"...So, I believe, Ansen Castle will be safe, it can at least hold out until the Winter Festival!"

Mitney shook his head, helplessly putting down the letter in his hand.

"He's still fond of boasting, just watch, when the intensity rises, he'll calm down," Carter obviously knew the City Guard well and mocked him directly.

After Mitney finished reading the letter, Catherine took off her crystal glasses, leaned back in the rattan chair, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

In the study room of the Red Fort at the Meigedi Commerce Headquarters in Rapids City, the three sitting were still the top echelons of Meigedi Commerce.

Originally there should be four top echelons, but Qianqian was fully sent as an ambassador by Horn to Joan of Arc Castle.

The hot wind carrying the vapor from the Nao'an River blew in through the arched windows, making it too hot to open one's eyes.

According to the structure of the Red Fort, Catherine's study room at the top should be as hot as a sauna.

However, at this moment, despite the swirling hot wind, there still was an unshakable chill in the study.

The source of this chill was the large block of ice placed in the center of the room, along with the pale blue iron skull perched on the ice.

Bursts of cold air swirled out from the eye sockets of the skull, spreading in all directions.

Catherine opened her eyes and wiped her glasses with a handkerchief: "How long do you think he can last?"

"Three weeks," Mitney answered immediately.

Carter, however, thought for a few seconds: "I think four to six weeks is the limit. By then, even if we don't order it, they'll be fleeing by ship."

"Do we need to request reinforcements from the Salvation Army at Joan of Arc Castle?" Catherine asked with sharp eyes.

"Request reinforcements from Joan of Arc Castle? I think there's no need for that yet," Carter rubbed his temples, "We're not quite at that stage yet."

"Why?"

"We haven't officially started fighting with Cike yet. At the moment, we have enough troops and supplies.

If they rush over, they'll instead pressure our logistics, making the fruit expensive.

Moreover, we called them earlier, but they didn't come, citing too many casualties and even detained Qianqian.

Now that the roadblocks are sealed tight, how would they come over?"

Catherine could understand Carter's complaints.

Carter had prepared to bow down to Horn when he invited him to Rapids City to discuss grand plans, wishing to mend fences.

Gifts, a new alliance document, banquets were all ready.

But in the end, Horn said he'd deal with bandits and didn't come.

He was indeed busy with affairs, but in Carter's opinion, it was like trying to warm a cold shoulder.

Moreover, after Andar returned, he went everywhere, proclaiming the Salvation Army as irrational and incompetent and labeling Horn as arrogant and heartless.

For various reasons, the Black Knights up and down didn't like the Salvation Army much.

Coupled with previous grudges, Carter held a grudge in his heart.

You don't care for me, I don't care for you either!

He insisted on fighting a grand battle to show Horn even he could defeat Cike!

"Mitney, what's your opinion?" Catherine turned her gaze to Mitney.

Mitney retracted his face from the freezing skull, stood up: "I have no opinion on this, but the citizens may not like it."

Carter then said: "Regardless of anything else, that fake Pope cracking down on high-interest loans suits my taste."

Catherine put her glasses back on, she sorted through the letters and notes in her hand.

As the city with the most wealthy merchants in Thousand River Valley, the citizens were quite fearful of Horn's crackdowns.

Horn's reasoning for hanging wealthy merchants was primarily two things: "helping demons" and "hoarding goods."

If one is a wealthy merchant, they probably engaged in these to some extent, always dealing with nobility, always buying and selling.

He also banned high-interest loans, how would the lenders survive?

"Can we rely on ourselves to withstand the offensive pressure from the Lingya Knights?" Catherine straightened up and asked the two decision-makers.

Carter and Mitney exchanged a glance, and Mitney spoke first: "Currently, we have enough Red Dragon's Breath and Green Dragon's Breath.

With the Black Snake Bay mercenaries and the army of Kush Knights in Lower Reif County, there are 6000 men.

We also have a hundred-mage corps from Black Snake Bay. With them, fighting defensive counterattacks is still possible."

Carter then added: "In early August, the second batch of Black Snake Bay's Secret Party alliance army will arrive, as long as Hassuta launches an attack, everything will improve."

"Ansen Castle can hold them off for a month, the small castles along the way should hold for two weeks. Can't we last a month ourselves?" Mitney said with a smile.

Catherine used her handkerchief to wipe sweat from her chest, as if recalling something bothersome, she rubbed her temples and asked:

"Recently, have the wizards from Black Snake Bay behaved?"

"Behaved, huh." Carter immediately complained, "This group is too unruly."

The fact is that the wizards from Black Snake Bay were unruly.

As the Sheriff, Carter recently received multiple reports of miraculous crimes committed by them.

On their first day, they urinated in the main street where urination was prohibited, right in front of the Night Guard.

Upon warning, they fought with the guards while urinating and even won, swaggering away.

Imprisoned, they did hard labor for three days, then after their release, they went past the church and stuck two grape seeds on the chest of the Saint Master's statue, even drawing outlines in pink paint.

To say they were bad, they daily carried food and Dinar to aid refugees and laborers.

To say they were good, the food and Dinar they gave away were all stolen.

Almost daily, seven or eight small shop owners and artisans, bruised and battered, came seeking help.

"Black Snake Bay people are like this," Mitney helplessly caressed the freezing skull, "Neither Green Dragon's Breath nor Red Dragon's Breath can be done without them, apart from monitoring them more, I can't think of other solutions."

"At least they confess and pay the penalty, haven't done anything too outrageous," Catherine sighed, "So it's decided we won't ask for reinforcements, right?"

"Currently, rebel farmers everywhere are raising the banners of the Saint's Grandson. If we call them to aid us, will we still have speaking power? By then, they'll only know the Saint's Grandson, not you."

Mitney's voice was low, but his words were decisive.

After a moment of thought, Catherine decided to handle it independently for now.

It's not necessarily the Salvation Army that can defeat Cike, right?

Catherine felt a vague worry in her heart, Langsande County still had many Extraordinary Knights, and the Salvation Army was unstable at the rear.

If she invited them over and ultimately lost Joan of Arc Castle, it would be a misstep.

"Are there signs of a counterattack from the Ibe Knights?"

"Our five astrologers have performed divination for Jinhe Town and Joan of Arc Castle, Jinhe Town is shielded by the church's cross, but Joan of Arc Castle is inverted Death God."

"So?"

"Hence I think, as long as they don't act recklessly, they can withstand the Ibe Knights' attack. They might even push back a few miles."

"Alright then," Catherine nodded, "Let's decide on this, we will withstand this offensive ourselves.

As for Joan of Arc Castle, we will send some chest armor and alchemical weapons..."

"Ah!" Mitney's eyes suddenly lit up, "Hasn't Joan of Arc Castle always said they lack wizards?

Should we send some troublesome ones we have in jail over to them?"

"Will it affect Dragon's Breath production?"

"It's only a few people, won't matter much."

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