When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

#663 - Moonlight Palace Talk

“I don’t like all this jabbering from you cultivators.” Soran asked directly, “What can we gain? And what will we lose?”

Although she had sided with Horn at the Witch Council, it didn’t mean Soran would immediately submit.

She needed to evaluate Horn for the secret society behind her. In the words of the Black Serpent Bay people, she needed to weigh Horn’s worth.

To see if this “Holy Grandson” was an ally, a big brother, or a hypocrite with malicious intentions.

Of course, Horn was quite familiar with this kind of scenario. He often used this tactic early in his career to persuade others, which was essentially drawing empty promises.

Considering that Miss Soran's culture wasn't even synchronized with Jeanne's, Horn stroked his chin, organized his words, and slowly said, “Miss Soran, I appreciate your pragmatism. Then let's not beat around the bush. Lourdes, could you provide me with a map?”

Snorting from her nose, Lourdes snapped her fingers, ordering someone to close the door of the cool and elegant room. She and Jeanne sat down beside Soran and Horn respectively.

Taking out a map from her bosom, the white-haired little girl, with a pipe in her mouth, slapped it on the low table in front of her with a '啪' sound: “Here you go.”

Compared to the commonly used chairs in the Empire, Black Serpent Bay preferred sitting on the ground with low tables because it was easier to carry and escape.

Sitting cross-legged on a cattail cushion, Horn saw the parchment map in front of him painted with mottled shadows by the dappled sunlight from outside the window.

His finger circled the periphery of Black Serpent Bay, and Horn said simply and clearly, “You can get Black Serpent Bay, food, and money, but you will lose some disordered freedom, privileges, and control of the army.”

“We get Black Serpent Bay?” Soran repeated Horn's words, “Don't we already have Black Serpent Bay now?”

“At least a quarter of Black Serpent Bay's territory, most of the important land and water transportation routes, and suitable farmland are occupied by traitorous secret societies, demon hunters, and knight orders.” Horn looked directly into Soran's eyes, “At most, you can be considered to occupy Black Serpent Bay, far from obtaining it.”

Lourdes boredly exhaled a smoke ring. This was all content she had heard countless times, so naturally, she found it boring.

But it made Soran fall into deep thought. She had to admit that Horn's words were something the people of Black Serpent Bay had always been unwilling to face.

The people of Black Serpent Bay always prided themselves on being anti-church, but even now, a large amount of land is still occupied by the church. On the contrary, the northern Thousand River Valley has almost expelled all the church's forces.

Whenever the secret societies make a little progress, the church will launch a new round of cleansing wars, eliminating a large number of established secret societies, but without completely destroying them.

These demon hunters and knight orders can do this mostly because they occupy important transportation routes and fertile soil, which allows them to use this as a base to quickly strike at the secret society wizards.

The Copper Fortress is a clear example. A large number of knights like Nigersal carry out rounds of cleansing and enslavement of wizards and secret societies.

“If it were you, you could obtain Black Serpent Bay?”

“It's not that I can obtain Black Serpent Bay, but that I help you obtain Black Serpent Bay.” Horn extended a finger and slowly said, “So first, and most importantly, is the 'Holy Axis Alliance Common Defense Treaty'.”

Looking at Soran's increasingly focused gaze, Horn smiled. As expected, military and security-related matters could touch Soran's heart.

After all, she could personally experience the grain trade on the border of Thousand River Valley and understood its current situation and prospects.

The Shadow Society was more concerned about the unfamiliar military field because that determined whether they could protect their wealth.

The content of this treaty is very simple. First, an attack on any allied country is equivalent to an invasion of all allied countries. Second, Horn will train a new type of army for Black Serpent Bay and completely expel the church strongholds in Black Serpent Bay.

“On this basis, we will provide clockwork guns, infantry plate armor, officers, and instructors, and will also recruit a group of local Black Serpent Bay officers to study at the Holy Axis Central Military Academy.” Horn handed a roll of orichalcum clockwork to Soran, “Our clockwork guns defeated Prince Condé and the Edict Legion. I believe this is enough to explain something.”

Stroking the cold orichalcum clockwork, Soran continued to ask, “But we also have to lose some military control, right? How much do we have to lose?”

“To be precise, it is transferring the army from the hands of private secret societies to the hands of the Black Serpent Bay Federation. In the future, there will only be federal armies and no private armies.

I don’t deny that you will lose absolute control over the army, but the problem is, under your absolute control, you haven’t defeated the church.” Horn spread his hands, “We only used a year and a half to expel the church.”

“But that was with the support of Black Serpent Bay.” Soran couldn’t help but retort.

“The support of Black Serpent Bay is indeed very important, but it is not necessary. What is necessary is the people of Thousand River Valley and correct guidance. Winning sooner or later is inevitable.” Raising a finger, Horn shook it with a firm gaze, “I think this is a kind of confidence, and the people of Black Serpent Bay lack this confidence.

Your resistance is always passive, a roar of despair. Although it is commendable, it has not played a sufficient role.

It's time to change, Miss Soran. The victory of Thousand River Valley proves that the church is not as terrible as imagined.

The current problem is, are you willing to believe in yourselves, are you willing to believe in me?”

Soran originally wanted to refute, but in Horn's firm gaze and confident aura, she couldn't say anything.

“During the north-south confrontation of the church and the civil war in the Kingdom of Layea, both you and we have a strategic opportunity that will never exist again.” Horn put his hands on the low table, stood up half his body, and stared at Soran almost condescendingly, “Thousand River Valley has already gained freedom and victory, but Black Serpent Bay still has to continue crawling under the power of the church?”

After pondering for a long time, Soran continued to murmur, but her momentum was not as strong as before: “Regarding your idea of the Black Serpent Bay Federation, I have heard Lourdes talk about it many times, but I have a question.”

“Please speak.”

“According to your idea, you hope that Black Serpent Bay will form a free state or a federation, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I ask you, is it a secret society federation or a city federation?” Soran sighed, “You know, the Shadow Society has many affiliated small secret societies.”

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“I’m afraid I have to tell you, it’s a city federation, with only one seat per region.” Horn replied decisively, “The people of Black Serpent Bay must realize that if they want to defeat the church, they must pay the price of surrendering power. You must learn to share benefits.”

After a slight pause, Horn looked into Soran's eyes and said solemnly:

“Miss Soran, you may be considering whether these losses are worth it, but what I want to tell you is—this is not a simple transaction, this is a transformation.

Black Serpent Bay will transform from an oppressed, divided, and chaotic region into a respected and powerful union. Every bit of your contribution will be repaid more than tenfold.

Imagine, the people of Black Serpent Bay no longer crawl under the power of the church, but are able to control their own destiny.

The land is no longer occupied, the wealth is no longer plundered, people can grow freely, and do not have to live in fear and hunger. Isn't this better than the current cycle of hell?

Now, you only need to answer me one question—for all of this, are you willing to cooperate?”

Biting her lip, Soran frowned, and her fingers subconsciously rubbed the cold orichalcum clockwork.

Horn's words were like nails embedded in her thoughts, lingering, she raised her head, a trace of complexity flashed in her eyes, but quickly covered it up.

She lowered her head to sort out her thoughts, tapped her fingers lightly on the low table, and finally sighed softly: “Black Serpent Bay needs to change… I am also willing to cooperate with you, but I am afraid that words alone will not satisfy the public, right?”

Before Horn could speak, Lourdes lazily exhaled a smoke ring and tapped the map on the table casually with her pipe: “Mr. Horn and the Joan Party will give everyone sincerity.”

“What sincerity?”

The pipe pointed to an important node on the map, and Lourdes's mouth showed a cold smile: “Here—Fort Freize, if we don't remove it, we can't connect the central county of Black Serpent Bay.”

Coughing, Soran looked at Horn, who was drunk, and advised, “Fort Freize? That is a not-so-small fortress, and Lord Horn only brought a few hundred people, right?”

“You will see… hic… not only you, but the secret societies in the northern county will see it too.” Horn's face was slightly red, and he only felt that the wind in Long Dike City was particularly intoxicating.

“Are you planning to?”

“I have a suggestion, call all those secret societies in the northern county, cough cough, and see how we attack the city, how about that?”