ebookland #731 - Swords and knives cannot enter, but straw sandals can.
#731 - Swords and knives cannot enter, but straw sandals can.
Dirty grass shoes stepped over the muddy ground, squeezing the soft mud of the new spring.
The bleating of lambs and the neighing of packhorses rose and fell, freely releasing excrement.
Coming from the rubble-strewn wilderness, a dozen monks dressed in countless patched, simple black robes stopped on the main road where traffic and people converged.
Before the warming Xiong Kenburg in March, the first visitors of the new spring were finally welcomed—merchants and shepherds.
Although Horn was excommunicated by the Pope and Qianhe Valley was blockaded by Leia, folk trade was still enthusiastic, only the sale of ironware and wool and other important strategic materials was prohibited.
Leaning on a slender staff made of alder wood, Batis followed behind several old ascetic monks, gazing distantly at the new-style bastion erected at the junction of the mountains and plains.
Five prominent, sharp tooth-like angles extended from the pentagonal two-story fort body, with a three-pound falcon cannon placed on each tooth-like angle.
This type of falcon cannon, which could be pushed by two people, would quickly enter the second-story fortress through passages on the solid city walls.
Between the crenel shooting holes and the narrow corridors, wooden barracks and armories could also be seen.
Between the trenches and spiked wooden stakes, merchants and shepherds pushing carts and carriages were trying their best to promote their goods to the soldiers.
Cabbage leaves and peas were scattered in the mud, and from time to time, wandering scavengers would run over and pick up these precious foods bit by bit.
The ascetic monks naturally would not cut in line but stood at the end of the queue.
Batis, the young monk beside him, looked up at the three-tiered fortress and couldn't help but ask, "These walls aren't very high, and there are many gaps in the middle. Can't knights just charge through?"
"In the Battle of Moncrus, such a bastion was able to withstand knight charges and hold out for several days, which is enough to prove its reliability," Batis whispered in a voice that only two people could hear.
The long line in front moved with extremely high efficiency. Although there was a large flow of people passing through, the line was very short.
Before long, these ascetic monks pulled their walking carts to the checkpoint.
Following behind the leading devout ascetic, Batis, the chief ascetic who acted as his mouthpiece, smiled and said, "May suffering pass away forever, and the Holy Spirit endure!"
The gaunt, skeletal ascetic monk Batis bowed to Old Rafer.
After a month of training, Old Rafer and other mountain people already had the appearance of soldiers.
The backs of their hands were bruised, their backs were straight, and they walked in a rigid manner.
On the other hand, those veterans were already relaxed and natural. Although they walked normally, they still had a sense of uprightness.
While bowing his head, Batis's eyes quickly swept over the soldiers in front of him.
Is this the Savior New Army that the people of Qianhe Valley are so proud of?
"May the Holy Spirit endure!" Old Rafer naturally returned the bow. He could tell what these people were at a glance.
Grass shoes, rattan staffs, coarse cloth robes, and walking carts were the standard equipment of ascetic monks.
Ascetic monks imitated Messiah to suffer and endure hardships for all mankind so that the sins on others would be lessened.
They would make pilgrimages back and forth to various holy sites throughout the year in search of inner peace.
Therefore, ascetic monks were highly respected in the cultural environment of the empire.
"May I ask if this is Xiong Ken Pass? Can I use the great power from the Holy Father to offset the collection of taxes on property at this checkpoint?" Batis smiled piously, "We have made vows of poverty and have nothing but what is necessary for survival and pilgrimage."
"This is Qianhe Valley's territory now, called Xiong Kenburg," Old Rafer immediately explained as best he could, "This isn't a tax checkpoint, but an inspection."
"Truly a miracle of the Holy Father, Xiong Kenburg has actually sprouted new buds from the dust of history."
The name Xiong Kenburg was not created after the founding of Qianhe Valley but existed since ancient times.
This place was once the border fortress of the Qianhe Valley Kingdom hundreds of years ago. As Qianhe Valley merged into the empire, these border fortresses were abandoned.
When the Gravelplainers invaded, they divided their forces into two routes: one entered Upper瑞佛郡 from Xiong Kenburg, and the other entered North 芒德郡 from Radanburg further north.
After the establishment of the Qianhe Valley Holy Monarch State, Moria re-established these fortresses and even distributed some outposts to the Gravelplain's land.
As spring warmed and flowers bloomed, the previously frozen roads gradually thawed, sheep thieves gradually disappeared, and a steady stream of people emerged in front of Xiong Kenburg.
The first was to transport supplies to Xiong Kenburg, and the second was the shepherds and small merchants who came to participate in the market.
About sixty kilometers from Xiong Kenburg was Feldheim, a self-governing town in Gravelplain.
Almost every year, shepherds and farmers would hold markets in the town, and even sheep thieves would come to sell their stolen goods.
Many of Xiong Kenburg's supplies were purchased from local villages and shepherds in Gravelplain.
Similarly, some villages and shepherds would trade wool with Xiong Kenburg.
Although there was a ban prohibiting Gravelplain merchants from trading with Qianhe Valley people, there were clever ways to circumvent the ban.
Isn't it forbidden to transport wool? Okay, don't sell wool, sell pottery jars. The wool is only used to prevent the pottery jars from breaking inside.
Many Norn smuggling merchants used this trick to bypass the Gravelplainers' tax checkpoints and transport wool to the foot of Xiong Kenburg.
Through the mountain road blocked by Xiong Kenburg, this wool could be transported into Qianhe Valley.
Logically speaking, Qianhe Valley itself did not have much of a sheep industry, so it did not matter if it was impacted by cheap wool.
Xiong Kenburg should have low tariffs or even no tariffs on this Gravelplain wool.
However, a major reason why soldiers still had to inspect the goods was to prevent armed personnel and spies from infiltrating.
If suspicious items and weapons were found in the cargo and luggage, they would either be discarded before entry or directly refused entry.
This was why Old Rafer and the other soldiers set up checkpoints to inspect goods and did not charge any fees.
"We are happy to accept your inspection because we are upright and honest, my fellow believer," Batis stepped aside.
"Sorry, but the rules are the rules, and they weren't set today," After apologizing, Batis directed a few people to go up and start the inspection.
"My fellow believer, I have a question I would like to ask," During the inspection, Batis pointed to the walls of the bastion, "What is this? Mortar?"
"This is a new type of mortar produced by the Holy Machinery Court, used to bond rubble and ironwood," Old Rafer patted the walls of the bastion hard, "It's harder than rock. Even a good fine steel longsword will leave only a shallow mark on it."
"Oh—" Batis's eyes flashed with a strange light.
"As an ascetic monk from outside the world, why are you so curious about these worldly things?" Old Rafer looked at the ascetic monk who was attentively stroking the walls of the bastion and asked curiously.
The ascetic monk solemnly shook his head: "All things in this world are created by the Holy Father. Every new thing represents a new discovery of the Holy Father. How can I not be curious and concerned?"
Old Rafer blinked, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth: "That's similar to what the monks in our village say."
"The principles of the world always lead to the same destination through different paths," Batis leaned his forehead against the walls of the bastion and whispered in an ethereal and devout voice for a long time, "Holy Father..."
"What is this?" Before Batis could finish his prayer, a question came from the inspection team behind him.
Bypassing Batis, Old Rafer hurried over and found that the soldier had pulled out a bundle of copper measuring instruments wrapped in oilcloth from the walking cart, emitting a suspicious glow in the sunlight.
The young monk's Adam's apple slid violently. He suddenly grabbed the soldier's wrist: "That's... that's the ritual for measuring holy sites!"
Batis also walked over at this time as if taking a stroll. The muscles under his black robe tightened slightly, but a spring breeze-like smile bloomed on his face: "My child is too nervous. These are just tools for surveying our pilgrimage routes. Look—"
He shook open the yellowed parchment scroll. Dozens of holy site coordinates were marked on the densely packed map.
Old Rafer's eyebrows twisted into iron caltrops.
"The Holy Spirit is above!" The young monk argued, "Last month at Eagle Beak Cliff, the compass was confiscated by the soldiers like this! This is newly bought. Are you going to take it away too?"
"Take it away? This is the normal confiscation of contraband, or you can sell it on the spot."
"But we still need to use it later."
The crowd in line began to stir, and several peasant women drew holy symbols on their chests.
The quartermaster's spur boots jingled in this whispering.
After listening to Old Rafer's explanation, the quartermaster stepped forward, picked up the measuring tools in the cart, and flipped through them casually.
Batis felt his palm being squeezed tightly. He turned his head and saw that the young monk with the Mediterranean hairstyle had involuntarily grabbed his hand.
"Priest, you must know that these things are not compliant. In principle, I cannot let you take them through," The quartermaster looked at these beggar-like ascetic monks, "Since you are here to make a pilgrimage to our Qianhe Valley holy sites, considering your virtue and credit, this will be an exception."
These ascetic monk pilgrimage teams enjoyed a great reputation, and coming to Qianhe Valley for a holy pilgrimage also boosted the confidence of the people of Qianhe Valley.
Because it meant that they were not aliens but a part of the Messiah-teaching world recognized by the ascetic monks.
Out of political considerations, the quartermaster still decided to let this group of ascetic monks pass.
"May the Holy Spirit endure!" With his hands clasped together, Batis immediately bowed to the quartermaster, "Thank you for your understanding and kindness."
The quartermaster waved his hand: "Let them pass."
The ascetic monks pulled the cart and continued to move forward slowly. The people around them consciously made way, and some even helped push it.
Watching the ascetic monks leave the field of vision, the quartermaster turned his gaze to Old Rafer: "Is your height 1.7 meters?"
"A little taller than 1.7 meters, Quartermaster Ragusa."
"A little old," The quartermaster walked around Old Rafer, "But it's okay... Do you want to earn some extra money?"
Old Rafer instantly tightened his butthole: "Quartermaster Ragusa, I'm here to be a soldier."
"I know you're here to be a soldier. I'm asking if you want to earn extra money."
"But I'm here to be a soldier."
"I know you're here to be a soldier," The quartermaster rolled his eyes at him, "Next week, Her Highness Moria will come to Xiong Kenburg for inspection. We need an honor guard. Do you want to participate and earn some extra money?"