Chapter 1248 - 1173: Interior and Exterior
Since the water system at the Holy Seat Mansion was repaired, Horn bid farewell to working from home and returned to the Holy Seat Mansion.
According to the weekly meeting schedule, Horn sat upright at the head of the table, while the heads or deputies of the various courts, accompanied by their secretaries, sat on either side.
The weekly meeting is a day to summarize last week’s work and assign tasks for the next week, as well as a time for Horn to reward or punish these court heads.
Do well and you’ll be rewarded; do poorly and you’ll be punished.
Meanwhile, Petier, as the Chancellor, sat beside Horn, passing a series of documents down the long table, facilitating their distribution among the court heads.
The papers rustled as they moved between hands and table, while the Secret Monks carried coffee pots, serving the latest coffee variant, cappuccino, to the senior monks present.
Horn, with his head bowed, noted that this week had also seen numerous significant events.
The first was the successful conclusion of the World Expo in late October, during which the Saint’s Grandson and four remaining spinsters all attended the closing ceremony and officially announced their engagement.
The second was the successful establishment of the Brass Commandment Bureau, having finally obtained the approval of the Holy Court.
At present, the Truth Court is drawing personnel and selecting a suitable director for the bureau.
The third event involved the renovation plan for the Holy Mechanism Court proposed by the Monastery of Civil Engineering.
Given the current trend of the Ethereal Tower, a large influx of middle-class and poor individuals into the Holy Mechanism Court is foreseeable in the near future.
The Holy Mechanism Court is bound to experience a housing boom, necessitating renovations on many of the temporary structures built ten years ago.
With the emergence of slime juice filter beds and fully automatic spring-powered mixers, there has been another surge in mortar production.
Additionally, with the Holy Alliance’s large-scale steel production, iron sheets have replaced wooden boards, and steel frames and metal components have replaced iron frames and wooden components.
Prefabricated concrete decorative components have replaced hand-carved stone components, and advancements in glassmaking can now produce two-meter flat glass panes.
Within the ether clock range, the most staggering feat is a new creation by the Holy Council’s technical priests:
Spring-powered cranes capable of lifting stone or cast-iron components weighing over 10 tons, such as cast iron beams for roofs or granite bases for facades.
Spring-powered rammers for compacting foundations to prevent future settling.
Spring-powered sawmills and planers, enabling standardized processing and mass production of wood.
This means that classic revivalist buildings like those scholars inhabit can now be reproduced in mass within the Holy Mechanism Court without significantly increasing costs.
The City Hall of the Holy Mechanism Court even commissioned an artist to draw illustrations for Horn.
At first glance, Horn thought it was from a friend back home due to its strong resemblance to his hometown in the 19th century.
However, despite the beautiful vision in the illustration, Horn found little reason to rejoice.
The Holy Alliance is visibly showing signs of uneven development, with the Holy Mechanism Court living in the 19th century, other towns in the 18th, and the countryside in the 17th century.
As for the Empire’s other rural or urban areas, they remain stuck in the 17th century or even the Middle Ages.
The saving grace is that they are uniformly underdeveloped, which ironically maintains a sort of balance.
This internal development imbalance can easily lead to societal division.
The economic base determines the superstructure; a person living in the 19th century obviously cannot understand someone from the 17th century, and ideological rifts are bound to be even greater.
Sigh, the generation gap.
Horn stroked his chin, contemplating whether to suppress the development of the Holy Mechanism Court.
Or perhaps pursue fiscal redistribution; the Holy Mechanism Court has siphoned so much from other parts of the Holy Alliance, isn’t giving back some nourishment to siblings reasonable?
Such measures are merely temporary; ultimately, similar Ethereal Towers and clocks must be established elsewhere too.
"How is the Holy Council progressing in identifying these weak astral points across the counties?"
Though Hilov is the president, the general secretary of the Holy Council manages daily operations.
This individual is a lean scholar in his fifties, wearing large black-framed glasses—thanks to advancements in glassmaking, glasses have become much cheaper.
He nodded slightly to Horn, "On the ground, we were once groping in the dark, but with your principle of magical creature spawn areas likely harboring weak astral points, we have several suspected locations now.
By year’s end at the latest, we can confirm at least one weak astral point in Lower Reif County, but we need support from a difference engine."
By year’s end, just two months away?
Horn nodded, "I approve the use of the difference engine, coordinate its usage amongst yourselves."
Once the major developmental issues within the Holy Alliance were resolved, Horn glanced around, crossing his hands over the folder.
With this gesture, the other court heads paused their writing, sat upright, and focused on Horn.
"Have you all heard about the Fat Cow Castle matter? I expect to see it in tonight’s Truth Paper."
"The Border Knight Order, just an old church’s dog!" Hakuto spat immediately.
Everyone’s faces mirrored their disdain; the Border Knight Order had long disgusted the Holy Alliance.
In several major wars, they were always present.
During the first Thousand River Valley War, the former Grand Master Lakunio of the Border Knight Order was involved.
In the second Thousand River Valley War, the Border Knight Order directly engaged, attempting to invade Shangruifo County.
Viscerally, the Border Knight Order has always occupied the land most cherished by the Kush Nation—the Kush River grasslands.
Earlier this year, upon hearing the Border Knight Order was besieged by vampires, the senior monks of the Holy Alliance almost celebrated.
With their recent surrender, they’ve become traitors, drawing even more hatred.
The Holy Alliance had always monitored the Border Knight Order’s siege but was helpless to intervene, being too far removed and separated by the Thorn Garden and Norn territories.
If there were a spring-powered train, the distance would be easily traversed, but alas, the train hasn’t yet extended beyond Langsande County, let alone to the border.
When news of the Border Knight Order’s surrender came, Horn could only say it was both unexpected and expected.
They were surrounded by enemies within the Empire, and their only support, Leia, just told them, "Hold steadfast and there will be a way," giving everything but actual support.
As for the Knight Order, it’s essentially in a warlord state.
The Border Knights had no choice but to surrender.
Yet even Horn was surprised by the vampires’ swift advance and their far-reaching strategy.
Within a month, they rapidly advanced to the gates of Fat Cow Castle.
Inside Fat Cow Castle, after just three days, an insider embedded for over a decade opened the gates, leading to its immediate downfall.
The Shooting Army, engaged in a skirmish with the Dwarves at Blue Pattern Castle, couldn’t even retreat in time to assist.
"Monitor the Truth Court’s handling of the vampire situation, making sure not to gloat publicly."
"Understood." Madlan jotted down a couple of notes.
"Do you think the vampires’ actions signify a declaration of war against the Empire?" Hakuto inquired, "What’s the Secretariat’s take?"
"The Secretariat is divided: hawks believe the Royal Court will prepare to invade within five years, while doves think the hawks are too conservative, arguing for an invasion within three years."
"So, are we expecting war in three to five years?"
"No need to fear, being inland, when the war does break out, it’ll probably extend another three to five years anyway."
"What’s happening with the Royal Court?"
"What else but political collapse, and an ambitious ruler emerging..."
Serafe, Horn mentally recited the name.
Horn had long anticipated her invasion, merely unsure of its timing.
"What’s the Shooting Army’s current position?" amidst the clamor, Horn asked.
Hakuto turned, "The Shooting Army has gathered some of Duke Petrov’s old retainers, putting up a stubborn resistance, but their power remains too limited."
"Offer refuge at the Shattered Stone Plain," Horn nodded to René, "Where is Duke Petrov’s son currently?"
"Conveniently still in the Holy Mechanism Court."
"That’s good." Horn pondered for a moment, "Have the duke’s son contained for now; as for a formal stance against the Royal Court, we should have more time, so let’s watch for changes first."