On January 5, 1447, the echoes of the New Year Festival parade lingered over the Holy Machinery Court.
Colorful triangular flags still hung from the clotheslines strung between houses, and the air was filled with the smell of cheese bread and the sulfur of the Fireball Technique.
Citizens, donning newly spun linen and wool blended short coats from the Holy Machinery Court Textile Factory, took to the streets to enjoy the last few days of the week-long holiday.
However, Horn could not do so; after enjoying five days of vacation, he had to embark on the journey southward.
Horn's convoy heading south was quite grand, comprising twenty-five ships and six hundred accompanying personnel.
This included a guard of five hundred Imperial Guards, twenty high-ranking monks from the Gospel Court for ceremonial and diplomatic affairs, forty service personnel including chefs, porters, and servants, a ceremonial team of twenty, and twenty record officers and clerks.
