Opened the curtain next to the do, just in ti for a cloud to drift across the sky, blocking the scorching sunlight.
A few breezes carrying moisture blew into the carriage, dispersing much of the previous fiery atmosphere.
Mormon poked his head out, only to see they were just passing over a wooden bridge.
At both ends of the wooden bridge were people selling things from stalls and travelers hurriedly heading north with backpacks.
"Why is everyone going north?"
"Because there’s Jeanneburg to the north." The coachman, a genuine old Joan of Arc Castle local, lazily humd, "Coming to beg at our Joan of Arc Castle."
"Begging, because the people of Joan of Arc Castle are kind-hearted and give generously?" Talolin curiously poked out his head.
The answer to Talolin’s question ca from the middle-aged stonemason, who was equally embarrassed about just having wrestled with his son, conveniently changing the subject.
"The coachman is joking." The stonemason coughed, "It’s because there’s good money to be made working as laborers at Joan of Arc Castle, and refugees can get land. Many who didn’t get good land or received too little sell their land and head north."
This father and son’s destination was not an isolated case, with visits from the Saint Father Order monks and Black Hat Army from house to house, as well as news from friends and relatives.
Words like Salvation Army, Saint’s Grandson, and Saintess started frequently appearing in people’s mouths.
Killed Duke Kush of Joan of Arc Castle, defeated the invincible Imperial Decree Company, and defeated the elite Extraordinary Knights of Jinhe Town.
So rumors coming in made them restless at night — abolished the three-class farming system, abolished the Labor Law and the Fugitive Slave Law, no cap on labor wages, no more perpetual stay on manors.
"Alright, look over there, that’s the famous place outside Sour lon Town — Frick Park."
After saying this, everyone in the car waited for a long ti and didn’t hear the next sentence.
Even Mormon was speechless at the coachman’s indifferent attitude, either don’t say anything or say it properly.
Everyone could only look out from the curtain, seeing in the distance, amidst the forest, a few antique-style palaces by the river.
On the grass beside the riverbank, young n and won were picnicking on a tablecloth, and on the lakeside boardwalk, were pronading citizens, artisans, laborers, stallholders, and patrolling Night Watchers and Defensive Army.
Mormon sensed sothing was off; why did this place look like a noble’s manor villa? Just without the tall courtyard walls.
Before Mormon could figure out why, the coachman said again: "Look to your right, see there, that’s Sour lon Town’s most famous place — the hospital."
"Hospital, what’s that?"
"It’s a place to see a doctor. Before, the witch doctors in the black market beca legit and are now earning almost more than the Black Hat Army."
Mormon and Balimba exchanged a glance, both seeing amazent in each other’s eyes.
Before, healthcare resources were monopolized by the church; for ordinary people who got sick, it was either endure it, seek the church’s blessing, or buy expensive potions.
Potions for curing diseases were the most expensive among all potions.
The relatively cost-effective way to cure illnesses was to go to the black market opened by the Secret Faction and buy those alchemical potions for treatnt.
Of course, the creators and healers of these alchemical potions were also referred to as Demon Masters or Witch Doctors by pharmacists.
Indeed, these "Witch Doctors" often caused dical incidents, but compared horizontally, going to the church for treatnt was just about pain relief through blessing, relying on one’s own immunity to heal, and spending all the money on pain relief.
Horn created the hospital by gathering reputed witch doctors and pharmacists from the countryside, treating while taking in apprentices.
No matter what thod you use to treat, as long as it works.
Even so more radical witch doctors were sent to Autumn Dusk Island, where they were allowed to conduct small-scale human experints.
"Won’t the pharmacists protest?"
"Of course, they protested; they even went to the Holy Arrival Hall (forrly Joan of Arc Castle City Hall) to cause a scene, blocking the Pope from leaving work, blocking until noon the next day, leaving the Saint’s Grandson hungry for a day."
The coachman seed to recall sothing amusing and chuckled heartily: "That really got the military police angry, they drove them away directly with Holy Gun Softwood Bullets, beating them until their tendons were snapped and bones broken, and all the leaders were taken to the Trinity Education Team."
During this period, Jeanne had been on the frontline in thrilling exchanges with the knights, while Horn was in the rear similarly engaged in thrilling maneuvers with the landlords, citizens, and Artisan Guild.
The frontline was a war where the gunfire could be heard, the rear was a war where the gunfire could not be heard.
"Brother, I have a question."
"Go ahead." The coachman, now more engaged, responded with more enthusiasm than before.
"The park and the hospital seem to have been noble manors and monasteries, right?" Talolin asked, gazing at the hospital.
"Yes, indeed." The coachman said matter-of-factly, "That is church and noble property, but ultimately it belongs to the Saint’s Grandson. They dare not speak if he uses it."
After stabilizing the situation in Kush Territory, Horn’s second step was to nationalize church assets.
Converting churches and monasteries into schools, hospitals, and libraries, and converting manors and noble residences into parks, stadiums, and governnt institutions.
The personnel inside needed to be transford because the literate population of the Empire was limited, farrs could be educated for a year but wouldn’t beco literate overnight.
Thus, a large number of low-level monks and nuns entered the Trinity Education Team, working and studying the Holy Path Salvation Lessons simultaneously.
Once performing well and passing assessnts, they could re-enter society.
Nuns primarily developed towards hospital nurses, midwives, and secondary school teachers, while low-level monks leaned towards agricultural workers, accountants, and scribes.
anwhile, Wandering Cultivators across the regions also sought out youths who perford well and showed a passion for salvation to act as assistants.
If these youths gained the approval of the Saint Father Association, they could enter the internal training school of the Saint Father Association for study.
Through the coachman’s explanation, the mysterious veil of the Salvation Army was gradually lifted, not only for Mormon and others, even the stonemason father and son inexplicably beca excited.
"Perhaps this is what the Mithraist Church originally looked like?" Talolin whispered as he watched the patients walking outside the monastery.
Balimba imdiately whispered in his ear: "Don’t forget what the church did to us, we’re here to seek aid from High Priest Patrick, not from them."
Talolin used to be a Mithraist and later joined the Secret Faction.
"But they are also resisting the church."
"That’s a dog-eat-dog fight." Kulu said sullenly.
Mormon didn’t want his companions to argue over this issue, so he interrupted them and asked the coachman ahead: "Why is the speed slowing down?"
The coachman turned his head: "They are working on the road ahead, must take the side path, it’s uneven, so slower. If you’re afraid of bumps, you can get off and walk a bit before getting back on."
Road construction? Mormon and others exchanged a glance but did not get off, to avoid extra complications.
However, the stonemason father and son jumped off and instead walked towards the road under construction.
Being stonemasons, they were naturally more concerned with construction and civil works.
Out of curiosity, Talolin put his head out and closely watched the laborers pouring buckets of yellowish mud-like substance on the ground.
But soon, Talolin’s eyes widened, though he didn’t voice it, instead, he relayed the news to Kulu, who was more familiar with this area.
Kulu stood up and looked towards the road construction direction from the window...
He could hardly believe his eyes, this was the Mithraist Church’s territory, and in broad daylight, soone was actually using mortar and alchemy.
"My gosh! They’re using mortar and alchemy!"
Several Natural Priests standing by the road imdiately looked up, frowning, and stared at him.
"From North, outsiders, inexperienced, haha." The coachman wore a flattering face and greeted those monks.
Turning his head, he harshly whispered: "Don’t talk nonsense, this is Natural Divine Art and Natural Priests. If you keep speaking nonsense, I’ll leave you on the side of the road."
Mormon and Balimba both leaned in for a look but quickly widened their eyes.
Sure enough! The mana fluctuations, they were familiar with, it was indeed using mortar and alchemy!
They say this is a Mithraist Church heresy, have heresies nowadays beco this heretical?
Or is it that this Mithraist Church heresy’s Divine Art? Is there such Divine Art?
"Do you guys think it’s possible," Talolin asked with a strange expression, "that this Natural Divine Art is just alchemy in a different guise?"
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