Horn stayed at Cold Spring Castle for about three days, then set off again for Shangruifo County.
He planned to pay respects to Danji first, then take a boat north to the Shattered Stone Plain to comfort the soldiers and Moliat.
However, when he arrived, Cold Spring Castle was peaceful.
When he left, the atmosphere had already turned into undercurrents.
Unlike the small sches of assassinations and poisoned wine that nobles engage in daily, Horn had only two straightforward moves.
The first move was to lure with profit, increasing steel orders.
The second move was to start afresh, if they refused, others would do it.
Anyone with a brain could see Horn's intentions.
Precisely because of this, no one could crack it.
The Guild blocked the artisans from flowing out, so Horn brought them in from Norn.
The local artisans would feel resentful because the orders went to Cold Spring Castle, and their inco plumted.
And this was all due to the Guild's obstruction.
If the Guild didn't block them, it would be worse, as all the artisans would run to South Mangde County.
There is iron in the mountains, but soone has to co to refine it.
With skills in hand, soone has to implent them.
Could they also bring in the Norn people? But even if they did, who would buy the refined iron?
Besides Horn, who could place such a large steel order?
Rely on Moliat? But Moliat herself relied on Horn to make money.
They had raised their opinions many tis before, but Moliat always asked them to "put the big picture first" and "endure for the country."
Moreover, the main force Mountain Knights had gone to enjoy themselves in Hotam County, leaving their poor relatives in the mountains to herd pigs.
This was the sa for the Dwarves.
If they didn't provide technology, there were plenty of Dwarves who did.
The Reford Dwarves were all eager to beco the next "Harbin" family.
All paths were blocked.
Through his developnt, Horn was able to mobilize resources far exceeding those of the North Mangde County nobility.
Even in terms of public opinion, the nobles' power paled compared to the rhythm set by various major newspapers.
Until now, they hadn't bowed down; they just hadn't seen the coffin yet.
Harbin, left behind by Horn before he departed, was the one who would find corpses for the noble and Guild elders.
Getting into the carriage, Horn waved a bitter farewell to Cold Spring Castle amidst Spirotchu Land.
After a long land journey, Horn's party boarded the boat at Honey River.
Yes, it's that river that passes through Red Mill Village, the very river that had once driven Horn and Jeanne to the Holy Grail Mountain.
The river that once carried the corpses of cattle and horses and floating logs was now crystal clear, shining brilliantly in the sunlight.
Standing at the bow with complex emotions, Horn looked at the newly built red mill, and the black pine forest on the opposite Holy Grail Mountain, unsure of what expression to make.
"Your Grace, should we stop the boat?"
"No need."
Thus the prow broke through the waters of Honey River, drowning the old reflections in the waves.
And nearing the Gulag Monastery, the boat finally stopped for a rest.
As it was dusk, Horn simply took Petier with him and walked towards the mountain.
Horn thought that after four years, many faces and mories would beco blurred.
But truly standing here at the forest path, he suddenly realized those images were becoming clearer with ti.
Walking past the path where he had fought Durdafer, not far ahead was the place where Moliat had sounded the bone whistle.
A little further, he could see slopes fenced and dug with ditches, the site of the Pope Country's all-out battle, the little mud ditch battle.
Crouching down, Horn even picked up a broken spearhead from the mud ditch.
This spearhead was personally crafted and forged by Jeanne.
Continuing forward, through the berry-laden bushes, under the setting sun, a scene of charred ruins appeared before them.
"Is this the Gulag Monastery?" Petier asked his guide beside him.
The guide nodded, "It was destroyed once before, then deserters, robbers, bandits, and the army of the Shattered Stone Plain took turns occupying and thoroughly turned it into ruins."
Horn knew the Gulag Monastery had beco ruins, but seeing only the baseboards of the doorfra, he still showed an inscrutable bitter smile.
"Look at this doorway." Horn introduced it to Petier, "It was here that I launched the Gate Seizure coup, seizing control of the Monastery from Tommy."
"Tommy..." Petier murmured the unfamiliar na.
"Look at this," Horn pointed to the depression at the entrance, "Back then, I had the honor to lead four thousand brave n in a bloody battle here and won a great victory, with Madlan and others erging from that battle.
Dass, ngse, Busak, Jeska all made their nas in that battle, if Buniyan hadn't died early, he would likely have been another fierce general."
"Buniyan, I've heard of him from Madlan." Petier looked at the depression, seemingly able to faintly see bloodstains on the rocks.
Horn sat on a large rock, "Luckily, Danji, who held the main military power, didn't participate in the battle; otherwise, the outco would have been uncertain."
"I suppose, Danji not participating might have been the will of the Holy Father."
"Perhaps."
Looking at the ruins, in Horn's eyes, this place used to be a collection of grass huts and familiar faces.
Four years have passed; so people are still here, others have faded into the dust.
"If only Jeanne and Jia Li were here." Horn murmured with his head down.
Though the two always disliked each other, quarreling like children, they were comrades through life and death.
Jeanne accepted Jia Li's presence, she just didn't accept Jia Li being Horn's lover or wife.
Even recently, Jeanne kept asking about when Jia Li would return and why Horn didn't seem to care where Jia Li had gone.
If she really found out that he and Moliat had been keeping it from her...
Horn felt a headache; it wasn't simply a matter below the waist.
Behind Wolf Woman stood scholars, civil officials, and engineers, behind Catherine were businessn, artisans, and bankers.
As for Jeanne and Moliat, their domains strangely overlapped.
Both had support from different system officers and farrs, except the forr were from the Holy Path faction, and the latter were from the Juanist faction.
This wasn't the Saintesses' deliberate doing but rather these factions gathering themselves, using the Saintess as their banner.
Within a major political group, it's nearly impossible for various subdivided political groups not to exist.
Whichever Saintess Horn chose would be a political wind vane.
Many private tabloids loved pairing Horn with the three Saintesses, even suggesting odd pairings like Horn with Moliat or Horn with Qianqian.
So Horn could either not marry any of them or marry them equally.
He had probed the four's opinions on the matter in various occasions.
Moliat and Wolf Woman were quite open, wishing for Horn to see one each day and have many offspring.
The forr aid to cultivate the "Holy Maiden Royal Family," the latter to cultivate "experintal living beings."
In contrast, Jeanne and Catherine were quite conflicted, still holding the idea of monogamy for life.
Jeanne being conservative was understandable due to her village upbringing, but even Catherine, a pragmatic big banker, still held such ideas?
Horn couldn't help but recall Catherine's bookshelf filled with pure love novels.
"Difficult, difficult..." Horn said, touching the charred walls, unable to resist lanting.
Petier, the attendant beside him, comforted, "Your Grace, though the current Holy Country affairs are intricate, Leia's invasion is imminent.
But you've overco your hardest tis; now you have so many devoted Monks, no matter how hard it is, you will overco."
"Ah, ah, yes, yes." Horn coughed, "It's getting late; let's head back. We need to set off early for Ladan Castle tomorrow."
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