Outside Joan of Arc Castle, on the third floor of Lubyanka Monastery.

Under the signboard of the Saint Father's Association baptism class, Horn's loud voice resounded throughout this small classroom.

"The simplest principle is that labor should be rewarded accordingly, just as artisans create tools and farmers grow grains. This is the simplest axiom that most workers can relate to."

"Why is the bishop called a devil? It's because he receives rewards far beyond his labor..."

Standing behind the lectern, Horn passionately lectured these newly inducted monks of the Saint Father's Association.

Below the podium, the two rooms originally used to educate new monks were merged, and the windows were remodeled with plaster, allowing light from outside to project in.

The Saint Father Association preparatory monks, wearing half-capes, leaned against the shore, quickly taking notes on paper.

Among these Saint Father Association monks were young members from various villages' Defensive Army, War Monks from the military, and lower-level monks from the monasteries, along with a few Hundred Households Captains.

In three months, the Saint Father's Association expanded at a rate of nearly a hundred people per month.

The rapid training course of the Saint Father's Association was conducted at the Child Soldiers headquarters, Lubyanka Monastery.

Main subjects included grammar, law, mathematics, natural theology, and the most important "Holy Path Salvation Teachings."

With the attitude of personally engaging in political work, Horn would visit both the internal classes of the Salvation Army and the training courses of the Saint Father's Association whenever he had the time.

As the foundation of political education work, Horn ultimately decided to promote it using the labor ideology that is relatively easy for the average person in the Empire to understand.

It's not that Horn did not want to adopt more advanced thoughts, but the level of productivity did not allow for more advanced thoughts.

The theory Horn is now teaching seemingly draws from the early popular Farmers' Union of the Falan Kingdom, though his should be called the Labor Union.

The Farmers' Union mainly introduced the concept of "net output," which refers to the excess production from agriculture as a source of wealth.

Thus, they concluded that all agricultural activities are the foundation of the economy.

Horn's Labor Union, however, expanded this concept, using all labor to replace the relatively narrow agricultural production, thereby introducing the concept of surplus labor.

In the theological system of the Saint Father's Association, a "devil" is an entity that unjustly seizes surplus labor from workers by force or deceit.

The so-called "exorcism crusade" or "great judgment" is the action of laborers violently expelling the devil and reclaiming labor outcomes from them.

As for what other theories future generations may deduce from this concept of "surplus labor" and "exorcism crusade," it is no concern to Horn.

He has faith in the wisdom of future generations.

The contents of the "Holy Path Salvation Teachings" have finally introduced a new element beside the advocacy of freedom and equality, that is the advocacy of labor.

"But if all labor outcomes belong to oneself, for instance, if the 100 pounds of wheat harvested belong to oneself, how can soldiers be supported, and how can one protect themselves from foreign invaders?" A monk with a Paul-style Mediterranean hairstyle raised his pen to question.

Horn recognized this monk; his name is Matthias, once a lower-level monk of the Old Lubyanka Monastery.

Initially, the Salvation Army generally regarded lower-level monks as accomplices of the monastery, but later they were surprised to find out that lower-level monks were actually victims of oppression.

These lower-level monks were sent to monasteries by their parents, but unless they were of noble birth, they had to endure heavy labor and complex clerical work.

Many low-level monks lived in poverty, with some even fleeing and becoming mountain bandits.

The truly wealthy ones were the bishops, abbots, and cathedral priests.

The Church is ruthless, even scraping their own people clean!

After musing for a few seconds, Horn thought of an angle to answer.

"I want to build a perfect Celestial Kingdom within ten years, a tax-free Celestial Kingdom, a kingdom where all labor outcomes belong to oneself. Do you think it's possible?" Horn countered.

Matthias hesitantly replied, "It seems not very possible."

"Indeed, that's why we have to pay taxes." Horn turned around, tapped "exorcism crusade" on the black board with a chalk, "We demand such taxes because there are still devils in the world, and the exorcism crusade cannot cease."

Matthias still puzzled, "But this contradicts your surplus labor concept."

"Not contradictory." Horn walked slowly towards him, "The taxes we demand are not for personal enjoyment but for serving the civilians, protecting the civilians, providing a better life for the civilians, and constructing the Celestial Kingdom.

In other words, it means taking from the people and using it for the people. I understand there will be losses during this process, but if we don't pay taxes and use other means, the efficiency will be even lower.

The current civilians haven't fully leveraged their labor outcomes. To expel the devils, we can only temporarily adopt this approach.

We're facing tremendous external pressures, with all devils, those bishops and knights trying to annihilate us. Without paying taxes, War Monks won't have money to purchase weapons and training. We wouldn't only fail to reach the Celestial Kingdom but would also revert to past hellish living conditions.

The taxes civilians pay not only support their present life but also repay the debt of non-resistance in the past, and it is an investment in the future."

Matthias lowered his head thoughtfully, scribbling quickly in his notes.

......

After class, Horn left Lubyanka Monastery under the escort of several gendarmes.

He had just descended the steps outside the monastery's gate when he saw René and Busak waiting at the entrance, holding a thick stack of papers.

"Is it the Black Hat Army conscription survey results?" Horn asked with a smile as he approached.

Busak, in his light summer attire with his shirt rolled above his elbows, was sweating profusely under the heat: "It's all been collected, awaiting your review."

Horn picked up the thick booklet, casually flipping through two pages before glancing at René beside him.

René, wearing a full-length jacket, did not sweat a drop in the heat, forming a stark contrast with Busak beside him.

"What have you come to report, René, my boy?" Horn asked, draping his arm over René's shoulder as they walked forward.

A trace of helplessness appeared on René's traditionally austere face: "Papa, the Cheka caught four wizards from Black Snake Bay in Sour Melon Town."

"Oh, how unusual, what's the situation?" Horn asked incredulously, while leading his gentle mare, Grape, toward the stables.

"They used acid to sever the carriage's axle and wheel hub at the time of getting off, and were discovered by the carriage driver, who reported them as North spies, coincidentally with two gendarmes nearby.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing the gendarmes, they fled, ultimately being captured by the stationed Imperial Guard and Cheka using sacred guns and dragon bone flutes.

We found two letters on them, but the contents will have to be discussed in a confidential setting later."

"Alright then." Horn mounted Grape's back, "Let's go back to the Holy Arrival Hall."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.