When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

Thus, whenever the Salvation War Group's war monks arrive at a location, they first use scouts for reconnaissance. Cavalry attract nearby monsters, then use fortified wagons to repel the impact, and finally infantry exit the wagons to finish the task.

Long-haired zombies can simulate the mighty armored soldier, while cow spiders and jumping spiders can simulate the charging knights.

In reality, regarding bravery and the surge of charge, the giant spiders surpass many countryside extraordinary knights.

However, giant spiders and long-haired zombies don't possess the intelligence to know how to cooperate and form ranks to maximize their effect, but at least they provide monks with increased real combat experience.

In this way, in continuous rotation, thrusting and shooting have a tangible feel. Stabbing a target a hundred times is nowhere near as much experience as actually killing a formidable animal.

This kind of real combat exercise can also unearth faults that are unnoticed during regular training.

Discovering them now is far better than discovering them during a battle at Joan of Arc Castle against knights.

Thus, in the pest eradication rotational battles, the four corps took turns on the field, receiving ample training, and successfully cleared a patch of land in the southern swamps.

By the sixth day, the Salvation War Group had basically advanced to the southernmost end of the swamp.

Rabbit fur boots stepped on the hard ground, echoing loudly, as beastman scouts used long poles to probe the snow-covered terrain.

Beneath the layers of snow, many hidden channels and rivers lurked; a misstep could lead to a fall—not to mention drowning—it might at least result in illness.

As the navigable paths fluctuated in width, the Salvation Army could only practice formation changes during movement.

The Salvation Army's red-black battle flag fluttered fiercely in the cold wind, two thousand war monks marched in unison, traveling between the azure mountains and black lakes.

Every now and then, they squinted, looking towards the lower edge of the leaden gray clouds.

Before them, the layers of dark blue mountains and towering ridges rose abruptly, silver-white snow covering cracked rocks and shrubs.

Snow remaining on the peaks melted into running streams, merging into ponds and swamps.

The waters of Nanze Lake flow out from between the mountains, forming several winding rivers.

But many mountain passes are blocked by silt and boulders, forming natural dams that impede the lake's drainage.

The once complex mountain rivers now have only two that can flow.

Riding horses, Horn and Jeanne galloped across the snowfield, climbing a small hill and gazing down from the heights.

The lake waters crossed the giant stone dam, like a slow waterfall, flowing into the shallower rivers below.

On the crystal-clear river surface, occasionally a few bits of remaining snow float by.

"The Joan of Arc Castle Canal probably channels water from these mountain rivers," Jeanne pointed at the flowing water with her whip, smiling.

Horn, however, focused not on the still-flowing rivers but turned away from Jeanne, setting his gaze on the dried-up riverbeds.

Filled with wild grass, the withered grass leaves gently swayed in the breeze, remnants of broken water control structures revealed their traces.

Horn squinted, observing the various-sized stones and silt, he seemed to glimpse the rivers once flowing ceaselessly.

But now, it was eerily silent, only a few small animals scuttled quickly through the grass, rustling as they went, vanishing in an instant.

"Vite." Horn turned around, just catching sight of Vite climbing the hill, panting, "Do you know how to repair these water facilities?"

Leaning against an oak tree, Vite bent over, panting heavily, and looked down the hill.

After a long while, he straightened up: "The silt is layered upon layers, only by removing both the boulders and silt will it work, otherwise, repairing the water facilities would be futile."

"Then, if the silt is removed, can you repair them?"

"Haha, I can't." Seeing Horn's displeasure, Vite quickly added, "This requires a specialist in water or engineering sciences. My alumni can do it, but they might not be willing to come."

Turning to gaze into the distance, Horn asked Vite, "With your knowledge, if this river is cleared, can the environment in Daze Village improve?"

"If the upstream swamp builds dams to slow the water flow and the downstream clears the silted river, allowing the water to drain, the previously dried high pedestal river course can be re-watered.

Then, the water level in Nanze Lake will drop, forming a height difference with the ponds in Beize. If we connect the ponds with Nanze Lake, forming a water network, we can improve the current geographic environment in Daze Village.

However, clearing such over a century of silt would be a massive work estimated over a decade."

"Ah, yes, it's too early to think about that now." Horn shook his head helplessly, "We'll have to wait for the future."

Today is already January 18, 1445, and the three-month agreement is getting closer.

But Patrick has yet to tell him the specific time of the uprising; though Horn wouldn't fully cooperate with the Duchess, the sooner he knows this critical information, the better.

"Who knows, if there will even be a future."

.........

As time entered early February, the temperature in the mountains showed no sign of dropping.

Ice and snow covered the towers of Cold Spring Castle, with snow on the spires and flying buttresses still unmelting, crystallizing into ice ridges, as ice water dripped onto the ground.

Cold Spring Castle, built entirely out of black rock, serves as the political center of the Duchy of Hemashi and is perched on the slope of a valley.

Beneath Cold Spring Castle lies Cold Spring Town, the gathering place for commerce and trade, and a residential area.

Despite the cold weather, the small vendors haven't given up on their business activities and continue to hawk along the streets.

The most conspicuous feature around Cold Spring Town, however, is not the vendors but the dense black smoke rising up.

This is the black smoke rising from hundreds of smelting workshops and the duke's blacksmith shop.

The Thousand River Valley Five Counties are renowned for their rich mineral resources; though lacking in gold and silver, they have abundant deposits of various metals.

Their mineral resources can't compare to those in Northern Norn and Furnace Highlands, but within the Leia Kingdom, they are among the top mines.

The mountain people of the Five Counties either work as miners going underground to extract minerals or leave to become mercenaries; only a few can farm to provide food.

Due to the scarce arable land and the narrow terrain of the mountains, their standard of living in terms of food, clothing, and other essentials lags far behind the Four Plains Counties.

Accordingly, the per capita iron usage among the mountain people is more than double that of the plains people.

When Melia Ty initially suggested attacking Codfish Castle, her Wild Boar Knights were donned in three-quarter armor, riding donkeys and mules.

Melia Ty did not attack the cities, focusing instead on raiding the knight manors and noble manors.

The militia in leather armor couldn't withstand these Wild Boar Knights, while the official Extraordinary Knights either fled or banded together into the Deng Jia'er Array with longbowmen.

Engaging in battle was more torturous than eating excrement.

Of course, Melia Ty's hometown was also ravaged beyond recognition by the Codfish Castle Monarch.

Ultimately, it was the high aversion to war within the Codfish Castle Monarch's family that forced them to invite the Norn Great Monarch, a side branch of Melia Ty's great-grandmother's family, to finally end this savage conflict.

It's been ten years since that brutal conflict, and within the Lord's Hall of Cold Spring Castle, Melia Ty sits in a bear-hide chair, the cold iron face reflecting the blazing forge.

Beside her sits four knights, most of them elderly knights over sixty, with only one middle-aged knight of thirty-nine.

The three elders gather together tall, short, fat, and thin, appearing like a motley troupe of jesters when standing together.

As for the middle-aged knight, he maintains a charming appearance, yet there's an inexplicable look of sorrow on his face, giving off an air of disheartenment.

Remarkably, no one would have guessed that each of these four knights holds the title of Titled Knight.

Including Melia Ty herself, the Duchy of Hemashi boasts a total of five Titled Knights.

Across the entire Thousand River Valley, the church has two Titled Knights—Temple Knight Commander Bertold and Count Mala Layenna.

Prince Kongdai has three Titled Knights decreed under his command: himself, Airene, and Arman.

In other words, it takes the combined Titled Knight counts of the church and Prince Kongdai to match those of the Duchy of Hemashi.

These four Titled Knights mostly originated from the old duke's knight's pages and subordinates.

They essentially comprise the non-material martial legacy that former Duke Antoine left for Duchess Melia Ty.

The old Grand Duke Hemashi, Antoine, was a rare Great Knight during the century-long wars.

Antoine's father was King of Falan Gobbo the Ninth, and his mother was the younger sister of King Leia Heinloke. His wife was the only daughter of Glory Norn Chosen King Fladred.

In a certain sense, Melia Ty and Prince Kongdai are actually cousins.

Yet, considering that Prince Kongdai's grandfather married the daughter of a King of Falan, they also share a relationship as first cousins once removed.

The Grand Duke only had a daughter, and Melia Ty's father actually joined the family as an adopted son-in-law. Thus, she refers to the Grand Duke as grandfather.

Within the three knight orders, Antoine held a very high position, and even the networks of Prince Kongdai within the knight orders were inferior to Antoine's level.

However, since Melia Ty took over, her constant trouble-making has consumed many favors to cover up.

This time her opposition to the church probably leads to a direct severance with the knight orders since this isn't a trivial matter.

Nonetheless, her maternal great-grandfather Norn Chosen King's old subordinates will still sell Melia Ty a favor.

This favor mainly equates to neutrality. To genuinely oppose the church, they might at most supply resources covertly but won't outrightly side with Melia Ty.

At least this way, Melia Ty's rear remains secured.

As the High Priest of the Ruo'an Faction, she can even mobilize the secret faction's forces.

Melia Ty wields far too many cards.

"The lords of Seven Elm Town, Changfeng Castle, and the Village Hall Bishop of Oak Flower Castle have sent us letters of allegiance, words nearly pleading."

Seeing everyone assembled, Melia Ty tosses a stack of letters onto the table. "Well, let's discuss them."