Hmm? Both soft and hard effects?

Su Li didn't hear the introduction from Silvana after this part; isn't this exactly what he's been looking for?

It's the perfect material for making binding straps, which can tie Aeliria and Freya's wrists and ankles when they lie down.

He lightly coughed and said, "Such a dangerous tool, we must take it back to purify it. I'll take care of this Giant Dragon's Cord. As for the Poisonous Plague Fang, forget it, send it to Elle. Then, I have a few tasks for you to take care of."

She is a Greenfield Knight, and not quite in the style of the Flame Sun Knight Order. Going to the headquarters of the Flame Sun Knight Order would yield limited benefits, so she could take some guards and escort a few ministers to fetch the opportunities of [Broken Sword Knight's Vow], [Dwarf Rune Rubbing], [Wandering Child's Underground Treasure], and [Old Bookseller's Chaotic Manuscript].

These tasks are basically not difficult; just take resources and food according to the intelligence instructions, and these opportunities can be swiftly secured.

Su Li, meanwhile, directly took Hilude, Fastrick, Ariana, and Selanweir, led by Dean Stephen, to the most magnificent headquarters of the Flame Sun Knight Order in Marle Castle.

The Eternal Flame Cathedral, as the headquarters station of the Flame Sun Knight Order, sits on the highlands south of the Marle Castle Canal, forming a spectacular architectural group with numerous castles. Its style perfectly combines the sacred aesthetics of the Violet Church with the solemnity of a military organization. Using white marble as the main material, it eschews flamboyant decorations, presenting a majestic atmosphere where divinity and power coexist.

Its most notable feature is its sheer height and grandeur, stretching from the lowest fortress to the castle group atop the highlands, with a height exceeding hundreds of meters. Especially the central main hall, covering an area of over a thousand square meters and standing over 40 meters tall, topped by a dome adorned with the emblem of golden flames, symbolizes the eternal burn of the light of faith. The four wings extend into bastion-style towers, adopting the classic three-segment construction of Violet, with the base being coarse axe-carved marble, Corinthian double colonnades in the middle, and the capitals carved with complex totems of flame-entwined sword and shield, with the eaves lined with statues of twelve apostles wielding swords, blending religious narratives with military glory.

This vast fortress group contains many functional areas, centered around their command zone, including the Golden Eagle Main Hall War Room, the Southern Wing Strategic Room, as well as training areas, defensive fortifications on the city walls, the Western Wing Violet Chapel, the historical medal gallery, and the Northern Tower logistics center among others.

Dean Stephen, very familiar with the place, introduced to Su Li, "This cathedral was completed in the Imperial Calendar of 1315. Subsequently, it went through expansions by several deans and knight orders over the course of 700 years, finally expanding this architectural group to its current scale. Inside the cathedral, over 1430 pieces of stained glass fragments are displayed, depicting various glorious battles the Flame Sun Knight Order has experienced and the honors it has received. Among them are the renowned feats of Grand Leader Otto Belega slaying the Legendary Beast King Kazaz, and Archbishop Conrad Balke dueling the Great Demon Treachery's Secret Keeper."

A 700-year construction history of castle complexes?

Su Li couldn't help but marvel. The Empire indeed has its unique and admirable aspects. Countless knights are willing to fight and die for it, and numerous brave warriors vow to protect its honor and civilization to the death.

How many forces can last for over 700 years, continually advancing a strategy, tirelessly expanding and managing through generations?

Looking at this divine and magnificent cathedral and the grand and imposing fortress group, Su Li couldn't help but murmur, "I hope our Hesse Territory can last for hundreds or even thousands of years."

He dared not imagine, if he could rely on the Holy Purple Vine Tree's pods to survive for thousands of years, how powerful Hesse Territory would be after millennia of development.

But such things are too distant; as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. His energy must be focused on the present, so he asked, "Dean Stephen, you're very familiar with this place."

Stephen, revisiting an old haunt, was in good spirits, he stroked his beard, recalling with a look of nostalgia on his face: "Perhaps 46 or 49 years ago, I passed the assessment of the Flame Sun Knight Order smoothly as an Elite Knight, becoming a bright and glorious Knight of the Goddess."

"Here, I spent about eight years with my lover, we trained together, studied together, conducted tactical simulations together, and even experimented with various novel knowledge and war machinery. Later, we spent a year or two traveling to verify the knowledge we had mastered. Unfortunately, my lover died in a trial during a Beastman's attack on a human farm. I passed the trial, becoming a High Tier Priest of the Eternal Flame Cathedral, and lived here for another 10 years. Then I was sent to a frontier church for further trials, to hone my faith and abilities, with plans to return here as a bishop."

"Evidently, my strength and wisdom were not enough to support me to reach the position of bishop, so although I've returned today, it's in a way I never envisioned."

49 years! How many people have 49 years in their lives? This venerable priest has been stuck at the Elite Tier for half a century, which is typical for most Elite Knights in this world. Without opportunity, most knights will face a bottleneck after reaching the High Tier Elite Stage, finding it hard to make any breakthroughs.