When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

#323 - The Great Trial of the Heretic Demons of the Jinhe Township Nobles

With the addition of a handless quartermaster among the Beastkin Hussars, Jeanne's squad set off once more.

Seeing the defeated rabble of prisoners being led into the Salt Gourd Town dungeon, Jeanne ordered Colbert to temporarily take charge of the Holy Musket Riders. She then spurred her horse towards Jeanne d'Arc Fortress.

Bypassing streams and forests, the newly constructed sentry towers around Jeanne d'Arc Fortress came into view.

The warrior-monks at the checkpoints and towers naturally recognized the Holy Maiden, and the gates were opened wide to allow her to gallop through.

Riding her horse into the main street of Jeanne d'Arc Fortress, Jeanne looked around, only to see a few lonely figures walking along Citizen Street and Craftsman Street.

Some impoverished merchants and small shopkeepers still had their doors open, while constables wearing pointed brimmed hats, armed with clockwork muskets and T-shaped batons, stood at every street corner.

Citizens and craftsmen hid in their homes, peering out from their windows.

Monks responsible for emergency procurement constantly knocked on shop doors, while covered wagons traveling between Kashya County and Langsand County were parked by the roadside.

Although the war had not yet begun, the city's residents could still smell its scent.

Dismounting in front of the City Hall, a guardsman stepped forward to take the neighing Carrot.

"May the Holy Father bless you, Lady Jeanne," the guarding warrior-monk said, offering a three-finger salute. "His Holiness has been waiting for you for a long time, please follow me."

Pushing open the doors to the City Hall conference room, all ten legion commanders, the four cardinals of Jeanne d'Arc Fortress, several senators representing the Senate, and high-ranking monks from the Holy Father Society were present.

Standing before the ten-year-old oak table in the City Hall, Boussac was reporting the damage:

"...From May 20th to today, May 21st, the Iber Knights of Golden River Township have dispatched nearly 200 transcendent knights and 300 squire knights to attack the Holy War Special Zone. All have been repelled.

The Iber Knights did not display any banners, and only looted a small amount of spoils, but there were many instances of burning wheat fields and houses.

Currently, six hundred-household districts have been attacked, 15 villages have been looted, personnel losses exceed 1,200, and material and food losses are incalculable..."

At Armand's arrangement, Jeanne sat down to the left of Horn, opening the documents on the table to read them carefully.

Inside the conference room, the high-ranking officials of the Papal State sat in a circle.

The cardinals frowned, the Senate representatives looked worried, and the high-ranking monks of the Holy Father Society stared expressionlessly at the Pope sitting at the head of the table.

"These damned devils, instead of obediently waiting to die, are running to our territory to cause trouble!" Rudylo, the legion commander of the Black Hat Third Army, slammed the table. "Watch me send the Holy Musket troops to send them all to the fiery hell!"

"Don't rush, our war plan has only just entered the propaganda stage," Thomas said, startled by Rudylo's table slam. "The specific logistics and mobilization still need to wait."

"The battlefield situation is constantly changing, we can't wait," Yeshika interrupted him directly.

"We have to wait, even if we can't," Madelaine said with a bitter face. "Grain and carriages can't be conjured out of thin air."

Coleman, the legion commander of the Black Hat Second Army, was even more direct: "Your Holiness, give the order."

At this kind of supreme military conference, newly appointed legion commanders like Jourdain and Momri were so nervous that they didn't dare to say a word.

On the contrary, veteran generals like Victor and Dass dared to offer suggestions.

Horn did not respond, turning to Jeanne and asking, "Jeanne, tell us about your situation."

"Yes," Jeanne said, standing up after only glancing at the documents. "On the morning of May 21st, the sentry reported that cavalry was attacking. I led troops to repel them, but they counter-encircled the Hussars.

I arrived at about 2:00 PM and repelled them again.

But strangely, even though they were ambushing and encircling us, they still had strength to spare, their resistance was not fierce, and their will to fight was low.

Currently, we have captured some prisoners of war, who have been handed over to the Cheka for memory restoration. The preliminary result of the restoration is that they seem to want to lure us deeper..."

"Using looting to be defeated, to lure the enemy deeper, and then ambushing to be defeated, to lure the enemy deeper again?" Dass scratched his scalp. "So many people died, the price is too high, right?"

"Is there a possibility..." Mengsai said with a mischievous smile, "that the knights say they are luring the enemy deeper every time they lose a battle."

The old bishops and senators who had come from Gulag all nodded and smiled.

"Old brother Coleman, why are you laughing?" Jourdain quietly asked Coleman.

Coleman grinned, vividly recounting his past experiences.

The other senators supplemented his stories, telling the latest Holy See jokes.

Seeing that the topic of discussion was gradually going astray, Armand quickly stood up to maintain order: "Don't discuss irrelevant topics, we can talk about these things after the meeting."

Bringing the topic back on track, Horn coughed, and the entire venue immediately fell silent.

"Our battle line must be moved forward," Horn said bluntly. "Passively taking a beating will lead to the loss of strategic initiative. Our new regime is not yet stable, and we can't afford to waste time with them."

"We were going to fight anyway," Hakuto agreed. "Even if they are luring us deeper, we can still build strongholds and fight steadily, advancing step by step.

Golden River Township is sandwiched between Kashya County in the west, Norse County in the east, and Black Serpent Bay in the south, all of which are our people. They are the ones who should be anxious."

Although surrounded on all sides, Horn could foresee that they would not be able to spare any forces to cooperate with his attack.

Black Serpent Bay was blocked by the Copper Fortress, the Norse County Knights were mainly focused on attacking Mande County, and Kashya County was hesitant to take big risks, so in the end, Horn had to do it himself.

He even had to watch out for the Church Knights from River County who might try to sneak an attack.

Every time he pondered the situation, Horn felt inexplicably tired.

How come one side of his subordinates and allies are always useless?

"My suggestion is to advance twenty miles," Horn said, pointing heavily on the map. "Move the battle line to Black Pottery Town. The distance for transporting grain is not too far."

"Then what about the grain transportation problem?" Madelaine asked, raising his hand. "We don't have enough money, we need to save some."

"First issue war bonds, raise funds from the citizens, and use this money to hire civilians," Horn said, drawing circles on several monasteries on the map with a charcoal pencil. "Take down the monasteries and castles near Black Pottery Town, and auction off their real estate and licenses, only allowing purchases with bonds.

Cecilia, please work a little harder, stay up late with the Holy Treasury Court, and perform an actuarial and cost accounting of the specific holy war bonds.

You can invite some friendly wealthy merchants, such as that widow and Victor's grandfather, give them the title of consultant, and let them discuss it together."

"Yes, Your Holiness," Cecilia immediately stood up and saluted.

"Alright, what are your opinions? If anyone disagrees, you can speak now." Unlike the Gulag period, Horn now sincerely asked this question.

"I agree!"

"I agree."

"Great, let's do it that way!"

After a concise and efficient meeting, the legion commanders, cardinals, and other high-ranking officials quickly returned to their posts and began preparing for the war.

By the next morning, the notices that had been printed by the Ministry of Truth were tucked into the arms of the traveling monks and constable cavalry, heading in all directions towards the various villages.

As the morning dew dripped down, farmers who had just left their homes saw the constables rushing over.

While carrying small buckets to brush the notice boards, the constables loudly read out the notice of the "Grand Judgment of the Heretical Devils of the Golden River Township."

"Respected fellow believers, villagers, citizens, and all righteous followers,

Today, we stand at a crossroads of history, facing a grim reality—the nobles of Golden River Township, those who call themselves guardians of noble blood, are in fact heretical devils who have turned their backs on the faith and the believers.

Their actions are intended to return us to the precarious life of the past, to put us back in the shackles of subjects!"

The townspeople of Gray Furnace Town looked up, both worried and fearful, at the passionate traveling monk.

"...In the past few days, these so-called nobles have used their transcendent knights and squire knights to carry out ruthless attacks on our homeland.

They burn our wheat fields, destroy our homes, and take the lives of our loved ones. Their cruelty is appalling.

However, they are not satisfied with this. Their ambition and greed are like an abyss, bottomless.

We can no longer sit idly by and watch these heretical devils continue to wreak havoc on our land.

Now is the time for us to unite, in the name of the Holy Trinity, I will subject them to the final Grand Judgment!"

Reading to this point, Grossoin, the hundred-household head of Lasso Hundred-Household District, became so excited that his voice changed.

"...Hereby, the sinner Horn, in the name of the Papal State, calls upon all devout believers:

Gather your strength, whether it be sword and shield, or faith and courage, all will be our sharp blades to judge the heretics.

We will organize an army of righteousness, in the name of the Holy War, to launch a Grand Judgment against the heretical devils of Golden River Township.

This is not only a holy war to defend our faith and values, but also a holy war to avenge our former friends and relatives, and even more so, a holy war to protect our homeland!

May the glory of the Holy Father illuminate your path, my dearest believers!"