When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 819 - 770: The Bell Tolls

"Mr. Gigano, why did you suddenly rush here today?" Horn naturally showcased his social skills as he opened the door and embraced Mr. Gigano.

Mr. Gigano initially wanted to follow the Falan etiquette and kiss Horn's cheek, but Horn evaded it.

Mr. Gigano smiled lightly, "Mr. Horn, I have some good news for you. Our king has officially approved your national debt request."

"So quickly?" Horn was quite surprised and delighted. It had only been twenty days, and September wasn't over yet, but they had already agreed.

Mr. Gigano drew a character on his forehead: "His Majesty The King has been touring for hunting recently, just near Red Leaf Hill.

Your request took only a week to reach His Majesty's hands. His Majesty, being benevolent, approved it on the spot.

To show their loyalty, the local nobles of Red Leaf Hill made lavish purchases as well.

Reportedly, they purchased nearly 60,000 gold pounds on-site, and His Majesty generously spent over 40,000 gold pounds on bonds, rounding it off for you."

Although Mr. Gigano spoke in a seemingly ordinary manner, Horn immediately recognized it as a form of historical embellishment.

The truth, when restored, should be:

King Charles VIII used the pretext of touring and hunting to inspect the armies across various regions.

It seemed he was preparing for the upcoming attack on Windmill Land.

Conveniently, when Horn's letter arrived, King Charles VIII simply brought his army and coerced the local nobles into funding Horn.

Firstly, to weaken the Red Leaf Hill nobles' power, preventing the estate nobles from causing trouble during the war.

Secondly, to support Horn and indirectly strike the Falan, striving for a strategic advantage in the battle against Leia.

Thirdly, even if Horn lost, with these bonds, Charles VIII would have a reason to interfere in the affairs of Thousand River Valley.

Testing Red Leaf Hill nobles' loyalty under pressure and letting the Leia people bear the infamy was a threefold advantage.

"That's great." Horn couldn't help but clap his hands. With this funding, his market rescue plan could finally take off.

"This is the first batch of bonds," Mr. Gigano smiled. "His Majesty is encouraging other estate nobles to purchase more, promising an additional 100,000 gold pounds next year."

It must be said, the development of the Holy Alliance and Thousand River Valley to this point genuinely owes a debt of gratitude to King Charles VIII.

This lord has provided hundreds of thousands of gold pounds in explicit and implicit benefits to the Holy Alliance over time, truly putting in considerable effort.

Why does it seem a bit excessive? After calming down, Horn suddenly sensed something was amiss.

He stared at the smiling Mr. Gigano, "Is there any message for me from the King or Prime Minister?"

"Hahaha, no wonder Prime Minister Lorenzo often comments that 'between us, there's a tacit understanding.'" Mr. Gigano handed a letter to Horn.

Hearing that it was a letter from Prime Minister Lorenzo, Horn even let out a sigh of relief.

Previously, he had communicated with King Charles VIII, but there was something off about this king.

He often wrote strange comments like "I am this kind of man" or "I don't know how to cherish you if you defeat Leia," making Horn shiver without fail.

When he unfolded the letter, unlike Charles VIII, Lorenzo's signature sharp and cold penmanship came rushing forward:

"To the Clockmaker Bishop of Thousand River Valley:

Your request to apply for a national debt from our country, I believe King Charles VIII has already approved.

If Leah attacks and you can resist, it would be best. Subsequent aid will continue to arrive continuously.

I know you've emulated my intelligence network to form an organization called Cheka.

Perhaps we can build trust in our alliance through shared intelligence, which will be the first step.

Finally, my little bird provided a piece of information that I believe will be helpful to you.

After defeating Duke Nedbach, although King Jinijis himself remains on Dawn Island, his Royal Guard Captain and twelve command squads have recently arrived in Immortal Stone Field.

I hope you will be cautious.

Your friendly collaborator, Lorenzo."

Royal Guard Captain, it should be that man named Raffel.

Armand's intelligence gathered from Windmill Land mentioned this person.

Don't be misled by his position as just a Royal Guard Captain; it seems like a low official rank, but it's actually akin to the Kingdom Commander in the Falan Kingdom.

The Captain leads the King's elite infantry, the King's Guard, numbering around 7,500.

Unlike the command squads, the King's Guard is usually directly commanded by the King himself.

This army was created in imitation of the Deng Jia'er Array by the former King of Leia after the ambiguous victory at the Battle of Windmill Land.

In the civil war, King Jinijis further refined this army, keeping only the most elite portions.

Generally speaking, where the Royal Guard Captain is, the King's Guard is also.

So, after defeating Nedbach, why did King Jinijis not return home or attack Windmill Land, but instead place elite forces in Immortal Stone Field?

Wait, a cold sweat trickled down Horn's forehead.

The Duke of Wing Nest suddenly excavating Innocent Dam.

Some troops returned to Immortal Stone Field.

Mysterious rumors about the identity of Moliat from Hotam County.

A seemingly inexplicable uprising.

The Plain Faction nobles desperately colluding and causing trouble.

And the Falan quickly approving the loan he hoped to borrow.

Charles VIII even took money out of his own pocket, giving Horn four thousand gold pounds.

Horn began to feel uneasy, while Mr. Gigano obediently stood up, "I've reported the situation; you may do as you wish, sir."

......

Horn's fingers tapped rapidly on the gilded gear-decorated tabletop, the ticking of the brass clock and the rhythm of the heartbeat resonating in the room.

As Martin unfurled a sheepskin map, Catherine had already marked Hotam County's riot areas in red and blue ink.

"Seven towns erupting in riots within three days couldn't have been spontaneous," Catherine inserted a Dick gold pen into the ink bottle, her eyebrows knitting into a stormy expression.

Martin struck the capital city of Hotam County heavily with his knuckles, "The insurgents precisely burned three military food warehouses, the Holy Path monks were cut—damn it, why are we only reacting now?!"

"Who would have thought Jinijis would abandon Windmill Land and attack Thousand River Valley instead? Even Thorn Garden should be ahead of us." Catherine scratched her hair into a mess.

Horn sat on the couch, his face expressionless. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Through this intelligence, Jinijis's actions were becoming increasingly clear.

First, he reached an agreement with the Duke of Wing Nest, swapping territories, instructing him to excavate the dam and unleash a flood.

Next, he attacked Duke Nedbach, raising military funds by auctioning lands and secretly moving troops.

Finally, dispatching Demon Hunters and Shadowless Men spies into Thousand River Valley in multiple waves.

The Broken Stone Primordial People deliberately provoked, luring Moliat to attack.

Then used the dam to "wash away" Moliat's influences and control, alleviating the nobility's fear of Moliat in Thousand River Valley.

Subsequently, expanding the discord through the influence of noble groups, instigating friction and igniting riots.

The next step was now glaringly obvious.

"Leia is very likely to invade before the end of the year, perhaps even within days," Horn said, silencing the two previously engrossed in intense discussion.

It seemed as if the dust motes dancing in the sunlight had also paused.

The Leia people were going to invade, not next June, not next April, but this year, perhaps imminently.

Martin and Catherine both felt an itch in their throats as if something was lodged there.

This scene of time standing still was shattered by a knock on the door.

"Your Eminence, a Cheka commissioner is here." A Secret Monk poked his head out from behind the door.

"Let him in."

Clad in a black uniform, the Cheka commissioner entered the room like a hound, swiftly moving to Horn's side.

"We have to warn Herman," Martin finally said to Catherine as if awakening from a dream.

Catherine's gaze remained fixed entirely on Horn's face.

Catherine noticed the sudden constriction of the Great Shepherd's pupils—the first time she had seen such a reaction since knowing Horn.

Seeing Catherine's disregard, Martin turned to Horn, "Your Eminence, we must warn Herman."

Taking a deep breath, Horn tugged at his collar, "It's too late."

"Too late... what do you mean?"

"Last night, the garrison at Stone Hand Castle and Iron Helmet Castle mutinied.

With the guidance of noble adjutants, several knights killed the garrison commanders and the Military Chaplain, surrendering to the pioneering army of twelve command squadrons from Immortal Stone Field..."

Horn's throat tightened as he stood, walked to the counter, and poured himself a glass of pine nut liquor for the first time.

"Now the Leia vanguard is less than twenty miles from Iron Gate Town."

The large clock on the bottom floor of Uffizi Palace suddenly chimed.