A few days later, after Isha and Flora confirmed that all the sisters and refugees present had been freed from life-threatening situations, Lind began preparations for settling these people in Graywhite Territory.
Despite daily soaking in holy water, the plague and curse could not be cured, and in reality, the faces and bodies of everyone still bore hideous scars and some dead wounds, but at least there was no disgusting fluid flowing out anymore.
The highly contagious plague had been killed or purified by holy water, and as long as the remaining individuals maintained personal hygiene, cross-infections were unlikely to occur again.
With this, the battle could be considered to have concluded perfectly.
Soldiers protected the sisters and refugees as they brought them to the designated settlement near Graywhite Territory.
All the soldiers had proud expressions on their faces, especially the ones led by Lauri; each of them seemed to have their mouths almost reaching for the sky, proclaiming to everyone that the Demon Clan was nothing to fear, easily handled by their hands.
Now, Lind instructed these soldiers to march at the front with full gear, which further made their spirits soar to a point that was tougher to suppress than the firearms in the laboratory; each of them marched proudly and vigorously.
Some injured soldiers, even with wounds still not fully healed, insisted on following the group. Although there were no fatalities in this battle, there were still some injuries.
Most of the injuries were caused by the cavalry charge, with a few unfortunate ones being directly hit by a charging warhorse. At that moment, the Demon Clan was also charging, and the startled horses dragged themselves back with minimal speed; they barely survived while carrying recovery potions.
The subjects were even more fervent; the battle report clearly stated that this time, the force was led by Lauri, while the knights of the Lars family were only responsible for preventing the enemy’s escape. Even ordinary people could resist the Demon Clan as long as they followed commands.
Many who usually participated in militia training were even more encouraged, feeling that there were no enemies that were invincible. This was also why Lind wanted to make these ordinary soldiers the core of the fighting force. Unlike these soldiers who had mostly been fully involved, the militia members, who only trained daily, relied heavily on morale and needed at least one victory as a foundation so that they wouldn’t crumble when truly fighting alongside the soldiers.
However, at the moment the heads on display appeared, there were quite a few people who were shocked.
Since the enemy’s numbers were relatively small, with only around ten heads, they could only make a very small display. Lauri simply stacked these heads into a small tower and hung it up like a flag.
Even though they were sprinkled with lime, it was still very frightening.
Many parents hurriedly covered their children’s eyes.
As some people wondered why the lord was so cruel, the sisters and refugees finally arrived with the group.
Although they had already changed into clean clothes, their messy hair, the scars on their faces and arms showing through, and the scabbed wounds told everyone how they had been treated before.
The crowd, which had just been cheering, fell silent for a moment, seemingly recalling their past days living on the frontier.
Some people shouted a certain name loudly, and someone among the refugees responded immediately, calling out loudly in return, as if they were familiar acquaintances from the Refuge Saint Cathedral.
The atmosphere on-site gradually became livelier with these calls.
Indeed, all of that is now in the past; furthermore, the lord had just easily defeated the Demon Clan that had come to flaunt their might, causing people to shout loudly. The heads of the Demon Clan hanging on the net seemed no longer that terrifying.
Many even showed eagerness to enlist in the army.
Wiping out ten Demon Clan members seemed like an unremarkable achievement, but in the past on the frontier, which general or commander could present ten Demon heads? The Lars family would certainly have made a grand mention of it, especially under the circumstances where the team was mostly composed of ordinary people.
Because military merit and the Lars family were involved, along with the undeniable fact that they had not yet matched the Demon Clan, the frontier battle reports were somewhat reminiscent of Lind’s earlier exploits against the Ming dynasty, where killing a few enemy combatants already counted as a great victory.
Many sisters and refugees looked in surprise at the buildings on both sides of the road. They really were like what the maids had said, all were five-story buildings, and the streets were clean and tidy, as if truly resembling a celestial kingdom.
Lind and Lena welcomed everyone at the end of the road; the soldiers excitedly saluted Lind, who responded with a military greeting.
This was a performance, not only to instill confidence in the subjects but also to deepen everyone’s cohesion.
Not only for these newly arrived sisters and refugees but also for the wild people who had just been “persuaded” down from the mountains.
Now, no one felt that they were from any territory on the frontier or were free wild people; everyone was chanting for Graythorn Territory.
Amidst the cheers, Lind handed a mask and a set of clothes to Flora, who was leading among the refugees.
It was a beak-like mask, similar to those used by plague doctors, which Lind had urgently arranged through the Golden Merchants’ Alliance.
Unlike previous beak masks, this one was filled with genuine alchemical materials and could help the sisters treat the sores on their faces, as well as aid in their recovery. This unique outfit also helped to distinguish these sisters from ordinary subjects in the territory.
Following the principle of using what worked to the fullest, Lind did not plan to give these women, who had received education from the Church, too much time to rest.
Other refugees could wait until they no longer carried infectious diseases before coming out to work, but the sisters could not waste time.
The sisters from the Northern Border, who had long become experienced healers, could now undertake the Church’s work in the ordinary territory, including but not limited to healing the sick, taking care of children, and handling some chores. Of course, the spread of faith would definitely be restricted, at least under Lind’s authority.
The key point was that the proportion of professionals among these sisters was not low; otherwise, it would have been impossible to hold off the Demon Clan for so long with a group of refugees. Flora, especially, was a level-five professional; although more inclined towards support roles, it didn’t matter—the computing power was the same.
“Welcome to your new home, my lady.”
Lind personally put the beak mask on Flora, completely covering her face, which was still captivating even with the scars.
“At your service, my lord.”
The specific details had been discussed with Flora earlier; Graywhite Territory had already outlined an area with houses built for these sisters and refugees afflicted by diseases and curses to live in.
And for the residents of this area beforehand, Lind provided the materials to build new homes and a sum of money, which is commonly referred to as relocation fees. At least from the envious gazes of other subjects, this batch of relocated households was very satisfied.
Although ordinary refugees with infectious plagues could not leave this isolation area for a long time, the sisters wearing beak masks could. The already tightly wrapped nun attire, along with the beak mask and gloves, essentially formed a complete isolation suit, allowing the sisters to go out normally for work.
The sisters not only had no objections but were even very surprised. To them, Lind’s actions were not only not an exploitation but also embodied divine love for humanity. Even if they themselves were cursed, they still wanted to contribute their strength for everyone. Was this not a perfect reflection of the goddess’s teachings? This could even be seen as a form of martyrdom.
In the hearts of many sisters, there was even only one sun—the Pope? Not familiar.
In the future Graywhite Territory, the masked sisters even became a unique legacy of the territory.
