Warhammer Divine Throne

Chapter 1366: Chapter 583: The True Art of Midsummer Night (For Real)_2

Laine’s implication is simple: either you find a true love, or you find someone who can help your career.

As for Claudia, Laine believes that she is not Afu’s true love, just a momentary impulse.

In fact, as Laine said, it’s not impossible for a female servant to successfully marry into a great noble family, but successful examples are very rare. Most of the time, they are played by the great nobles until they are discarded like damaged goods and can’t even become female courtiers.

It’s not so easy to pick something ready-made. Strictly speaking, Laine was chosen by the Surya family, which counts as a political marriage. However, they have accumulated quite a bit of affection along the way, making it a rather decent union.

And generally, the wives of great nobles and generals fall into two categories. The first is a true love who followed him when he was a soldier or hadn’t fully risen to power; the other is someone who can help his career in a political marriage.

Afu doesn’t have the former, so Laine suggests the latter.

Of course, everything is implied. Laine also means that no matter how Afu chooses, Laine will support him, both as his superior noble and as his childhood playmate and good friend.

”Speaking of which, good friend.” Alfred understood Laine’s meaning and wanted to stop discussing this topic: ”Your reform, is it prepared to emulate the Empire like that? To establish a complete bureaucratic system like the Imperial Prince-Electors to replace the existing feudal system?”

”How is that possible!” Laine shook his head repeatedly: ”Completely adopting the Empire’s bureaucratic system? Before I finish the reform, this country would collapse.”

”Why?!” Alfred asked curiously.

”Think about it, Afu, what is the reason and characteristic that Brittania stood firm for a thousand years?” Laine moved the water back and forth in the bath.

”Of course, it’s the Knightly Spirit, the Holy Grail System, and the Lady of the Lake Faith.” Alfred studied Brittania quite deeply.

”That’s right.” Laine nodded, his face now becoming extremely serious: ”Afu, think carefully, if we think the Empire’s system is good, we must fully accept and learn this system, completely change the current system, and force the whole Kingdom’s nobles to learn from the Empire. To ask us to abandon our own culture and Knightly Spirit and completely switch to the Empire’s way, wouldn’t that also mean we denied everything we have? We deny our culture, our faith, and even the foundation of Brittania?”

”If we really changed like this, would the Knight Kingdom still be the Knight Kingdom?” Something flickered in Laine’s blue eyes, something Alfred had never seen in the eyes of his childhood playmate before: ”If we discard our tradition, desperately trying to conform to the culture of another country, can we still talk about self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-improvement? Furthermore, is the Knightly Spirit outdated? Is it obsolete?”

”Of course not, the Knightly Spirit has been proven to be a continuation of human virtue and will, it is a faith that will never be abandoned even after a long time.” Alfred became serious as well.

”Definitely not to fully adopt. If we only see the superiority of the Empire’s system and the backwardness of Brittania and then completely adopt it, we always lead to one conclusion. We will only praise the Empire’s advantages, say how great the Empire is, and then point to our shortcomings, say how bad we are. Over time, the people lose faith, the nobles lose confidence, and we will abandon the Knightly Spirit and Knightly Faith we’ve always had. Nobles will no longer be proud of having excellent knights and martial skills, nor proud to be models of the Knightly Path. Then only destruction awaits us.” Laine sighed lightly: ”Speaking only about the military, Afu, do you know how terrifying it would be if all the Kingdom’s knightly nobility abandoned training new knights and Knight’s Squires?”

”I understand.” Alfred sighed lightly: ”I thought about it too simply.”

”Therefore, we must reform, but we absolutely cannot copy blindly. We cannot abandon our features, our faith. We must consider the basic national conditions, creating a new Knight Kingdom and new system with Brittania characteristics.” Laine nodded, breathing a long sigh: ”Our tradition is what? Swift cavalry assaults and heavily armored knight armies! It’s the fear-inducing Holy Grail Knights and knightly spirit that supports the Empire in times of need!”

”Just because the Empire’s system is advanced, just because the Empire’s gunpowder is powerful, we work hard to belittle ourselves, declare everything we have worthless. This is the true mistake.” Laine said softly: ”We need to change, and yes, we need to change, but some things can’t be abandoned, on the contrary, they must be expanded!”

”Laine, you’re no longer a Nord person.” Alfred laughed, he said with deep meaning: ”You have that kind of authority.”

”Yes, I do. I can change this country.” Laine took the towel from his head and wiped his face: ”But how do I ensure my reforms continue? How do I ensure that after I step down, my successor won’t revert to the old ways? Haven’t there been enough cases of policies dying with their champions throughout history?”