Roland asked in confusion.

Frank sighed:

"Roland, just now, Kai Leici His Grace invited me to join Fengyue Free Territory."

"Oh... ah?!"

Roland’s eyes widened.

In the next moment, he began to get excited:

"Really... really?!"

"But I declined."

Frank completed the second part of his sentence.

"Hmm... ah?!"

Roland’s excitement froze on his face.

"Why... why did you refuse? It’s Fengyue Free Territory! Haven’t you always said you longed to go there?!"

"Besides... even if we join Fengyue Free Territory, we can still be active on the continent as mercenaries! There’s no conflict!"

"Not to mention, if we could really become a part of Fengyue Free Territory, everyone would have a home..."

Roland said regretfully.

Seeing his extreme emotions, Frank paused slightly:

"But, I remember you saying that your family has always been devout Eternal believers, right?"

"Eternal believers my ass! Sir Frank, if I could join Fengyue Free Territory, I’d change my faith immediately! You’ve seen how corrupt the Eternal Church is throughout this journey!"

Roland said angrily.

Frank fell silent.

"But... Fengyue Free Territory is good, Sir Frank is the one we follow, and no matter what decision you make, we’ll support you."

It seems that seeing Frank’s hesitation, Roland quickly added.

After speaking, he hesitated for a moment and curiously asked:

"But... I’m still curious, why did you refuse Kai Leici His Grace’s invitation?"

After hearing the question from his trusted aide, Frank let out a long sigh:

"Roland, do you think... being a knight who upholds justice and eliminates tyranny can really change this corrupt era much?"

After speaking, without waiting for a response, he shook his head and sighed:

"Not enough... far from enough... along the way, I’ve seen so much, the empire has already decayed, it’s rotten to the core, the nobility is corrupt, the church is incompetent, and with the resurgence of magic power, this nation is terminally ill..."

Frank spoke, looking at Roland, his aura intensifying:

"Roland, this is the first time I’m speaking my mind to you. I came to the southern border region to establish a mercenary group, not just to be a knight of chivalry."

"I want to overthrow this decaying country..."

"Over... overthrow the empire?!"

Roland’s eyes instantly widened.

"Indeed, you were right earlier, I greatly admire Fengyue Free Territory and everything the Life Church has done."

"Through these months, I’ve observed, pondered, and compared along the way, gradually realizing that perhaps the model of Fengyue Free Territory is the future."

Frank said solemnly.

Roland stared at him in shock. As a knight from a noble family, the concept of hierarchy was ingrained in his mind, and he had never considered the astonishing notion of overthrowing the empire.

"But... but... If that’s really the case... wouldn’t it be... better to join Fengyue Free Territory?"

Roland stammered.

Frank understood his meaning.

If the goal is to overthrow the empire, joining Fengyue Free Territory, gaining more support, would make everything much smoother.

However, Frank declined the Elf Clan’s invitation.

He didn’t directly explain this, but countered with a question:

"Roland, what do you think of the situation on the continent?"

"Well... Sir Frank, I’m just a knight, though I was once a noble, but you know, I’ve always disliked those lessons from a young age and don’t quite understand politics."

Roland said apologetically.

Frank smiled indulgently, gently shook his head, and his expression gradually became serious, saying:

"Roland, if I joined Fengyue Free Territory and then wanted to overthrow the empire, it would likely provoke a strong reaction from the Eternal Church, possibly leading to divine conflict..."

This statement made Roland’s eyes widen again:

"You... you are saying?!"

Frank sighed deeply:

"This matter involves secrets from a thousand years ago... Roland, do you know about the Empire’s founding battle?"

"Well... I’ve heard some legends, our family history is comparatively short, so there’s not much recorded."

Roland said.

Frank nodded:

"The Empire was founded on the ruins of the Elf Kingdom, and the essence of the Empire’s founding war was actually a clash between Divines."

"And the competing Divines were none other than the Eternal Lord and the World Tree."

"The World Tree? Then... that means..."

Roland’s eyes widened once more. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Indeed, it was the Goddess of Life, Eve His Grace."

Frank sighed deeply.

As he spoke, he lamented:

"The Goddess of Life His Grace has a disagreement with the Eternal Lord."

"I want to change the empire’s current situation, want to overthrow the present rule. If it’s merely done as an Eternal believer, it would just be an internal war within the Human World."

"But if I joined Fengyue Free Territory as a Life believer, then it would turn into a faith conflict..."

"Roland, in that case, the intensity of the war would be completely different."

"I wish to save, not destroy; the consequences of clashes between True Gods are certainly destructive... especially since both the Goddess of Life His Grace and the Eternal Lord are the most powerful among Divines."

Hearing Frank’s words, Roland opened his mouth but was speechless.

After a moment, he couldn’t help but say:

"But I notice... you seem to favor the Life Church more and are more inclined to the doctrine of the Life Church. I’ve seen you enjoying the "Life Scripture" by lamp at night. Perhaps you haven’t realized that, unlike the Eternal Lord, you always use respectful titles when mentioning the Goddess of Life His Grace."

"If that’s the case, why not establish a nation that bases faith on the Life Church, like Fengyue Free Territory?"

"The Eternal Church is so corrupt, even if you do rebuild the nation, can you truly change everything?"

"Moreover, would the Eternal Church, rooted in the nobility, truly allow you to overthrow the empire?"

Roland’s words were forceful, driving Frank into silence.

After a moment, he sighed:

"This is precisely what I wanted to say; the foundation of the empire is not just the nobility but also the Eternal Church."

"If we want to overthrow the empire, it’s also necessary to gain the support of the Eternal Church..."

"This is politics, and in politics, personal emotions cannot be considered."

"Roland, though I greatly dislike the Eternal Church, even though it has become corrupt, there are still some Life Saints who remain true to their hearts."

"I know of one; he is a true Saint, respected by the people, even the Pope holds him in high esteem."

"He lives in seclusion in a village near the Southern Mountains. Once the Demons are vanquished, I plan to visit him to gain his support."

"Roland, I also would love to establish a nation based on the faith of the Life Church, but sometimes ideals and reality differ."

"Though the Eternal Church is disappointing, it’s not completely beyond redemption..."

After voicing his thoughts, Frank felt considerably relieved.

However, Roland frowned slightly and gently shook his head:

"But Sir Frank, are you truly sure the Eternal Church’s Saints would support your actions?"

"Not to mention, even if you choose the Eternal Church which you don’t favor, to prevent war between the Life Church and the Eternal Church, can you truly be sure that conflict won’t erupt between the two?"

"No, the Life Church advocates peace and would not wage war without reason."

Frank shook his head.

"What if the Eternal Church starts the war first?"

Roland asked again.

Frank paused.

He forced a bitter smile and said:

"In that case... the Eternal Church would indeed be beyond redemption..."