Ed becoming a Transcendent was just the beginning of his faction's early expansion.
As the Monastery was enlarged, a great number of displaced children were sent there.
And as the children of the Monastery were educated one by one by the Elder Priest, they soon became Ed's staunchest supporters.
They were merciful to the common people and severe with evildoers.
They spontaneously upheld all the military discipline of the Salvation Army.
And so, sixteen years passed.
It could be said that within the entire Salvation Army, nearly all the core, high-level members were once children from the Monastery.
They supervised everything and maintained everything.
They were Ed's eyes, Ed's shield, and Ed's spear.
They helped Ed conquer one city after another.
By now, Ed had conquered nearly all the cities in the Western Old Kingdom, near the Great Desert.
He controlled over twenty cities, large and small.
