Volume Two The Fallen Light Chapter 102 Bartoli...
The knightly feudal system of Bretonnia is very similar to that of other empires, except that the ruling class is knights.
The knight protects the common people, and the common people become the knight's assets.
Each knight dedicates himself to the lord under their oath and becomes the military force of the superior.
The highest rank in the status hierarchy is the emperor, and the lower ranks are dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons, and honorary knights.
Then there are the common people who own land.
Under the feudal system, civilians would never become a knight if they did not have the opportunity. However, no matter how low a knight fell, he was still a noble.
Sir Marcus is an exception. Because his talent and strength are too strong, he got a place in the knight class. But this is just an example and cannot be imitated.
A noble with a title must have a certain number of knights with a title lower than his own, and each knight has his own armed force, which is composed of militia and archers selected from strong people among civilians or serfs.
When commoners serve a lord, the lord will provide a place to live. During peacetime, the commoners will farm and hand over the harvest to the lord. The harvest that can be retained depends on the character of the master. However, it is generally paid according to the ratio of ten taxes to one.
During times of turmoil, although the combat skills of civilians were nothing compared to those of knights, when the number of knights was insufficient, civilians were required to wear basic weapons and became the basic force of the kingdom.
In this kingdom of knights, in addition to its own aristocratic leadership class, they also have spiritual leaders with mysterious powers, such as messengers of the lake god who devoutly believe in the Lady of the Lake, prophets and knights of the Holy Grail, who serve as role models for the people of Bretonnia. and inner support during times of war.
Although Bretonnia is a traditional knightly kingdom, they value virtue, courage and honor) and will never back down when faced with challenges.
On the other hand, just like other empires, the Kingdom of Knights also has its own darkness, such as the huge wealth gap between nobles and commoners, contempt for the human rights of commoners, etc. These are all hidden under the glorious armor of Bretonnia. one side.
Seeing Marcus, the Holy Grail Knight, reveal the overlooked and hidden side of Batoria, Eloise and Jeanne were thoughtful.
Simmons, on the other hand, was extremely embarrassed.
Although Simmons is not powerful, he has the same earl status as Earl Fuller, and his status is actually higher than Marcus's honorary knighthood.
But as Marcus is one of the strongest knights among the Holy Grail knights, he will naturally not take seriously a knight like Simmons who relied on his father to inherit the title.
Marcus, the Knight of the Holy Grail, interpreted the history of Batoria for Iloth and Ekaterina from the perspective of a lower-class person. This made Simmons, as a vested interest, extremely uncomfortable, but he did not dare to say anything.
As top nobles, Ekaterina and Ilos (there is controversy) naturally have a less comprehensive view of social issues and historical perceptions than Marcus, who has worked hard step by step from the bottom.
Therefore, Marcus's narration of history in his way undoubtedly opened up ideas for Catherine and Ilosu.
Especially Ekaterina, who has been exposed to power and intrigue since she was a child, has a deeper understanding of these underlying social issues.
No matter which empire, no matter how bright and beautiful it is on the outside, it is extremely dirty on the inside. Even the Holy Empire, which claims that wherever the Holy Light shines, is a pure land, this is the case.
"As the only precedent for a civilian to be promoted to the Knight of the Holy Grail, although my force is sufficient, my political wisdom, in other words, my intrigues and tricks are not as good as those of the real nobles. Even if I have the intention to change this country, I do not have the strength to make a voice in the circle of power.
"
Marcus, the Holy Grail Knight, said lonely.
"In the nearly hundred years since I became a Knight of the Holy Grail, I have traveled across the entire continent, even to the Western Continent where the high elves fled, and found that everywhere in the world is as black as a crow. The difference is whether you do more evil or less evil.
.Relatively speaking, Batoria is better than Albrex and Cyril. After all, there are no serfs, they are all yeoman farmers with assets."
"I can only try my best to change the scene I can see under the conditions within my ability. No matter how much I do, I will not be able to do it."
The emotion of Marcus, the Holy Grail Knight, not only shocked Ekaterina and Eloise, but also touched the heart of the noble Simons.
The reason why this great Holy Grail Knight is respected and praised is not only because of his great strength and breaking the myth of civilian promotion, but also because of his noble character.
Iroth once again solemnly paid knighthood to his idol, the Holy Grail Knight Markus Krupol.
"Idol, I chose it. It's really good."
Simmons was greatly affected, and Marcus' words changed his life.
Later, Simmons traveled to other countries as an expeditionary knight. Along the way, he helped the strong and the weak. Wherever he went, he stood up for common people and even serfs, and he did not hesitate to offend other nobles.
Finally, after traveling for twenty years, when he returned to Batoria, he was recognized by the Lake Fairy, drank the water of the Holy Grail, and became a Knight of the Holy Grail.
For the rest of his life, he adhered to Marcus's will, always seeking benefits for the common people of Batoria, eradicating injustice, and becoming a model knight for a generation.
Of course, these are all things for later.
In early summer, Batoria, which has experienced the cold and desolation of winter, is now full of life.
Now is the best season in Batoria. The light blue sky is quiet and high, with a few light clouds floating happily. If you look far enough, you can vaguely see several birds of prey hovering very high in the sky.
Both sides of the broad road are lined with dense forests. The towering ancient trees have taken off their dark winter clothes and put on new green clothes. From time to time, a large number of birds will fly in the forest. Birds of Batoria
The body is large and brightly colored, which is very different from Albrex.
This road leads directly from the border Carcassonne to the imperial capital Column, and extends all the way to the Central Mountains in the south. The amount of manpower and financial resources spent to open such a wide road from a primitive dense forest is by no means a small amount.
Despite this, the wide road has already been trampled unevenly by the iron hooves of war horses.
From this, it can be seen that Batoria's troops are mobilized very frequently, which means that the training intensity is guaranteed. Ilosi secretly had some concerns in his mind.
The sound of horse hooves awakened the forest, which was taking a nap in the warm sunshine.
At the end of the road, more than three hundred knights in silver armor appeared. These knights were guarding a carriage in the middle of the team and were galloping along the road.
The carriage in the middle of the team is very eye-catching. Every detail on the carriage is impeccably exquisite, and the four horses pulling the carriage are also eye-catching.
This carriage is the royal carriage of the Batoria royal family, specially prepared by Knight King Ryan for Catherine.
The road was uneven. At such a speed, all the knights were jolting violently on their horses. Only this carriage was as stable as a canoe floating on a quiet lake.
The carriage was spacious and comfortable, and even though five people were seated, it was not crowded.
There were only Ekaterina and four female druids from the War Eagle clan in the carriage, including Jenny. The four of them were Ekaterina's personal maids and bodyguards.
Ekaterina could feel that this carriage was an enchanted alchemy item that used magic to levitate the suspension and wheels, thereby filtering out countless tiny vibrations and bumps.
This is a true luxury product, with a lot of decorations and inscriptions, and the cost is extremely high. Even the Albrex Empire royal family only has two of them, and the Batoria royal family directly uses them to transport Catherine to and from Catherine.
Ekaterina opened the curtain of the car window, smiled at Marcus, the Holy Grail Knight riding outside, and said: "Today's journey is the most relaxing and comfortable I have ever done since I was a child. This carriage belongs to the Batoria royal family.
What a rare good thing!”
"Of course, even in the royal family, there are not many carriages like this. This shows that His Majesty Ryan attaches great importance to Her Royal Highness. Your Majesty has given instructions that this carriage will be used by Her Royal Highness from now on."
Yekaterina shook her head and said: "I still bear a blood feud, so it's better to stay away from these comfortable things at this moment. Besides, this carriage is of amazing value, and I can't bear such an expensive gift."
Marcus didn't take it seriously: "Haha, then Her Majesty the Princess should go and say goodbye to Her Majesty Ryan, I can't make the decision."
The gorgeous carriage continued to speed along the road leading to the imperial capital.
Ekaterina's eyes were slightly closed in the carriage. At this moment, her mind had already flown to Korun, the imperial capital of Batoria.
She wanted to know how much she was taken seriously and whether she could gain the support of Knight King Ryan.