The Reversed Hierophant

Due to the current backwards modes of labor, most armies today still rely on a mercenary recruitment system. When war breaks out, farmers are hired to join the army. After the war, they were paid in grain or money and sent home. Sometimes, soldiers even have to prepare their own dry food and weapons during the march. Consequently, it’s not uncommon to see scenes on the battlefield where spears and rakes are flying, and wooden clubs and dung forks are clashing. This form of military composition cannot guarantee a fixed training period for the army, let alone stable combat effectiveness.

Coexisting with the recruitment system is a conscription system that trains professional soldiers. Able-bodied adult males are selected to reside in military camps year-round to receive military training. The army would provide them with a regular salary, food and other basic necessities. Everyone understands the benefits of a conscription system: it can train highly combat-effective soldiers, stabilize military strength, foster strong morale and cohesion….

However, alongside these benefits is a significant drawback: the high cost.

The cost of supporting a group of adult men who basically do nothing all day cannot be underestimated. Money is spent like water, and there is no guarantee of return. An army of a thousand people requires an annual expenditure of about 100,000 gold florins. Such expenditure would bankrupt a small country with insufficient strength. Most royal families could only afford to maintain a regular army of few hundred men to safeguard the royal family and the capital, relying on mercenaries for the rest of the troops.

In contrast, powerful nations like Rome, Calais, and Assyria all had their own standing armies, which was why they were able to hold an important position in the world for a long time.

Rafael was determined not to entrust his life and the safety of Florence to mercenaries of unknown integrity. Throughout history, there have been countless mercenaries who took money from their employers before stabbing them in the back. The mercenaries of the Black Sea region were notorious for this, and many of their former employers’ heads are buried beneath their mountains of gold. As a result, no organization is willing to accept those from the Black Sea region, and many employers would run away at the mere mention of the Black Sea. This has forced honest Black Sea mercenaries to fabricate themselves a more ‘respectable’ background.

No matter the place or era, a loyal and combat-effective army directly under one’s command is an invaluable treasure. Even if feeding them requires cutting out one’s flesh and blood, Rafael was determined to grit his teeth and carry on. Moreover, he had already secured sufficient funds—the wool coming from those sheep, although the lords who died in the public square would not be pleased to hear such a statement.

Rafael assigned several black monks recommended by Ferrante to Leshert to handle the inventory and distribution of all property seized during the army’s conquest of territories. Leshert acquiesced to this arrangement, and Rafael was relieved.

Throughout history, burning, killing and pillaging after capturing a castle was one of the most common things for soldiers to do. Through this means, they would obtain vast wealth unimaginable during their lifetime. However, for an army to have long-term vitality and stability, plundering and pillaging wasn’t sustainable. The Ancient Assyrian cavalry that once dominated the world also fell victim to this trap. Their commanders allowed soldiers to plunder and wreak havoc in captured cities without restraint. Their lack of discipline and excessive greed made them resistant to tactics other than direct assault, which eventually resulted in them being worn down and defeated by the Knights Templar during a long battle of attrition.

Strictness, purity, integrity, patience, and self-discipline were the qualities upheld by the Knights Templar. Rafael had no intention of tempting them with riches and simply cut off this possibility at the source. He was pleased that Leshert was a rational and clear-headed military leader and that he didn’t need to waste any more effort to argue with him about the nuances.

Of course, he didn’t rule out the possibility of using the Arbitration Bureau and the Knights Templar to check and balance the other.

The former held the money, while the latter wielded great military power. And the strings of both were undoubtedly held by the Pope.

In August, the conscription in Florence came to an end, with 18,000 men signing up, nearly 90% of all able-bodied men in Florence. After excluding those unfit for military service due to physical condition or family circumstances, Leshert selected 3,500 men to form the initial expeditionary force. These men would be slowly tempered and polished in the crucible of war. The survivors would then undergo rigorous selection and evaluation to join the Knights Templar, forming the foundation for the future protectors of the Pope and Florence.

This was only the first phase of conscription. As the civil unrest in Assyria develops, Rome and Calais’s movements would become clearer, and the frequency of conscriptions would gradually increase. Ultimately, Rafael envisioned an army of at least 8,000 permanent soldiers would be established in Florence and even the Papal States.

Although 8,000 might not seem like a large number, it should be considered that the King’s army stationed in the capital of Calais has only a little over 3,000 men. Those massive armies numbering in the tens of thousands were scattered throughout the country.

If he was given the opportunity to develop this quietly…

Rafael thought silently that if he was given the time and opportunity, he would make Florence the most impregnable fortress and wield the sharpest sword in the world.

In mid-August, as the weather grew warmer and everyone shed their thick cloaks for colorful, light garments. Leshert led the newly formed Florentine army into battle.

Their first target was the city of Casso, closest to Florence. The city name was based off the Ancient Language meaning “Pearl of the Gods.” After the Papal States split, the Quentin family had eventually established their rule here and had been the undisputed lords for two centuries.

However, Quentin had been killed by the Pope in Florence and stripped of all his titles, lands, and possessions before his death. The legitimacy of the Quentin family’s rule over Casso immediately collapsed, and Leshert captured this rich city with little effort.

In subsequent battles, Leshert adjusted his strategy, using them as training opportunities for the new recruits. No amount of training could compare to the lessons learned from the brink of death. Real combat was the greatest teacher. These soldiers grew at an alarming rate, quickly learning to use unfamiliar weapons, to take enemy heads with the most economical and efficient means, and to seek cover when cannonballs fell. Of course, they also learned the art of playing dead before stabbing them in the back without even the need of a teacher.

In battle after battle, fewer and fewer survived, but it was undeniable that those who remained more or less had their own life-saving skills and developed a unique temperament.

“…They have developed their own judgment on when to attack or retreat, and they’re able to follow orders most of the time. When they move, they are like a pack of wolves running across the wilderness. Their enemies crumble before their courage and determination… Long periods of shared experience have given them a similar temperament. They have a desire for victory that surpasses all else, a desire that has nothing to do with money or plunder, but rather is a pure yearning for honor…”

In his letter, the black monk accompanying the army wrote that as the Pope’s special envoy, it was his duty to report everything about the army to His Holiness, no matter how trivial. Such a position has never been popular since ancient times; they were what the soldiers called ‘informers.’ But surprisingly, the black monk was welcomed in Leshert’s army.

This particular ‘holy crow’ had a very young appearance. Ferrante did not care about age or appearance when selecting his subordinates. In fact, he preferred those with plain appearances who would blend in with the crowd. Such harmless and ordinary appearances helped the crows to infiltrate various places and carry out different missions.

However, for this expedition, Ferrante had chosen healthy, young, and lively children—a term coined by the Pope. He referred to these dark and ominous crows as his children, genuinely caring for them and listening to them. In return, these ‘children’ repaid His Holiness with their loyalty and love a hundred-, a thousand-fold.

The young “Little Crow” had a pair of round blue eyes, like cornflowers blooming under a clear sky, a few freckles on his face, and the characteristics of people native to the Black Sea region – a flat nose and a broad forehead.

“I think it might be because the commander had been preaching to them during times of peace. He is a devout believer worthy of respect, and the soldiers love to listen to him. He also did everything he asked of his soldiers, whether it was not taking a penny from the city’s property or insisting on eating the same food as them.”

He thought for a moment and continued writing: “…His prestige in the army is unshakeable. The original members of the Knights Templar believe in him as if he were another saint, and this trend is gradually spreading among the lower-ranking soldiers. He seems to be aware of this, and in recent conversations, has mentioned His Holiness’s name more frequently. As His Holiness’s representative, I have also gained a great deal of respect and love from the people in the army…”

He wrote down everything he had observed, inevitably including some of his personal thoughts. When he went back to reread the letter, he quickly discovered this and uttered a long groan of annoyance.

According to Master Ferrante’s teachings, they weren’t supposed to express their own opinions. A qualified crow is a spy, a killer, an assassin, an eye, an ear, a nose. They could see, hear, and smell, becoming any kind of organ extended outside His Holiness. They could convey messages, monitor, and investigate for His Holiness. But the only thing they could never be was a brain—they must not think on behalf of His Holiness. Even expressions with emotional biases could interfere with His Holiness’s judgment.

And how could they have the qualifications to think for His Holiness?

They only needed to complete the tasks when they were assigned, no matter what the content, no matter how absurd it is.

They don’t ask. They don’t question. They don’t hesitate.

He had made a mistake, he whispered to himself, but that was only because he was still inexperienced.

The blue-eyed crow tore up the report, carefully considered his words, and removed all phrases that expressed personal emotions. He recited the letter again, which wasn’t a difficult task for him. One of the prerequisites for being selected to serve under the adults was to have a good memory.

Similar letters were delivered to Rafael’s desk every day through special channels, and of course there were also battle reports from Leshert.

The commander of the Knights Templar was a very intelligent and rational man. His war reports never followed the same route as those of the crows, even though they were in the same team, and it would have been much more convenient.

Despite being an upright knight, Leshert wasn’t a fool. He was just reluctant to get involved in those complicated intrigues, but he also knew the importance of avoiding suspicion.

Rafael first opened Leshert’s battle report.

The beginning, as usual, was a long and flowery greeting. He skipped over this part directly: ‘…The morale of the army is high, and our advance has been very smooth. We haven’t encountered any major resistance along the way. Of course, there have been scattered battles, mostly caused by the remnants of the lords’ forces, who are unwilling to surrender their power so easily. But these are all minor problems that can be dealt with. I expect that by the end of the year, we will be able to completely clear the twelve cities and bring you a great and glorious victory…’

“As you predicted earlier, Rome will invite you to their capital in the second half of the year. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to spare myself at that time. Your safety is most paramount. I request that we delay the advance of the battle, or that you dispatch another trustworthy general to take control of the army, allowing me to lead the Knights Templar to follow you to Rome and protect you…”

Rafael sighed when he saw this. Julius, who had entered with the rolled-up war report and some documents, pushed up his glasses and glanced at the letter in Rafael’s hand. His eyes were cold, but there was a slight smile in his tone: “What’s wrong? Has our Knight Commander encountered any difficulties?”

Rafael didn’t look up at him, so he didn’t notice the fake smile on Julius’s lips. “No, Leshert said he wanted to accompany me to Rome.”

Rafael hesitated.

The queen had yet to send him an official invitation, and he was unsure when it would come. But according to the news from Assyria, the civil unrest in Assyria had gradually expanded to engulf the entire country. There was no more time left for the queen to make arrangements. She would definitely arrange everything in Rome as soon as possible and then personally go to Assyria to suppress the rebellion—this was something that had actually happened before, but last time Rafael hadn’t focused himself too much on such a distant matter. He was still groping for his own path, trying to solve all problems in a more gentle way.

At that time, it was Julius who had handled everything.

Thinking of this, Rafael glanced at the secretary-general in front of him. The secretary-general, who was neatly dressed with his shirt buttoned up tightly, tilted his head slightly in confusion, and a small question mark seemed to appear above his head. He was wearing a snow-white scarf with a large emerald gemstone embedded in the knot, and the soft scarf draped down, covering the last bit of skin on his neck.

Julius, who was used to wrapping himself up tightly in any weather, looked at Rafael: “Rafa?”

Rafael came back to his senses: “Oh… I would like to ask for your opinion.”

“My opinion,” Julius paused. It seemed like he hadn’t heard such a phrase in a long time. He thought about it dazedly for a moment, before remembering the knight who was fighting for Rafael. A trace of wariness flashed in his eyes. Leshert was galloping through the lords’ lands, while the Papal States, apart from Florence, had only one remaining lord, Portia. This instinctively made him feel threatened. Julius forcibly suppressed this instinctive warning. “His opinion is very reasonable. You’re going to Rome, a place so far away. You’ll need strong military protection to ensure your safety. I… I don’t wish to see another coffin sent back to Florence.”

His tone was a little vague.

Both of them fell silent at the same time.

The last pope to leave Florence and return in the form of a coffin was Rafael’s father and Julius’s cousin.

It was Julius himself who had collected the body of Pope Vitalian III.

For once, Julius said sincerely, “I hope he does as he promised and protect you well.”

Author’s Note

Julius: Beware of that golden-haired knight.

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