To be fair, Allen didn't object to the Silver Moon Monastery's approach.
The problem was that the town was financially strapped, and its limited funds were being poured into construction. They simply couldn't afford to pay the protection fee!
The Silver Moon Monastery insisted on taking the money first, then sending protection personnel. They were just not going to show up until they saw the rabbit.
Alan couldn't agree with this approach!
Why not start with credit, even with a little interest?
While collecting protection fees, they could also attract deposits and lend money, developing a banking industry. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
Sadly, the Silver Moon Monastery lacked financial thinking and was too rigid on this issue.
They were far less resourceful than the Knights Templar of Allen's previous life.
The orcs and the monastery were simply greedy for money.
There was another, even more dangerous force that had quietly infiltrated the town.
They didn't collect protection fees; they extorted souls!
That afternoon upon returning to town, Allen, accompanied by Teacher Sora, went to the town square to meet with the spokesperson for the third faction.
A simple pulpit had been erected in the square, surrounded by a crowd, mostly women and children.
A young man in black vestments stood on the pulpit.
He had a well-groomed appearance and was quite eloquent.
He preached passionately and inspiringly before hundreds of people!
The women in the audience listened with rapt attention.
Every time the young missionary finished a gospel story, they folded their hands over their hearts and prayed in unison, looking as if they had been brainwashed.
Alan noticed a prominent emblem embroidered on the missionary's robe:
A bat with its wings spread out beneath a red full moon.
The red moon represented Red Moon Island.
Bats represent the "bat-people" branch of the Beastial Cult, who worship Charon, the "God of Death."
Charon is one of the four gods of the Beastial Cult.
He is both the God of Death and the creator of bat-like beastmen.
The Death Preachers preach a kind of eschatology.
The end of the world is approaching, and only by worshipping Charon can one escape the final judgment and secure a place in the new world after the catastrophe.
This argument is not new, but the poor and ignorant masses simply buy into it.
If it were simply a eschatological message, it would be fine.
The sanctimonious preachers even secretly cast spells, hypnotizing attractive women in their audience.
They claim they are more devout and more fortunate than others. If they were willing to worship in his private chapel, he would be happy to personally help them receive divine grace and achieve spiritual and physical enlightenment.
Alan raised his hand with a cold expression and blasted a "Thunder Wave" into the sky!
Boom!
Thunder exploded over the square!
The fascinated people shuddered in fear!
The women, bewitched by the spell, were also shaken by the thunder. They awoke one after another and ran away, blushing.
The bustling square became deserted, leaving only Alan, Sora, and the preacher on the stage.
Sora recognized the preacher's "Holy Emblem of the Deathly Hallows" and knew he was someone powerful. He quickly winked at Alan, urging him to be patient.
The preacher's expression changed slightly, then a smile returned to his face. He stepped down from the pulpit and came over to greet them.
"Sir, Madam, excuse me for interrupting you for a few moments. Please allow me to introduce you to our idol and savior, Charon..."
"Enough with the nonsense. Just state your purpose," Allen interrupted impatiently.
"My name is Charles, and I'm from Red Moon Island..."
The missionary spoke eloquently.
Alan could tell this man had done considerable preparation and was fully aware of the origins of the town's immigrants.
He knew why they fled Quinte Island and traveled thousands of miles across the ocean to settle here.
He also knew that the immigrants' ability to establish themselves here was inseparable from the support of the Case family and the charter of Silver Moon Monastery.
"Sir, Madam, this town is thriving and has great prospects for development. The only thing it lacks is a church," Charles said with a smile.
"We are Beast Cultists. With the belief in saving humanity, we plan to build a church in this town. We hope there won't be any obstruction from the pagans."
"If our wish is fulfilled, not only will the townspeople find a spiritual home, but their safety will also be guaranteed."
"Hehe... I heard the orcs are very interested in this town?"
"If you ask the Silver Moon Monastery to fight the orcs, I'm afraid you'll have to pay a lot of protection money, right?"
"We Beast Cultists don't covet money or worldly desires. We are dedicated to spreading the gospel and saving humanity."
"If this town becomes a new parish of the Beast Cult, there will be believers from Red Moon Island who will help you deal with the orcs."
"Sir, Madam, this is a very fair deal. You should consider my proposal carefully."
"This is my secret seal. Please keep it. Feel free to contact me anytime to discuss the path to salvation."
After speaking, Charles handed over two business cards.
He put on his top hat, picked up his cane, and turned to walk away gracefully.
Alan watched him go.
He glanced at the business card with the bat emblem in his hand, his brow furrowed.
Charles's meaning was clear: they wouldn't charge protection money, but they wanted all the residents of the town to convert to the Beast Cult!
The Beast Cult worshipped the so-called "Four Gods of the Apocalypse."
The Plague Knight, riding a white horse, Squark, the "God of Plague," the chief deity of the Skaven.
The War Knight, riding a red horse, Darragh, the "God of War," the chief deity of the Werewolves.
The Famine Knight, riding a black horse, Rhea, the "Worm Mother," the chief deity of the Insects.
Finally, the Death Knight, riding a gray horse, Charon, the "God of Death," the chief deity of the Bats, and the savior Charles was trying to promote in the town.
Allen put Charles's business card away and turned to Ms. Sora:
"Teacher, what are your thoughts on this?"
Ms. Sora pondered for a moment, then began to analyze the situation seriously.
"Alan, first of all, you must be clear: if we accept the Beast Cult, we will completely offend the Silver Moon Monastery!"
"If we pay protection money to the Silver Moon Monastery, we will automatically become its vassal and an enemy of the Beast Cult!"
"Between the Silver Moon Monastery and the Beast Cult, you can only choose one side. There's no such thing as wavering."
"For now, I'm more inclined to side with the Monastery, but we also need to open our minds and consider other options." Allen walked forward with his hands behind his back. "Teacher, suppose we side with the Beast Cult. What would we do specifically?"
Although this possibility was small, Allen didn't mind playing it out to prepare himself mentally.
There are no eternal enemies in this world; even if things don't change, they will.
Ms. Sora nodded and continued the conversation.
"The Beast Cult isn't monolithic; it's divided into four major factions."
"If we join the Beast Cult, we'll have to choose a patron from among these four... Personally, I hate the insectoid faction!"
Eren recalled his teacher's youthful experiences, and it was obvious what she was thinking.
Sora sighed softly, then changed the subject, speaking seriously:
"Putting aside my personal likes and dislikes, let's consider the greater good..."
"If there's no other choice, if we must choose one to worship from among the Four Gods of the Apocalypse, we'd best choose... the insectoid idol Rhea."
"Why...?" Eren was stunned.
"Because, compared to the other three outright evil gods, Rhea the Worm Queen is arguably the least evil."
Ms. Sora answered frankly.
"Like idols, like followers."
"Of course, there are many bad guys among the insectoids."
"But overall, their character and behavior are a little better than the other three types."
"But poisonous insects are obviously more terrifying than ferocious beasts..." Eren wondered.
Sora smiled slightly, took his hand, and patiently explained.
"You only think of terrible poisonous insects and famine-causing locusts, but there are also bees that benefit farmers and spiders that catch pests."
"Many insects, like ants, are neither good nor evil."
"Take the butterfly, for example. The larvae gnaw on crops, and the adults help pollinate them. Can you say it's a pest or a beneficial insect?"
"The Insect Queen is both the 'Goddess of Famine' and the 'Goddess of Harvest.'"
"In ancient times, spellcasters who worshipped Rhea were called druids."
"Rhea is certainly not a good deity, but of the four gods, she's the least evil!"
"Teacher, I understand." Allen suddenly realized.
After careful consideration, Allen finally made his decision.
The Beast Cult and the Silver Moon Monastery are incompatible.
This is Silver Moon Island, not Red Moon Island. What other choice is there?
If they want to gain a foothold on Silver Moon Island, they can only rely on the Silver Moon Monastery. The next morning, Allen sent a letter to Charles, confessing his choice and clearly informing him and his accomplices:
"The Beast Cult is an illegal organization in this town and is not welcome!"
"You must leave this town before dark, or you will face the consequences!"
Alan knew that the Beast Cultists were not good people.
Since they had rejected their teachings, they would inevitably face retaliation; the only question was when.
Faceted by extortion from the orcs and threats from the cult, the newly established immigrant town was in turmoil.
In this desperate situation, Allen was forced to bow his head and accept the protection of the Silver Moon Monastery.
When you live under someone's roof, you must follow their rules and pay your dues.
A year's protection fee was indeed not cheap!
To raise this amount, the entire town had to tighten its belts.
The townspeople raised part of the money themselves, the Case family funded part, and Allen had to cover the remaining shortfall out of his own pocket.
Hard-earned money, of course, couldn't be advanced without compensation.
This loan followed the age-old financial tradition of nine out of thirteen returns.
The town council wrote him an IOU, with interest charged monthly.
The person handling the matter was his father, the mayor.
His father complained that the interest rate was too high.
Allen remained unmoved.
Even a father had to be clear about the loan.
Leveraging his status as a creditor, Allen also secured the title of "Chief Tax Farmer" through the town council.
This title would make it easier to collect debts in the future.
After receiving the money, the Silver Moon Monastery was quite efficient, quickly dispatching a security team to the town.
The Silver Moon Security Team consists of 93 members, all at least at the late First Stage.
The captain and two vice-captains are all at the late Third Stage, representing the three major factions within the Silver Moon Monastery.
Alan obtained information on the three captains in advance through the Case family.
Captain Adam, of Bearman descent, 25 years old.
A gentle elder brother from the Bear Monastery, he has a warm disposition and a love of mead.
Vice-captain George, of Boarman descent, 24 years old.
The "big eater" of the Pig Monastery, he has no other problems except for the occasional craving for small gains.
Maria, of Lionman descent, 20 years old.
The first direct disciple of the Cat Monastery, known as "Lion Sister."
A bold, long-legged, blonde woman with wide boobs, she's said to be quite vain.
On the first day the Silver Moon Security Team arrived in town, Alan entertained the three captains at his own tavern. Under the guise of a welcoming ceremony, he prepared a gift for each of the three, catering to their preferences.
Adam's gift was a fine, aged wine brewed by his father.
George's gift was a bloodline awakening agent, which, after injection, awakens his "seasoning power" and helps improve his appetite.
Maria's gift was a perfume Allen had made himself; a little spray would make her feel sexy all day long.
With the small gifts leading the way, Allen chatted happily with the three captains.
"To be honest, the three of you, New Gwent, are facing financial difficulties lately. We've barely managed to raise the money to hire you to maintain law and order by pawning our pants. It's pathetic!"
Maria, the lion sister, her thick, golden curls draped over her shoulders, gave Allen a sympathetic look, seeming to hesitate.
Alan could tell that Maria was a warm-hearted older sister, but not quite the "naive" type.
Pig Brother George, a bald, portly fellow, smiled at his whining and continued to eat with a vengeful spirit.
Bear Brother Adam stroked his thick beard and looked at the fine wine Alan had given him, a hint of pity in his eyes.
"Brother Alan, I understand your situation. It's certainly not easy, but the monastery has its own rules. We just have to work hard. The fees, discounts, and payment deferrals are all set by the higher-ups. The three of us have no say!"
"Brother Adam, I'm deeply touched by your kindness."
Alan toasted Brother Bear.
"Actually, the main reason our town is facing financial difficulties is a large amount of uncollected taxes."
From whom are they collecting taxes?
Of course, not from the impoverished townspeople.
Alan placed his hand-drawn map on the table and pointed it out to the three of them. "From east to west, from south to north."
"The area circled in red, covering over ten thousand square miles, is under the jurisdiction of New Quint."
"Our New Quint Town Government has the right to collect taxes from any resident or institution within this territory."
"Wait a moment!" Brother Bear, Adam, quickly declared, "You are not allowed to collect taxes from this small area in the upper right corner of the map!"
"Why not?" Allen asked in surprise.
"That area is Flower Demon Valley, a resource point belonging to our monastery," Brother Bear said in a deep voice.
Alan nodded in understanding and circled Flower Demon Valley with a black marker.
"I'll collect taxes from the other places, okay?"
"No problem, but I'm a little curious."
George, the pig, narrowed his eyes and pointed at the map.
"This is the pirates' nest."
"This is the dwarven Ironforge Valley."
"This is the ogre's lair."
"Brother Alan, I'm afraid these three places won't pay taxes obediently."
"Brother George, you've hit the nail on the head!" Alan pressed the issue. "I'd like to ask the security team to take action and collect the taxes with force!"