Chapter 67

Chapter 67 – The Plan Begins

Night fell, and the gentle sea breeze rolled up the curtains and let them fall again. Through the tall windows, one could see the myriad lights of Hope Lane, twinkling like stars. Occasionally, the chirping of insects could be heard from the courtyard outside.

Lolan Hill sat at her desk, reading through letters sent by various branches under the dim but clear light of an orange candle.

The papyrus felt somewhat rough and thick, with the black ink standing out vividly against the orange glow.

To the esteemed Miss Lacy,

This is Lucas from the West Wind Northern Branch. I am writing to report some matters. Recently, there has been a large-scale uprising among miners and farmers in Nide County in the north. These miners refuse to pay heavy taxes and hand over minerals, and have breached many warehouses in the county, acquiring a great deal of steel and other metals. They have armed themselves by forging weapons and armor under the organization of some individuals.

One thing that deserves special mention is that they are very well-organized, or rather, they have excellent discipline. There must be a group of well-educated people leading them. After their independence, they promptly maintained the local order, and we did not see any shops being robbed or destroyed in the county.

Afterwards, Duke Rockwall convened his vassals and other nobles in the castle, forming a coalition army of nearly 120,000 to suppress the rebellion. At the time of writing this letter, the decisive battle between the independent forces and the coalition army had taken place three days ago on the Red Desert Plain. The independent forces did not avoid combat; they defeated Duke Rockwall’s coalition army on the battlefield. The elite force, the ‘Mountain Bronze Sheep’, was completely annihilated. Duke Rockwall fled after the battle, disguising himself as a farmer in the countryside, and was captured yesterday. Perhaps he would have fared better if he had disguised himself as a merchant, given his pale skin and hands without calluses from labor.

Now, the independent forces are preparing to seal the city and conduct a thorough investigation, reportedly to settle accounts with the crimes committed by the nobles and wealthy merchants before. Although our branch has not violated the laws of West Wind, we are still under close surveillance. This letter was written in secret during the night. It will be transmitted by the Chamber’s messenger bird. I cannot predict what the outcome will be. If anything happens to me, I implore Miss to take care of my family, who live in Redwood County in Vergha.

Lastly, from the occasional discussions of the independent forces, their leader is named Pullman. He claims to have received instruction and enlightenment from a Great Sage and plans to establish an ideal nation on the continent. Previously, I would have laughed at such fanciful ideas, but after observing these past few days, my views have begun to waver. They might indeed replace West Wind in a few years. I hope the Chamber’s upper echelons will take this seriously and make preparations early.

August 24th, 1684, night

Lucas, at Gravel City

The corners of the letter were slightly damp, suggesting the messenger bird encountered rain on its journey. Additionally, there were hastily scribbled words on the back of the letter.

“The Great Sage is named Lolan Hill. No one has ever seen his appearance.”

The young lady read the letter several times, her heart filled with complex emotions—surprise, admiration, joy, worry, and unease.

Who would have thought that a small twig planted long ago would now grow into a towering tree, and even one that shook the world?

The sparrow hawk delivering the letter stood motionless on its dedicated stand, its eyes fixed on the young lady. This creature possessed Sequence 1 strength; every branch of the Caritas Chamber had one, usually only used for urgent matters. It flew very high, making it difficult for most people to intercept.

The young lady gently stroked the letter, her thoughts gradually calming down. She looked up at the sparrow hawk, which had yet to fly away, and realized she hadn’t rewarded it yet. She rang a bell, instructing the maid outside to prepare a delicious meal for this little creature.

Since Pullman had come this far, there was no turning back. Should she help him, or not?

Given that she had imparted these knowledge to Pullman, she naturally couldn’t just stand idly by. She definitely needed to help him.

But how much should she help? Just some verbal advice, or should she actively plan for him, or fully immerse herself in this great cause?

Feeling somewhat irresponsible about mere verbal advice, and not yet prepared to fully commit to this era’s turbulent whirlwind, she believed she wasn’t strong or resolute enough—strength encompassed physical power, mental fortitude, and enlightenment.

For now, she decided not to meet Pullman. Recalling the young boy he once was, Lolan Hill maliciously speculated that he would likely cling to her and prevent her from leaving, making it hard to refuse.

Nevertheless, she would secretly assist Pullman when necessary and write letters to answer his questions.

As she pondered, her hair and hands twisted and intertwined.

Sighing, Lolan Hill rested her chin on her arm and tilted her head to watch her hair.

She had initially planned to return to the forest after resolving the matter in Vergha. She was someone who preferred solitude and disliked trouble. Yet, her upbringing and personality instilled a strong sense of responsibility.

Avoiding certain things without a care in the world was something she couldn’t do. Thus, she would keep her promise and do what needed to be done, though she preferred a more free and easy life.

It seemed she needed to speed up her pace. Burying her head in her arms, she silently muttered, her silk-like hair slipping through her fingers and cascading over her shoulders.

—

Three days later, the Caritas Chamber headquarters dispatched various letters, ordering the branches across West Wind to start consolidating, leaving behind only essential personnel while the rest withdrew from West Wind back to Vergha to avoid being caught up in the war.

The three major fleets of the Chamber, “Swordfish,” “Trade Wind,” and “White Bird,” were recalled. The branch leaders were summoned to participate in a conference in Hope Lane.

The Caritas Chamber organized a department for intelligence analysis to adjust trade strategies in the future.

No longer refusing invitations from other families in Hope Lane, Lolan Hill would attend upcoming banquets to meet representatives and heads of other chambers.

Finally, Lolan Hill instructed her subordinates to select and recommend outstanding young men for the transmission of extraordinary knowledge and organize training sessions. Based on their strengths and qualifications, she would provide advanced materials for extraordinary vocations.

The young lady sat at her desk, penning her plans meticulously, her golden hair draped over her red dress.

She began planning each task and prepared several charts to organize and analyze information.

The flickering candle cast a long shadow of her figure on the desk.

—

(End of Chapter)