Perhaps it was because he hadn't eaten meat in too long, but after finishing the dish of stew with potato roots and peas, Grosien's stomach immediately started to growl.

Taken by a servant to the latrine, Grosien spent the whole noon there, and when he finally came out, the afternoon Believers' Assembly was already underway.

Once he returned to Victory Square and sat down again, he noticed that a few threads of worry had woven into the previously lively atmosphere.

The faces of the once active delegates now bore expressions of puzzlement and fear.

"What's going on? Has the 'Proclamation of the Holy Country's Farmlands' been read? I didn't hear it." Pushing through the crowded people, Grosien sat down at the edge of the table, shaking off quite a bit of dust from his body.

"They talked about some matters regarding land distribution, saying not to allow usury... I was so sleepy after the meal that I didn't hear clearly, let's wait for the Pope to explain to us."

It wasn't long before Grosien again saw Horn, using a cane, walk up to the wooden platform after having his meal.

"Ahem." Horn cleared his throat, gripping the writing table serving as a temporary lectern, "Just now, one of our monks from the Saint Father's Association has already read out the detailed contents of the proclamation to all of you.

I understand that although we have read out the related proclamation, it is somewhat complex, and you may not fully comprehend it. So I've simplified it and will read it to you again."

"Quiet down."

"Pay attention and stop fiddling with your needlework."

This time, there was no need for the Night Watcher to step in, as the delegates present voluntarily maintained order.

Horn smiled slightly, flipping a page on the lectern:

"The 'Proclamation of the Holy Country's Farmlands' is the first golden seal edict issued by sinner Horn, acting as Pope, and its main contents are as follows:

First, all land ownership is returned to the Holy Father, and as compensation, the actual farmers are granted usage rights along with the status of monk.

Second, the abolition of the status system, implementing the policy of 'land to the tiller', and calculating the land owned through the taxes and levies paid in the past three years.

Third, the cancellation of all usurious loans made before 1445; after 1445, private loan interest rates must not exceed 20%, and interest income must not exceed the principal.

Fourth, the implementation of the Hundred Households District reform, where every ten households form a ten-household mutual guarantee group, and ten such groups form a hundred-household mutual guarantee group, serving as the lowest administrative unit.

Fifth, the abolition of the 'Labor Law', exemption of all taxes for one year, and legal allowance for the free sale of land.

Sixth, open up the lords' forests and waters for farmers to use, reorganize the household register, and determine the conscription population.

Seventh, allow the Saint Father's Association to proselytize.

As for the areas where this will be implemented, there are two distinct zones.

One is the Devout Special District directly governed by the Pope, including five towns, 89 manors, and Daze Village in the area surrounding Joan of Arc Castle to the Spider Wilderness, where all the laws are to be implemented.

The other is the Holy War Special District directly governed by the Saintess, which includes three towns and 112 manors from Sour Melon Town to the Tbe Plain, where only the fourth to seventh items are implemented."

After finishing, Horn paused for a few seconds, allowing the delegates time to ponder.

"If you have any questions, you can ask them now." As several Wizards from the White Mountain Hermitage stood still, Horn looked at them with a smile and said.

The delegates looked at each other, afraid to question such a significant figure, as the largest personage they'd met was only a bishop.

There was a Pope standing here!

After quite a while, an Armed Farmers delegate dressed in a tight-fitting front-buttoned long shirt stood up first, raising a hand to greet Horn.

The Monk, dubbed as a Natural Priest but written as Wizard, walked to the side of the Armed Farmers delegate, so his voice echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

"Your Eminence, may I ask, what does it mean that ownership reverts to the Holy Father? Does this mean that these lands no longer belong to us?"

"Did the lands ever belong to you?" With arms outstretched as if embracing, Horn said, "You must understand that this world was created by the Holy Father; everything belongs to the Holy Father, including the land, and even yourselves!

What makes you think you can own land?

Only the Holy Father can own land and people; all claims of ownership over land and people are thefts of the Holy Father's authority, and only the devil would do such a thing.

Our Salvation Army demands equality and freedom to return the authority originally belonging to the Holy Father!

We drove out all the lords to allow you to directly face the true lord, which is the Holy Father."

"So, we still farm and harvest the land, but the lord is now the Heavenly Holy Father?" the Armed Farmer inquired with a blink.

Horn snapped his fingers: "You can understand it that way, unless the Holy Father and Saint Master decide otherwise and say they want to reclaim it, it's still you who farm and harvest it."

Immediately, Horn heard a collective sigh of relief; they had feared that the Salvation Army would seize their lands.

As the revered Father, he surely can judge fairly; the only reason for reclamation would probably be a genuine wrongdoing.

Seeing the Armed Farmers' question answered, a civic delegate, wearing a dark yellow wool puff-sleeved jacket, bravely stood up:

"Your Eminence, what does this status of monk mean?"

"Simply put, being a 'status of monk' although not a true monk, allows enjoying certain benefits of monks, such as not having to kneel and being exempt from taxes in agricultural and sideline industries."

This is also in preparation for national identity in the future.

The Thousand River Valley People is not quite an appropriate imagined community, "monk" might just be a suitable choice.

Isn't a nation of monks more devout than some Church?

A Shepherd Village representative in a shoulder-padded cape stood up, leaning on a sheep-herding stick, and asked the question everyone was most concerned about:

"How will 'land to the tiller' distribute land? Furthermore, if the lord dies, to whom does the usage right of his land go?"

Horn shook his right index finger: "Eh, that's a good question. The aim of this is to return the land to the hands of those who cultivate it, rather than those who do not farm.

Let's use an example to explain.

For instance, you pay a tithe of 90 pounds of grain to the Church; according to the tithe proportion, you should have 10 acres of land.

If your tribute is 180 pounds, then you should have 20 acres of land, so you would have a total of 30 acres of land usage rights."

Under this calculation, farmers are quite advantageous because Horn has counted other miscellaneous taxes and levies into the tithe.

Most farmers pay excessive taxes, so in turn, this time they could gain more from the land distribution.

For groups like Armed Farmers and small landlords who evade taxes, with lesser taxes paid, they naturally have less land.

Thus, they not only do not gain land but also might end up giving quite a bit away.

If they don't wish to distribute their land, then they must pay off the owed grain taxes, which will serve just right as the start-up funds for Horn's labor-for-relief program.

The biggest goal of this method is to maximize land development and use and to support as many self-farming peasants as possible instead of landlords who live off the profits.

"As for the issue of lord's land ownership, it differs in the two regions.

In the Devout Special District, the lord's land will be used for land distribution; if there's any surplus, it will be managed by the Pope Country.

In the Holy War Special District, the lands are either directly operated by the legion or sold to raise military funds."

A Priest-dressed people's representative raised his hand: "Is there no land distribution in the Holy War Special District?"

"In the Holy War Special District, facing the Knights and devils from the west and south, only military dependents can be allotted land." Leaning on the lectern with an elbow, Horn said sternly, "The Holy War Special District needs order and stability, not chaos."

In truth, even if Horn wants to distribute the land in the Holy War Special District, it's impossible to execute.

Because ordinary villagers cannot complete the land distribution execution, Horn does not have enough manpower for guidance.

The groups capable of executing the land distribution are precisely these knowledgeable Armed Farmers with time and capability.

This inevitably leads to a scenario where those executing the land distribution become those whose interests are damaged.

With their level of consciousness, Horn doesn't trust them to execute properly.

To restore order and unite forces against the Ibe Knights in the south, he can only draw in and reform this group of people.

Honestly, even dividing land in the Devout Special District is challenging.

With 100,000 people, 89 manors, and an estimated division of millions of acres of land and grassroots reconstruction, insufficient manpower means that fierce small-scale armed conflicts are bound to occur during the process.

There's even the possibility of having to fight against the Ibe Knights from the south while presiding over the land distribution work.

Horn expects to complete the land distribution work for 100,000 people within half a year, then push south and incorporate the remaining half of Langsande County.

Once it joins with Black Snake Bay and completely overcomes the predicament of being besieged on all sides, that's when the Holy War Special District will transition to the Devout District.

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