When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 768 It's You, Sir

Meliati's policies worked.

Taxes that were meant to pay the Norn debt became payments for the Stonecrush War Bonds.

Either buy it back at a 20% discount, or keep it and return it with interest next year.

Most people who were eligible for repurchase chose to do so.

After all, this battle was a disastrous defeat. Who knows how long it will take Meliati to recover.

As for the repurchase qualifications, most of them were distributed to the nobles of the mountain faction and the wealthy merchants and citizens who were on good terms with them.

The noble knights of the Plains faction, as well as ordinary citizens or citizens who made small purchases, did not get a penny.

This has instead intensified the anger of ordinary people. Why can they buy back the bonds while we can only let them stay in our hands?

Then, as Herman had expected, larger-scale riots broke out.

…………

The rotten leaves made a tiny rustling sound on the soles of Matthias's boots as he climbed up the century-old stone steps to the ruined terrace of the monastery.

The moonlight penetrated the collapsed dome, illuminating the seven hundred and sixty-eight burlap-covered faces below.

The seven hundred and sixty-eight war bond holders were now stroking the Iris Bonds hidden in their arms. The intricate patterns on the paper had already turned black due to sweat.

"They call this a bond, an IOU." The small wine merchant held up the yellowed bond, which rustled in the autumn wind. "It is only natural to pay back a debt. We don't even charge interest, and we'll even pay half the principal.

But Meliati still doesn't want to return the cousin's name. Is this still called borrowing? This is called robbing!"

The crowd let out suppressed sobs, which echoed throughout the empty monastery.

Their savings had already been drained by war bonds, and now they had to work even harder to build flood diversion canals and flood control levees.

Where is the civilian camp?

Calling it hell is not an exaggeration!

Matthias pointed to the faint lights in the east: "We were driven to death by them, but they are still enjoying the wonderful banquet and night. We, we..."

At the end of his speech, his voice even choked, and the sobs triggered a burst of desperate cries.

“Although life in the king’s era is hard and tiring, at least people will not lie.” The old hunter wrapped in bear skin suddenly roared and slammed his fist on the stone slab.

"First they take our money, and then they force us to build the canal." A down-and-out knight shouted in the crowd.

"Now you have to pay taxes to them even for buying a cemetery plot!"

"I said that woman doesn't look like a good person!"

The crowd began to stir, a few young tenant farmers drew their pitchforks, blacksmiths swung their hammers, and citizens raised their swords.

Seeing the atmosphere getting heated, Matthias screamed with tears in his voice: "In the basement of the town hall in Oranbo Town, there is still the last batch of unturned deposits!
Since Melia won't give it to us, well, we'll get it back ourselves! That's our hard-earned money."

“Yes, I will come back in person.”

“Hard-earned money!!!”

"Roar--"

"let's go!"

Piles of torches formed a long line and headed towards the town of Oranbo in the pre-dawn moonlight.

As the crowd roared, Matthias quietly walked down the terrace.

He bent over and rubbed his hands: "My Lord Baron, how did I do?"

"Very good. When you choked up, I thought it was real." The voice in the shadow laughed.

"Baron, you were also unable to buy back the bonds? Why should you..."

"Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask." The baron interrupted Matthias with a cold voice, "When you are ready, let's go."

…………

When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the morning mist, the night watchman Colby had just stepped out into the street carrying a gong, his eyes full of sparks.

Countless masked men poured out from seven street corners at the same time. Before he could shout, the leader swung a flail and hit him.

"In the name of Blue Bee!"

Young Colby fell in a pool of blood with his mouth open.

The roar shook the dew off the eaves and woke up the sleeping townspeople.

They looked out of the window cautiously, and saw more than 700 thugs smashing everything they saw. The iron fence of the jewelry store was pulled down by a carriage, and dozens of masked men were fighting for the sapphire necklace in the velvet box.

A burning smell wafted out of the bakery, and the thugs dragged the baker and rushed out of the shop while chewing bread.

The most elite group of them, led by down-and-out knights and bankrupt petty nobles, headed straight for the town hall.

"Who are you?"

The gatekeeper mustered up the courage to say this, and a dagger pierced through his chest with a "whoosh".

The gray-haired old gatekeeper lay in a pool of blood, with countless feet trampling over him.

Soon, the iron-clad oak door of the town hall collapsed under the impact of the battering ram.

Rushing into the town hall and killing the high and mighty masters, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing another iron-clad oak door of the treasury, Matthias cursed: "Damn it! Keep smashing it!"

This time, before the bell tower could be smashed a few times, the lookout on the bell tower fell down screaming: "Stop smashing it! The army is coming!"

"The Army?!" Matthias's shrill voice was out of tune. "It's been less than two hours!"

He thought that he had kept this trip quite secret and that he just wanted to take the opportunity to grab some money.

Why, why did Yihe lose so quickly?
…………

The sound of the six-sided iron rods breaking through the air was like a swarm of bees passing by. The first wave of transport soldiers who jumped off the side of the ship advanced in neat steps.

Any thug who came into contact with them fell to the ground as if ice and snow were melting.

These soldiers wearing leather armor specifically target joints.

Broken knees, broken elbows, split shoulders, wails followed by the sounds of cracking bones.

"Ah, help, help—"

A thug with a broken ankle was about to crawl away when he was immediately hit by a spinning kick on the back of the head.

These "mountain people" have been practicing martial arts since childhood, but they cannot compare with the regular army in terms of battle formation.

But when it comes to small-scale fights involving dozens of people, they are all too familiar with them.

Especially in a small town, this terrain is more suitable for display.

"Wedge formation!" The team leader tore off the ribbon that was in the way, and the ten people behind him suddenly formed a formation, with iron sticks forming a vortex of death.

Two thugs holding door panels were knocked to the ground as soon as they rushed out.

The door panel was kicked away, and several feet stepped on it at the same time, and blood plasma spurted out of the mouth along with broken teeth.

"Ahhh-"

Behind the window, a third cooperating thug rushed out.

However, his pitchfork was twisted away by the iron rod as soon as he stabbed it out, and the next second, six iron rods were swung at him at the same time.

The sound of bones breaking one after another caused the thug, who was originally a farmer, to fall to the ground instantly.

But a knight's sword suddenly stabbed out from the shadow, and the captain barely turned sideways, but half of his shoulder armor was still cut off.

"It's the Languedoc style of thrust!" Before the adjutant finished speaking, the "thug" wearing tattered chain mail had already rushed into the formation, and the tip of his sword knocked down three people in succession like a venomous snake.

More down-and-out knights who had been hiding in the crowd appeared, and they specifically targeted the gaps in the transport soldiers' visors.

The commanders finally reacted and picked up their spears and bows in shock and anger.

Climbing up the bell tower, Matthias could see the hellish street scene:

The transport soldier's iron rod smashed the farmer's head into his chest, and the knight's bloody rapier was pulled out from the seam of the soldier's armor under his armpit.

The pharmacy owner used a pestle to smash the robber's teeth, but before she could be happy for a few seconds, a stray arrow shot through her neck.

Adults held their children and hid under the counter of the tailor shop, trembling as they listened to the sound of the beams breaking above their heads.

"Saints above..." The wine merchant's confused prayer was interrupted by a rumbling sound.

It was the sound of a clockwork cannon hitting the wooden bell tower, and along with the sound of the brass bell, Mathias fell from the sky.

At the moment of falling, he saw clearly the people in the square.

Baron Raymond, the nobleman who commanded and instigated him to attack the town of Oranbe.

He was commanding the transport soldiers to put out the fire with a righteous look on his face. The ring on his hand, representing the Blue Bee, shone bright red in the firelight.

(End of this chapter)