When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1156 The Promise of the Galloping Horse
The starlight is fading, and dawn is breaking in the east.

As the black luxury carriage traveled along the streets of the Holy Alliance, the wheels of the carriage rolled over the cobblestones with almost no sound.

Inside the carriage, Prince Spongi leaned back on the leather cushions, originally intending to ponder the news in the newspaper a little longer.

But the seat beneath him was so comfortable that he kept feeling sleepy.

The carriage under his buttocks was a gift that Theodora had given him last year.

It was fitted with the latest springs from Saint Union and wheels made of hardened slime.

The streets of this Holy Alliance are even flatter than the Royal Square in Tunaburg.

The wheels barely vibrated as they rolled over the road, producing only a soft "rustling" sound, almost like someone gently brushing feathers next to your ear.

The Great Khan vaguely thought about how the Holy Alliance was trying to win over the hearts and minds of the people.

Previously, when I took a horse-drawn carriage in Frankfurt, even the most luxurious and comfortable carriage could make my back ache from the bumpy ride on the cobblestone streets of the city.

Unlike now, I can lean against the cushions as if I were lying on my own bed.

He wanted to loudly criticize the Holy Alliance for its "trivial tricks; a real man should be so obsessed with it that he'd throw up," but the Holy Alliance's approach was just too easy to follow.

Not long after, the king fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, a sudden surge of noise, like a splash of cold water, pulled Spongi out of his dream.

He opened his eyes abruptly, his mind still reeling: "Where am I? What's that noise outside?"

"We've arrived at the Expo Park."

Outside the car, there were shouts, the rustling of flags, children crying, and adults yelling.

"What's going on?" He rubbed his eyes and reached out to lift the carriage curtain.

The carriage curtain was made of thick canvas with brass buttons sewn along the edges.

He hooked his fingertips onto the brass buckle, pulled it upwards, and a gust of wind mixed with the smell of bread, sweat, and dust immediately rushed in.

Upon seeing this, Sibangqi's eyes widened instantly.

The suburban park on the north bank was originally a small lake in an open area, with flowers, grass and trees.

Now it's so crowded with people that you can't even see the original green grass anymore.

From his carriageway all the way to the fence in the distance, there was a sea of ​​heads.

Some were waving small flags of the Holy Alliance, while others were entering in disheveled clothes.

There were also a dozen or so vendors, pushing their carts like dragons, weaving through the crowd, managing to precisely avoid the night watchmen.

A little further ahead, someone shouted, "Fellow believers, want tickets? Front row for the best view!"

“Thirty or forty thousand people… I’m not exaggerating.” Sibangqi clicked his tongue.

The biggest scene he had ever seen at the Krabby Patty was the gathering of the thirteen kings, which numbered only a few thousand.

But right now, there are at least tens of thousands of them that he can see.

Clothes of all colors were crammed together: red, blue, gray, jackets, vests, shawls, riding suits, hoods, silk, wool, cobwebs, linen—you name it.

There were also some people wearing Holy Alliance uniforms walking around inside, which were particularly conspicuous.

Those were Chekas and Night's Watchmen; Spongi recognized them at a glance.

The Cheka wore black leather armor with a wind-up musket at their waist, while the Night Watchmen wore dark gray uniforms and carried iron bars.

They would stop people trying to push forward from time to time, shouting, "Don't push! Follow the order! The only way to get to the observation deck is through the east side passage!"

Spongi witnessed a man in a coarse cloth coat trying to crawl under the fence.

He had barely poked half his body out when the night watchman grabbed him by the back of the collar and dragged him out: "I said no crawling in! Didn't you see the sign?"

The man was about to argue when Cheka approached.

Upon seeing the Cheka armed with a short gun, the man immediately cowered and shrank back.

Looking at the scene, Si Bangqi curled his lip and said, "Hmph, all they know how to do is bully ordinary people."

He said that, but in his heart he couldn't help but sigh. If this were at the Krabby Patty, so many people crammed together would have been fighting long ago.

The security situation in the Holy Alliance is...

“Your Majesty, shall we go directly to the entrance to the viewing platform? The carriage can get there, but it's a bit slow.” Staring at the surging crowd outside the carriage, Sibangqi suddenly changed his mind: “No need, I'll walk.”

"Huh?" The driver was taken aback. "The crowd is too dense. If you walk through..."

"It's better to squeeze in." Spongi pushed open the car door and jumped out.

He bent down and got out of the car, then walked forward with the flow of people.

After walking a few steps, I heard someone shouting nearby: "If the press truck comes, we'll pay double; if it doesn't come, we'll pay one!"

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a Mediterranean man in a linen shirt squatting on the ground.

In front of him was a wooden board with pictures of motorcycles and red fork motorcycles, surrounded by a group of people.

Spongi turned his head and looked in that direction.

Then a man pulled out a few dinars and put them on the locomotive: "I'm bringing in a locomotive! The Holy Alliance can even build the Wayne Dam, how could their locomotives be any worse?"

Someone immediately retorted: "Are you stupid? It was bombed just a few days ago! Fifteen cars in ten days? Even my donkey wouldn't believe it!"

As he spoke, he placed the money on the red-forked motorcycle over there.

Sibangqi stood by and watched. When he saw someone pressing a machine and it didn't come, he smiled. When he saw someone pressing a machine and it came, he pouted.

He estimated that the number of believers and non-believers in the Holy Alliance was roughly 50/50.

After those who squeezed through the circle of people gambling, the crowd in front loosened up a bit.

Spongi saw a young man in a blue jacket holding up a copy of Pravda and loudly reading the article: "Master Leonardo's precision lathe can process twenty drive shafts a day! The dwarf craftsmen work in three shifts, and there is no shortage of parts!"

Immediately, someone nearby started jeering: "What's the use of chanting loudly? Where's the motorcycle? Come out and show it to us!"

"that is!"

The young man blushed and wanted to retort, but when he opened his mouth, he could only repeat, "It's all written in the newspaper," which drew a burst of laughter.

As Si Bangqi watched, he felt a strange unease in his heart.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, he finally arrived at the foot of the viewing platform.

This viewing platform is a temporary wooden platform, more than three meters higher than the surrounding ground.

The perimeter was surrounded by a rough wooden railing, on which hung the banners of the Holy League.

With his VIP invitation, Spongi was immediately led up the side ladder by the Night Watchmen. As soon as he stood still, his attention was drawn to the scene before him.

Opposite the observation deck is a wide open space, divided in two.

To the left was a rammed dirt road, with eight tall horses tethered beside it. The grooms were leading the horses back and forth, stroking their manes.

To the right is a gleaming railway track that stretches backward into the distant woods and forward to the exhibition area on the north bank.

A wooden fence surrounds the dirt road and railway tracks.

Behind the fence were rows of wooden, mountain-shaped platforms, which were already packed with people. Most people could only stand or go to the more distant earthen slopes to look out.

Spongi narrowed his eyes. The carriageway was ready, but what about the railway tracks... where was the locomotive?

Oh dear, could it be that it's not finished yet?
Stroking the wine flask beneath his coat, a smile involuntarily crept onto Si Bangqi's lips.

If the motorcycle doesn't arrive or is late, he will have the leverage to deny the promise to ride the galloping horse.

In this way, he can bring Theodora back without any moral condemnation and also slap the face of the Holy Alliance.

It’s a win-win situation!
"Where's the locomotive? Wasn't it supposed to be on schedule?" Spongi deliberately raised his voice. "It's not still not finished, is it?"

Now, not only those below the observation deck, but also those on the observation deck, including the wealthiest family investors in Fran and several Norn businessmen, started whispering among themselves.

"Could it really not be finished?"

"I knew it! The Holy Alliance was definitely lying!"

The initial murmurs grew louder and louder as more and more people arrived.

Some busybodies or gamblers even started throwing pebbles at the railway tracks while shouting, "Liar! Liar!"

Standing on the observation deck, listening to these words, Sibangqi felt a bit conflicted.

On the one hand, he felt a sense of triumph, but on the other hand, he had a vague feeling that things were not so simple.

(End of this chapter)