"Salute to the left!"
"Devotion!"
Forming small squares, the orderly marching sound shook the eardrums of the representatives and nobles present.
Horn enthusiastically waved to the soldiers.
Not far from the victorious Black Champion formation, the Norn New Army sat dejectedly, covered in red powder paint without their helts and armor.
They looked at the high-spirited Black Champions and fell into rare silence.
On the stands, both nobles and common citizen representatives were whispering to each other.
Especially those of noble origin, whose faces were alternating between pale and flushed, looking quite unsightly.
The awful Plasma Bomb yesterday had already left a deep impression on them.
At least they could dismiss it as trickery of magic and sleight of hand, but today's real battle shattered many people's illusions.
Recently, Horn had been holding talks with nobles and representatives from North County, Mangde County, and South Mangde County.
With the establishnt of the Thousand River Valley Monarch Country, the power of the commoners began relying on the "New Church," also known as the Saint Father's Association, to rise.
These representatives were elites, masters, or local commoner representatives from all walks of life.
If they disagreed with certain matters, they could make trouble.
In the past, nobles, considering themselves to have extraordinary power, naturally didn't care about their opinions.
If they dared to cause trouble, they were either publicly hanged or discreetly killed or harassed.
However, this approach doesn't work today. Under the protection of the Saint Father's Association, even if these representatives cause trouble, they cannot truly act against them.
The representatives don't entirely lean towards the Saint Father's Association; sotis they align with the Association, other tis with the nobles.
In the local areas, a triangular balance structure of nobles, monks, and commoners erged.
However, this triangular balance has been recently disrupted: Moliat's crushing defeat at the Shattered Stone Plain, the massacre and invasion by the Leia people...
These events, news, and investigation reports have reached the ears of a large number of commoners through the Hundred Households District bulletin, various newspapers, and Cheka's secret propaganda.
So far, it hasn't caused a qualitative change, but subtle changes have already occurred.
Horn has been hosting banquets, letting them watch new weapon test firings and military parades to stir things up.
If Cheka or the local monastic leader said sothing, it surely wouldn't have the sa effect as Horn.
After all, ti is running out.
Watching the Norn recruits running laps upon the instructor's command, Horn clenched the railing tightly.
...
After this battle, the Norn recruits beca much more obedient.
New officers from the Saint Danji War Academy entered the Norn New Army's officer corps.
The newly ford officer corps was understaffed, so many Norn veterans or old captains were promoted to act as sergeants and officers.
After all, being from the sa hotown and with no communication barriers, the new army's officer corps needed their help.
Over two weeks of training, these Norn recruits smoothly completed their training.
On the other hand, the new army ford by the Thousand River Valley mountain people lagged behind, needing at least another month.
Horn then relocated the Norn New Army to Rapids City to respond to the front-line warfare at any ti.
At the front line in Xia Lvcheng, the Leia Army had entered a state of siege without attacking since December.
Winter has co, and the soldiers and knights who have been fighting for nearly two years really need rest.
The last month of 1448 in the Thousand River Valley passed in a bizarre calm.
With battles on the front line, the New Year Festival of 1449 couldn't be celebrated lavishly.
Nurous cities in the Thousand River Valley initiated frugal activities in response to bulletins and newspaper proposals.
Encouraging residents to celebrate at ho rather than hosting large banquets and drinking parties.
The original celebratory parade beca a free drama praising front-line soldiers and depicting the ugly faces of the Leia Royal Family.
In the night of December 31, 1448, at Joan of Arc Castle.
Horn, having finished dinner with Jeanne and Catherine, saw an unexpected guest upon returning to his study.
"Moro?" Horn looked at the big, rough-bearded face holding the fluorite lamp and said, "When did you arrive?"
"Just now." Moro grumbled, "I was sent by Raphael. He couldn't make it himself."
Having drunk so rare beer, Horn was sowhat intoxicated. He smiled and pushed open the study room door, "If there's sothing, Raphael could just send soone to say it, why trouble you? By the way, Happy New Year!"
Moro kept a straight face and followed Horn inside, replying dryly, "Happy New Year to you too, Your Highness the Shepherd Leader."
Sitting on the sofa, Moro's first words made Horn's intoxication dissolve like lting ice.
"There's an epidemic in Xia Lvcheng."
Horn spilled hot tea onto his hand.
Without ti to wipe away the tea, he hurriedly stepped to Moro's side, "What kind of epidemic?"
"Confird are trench fever (rickettsial epidemic typhus) and cholera, with at least four or five more unconfird."
Trench fever was caused by lice reproducing inside heavy winter clothing, spreading the virus. Napoleon's army suffered massive losses due to trench fever during their expedition to Russia.
Cholera is caused by drinking contaminated water, mainly because water sources were sealed or sewage couldn't be drained, leading to bacterial and viral growth.
Trench fever is understandable, but how did cholera suddenly appear?
The only municipal renovation Moliat conducted in Xia Lvcheng was the comprehensive reconstruction of the old sewage pipelines.
The surrounding waterways were tightly controlled; how could an epidemic occur?
"What's really going on?"
"I'm puzzled too." Moro was equally at a loss. "Just a few diseased animals were tossed in, why did it cause such a large-scale epidemic?"
To prevent an epidemic in the city, Moliat strictly ordered the bodies of fallen soldiers to be cremated to ashes.
The city streets and outlying fortresses were heavily sprayed with insect repellents. All disease or infective patients were confined to the Leprosy Monastery.
Conditions of epidemics in the city were always good.
Half a month ago, the Leia Army outside suddenly tossed in so diseased crows and sheep.
The epidemic control team composed of witch doctors and physicians quickly buried and incinerated the diseased corpses.
No one cared about these few sheep, but within three days, a dozen cases appeared in the city.
By the ti Moro set off three days ago, the number of various patients inside the city had reached seven to eight hundred and was still increasing at an uncontrollable speed for Moliat.
New epidemics erged that even physicians found difficult to identify, leading them to directly na it "Sumr Fever."
Typically, that would be fine.
But now it's warti, everyone is trapped in the city...
"We also learned a new piece of information from a captured Leia Knight." Moro's expression hid worry, "The Oslar Clan has started gathering troops since the beginning of the year."
"Are they aid at the Thousand River Valley?"
"Yes."
Horn did not continue to ask but instead slowly walked to the tea table and poured two cups of tea for each of them.
Pushing the steaming hot tea to Moro, Horn's voice sounded like a bitter laugh, yet sowhat relieved:
"Two battle groups will set out soon."
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