When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1115 The Holy Alliance and France

As the chill of autumn seeps into Square Docklands, the clamor of war seems to fade into the distance.

If it weren't for the many new tombstones added to the cemetery outside the city church, many people would still think this period of time was a dream.

Especially since the Dawn Island Defense Council finally lifted military control over Square Wolfsburg two weeks ago, the city's vitality has finally returned.

Regardless, the Holy See ended the war, and the people of Skolston were still very grateful.

The fact that the Guardians of the Faith left behind a few local Christian believers to manage the city caused some dissatisfaction among many guild leaders in the city.

Although they didn't contribute much, they were the backbone of the city, and they should have a place no matter who came.

However, many members of the Church of the Father or its subordinate fraternities believe that it's good if the leader doesn't appear.

If you're not doing well, then we'll be doing well!

Everyone knows the Holy Alliance's policy: once the order to dissolve the guilds is issued, they will all be free.

Many artisans and ordinary people even went to taverns early to celebrate with champagne.

After the military control ended, citizens who had been cooped up for a month flocked to pubs to let loose.

Sitting on a round, nailed chair, the proprietress in the kitchen busily flipped eggs in a frying pan, the air filled with the aroma of oil and rosemary.

Amidst the lingering scent, a man with a heavy Dawn Island accent was shouting:

"Okay, next one."

"Regent Omes of Leia has ordered the contraction of the northern defense line, and no more troops will be sent to Dawn Island."

According to a confidential report from the French embassy, ​​the Royal Family of Leia has privately reached an agreement with France, acknowledging that Dawn Island has been removed from Leia's jurisdiction, but its status still needs to be negotiated.

"Where's down there?"

"Gone."

"Old Father Harvey, do you not even know the words below? It's so short!"

"Bullshit! When I was learning to read, you were still eating shit in your crib!"

This "newspaper-reading priest" was just a colloquial nickname; the person was not a priest. It was usually just a literate citizen with a loud voice.

Their job was simple: to act as human radios, reading newspapers aloud to the tavern's patrons.

Yes, Dawn Island now has newspapers too.

However, these newspapers are mostly only published in urban areas, and almost every city has its own newspaper.

As for the newspaper that old Harvey was reading, it was the Okinawa News.

Owen City has always been a staunch supporter of the Holy Alliance, but it's strange that it has suddenly become neutral today.

"Negotiation? Negotiate with whom?" A man dressed as a farmer put down his wine glass in the corner and asked blankly.

He had carried a halberd in the Guardians of the Church last month, and the scar on his chest hadn't fully healed yet.

If you win, the victory should belong to the Holy Alliance. What's the point of negotiating?
The monks of the Holy Alliance gave him seeds so that his son could attend the Legion School and learn to read.

The Holy Alliance won this battle, and they even have a three-year tax exemption policy. Who else would you choose if not the Holy Alliance?
Old Harvey cleared his throat and turned to the second page of the newspaper, where a bold headline was printed.

A Letter from the Kingdom of Fran to the People of Dawn Island

"See that?" Old Harvey tapped the newspaper with his finger. "Fran said that as long as we ally with them, merchant ships from Dawn Island will not have to pay tolls when crossing the Nauan River, and our craftsmen can receive craft certificates issued by the royal family when they go to Fran—can the Holy Alliance offer that?"

The diners immediately erupted in excitement.

Tom, a merchant who made his fortune transporting grain by river, rubbed the calluses on his hands and laughed: "That's more like it! The Holy Alliance is far away in the Thousand River Valley, while the Fran is just across the river!"

A leather merchant standing nearby nodded in agreement: "I thank the Holy Alliance, but that doesn't mean Dawn Island should be incorporated into the Holy Alliance."

The diners were both happy and worried, and began to whisper among themselves.

Only the farmer remained silent. He touched the scar on his chest and thought of the Holy Alliance officer in the Guardians of the Faith who had taught him how to fire a gun.

The man spoke with a Thousand River Valley accent, and was very stern, yet he would share his sausages with wounded soldiers during training.

"Shouldn't we be grateful to the Holy Alliance?"

“We respect the Holy Alliance, but that doesn’t mean we have to be like them. That would be too exhausting.”

"But……"

He was about to say those words when the murmurs of the room drowned him out.

Tom glanced at him with disdain, as if to say, "What do you know about trade, you hoe-wielding lad?"

Old Harvey continued reading, the words on the newspaper pricking like needles: "The Holy Way Sect proposes to implement a new land survey, and all land belonging to the old nobles should be taken over and distributed by monks."

"If Dawn Island falls to the Holy Alliance, the guilds should lift the restrictions on their members' personal freedom..." "What?!" Tom slammed his hand on the table, splashing the ale in his glass. "Without guilds, everyone's going to be a craftsman, producing the same thing. How are we supposed to make money?!"

These words drew a chorus of agreement, and even the few craftsmen who had previously shouted "Return to the Holy Alliance" frowned.

Their workshops also harbored many migrant workers!
With the situation so bad right now, where will we get the money if we don't exploit them?

The drinkers were still arguing, and no one noticed that the farmer quietly put down his glass, pocketed half a piece of dry bread, and left.

He was going to a farm on the outskirts of the city to deliver a message to his fellow villagers who had just finished harvesting wheat.

They've long hoped that Dawn Island could be transformed into a Holy Alliance, but judging from the current situation, the citizens don't seem to be willing.

If the Franz people come, will they still have the newly allocated land?
It was clearly the Holy Alliance that helped drive away the Leia people, so why is everyone praising the Frans now?

The wind direction changed faster than the autumn chill.

No one is talking about independence anymore. The oligarchs who were shouting about making their own laws just a few days ago have all fallen silent.

They calculated clearly that establishing an independent nation would require supporting an army and enacting tax laws, so it was far more cost-effective to ally with a powerful force.
They just want to do business.

The Holy Alliance wants to inspect warehouses and allocate land, while France grants privileges and tariff exemptions; anyone can do the math.

On the second floor of the tavern, listening to the commotion below, several local guild leaders and oligarchs were extremely excited.

On the mahogany table sat a bottle of French wine, the liquid shimmering in the stemmed glasses.

Mayor Valeris of Silvercastle pushed a thick document onto the center of the table.

The cover was printed with "Dawn Island Alliance Draft," and the heading was left blank, waiting for the name of the alliance leader to be filled in.

“Look at this, everyone.” Valery tapped the document, his finger tracing the clause on tariff reductions. “France has agreed that as long as we facilitate the alliance, we can do business directly with the French royal family without going through the middlemen, the Chamber of Commerce.”

Fran has also promised not to interfere with the workshops, guilds, finances, and laborers under our control.

Sitting opposite him was a shipping merchant from Leby, who was still fiddling with a gold pound in his hand: "What about the Holy Alliance?"

“I asked about it yesterday,” an oligarch said coldly. “The monks of the Holy Alliance are already taking stock of the land on Dawn Island. It seems our manor will be divided up.”

“Not so easy!” Gredding sneered, pulling a stack of Dawn Island newspapers from his pocket.

"See? The newspapers these past few days have all been praising Fran, and seven out of ten people say they want to ally with Fran—public opinion is in our hands, what can the Holy Alliance do?"

"Offending the Holy Alliance...it won't..."

"But don't they still have Fran to back them up? Besides, didn't the Holy Alliance say they respect the Dawn Islanders' own choices?"
Joining the Kingdom of Fran is the choice of the Dawn Islanders.

Looking at the righteous and stern Greedin, several oligarchs present secretly curled their lip in disapproval.

Who doesn't know that this Gredin took five hundred gold pounds from the Francans? Still pretending!

Despite knowing this, they still decided to choose Fran.

Let's see how the Holy Alliance treats wealthy households and guilds!

If the Holy Alliance faction comes to power, their fate will not be good.

A manor owner from the old aristocracy next to him raised his wine glass: "But what about those traitors?"

The traitors he referred to were actually numerous business owners who had partnered with the Holy Alliance.

Valeris put down his wine glass, his voice laced with disdain: "How many men could they possibly have? How many coins have they given to the Guardians of the Faith?"
They haven't even sent a million units of grain to the army, so why should I care about them?

As he spoke, he took out a stack of slips of paper from the drawer, covered with names written on them: "This is the list of farm owners in the suburbs. I have already spoken with them."

As long as they take the lead in shouting "Throw to France," their estates will still be under their control.

"Would the farmers dare disobey? Without the seeds and tools provided by the landowner, how would they survive the spring?"

Greedin added, "And the artisans, I had the Chamber of Commerce tell them that if it falls into the hands of the Holy Alliance, all the good stuff in their workshops will be confiscated."

If they choose the Francoid, the Francoid nobles will place even more orders with them. Don't they know which way to go?

"Once the reply from the French royal family arrives, we will be the federal leaders of Dawn Island."

The Holy Alliance? I hope they're alright. Let them stay in Thousand River Valley!

The people in the attic on the second floor laughed loudly, but it couldn't drown out the noise from the street outside.

Old Harvey was still reading the newspaper in the tavern, and the merchants in the market were still boasting about Fran to their customers.

No one noticed that the farmers squatting on the ridges of the fields and the craftsmen hiding in the corners of the workshops were secretly making connections.

Occasionally, he would reveal a ruthless expression.

(End of this chapter)