The Knight King Who Returned with God

The Earth Goddess, Demera

"Contaminated Naju Plain—What's the Mystery Behind This Rice Field?"

"Cleansing Operation Declared Impossible by Experts—Was It a Success? Is the Tower's New Reagent Involved?"

"All Naju Plain Farmers Have Joined the Same Guild?"

For a time, the internet was flooded with news about the newly purified land of Naju Plain.

Leon had previously purified parts of the Honam Plain that had been contaminated by magical energy, but it had not been widely reported. That was because the Phoenix Guild had pressured the media to keep it quiet.

But Naju Plain was a different story.

It had been polluted for five long years, rendering it uncultivable. This had significantly impacted South Korea's self-sufficiency rate in rice, forcing the country to import overpriced rice from China and Japan.

Despite every agricultural technique and chemical reagent proving useless, Naju Plain was miraculously purified overnight.

The farmers who witnessed the event firsthand were brought to tears. Meanwhile, the internet and analysts had a more rational response.

—Did the Tower develop a new purification reagent? Their technological advancements have been remarkable lately.

—How do we even consume the crops that grew so fast? Wouldn't they still be toxic?

—Humanity's magi-tech is advancing daily. At this rate, global farmlands will recover in no time.

This was the general sentiment.

Even when people witness the impossible, they attempt to explain it through the lens of their existing knowledge.

For those immersed in scientific progress, divine miracles and the descent of holiness were nothing but irrational fantasies.

"Your Majesty, this is the internet's response. Shouldn't we issue an official statement at the association level?"

The Hunter Association had yet to make any announcements regarding divine intervention. Understandably so. Introducing a new faith—an entire religion, even—would be problematic.

Beyond the inevitable backlash from South Korea's dominant religious groups, the government endorsing a specific religion could lead to severe political consequences.

"Leave them be. Even if we announce it now, would the foolish masses believe it? They require more proof."

Leon spent three full days inspecting the village hall in Naju Plain.

The faith that had gathered in the grand shrine during the purification of Old Man Choi's land had surpassed his expectations.

The faith devoted to the divine powers of life and prosperity had directly converted into holy energy, allowing Leon to purify the entire Naju Plain.

Thus, a straw effigy representing the Goddess Demera was erected in the fields, and the people began bowing and worshipping before her altar.

"I grant you the right to cultivate this land. You shall nurture the body of Demera and bring forth prosperity."

Though the new believers were grateful for the purification, they hesitated when it came to actually working the land. It was only natural.

"Uh, Your Majesty… Isn't a ninety percent tax rate a bit excessive?"

Indeed, this was the problem.

Ninety percent. A tax requiring them to surrender 90% of their crops.

Leon explained the tax structure of the Lionheart Kingdom.

Everyone, regardless of status—nobles or free citizens—paid the same tax: 90% of their total yield.

How did a nation even function with such a system?

Wouldn't everyone starve?

Did they spend all that tax money on breeding warhorses?

The Empire often mocked them, calling them lunatics obsessed with their warhorses.

But this ridicule came from a lack of understanding.

The Lionheart Kingdom was a theocracy—a nation ruled in complete harmony with divine power.

The ruling class and commoners alike followed the tenets of Light and Justice.

Fishermen, devoted to the divinities of the sea and waves, caught only the permitted amount of fish.

Farmers, devoted to the divinities of life and prosperity, always yielded bountiful harvests.

Even the king was chosen through the rigorous selection of the Sacred Grail Knights, ensuring that for thousands of years, the kingdom remained in an eternal golden age.

A perfect society ruled by divinity.

The only disturbances came from external threats—barbaric tribes from the north, vile orcs, and death-defying vampires seeking to invade their lands.

In the face of such invaders, noble warriors known as knights willingly sacrificed their lives.

These knights, clad in iron armor and riding into battle atop mighty steeds, devoted themselves to the divine virtues of light and justice.

In turn, the free citizens praised the knights' valor and supported them.

Thus, the tithe system—nineteen parts to the kingdom, one part to the people—was born.

A system freely embraced by the people, ensuring the knights could continue their honorable duty.

This worked because the kingdom's fundamental structure was just.

Unlike corrupt empires and feudal states riddled with greed and deception, the Lionheart Kingdom had no room for corruption.

Any noble or bureaucrat attempting to embezzle taxes would immediately lose the Goddess's blessing.

Without her grace, they would never be selected as a Sacred Grail Knight, and their bloodline would fade into obscurity.

This ensured that every tax collected was used solely for public good—building roads, fortifying city walls, improving infrastructure, and supporting the families of fallen warriors.

Under the rule of the Lionheart King, the Chosen of the Goddess, the kingdom remained unshaken.

No one resented the tax.

It was this system that allowed the kingdom to endure, even in the face of monstrous invasions.

"But this is Earth. This is South Korea."

Even those who had sworn faith to the divine hesitated at that truth.

They understood Leon came from a medieval civilization with different customs.

But this was Earth. The farmers legally owned their land, and they still had to pay taxes to the government.

"Your Majesty… even so, isn't 90% too high? We still have to pay taxes to the government, and we have living expenses, fertilizer costs—"

"What nonsense is this? Why should you worry about government taxes, living costs, or fertilizer?"

"…Excuse me?"

The farmers, including Hari, blinked in confusion at Leon's unexpected response.

"Those who have sworn faith to the Goddess—how could they ever fear starvation? The tithes you offer will be redistributed as rations, covering all necessary expenses."

He was offering them a simple system.

No taxes. No food shortages. No need to worry about fertilizer costs or daily necessities.

"I shall appoint a priest from among you. Everything else will be yours to sell as you see fit—use the profits for leisure and luxury."

In other words, aside from the 10% they retained, everything—food, welfare, and living costs—would be provided for them.

—Wait, this… actually sounds like a good deal?

—No way! But still… 90% is a lot.

Just then, Hari hesitantly showed the farmers an appraisal report.

"Um… I just realized… This blessed rice has an incredible valuation."

A single bowl of rice, 160 grams, had effects comparable to high-grade enhancement potions, with much longer-lasting benefits.

Though it yielded far more than enhancement potions, its impact on the market was undeniable—it would completely tank the prices of stamina and mana recovery potions.

Even conservatively estimating market oversaturation, the Hunter Association's appraisers had reached a shocking conclusion:

"One sack of 80 kg rice… is valued at 1.5 billion won."

"…What."

"…What."

"…What?!"

The farmers stood in stunned silence.

1.5 billion? For a sack of rice? How much did they harvest five years ago…?

"Praise be to the Goddess!"

"Glory to Demera!"

"We believed in you, Lord Leon!"

Satisfied with their chants of devotion, Leon began teaching them the commandments of the Goddess Demera.

A divine era was upon them.

And the moment these miraculous crops reached the public, the world would witness a second miracle.