Iron Power And Sorcerer

Iron Power And Sorcerer Chapter 370

2021-11-26

Chapter 370 Steelcastle
[Monta Republic, Solingen, Steelcastle]
The coldest weeks of the winter are over and the weather is getting a little bit warmer.

When the sun is shining at noon, the snow on the mountains will melt. As temperatures drop at night, the stiffened water freezes back into ice, eventually forming a crystal clear and near-transparent ice crust on the snow surface.

The snow melt water flows under the ice crust, and eventually flows into the Rose Lake. Occasionally, you can hear the loud bang of a large ice sheet breaking off from the mountain.

In three days, the Steelcastle Blacksmiths Guild will elect the next executive committee.

City Hall employees are furiously setting up the venue and sweeping the roads. The shopkeepers of the shops on the street are also diligently cleaning their facades, trying to do more business through the celebrations on Election Day.

Some people say that Steel Castle is a city of blacksmiths.

In fact, Steelcastle is a city that "belongs" to blacksmiths.

Close to one-sixth of all able-bodied Steelcastle citizens—both men and women—are directly engaged in mining, smelting, and metalworking, and one third is their dependents.

The remaining half of Steelcastle make their living mainly by serving the first two.

Everything in Steel Castle revolves around blacksmiths, and the organization that binds all blacksmiths together is the Blacksmiths Guild.

Therefore, the executive member of the Blacksmiths Guild will become the executive member of the Parish Headquarters Association;

The executive member of the Parish Headquarters Association will become the executive member of the Steelcastle Town Hall;

Executive member of Steelcastle Town Hall, who will in turn become executive member of the Solingen State Assembly.

There has never been a written or unwritten law that states: [Executive members of the Steelcastle Blacksmiths Guild, automatically become executive members of the Solingen State Assembly].

But no one has ever objected to the above process, and everything will happen naturally and naturally.

But if it wasn't surrounded by this, who would have thought that an internal election of a guild run by a parish under a city of an autonomous state would determine who would be in charge of a state in the future? Even call the wind and summon the rain within the republic?
 …

As the streets of Steel Castle fill with the scorching smell of Election Day, a young couple from the Empire check into the finest hotel on the shores of Rose Lake.

The full name left by the male host when he registered is [Enrique, Granasi Baron], so the waiters at the hotel use the titles of [Lord Granasi] and [Mrs Granasi].

The Baron couple generously bought a second layer building facing the lake and a separate stable.

Although they don't have many entourages, they used three full cars just to pack luggage. For trivial matters such as carrying luggage and feeding the horses, they only used the servants they brought, never under the hands of hotel waiters, and they were full of aristocratic style.

[Enrique and Catherine of Granasi] The deity used only the old language, and did not speak a single common language, which made the waiters confused and confused.

The foreman of the hotel didn't know how many times he scolded "the rotten imperial pig of the rotten empire married to the nearest wife" in his mind, and he had to keep smiling.

Just as the overwhelmed foreman urgently called for an interpreter, he saw the impatient Lord Baron wave casually.

Immediately afterwards, a handsome man in priest robes, who should be Baron's personal priest, stepped forward and relayed Baron's instructions to the foreman in common language - but his expression was a little unnatural.

The hotel foreman was quite shocked. It was not that he had never received aristocrats, but it was the first time he had seen "a nobleman who could treat the clergy as slaves."

At a certain moment, the foreman even had empathy with the poor priest in front of him, and fully understood why the other party's eyes were full of struggle and remorse.

After settling down the entire Granasi Baron group, the foreman called all the waiters together and patiently exhorted: "Be more careful, this Granasi Baron is probably not small."

"Not small? How big can it be?" a young waiter asked curiously.

"What are you asking?" The foreman glared at him fiercely, and the little waiter shuddered: "Don't ask if you shouldn't! What? No work? Go and give me the stable water tank. It's full. The others, too, are scattered."

The little waiter was taught a lesson and went to fetch water. The others also walked away silently.

A tall, lanky, gray-haired senior waiter deliberately stayed for the last time, and when only he and the foreman were left, did he ask frivolously, "What's the background? Isn't he just a plentiful and easily available kid.

Baron? Look at his look!"

"Nonsense!" The foreman stared, "Sooner or later, your tongue will kill you!"

"Yes Yes, I was wrong." The tall and thin gray-haired waiter made a gesture of suturing his mouth: "Tell me what that guy is from!"

The tall and thin gray-haired waiter is the foreman's nephew , named [Roger]. In front of trusted subordinates and relatives, the foreman no longer has any scruples in speaking.

"In my opinion." The foreman smacked his lips: "He is either the heir of a certain marquis, or the illegal child of a certain duke, so there won't be much difference between left and right."

Roger was puzzled and pricked up his ears and waited for the foreman to continue.

The foreman smacked his lips: "great character...I've seen a lot of them. Although Granasi Baron is not very old, I put him among those lords in my heart, and I don't think there is anything wrong with it. The place."

Roger's apparent nodded, in fact, snort disdainfully to his uncle's statement.

The foreman saw through his nephew's thoughts at a glance, he frowned and pointed to the lakeside building: "You didn't see it at all?"

"What did you see?" Roger was at a loss ignorance.

"Granache Baron's escort." The foreman lowered his voice: "It's all Dussack!"

Roger startled: "But they?"

"What are they? A Dussac without a uniform, without earrings, without a forehead, without a saber, is not a Dussac? The accent they speak, the way they ride... and the looped legs, I close You can smell their origins with your eyes, but you can't see it at all?" The foreman said: "If there is no more powerful father, just rely on him as a little Baron, how can there be so much Powerful Dussack guards?"

...

All imperial nobles are proud to have Dussac guards.

Although the Dussacs were criticized for their loose military discipline and rambunctious manners, they were "free people" who were directly loyal to the emperor, which alone made them independent of the aristocracy.

From the time when the Great Emperor of Charles appointed [count ] to govern the place, the feudal system of the empire has evolved and continued to this day, and Dussack's position in it has been similar to that of [Baron ]. Both are powers attached to imperial power, the only difference being that one is a noble and the other is not.

Only the Emperor can modify Dussack's personal dependencies. Without the emperor's decree, even the prince Duke Dusak would not serve.

Therefore, giving a Dussack guard represents the emperor's favor, and getting a Dussac guard is a symbol of power and status.

As for Granasi Baron...a small nobleman in his early twenties, obviously he is not eligible for the honor of the Royal Guard.

 …

After the foreman's appointment, the attitude towards Baron from the top and bottom of the hotel unconsciously became much more attentive.

Rumours also spread.

First, a guest saw the carriage passing by and asked the waiter casually. Soon, all kinds of gossip about Baron became the latest talking point among hotel guests.

The Granasi Baron and his wife arrived at Steel Castle at noon, and before it got dark, some well-informed people in the city had already learned that a wealthy new imperial nobleman had arrived.

The so-called well-informed persons include, but are not limited to: ladies from respectable families, operators of other hotels or restaurants, merchants engaged in the iron trade, and relatively dynamic social groups in Steelcastle.

Among them, some people share the rumors excitedly, some people feel jealous, some people see the last straw before bankruptcy, and some people smell the smell of fat sheep.

But there was one other guy who had a different attitude from all the Steelcasters after hearing the rumors because...

Because he wasn't a Steelcastle, not even a Montaer .

…

[Steel Castle, Bay Area, Lacey’s brother Trading Company ]
“… Mr. and Mrs. Barons, eight guards, and a priest. Ten in all. One person, build a single house." The tall, thin man with gray hair stood at the table, clenching his fingers and thinking hard: "By the way, they used five carriages!"

The man sitting behind the table The black-faced man lacked interest, and scribbled a few notes on a book-like book.

The gray-haired tall and thin man pretended to be troubled and couldn't squeeze anything out of their brains, and said embarrassingly: "I know this."

The black-faced man took it easy. Insert the quill into the ink bottle, pinch a small amount of fine sand and sprinkle it on the paper, and without looking up, he said, "You did good, Roger."

The tall, gray-haired man— —The waiter named Roger at the hotel where Granache Baron stayed — bowed tamely in a salute, not at all impatient with his uncle.

Only his eyes were stealing a glance at the purse that the black-faced man put on the table.

The black-faced man noticed Roger's gaze, opened the purse with a grin, and threw a Silver Coin to Roger: "Be smart in the future, and let me know if you find anything. If you make a business, it will also let you share the profits."

"Of course." Roger showed his habitual flattering smile: "Just leave it to me."

"Go ahead. ." The black-faced man waved his hand.

Roger walked backwards towards the door.

...

Steel Castle's ironware is not only circulated within the Alliance, but also sold in large quantities to the Empire, and many major buyers have offices or branches in Steel Castle.

Although the parties will not take the initiative to emphasize their identities, they are well aware of each other's backgrounds.

For example [John H. Sherlock Trading Company]. Although bearing a strange name that does not have any association with the Empire, the [John H. Sherlock Trading Company] is actually the representative of the [Imperial Imperial Family Chartered Business Council] in the Republic of Monta.

And the [Imperial Imperial Family Chartered Business Council] is the public purse and gloves of the oathbreakers.

There is no doubt that every move of the [John H. Sherlock Trading Company] is being watched closely - the use of Trading Company to gather information is a common method, and businessmen are natural spies.

So most of the time, [John H. Sherlock Trading Company] is in serious business, occasionally making small moves to maintain its presence.

The [Imperial Security Council] known as the "Hand of the Emperor", the real eyes and ears installed in the Steel Fort are the unremarkable [Lacey brother Trading Company].

Even [Lacey's brother Trading Company ] would only do it in a low-key way, passively gathering information from public sources -- as everyone does.

......

The black-faced man did not give Roger any specific instructions, but only asked Roger to inform him of "notable news" in time.

A lot of trading companies and local tyrants are doing this kind of thing, and it won't attract attention.

The news provided by Roger this time is not worth a Silver Coin, but for inquiries, sometimes you have to spend appropriately on useless rumors.

Roger "White Hair" is a very greedy guy, and in a good position, a black-faced man wouldn't mind hanging him for a little money.

It was getting late, and the black-faced man yawned and planned to close the door to rest.

Suddenly, Roger, who had walked out of the door, seemed to remember something, and hurried back to the black-faced man: "That's right! Mr. Black! Granasi Baron's guards are all Dussac."

"en?" The black-faced man was stunned for a moment, then opened the notebook and glanced at it, then crossed his arms and asked with a smile, "Isn't he a Baron?"

Luo Jie didn't answer, just looked at the money bag on the black-faced man's table expectantly.

The black-faced man burst into exasperation and realized he had been tricked.

But he still grinned, opened the wallet, and threw another Silver Coin to Roger: "Can you say it now?"

Roger, thank you, cautiously Put away the Silver Coin: "Yes, he is Baron, at least he claims to be... That's why I think he has a lot of background, otherwise a little Baron, how can Dussack be the guard?"

"What's his last name?" The black-haired man struggled to make out his scribbled handwriting
"De Granach."

"How many guards did he have?"

" Eight."

"All Dussacks?"

"All."

"...and a personal priest?"

p>

"en. ”

"Are you rich?"

"Like a rich guy."

"How old are you?"

p>

"In his early twenties."

"In his early twenties?" The black-faced man closed his book, leaned back on the back of the chair, and asked with a smile, "He said Why did you come to Steel Castle by yourself? [Zhuangyou]?"

"Pretend - oil?" Roger puzzled: "What do you mean?"

The black-faced man explained it briefly a bit.

……

Zhuangyou is a new fashion that has become popular in recent years.

No matter how brutal the current emperor was at the beginning of his ascension, his hard work after taking power is obvious to all. The empire is getting richer day by day, and the purses of the big and small aristocrats are also becoming more and more full.

The more money you have, the more ways you can spend your money.

Because the emperor won the civil war, stopped the private war, and suppressed the bandits, so there has been no war in the empire for many years, and long-distance travel is no longer a matter of mortal danger.

Some aristocratic families will pay for their offspring who have completed their studies to go on a long trip, eating and drinking merrily and seeing the world at the same time.

With the popularity of this new fashion, many wealthy families without aristocratic status also participated. Some youngsters, not content with long journeys of one or two months, began to try to circumnavigate the empire, and even visit the rebel turf in the south.

If Granasi Baron is in his early twenties, he is the age of the grand tour. The elders in the family are worried that youngster is wasting money alone, and it is reasonable to send a few guards to protect him.

......

Roger scratched his head after hearing this: "I...I don't know. But...but does Granasi Baron still bring his wife? Zhuangyou can bring Mrs.?"

"Uh." The black-faced man laughed dryly: "It can't be a honeymoon, right?"

"The honeymoon will go to Monta. Coming?" Roger pulled at the locks of gray hair and said angrily: "It's all mountains, what's so beautiful?"

"Maybe people like to see the mountains? Who? Do you know what the imperial nobles like?" The black-faced man waved his hand and motioned for Roger to leave: "Keep helping me keep an eye on that Baron, if he eats and drinks merrily, you don't need to worry about it. If he is with the merchant and blacksmith If you have contact with other local people, you can tell me again."

The black-faced man said with a smile: "If he can make his business, he will also give you dividends."

p>

With another flattering thank you, Roger walked backwards.

After the white-haired boy left, the black-faced man spat in disgust and patted the bell on the desktop.

Several employees entered the room.

"Close the door and rest." said the black-faced man.

Employee nodded, leaving.

The black-faced man also planned to leave, put on his coat, and walked to the door. He couldn't help but go back to his seat, spread out his notebook, and re-read the recorded content.

…

Nominally, the Security Council is responsible for the defense and espionage of the Empire.

But when the Emperor's will needs to be done, and the Imperial Security Council is not competent enough, the Oathbreaker will use the other hand.

A stronger, more invisible, more terrifying hand.

In the Imperial Security Council, the other hand of the Oathbreaker is referred to as the "Messenger".

If the Imperial Security Council represents the interests of the Empire, then the messenger represents the emperor's will.

The messenger may be one person, several people, or a group of people. No one knows how the messengers work, only that they can wield enormous amounts of money, authority and martial power - just to accomplish their mission.

That's why some people complain that the messenger is not fulfilling the emperor's orders, but exercising the emperor's authority.

At this moment, there is such a "Messenger" in Steel Castle.

......

"Are you going to report this to the messenger?" The black-faced man hesitated.

[About spies and intelligence]
[Recommend a documentary "Queen Elizabeth I's Spy", which tells the story of Queen Elizabeth I's favorite and spy chief [William Cecil]. How did he detect "enemy sabotage", how did he get iron evidence that Mary of Scotland was directly involved in the murder of Elizabeth I, etc.]
[Monarchs all use spies, but William Cecil should be the earliest "systematic" in English history intelligence officers using spies", but England was a late starter in this regard]
[The top students are Portugal and Venice]
[In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Portugal sent a large number of spies to all over the world every year , bringing back a variety of information, the Portuguese's cognition of the world is gradually improved in this process. Portugal even sent two spies disguised as businessmen to look for "China", John the Priest of the East... But the two spies couldn't get sick when they arrived in Egypt, and finally went to Ethiopia for a walk and gave them to After sending a letter back from the mainland, they continued to go to the East, and there was no news from then on]
[Venice established the earliest specialized code-breaking agency in Europe, and the intelligence work on the Ottoman Empire and the Shinra was in full swing, and even penetrated into The court of the Ottoman Empire, the first time to obtain information on the physical conditions of the sultans]
[And, in addition to businessman spies, there are many spies who are...Jews.例如威尼斯策反大维齐尔的犹太医生，以及默罕默德二世在地中海群岛雇佣犹太人当间谍——没错，奥斯曼人也喜欢用犹太人间谍]

(end of chapter)