King-Chapter 1404 - Two Hundred and Seventy-Five: Emptying the Papal State_2

Chapter 1404: Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Five: Emptying the Papal State_2

The army that neglects training during peacetime, takes ghost salaries, and relies on serfs to fill ranks during war is evidently incapable of bearing the responsibility of defending the city.

The city belongs to the Clergy, but our lives belong to ourselves. No one needs to sacrifice their lives for the Clergy’s glory.

Anyway, as the war progresses, deserters are everywhere. Even if responsibility were pursued, enforcement would be impossible.

After all, isn’t the Papal State rotting away?

The first batch of officers who fled were nominally executed, but in practice, they merely adopted new identities and continued their lives.

"This war has been too easy; do you think the enemy might be plotting something against us?"

Count Orlan said hesitantly.

Compared to the bloodthirsty Orcs, the Church Army is unbelievably easy to bully.

In previous wars, both sides fought with the resolve of mutual extinction. In this battle, few enemies have been killed, yet a pile of captives has been caught.

"Haha..."

"Orlan, you’re just overthinking this!

The intensity of an internal war among the Human Race cannot compare to a war between species.

Not just the Church Army lacks backbone; similarly, internal wars across other Human territories are hardly fought with much intensity.

Unlike fighting Orcs, where losing means becoming food for the enemy,

losing here simply means surrendering. At most, you’ll pay a ransom—not something worth dying for.

The officers don’t give their all, and the soldiers certainly won’t either.

To put it bluntly, looking across the entire Continent of Aslante, besides the Kingdom Army, who can guarantee that their soldiers won’t go hungry?

It’s not just the Church Army’s weak fighting spirit; other nations aren’t much better off. The Frank and Iberia empires might be exceptions, but regardless..."

Governor Piers swallowed his words mid-sentence. Criticizing allies behind their backs is unethical, especially given the close proximity—they might overhear and make things awkward.

Although one can disdain others, the truth is that even the Alpha Kingdom’s lowest-tier soldiers have only seen improvement in recent years.

Previously, only a few main forces could reliably secure sufficient supplies.

In recent years, as the Kingdom has repeatedly triumphed on the battlefield, the military, led by Hudson, has gained increasing influence within the court. In terms of resource allocation, they leave no room for modesty.

The Major Nobles across regions, as beneficiaries of the Kingdom’s external expansion, share mutual interests and naturally support the military.

During peacetime, such changes may seem insignificant, but Governor Piers only realized the difference when leading troops to help allies suppress uprisings.

Suppressing the Cult Army felt like child’s play. Often one charge was all it took, leaving only captives to be dealt with.

The Three Kingdoms in the Central Continent displayed weak performance partially due to their poor combat capabilities and partly because their rank-and-file soldiers sympathized with the Cult Army.

In internal uprisings like these, generally only forty or fifty percent of combat capabilities are utilized. With weaker generals, performance could drop even further.

The Kingdom Army, as a Guest Army, had no connection to the local rebel forces nor sympathy for them, allowing them to act decisively without hesitation, making suppression naturally smoother.

But nuances like these were unnoticed or subconsciously ignored by the Three Kingdoms’ upper echelons. Their attention was fixated solely on the Alpha Kingdom Army’s strength.

As a result, after Governor Piers took troops on a tour around the Central Continent, the Three Kingdoms politically aligned themselves swiftly with the Kingdom, making the Five Nations Alliance unusually united.

This deployment to the Papal State marks the first joint operation since the formation of the Five Nations Alliance, with great expectations from all sides.

However, the enemy refuses to cooperate. What was supposed to be a coordinated effort turned into a scenario where the vanguard surpassed operational expectations with just one exploratory charge.

"You two, stop chatting. Since the enemy has collapsed, hurry up and expand the zone of victory—focus on taking the port first!

It’s said the Clergy likes to mobilize their followers for combat. Previously, the Frank people encountered considerable trouble—you should be mindful too."

With a tone heavy with elder authority, the two men didn’t show the slightest resentment because the speaker, Robert, did have a familial relationship as an elder.

This is precisely why Sanctuary Powerhouses on the Continent of Aslante prefer not involving themselves in worldly disputes: they’re surrounded by descendants everywhere.

Take Robert as an example—at the age of 170, his direct descendants are already in their ninth generation.

With marriage alliances prevalent in nobility circles, over the long years, at some point a granddaughter or great-granddaughter marries into another family and births an heir, making him their ancestor.

Although these blood ties have become extraordinarily distant, almost negligible, anyone related to a Sanctuary Powerhouse like Robert wouldn’t mind claiming him as an ancestor.

Given the lifespan of Sanctuary Powerhouses, it’s only a matter of time before Major Noble families become their descendants.

With countless dutiful offspring and grandchildren, rivalries between families essentially transform into conflicts among their descendants. As the common ancestor to all, Sanctuary Powerhouses naturally feel uncomfortable taking sides.

To avoid these headaches, many Sanctuary Powerhouses choose to abstain from worldly disputes, adopting a blissful ignorance.

"Rest assured, Ancestor. The citizens within the port won’t pose any trouble. Since the fleet is returning empty anyway, they might as well bring back some spoils!"

Count Orlan replied with a chuckle.

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