When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

#658 - Witch Council of Tiannu City

December 10, 1446, Black Serpent Bay, Celestial Maiden City.

Located in the heart of Black Serpent Bay, Celestial Maiden City sits amidst the rolling hills of low mountains and jungles. As a trade hub, it suffers attacks every few decades.

This is evident from the gray-white stone patterns and moss-hidden dents on the city walls.

Compared to the Empire, it feels like time has stopped here a thousand years ago. People wear loose linen robes, without trousers, exposing their knees, and only wear sandals on their feet.

If it weren't for the two teams of soldiers in breastplates patrolling back under the shade of the trees at the city gate, people would really think they had returned to a thousand years ago.

The moonlight flowed like water over the winding stone steps, flowing into the town where lights and cooking smoke rose.

On the southern hill of Celestial Maiden City, grayish-white ribbons made of stone steps wrap around the green mountain.

When the people of Celestial Maiden City look up, they can see the Celestial Maiden Palace hidden in the dense forest, a sacred palace said to be from the ancient Norn tribe.

Having been remodeled many times by the Serpent People, Norn People, Fran People, and the Black Serpent Bay Secret Party, it has long lost at least half of its original appearance.

There are slender and elegant Doric columns supporting the arched corridors, and flowing and intricate carvings covering the gables and steps.

The seams between the bricks have been occupied by a dark green vine, the vine leaves curling, and a few drops of moist dew hanging on the stems, shimmering in the moonlight.

A waiter in a simple white vest and cloth clothes, wearing sandals, stands outside the palace gate, looking at the ground with lowered eyes, not listening to the arguments of the many witches in the hall behind him.

"Order! Order!" Otartila, as the lifelong Speaker, rapped the table expressionlessly, "Silence!"

Under the Speaker's authority, the arguing witches jumped off the table, dusted off the dust, and sat back in their rattan chairs.

When the discussion and arguing gradually stopped, Otartila looked around. A total of eight beautiful witches sat on either side of the circular long table.

Some had long hair, some had short hair, some wore wizard robes, some wore close-fitting dresses, and some wore pajamas. Some were writing quickly with quills, some were leisurely playing with purple crystal balls, and some were stirring hot tea in porcelain cups with silver spoons, making a subtle clinking sound.

Without exception, from their appearance alone, they were all slender, young and beautiful women, but their average age was already close to fifty.

This was only because there were two teenage girls who pulled down the average age.

Including the Speaker herself, there were a total of nine witches here.

Including Otartila, the lifelong Speaker of the Secret Party United Witch Council, Lulusi, the leader of the Roan Party, Athena of the Golden Cross Society...

Although there were nine witches here, not all witches were present.

In the Green Dragon Forest and the deep mountains and old forests of Black Serpent Bay, there were still at least five elderly witches, and their areas of activity were marked as restricted areas.

The Celestial Maiden City Secret Party United Witch Council is the largest secret party alliance organization in Black Serpent Bay, but it does not mean that all secret party organizations will join.

Therefore, outside the Secret Party United Witch Council, there were at least two or three wild witches who were unwilling to join.

Even many witches who joined the Witch Council were usually in a state of listening to orders but not following them.

However, due to the upcoming war threat in the Lilac Corridor, most of the witches in Black Serpent Bay have gathered in Celestial Maiden City.

They gathered again to address three issues.

First, whether to collectively join the Holy Axis, second, whether to get involved in the sugar and grain trade, and third, whether to accept Horne's visit and bring military assistance from Thousand River Valley.

They were not yet familiar with the Holy Son, and only learned a little impression from the information and merchants.

Whether Horne himself was one of their own or a fanatical believer, Black Serpent Bay had not yet reached a conclusion.

Some secret parties even said that Horne was a spy of the Pope.

A secret party dominated by alchemists seized a territory of the Leia Kingdom. Black Serpent Bay finally had an ally. The secret parties should have celebrated.

But the news came that this secret party was a rebel army under the banner of Messira, and they insisted on calling alchemists alchemical priests.

This kind of self-deception made them quite disdainful.

It's like selling meat and rice paste under the sign of a dung bucket. The meat and rice paste is good, but looking up at the sign will still make you sick.

Therefore, on the issue of whether to collectively join the Holy Axis, the Witch Council's answer was to postpone it until the war begins.

Currently, the witches are arguing about the second and third issues.

"Are you sure that the sugar and grain trade agreement can bring us more benefits?" Athena's territory is the farthest from Thousand River Valley, but it is adjacent to the Lilac Corridor, so naturally she hates Horne.

"Of course, how much commercial tax will be taken away from your trade with the Lilac Corridor, but within the Holy Axis, not only do we only need to collect consumption tax when we sell white sugar and spices to them, but we even get a share of their tariffs on selling white sugar and buying goods," Lulusi explained immediately.

Exhaling a smoke ring, Athena tapped the table with her pipe: "But before the sugar and grain trade agreement has even started, our interests have already been damaged."

"If it can't bring more benefits, then why are the nobles prohibiting it, even at the cost of starting a war?" Solan, a witch from the Shadow Society, said in a low voice.

"We have paid so much manpower, material resources, and financial resources to support Thousand River Valley. Shouldn't they come to help us? Why use an alliance to threaten us?"

"When is it called threatening with an alliance? That's because there's no justification! The nobles even know to forge a claim before fighting a war, you fool!"

Although they were ordered to sit down, the witches refused to give up and were still forming factions and mocking each other.

"Three days, we must vote today." Otartila shook her head secretly and stood up, "According to the rules, I will vote last. Same as before, thumbs up for approval, thumbs down for disapproval!"

Lulusi, a witch from the Roan Party, raised her hand first: "I have said everything I need to say. Horne can bring more benefits."

Ceromis, the Dawn Sun Witch "Phoenix," pouted: "He recognizes himself as Messira's son, disgusting, oppose."

Noviya, a witch from the Mechanical Soul Church, raised her thumb: "Approve. I like his clockwork guns. I can't wait to meet him."

Istra, from the Dreamless Scholars Association, smiled with her eyes closed: "Approve, not for any other reason, but because it's too fun."

The Dreamless Scholars Association is similar to the Dragon Language Alchemy Society, but it mainly focuses on knowledge service industries and has extremely deep attainments in mind and astrology.

Istra has always been mysterious, and her small number of members has always been known for doing whatever they want.

Solan from the Shadow Society raised her thumb: "Approve."

The Shadow Society is famous for assassination and smuggling, and its geographical location is close to the north, allowing it to trade through the Ibe River, no longer needing to smuggle.

Therefore, they smuggled spices and brown sugar from the south to the north and received a large amount of funds and daily necessities from Thousand River Valley.

At this moment, Solan naturally supports Horne's visit and joining the Holy Axis.

Athena of the Golden Cross Society lowered her finger: "Based on the current performance of the Holy Axis, I suspect they want to annex us, oppose."

Viranica, a tarot witch and a loyal supporter of Athena, and Mireia, who is also from the Golden Cross Society, both voted against it.

Soon, the Witch Council formed a classic four votes in favor versus four votes against, and everyone's eyes were focused on Otartila.

Otartila looked left and right, but was embarrassed. She thought for a long time before finally raising her thumb with difficulty: "Approve. We may not be able to defeat these Lilac Corridor noble coalition forces with our strength alone."

"Damn it." Athena stood up unhappily with a pout, and Viranica wanted to stop her, but was stopped by Mireia.

"Bang!" Otartila tapped the table again and announced, looking around, "We welcome Lord Horne to visit Black Serpent Bay in advance, train our troops, and join the sugar and grain trade agreement after the war."