thenovelthief Chapter 501 - 500: Two Visits
Chapter 501 - 500: Two Visits
The first ray of morning sunlight cast its light upon the highest bell tower of Cecil Castle, gilding the city with the brilliance of the great sun. Accompanied by the operation of gears and levers, the mechanical clocks powered by the Magic Core resounded with loud chimes—
Dong—Dong—Dong—
With the chimes of the mechanical clocks, Cecil Castle shed its overnight slumber. The entire city rapidly came to life under the sunlight.
Workers, clothed in overalls, emerged from their brick-built homes, passed through the Gear Square and Lever Street of the industrial zone, and marched in groups towards the Rune Forge Factory, Cecil Mechanical Manufacturing Facility, and other factory facilities to relieve their colleagues finishing the night shift. Merchants opened their shops one after another, took down the wooden signs from their windows, and clanged the copper rings hanging under their eaves to announce the start of a business day. Newsboys and postal workers navigated the freshly cleaned streets amidst the morning mist, delivering the latest newspapers and letters to each household.
Meanwhile, at the bustling street corners and alleys, early morning vendors were already hard at work. They had left home before dawn, setting up at street corners near their homes to begin the most important trade of the day. The sounds of their calls and greetings echoed through the streets, mingling with the chimes of the mechanical clocks, reverberating throughout Cecil Castle—it was as if the newly born city let out a satisfied and contented sigh in the morning.
In the dining room of the feudal lord’s mansion, Gawain sat at his rightful place at the head, with Aunt Heidi seated on his right. As the "Great Steward of the Cecil Clan," she cut the bread in front of her while discussing recent developments in the territory: "...The news reports about Lu An City have already been broadcasted via Magic Web and newspapers. According to your instructions, besides reporting the cause, process, and outcome of the events, we also emphasized the solidarity of citizens regardless of birth, status, or origin. So far, it seems to have worked well, and people are enthusiastic. ’We Cecil Citizens’ has become a widely circulated phrase."
Gawain nodded slightly, feeling quite pleased with the work of Godwin Orlando and Aunt Heidi.
The liberation of Lu An City held extraordinary significance. It not only signified the complete retreat of the Holy Light Church’s influence in the southern borders but also meant that the new order he had been advocating for the past two years had truly begun to affect the most fundamental level of people. Moreover, it meant that another plan of his was proceeding smoothly:
To lay the foundation for national consciousness, transforming the southern borders from an ordinary aristocratic territory into a true nation.
During the actions in Lu An City, the thousands of citizens from across the southern borders united for a common goal. They came from different social strata and regions, belonging to different families and under different leaders, having lived separate lives with no mutual recognition. Yet, for that common goal, these people came together as a force—a goal that transcended their birth, occupation, residence, and even personal beliefs. The emergence of this phenomenon signified that these originally scattered people had the foundation to become "Cecil Citizens."
Building on this foundation, with continual guidance and enlightenment, the Cecil Clan will eventually awaken as a community. They will share similar moral standards and lifestyles, use a common language and similar dialects, and celebrate the same festivals and commemorate the same heroes. They will proudly identify their group as "We Cecil Citizens" and regard every inch of this land as their inherent territory.
Based on Gawain’s experience, this sense of identity will lay the psychological foundation for "territorial unity." If things continue to progress smoothly, coupled with the pioneer spirit inherited from the ancestors of the Cecil Clan, it might even pave the way for "reaching a consensus in hardship and claiming a timeless presence"...
Okay, that might be thinking a bit too much.
But even without considering "claiming a timeless presence," achieving the awakening of national and state consciousness is no easy task. It requires many years. Although people on the streets currently speak excitedly and proudly of "We Cecil Citizens," it is merely a temporary trend born of the current circumstances. A mere two or three years is not enough to establish a solid and lasting national conviction. However, as long as this trend has taken its first step, as long as Gawain doesn’t make significant mistakes while governing this land, and as long as this land continues to develop as an entirety, it’s only a matter of time before the Cecil Clan becomes an integrated whole.
"Additionally, there’s news from the Northern Rock Fortress: the Plains of the Holy Spirits have sent an envoy to Commander Wald Peric with a letter from the royal family," Aunt Heidi continued, "It seems they’ve finally found the time to pay attention to the southern situation—Northern Duke Victoria Wilder wishes to make a personal visit, which is supposed to be a ’private’ visit. The letter is still on its way, but the news was directly conveyed through Magic Web Communication."
The hand holding the spoon paused slightly, and a peculiar smile appeared on Gawain’s face: "For a Northern Duke to travel halfway across the kingdom to visit another borderland Duke, and at the critical juncture of a royal civil war... this can only ostensibly be private in nature."
"Are you going to agree?" Aunt Heidi looked into Gawain’s eyes. "Refusing the Northern Duke might further provoke the royal family, making them more wary and resistant to the southern borders. But if you agree... the Northern Duke will enter the Rock Fortress."
"There’s nothing to refuse," Gawain replied casually, "We’re merely using the Rock Fortress to block northern troubles, not to completely seal off the southern borders—The girl from the Wilder Clan has inherited some qualities from her ancestors, and I’d gladly have a chat with her."
Hearing "inherited some qualities from ancestors," Aunt Heidi couldn’t help but glance at Rebecca seated on her other side—this girl was engrossed in a fierce battle with a steak, wielding her knife and fork as if confronting a sworn enemy. Aunt Heidi could only sigh softly, almost imperceptibly, and then withdrew her gaze. "Alright, I’ll have the Wald Fortress Commander reply to that envoy. But there’s another matter... this one might be more sensitive."
"Hmm?"
Aunt Heidi showed a hint of embarrassment, "Veronica Moen, the living saint of the Northern Church of the Holy Light, the Saint Princess... she also sent a letter, wanting to visit the southern borders. Her visit aligns almost exactly with Duke Victoria Wilder’s..."
Sitting across the table, trying to evenly spread the cream, Amber instantly lifted her head in surprise upon hearing this, "Coming to crash our party? Because we crashed theirs in Lu An City? They’re coming for us this quickly?"
If it had been in the past, Aunt Heidi would undoubtedly be quite displeased with Amber’s abrupt interjection during a conversation with her ancestor, especially given her choice of rough words, and might even conjure an ice arrow on the spot, aiming it at a certain wall behind the half-elf. But ever since the incident in Lu An City, Heidi’s attitude changed somewhat towards this seemingly unreliable half-elf—she realized the half-elf’s capability and purpose, and thus responded thoughtfully to her question: "It’s impossible for the events in Lu An City to have transmitted to St. Soniel so swiftly; it surpasses the distance capacity of regular communication spells, and there are no powerful experts in the Lu An chapel capable of sending information back. Veronica Moen mentioned in her letter that it’s just a routine visit..."
"Specific information might not reach them, but perhaps the headquarters of the Holy Light Church has some means of probing the general situation at its regional headquarters," Gawain remarked, "We need to think of our adversaries as being smarter and more capable."
Heidi inquired Gawain’s opinion: "Then... do you want to reject the ’Saint Princess’?"
"No need to reject; if she wants to visit, let her come," Gawain casually replied, "I have the magnanimity for this."
"Aren’t you worried she might crash the party?" Amber blinked, "We really did crash their party..."
"The schism between the New Holy Light faith and the old religions is already a settled fact. The events in Lu An City will inevitably reach the church’s headquarters, and the disappearance of the entire Southern Church isn’t something we can keep hidden. Plus, from the start, I didn’t intend to conceal it," Gawain tapped the table lightly as he spoke, "I’m more curious about how the Northern Church will react after learning this fact... It would be great if they organized a wave of the Holy Church Army to attack Rocky Fortress; it would save us much trouble with provisions along the way."
Gawain was simply joking, but Heidi earnestly shook her head, "They likely don’t have the capacity for that—according to messages from the north, the Holy Light Church has publicly announced siding with the Anzu Kingdom’s military in this civil war, and the Holy Church Army is now engaged on the Eastern Plains of the Holy Spirits, fighting ardently against the eastern rebels. "
Rebecca, who had been battling wits with her food for a while, finally caught a few snippets of the conversation. The girl raised her head in astonishment, her face full of innocent curiosity, "Huh? They’re not done fighting yet? The eastern army and the royal forces are still at it?"
Upon this utterance, everyone at the dining table simultaneously looked at her in amazement. Gawain watched Rebecca’s clearly simple expression and was stunned for a good ten seconds before turning to Heidi to inquire, "Is this child still not awake?"
Heidi, sweating coldly, replied, "... She’s been busy with her experimental project, maybe hasn’t paid much attention to the situation outside..."
Rebecca realized she might have mistaken the situation; she shrank her neck but couldn’t help saying, "They’ve been fighting for so long... with such effort, we could’ve already claimed the entire southern border and even drove out the Holy Light Church..."
"You can’t measure Anzu’s civil war by our style of warfare..." Gawain helplessly glanced at Rebecca, "But it can’t be helped. You’re still young and haven’t witnessed what traditional aristocratic warfare looks like..."
Anzu’s civil war continues, with rebels and the kingdom’s military in a prolonged tug-of-war and stalemate on the eastern Plains of the Holy Spirits. Whether it’s Prince Edmund’s chaos-making among the aristocrats of the royal capital or the situation changes wrought by the Holy Light Church joining the fray, nothing has accelerated the progress of this war. If no surprises occur, it might persist, possibly even for several years—this is unavoidable.
This era’s "normal" wars are indeed such: brutal and bloody, yet slow and protracted. The low killing efficiency of cold weapons and the army’s sluggish movements drag on each battle, with long intervals between wars, and two armies without decisive force disparities slowly wearing each other down—it’s possible for a war to last for years.
Especially since this is an irreconcilable, non-stop civil war—a civil war aiming at royal power. As long as food and population sustain, the warring parties will inevitably be pulled into a vortex, fighting until this nation’s strength is exhausted—unless one side willingly renounces its claim to the throne.
A rapid war like the Cecil Clan’s bringing out magic-guided artillery to swiftly eliminate the enemy’s main forces and fortresses with a round of bombing is almost nonexistent in this era.
"Then let’s settle this matter," said Gawain, "The Northern Duchess and the ’Saint Princess’ from the Holy Light Church... Now that most of Frost Month has passed, when they arrive, it should be Fog Month—Cecil Castle’s winter will certainly leave a lasting impression on them."