When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

#520 - The wind direction in Hotham County has changed.

“These are the best conditions Count Sambariboli has offered; consider them carefully…”

The noble envoy’s voice was muffled behind the door, while Andrei and Valenteller walked side by side along the path lined with tents.

They were both deep in thought, not uttering a word.

After more than an hour of talks, both sides had a basic understanding of their respective positions and demands.

Valenteller, as the main force of the Holy Sun’s Rebels, had anticipated the nobles’ so-called “peace talks.”

Since the Lancer Corps’ rampage, the nobles and the Holy Sun’s Rebels had reached a tacit understanding.

Many people fleeing from the Lancer Corps had joined the rebels, and the nobles had hardly stopped them.

Among these new recruits were even many craftsmen and citizens.

In the past, these were rare talents, but now they were also fleeing from the towns to join the rebels.

The reason was simple: the Lancer Corps had finally moved from ravaging the countryside to the towns.

After enlisting a group of local thugs and ruffians, the Lancer Corps began levying a war tax on the townspeople, an exorbitant tax averaging 1 to 3 gold pounds per household.

As a result, the morale of the Edict Company naturally soared, while popular resentment grew stronger.

Not only commoners, but even many nobles clashed with the Lancer Corps, but most of these conflicts were mediated by Lacunio and Barnifos.

The lords of Hotam County could not swallow this insult. They dared not disobey openly, so they secretly opened the door for the Holy Sun’s Rebels.

But to come to them for insider deals was a first for them.

In the tents on both sides, newly joined warriors sharpened rusty short swords and batons on whetstones.

Children in patched-up new clothes ran back and forth with wooden swords, while women walked and chatted with jars balanced on their heads.

The aroma of smoke and bread filled his nostrils. Valenteller stopped and gazed at the setting sun in the distance.

“If we don’t agree, the other rebels will,” Andrei said, seeing Valenteller stop. “You know they didn’t revolt to eliminate the nobles, but to become nobles themselves.”

“I know,” Valenteller replied in a muffled voice, but didn’t continue.

The conditions offered by Count Sambariboli were undeniably favorable.

He promised not to obstruct the activities of the Holy Sun’s Rebels, allowing them to smuggle, but not allowing them to attack knight manors again.

For captured members of the Holy Sun’s Rebels, both sides could exchange prisoners. If the nobles had no prisoners, they could provide ransom.

During the winter, they could provide some clothes and food.

The Count even generously offered to send a team of nameless people to help them train their army.

Unexpectedly, this most important military assistance was rejected. The peasant rebels instead wanted a batch of weapons and armor.

Armor was naturally impossible to provide, but the lords of Hotam County had plenty of stockpiles of spears and short swords.

The envoy readily agreed, but Andrei did most of the negotiating. Valenteller, as the main leader, only asked one question: “Conditions.”

They had two conditions. The first was that they could not prevent farmers from returning home, which was easy to agree to.

The second was that the Holy Sun’s Rebels should change their banner from Holy Sun to Melia.

It was hard not to think that Melia’s 500,000 dinars had arrived with this condition.

Andrei, however, saw clearly that after a long period of losses and changes in the war situation, these nobles had reached their limit of tolerance.

The Lancer Corps’ behavior of taking food and dividing land had finally broken the camel’s back, pushing these staunch church supporters to the brink.

Their current actions were all aimed at showing goodwill to Melia, so as to receive preferential treatment when surrendering.

Of the two enemies of the Church in Thousand River Valley, the nobles had made a decision: rather Melia than the sorcerer Hoen.

The former, though cruel, could at least retain basic status and have a chance to rise again.

The latter seemed benevolent, but his methods were even worse than Melia’s.

However, Melia treated nobles and commoners equally, while this sorcerer only targeted nobles.

“Of course, we are only temporarily united, and then the Savior Army will arrive. After the Holy Sun’s Rebels disband and join the Savior Army, the previous agreement can naturally be voided,” Andrei continued to persuade.

Although he was the Executive Vice Pope, Valenteller was the one who truly had the power to make decisions.

Although Andrei also had a group of supporters, he was no match for Valenteller, who had the backing of Holy Sun and his reputation.

“I know,” Valenteller still replied blandly.

Andrei suddenly stopped and grabbed his arm, his face serious for the first time: “You can’t escape anymore; you have to give a definite answer.”

Valenteller didn’t turn around. After a moment of silence, he simply replied: “I don’t trust these nobles anymore, never again…”

Valenteller was born into a family of manor stewards. Their family had been manor stewards for generations.

His father and brother had served as manor stewards, and were even allowed to sit at the table for dinner at the New Year Festival.

After his brother died, he inherited the position of steward, and was dutiful in allocating land, managing farmers, and selling and buying surplus grain.

Among the many knight manors in the area, the manor he managed always had the best harvest.

He would have lived as an ordinary steward for the rest of his life, until he learned about the blue-blooded orphans from passing merchants.

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Then Valenteller finally understood what was being sold in the secret account left by his dead brother.

“Those nobles stole my only son, my brother’s only son and daughter, and made my family extinct. Then they brewed the blood of my flesh and bones into wine, poured it into my cup, and asked me to drink heartily.

When I drank it, I never understood why they smiled so happily…”

Pushing Andrei’s hand away, Valenteller touched the scar on his palm where he had been pierced by a candlestick: “At the time, I was grateful and vowed never to betray them.

I treated them as my family, and treated that young master as my own son, taking care of him with great care.

Later, I originally wanted to spare the child’s life, but he picked up the candlestick and tried to kill me by surprise. He never treated me as family, but as a servant.

So I pierced his throat with the candlestick and pushed him down from the third floor of the castle.”

Valenteller recalled that rainy night countless times in his mind. He could even tell Andrei about it as if he were a stranger.

Only at this time did Andrei seem to see the shadow of Valenteller, the violent fugitive who killed the knight’s entire family.

A full year had passed since Valenteller fled after killing the lord at the end of last year, to accepting funding from the Megedi Merchant Guild and returning to Hotam County.

In the first half of the year, they had little success.

In the second half of the year, their numbers and strength swelled like a sponge soaking up water.

In addition to the environment where the local forces were transferred away and Andrei’s planning, the most important thing was the motivation of their victories.

The defeat and annihilation of four Edict Companies gave almost everyone in despair a glimmer of hope.

Under the banner of fighting against the nobles and the church, all the rebels in Hotam County gathered together.

First, there were a large number of low-level monks of the Juanon sect. Currently, many of the Holy Sun’s Rebels are organized by low-level monks of the Juanon sect.

Secondly, there were refugees and craftsmen fleeing from various places, and even younger sons of knights.

The most ridiculous thing was that it even included three Templar Knights, as well as dozens of night watchmen, armed farmers, and monks.

These most staunch supporters of the church had actually chosen to stand on the opposite side of the church.

After turning from fans to haters, these rebels exhibited a fanaticism of converts, being the most radical part.

If they secretly colluded with the nobles or changed to Melia’s banner, the morale of the army would inevitably be somewhat chaotic.

“Sorry, I can’t make this decision.”

“This is a different time, a different situation. I’m not telling you to give up your hatred.” Andrei’s plan was to feign surrender and repent later, otherwise this winter would be too difficult to survive with the current soaring number of Holy Sun’s troops.

Valenteller, who was usually good-tempered, firmly shook his head: “This is not a transaction; this is a compromise.”

“Then how about this?” Seeing Valenteller so stubborn, Andrei rubbed his aching head. “Let’s write a letter to His Holiness the Pope and let him decide, how about that?”