When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

The Holy Alliance seems to have taken no action regarding the potential vampire attack.

However, within the military, some veterans were recalled, and training was intensified.

In military districts like the Newly Established Five Counties and the Shattered Stone Plain, order and security have been tightened, with some cities even imposing a long-lost curfew.

Outside the Holy Alliance, Falan, Leia, Southern Norn, and Northern Norn fortresses were in an uproar.

Among the three major knight orders of the church, the Divine Hall Knight Order was practically obliterated by the Holy Alliance, and the Border Knight Order was also destroyed in a joint attack by the Holy Alliance and vampires.

The only surviving order now is the Holy Sword Knight Order at the southern border of Falan.

Unlike other knight orders, the Border Knight Order holds a special status as the Great Wall against vampires in the north.

Although this claim is self-proclaimed by the Border Knight Order, it indeed plays a partial role.

With the demise of the Border Knight Order, the Imperial People’s vigilance towards the Royal Court has significantly increased, especially in coastal areas and regions bordering the Border Knight Order.

After Fat Cow Castle was breached by vampires, the Northern Norn Region descended into complete chaos.

Frenzied rumors swept across the continent like the wind.

Even many vagrants and Robber Knights from the Leia Region began raising the Royal Court’s flag in rebellion against Leia.

Meanwhile, among the Leia nobility, discussions began about enticing vampire troops south to divide Holy Alliance and Norn territories.

These news reports were published in newspapers, which upon release, received a wave of criticism.

Clerics like Lemmington exchanged verbal attacks with Leia scholars through newspapers, even arranging physical confrontations.

Unfortunately, Lemmington and other Holy Path clerics hailed from street preaching backgrounds, whereas many Leia scholars came from ivory towers of academia.

Despite equal numbers, they were still beaten soundly.

Under Charles VIII’s advocacy, the Imperial Council restarted, immediately preparing to reactivate the defense mechanism against vampires.

The Holy Alliance replaced some Leia seats, sending representatives to participate as an observer nation.

Charles VIII, not wearing a crown yet commanding imperial authority, presided over the conference as he wished.

With Leia submitting, Norn weakening secretly, and the Holy Alliance settling with modest prosperity, this conference turned into a ceremony elevating Falan’s national reputation.

As Horn said, it’s not the crown that makes an emperor, but your status as emperor that adorns your head with a crown.

Although Charles VIII hadn’t yet received the crown, many attending nobles already addressed him as His Majesty.

As for the Holy Alliance’s homeland, separated by such a vast distance, it still could not interfere.

It’s important to note that from the Holy Mechanical Court to the border Golden Soup Castle spans approximately two thousand kilometers.

Even if the Holy Alliance wanted to intervene, it couldn’t.

Hence, Horn adopted the best strategy, which was not to concern itself at all.

Domestically, everything in the Holy Alliance proceeded according to plan.

The Crystal Palace Commercial Street, Brass Edict Bureau, Mechanical Necromancy, Holy Mechanical Court renovation plan.

With vast resources directed towards Holy Mechanical Court industries, various factories based on spring mechanisms sprang up like mushrooms after a rain.

Alongside these factories emerged countless quick literacy classes and basic labor schools.

Although most factory workers operated machinery, engaging in manual labor wasn’t impossible.

Indeed, numerous positions required various skills, and to advance, one could only learn literacy and then self-study using skill manuals published by the Holy Alliance.

The crowds on Holy Mechanical Court Street increased, and pedestrians moved more swiftly.

Everything hurriedly advanced, leaving behind one confused person standing still.

Aleksey.

The flood of passersby flowed past him, yet could not dislodge him, the hard reef from his spot.

Receiving the news, his initial plan to travel to Norn had to be postponed.

The Shooting Army had retreated to the Shattered Stone Plain, could he really venture to Fat Cow Castle alone?

All he could do was wait, wait for the situation to clarify slightly before advancing north to join up with the Shooting Army.

It was like placing your heart upon a frying pan to be roasted.

Aleksey lived each day as if it were a year.

Ironically, this unexpected incident provided Aleksey with enough time to remain in the Holy Alliance.

He secured Onglwok’s opportunity to audit classes at the Holy Machinery Court Pope University, expanding his knowledge.

Additionally, due to this major event’s occurrence, he could finally attend his friend Vidallia’s wedding.

The date was set for spring, February 1st.

Compared to the originally planned December 5th, it was postponed by more than a month.

The reason was straightforward: couples marrying near this time received invitations.

They were asked whether they wished to host a collective wedding with the Saint’s Grandson.

Was there any doubt?

Hosting a wedding with the Saint Sun Pope was a tremendous honor.

A count showed nearly a thousand newlyweds attempted to register for the opportunity to marry alongside Horn.

If Madlan hadn’t urgently called a halt, even more couples from outer counties might have joined the celebration.

The new year passed, snow melted into spring.

As the snow cap melted, revealing timepieces, clock chimes echoed throughout the Holy Mechanical Court.

The spring of 1458 arrived.

A major distinction in the spring of 1458 compared to previous years was Insula’s widespread disappearance, replaced by numerous construction sites.

Colossal spring mechanism cranes spanned the streets, hoisting structured components and setting them upon roof beams.

Most seven-story apartment buildings now bore massive external spring mechanism gears.

The exposure was convenient for maintenance, unlike steam engines, spring mechanisms didn’t require airtight sealing.

Additionally, it aimed to reduce ether loss during conduction, although this was merely a belief.

Through calculations from scholars like Loton, metal casings didn’t affect ether conduction.

Yet the public insisted strongly, forcing developers to comply with this misconception.

Furthermore, atop these Holy Alliance apartment buildings appeared giant water tower barrels.

This was the result of the Holy Alliance’s tap water system coming into operation.

Within the ether clock range, spring water pumps created vital supply stations within several Holy Alliance neighborhoods.

Vast amounts of brass were used in plumbing, and Slime Gel purified the river water inside the water towers.

Nowadays, Holy Mechanical Court residents no longer needed to wake up early to fetch water or purchase from water carriage vendors, unlike Imperial People or other Holy Alliance city dwellers.

They simply approached the water basin, turned on the tap, filled a kettle, and placed it over a three-eye coal stove to heat.

After washing their face and brushing their teeth, hot water was ready, and they could retrieve Mountain County’s specialty nut oatmeal from the cupboard, mixed with hot water and sugar.

Along with boiled eggs and half a sausage, it constituted their breakfast.

If they subscribed to milk delivery, they would find freshly milked daily milk from outer city pastures in a transparent glass bottle sealed with a cork in the downstairs mailbox.

Warming the milk in hot water, pouring it into the oatmeal, the taste was unbeatable.

After eating and drinking, retrieving the newspaper from the mailbox, tucked underarm, they headed to the long rain pavilion outside.

Not long awaited, a city train would slowly arrive.

Boarding the carriage, under daylight, they could read the newspaper, checking for any big news of the day.

At times, Aleksey would deliberately take the early train to observe the streams of people.

Some came from villages, some from foreign countries, with occupations ranging from workers to scholars.

Appearance-wise, they bore little difference to the Norn people, mostly dressed more luxuriously.

But Aleksey always felt something was different, after half a month it struck him.

The Holy Alliance people all carried faces untouched by aggression.

Even though merely spending another three or four months, Aleksey felt he gained much knowledge.

These Holy Mechanical Court citizens gradually developed a distinctly different civic culture from the Imperial People.

However, his observation and investigation ended here.

Today was already January 31st, tomorrow the collective wedding of the Saint’s Grandson and many newlyweds.

Following the wedding, Aleksey would head north.

This time, he must journey north!