The distance from Black Pottery Town to Sour Melon Town is just over twenty miles, yet its scale is much smaller than Sour Melon Town, with the entire population being only about a thousand people.

This small town is essentially like an industrial town similar to Mayo Town, with its main income sources being the black clay on the outskirts of Black Pottery Town.

This high-quality clay can be fired into quite beautiful pottery and tableware, and the pottery from several villages and towns nearby is basically crafted by the hands of Black Pottery Town.

On the edge of Black Pottery Town, there is a small courtyard that has been renovated after falling into disrepair.

It quietly lies on the desolate land, encircled by a high wall made from rough stone blocks.

Moss and wild grass grow in the crevices, and the hot air in the sealed courtyard feels as if it is being simmered in a pot.

The Kush knights sit around the table, eagerly drinking the cool well water drawn from the well and mixed with purchased beer, hiding in the shade of the trees to keep cool.

Such treatment would definitely count as abuse for the knights, but the Kush knights enjoy it.

The reason is simple; happiness is relative.

While other Falan and Leia knights have to toil all day under the hot sun, they only need to work for half a day before they can return to the courtyard to rest.

On this scorching day, several young Kush knights lie on the wall, braving the burning sun to look outside.

When they see the Falan and Leia knights, tied with ropes around their necks, soaked with sweat and gasping for breath, digging in the scorching sun, they are delighted.

"How satisfying, truly satisfying," they exclaim.

Perini still remembers the day of the grouping; that day left a deep impression on him—it was utterly exhilarating.

Other knights, who previously looked down upon the Kush descendants, continuously tried to prove they were Kush knights to avoid being dragged into the public complaints and trials.

They were crying and shouting, reporting each other for impure bloodlines or pretending to be Kush people.

And those who used to do these things were often the Kush people themselves.

These so-called "Falan knights" and "Leia knights" were often Kush knights later Falanized or Leiaized.

If you trace back three generations, they are surely purebred Kush people.

Although Perini was worried that this was trying to divide the knights internally, he had to admit, it was indeed very effective.

Under the preferential treatment and propaganda of the Salvation Army, these young Kush knights all unanimously showed goodwill towards the Salvation Army.

Of course, preferential treatment was only based on the premise of them being innocent.

A previously convicted Kush knight was still taken to public trial and executed.

However, compared to those foreign Falan knights, the Kush nobility and local Kush civilians share close familial ties and the same culture, so the oppression wasn't too harsh.

When those black-uniformed soldiers speak in the Kush dialect, there is an inexplicable sense of closeness between the parties.

Not only that, but Perini admits deep down that the demon Horn indeed has some ability, and the soldiers of the Salvation Army are indeed more competent than those of Jinhe Town, not to praise the Salvation Army.

Previously, they deliberately gave more money to the black-uniformed jailer (Black Hat Army) when asking for help to buy wine, fearing he might refuse or secretly urinate into the wine.

But unexpectedly, the Black Hat Army bought rather good wine and even returned them the change.

Upon tallying up, they found that not a penny was missing; those Salvation Army members didn't pocket a single dime.

Contrary to their knowledge, these Salvation Army members were indeed the kind, the rare kind—how to put it?

At that moment, Perini came up with a term he hadn't used in a long time—"good people."

"Good people, huh?" Perini muttered, as if questioning or perhaps asking himself.

"They're coming, they're coming," a young Kush knight lying on the wall shouted as he jumped down and dashed to the courtyard gate.

Before long, the two Black Hat Army soldiers at the gate opened it, allowing Enrico to enter.

As Enrico stepped in, he warmly invited the Black Hat Army soldier at the gate, "Zandros, An Nong, come in for a couple of drinks?"

The gate-guarding Black Hat Army soldier shyly shook his head, "No, drinking during guard duty would get us punished."

"Your commanding officer is strict," Enrico clicked his tongue, striding into the courtyard with high spirits.

Unlike these knights under soft detention, Enrico had worked hard labor for three months, and his farming was impressive. He also assisted the Salvation Army with persuading others to surrender on the battlefield.

To commend his contributions, Horn unbound some of his rights and even hired him as an agricultural consultant for the Saint Plow Monastery, allowing him some freedom of movement.

Count Enrico's education was indeed superior to those of the common folk.

He was well-versed in agricultural management knowledge for estates.

When others asked, he would proudly say, "Go and ask around Jinhe Town, see which estate's fields have the biggest harvest every year... Ouch..."

But every time this topic is brought up, Enrico always ends up clutching his chest in pain, recalling his manor lands that were taken away.

Just three months of hard labor had smoothed out the few edges he had left, and he accepted his current fate.

Watching his cousin from the Alco family, Perini helplessly and sadly discovered that two of the three Counts of the Alco family had already gathered in the small courtyard.

Behind Enrico were several people in bishop garments, who were communicating with the Black Hat Army at the gate, seemingly asking about their recent performances.

"Your wine... your paper and pen... your ointment..." As soon as he entered, Enrico began distributing various goods he had procured for his relatives and friends.

But when Perini received the "War Monks Holy Code" that Enrico had bought for him, he keenly noticed something in Enrico's pocket.

"Wait!" Perini grabbed Enrico's wrist.

"Huh? What's up?"

Perini didn't say much, but instead pulled out a few sheets of paper from his pocket and incredulously asked, "You bought Holy War Bonds?"

Enrico confusedly replied, "I didn't know, they said it could make money, so I went and bought them."

Perini was at a loss for words.

You're a war prisoner, and you went to buy bonds betting on the enemy's victory and our defeat, what exactly do you want to do?

Perini was feeling conflicted, while Enrico was soon surrounded by the knights around him.

"How much can these bonds earn in a month?"

"Currently, the highest available are 20 Dinar face value bonds priced at 10 Dinars, but they have a 7% annual interest rate and can also be used to purchase auctioned assets."

"Uncle Enrico, did you get the 'Saint Sun's Expedition' I asked you for last time?"

"I almost forgot, here you go."

Perhaps the previous scene of the Falan Knights scrambling to become Kush Knights had greatly stirred the hearts of these young Kush.

They all began to show faint signs of "betrayal."

Previously, the Kush Knights were relentlessly squeezed and harassed by the incoming knights. Although they were knights, they lived like oversized armed farmers.

These Kush Knights, being the younger generation, were naturally holding back a sense of dissatisfaction.

When they came into the hands of the Salvation Army, that dissatisfaction completely erupted.

Every day they would chat, often saying things like, "Kush people don't fight Kush people," "Kush lives matter too," "Kush should have their own Pope."

It's worth noting that the upper echelons of the Thousand River Valley Church were all Falan, Leia, or even El and Norn, but there was no place for the Kush.

Meanwhile, in the Salvation Army and the Saint Sun Pope Country, the Saintess Sun herself is Kush, five out of six archbishops are Kush, and nine out of ten legion commanders are Kush.

Even pigs would know which side had better prospects to rally behind.

However, the issue lies in the farmers' inexplicable hatred for the knights, who would take away lands that originally belonged to them. This was particularly worrisome for the young knights.

"Ahem…" As Enrico was distributing items, a determined-looking priest clamped down on Enrico's shoulder and led him over to Perini.

Enrico quickly cleared his throat, "I'd like to introduce you; this is the Cardinal of the Pope Country, the Truth Long-range Metropolitan Bishop of Bai Sha Di, Archbishop MadlanWiking."

The knights immediately stood in unison, placing down their items and saluted Madlan in a unified posture.

"No need for formalities, no need for formalities." When Madlan spoke, it was in their familiar Kush dialect, which significantly diminished the fear on the Kush youths' faces.

Madlan smiled at Perini.

Perini instantly realized that the main act was about to begin.

With Enrico accompanying him, the two entered a secluded little room.

"We might loathe each other, yet we also need one another," Madlan started pointedly without unnecessary words, curving his mouth into a polite smile, "His Eminence can hold his nose and tolerate your presence, but you must also cede some of your benefits."

"I don't understand what you mean…"

"Do you know why I came to see you today?"

Perini shook his head.

Madlan handed him a letter, its wax seal still intact, "This is a letter sent by your Alco family grandmother, and she didn't spend money to ransom you all."

Impatiently cutting open the bright red wax seal with a small knife, Perini quickly scanned through the entire letter, his eyes widening further and further.

"For the future of the Thousand River Valley people, for the future of all Kush descendants..." Perini unconsciously read aloud the last line of the letter.

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