When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

The Patriarch's flagship attracted countless eyes the moment it arrived at Coldspring Fortress.

On the stepped mountainside, sloping roofs formed inclined planes.

Amidst the whistling of wooden planks and thatch, residents emerged from their homes, greeting and conversing with each other in hoarse voices.

"The docks are completely cleared, who has such a grand display?"

"What flag is that? Can anyone see it clearly?"

"Ah, it's the Sun Gear flag."

"The Grand Patriarch is here! It's Grand Patriarch Horn!"

In the hazy morning mist, the Coldspring Town docks echoed with the piercing sound of trumpets and drums, as a red carpet was rolled out across the oak plank road.

The first thing Horn noticed upon setting foot in Coldspring Fortress was the fishy smell of river seafood, the pungent odor of asphalt, and the pine scent emanating from the resin-coated wooden planks.

Standing before the town's mayor, the one greeting Horn with a sour face was White Horse Knight Spitrochu.

After the previous Thousand River Valley War, the old knight, who originally had half-white hair, now had a completely white beard and hair.

He wore a close-fitting, short-sleeved armored garment, and his left arm extended into an iron hand with wood as flesh.

Gears, spider silk, and fine gold springs were visible at the joints and wrist.

Fine gold alloy is currently the only material that can be used to make springs, so it can only be applied on a small scale.

Seeing Horn walking from the end of the red carpet, Spitrochu also stepped forward: "By order of the Autocrat, White Horse Knight Spitrochu is here to welcome the Grand Patriarch on behalf of His Highness."

"Hahahaha," Horn laughed before speaking, stepping forward to give Spitrochu a hearty embrace, "Old Knight, it's been a long time."

Spitrochu, though with an arrogant expression, softened his voice: "It's been almost two years, hasn't it?"

Horn and the White Horse Knight hadn't seen each other since the Battle of Flystream Fortress.

Two years had passed in a flash, and it was July again.

"Sir Spitrochu, how does the mechanical hand feel?"

"Not bad, although it's not as flexible as before, and I can't control individual fingers, it's enough that it allows me to wield a sword again."

"How could a mechanical hand be such an inconvenient thing? If you're willing to accept Holy Favor, have it installed with mithril clockwork..."

"You jest, I am already a vassal of the Autocrat; how could I become your Holy Favorite?"

"That was impolite of me." Horn casually tested, and not succeeding didn't bother him.

The White Horse Knight had people watch over the luggage and handover, then led Horn towards a mansion.

This was originally a monastery, but it was confiscated and auctioned off by Moliatti during the Cod Fortress battle.

When it returned to the Coldspring Town Hall, it had become the general meeting place for the North Mound County Armorer's Guild.

During the war, Moliatti forcibly disbanded the Armorer's Guild, so this place became a mansion for high-ranking nobles and distinguished guests to reside in.

After Horn's arrival, the White Horse Knight, following Moliatti's instructions, expelled all other nobles residing in the mansion, allowing the Grand Patriarch's team to fully occupy it.

Along the way, riding a tall horse, amidst the onlookers of many residents, Horn waved and greeted while looking around.

Coldspring Fortress is located in the southern river valley through which the Silverthread River, a tributary of the Ibe River, passes, wrapping around Coldspring Mountain in an Ω shape.

Due to water erosion, the outer river water scours the south bank, and the river channel becomes increasingly southward, creating a wide river beach at the foot of Coldspring Mountain.

Looking back now, you can still see the undulating mountains across the Silverthread River.

Turning your head, you can see various smelting plants, blacksmith shops, and the Coldspring Fortress smelting plant emitting pillars of black smoke.

Coldspring Mountain is an extension of the Amethyst Mountain Range, and it can produce a large amount of iron ore.

Along the Silverthread River, there are mines, mining fields, and mining towns, and these ores are transported to nearby smelting plants for smelting through convenient water conservancy conditions.

With the waterway as a highway, North Mound County can develop such a large-scale smelting and forging industry.

If it were like the previous Muddy Marsh, where the freight was more expensive than the ore, it would basically bid farewell to the metallurgical industry.

According to the report given by the local Vicar, the number of people employed in the metallurgical industry in North Mound County accounts for as high as 5%, of which 70% of the smelters are around Coldspring Fortress.

Coldspring Fortress exports about 3,200 tons of iron material to Thousand River Valley every year, and small private mines and blacksmith shops are difficult to count.

It has to be said that nearly a hundred smelters in North Mound County, plus the Coldspring Fortress smelting plant, can only spare 1,000 tons for Horn to use.

This is still the output after the dwarves joined!

In other words, each smelter produces an average of about 40 tons of iron per year.

Compared with the pyrometallurgy in Horn's hometown, the hydrometallurgy in this world is too inefficient.

Since the iron-soaking medicine process cannot be improved, we can only improve production efficiency from other aspects.

It's just that the cost will be relatively high, and the output ratio is far less than the blast furnace ironmaking in Horn's hometown.

Walking up the hillside, after about a hundred steps, you can see a circle of brick and stone walls.

The wall encloses a three-story wooden building, which is the "mansion" Spitrochu spoke of.

Arriving at the mansion, Spitrochu had just directed the servants to put down the luggage when Horn directly opened his mouth and said: "What did Moliatti tell you?"

This caught Spitrochu somewhat off guard.

According to the normal etiquette process, shouldn't he stay for a day to adapt to the environment, then hold a banquet to communicate feelings tomorrow night, and then talk about business the morning of the third day?

Why is this Grand Patriarch skipping the foreplay and getting straight to the point?

Steadying himself and asking the servants to bring two cups of black tea, the White Horse Knight then spoke: "Moliatti told me to fully cooperate with your actions, but there is one bottom line, which is that North Mound County cannot be in chaos.

What you did in Black Serpent Bay must not be allowed to be transferred to the Five Mountain Counties."

"How do you define chaos?" Horn asked, meeting the old knight's vigilant gaze, and took a sip of black tea, "For example, does the Cheka leading troops to raid noble castles count as chaos?"

"Of course, isn't that slapping Lord Autocrat in the face?"

The White Horse Knight flatly refused.

Moliatti has already transferred the basic territory of the mountain knights to Hotam County, but North Mound County is still the main base.

The nobles echo each other and are inextricably linked, and they originally opposed Horn's steel policy.

If Horn does something like the Cheka arresting nobles, wouldn't that put Moliatti in a dilemma?

"What if there is evidence of a crime?"

"Low-level nobles are acceptable, but if high-level nobles commit crimes, only Moliatti or you can personally come forward." Spitrochu stared into Horn's eyes, "Are you sure you want to exercise this power here?"

"Then I understand." Horn's eyes smiled along with his mouth, making Spitrochu confused.

"Let me give you another example, such as low-level nobles attacking high-level noble castles, or dwarven craftsmen attacking dwarven master workshops?"

Spitrochu's hand holding the tea trembled, almost spilling the tea on his face.

He wiped his face with a handkerchief in embarrassment, both shocked and angry: "What are you trying to do?"

"You can't blame me for this, can you?" Horn stirred the black tea with a spoon, "If the trouble wasn't provoked by me, then Lord Moliatti wouldn't have to be in a dilemma, would she?"

"I beg you not to do this!"

"Who said I was going to do this? Don't slander me."

The White Horse Knight looked at Horn suspiciously for a long time before slowly sitting down: "So, you are sure these things won't happen?"

"Of course, we are friends." Horn drank the black tea with a smile, "I guarantee that during my stay in Coldspring Fortress, such things will definitely not happen."