Thorn Garden, Wolfbridge County.

As the county seat near the Shattered Stone Plain war zone, White Church Town remained tranquil at this moment.

Even though Thousand River Valley was an adjacent territory, it was already like another world to them.

White Church Town dared to claim itself the most beautiful town north of the Red Iron Mountain Range.

It had timber houses with honey-colored shades, walls forming diamond meshes of wood framework, and hanging green laurels from the second-floor windowsills.

The ground was paved with creamy white pebbles, and both sides of the street were adorned with iron plaques engraved with anvils, wine barrels, and swords.

The most beautiful of all was the white church in the center of the town.

Entirely made of white marble, its pointed ribbed arches and flying buttresses intertwined, embellished with gilded swirl decorations.

The most striking were the seven towering chimneys; few chimneys could be described as arranged like scales, yet it did so.

Whenever travelers returning home lifted their heads from afar, they could spot the rising white columns of blessing smoke and slender chimneys.

However, this peace was shattered today.

The townsfolk walking, talking, and laughing at first heard faint whistling noises, like the dusky thrushes flying by.

Initially, people paid no heed until thunderous sounds echoed from the central church.

With raised heads, the townsfolk were stunned.

Among the seven chimneys they once took pride in, one had already been struck with a huge gap.

Fragmented stones and dust fell continuously from mid-air as the chimney swayed precariously.

Sentinels on the belfry desperately rang the bell, its booming sound reverberating through the entire town.

Women carrying pots and laundry basins turned their heads, while artisans casting silver coins sneakily with molds poked out their heads.

But all they could see was the broken chimney, accompanied only by the sudden screams around them.

"Ah——"

"Norn people are attacking?"

"Quickly, close the town gates."

Farmers in the terraced vineyards rushed in panic into peat bogs and forests to hide.

Hundreds of black-armored knights galloped down the gravel-paved roads, drawing clockwork guns from their boots on horseback and firing wildly towards the gates.

"Whizz—thud!"

The bullets hit the town's walls directly, making muffled sounds.

And a stray bullet just happened to strike a militiaman in the stomach, causing him to kneel in anguish, with blood flowing insistently.

The scene was terrifying enough to make many militiamen feel limp, slowing the action of closing the town gates.

At this moment, the behind sounds of a grenade launcher echoed as clockwork rounds flew over the knights' heads.

Three clicks ensued, and the intangible mental shock wave swept outward, instantly freezing the militia attempting to close the gates.

Undoubtedly, these clockwork rounds were remarkably effective against lower-tier soldiers, especially militia.

The town wall gates failed to close in time, adding another layer of shadow on all the militiamen's hearts.

Behind the walls, nearly a hundred militiamen and night guards wielding poleaxes and bows formed a semicircle, swallowing nervously behind the gates.

Within about ten seconds, a tall black-armored knight led a charge to knock open the half-closed town gates.

"Fire!" The town mayor shouted in anger and alarm.

The green-black arrows soared high before falling swiftly, leaving only a few white marks on the cold-forged black armor.

Occasionally, some might penetrate weaker parts of the armor, only to be deflected by knights on horseback with their swords.

"Dozens of pounds for a soft bow, it's absurd." As the hoarse female voice spoke, casually throwing out four clockwork rounds.

The four clockwork rounds traced different arcs, with one being knocked aside by the defending extraordinary knight with their sword sheath, while the rest landed at the militiamen's feet.

"Click—"

At the instant the sound erupted, seven or eight militiamen convulsed with white eyes before collapsing weakly from where the rounds had landed.

Behind the black-armored female knight came dozens of knights charging forward, firing clockwork guns at the approaching militia.

Bullets flew wildly, and an iron ball crashed down onto the angel's holy image overhead, spreading turmoil like ripples.

Embarrassed and angry, the knight who deflected the clockwork round peeled off their visor and drew their knight sword, charging toward the female knight.

"Which knight do you belong to, daring to use such despicable tricks of the devil..."

"Bang!"

The warhorse reared up, the knight fell back in defeat.

With a blank expression, Jia Li tucked the clockwork gun back into her boot, then turned her head: "Throw Green Dragon's Breath at the street entrance, isolate the channel."

......

By noon, the entire White Church Town fell into Jia Li's hands.

After repelling most of the town's garrison forces, the inner guard forces of the Purification Court did not loot the townsfolk or slaughter senselessly.

Instead, they rushed into monasteries, churches, and aristocratic mansions.

Soon, the tortured priests and nobles adorned with finger shackles and leopard clamps confessed everything clean.

Gold cups embedded with rubies, a golden necklace with twelve black agate stones, bone china from Branded City, and rose porcelain from Golden Harbor...

Not to mention the gilded sacred relic box filled with gold coins and dinar.

Indeed, Thorn Garden had not suffered a disaster for a hundred years, not only due to precious metals but also for considerable wealth buried underground.

Jia Li was relatively in a hurry, unable to carefully collect taxes, only finding cash and spoils worth 1800 to 2000 gold pounds.

For a small town of about three thousand people, this figure was quite remarkable.

After whispering with surrounding companions, Lannes was elected, nervously approaching Jia Li.

"Her Highness Moliat..."

"You've mistaken, I am Jia Li, not Moliat," Keeping her head down, writing on a letter pressed against her leg, Jia Li did not look up, "What's the matter?"

"Uhh yes." Lannes hesitated to directly ask, "I wanted to inquire about handling these land deeds and IOUs?"

"Consolidate the IOUs and burn them, sell the land and house deeds at half price, only accept gold coins for portability."

After looting churches and aristocratic mansions, these mountain knights seamlessly priced and sold the spoils to locals.

Exchanging silver coins for supplies from citizens and merchants, carrying gold coins as spoils.

Also completing a bit of property allocation under the Juanist Faction.

"Oh, don't forget to distribute the Holy Path pamphlets, the announcement... hmm, and post the propaganda posters about King Jiji colluding with the Blood and Flesh Royal Court."

"Yes, Her Highness Moliat."

"I am Jia Li." Jia Li corrected again.

"Your Highness, we can recognize who you truly are..."

"You claim I am Moliat, but have you ever seen Moliat's true face?"

"...No."

"Then that's it; dare you to assume I am her?"

Lannes didn't know how to respond, reluctantly asking: "Alright, you are Jia Li. As the Cardinal of the Purification Court and our superior, may I ask a question?"

"Go ahead and ask." Writing the letter, Jia Li put down her pen, raising her head.

"We wanted to ask about the future, namely, what position the nobility should hold in the Holy Alliance later?"

Jia Li pondered for half a moment before suddenly sighing long: "The noble era is past, but perhaps that's for the best, nobles should not be addressed as gentlemen due to their titles but praised for their virtues and talents.

Otherwise, your descendants will turn into Prince Kongdai and King Jiji."

"If he dares, I'll beat him to death." Steve interjected, stepping forward.

"Which founding king from the Plantagenet, Iris, and Lanfeng Dynasties wasn't a hero and benevolent ruler?"

Mountain knights might lack formal education but aren't uncultured.

Listening to Jia Li's words, they couldn't help but be stunned and ponder deeply.

"If you don't wish to become commoners, then head to the eastern counties of Black Snake Bay or the Autumn Valley County of Shattered Stone Plain.

The Holy Alliance will provide you with a pioneering knight, and you can be a knight as you wish."

Lowering her head again, Jia Li resumed writing the letter to Horn, while the mountain knights glanced at each other in bewilderment.

Is this really Her Highness Moliat? Her voice, appearance, hair, facial features, even gestures, mannerisms, pronunciation, and tone are identical.

However, this 'Moliat' seems to have lost something.

This loss, paradoxically, did not weaken her, instead making her freer and more relaxed.

Could the rumors be true, that Moliat was confined to the dungeon for training by His Worship?