The Falan were still planning to use the Salvation Army as their agent, but the Salvation Army was already swamped with tasks.

After all, Horn had fought a swift battle, advancing from Black Mountain Castle to Xiaochi City, and then to Rapids City, without time to wrap things up.

Capturing the major cities did not mean taking control of the entire county.

For instance, the northwest part of Kasha County was still under church influence, while two towns in northern Lower Reif County remained in church hands.

The Salvation Army did not press forward but chose to recuperate instead.

Firstly, the few northern towns in Lower Reif County were densely populated with castles. If the Knights decided to hold their ground, elite infantry like Horn's wouldn't endure prolonged consumption.

Moreover, the supply of Dragon's Breath for siege warfare was nearly depleted; Horn had just over a dozen left, and with the remnants in the Rapids City warehouse, there were only slightly over twenty.

These needed to be conserved, for if Prince Kongdai came, ordinary fireball crossbows might not suffice.

Secondly, Horn was bogged down by the ruins of Rapids City, as it was the capital city of Lower Reif County and one of only two Imperial Free Cities in Thousand River Valley.

This city concentrated the elite population of Lower Reif County, including various artisans, literates, clerks, accountants, notaries, and others.

Given the impossibility of further expanding territories,

Horn needed to first stabilize Rapids City, then integrate the two towns of Lower Reif County, establish basic governance before considering anything else.

The first step after the war was refugee resettlement.

The Salvation Army had extensive experience in this, having practiced many times in Langsande County and even Autumn Dusk Island.

The routine was consistent: the army would garrison, open granaries for food distribution, register households, offer work-for-relief projects, clean the city, and crack down on hooligans and vagabonds.

Within just five days, most of the broken stones and debris in Rapids City had been cleared, and the various corpses were either burned or transported outside the city for burial.

Collective funerals hosted by priests were one after another, prisoners of war were categorized, with most aristocrats and guards detained for leverage against local noble powers.

The lowest-ranking peasant soldiers were given a few dinars for travel expenses, urged to return home promptly.

Some residents had already moved back into their original homes, but nearly a third still had to pitch tents or sleep in other people's yards.

One must know, the Port District housed over ten thousand people, and it was the first area to be destroyed during the previous war.

Rapids City had grown wildly with no city planning; wooden houses were stacked upon each other.

Initially, it was manageable, but after the Dragon's Breath fire, flames spread from one structure to another, burning down half a city district, and once the Knights entered, they set fire again, burning it once more.

Coupled with the combat and vine walls, a large part of the interior of Rapids City was consumed by fire.

This presented one of the two major challenges for Rapids City residents: the lack of houses for them to move into for a long while, where would they live?

Moreover, countless workshops were destroyed in the fire, leaving no funds for reconstruction; even if they could rebuild, it would take a long time, leading to mass unemployment of artisans.

The entire commerce activity of Rapids City and its surrounding economic zone had come to a complete halt.

The second major problem troubling Rapids City residents was Witch Catherine from Meigedi.

By the fountain in Mansion Square, the stone head statue that once spewed clear spring water was shattered by the ascending vampire vines, leaving only a spout trickling a meager stream of water irregularly.

On the flagpole by the square, dozens of bodies were hanging, be it soldiers and knights who looted in the city, or those citizen and merchant traitors.

The Salvation Army had always been ruthless with traitors; during public trials each night, they often brought along local citizens.

Many traitors and knights were brutally beaten to death on stage by the enraged citizens, their blood, froth, and bodily waste stained the ground in red, white, yellow, and green.

Citizens carrying shovels, wooden hammers, and brooms moved back and forth across the square, re-burying the loose yellow earth and gradually paving the shattered stones.

Using a shovel to pry out a fingertip from the crevice of the pavement, a young citizen hammered his waist and stood up, looking at the scorched city before him, weakly sitting on the fountain's edge.

"Venetian! You're resting again, come on, do some work, how about moving a paving stone?!" Nearby, the middle-aged head loader Monluo looked at the sulking young man, trying to hold back his anger.

"I just finished working; why can't I rest for a bit, you're so annoying."

Monluo frowned at the gloomy young man before him, sensing something was off.

Yesterday, this young accountant was working spiritedly; what happened today?

Handing the broom to someone else, Monluo sat beside Venetian: "What's wrong with you? You haven't been yourself since this morning."

Looking at the people still cleaning around, Monluo leaned in and lowered his voice, "I heard that the Salvation Army is going to publicly try Catherine's governance. Is it true?"

Monluo looked at him blankly, "Who told you that?"

"That's what they're saying on the street. Apparently, a Salvation Army priest let it slip," Venetian described vividly, "They're going to base the trial on public opinion, but..."

"But what? What are they saying?" Monluo followed up, curious.

It's known that the citizens of Rapids City have quite mixed feelings about Catherine.

On one hand, they admire and are grateful to the businesswoman who led them to prosperity, but on the other, they can't accept her being a witch.

Yet, her act of feeding herself to the blood-sucking vine, trying to sacrifice herself to save the whole city, has been spreading rapidly over the past five days.

During this time, the citizens gradually split into three factions: the radicals demanding Catherine's expulsion and a re-election for governance, and Catherine's supporters insisting she should continue governing.

Of course, the ostrich faction like Monluo is the largest, turning a blind eye and pretending not to know.

"They say the conservative faction of the Salvation Army thinks the radicals in Rapids City are too conservative, deciding to sentence Catherine to execution by fire in the public trial..."

"What a joke!" Monluo jumped up abruptly.

If it were about expelling Catherine to Black Snake Bay, Monluo would feel guilty but could accept it, but the Salvation Army wanting to burn Catherine was utterly unacceptable to Monluo.

Catherine is not just the leader who brought prosperity to Rapids City, but also their savior. Setting aside her identity as a witch, her character is unquestionably noble.

If she were an ordinary believer, she might even be canonized after death, so why should the Salvation Army want to burn her?

"Otherwise, what else?" A rogue-looking citizen lifted his head, seemingly having overheard their conversation, "Shouldn't a witch be burned? I think she deserves it."

Monluo was so stunned by what the bruised and beaten rogue said he was speechless for a good four or five seconds, then the usually inarticulate man rolled up his sleeves and strode towards the rogue.

"Hey, hey, losing the argument and starting a fight, are we?" The rogue immediately pointed at Monluo and cursed.

"What argument? Lady Catherine saved the whole city, and you think she should die?" Venetian, holding onto Monluo's arm, was even more furious, cursing at the rogue with a flushed face.

"I don't know about that. All I know is she's a witch, and witches should be burned. She will doom the whole city."

"She saved the whole city!"

"The Lord says those ungrateful should not live in this world."

Several other onlookers couldn't help but gather around, confronting the rogue.

"So what if I'm ungrateful? If you keep the witch, when the Church comes, do you want to be massacred again?"

The conversation was going well, but as the rogue diverted the topic towards the Church and the previous war, many who were already bitter from the war couldn't hold it in any longer.

The citizens who had been moving bricks and cleaning the streets circled around, pointing at the rogue and cursing.

The rogue, single-handedly facing many, with his street-trained tongue, managed to infuriate those cursing him, leaving them helpless.

After several rounds of verbal disputes, despite the Salvation Army's prohibition of brawling, five or six citizens couldn't hold back and charged at the rogue with a shout.

"What are you doing? What do you want to do?"

The fight didn't last long, as the Defensive Army, alerted by the noise, arrived with flails, pulling apart those in the skirmish and, understanding the situation, dragged the rogue away.

"I've told you no fighting! This time I'll let you off, but I'll speak to your Hundred Households Captain later."

Before leaving, the bloodied rogue continued to shout:

"Just wait, we'll sign a petition to demand Catherine's burning, you unfaithful believers, just wait!"

Watching the rogue being taken away, Venetians and Monluo felt both relieved and a flicker of anger and guilt.

Catherine nearly died saving Rapids City, and it was already tormenting for these citizens to consider expelling her for personal gain.

But to want to burn the barely surviving Catherine crosses the line for these citizens.

The most terrifying part is, the Salvation Army doesn't really understand Rapids City. Most of these rogues were criminals punished by Catherine before. If the Salvation Army truly believes them, it would be disastrous.

"Why don't we write a petition too?"

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