CHAPTER 547: CHAPTER 525: MORTAR ROAD ENGINEERING

A slice of translucent ham was carved with a small knife and placed on a golden slice of bread, pan-fried with garlic and parsley, then sprinkled with finely chopped cheese.

Looking at this fragrant simple sandwich before him, Horn took a fierce bite. The salty ham, the rich cheese, and the mild sweetness of the bread blended together.

Horn could even feel that the meat of the ham was not cut by his teeth but rather pressed apart.

This compound flavor lingered in his mouth, even carrying a hint of the peculiar fragrance of acorns.

Perhaps wild boar isn’t used to eating wild boar, Horn found himself at a loss for better descriptive words than beefy.

One has to admit, this North County, though lacking minerals, certainly has unique-tasting wild boar.

An idea must be devised to find a renowned person in the Empire, preferably famous for their taste, to thoroughly promote and package it.

A 99-new Seching North Ham for 20 Dinars, if Horn doesn’t sell it for 2 gold pounds, he’d consider it a loss.

The gift that Seching prepared for Horn was this Northern Ham.

Although North County is low on salt, for him as a Count, it was still manageable to allocate some salt to cure a few hams.

Originally, these hams were intended for Moliat, and the gift for Horn was supposed to be a few pieces of amber pendants.

However, after signing several agreements the previous night and reflecting overnight, Seching took one large ham out of the two to give to Horn as a gift.

To Seching, this is not an ordinary ham, but a leg full of loyalty and devotion.

Because upon receiving this leg, Horn’s response was a loan.

This loan amounted to a whopping 25,000 gold pounds, for constructing a 40-kilometer mortar road along the most difficult segment between the mountain foothills and the plains—the Mud Throat Path.

Given the water naturally collecting from the foothills into the lowlands, the Mud Throat Path is riddled with steep slopes and soft wetlands.

Once completed, travel time from the foothills to the plains could almost be halved.

If it were on flat land like near Joan of Arc Castle, it might be completed in three months, but given the local terrain and efficiency, it’s estimated to be around early summer next year before seeing results.

As for the laborers departing from Count Seching’s territory, they wouldn’t need to travel so far, as they could stop near Black Mountain Castle.

There, they would join forces with the local laborers of Jinhe Town to build this road.

After all, mobilizing people from Red Maple Village seems unnecessary; it’s enough to establish a team of masons and foremen, also allowing the Kush Nobility of Jinhe Town to make some money.

If it weren’t for fear of Moliat’s opinion, Seching would have loved to gift both hams due to such an investment-sinking amount.

Upon thinking this, Horn retrieved a thick ledger from the bookshelf behind him.

The faint, blurry characters on the page were glued tightly together with adhesive.

The content inside was the current mortar road projects underway by the Salvation Army.

The first project was the southern end of the Daze Village mortar roads, spanning 60 kilometers, from the New Life Bridge of Autumn Dusk Island to Mayo Town.

A total of 550 laborers were organized into marshland, mountainous, forest, and plain construction teams working simultaneously.

Given the complex terrain involved, the construction period is set at 6 months, with completion expected next January, costing over 22,000 gold pounds.

The second was the southwestern mortar road project from Joan of Arc Castle to Sour Melon Town, stretching 90 kilometers.

With a budget of over 32,500 gold pounds and 1,200 laborers, despite a longer length, the plain terrain allows it to be completed in seven months, expecting completion in February next year.

The former aims to facilitate alchemical and military supplies, while the latter seeks rapid mobilization of grain and other resources.

As for the western route segment from Joan of Arc Castle to Mayo Town, the mortar road was only implemented in difficult-to-navigate regions, with the other roads still usable, so they have been temporarily shelved.

There’s no rush for the mortar road from Joan of Arc Castle to Rapids City.

With such a swift canal leading into Joan of Arc Castle, War Monks can swiftly mobilize to the frontlines at Rapids City via troop transports.

Since June of this year, these two projects have drained most of Horn’s liquid funds, combined with military expenses and other outlays, leaving the once over 100,000 gold pounds in the Holy Treasury with less than 30,000 gold pounds.

Fortunately, it has also provided for a large number of related workers and citizens; the massive construction scene near Joan of Arc Castle today is the handiwork of these contractors, laborers, and citizens who rose through road building.

Horn’s endeavors are not entirely losing propositions.

First, the money the contractors earned flowed back into the treasury through mortar purchases, consumer taxes, and Holy War Bonds.

Second, with these mortar roads, the transportation speed for mobilizing goods across regions increased, and tremendous material waste was avoided.

Next, Horn considered adding Seching’s project to this engineering roster.

Unable to read through the dense digits, Horn rubbed his sore eyes and evaluated whether establishing a Transport Bishop was necessary.

The masons were already examining the Mud Throat Path, and once Seching returned from High Castle City, Busak would accompany him to North County.

Relying on rivers and mortar roads, Langsande County, Lower Reif County, Kasha County, North County, and the northern part of Black Snake Bay County could connect as one.

With developing high-value goods like sugar, salt, peat, and high-grade ham and a rapidly growing economy, Horn could prevent the outflow of currency.

No matter how much it cost, he didn’t mind, as internal debt isn’t a debt anyway, and should he lack funds? Aren’t there Holy War Bonds and government bonds?

"Knock, knock, knock."

As Horn meticulously inspected the project records before him, a series of knocks sounded at the door.

"Come in."

The head of a Secret Monk poked in from outside the door: "Your Excellency, Seching has come with his daughter Nagami to see you?"

"If it’s about the marriage alliance, there’s no need to discuss it further. It was all laid out at last night’s banquet. Without dispelling the Church, no household can be established." The mere topic gave Horn a headache.

"No, no, he says it’s about his daughter’s personal matter, unrelated to marriage?"

"Oh?" Horn scratched his head, "Let them in then."

Making way, Nagami followed behind her father into this room, not luxurious but piled with papers and ink.

Looking from behind her father, Nagami once more laid eyes on the Chosen Pope, whom Kusvania mentioned repeatedly.

Unlike the fan filter Kusvania naturally carried, she didn’t find the Pope particularly handsome, appearing rather ordinary, much like a typical farmer.

Different from the amiable young man at yesterday’s banquet, he now sat behind the wide desk, with several armed guards standing by the window.

The era’s other nobles and bishops were usually dignified and stern, and when facing visitors of lower status, their expressions were mainly solemn.

But this one wore a smile, imbued with a lazy scholarly air, yet whenever his gaze swept over, an inexplicable fear and unease stirred in Nagami.

"Do you want to stay in Red Maple Village to study?"

As Nagami’s thoughts wandered aimlessly, Horn’s voice cut through her reverie and reached her ears clearly.

"Your Excellency, it’s not that my father is forcing me, nor because I’ve heard any rumors. I want to study poetry and natural theology, but the scholars in North County won’t teach them." Nagami said, accidentally bumping her teeth.

Watching her, Horn squinted suspiciously, "So this is your desire and not coercion by your father or the products of some rumors that’s led you here?"

Seeing Nagami’s decision, Seching was ever supportive, especially since this time it could help bolster the relationship with the Saint’s Grandson Pope.

After all, he thought, this young lady might just get her chance at the Female Academy. You never know.

Pondering this, Horn spoke, "By all means, our grain at Joan of Arc Castle is plentiful, you won’t eat us out of it." He was about to add more when a Secret Monk rushed to the door.

"What happened?"

From the near-illegible scrawl on the note, Horn could quickly tell it was from the Saint Sun’s Army.

Its content was simple, summarized in one sentence—

On December 1st, Lakunio led 7,000 troops in a surprise attack on the northwest gateway, Kleiss Castle, of Kasha County.