When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 613 - 576: We Are Free!
"They really let this group of muckrakers succeed."
"What muckrakers, remember to call them the Salvation Army lords."
"What Salvation Army lords, I think this battle was mostly the Salvation Army holding back the Imperial Decree Company and was truly defeated by the great Grand Duke Moliat."
"The Salvation Army wandered without fighting, the Duke's Army was the main force against the Prince!"
"Let's state the facts: the Salvation Army was the first to defeat the Imperial Decree Company, that's indisputable."
Along the roadside, citizens holding flowers and triangular flags waited while discussing the war.
Compared to the Salvation Army, who divided land freely, the urban nobles, big merchants, and small citizens still preferred Grand Duke Moliat.
However, for artisans and lower-level laborers, despite the many rumors about the Salvation Army, their abolition of the "Labor Law" made them unconsciously side with Horn.
No matter who the main force of this war was, everyone realized that the Thousand River Valley had changed.
"They're coming, they're coming, get ready."
As they were speaking, someone pointed to the end of the road and shouted, and the citizens and servants, who had been resting on the ground, leapt up at once.
This time, the city's nobles and representatives had learned their lesson; they ran twenty miles out to the former entrance of the Imperial Decree Camp to greet them.
In addition, nearby farmers and town residents who received the news gathered around to see what this renowned 'Twin Pillars of the Thousand River Valley' was.
And with the nearby Saint Sun's Army waiting, plus the people already at the Imperial Decree Camp, over ten thousand people gathered in the vicinity.
At the end of the road, the ground trembled as the Imperial Guard, acting as the vanguard, marched with neat steps at the forefront.
Silver-bright spear tips bore dark red blood stains, and every ten men carried a black and red dual-colored military flag, surging toward the citizens and farmers like a flowing river of banners.
Those who had previously boasted about the Salvation Army's reluctance to fight closed their mouths and forced friendly smiles, diligently showering petals.
Behind the Salvation Army's vanguard, carts carried the preserved and sorted heads of the Imperial Knights.
As for Prince Kongdai, he was put on a single cart, enclosed in a ghastly green jar, causing onlookers to cry out about devils, wizards, and heretics.
Standing alongside the Salvation Army were the lazy Mountain Knights, who, though less orderly than the Salvation Army, emanated such a menacing aura that it made the citizens and city nobles shudder.
Carriages and horses carried the prisoners and heads into the camp, while Horn and Moliat remained mounted, not even glancing at them.
They merely sent someone to tell them not to panic, to maintain the law and order of Feiliu Castle, and that they would visit them in the future.
After the Salvation Army and Mountain Knights fully entered the camp, the gathered crowd prepared to disperse, but several military policemen rode in.
"Everyone, please don't leave yet," they rode past the curious villagers and citizens, shouting through metal horns, "His Lordship has a few words to say in a moment, unless it's urgent, please stay."
......
On the pre-assembled earthen platform, something like a small mountain was covered with canvas, adding an air of mystery about its contents.
The Salvation Army maintained order, arranging the citizens and villagers into the makeshift venue. Once everything was settled, they numbered at least over ten thousand, including the Salvation Army.
Among them were nobles in black and blue-dyed loose robes, merchants and citizens with hanging tassels on their heads, a blacksmith rolling up his sleeves to reveal his hairy arms, and a tailor, whose five fingers wrapped in felt, secretly caressed the Salvation Army's garments.
They hung their heads down, leaned together, and discussed in hushed tones.
Occasionally, they would look up at Horn and Jeanne standing at the edge of the platform, along with those Salvation Army infantrymen.
Their eyes carried fear, disdain, and sarcasm, but mostly, an indifference tinged with impatience from waiting.
What difference does it make if it's the Salvation Army now? Changing Kush masters to Falan masters hasn't shown any signs of change!
Standing behind the platform, Horn still inquired about Moliat's whereabouts.
Initially, he asked Moliat if he wanted to go up and give a speech, a victory statement to the future citizens.
Unfortunately, Moliat was good at tongue-in-cheek arguments but not great at public discourse and found speeches useless, showing little interest.
The villagers didn't have to wait long before Horn went up the platform.
"Earlier, a villager named Bobcat Tuck asked me when I would fulfill my promise to let them go home." With the help of an amplifying monk, Horn's voice carried clearly, "I don't want to say much for actions speak louder than words, I tell you, that time is now."
The cover over the mound-like object behind him was lifted, revealing a pile of pale, light things, causing the camp's forced laborers and artisans to raise their heads.
Many people's eyes gradually widened; if they weren't mistaken, those seemed to be the Church's promissory notes, indentures, and usury contracts.
A few monks poured firewood and tar over these papers of sin, what were they intending—burn away these dreadful shackles?
With a scream, the rising flames licked up those papers, contracts, and promissory notes gradually consumed by the fire, the mouths of the laborers and slaves slowly opened wide.
The debt papers and contracts, which had been a source of fear day and night, turned out to be so fragile, slowly vanishing in the flames.
The cold wind stirred the firelight, making the blaze grow fiercer, yet its warmth spread to everyone.
Standing before the flames, Horn's hair swayed with the hot and cold winds, and his words spread through the amplification miracle to all ears.
"Five hundred years ago, the Thousand River Valley People migrated from the Kush River because of war and turned this place, through their own efforts, into a paradise orchard amidst a chaotic dark world.
Five hundred years later, the Thousand River Valley People gathered here again to find that our beloved family had become the pigs and dogs of the priests, and our cherished homeland turned into scorched earth under the Church and Empire.
And we have become the vagrants in our own homes.
A year and a half ago, I was summoned by the Saint Master to the heavens and asked whether I wished to remain in the mortal realm or return to the Celestial Paradise Mountain above.
I couldn't make a decision, so the Saint Master took me to a place where everyone lived in peace and prosperity, in warm houses, where no one bore the beaten faces afflicted by noble priests, where even the air was sweet.
I asked the Saint Master, "Is this the Celestial Paradise Mountain?"
The Ama said, "No, this is the Thousand River Valley a hundred years later."
What would the Thousand River Valley be like a hundred years later?
The once apathetic people raised their heads, looking at the youth enveloped in smoke and flames.
"In the Thousand River Valley of that time, I saw the sons of former nobles and the sons of former serfs singing hand in hand by the flowing Nao'an River."
Tightly pressing her lips, Jeanne saw the faces of Danji and Frick flash before her eyes.
"In the Thousand River Valley of that time, I saw in the solemn and simple Great Cathedral, judges no longer using wealth and status as standards, but measuring by legal justice."
Tears gradually welled up in Madlan's eyes.
"In the Thousand River Valley of that time, I saw our children living in a country where they are evaluated not by their bloodline, but by their character and abilities."
Grampwen embraced her son, turning to Diya beside her with a mutual smile.
"There will be such a day, such a day when our children can reach adulthood, make a living, be treated fairly, and earn enough food and money for the family through labor."
"There will be such a day, such a day when we will untie the ropes around our necks, break the shackles and chains on our feet, live in warm houses, and our next generation will not become the drinks and toys for the priests' amusement."
The low murmur of conversation ceased; everyone stood in place, their dusty eyes starting to brighten little by little.
Will the Thousand River Valley of a hundred years later be like this?
"I asked the Saint Master, 'Is that day far away?'"
"The Saint Master said, 'As long as we hold hope in our hearts, that day will come closer and closer, and so I chose to return to the human world.'"
"I returned to the human world with hope, walked to the battlefield with hope, and charged fearlessly against those fearsome knights with hope."
Behind, the flames flickered, turning IOUs, indentures, and usury contracts into black ashes, which flew gracefully above everyone's heads.
Like a flock of crows passing over a sea of flowers, obscuring the sky and sun.
Everyone lifted their heads, whether wearing straw hats or cloth shoes, dressed in rags or elegantly attired, all looking at the ashes.
The ashes flew and flew, melted into the blue sky, and as they watched, tears unconsciously began to fall.
Standing on the high platform, with the fire behind burning brighter and brighter, Horn walked step by step to the forefront, each step he shouted, "I have always held hope because I have seen that day, and I know that day will eventually come!"
I believe one day we will be able to carve out a gap in this mountain of despair!
I believe one day countless Thousand River Valley people will obtain equality and freedom!
I believe one day Thousand River Valley people will proudly say: I am a Thousand River Valley person!
We pray together with my fellow believers, labor together, advance together, pursue together, and walk onto the battlefield together, because one day, the Thousand River Valley will break its shackles! And the people of Thousand River Valley will be able to dwell once more in their homeland!"
Taking a deep breath, Horn paused, the entire audience was silent except for the sound of the wind, and the air behind him twisted as if dancing wildly with his voice.
Numerous tear-filled eyes stared directly at Horn standing on the high platform.
Horn dared not blink, fearing that once he did, the blur in front of him might transform into tears flowing down, but his throat was already choked.
"That day, that day, how many times have I fantasized about that day, and finally it has come!"
"I fantasize, is it five years later, or ten years later, or perhaps tomorrow?"
"But I was wrong, that day is today."
"Today is not the end; today is the beginning."
"From today, the shackles are lifted, and from today, the cages shattered!"
"My friends, my Thousand River Valley brethren of the same blood, I hereby announce to you that from today, from this moment, you, you…"
Mid-sentence, Horn's words abruptly halted amidst cries of astonishment.
It was because his blurred vision led him to step forward without seeing the step below, causing him to fall.
A bitter smile flashed across Horn's face as he fell; he had jumped so many times without incident, yet in starting such an important speech, he was about to embarrass himself.
But after waiting for a while, he did not feel the expected pain of the hard ground hitting his chest; instead, something soft yet coarse like a sponge supported his chest, waist, and shoulders.
When Horn opened his eyes and raised his head, he saw countless uplifted faces before him, everyone reaching out their hands to try to catch him.
At this moment, he was raised by a sea of hands: hands of farmers full of calluses, hands of tailors holding woolen fabric, hands of emaciated old folks, and hands of chubby little children.
Everyone watched him, waiting for him to say those words.
Being supported like this, Horn chose not to stand up again; instead, he struggled to straighten his upper body.
He used his sleeve to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, his mouth slowly widening and curving into a smile, he extended his right hand as if to shake hands with everyone.
"No more priests and no more Imperial Decree units! No more blue blood and lancers!"
"Thousand River Valley is free!"
"We—"
"Are free!!!"
(End of Volume Two)
