When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 884 - 835: The Flourishing Spoils Market

Looking up, Thierry and his companions could see the church tower at the center of Crater Ferry.

According to the Holy Union's measurements, the tallest spire of this Gothic-style church reached a full thirty meters high.

On the gentle slope beside the church stood a Knight's Mansion, alongside which could be seen a barn and a slowly turning mill waterwheel.

Three intersections formed around the church and the Knight's Mansion, with closely packed gable-roof houses forming the most classic scene of a thousand-person town in the Thousand River Valley.

The name itself suggests that this place is famous for its tin smiths, with a large number of tin workshops present.

Ordinary farmers used wooden bowls and earthen pots, while the nobility used silverware and porcelain.

But the small landowners and citizens among the Armed Farmers mostly used tin pots and pans.

However, at this moment in Crater Ferry, there were not many tin smiths to be seen; instead, there were numerous Holy Union soldiers wearing black wool jackets.

After all, this place had been selected as the main base, so it was normal to see so many Holy Union soldiers.

"Lord Thierry?" Abazi gently reminded Thierry, who was staring absent-mindedly at the church.

"Oh." Thierry leveled his gaze and said with a smile, "I was lost in thought, let's move on."

The previous battles had been quite shocking to Thierry, but he had already recovered from his low spirits.

Firstly, due to the pride of the Falan people, the smart Falan quickly learned the tricks of the Thousand River Valley people.

Secondly, he realized that the Holy Union's army was not all-powerful.

For instance, in the end, the Wild Wolf Vanguard Corps failed to save the burned bridge in time.

Poor thing, that new bridge had been built with funds pooled by the nearby residents less than half a year ago, only to be burned down again by the Leia.

After inspecting the fast-flowing river, which was about ten meters wide, Battle Commander Jeska ordered the soldiers to collect boats and rafts to construct a floating bridge.

It was estimated that the floating bridge would take three days to complete, as it had to be built wide enough to be used later by the Chongxin Legion.

The Wild Wolf Battle Group settled with Crater Ferry at its center, while various legions either camped in the wild or lived in the vacant houses of refugees.

These three days were also just in time to give the soldiers a break and handle some war spoils.

Starting from the crossroads, the closer they got to the central square in front of the church, the louder the noise and the denser the crowd became.

Even before approaching, they could see birch wood frames and oilcloth-covered stalls extending onto the streets.

The air was a blend of the stench of sheep dung and the fragrance of pollen.

As the members of the observation group approached, they could hear the unique market noise—a mix of minstrelsy, hawking, and livestock sounds.

"...Dusk stains the oak forest, the God of the Blacksmith hammers the clouds of war..."

"Baa—"

"Apprentice's own use, ninety percent new anvil, its ring more melodious than a lute!"

"...Victor raises the burning city sword, Dretta wields the mountain scythe..."

"Short sword, ten dinars! Scythe, two dinars!"

"...Suddenly hearing hoofsteps in the moonlight, Corps Commander Dass rides the wind on his saddle, with the wrath eagle spring cannon under his arm, hurling it to break the cold steel..."

"No matter what, silver-scale breastplate, five gold pounds each!"

"...Are you picking a fight?!"

Circumventing the minstrels and hawkers rolling into a ball on the ground, Thierry gazed at the market full of people and couldn't help but marvel at the resilience of the merchants.

This was the frontline; where did these war profiteers emerge from?

"These small merchants are like hyenas following a lion to feed on carrion." Venice pinched his nose, "They surround at the slightest scent of blood."

Abazi glanced around: "It's not just about buying and selling spoils—on battlefields they can't clean up in time, they help the army consume all the remaining spoils like hyenas."

After all, war profiteering was the fastest way for many refugees to make a fortune.

If they're not afraid of death, even picking a gold ring off a dead Knight could lead to instant wealth.

Moreover, these spoils were cost-free trades, priced thirty or forty percent lower than the market.

Especially bulk goods, which could yield thousands of dinars in profit when resold.

Even with the possibility of collateral damage, these war merchants would still doggedly follow the army.

On the one hand, they provided the army with various services, including food, entertainment, and even services provided by women.

On the other hand, they would also scavenge the army's leftovers and even engage in selling and leaking information.

This situation was difficult to curb whether in the Empire or the Holy Union.

Walking under the rows of wooden stalls, one could see large and small caravans buying and selling war spoils.

Mule and horse livestock, uniforms and weapons, gold candle stands and silver tableware, silk and jewelry, potions and holy oil—everything was available.

Despite fighting on home turf, there were plenty of spoils.

Going out to battle wasn't like budget traveling; one didn't just venture out with a backpack.

Behind the Leia soldiers were at least three times as many laborers transporting substantial supplies, including clothing, cloaks, weapons, and military rations.

After all, the nobles also needed to pay salaries, especially to the participating extraordinary Knights.

Almost every extraordinary Knight could be stripped of spoils worth ten to several dozen pounds of gold.

The nobles themselves, focusing on ostentation, would even bring high-class furniture and artworks when waging war.

Originally, Jeska obtained war spoils worth tens of thousands of pounds of gold from the Duke Norn.

Virtually every soldier could share an average of 1 pound of gold in cash.

However, many soldiers chose to divide their spoils and either store them with the war band's quartermaster or send them back home.

Venice was not far off, haggling with a Holy Union soldier over a jewelry box.

Abazi crouched on the ground, writing down marked prices with a quill, preparing to bid for an ivory carving.

Standing under the bulletin board, Thierry looked up at the announcement before him.

It was the official distribution direction of the war spoils posted by the Legion Secretary. If there were any objections or reports to be made, one could always seek out the Military Police and Military Judges to report them.

Gazing at the densely packed entries, Thierry frowned. Although they were published, how many soldiers could understand them?

Shaking off the thought, he couldn't help but look westward.

Initially uncertain of the offensive direction, Thierry realized upon reaching Crater Ferry.

Setting off from Kenke Town, they were headed toward Shuimi Town.

Capturing Shuimi Town would secure a landing port, allowing for large-scale rapid troop transport.

This was an attempt to recapture Summergreen City.

If Thierry and the Eighth Infantry Corps he followed now were the vanguard corps, then the entire Wild Wolf Battle Group was the vanguard battle group.

It was responsible for clearing obstacles at the front, with the rear and surrounding areas being cleaned up by the succeeding Chongxin Legion.

After capturing Shuimi Town and ensuring the security of both river and road transport from Kenke Town to Shuimi Town, a large force of Holy Union would land.

But around Summergreen City, there were still ten decreed companies; could a single Wild Wolf Battle Group really hold this bridgehead of Shuimi Town?

...

"It's infuriating that Summergreen City's coastal defense spring cannons are gone; otherwise, how could the Leia warships patrol near Shuimi Town?"

"If the coastal defense cannons were still there, we'd have sailed directly there, rather than first attacking Crater Ferry!"

"I've heard that the Summergreen plague hasn't gone away yet, and a batch of plague doctor masks has been sent in from the rear!"

In the library on the second floor of the Crater Ferry church, Battle Commander Jeska, the Legion Secretary, Senior Pastor, and eight infantry regimental commanders were all present.

Jeska lowered his head, taking small sips of wine, while the other battle commanders whispered and shouted.

But often, the Wild Wolf Battle Group's combat strategies were formulated amidst such heated discussions.

Jeska, however, remained silent, his gaze fixed on a few markings on the map.

"You've noticed something's off too?"

Accompanying Bernardo adjusted his glasses: "Although they outnumber us, they choose not to encircle but instead split forces to intercept, which is indeed unusual."

"The broken bridge doesn't seem like they're segmenting us; it feels more like they're blocking us." Jeska likewise sensed something amiss.

At this time, the eight infantry regimental commanders quieted down, listening to the analysis of Jeska and Bernardo. One couldn't help but ask, "Then what do we do?"

"Deploy more Rangers, leave more spring cannons to guard the floating bridge, and maintain the original attack plan, but proceed more cautiously, understood?"