novelAbuy #433 - Witch or saint? That is the question.
#433 - Witch or saint? That is the question.
While the Franks were still planning to use the Salvation Army as their proxy, the Salvation Army was swamped with work.
After all, Horn had fought a series of swift battles, from Black Mountain Fortress to Small Pool City and then to Rapidfall City. This rapid pace of operations didn't allow them time to consolidate their gains.
Taking the main cities didn't mean they had conquered the entire county.
For example, the northwestern part of Kasha County was still dominated by pro-Church forces, and the two townships north of Lower River County were still in the hands of the Church.
The Salvation Army didn't advance further but chose to rest and reorganize.
Firstly, the townships north of Lower River County were densely packed with castles. If the knights decided to defend the cities, Horn's elite infantry couldn't withstand the attrition.
Secondly, the Red Dragon Breath, which was effective for siege warfare, had been almost completely used up. Horn only had a dozen or so left, and even with the remnants from Rapidfall City's treasury, there were only a little over twenty.
These had to be used sparingly. Otherwise, if Prince Condé arrived, it was hard to say whether ordinary fire ball crossbows would be effective.
The second reason was that Horn was held back by the ruins of Rapidfall City. After all, this was the capital city of Lower River County and one of the only two Imperial Free Cities in Thousand River Valley.
It concentrated the most elite population of Lower River County, including all kinds of craftsmen, literate people, clerks, accountants, notaries, and so on.
Without being able to continue expanding their territory, Horn needed to first control Rapidfall City and then integrate the two townships of Lower River County, establish basic rule first, and then talk about other things.
So, the first step after the war was the resettlement of refugees.
The Salvation Army had rich experience in this matter, having practiced it many times in Langsand County and even Autumn Island.
The routine was consistent: the army moved in, opened granaries to release food, compiled household registers, provided work relief, cleaned up the city, and cracked down on gangsters and rascals.
In just five days, most of the dilapidated bricks and tiles in Rapidfall City were cleared away, and various corpses were either burned or transported outside the city for burial.
Collective funerals presided over by priests were held one after another, while the prisoners of war were divided into categories. Nobles and guards were mostly locked up to control the local noble forces.
The lowest-level peasant soldiers were given a few dinars for travel expenses and told to go home as soon as possible.
Some citizens had already moved back into their original homes, but nearly a third still had to pitch tents or sleep in other people's yards.
The port area, in particular, had housed more than 10,000 people, and it was the first to be destroyed in the previous war.
Rapidfall City had grown wildly, with no urban planning, so the wooden buildings seemed to be layered upon each other.
It was fine before, but after the Red Dragon Breath fire, the flames burned one after another, destroying half of the city. Later, the knights entered the city and set fires again, burning it again.
In addition to the battles and the vine walls, most of the inner city of Rapidfall City was destroyed by fire.
This was one of the two major problems plaguing the citizens of Rapidfall City: it would take a long time to rebuild their houses, and where would they live in the meantime?
Moreover, a large number of workshops were burned down in the fire. They had no funds to rebuild, and even if they could, it would take a long time, which meant that batches of craftsmen were unemployed.
The commercial activities of the entire Rapidfall City, along with the nearby Rapidfall City economic circle, had completely stalled.
The second problem plaguing the citizens of Rapidfall City was Catherine, the Megrade Witch.
Beside the fountain in the Official Residence Square, the stone head statue that used to spout clear spring water was shattered by the rising vampire vines. Amidst the full of holes and broken ground, only one hole was still flowing out a stream of water.
Dozens of corpses hung on the flagpole in the square, soldiers and knights who had looted in the city, and citizens and merchants who had betrayed.
The Salvation Army's methods for dealing with traitors were always cruel. When they held public trials every night, they often dragged local citizens along.
Many traitors and knights were beaten to death on the stage by the citizens who rushed up, with blood, foam, and excrement flowing all over the place.
Citizens carrying shovels, wooden hammers, and brooms came and went on the square, reburying the exposed loose yellow soil, and the broken floor tiles were gradually paved flat.
Using a shovel to dig a section of finger from the gap in the floor tiles, a young citizen hammered his waist and stood up, looking at the scorched city in front of him, sitting weakly on the edge of the fountain platform.
"Venitian! You're resting again. Work a little. Go move a floor tile, okay?!" Monluwa, the middle-aged foreman beside him, looked at the young man's appearance, feeling irritated.
"I just finished working. What's wrong with taking a break? You're annoying," Venitian responded.
Monluwa frowned as he looked at the sullen young man, feeling something was wrong.
Yesterday, this young man, who was an accountant, was working enthusiastically. What was wrong with him today?
Handing the broom to someone else, Monluwa sat down next to Venitian: "What's wrong? You've been acting strange since this morning."
Looking at the people still cleaning around him, Monluwa leaned his head closer and lowered his voice: "I heard that the Salvation Army is going to publicly try Governor Catherine. Is it true?"
Monluwa looked at him blankly: "Who told you?"
"That's what everyone on the street is saying. It's said that a Salvation Army priest let it slip," Venitian described vividly. "They're going to publicly try Governor Catherine based on the opinions of the entire city, but..."
"But what? What did they say?" Monluwa became curious.
You know, the entire Rapidfall City had a rather complex view of Catherine.
On the one hand, they admired and were grateful to this female merchant who led them to prosperity, and on the other hand, they found it difficult to accept that she was a witch.
But afterwards, the story of her feeding herself to the vampire vines, trying to sacrifice herself to save the entire city, continued to spread widely in these five days.
During this time, the citizens gradually divided into three factions: the radicals demanded Catherine's expulsion and a new election for governor, while the Catherine faction demanded that Catherine continue to serve as governor.
Of course, the ostrich faction, like Monluwa, was the largest, not listening, not asking, and pretending not to know.
"They said that the conservative faction of the Salvation Army thought that the radicals in Rapidfall City were too conservative and decided to sentence Governor Catherine to be burned at the stake during the public trial..."
"Are you kidding me!" Monluwa jumped up suddenly.
If they expelled Catherine to Black Serpent Bay, Monluwa would feel guilty but could accept it, but if the Salvation Army wanted to burn Catherine to death, Monluwa would never allow it.
Catherine was not only the leader who led Rapidfall City to prosperity, but also their savior. Putting aside her identity as a witch, her character was absolutely noble.
If this were to happen to an ordinary believer, they might be canonized after death. How could the Salvation Army want to burn her to death?
"Otherwise?" A rogue-like citizen raised his head, seemingly hearing the conversation between the two. "Shouldn't witches be burned to death? I think she deserves to die."
Monluwa was stunned by the rogue's words for a full four or five seconds. This man, who was not good with words, immediately rolled up his sleeves and strode towards the rogue.
"Hey, are you going to resort to violence because you can't argue with reason?" The rogue immediately pointed at Monluwa and cursed.
"What reason are you talking about? Lady Catherine saved the entire city. Does she deserve to die?" Grabbing Monluwa's arm, Venitian was even more angry, his face flushed as he cursed at the man.
"I don't know about that. I only know that she's a witch. Witches should be burned to death. She'll kill the entire city."
"She saved the entire city!"
"The Lord said that those who do not know gratitude do not deserve to live in this world."
Several other citizens who had overheard couldn't help but gather around and confront the rogue.
"I'm ungrateful, so what? If you keep the witch, will you want to be slaughtered again when the Church comes?"
Everything was fine at first, but as the rogue steered the topic towards the Church and the previous war, many citizens who had been holding a bellyful of anger during the war could no longer hold back.
The citizens who had been moving floor tiles and cleaning the streets all gathered together, pointing at the rogue and shouting insults.
The rogue was fighting against many people, and his street-honed tongue made the people around him turn red with anger, but they were helpless.
After several rounds of verbal sparring, even though the Salvation Army had issued a decree prohibiting fighting, five or six citizens couldn't help but shout and pounce on the rogue.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?"
The fight didn't last long. The Protectorate soldiers, who had heard the noise, arrived with flails and pulled the people who were tearing and beating each other apart. After understanding what had happened, they dragged the rogue away.
"I said no fighting! I'll spare you this time, but I'll talk to your centurion later."
Before leaving, the rogue, whose face was covered in blood, was still yelling:
"You wait. We'll sign a joint letter demanding that Catherine be burned to death. You unholy believers, wait!"
Watching the rogue being dragged away, Venitian and Monluwa felt a flash of anger and guilt in their eyes while also feeling happy in their hearts.
Catherine almost died to save Rapidfall City, and it was already agonizing for these citizens to want to expel her for their own benefit.
But they were going to burn Catherine, who had finally survived, which touched the bottom line of these citizens.
The most terrifying thing was that the Salvation Army didn't understand Rapidfall City after all. Most of these rogues were criminals who had been punished by Catherine before. If the Salvation Army really believed them, then things would really be terrible.
"Should we write a joint letter too?"