Standing in front of a tall blue nine-floored pagoda, Alexis breathed in deeply, silently and solemnly reveling at the fact that he was now a Divine Will, someone who has the support of a God in becoming a ruler in this world he was not yet familiar with.
The pagoda in front of him stood approximately 77 meters tall, especially measured by Alvert himself. This was the completed Northern Light Shrine. After the event a week ago, Alexis made the construction of the shrine a priority, which was fully backed and supported by the people.
Throughout the seven days, most likely due to the Beacon of Hope, refugees from inside the forest came flocking into his settlement. Oddly, yet not surprisingly, a lot of the refugees are actually worshippers of the Goddess of The Northern Lights, or some iteration of her. Some were introduced as worshippers of the Goddess of the North, Goddess of Frost, Goddess of The Night, and Northstar Goddess. Despite the differing names, through Leisandra, the Goddess' priestess, they were able to recognize that their Goddess is the same as the Goddess that the settlement is worshipping.
Upon having that knowledge, some directly converted under the religion of the Goddess of The Northern Light, while some wanted to keep their iteration of their religion. Still, despite the differences, the refugees still considered the pagoda as a Holy Shrine and promised to spread knowledge about it to fellow devotees.
Hearing that, Alexis felt that even without the Beacon of Hope, the influx of people into the settlement won't stop in the near future. For that, Alexis knew that he needed to hasten the creation of the settlement's militia.
Speaking of settlement, it should be mentioned. By the fifth day, the land already surpassed the settlement threshold. Heck, it even surpassed being a village. At this point, the people within the land have already reached more than three hundred inhabitants. Now, the settlement is already characterized by the system as a Town.
Though being a new town, its population has already bloomed so much that even if it is not considered the highest populated area in the entire Habascus Forest, it is already up there.
"My husband, we've come so far." A familiar voice of a woman suddenly came from behind him. Turning around, he saw the beautiful silver eyes of the first person he encountered in this world. With a smile, he responded, "Yes, we did, my wife."
"Can you believe it?" She once more opened her mouth, "In the span of a little more than a month, our humble home became a bustling place. In the presence of the Goddess, we have amassed people from all over the forest."
Nodding, he replied, "It is all the blessings of the Goddess." And the system, he thought to himself. Of course, he can't say it out loud. "What is your next plan, my husband?" She inquired, sending him into a deep thought.
With the recent development of the settlement, one of the things that should be considered is how it will be remembered as.
"My wife, can you call an assembly for tomorrow? I need to announce something." He replied to her with a task. Nodding, she then nodded before turning to leave. Suddenly being hit by a thought, Alexis called out to her. When she turned around in confusion, he then opened his mouth and said, "Thank you for what you're doing. for everything."
Eyes widened, Leisandra was speechless. After a while, she smiled widely, the first time he saw it, "No worries, my husband. I am happy to be with you in this endeavor." After saying that, she finally turned to leave, this time with a bounce on her steps.
As for Alexis, he stood still, dumbfounded. Her rose-red cheeks were lifted up when her smile shone like the light of a thousand stars. That silky black hair swayed in the breeze as her happy steps clapped with the ground. Just that sight of her. Alexis couldn't help but crave for more.
[Wife Satisfaction: 90-93%]
Not even noticing the jump in the percentage, Alexis thought to himself. It seems that his mind couldn't escape the grasp of that ethereal priestess. Be that as it may, he needs to work. Alexis returned to his simple cottage and took out something from his Inventory.
Looking at the manual with the symbol of sword and shield in the cover, Alexis decided to use it.
[Basic Military Manual: By using this item, the host can learn basic military doctrines, drills, training, combat maneuvers, and such in order to create the perfect military command.]
When he decided to use it, the book slowly disintegrated before rushing straight into his temple. A sharp pain assaulted his mind. Vivid images and information that he definitely hasn't experienced himself began appearing inside his mind. When he came to his senses, sweat trickled down his entire body. It seemed that the mental pain permeated into his body so much that it exerted itself.
But, after the pain subsided, Alexis realized that his mind was now filled with vast information concerning military affairs. From basic training, strategies, battle arts, and more. It wasn't just about the military too, but also in ways of individual fighting. Setting that aside for now, Alexis now mulled over another thing concerning the military.
The town, despite its growing population, does not have a cohesive relationship to breed a sense of duty within the hearts of its people. Any military that would be created here would, at best, be a crude militia that is without coordination. The only semblance of bond within the town is that of the religion.
Suddenly, stimulated by the thought of religion, Alexis' eyes lit up.
In his world, there exists a group of military men famed across the continent for their adherence to their faith and their tenacity and brilliance in battle. Their name once evoked fear within the hearts of their enemies. The golden cross that they bore served as their standard, their symbol of faith as they marched through the enemy lands to protect the pilgrims against bandits and invaders.
With that idea in mind, Alexis, now with a firm resolve, thought to himself, "Let us bring forth this world's Knights Templar."