Chapter 495 The Tenth Province - Moore River
Valley On the Almis Ridge, the snow-covered forests still stand tall, and the tall spruce trees, with their strong and vigorous branches, endure the washing and scouring of the cold wind.
Perhaps due to the high altitude, the snow on the treetops has not yet melted. Whenever a cold wind blows, the snowflakes originally leaning on the treetops will move with the wind, raising a mist as light as feathers.
The Stranglethorn Vale Customs is located on the only way through the Almis Mountains, spanning the valley formed by the mountains on both sides. It is the most important pass in the Idar Empire.
At this time, it has been quite some time since the first heavy snow of the New Year.
The warm winter sun shines through the mountain mist, bringing a rare warmth to the snow-covered earth.
The ground near the Stranglethorn Customs has been hardened with cement, and the melted ice and snow flow along the ditches on both sides and flow into the stream not far away.
only……
On both sides of the road west of the Stranglethorn Customs, in the land that did not belong to the Idar people, the melted ice and snow mixed with the mud on the ground, making the ground muddy and wet.
Fortunately, the Idar people had already built a cement trunk road connecting Moor Manor and Stranglethorn Customs, which ensured smooth and convenient transportation between the two places.
"clang--"
It's seven o'clock in the morning. This is the time when the staff of Stranglethorn Vale Customs start a new day of work.
The moment the bell of the customs building rang, the entire Stranglethorn Vale Customs seemed to boil over in an instant.
The civilians gathered on the west side of the customs had already consciously lined up in long queues, carrying their dry and worn bags, tightly holding the few copper coins left in their pockets, and waiting for the arrival of a new life with great anticipation.
Most of them are refugees who have fled from the inland of the empire. Years of war have left the inland of the empire in ruins. Even though the Church of Light has basically completed its control over the inland lands, the scars caused by the war still exist.
Many families lost their prime working population, and the continuation of the war turned the once fertile land into a barren land.
Add to that tithes, indulgences...
These heavy taxes of various names made the already difficult lives of the common people even worse.
So... even though the inland is no longer filled with war smoke, there are still countless refugees fleeing to the eastern part of the continent in large numbers.
They simply had no money to pay taxes, but the church's oppression of the common people was no less restrained than that of the previous Norman nobles.
then,
Keep fleeing, keep migrating...
The group of refugees continued to expand during the migration. Some went west to the Kingdom of Cecil, and some went east. Eventually, they brought more and more civilians and arrived at the foot of the Stranglethorn Customs.
During the journey to the eastern part of the continent, more and more refugees heard various rumors about the Idar people.
Perhaps it was the glimmer of hope contained in these rumors that allowed these refugees, who were starving and lacking in food and clothing, to arrive at this land in the eastern part of the continent after going through so many hardships.
However, on this day, the customs entrance to Stranglethorn Vale did not open on time as usual.
Amid the whispers of the refugees, the steel gate in the center of the customs was slowly pushed open with the sound of gears turning and clicking.
A team of Idar military and police came out and lined up on both sides of the road, clearing the civilians who had gathered on the road to the surrounding areas.
Seeing this, although the refugees were a little surprised, they still skillfully led their families and stood on both sides of the road carefully, looking around.
According to the life experiences of the refugees in the interior of the empire, this was nothing more than the airs put on by the powerful when they left the city.
The only thing that surprised them was that due to the chaos and war in the inland, the Stranglethorn Vale Customs had been in a one-way state from west to east for a long time.
They really couldn't imagine which powerful person or wealthy businessman would be so desperate as to travel inland.
After all...it's not just refugees who are fleeing to the east and west sides of the continent!
The Norman Palace in the imperial capital of St. Lawrence was burned down by the church, which was enough to be regarded as a break between the Church of Light and the imperial nobility.
As the persecution of neutral nobles by the Church of Light intensified, countless nobles fled in panic with their families, because compared with the church, it seemed that even the Idar monarch who protected the interests of the common people had become kind.
but……
As waves of rumbling sounds reached their ears, the doubts in the civilians' minds were soon answered.
What emerged from the Stranglethorn Fortress was a steel structure that they had never seen before.
They have round hubs on their bottoms, and their light brown decks are angular and look as hard as shields or armor.
The sound of mechanical gears turning and the unique noise made by the interaction of levers and springs make these steel monsters even more intimidating in this backward era.
When had the refugees present ever seen such a scene?
In their eyes, the Norman soldiers holding weapons were as ferocious as wolves, and how strong were the Idar soldiers riding on steel monsters? In just a moment, the civilians outside the Stranglethorn Vale Customs felt their knees weaken and fell to their knees.
For a long time, Idar's army has been pursuing a defensive strategy of not taking the initiative to attack. Therefore, scenes of them marching west out of Stranglethorn Vale are extremely rare.
Even the Idar military police standing guard on the roadside and the staff of the Stranglethorn Vale Customs were slightly moved at this moment.
Not to mention how deeply such a scene would leave an impression on the hearts of these inland refugees who had never heard of magic vehicles.
The refugees almost subconsciously crawled on the ground, their eyes timidly glancing at the steel behemoths passing by on the road, their anxiety evident in their hearts.
Even though Idar's army had already passed through the Stranglethorn Customs and was rumbling towards the land west of the pass, the refugees wandering outside the Stranglethorn Vale were still frightened and looked at each other in confusion.
…
The Idar army heading westwards certainly did not go looking for trouble or war. After all... Bruno has always been a peace-loving monarch, and the Idar army has always liked to convince people with reason.
Well, at least most of the time.
The army had only one purpose for this trip - to peacefully liberate the civilians living in the Moore River Valley and make the Moore River Valley the tenth province under the jurisdiction of the Idar Empire! Viscount Conte was not an ignorant nobleman. As the situation on the continent became clearer, his good relationship with the Stuart family also made joining the new Idar Empire the best choice for Viscount Conte.
Even as early as the beginning of Idar's independence celebration on January 1, Viscount Conte had mentioned to Bruno his intention to join the Idar Empire.
so……
Viscount Conte had heard the news early in the morning that the Idar army would take over the Conte Territory today. When the Idar army finally appeared on the not-so-tall and strong city wall of Moore City, he had been standing alone for a long time when the Idar army finally appeared on the horizon not far away.
The troops defending the city have been assembled at the city gate by Viscount Conte, not for resistance, but to welcome Idar's army into the city.
As a friendly neighbor of the Idar Empire, Viscount Conte witnessed the rise of the Stuart family with his own eyes, but even so, he still found it incredible when he thought back on it.
After all, there was a time when the Lord of Idar, ruled by the Stuart family, had to rely on the help of the Lord of Conte to defend the sovereignty of the Golan Highlands.
But how long has it been?
Two years? Three years? Or... four years? Viscount Conte could no longer remember the exact time.
But no matter how many years it is, it is always a short and astonishing number.
Viscount Conte's youngest daughter, Isabel, teaches at Idar Public University, so... through this relationship, Viscount Conte understands this regime that has risen sharply in such a short period of time better than any other noble outside the Idar Empire.
He really studied the political system and legal provisions of the Idar Empire, and witnessed the changes that took place in Idar during this period.
Viscount Conte even tried to promote change in Conte Territory! But he couldn't do it! Because with the help of the wonder construction system, every change experienced by the Idar people was closely related.
Magical industrialization complemented the serf liberation system and the labor points system, and the confiscation of noble land and corresponding commercial economic compensation complemented each other...
With the gradual changes, Bruno even brought the lowest class of common people onto the stage of political participation! Under Bruno's guidance, the weak contractual relationship between the king and the nobles was changed, and the power of the royal family was strengthened.
The Executive Yuan, the House of Commons, the Ministry of National Defense...
The participation of civilian officials made the Stuart family, as the rulers of the empire, the sole owners of that vast land!
In the past, this would have been something even the nobles could not imagine!
But the young man from the Stuart family really did it, and he did it very well! So much so that the current situation on the continent has actually become a competition between the Idar people and the Church of Light.
I don’t know how much time had passed, but the sound of the wheels rolling over puddles seemed insignificant amid the roar of the machine.
When Viscount Conte raised his head again, the vanguard of the Idar people had already crossed the Moor River and were slowly heading towards the city gate.
"How many years have you been with me?"
Quite abruptly, Viscount Conte turned around and asked the old butler who had been serving by his side.
The old butler was slightly stunned, and his eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist: "My family has served the Conte family since our father's generation. As for me... I have been with the Viscount for about twenty years..."
After a moment, Viscount Conte suddenly chuckled and said, "Then you will have an easier time from now on!"
"My Lord Viscount..." The old butler seemed a little worried.
"It doesn't matter." Viscount Conte shook his head. "After the annexation of the Principality of Idar, we will no longer be in charge of the affairs within the territory. It will be a rare opportunity to have some free time. Besides... I heard that there is something called a stock market in the Merlin Special District. It is possible to make a lot of profit in just a few days. It might be interesting to take a look at it then."
"I will go and learn about the stock market tomorrow and try to make a mountain of gold for the Viscount!" The old butler promised, patting his chest.
Upon hearing this, Viscount Conte couldn't help but smile: "It's time to go! Follow me to welcome our Idar army!"
Viscount Conte stroked the battlement in front of him for the last time, then turned around without any reluctance and walked down the city wall accompanied by the old butler.
He knew very well in his heart that he had to look forward to everything...
…
"Minister, the gates of Moore City have been opened."
When Sarah Coren was looking at the nearby Moore City through a telescope, the news from the vanguard had already reached his ears.
"Viscount Conte is indeed a smart man who can see the situation clearly. Your Majesty will certainly not treat him unfairly."
On the military jeep, Defense Minister Sarah Coren nodded with satisfaction, but then changed the subject: "It's just that... others may not have this awareness."
Hearing this, a young officer sitting next to Sarah Coren couldn't help but said eagerly: "Then just kill the others."
"Major General Grant Doyle, you are too reckless."
Sarah Coren paused and continued, "But... I like the way you deal with those noobs!"
Of course, Viscount Conte was not the only noble living in the Moor Valley.
As the longest river on the continent, the Moore Valley located in the upper reaches of the Moore River has a total area equivalent to the entire Sorenburg Province.
In addition to the Count of Conte who sits in the city of Moor, there are also a large number of Norman nobles living here, such as the Marquis of Sel, Viscount Oby, and Count Locke. There are as many as six or seven noble lords, large and small.
Not only does this place have fertile soil and the best grapes on the entire continent, it is also the land in the inland of the Norman Empire that was least affected by the war.
The reason is simple: this place is too close to the former Principality of Idar, now the Idar Empire.
When the war raged inland, the reputation of the Idar people allowed the Moore River Valley to survive the chaos of several forces, and now... it is time for the Idar people to collect their rewards.
Of course Bruno had to take this piece of land, which was barely intact, into his possession and set up defensive fortifications in advance. Otherwise, if the Church of Light took the initiative to attack, this piece of land, which was barely intact, would probably be ruined beyond recognition.
On this point, Bruno still has confidence in the Church of Light.
so……
With Major General Grant Doyle of the Royal Guards as the commander-in-chief and Defense Minister Sarah Coren personally in charge of the front line, the Idar army must make the Moore Valley the tenth province under the rule of the Idar people in the shortest possible time!
"Leave a team to take over the city, and the rest of the army... target, the Marquisate of Sel!" Major General Grant gave the order.
(End of this chapter)
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