When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

#533 - Rebuilding Grand Rapids starts at the port

On the morning of January 3, 1446, in Rapid Falls City.

The lookout tower sounded a deep horn, prompting the boat owners forced to dock to look up.

Walls of moving shadows occupied their entire view, and at the shouts of the officers, all the warrior monks had already lined up on the deck.

In the cold wind, these black-clad warrior monks stood ramrod straight, their silver-gray spears resting on their shoulders, brass holy rifles on their backs, and military sabers neatly at their sides.

Viewed from the side, they looked like a row of ancient Elven statues, their gazes sweeping emotionlessly over the curious yet fearful citizens before them.

The crossed gun and sword emblem on the black ships' prows was something the citizens had seen on notice boards and in the streets in recent days.

The Salvation Army, the Guards Regiment.

Four months later, this formidable army had returned to its loyal Rapid Falls City once more.

At the shouts of the sailors, five or six mooring ropes were thrown from the ship, and the nimble dockworkers quickly wound them around the anchor racks to pull the ship closer.

The mooring ropes wrapped tightly around the anchor racks on the riverbank, even raising wisps of white smoke and dust due to the rapid friction.

With the captain's superb ship-handling skills, Barge No. 1 came to a steady halt in the pier formed by the trestle bridges.

Seven or eight sailors secured the long planks with iron hooks onto the ship's side, followed by several military police and holy riflemen who disembarked, forming two lines along the roadside.

Then, amidst the attention of the crowd, Horn, wearing a woolen tweed priest's robe and a tall leather hat, stepped off the long plank with a light gait.

The citizens "spontaneously" brought flower petals and colorful flags, and at the urging of the heads of the chamber of commerce and guilds, they continuously tossed and waved them at Horn.

To call it the attention of the crowd, including onlookers, porters, and boat owners, there were fewer than a thousand people in total.

Catherine had deliberately limited the number of people to prevent the entry of Shadow People hunters and the like.

Ludwik's death had taught her a painful lesson, and even a letter requesting Horn to send the Cheka for supervision was pressed under the drawer of her study, but she had never been able to make up her mind to send it.

Due to the special nature of Rapid Falls City, Horn had, to some extent, relaxed the level of supervision over the local area.

Judging from the extent of the port area's recovery, this measure had had some effect.

Compared to the ruins of four months ago, the scene before them was no longer filled with burning debris.

Semi-circular docks were lined with shops, with iron signs engraved with scissors, jars, and hammers hanging in front of the doors.

Behind the low shops was a large brick building, which was the newly restored Rapid Falls City Exchange Hall.

Despite deliberate scrubbing, the charred traces of the fire could not be completely erased.

In the center of the dock square was a clock tower under construction, imitating the clock tower of the Holy See of Machinery.

"I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon," Catherine said with a smile, wearing a wide-brimmed felt hat and looking at Horn, who was walking slowly towards her.

She was wearing a red dress today, but with a waistcoat commonly worn by merchants, made of the best black broadcloth material.

"Time is like a wild donkey; it never stops running once it starts," Horn said without ceremony, stepping forward and hugging Catherine.

After meeting Mitnick, Karl, and other high-ranking officials of Rapid Falls City, the group began to exchange pleasantries on the dock.

The scribes behind them immediately began to record Horn's conversation with Catherine:

"Both sides held cordial and friendly talks on the situations in Joan's Fort and Rapid Falls City, and fully exchanged views on each other's height and age.

His Holiness the Pope expressed serious concern about the age of the Rapid Falls City Governor, while the Governor also eagerly awaited His Holiness the Pope's height..."

Horn and Catherine chatted on the dock, not because they weren't afraid of the cold, but to make a show of it.

To let the forces within Rapid Falls City know that Catherine had someone behind her, and that the relationship between the two sides was very good.

The long planks vibrated as thousands of black-clad soldiers marched off the ship in neat formation, lining up along the roadside and marching quickly towards the camp outside the dock.

Horn and Catherine finally stopped their show, and he rubbed his cold cheeks: "Why haven't I seen Jeanne?"

Catherine, who was leading the way, shrugged: "She took six hundred cavalry to Little Pool City; she left just yesterday."

"Is the war situation so critical?"

"Not really. The latest news is that those church troops paused their offensive a few days ago to celebrate the New Year, and only resumed their attacks today."

"Has Blago elected a new abbot yet?"

"No, their seventh round of voting during the New Year still didn't reach two-thirds of the votes, and they are now holding the eighth round of voting."

After a long silence, Horn stepped into the warm carriage, bracing himself against the door:

"They really are evenly matched opponents."

Do they really have to vote? Can't they learn from Napoleon and just dissolve the parliament and fight the war first?

Compared to the cold weather outside, the carriage not only had a brazier lit, but also had a layer of woolen cloth and fur spread to keep it warm.

Although it was very warm, Horn always felt unsafe.

He lifted the curtain of the carriage, looking at the street scenes slowly passing by outside.

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After leaving the dock area, there were more rubble and ruins on the streets, and there were also more construction sites and rolling dust.

After the Battle of Rapid Falls City, there was a strong demand within Rapid Falls City to abandon the port area and only retain the dock as an access channel.

However, Catherine refused this request and instead demanded the revitalization of the port area, because abandoning this area would lower people's expectations.

Rapid Falls City's prosperous commerce and port area were absolutely inseparable.

Once people realized that the port area might never be rebuilt, most of the citizens who depended on the port area for a living would choose to leave.

Their immigration destinations would probably be the newly emerging Joan's Fort and the Holy See of Machinery.

The original Rapid Falls City immigrants had already sent news back from Joan's Fort and Rapid Falls City, and in the four months of grain trade between the two sides, many rumors from Joan's Fort and the Holy See of Machinery were dispelled.

Many citizens were more optimistic about the trend of the Holy See of Machinery, especially after the "Sugar-Grain Exchange Agreement" was signed; at least two hundred citizen families had migrated to Joan's Fort and the Holy See of Machinery.

In order to reverse this trend in time, even if there was no money to build, they had to make a show of it to make people think there was still hope.

So Catherine learned from the Salvation Army government's habits and announced the "1448 Port Area Vision Plan," stating that not only would the port area be rebuilt, but it would also be made more prosperous.

Catherine's first act was to make the dock area, this facade, look good, then sweep and scrub all the garbage clean, and finally repair most of the key buildings.

Such as the Commodity Exchange, the Basilica of Flowers, the Holy See Bank, and the Megerd Bank, etc.

So far, although it has not returned to its former prosperity, and the Rapid Falls City government is heavily in debt, at least it has retained the people's hearts.

"However..." Catherine said with a wry smile, "Some people still don't recognize my identity as a saint. After I returned to Rapid Falls City, there were hundreds of cases of desertion.

That's just what we've caught; there are probably more that we haven't caught. Currently, there are three or four thousand people who have fled our Salvation Army territory and run to the territories of Hotham County or Antler Township."

"Corrupt and ignorant fools, let them go," Horn waved his hand dismissively. When he occupied Joan's Fort, a large number of people also fled to Golden River Township in the south.

And then? Aren't they still honestly working for the Holy Grandson now?

"Speaking of Antler Township, how is that Gray Horse Knight's offensive going?"

"He sent a letter back a few days ago expressing his gratitude, and slowed down his offensive, instead occupying Outpost Fort first, so he can advance or retreat as he sees fit."

Hearing this news, Horn felt as comfortable as if he had a warm dung pie in his crotch in winter.

Finally, there's a teammate who listens to people; it's not easy.