Bennett's first wave of attack.
At this height, not only could a muscular, powerful Blood Corpse climb the wall, but even a player with an agility level exceeding 10 could easily scale it by stepping on the protrusions on the wall's surface.
But there's nothing we can do about it. Building city walls is a huge undertaking with a short timeframe. The bishop of Ginkgo Town doesn't know where the Blood Corpse will come from, so he can't concentrate his efforts on a vanity project like he can in White Wax Town.
Due to a combination of factors, Ginkgo Town ultimately ended up with a wall that barely enclosed the town, but was pitifully short.
The people of Ginkgo Town knew absolutely nothing about the city except that there might be Blood Corpse attack; they were completely clueless.
Information asymmetry is the key to the success of players' plans.
Seeing the timid militiamen on the city wall, [ Zhongde ] came down to the city wall and shouted:
"I am Simon, the captain of the Holy Crusaders First Knights of Aduolin Province. I have come to provide support on the orders of Grand Knight Motley. We have had a long and arduous journey. Why don't you open the city gates and let us in at once?!"