Chapter 151 Reaching that beautiful vision

Horn really didn't expect that the thief locksmith that Halkin mentioned was actually a female thief.

The thief named Hemordine looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, but was about the same height as the dwarf Halkin.

In the middle of winter, she seemed not to be afraid of the cold and still wore a leather vest, revealing the muscular lines of her arms.

In contrast, Halkin next to him was wearing a thick coat.

Both of them had bruised faces and noses, and it seemed that they had already had a fight before coming.

"I know what you want me to do." Hai Moting said straight to the point, "If you can find someone to make it, I can make any kind of lock I want."

"She is also good at the clockwork and gear machinery you mentioned." Halkin was afraid that Horn would think he was fooling him, so he quickly took out an hourglass-shaped object from the box and placed it on the table.

Horn opened his eyes wide as he watched the small ball swinging back and forth on the bracket and the clacking sound of the gears turning.

Isn't this just a pendulum clock?

"I use this to tell time." The girl glared at Halkin and took the pendulum clock back from the table. "It's just a crude little toy."

That was no crude little toy. Horn could see how delicate it was and how much time it took to make. It was obvious that Hemodine had put a lot of thought into it.

Compared to Harkin who picked it up roughly, Hemortin's movements were much gentler.

"Okay, you're hired." Horn immediately took out a contract and said, "5 dinars per week, the same as a stonemason's apprentice. How about that?"

"I want 10 dinars, and I can also help you find out information and steal intelligence."

"I don't think I need you to do these things." Horn thought for a moment, "I'll give you 8 dinars, including food and lodging."

Hai Moting was unexpectedly straightforward: "Okay."

As she spoke, she pressed a fingerprint on the contract.

"Pack your luggage in the next two days, because we have to leave the day after tomorrow. You must come to the camp the day after tomorrow morning at the latest."

"No need." Hemodin showed Horn the small box in her hand, "My luggage is here. I can leave at any time."

"Why do you look so anxious to leave?"

"The war is about to start. If you are not anxious, I am."

"...That's true. Oh, by the way, Halkin, you stay at my place for the next two days. Your father will come to give you the sword tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

After seeing off Hemodine and Halkin, Horn was finally able to sit down peacefully and arrange today's schedule.

Opening the list of alchemical products, Horn took out a copy of "Pond Town Industrial Planning and Vision" and wrote quickly on it while copying it.

This plan can be said to be Horn's version of a five-year plan. Of course, it is only a draft and a framework. We still have to wait until we go to Chizang Town and conduct a detailed investigation for the details.

As time went by, Horn wrote slower and slower, until he finally stopped writing altogether.

He should have been happy to get the alchemical list he had been waiting for for so long, but the more he wrote, the less he could continue, and instead he took out another list from his arms.

That was the list of people who would follow him to Swamp Town. Horn had talked to everyone on the list, and most of them agreed to follow him to Swamp Town.

Except Jeanne.

I don't know what's wrong with this little girl, she insisted on staying in Jeanne d'Arc and leading the refugees to fight against the church army.

That was originally the task Horn assigned to Thomas and Madeleine. Why are you joining in?

Horn leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

Jeanne's arc ironmaking was an important step in the large-scale production of steel, iron and orichalcum. Her stay at Jeanne d'Arc was a major blow to Horn's development plans.

In this "Vision", there are a large number of process flows that require Jeanna's participation, such as the mountain copper assembly line and electric arc furnace.

After wandering around the room for a long time, Horn finally stood up and walked to the door: "Duvalon, go and call Jeanne over."

Returning to the desk, Horn poured himself a glass of water to ease his tense spirit a little.

After a while, the door of the room was opened, and Jeanna poked half of her head in: "Brother, are you looking for me?"

"Jeanne, please sit down."

Jeanne walked over to Horn, pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Ahem..." Horn cleared his throat. "Jeanne, have you ever thought that one day people can ride high-speed machines into the city? In that world..."

"Brother, I told you." Jeanna interrupted Horn, "There is not much value in my going to Swamp Town. The refugees here need me more."

"Pond Town needs you more. Pond Town is where everything started."

"Why can't Jeanne d'Arc be the starting point of everything?"

Horn originally wanted to show her the "Vision", but when he thought about how she could not recognize many words, he had to give up.

"Jeanne d'Arc is certainly a good place, with a stable source of troops and the Duke's alliance, but it is not our place after all.

There is no way out of being a bandit. We need to think about the future, not just the present. The army needs a stable and loyal rear. War is not about fighting and killing. War is about boring training, camping, marching, deployment and logistics. None of these activities require a stable rear.

If we stay in Chateau Jeanne, we will be helping the Duke of Kush. The Kush family has accumulated a reputation for a hundred years, and we cannot replace it."

There is another point that Horn did not mention. Those who start the uprising first will face the greatest encirclement and suppression by the church. In peasant uprising wars, it is often not the first mover who wins.

From the current perspective, it is best to stay in Jeanne d'Arc and cooperate with the Duke, but if you consider the long term, Swamp Town is the real way out.

This is the most rational and correct choice.

"Why should we replace him? Isn't the Duke's victory the victory of the Thousand River Valley?" Jeanne said angrily, "Why did you leave the Thousand River Valley?"

"The problem is that the Duke can't win." Horn spread his hands, "What else can I say? Without you to help me develop the rear, these refugees are rootless and will only be wasted by the Duke.

If you stay here, who will provide these refugee troops with clockwork guns?"

"I dont go."

"What's wrong with Swamp Town? What are you afraid of?"

Raising her head, Jeanne wanted to say something but swallowed it back. She silently bent her legs and rested her chin on her knees.

Curled up like a fetus.

"What are you afraid of?" Horn softened his voice and walked around the table, gently touching her shoulder.

"Brother, do you think I'm ridiculous?" Jeanna leaned her head on Horn's belly, "I thought you were a cowardly betrayer, but it turned out that I was the betrayer.

I thought of Danji as a clown who was deluding himself, but it turned out that I was the clown.

What I firmly believe in is always wrong, and every time I change my mind, I have to pay the price with my life.

I don’t know whether I should stay here or not. I think I should stay here, but…Brother, if we leave Qianhe Valley, do you think I will regret it?”

Horn opened his mouth but didn't utter a word for a long time.

Those scenes reappeared before his eyes.

The license plate became clearer and clearer, the driver's face became more and more frightened, and the endless blue sky.

The Empire is not his homeland, the Thousand Valleys is not his hometown, Galar is not his last name, he has his own relatives and friends, but they are no longer here.

He is a lonely traveler in a foreign land. He cannot go back to the past, return to Earth, to make up for his regrets, and slap the faces of those who abandoned him.

He could only move forward, where there were magnificent palaces, endless women, and inexhaustible wealth.

Once there, he could clear Danji's name, he could establish a protection system for the elderly and children, he could expel the church and let the blue-blooded orphans return home.

He can make up for his current regrets instead of being forever obsessed with past regrets, powerless and unable to accomplish anything, as he was in his previous life.

As long as we can reach that beautiful vision...

"Brother Horn?"

Jeanne blinked and looked at Horn, who suddenly hugged her, somewhat at a loss.

"Jeanne." Horn's words rang in Jeanne's ears, just like they had on that hill covered by heavy rain two months ago, "I never gave up on my hometown."

Warm and humid.

Jeanne's face flushed, but she still put her arms around Horn's neck.

"I know you took the marriage certificate, right?"

"I, I didn't, you, don't talk nonsense! I, I, I didn't take it, I just happened to pick it up."

As he listened to Jeanne's incoherent explanation, Horn's mouth opened and closed again, until finally he opened it mechanically.

He thought his voice would be extremely dry, but now it sounded extremely warm and gentle: "Now that I am already a witch and have no worries, can we get engaged?"

"Ah...ah? Are you serious?" Jeanne was overwhelmed by the shocking news and answered dizzily, "Then, what about Carrie?"

"She's just my sister."

"But……"

"Tomorrow is Grampven and Dia's wedding. At the wedding, we will announce our engagement and set the wedding date on New Year's Day. What do you think?"

The New Year Festival lasts for three days from December 30th to January 2nd of the imperial calendar every year.

If nothing went wrong, Horn and Jeanne would have arrived at Swamp Town by then.

Looking at Jeanne who left in a daze, Horn sat on the stool. He stared blankly at the "Industrial Planning and Vision of Swamp Town" in front of him until night fell.

When the house fell into darkness, he took a deep breath, lit the fluorescent lamp, picked up the quill again, and began to write on the parchment.

(End of this chapter)