When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1253 A Thousand Miles in a Day

The cold rain of early spring drizzled down, as if the river water was being held back by the raindrops, rather than the raindrops creating ripples.

Along the winding river, patches of snow with blackened edges still remain, and sturgeon occasionally kiss the white snow.

Herringburg, located on a major road, is stuck in the snow.

Standing at the foot of the city and looking up, the black stone walls of Herring Fortress are about ten meters high, with dark green moss climbing all over the base of the walls.

Looking further, at the east and west corners, there were two towers that had been converted into gun emplacements, their muzzles dark and occasionally letting out a booming sound.

As for the muddy ground outside the fortress, it was the first batch of Norn regular troops who arrived.

When they set out, they were enthusiastic Norn youths eager to defend their homeland. After five weeks of hunger, marching, and killing, they had become bandits.

Most of those who refused to become bandits died on the road.

The tents were crookedly pitched on the muddy ground, and a dark gray woolen coat hung on a broken spear, swirling with mud when the wind blew.

Nearly a hundred bearded Norn soldiers, wounded and covered in dust, helped each other back, talking loudly as they walked.

"That's a bullshit castle."

"Those citizens really want to die..."

"Does anyone have extra tobacco? I need the Saint Union's leaf tobacco..."

"Good taste, my friend."

"If we can't take the city, once it's breached, we'll kill the men and the women..."

"Shut up!" A sharp shout came from the back of the group.

Pastor Bethorn of the Holy Path Sect, clutching the "Pope's Sayings," frowned deeply: "Still talking about this? If it weren't for you, would the citizens have rebelled? And now you dare to mention massacring the city?"

The soldiers turned their heads away and lowered their voices, but spittle still sprayed into the rain: "You're talking without thinking, aren't you? We're starving to death, what are we supposed to do?"

This is the truth. It's not that they are born with a love for robbing and stealing; it's just that if they don't rob or steal, they will starve or freeze to death.

Bethorn didn't know what to say for a moment, and could only sigh.

This situation would never occur if it were in the Holy Alliance.

It's not just because the Holy Alliance has a clean political system, but also because the Holy Alliance has good roads and its logistics and transportation efficiency is two to three times higher than that of Norn.

"Don't worry, Saint Sun won't stand idly by after something like this happened." Bethorn was still trying to restore morale. "Reinforcements will be here soon."

"hehe."

The soldiers remained silent; the Holy Alliance's support was at least two thousand miles away.

How will they provide support? Will the Holy Grandson display some divine magic and tens of thousands of people fly over to help?
Don't be ridiculous.

"Then, if you ever get hungry again, just tell me, and I'll give you my bread."

After hearing Bethorn's words, the surrounding soldiers fell silent.

Besides being a priest sent by the Holy Alliance to support Norn, Bethorn is also a highly skilled physician.

He starved to death, and even more people died in the army camp.

The Norn soldiers kicked at the mud, staring blankly at the stone walls of Herring Fortress, unsure of what to do.

If I had known, I would have grabbed fewer spots.

Or to put it more bluntly, they might as well just run away; they shouldn't have even come in the first place.

With such weather, road conditions, and troop deployment, how could they possibly breach the castle in time?

When the blame is placed on them, they will suffer the consequences!
It's better to run away early; that way, you'll suffer less.

As for vampires? Can they be more vicious than the lord?

Looking at the silent and cold soldiers, Bethorn sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time today.

In the past two days, there have been sporadic desertions. If this continues, these hundreds of people may all run away.

Holy Father, when will you send your help?
Bethorn raised his head, looked at the gray sky, and prayed silently.

Just as he looked down, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow in the clouds.

He wiped his glasses and looked again, but saw nothing. He was too tired; he was even hallucinating. Bethorn shook his head and turned to leave.

I had only taken a few steps when I heard a series of exclamations behind me.

"what is that?"

How can there be a ship in the sky?

"The Father has appeared to us!"

Compared to the cold outside the castle, the pine hall of Herring Castle was warm and cozy.

Pine wood burned in the fireplace, the flames leaped and crackled, and the air was filled with a pleasant pine scent.

The place where the Grand Prince of Herring Castle once held meetings has been completely occupied by the citizens.

As for the king himself, he was said to have hung his head from the rafters and pricked his thigh with an awl, but his torso is nowhere to be found.

Around the pine wood square table, the two guild leaders and a nobleman were both excited and apprehensive.

The three people sat around a wooden table, while on the other side sat a person in a black cloak, who could perhaps not be called a person.

Beneath his heavy cloak, the skin exposed at the collar had a pale blue and deathly pallor, a trait only seen in vampire skin.

Collins, a spy from the royal court, was key to the three citizens' courage to rise up and their eventual success.

If Corinthians hadn't killed the Highlord's guards in time and persuaded the remaining knights to surrender, this wouldn't have been so easy.

"The Norn's meager provisions won't last three days," the slicked-back bread guild leader rubbed his hands together. "Once the vampire army arrives, we'll be the ones who get the most credit!"

He touched the stolen brass key at his waist; it belonged to the city hall's storage room: "Then, the mayor's position..."

"What's your hurry?" the short, stout blacksmith leader immediately interrupted. "Even if the mayor doesn't say so, I'll be the captain of the guard. I can forge the best armor for the vampire!"

For the two of them, wasn't the goal of seizing the city simply to become mayor?
Collins held up his ceramic cup, took a sip of hot ale, and smiled slightly: "You've done a great job. Once we take Pigeon Fortress, the master will not treat you unfairly."

His voice was soft, yet it carried a reassuring power.

However, his words still betrayed an uncontrollable arrogance and contempt.

Those who eat meat are contemptible; it is estimated that only noble blood-eaters like him are born rulers.

On this trip, he made a tremendous contribution, essentially single-handedly breaching half of the Pigeon Fortress.

But is that enough? No, it's not!
One Pigeon Fortress isn't enough! Besides Pigeon Fortress, we also need to take down the Cheeseburger!

He observed that Herring Fortress was well-defended and had artillery emplacements.

After killing the Great Lord, the inhabitants, both inside and outside the city, united as one and resolved to fight to the death to serve the vampires, refusing to compromise with the Norn.

This is normal. After doing something like this, if they let the army in, wouldn't the Norn people massacre the city?

Therefore, the possibility of holding this castle is not low, as not many troops can be mobilized from the vicinity.

He has already arranged for his nearby vampire spies to sabotage the roads or assassinate important nobles, in order to slow down the arrival of the Norn regular army.

As long as he can hold out for two weeks until the royal army arrives.

Not only is the herring burger his, but he can also claim credit for the destruction of the cheeseburger.

The only one worth considering is the Holy Alliance.

It's not that I'm afraid they'll come to help; that's impossible.

What they fear is actually interference from the Cheka, but the Cheka haven't been in Norn for long, and at least Corinth hasn't encountered any formidable opponents yet.

"Alright, now we just need to wait for the army to arrive..."

Just then, Knight Cook, who had been dozing by the window, rubbed his eyes and suddenly stood up.

"Mr. Cook, what's wrong?" the blacksmith's master asked, puzzled.

Cook didn't answer; he just pressed his face firmly against the glass.

"What's wrong?" Collins felt something was off, so he stood up and went to the window. Then, like Cook, he froze.

"Look... in the sky, what's that in the sky?"

(End of this chapter)