CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 135: GOODBYE, JIA LI

"Casti has been dismissed?"

When the refugees cleaning the river channel returned to the new camp, Horn heard unexpected yet reasonable news from them.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Since they were in the refugee camp, these refugees did not address Horn with a title like Wanpiao.

A bearded refugee couldn’t help but laugh as he spoke: "You should have seen the scene when the soaking wet Duke was pulled out, he was almost furious.

The Duke brought back his noble fiancée this time, and Casti made him lose face in front of his future wife.

Casti was scolded harshly, ordered to stay at home to quit drinking, and not allowed to come out before succeeding. The position of City Hall secretary was given to another Falan courtier."

Horn couldn’t help but shake his head with a bitter smile; this old fellow gets drunk every day, this was his due punishment.

"Actually, it’s quite strange." Qianqian came up from the side, having quickly changed into her more frequently worn simple dress upon arriving at Joan of Arc Castle.

"Why? Isn’t it just a normal personnel change?"

"How could that bald Duke Dane find a pure-blooded Falan noble lady to marry?"

"Isn’t what you’re saying a bit disrespectful?"

Qianqian gave Horn a sidelong glance: "I’m serious. The Empire’s noble circles have long rejected Dane.

If you said he was marrying a Norn or Leia noble lady, I might believe it, but he’s marrying a Falan noble lady."

This indeed made Horn a bit stunned.

This brings up the unique nature of the Falan Kingdom.

Among the three major kingdoms within the Empire, the Falan Kingdom is the only one that successfully completed monarchy centralization with the dual blessings of the Imperial Emperor and the Pope.

The nobles of the Falan Kingdom mostly don’t rely on feudal lands but on the state’s financial issuance of noble annuities. One-third of the country’s nobles are concentrated in the Falan Royal Capital—Huaqiu City.

Due to its centralized nature, the nobles are dependent on the King of Falan.

Compared to the scattered opinions of Leia and Norn, the Falan noble circles are small and have a unified stance on such matters.

"Could it be a scam?"

Pretending to be a Falan noble lady to deceive aging rural single male nobles is an Empire specialty, something you have to savor.

"I don’t know about that." Qianqian shook her head, "Duke Dane has been deceived several times before; he has more experience than us. He probably wouldn’t be fooled again."

"Never mind, help me get in touch, I need to visit him tomorrow."

"I’ve already sent someone to contact him." Qianqian seemed to recall something, "And there’s one more thing, you better buy three months’ worth of grain for your old camp first."

"What’s the issue?"

Qianqian smiled bitterly, "I’ve received some news; the Beixi Path has been damaged, and it will probably be very difficult to transport cheap disaster relief grain from the coast to the Thousand River Valley.

Here the canal was hit by the Duke, larger ships can hardly pass through, and next, it’s estimated that the grain prices will skyrocket."

Horn rubbed his temples, contemplating the situation with the mountain goats in the Thousand River Valley.

"Then please help me buy some." Horn looked at the rising light in the big tent at the new camp, "The awarding ceremony is about to begin, I have to go."

......

The magnificent hall was filled with exquisite bone fragments decorations, and the empty walls showcased the glorious history of the Pope Country.

The greasy long table was laden with large breads and an array of rustic bitter wines in cups.

By the long table, elegantly crossing their legs and spitting, were the high-ranking nobles of the Pope Country, who looked up and watched as Madlan called out names one by one for the ceremony.

"... a total of five people have been awarded the title of Grand Marshal..."

The five Grand Marshals came to the stage, and Horn personally tied new patchwork bags for them.

"... Saint Jeanne, with outstanding military achievements, promoted to Grand Master of the Holy Grail Knight Order, the Holy Grail Knight Order recruits a new division!"

"... Of the twelve elders on the above list, due to their exceptional merits, each is awarded an extra vote."

This means the twelve elders can have two votes during voting.

The thirty-four new elders only have one vote.

"Due to Saint’s Grandson Horn leading everyone through numerous difficulties, Miseria sent a message last night, awarding His Majesty Horn the title of Marshal Chief, with one hundred additional votes!"

With Madlan’s loud voice, the most significant figure of this awarding ceremony, Horn, finally made his entrance.

As the Pope Country’s foremost leader, Horn naturally took the stage gladly, giving a brief yet powerfully impactful speech that received countless applause from the attending elders and newcomers:

"Everyone, eat and drink well!"

The ceremony was very simple, with only the Ten Households Leader and some active refugees invited to participate.

Due to the large number of people, the food was only wild vegetable soup and wheat bread, but Horn still spent his own money to buy them some sausages, offal, and bitter wine.

As for those refugees, they were also given extra meals with bone broth at night.

In a bustling atmosphere, the brightly lit Pope’s Palace, the elders and new nobility of the El Third Empire all gathered to toast together.

The elders dressed in splendid coarse linen long robes, and the newcomers were not to be outdone, showcasing their flair through unique hollowed fashion apparel.

In the midst of clinking cups and mingled laughter, the topics discussed by the upper echelon were equally profound.

Unlike the Empire’s nobles who enjoy talking about family gossip, the elders are more fond of discussing metaphysical philosophy.

"I believe this cream soup should be mixed with lime paste because the length of this nail could easily directly affect the glass panels of the mattock."

"I must disagree, because the massive amount of magic generated in that instant, commonly known as cereal, will seriously affect the development of woolen fabrics!"

Amid the increasingly cheerful atmosphere, no one noticed that His Holiness the Pope had quietly left at some unknown point.

Three miles away from the new camp, by the tributary bay, Horn stopped his horse steadily under a laurel tree, where he saw Jia Li in a white dress.

Leading the horse, stepping on moonlight, the river water gurgling by.

Horn walked up to Jia Li, which would have been even better if he wasn’t looking up at her.

"Are you really in such a hurry to leave?"

"My sister came out to play, I’ve missed a lot of important things, the situation is a tangled mess, and every second earlier I get back, the situation will get a bit better."

Standing by the bay, the night wind blew Jia Li’s dress into a flutter, her curvaceous figure shaped by the wind.

Horn looked at her, but said nothing.

"What? Can’t bear to part with me?"

"Not really, just a bit sentimental."

"Seriously though." Jia Li stepped forward, standing in front of Horn, her face serious: "Why don’t you just come with me now, those evidence can be handed over to someone else."

After a long silence, Horn laughed and said, "Be careful on the road, remember to use a blanket, don’t catch cold."

Grabbing Horn’s arm, Jia Li’s red pupils locked firmly onto Horn: "Horn, I have a premonition."

"Have you become a divination witch now?"

Patting Jia Li’s head, Horn took a step back with a touch of sentiment, allowing him to see the full view of Jia Li.

Looking at Jia Li, Horn suddenly felt like a father watching his daughter go to elementary school alone.

"You know, you remind me of my sister..."

Before Horn could finish, Jia Li put her tongue in.

Then that wave of homesickness vanished without a trace.

Horn tilted his head back, forcing Jia Li’s tongue out of his mouth.

"Let’s see if you’ll still dare think of Jeanne while looking at me," Jia Li said fiercely.

"I wasn’t talking about her."

"You have another sister?" Jia Li looked at Horn suspiciously.

"No!" Horn answered immediately, "I’ve repaid your kiss."

Jia Li didn’t dwell on it much longer; she took out a glass whistle from her chest and placed it in Horn’s hand: "Six days later, blow this whistle near here, and on the seventh day, my people will lead you and Qianqian to the ship location.

If you encounter danger, blow this whistle as well. It makes no sound, but my people will hear it."

"Got it." Carefully putting away the glass whistle, Horn looked at Jia Li, unsure of what to say.

In fact, whether it was Horn or Jia Li, to some extent, they both knew nothing about each other.

Yet, to some extent, their relationship was somewhat like the strange bond between a Pokémon and a trainer.

In the fog over the nighttime water, torches moved like UFOs on the river’s surface.

When the small boat docked, a short black-haired woman stood at the bow with a torch, silently watching Horn and Jia Li.

Without looking back at the woman, Jia Li stared straight into Horn’s eyes:

"Are you really not coming with me?"

"I still have things to do, besides, we’ll meet again soon."

Looking over Jia Li’s shoulder, Horn nodded to the black-haired woman behind her, reached out as if to pat Jia Li’s head, but then withdrew, merely stepping back half a step.

"Then I’ll go; see you in ten days!"

"See you!"

Standing still, Jia Li watched Horn’s figure disappear into the night before turning and stepping over the planks onto the boat.

"Long time no see, Jia Li." The white-haired witch said indifferently to the newcomer.

The black-haired woman immediately started to complain to her: "Lady Moliat, this time you were really too impulsive, how could you go in person?"

"I couldn’t hold back, let my sister out, she was too careless, nearly had me caught by a crude village hall bishop..."

Recounting her closest brush with exposure to date, Moliat nonchalantly placed the iron mask on her face: "Has there been any movement in the territory recently?"

When the small boat reached the river’s center, only a tall warrior in a dual-colored battle robe, wearing a mask, remained on the deck, talking to the black-haired woman.

"Everything is going according to your plan..."

"Have you found the person who exposed ’Jia Li’ going to Shangruifo County?"

"Yes, but we have four suspects: your retainer Sornk, Secret Party Envoy Badatu Nu’an, and two Norn merchants. It’s not certain who it is yet."

"Then hang them all."

"Isn’t Sornk your uncle’s son?"

Moliat didn’t answer, just stared straight at Jia Li.

The red eyes beneath the iron mask glowed with a blood-red light in the moonlight.

"I understand, I’ll follow your orders..." Jia Li kneeled on the deck, "Respected Duke."