When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

#252 - Let the monk go first

Unlike the plains counties of North Mund County and Langsand County, mountainous terrain occupies most of its land area.

The entire North Mund County is divided into two main narrow valley areas by the three extending mountain ranges of the Dragon's Rest Mountains: the Hematite Mountains, the Amethyst Mountains, and the Obsidian Mountains.

The southern valley is traversed by the Silver Thread River, and the Duchy of Hemathite basically represents the entire southern valley.

Agriculture in North Mund County is mainly concentrated in these two valleys, with the central valley having the most cultivated land and being the occupied territory of the church.

A large number of religious landlords are distributed here, and the White Water Fort Church annexed a large amount of real estate from the local Thousand River Valley lords through donations and encroachment on inheritance during the Cod Fort Battle ten years ago.

Then don't blame the lords whose properties were encroached upon for fighting back.

"Lord Spirotchu, please come this way." The youngest son of Baron Wind Pine bowed and stood in the bushes, pointing to the monastery in front of him.

Spirotchu has always been a taciturn old man, and he only nodded slightly as he looked at the monastery located in the mountains.

Don't underestimate it just because it's a monastery; the power of this monastery is unimaginable.

With the protection of outer walls, trenches, and towers, it is, in a sense, a small bunker.

Each monastery is garrisoned by some temple knights and armored soldiers, as well as a considerable number of armed farmers.

In a place like a mountainous county with fierce folk customs, it is, in a sense, similar to a military fortress in a colony.

If they gather the militia, it will take a lot of time to take it down.

"My people have investigated everything. Today is the market day, and the gates of the monastery are open."

"At a time like this, how could they..." Steve, with a square face, looked at the soldiers leaning lazily against the wall, but couldn't say the rest of his words.

There is a reason for the bishops'懈怠 (xie dai - laxity/negligence); they are not afraid of any real uprising because they are backed by the largest transcendent religious organization in the empire—the Church of Messiah.

There have been countless uprisings, big and small. Have any of them succeeded?

It's just a change of soup but not the medicine. It's just killing a few low-level monks and then using them to protest. Very few dare to kill bishops or even earls and dukes.

The noble society is a whole, and religious nobles are also part of the noble circle.

They can engage in infighting and kill each other internally, but they will never allow servants—those lowly farmers—to kill their noble enemies.

Nobles and priests are all their own people.

Anyone who dares to kill nobles, especially religious nobles, will face collective suppression from the nobles who control the core of transcendent power.

It's just that they never thought that there would be nobles like Melia T, who would actually dare to kill the bishop of the county diocese.

"Pity for the enemy?" Spirotchu picked up a nearly two-meter-long spiked warhammer from another packhorse. "Isn't this exactly what I want?"

Fifty fully armored knights led their horses, slowly advancing through the bushes and groves, reaching an optimal charging position.

"Hemathite Knights, charge!"

Mounting his horse, Spirotchu raised the warhammer in his hand high, leaping out of the bushes, the air currents blowing away the remaining fallen leaves of winter.

"Charge!"

Fifty knights, riding horses or mules, followed behind Spirotchu, charging straight towards the monastery.

The sound of the thundering hooves silenced everyone for a moment; they even stared blankly at the charging knights.

It wasn't until the first armored soldier blocking the way was smashed in the skull by the warhammer, with brains and bone fragments flying everywhere, that screams and cries belatedly rang out.

"Bandit knights!"

"Help! May the Holy Lord protect us!"

"Damn civilians, get out of the way! Let the monk masters go first!"

The civilians and soldiers present obviously did not expect this; this was near White Water Fort!

They screamed and fled in all directions. In the crowded flow of people, the armored soldiers were pushed and shoved, unable to gather.

The mountain knights riding mules quickly dismounted, forming formations of five to ten people, and began to fight on foot.

The slender two-handed swords waved with bloody light, accurately reaping the heads of the resisters.

Each swing of the warhammer could be seen sending a corpse flying. In the surging crowd, the white horse was dyed pink with blood.

Spirotchu advanced towards the gate of the monastery like a sailing ship braving the wind and waves.

"Close the door! Close the door!"

Seeing Spirotchu getting closer and closer, the abbot of the monastery shouted hoarsely, jumping up and down to direct the chaotic crowd.

Strong monks and armed farmers braced themselves against the door, laboriously pushing it. Seeing that there was only a foot left, the door could be closed.

But a huge force came from behind the door, and a warhammer, driven by a skinny arm, immediately hammered a monk away.

Twenty mounted mountain knights following behind Spirotchu entered in a file, frantically hacking and killing the black-robed monks with their knightly swords.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the gate of the monastery had been breached.

"Kneel and you won't be killed! Kneel and you won't be killed!"

"Are you crazy?" Seeing the abbot of the monastery being beheaded by Spirotchu's sword, the monks shouted in disbelief.

"It seems you still haven't understood the situation!" Steve, following behind Spirotchu, laughed loudly. "The church conspired to usurp the title of Duke of Hemathite and killed Melia T's teacher, Huannuo.

Yesterday, your bishop, Resit, organized a conspiracy against our lord, and was personally beheaded by Melia T!

The church is clearly tyrannical in the Blue Blood Wine incident and the death of Huannuo, violating the teachings of Messiah.

In order to maintain the pure faith of Messiah, Melia T will draw her sword and enter the Flying Stream, clearing out the corrupt insects within the church.

Heh... Still don't understand? The Duchess of Hemathite has declared war on the Thousand River Valley Church!"

After Steve said these words, all the monks and priests present were speechless for at least three seconds.

Upon fully realizing what they were facing, some smart people had already collapsed to the ground.

Ignoring these monks, Herman took out a simple map from his pocket, confirmed the direction, and said to the youngest son of Baron Wind Pine: "I'll leave this to you."

"The whole army rests for a quarter of an hour. Target: White Water Fort!"

Seven Elm Town, in front of the Knights' Hall.

Moro, the red horse knight with a rye-colored complexion, squinted his small eyes and read Melia T's orders in a stiff manner.

After hearing that the eldest son was enfeoffed as the lord of Warwick Town and the youngest son was enfeoffed as the lord of Seven Elm Town, but there was nothing more, the old lord stood there blankly.

"Then what about me?" With a dark face, the lord of Seven Elm Town pointed at himself in disbelief and asked.

"Old lord, you've been busy all your life, it's time to enjoy yourself." Moro put away the scroll. "Lord Melia T has prepared a country villa for you to retire..."

"Damn you, you, you ungrateful bastards, demons, you don't keep your word!" The lord of Seven Elm Town roared, not paying any attention to the cold sweat breaking out on the foreheads of the people around him.

"Old lord, I'm a straightforward person, please forgive me." Moro stepped forward and said in that simple and honest tone, "All my knights are outside, I can kill your whole family at any time. You only have two choices: either go to Cold Spring Fort upright, or go to Cold Spring Fort horizontally."

The old lord's eyes widened, and he was about to retort, but felt someone tugging at the corner of his clothes from behind.

Turning his head, the two sons who were once opposed to each other were pulling at his clothes at the same time.

Looking at Moro in front of him, and then turning his head to look at his two sons as if he was seeing them for the first time, his face turned pale.

His lips trembling, the old lord could no longer stand still and sat down on the ground: "I, I'll go to Cold Spring Fort."

Long Ridge Fort, in the fields outside the fort.

Overturned turrets, warhorses with broken legs, and haystacks ignited by rockets billowed with black smoke.

The few remaining patches of snow on the roadside were stained red with the blood of knights. The ambushed temple knights were bound with iron chains and pressed to kneel on the roadside.

Forming neat ranks, thousands of foot-fighting mountain knights slowly advanced with the sound of metal clashing.

On the side of the road, Herman, the black horse knight with bandages wrapped around his arm, stood in front of the Baron of Long Ridge Fort with a smiling face, holding a rapier.

The Baron of Long Ridge Fort, with his hair graying, knelt on the ground, weeping and sniveling, constantly mumbling: "Please, please, I can pay the ransom."

"How much bounty did they offer?"

"Three, three thousand gold pounds."

"Oh, so much?" Herman used the rapier to lift the baron's chin. Two knights had already walked over carrying a large box of gold pounds.

Kicking the box open, Herman picked up a greasy gold pound, which shone brightly in the sunlight.

"You like gold pounds, don't you?" Reaching out and crushing the baron's chin, he smiled and stuffed a large handful of gold into the Baron of Long Ridge Fort's mouth. "If you like it, eat more!"

"Ugh, ugh, ugh—"

Before long, the old baron rolled his eyes, foam flowing from the corners of his mouth, clutched his bulging belly, and fell down, while his several sons were hung on the trees.

Wiping the blood on his hands with a handkerchief, Herman asked the attendant, "Have the young men's remains been properly placed?"

"They have all been placed."

"Good, then, let's go, Long Ridge Fort!"