Chapter 1049: Chapter 992: Changes in the Lives of the Black Snake Bay Secret Faction

On the cedar-built dock, fishermen on the lake cast net after net, hauling in batches of bluefish and river snails.

Outside Long Embankment City, there is a river and a lake. The river is the Ibe River, and the lake is called Cow Lake.

To be precise, Cow Lake was also originally part of the Ibe River.

It was only because the river was straightened and happened to converge with a tributary that Cow Lake was formed.

In the morning sun, on the dock, both the congressman wearing a linen short-sleeved shirt and the Secret Faction Leader were waiting.

Sweat clung to their body hair, dripping down their broad arms and greasy necks, but they didn’t dare relax or seek shelter in the shade of a tree.

After Black Snake Bay came under the rule of the Holy Alliance, the first issue to be resolved was food.

Currently, although food prices in Black Snake Bay are not as cheap as in areas like Thousand River Valley where grain is produced, at least it’s no longer exorbitant.

Thus, a large number of sweet pea fields, once food from Thousand River Valley became available, began to fervently convert from grain to spice, planting spices, sweet branches, and herbs in abundance.

Especially the plantations established by various Secret Factions, which profited immensely from selling these raw materials.

Having eaten their fill and with money in hand, the first thing they naturally wanted was to buy land, clothes, and houses.

The Black Snake Bay Secret Faction, having been accustomed to poverty, upon becoming wealthy, indulged in retaliatory consumption.

They imported large amounts of mortar, hired Falan stonemasons to build villas, and even paid for road construction to facilitate travel.

Last year, with a population of less than two million, Black Snake Bay purchased forty percent of the Holy Alliance’s annual imports of luxury fabrics and furniture.

Compared to the climate of Thousand River Valley, the hotter and more humid climate of Black Snake Bay naturally created different clothing demands.

Therefore, Horn specifically instructed departments related to clothing production to make a type of shirt exclusively for Black Snake Bay’s export.

In Thousand River Valley, this shirt is called the Black Snake Bay shirt, and in Black Snake Bay, it’s called the Thousand River Valley shirt — a short-sleeved shirt made of linen.

It takes after the Cuban collar, which is an open collar without a stand, and places the first button at chest level for extra coolness.

Anyways, the folks in Black Snake Bay are more open-minded, completely lacking the custom in Thousand River Valley where even men are not allowed to bare their arms.

The women in Black Snake Bay wear high-waisted dresses with ruffles that reach the knee, quite unlike the custom in Thousand River Valley, where skirt hems can’t surpass socks.

Riding this trend, it took just one year.

Not to mention the underclothed lower-class populace, even the citizen class and Secret Faction members all switched to this Black Snake Bay shirt and straw hat.

Even the congressmen on the dock were no exception.

The Cuban-collar Black Snake Bay shirt, combined with a fierce demeanor of heavy facial muscles, and with gold chains around necks and wrists.

To the informed, they were waiting for people; to the uninformed, they might seem like some gang waiting to transport ice at the dock.

However, these congressmen were actually no different from gangs, mostly originating from the Secret Faction.

The land-and-population-based voting system in Black Snake Bay is essentially an estate election system, so naturally, it elected big Secret Faction magnates and landlords.

Nevertheless, at this moment, those domineering and arrogant landlord representatives had to hold gifts and stand under the blazing sun, waiting for someone.

It was said the Saint’s Grandson was like the sun; he hadn’t even appeared, yet the heat could already be felt.

"Dad, how long are we going to wait?"

"Shut up, you fool!" He scolded his son sideways and glanced around cautiously. Seeing no one minded, he continued, "As long as you’re not dead from the sun, just keep standing there."

"But County Governor Louise isn’t standing..."

"What relation does she have with the Pope? I warn you, no more nonsense, Thiago Kukulcan!"

"The ship won’t dock for a while yet, so why wait so early at the dock?" 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"I’ll say it one last time: as long as the people on the ship can see the dock, we must wait obediently; you’re not allowed to go anywhere... If you talk nonsense again, I’ll toss you to feed the crocodiles!"

Thiago still muttered under his breath: "Is it necessary?"

"Of course, it is! They could squash our family with just a finger, unless you want to move back to the Eastern County?"

Thiago fell silent immediately.

He was born in the Eastern County, but he didn’t love it there; he just happened to be born there.

Compared to the more temperate climate and higher living standard of the Northern County, Thiago would rather die than move back.

Living without fear of snakebites and barbarian attacks, even going to the theater for entertainment compared to the Eastern County.

His only pastime in the Eastern County was watching giant crocodiles bare their teeth.

He’d rather flee than return to that perilous place day-to-day.

Fear and fawning towards Horn were etched deeply into the bones of most congressmen or, more accurately, the old Secret Faction members.

The previous purges and tax campaigns were seared into them.

Many Secret Faction members originally from the Northern County were hanged, drowned, or exiled to the Eastern County.

During the most frightening times, crocodiles wouldn’t even eat bodies that were too skinny.

The person responsible for all this was the high-up Saint Horn.

After the ordeal, they enjoyed sweet bread and fried chicken, replaced burlap and hides with linen and silk, and swapped stilts houses for three-story villas.

But they all understood, the chance to have such a life depended on Saint Horn.

If they angered him, and he stopped the Spice Company from buying your district’s raw materials.

Then it’s over; the more splendid life is today, the harsher life will be afterwards.

For their mansions and finery, the Secret Faction even had to send gifts to curry favor with the Spice Company’s managers, let alone the biggest shareholder—Horn Gallar.

Whether genuine or feigned, the congressmen of the Secret Faction all obediently kneeled.

The church, for hundreds of years, was unable to make the Black Snake Bay Secret Faction bow down; Horn achieved it within six years.

No matter how harsh the sun was, everyone still eagerly awaited the ship to dock and the gangway to extend.

Dozens of bodyguards rushed out of the ship’s cabin, forming two lines beside the dock.

It was only then that Louise stepped out from the shade, slowly approaching with a small umbrella.

Wearing a Black Snake Bay shirt and shorts, Horn descended from the deck with a straw hat and black crystal sunglasses, holding a coconut.

Thiago was about to step forward to greet him, but a single fierce glare from his father froze him in place.

Seeing his son retreat, Jose finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Compared to him, Thiago had grown up in the overly wild Eastern County with a low level of socialization.

Emotional intelligence was an issue... sigh.

At this moment, Horn placed the half-drunk coconut aside and strode briskly toward the dock, embracing the sweat-soaked Dass forcefully.

"You rascal, someone reported you’ve become the Grand Emperor of the Snake-man Empire, even the Emperor has to kneel before you."

"Hardly." Dass chuckled, waving his hand. "Just a small village with tens of thousands of people, calling it an empire is exaggerated."

"That’s not the way to say it. This Snake-man Empire even has so many affiliated nations.

This region is crucial for the upcoming route, you surely need to reform them.

I’ve already decided, the Eastern County will be turned into a military district. You, as the governor, have the full authority to reform and manage the area."

"Uh... this..." Dass was dumbstruck, "I, I’ve never managed such a large region."

"If you’ve never managed civil matters, haven’t you managed an army? Your schooling wasn’t wasted; if you can’t do it, learn on the job. I’ll teach you," Horn grasped his arm, "Let’s skip the small talk. Tell me about the situation at Musk River."