Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Winters shifted the topic, "But I can help you persuade Mayor Wooper or Mayor Selvit."

"Oh?" Colonel Berny scoffed coldly.

"Not only can I help you persuade the Steel Fortress Council, but I also have a better proposition." Instead of stating his demands first, Winters actively offered assistance, "You want to recruit the unemployed for training to provide them with sustenance and prevent them from resorting to desperation, am I right?"

Colonel Berny neither confirmed nor denied, gesturing Winters to continue.

Winters asked unhurriedly, "If it's just about providing the unemployed with a piece of bread, why insist on military training?"

Winters Montagne was not an experienced administrative official, but he indeed had some minor work experience in Iron Peak County, accruing precious successful experiences.

"Clearing canals, leveling roads, repairing city defenses… if the Legion is willing to maintain discipline, there are many things the unemployed can do. Just using military training as a pretext would be enough," Winters added at last, "Of course, when there is truly nothing else to do, accepting a few transportation contracts would also be understandable."

Colonel Berny sighed, stood up, walked to the cabinet, and came back with a bottle of distilled spirits and two square cups. He poured a quarter cup for Winters and half a cup for himself, then asked, "What do you want?"

"I hope to transport a batch of goods to Lucerne, in the name of the Legion," Winters said, without a trace of triumph on his face but instead with an even more humble attitude.

Lucerne is a border city of the Monta Republic, facing Paratu across the river.

"Lucerne?" Colonel Berny picked up the square cup, delicately sniffing the sharp aroma of the liquor, and asked with perplexity, "The route from Steel Fortress to Lucerne is only by land, over mountains and valleys, quite troublesome."

"Ironware exports have always taken Wooper Canal, so the Monta Senate will definitely guard heavily along Wooper Canal and the downstream waterways," Winters answered honestly, "Therefore, it makes sense to 'avoid the near and seek the far' and take a detour to Lucerne."

Of course, Winters left out the second half of his statement—Lucerne also had water routes that led directly to Mirror Lake and the Newly Reclaimed Lands Province.

"What a clever 'avoid the near and seek the far,'" Colonel Berny sipped his liquor, "But Lucerne still has to obey the commands from Hornburg. Delivering the armament to Lucerne, do you think you can get them over the border?"

"You needn't worry about that, General Alpade has his ways," Winters raised his glass as a salute.

"At first, I thought you were just a minor character, but now it seems I was wrong—you're the real deal in this transaction."

"Colonel, I'm not any important figure," Winters responded levelly, "But in this 'purchase,' I have full authority."

Colonel Berny nodded slightly, drained his cup of spirits, and looking squarely at Winters, asked frankly, "What do I stand to gain by helping you?"

"Money," Winters replied without hesitation, "if that's what you want."

Colonel Berny chuckled, "I have no need for money."

Winters's smile receded as his expression gradually became solemn and formal. He stood up and bowed, "Then you may have my gratitude, and from this day forward, I owe you a favor."

"There is an old Helvetii saying: a hero's promise is worth more than an ata of gold," Colonel Berny also stood up, handing the drink to Winters and clinked his glass with Winters's, toasting, "Young man, may your eyes always be clear, and your sword always sharp."

The Colonel then returned the black wooden case to Winters, "Keep the gun, you'll need it more than I."

…

While Winters was visiting Colonel Berny, Anna was checking the Schmid family's "ledger."

The Schmid family's ledger was kept by old Mr. Schmid in a pure iron cabinet, which also contained land deeds, house deeds, and documents proving ownership of the Forge, among other important papers.

The iron cabinet was secured with no fewer than five big locks, the keys to which old Mr. Schmid carried with him at all times. The cabinet itself was placed beside old Mr. Schmid's bed; the old man would check every night to make sure everything lay in its proper place before he could sleep.

Even Mr. Carlo Aide, with connections everywhere, couldn't get his hands on old Mr. Schmid's ledger.

So he simply bribed the person who kept the books for old Mr. Schmid.

…

On one side of the small table, Anna, veiled, kept asking questions and taking notes. The veil did not conceal her charm but rather added a touch of hazy beauty to her appearance.

On the other side of the table, the Schmid family's low-level clerk sat on the chair, flustered and anxiously swallowing his saliva—anyone would feel equally embarrassed when surrounded by four formidable Dusack guards.

The four guards gripped their sabers tightly, staring intently at the poor clerk, who dared not exhibit any disrespect or frivolity. To be precise, he even trembled when speaking.

Anna sighed inwardly; initially, she felt such an extensive deployment was unnecessary, but the guards firmly disagreed with letting her converse alone with an unfamiliar man.

"Would you like some water?" Anna asked amiably, trying to ease his stress, "Mr. Schwaidnitz?"

The skinny clerk Schwaidnitz glimpsed the deadly gaze of the sword-bearers beside him and shook his head desperately, "No, no thank you."

"It's alright," Anna glanced at the guards, bemused, "Let Mr. Schwaidnitz have some water."

Schwaidnitz wanted to refuse again, but one of the sword-bearers shoved the water cup in front of him, "Drink!"