Fang Zhen had a very clear perspective on the matter.

Building his career was what mattered most. He had his own plan: seventy to eighty percent of his energy would be dedicated to his work, with only twenty to thirty percent allocated to emotional matters. Any more than that was out of the question.

Of course, this was a decision he kept to himself. There was no need to voice it. In Dalia’s presence, he would naturally tell her that she was the most important thing to him.

In truth, Dalia was a very intelligent woman; she was aware of this. But that was another matter entirely.

Sometimes, all it took was showing a woman you cared; whether your actions truly backed it up was secondary.

Matthew and Agatha were also eating. Watching Fang Zhen and Dalia’s public display of affection, the two of them couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward.

After all, both of them were members of the clergy. While clergy here weren’t like Ascetic Monks who were forbidden from marrying, the constant PDA in front of them certainly made the atmosphere a little strange.

Of course, Fang Zhen himself felt no such thing. He lived by the principle that as long as you weren’t the one feeling awkward, someone else was.

Perhaps unable to bear the lovey-dovey atmosphere any longer, Matthew cleared his throat and said, "My Lord, I went to the church today. A letter arrived from the Church. They are aware of your great victory over Duke Balenzuo in Viscount Keton’s territory, and that you killed the Duke. Or, to be precise, that you killed the demon who was disguised as the Duke."

"The Church considers this matter to be of great importance. With the recent upheavals in the Balenzuo and Tarrenno Duchies, the Church must also adjust its strategy. They place great importance on you."

"The letter states that a Cardinal will be sent to the Ashton Territory. He wishes to meet with you in person to discuss the missionary work and religious status of the Tade Church within the lands under your rule."

Fang Zhen raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

He wasn’t particularly surprised by the news. There were only a handful of major powers in this world: the King, Duke Sith, Duke Tarrenno, and Duke Balenzuo. Apart from these secular forces, there were also a few organizations that held a somewhat transcendent status. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The Tade Church, for instance.

Having spent some time in the Zambein Kingdom, he had come to realize the Tade Church held a rather unique position. In the Kingdom, the Pope’s status was not above the King’s; they were more or less equals. Furthermore, the Tade Church had not yet unified the entire Kingdom’s faith to become the sole religion.

Other religions existed within Zambein, but they were all minor in comparison to the Tade Church. The Church even had its own Order Army, making it a formidable military power in its own right.

The Mage Association was a similar case. However, compared to the Tade Church’s influence, while the members of the Mage Association were powerful, their numbers were too small. They couldn’t mobilize the masses, so they couldn’t be considered a major power, merely an influential organization.

The Tade Church was eager to make contact with Fang Zhen, and their intentions were obvious.

In the Zambein Kingdom, the Tade Church and the noble Lords shared a symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationship.

This reciprocity included the mutual granting of political legitimacy.

A Lord needed the Church to legitimize his rule. In a feudal system, a Lord’s power was considered divinely ordained. Through religious rituals and the preaching of its doctrines, the Church affirmed that the Lord’s position aligned with divine will, thereby bolstering his authority among the common people.

For example, when a Lord ascended to his title or made major decisions, he would often invite clergy to perform ceremonies like blessings and coronations.

In return, the Church required the support of the Lords to maintain its status and influence in secular society.

Lords could provide the Church with land, property, and military protection, helping it establish and maintain its vast organization and facilities.

Therefore, once Fang Zhen became a Duke who had unified two duchies, it was inevitable that the Church would send a representative.

Fang Zhen looked at Matthew and asked, "Do you know the Tade Church’s specific intentions?"

Matthew looked ashamed. "I apologize, my Lord. My standing in the Tade Church is too low. I am merely a Parish Priest. I don’t have a deep understanding of what the Pope is truly thinking."

"I can only speculate that the Pope wishes to gain greater influence and wants to hear your views on the Tade Church."

Fang Zhen thought for a moment, then turned to Dalia. "You know the Tarrenno Duchy relatively well. How much power does the Tade Church hold within the duchy?"

Dalia replied, "Within the Tarrenno Duchy, most lords’ fiefs have churches. However, some Lords are reluctant to allow the religion into their territory. It’s not an issue of faith, but rather because the Tade Church requires its followers to pay a tithe of one-tenth of their income."

"Some Lords are very unhappy about this. Count Henry, for example, restricts the Tade Church’s missionary work in his territory."

Fang Zhen understood immediately.

In this world, due to technological limitations, the output of the common folk was more or less fixed. If someone took a piece of the pie, it meant there was less for everyone else.

It wasn’t that most Lords genuinely disliked the Tade Church; after all, religion could soothe the hearts of the suffering and reduce the likelihood of riots.

However, the Lords were loath to give up the religious contributions paid by the people in their lands. They wanted that money in their own coffers, not in the hands of the Tade Church.