Nobles were divided into two types: one type, those with honor, lived leisurely in the royal court, doing business, flirting with respectable women, with a servant on their left, a lackey on their right, and perhaps a falcon perched on their shoulder... The other type were those with fiefdoms, known as great nobles. Everything they had came from the harvest of their territory. These nobles possessed all legal authority within their lands, including military power, judicial power, taxation rights, and even the *rights* to virgins.
These nobles would accumulate profound wealth and influence within just three generations. The four Grand Dukes were not this type of noble—at least, their power was greater, and their descendants hadn't even passed one generation!
Kayal's 'Eighteen Ranks of Merit' law was powerful because it reduced the influence of these great nobles and strengthened the interests of the knights. Knights, who nominally pledged allegiance to the King and whose kingdom's decrees brought them and their descendants benefits, instantly rose from being mere territorial knights dependent on nobles to a noble status equal to the nobles themselves. What's more, all the previous *bowing*, *kneeling*, and *greetings* were no longer necessary when facing them! If they greeted you, it was out of respect for you being their former master; as fellow nobles, if it came to a fight, who would be afraid?
The second benefit of this law was that knights, having gained tangible benefits, would actively uphold it. The system of merit included within this law would be subtly accepted, and this was the most insidious and fatal point: the calculation of merit contribution values was entirely in the hands of Kayal and Artoria. If the nobles complied with this, they would be firmly controlled, with no room for future rebellion. Even the smallest details of their territories would be known. If they failed to report something, the people below them would be the first to overthrow them: 'Why did I earn merit, but you didn't apply for my merit? Didn't apply for my benefits?'
Thus, the rift in their hearts would grow larger and larger, and any lord who wished to rebel would find no one to follow them!
Tax evasion was even more impossible. Contribution points were tied to contributions, from small things like how much grain was harvested each year and how many roads were built, to large things like how many horses you raised—all could be checked. With this system, anyone who tried to rebel would be caught instantly if an investigation was launched!
Third, it made noble titles more numerous and provided greater motivation for advancement. If war broke out in the future, with only five ranks of nobility, if a person survived thirteen major battles in a row and performed meritorious service in each one, would you not grant him the title of Grand Duke? And where would this fifth Grand Duke be placed?
But now, these nobles were in a dire situation because the knights were cheering and rallying around the new young King and that bastard brat. A Marquis had just been beheaded, so they dared not step forward, but by not stepping forward, they watched helplessly as their interests were solidified.
The nobles were furious.
Afterward, Kayal took advantage of this momentum to swiftly introduce several policies: the peasant grain contribution system, where peasants would receive contribution points based on how much grain they grew. Although this proportion would not be very large, once a certain level of contribution was reached, the government would be willing to lend them money, similar to credit points, to start businesses or factories. This policy, akin to official loans, undoubtedly gave peasants an avenue and an opportunity to rise.
As for other less prominent but equally important policies, such as the unified establishment of logging factories, the creation of a new gold standard (gold, silver, nickel, and copper coins), and the division of the populace into six classes, these were immediately ignored by the indifferent nobles.
It must be said that Kayal's act of drawing his sword and beheading the Marquis, along with the promulgation of the policies, was extremely significant. Although some wise knights saw that the King intended to seize control of the knights, they had no objections. They were only concerned about whether the King could afford such a massive cavalry force.
It should be known that the kingdom was fragmented by various lords, and the knights were more like private soldiers of their lords. Ostensibly, they obeyed the kingdom's command, but in reality, it was their lords who supported them. Although King Uther's prestige was sufficient to keep the lords and knights in check during his lifetime, his successor, the young girl named Arthur, clearly lacked sufficient prestige. However, the young sage Kayal, with his outstanding wisdom, used policies to integrate most of the knights. But while this brought the kingdom's ultimate military power into his hands, it also significantly increased the kingdom's financial pressure.
Where would this money come from?
The wise knights pondered the plan in their minds.
Just then, a hearty laugh echoed from the city gate. The voice was as loud as a bell, shaking dust from the rooftops. Due to the commanding presence of the sound, the knights involuntarily stepped aside, allowing the newcomer to enter. A blonde man with sixteen followers, wearing Roman-style armor, strode towards the platform, chest puffed out, facing tens of thousands of unfriendly gazes.
"I am Beowulf, Prince of Scandinavia! I have come to see what kind of King the Kingdom of Camelot has, hahahahaha... I never expected the King of Camelot to be a mere girl! They say the sword in the stone chose her automatically. Is it possible that Camelot has no men left?!" His booming laughter instantly enraged countless people.
"You are seeking death!!" countless people roared.
"Then how about you take a sword from this 'little girl'?" Artoria, shaking the sword in the stone in her hand, met the tall and robust golden man with more Domineering than anyone else. With a loud shout, Artoria raised the sword in the stone and brought it down. The opponent was below the platform, and the advantage of striking downwards brought with it an incomparable sword wind.
A surprised Beowulf only had time to draw his sword to parry before it was cut off. Startled, Beowulf was about to close his eyes and await death when the sword stopped just above his head.
"Do you think you can be so presumptuous in Camelot with just this much skill?!" Maintaining the downward striking posture, Artoria roared with a refined demeanor.
"Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo!!!" This strike was truly a majestic and powerful blow, like pouring a basin of cold water into a boiling pot of oil, instantly causing tens of thousands of knights to erupt in a frenzy.
The collective roar could not conceal Beowulf's defiance. Forced into a half-crouch, he shouted loudly: "I'm not convinced! You're just relying on a good weapon! If we switch weapons and fight again, I won't admit defeat!!"
"Shameless!!" many knights cursed. There was no such thing as a rematch on the battlefield.
"Alright! One more time!" Artoria plunged her sword into the ground and declared.
"Hey... Your Majesty!" A voice suddenly came from the platform, making her turn her head, only to see Kayal drawing his own sword and throwing it down.