Iron Power And Sorcerer

Iron Power And Sorcerer Chapter 397

2022-01-25

Chapter 397 The Storm (End)

Spectacular Fire Dragon roll and flaming Elin cathedral After the perish together, the fire on the south bank has no more energy to launch an offensive.

The fire field in the old city was divided and surrounded one by one, eventually running out of fuel and dying unwillingly.

By the afternoon of the next day, the fire in the city had been basically extinguished, but the lingering fire that spread to the mountain continued to spread three days later.

The Interim Military Management Committee issued a notice to change the primary task to control the wildfires.

The conscripted militia has just rebuilt the chain of command according to the preparation of the previous winter training, and immediately led by officers at all levels into the mountains south of the city to fight the fire once again.

For the time being, only a small number of military police and militiamen maintain order in the city.

The garrisons in neighboring states have been notified one after another, and reinforcements are coming day and night towards Steel Fort. However, the messenger to the horn fort has not yet returned any news.

Compared to fighting fires, post-disaster disposal is more of a headache.

On the night of the fire, many workshops along the coast were looted, and a lot of the ordnance stored in the workshops was lost.

Then the fire quickly got out of control, and escape became the top priority, so a considerable part of the ordnance was directly abandoned at the fire site on the south bank.

Another part of the ordnance was carried by the refugees and was seized by the army checkpoints when they left the city.

There is also a part of the ordnance flowing into the less affected North Shore, whereabouts unknown and needs to be collected urgently.

As for the workshops that were not looted, but also suffered fire or were demolished, they were temporarily sealed by the army.

Due to the tradition of bringing their own weapons to war, the laws of the Republic of Monta allow civilians to possess arms and armor.

So how to distinguish between "lost ordnance" and "weapons originally held by citizens" and recover them is a big problem.

In addition, the weapons that have been recovered come from dozens of different workshops, and now they are all mixed up, how can they be returned to their original owners? Also a big problem.

The ordnance conundrum is just a microcosm of the difficulties faced in post-disaster management.

whereabouts unknown is not just the ordnance, even if thousands of houses, shops and warehouses in the old city are reduced to ashes, there will always be something left.

People who have lost everything cherish what they have left, and the next morning before the fire was completely extinguished, some people ventured back to the city to see what was left.

Also, on the night the garrison took over Steel Fort, a large number of carriages were pushed directly into the Rose River to keep the road open. So that the river is full of tables and chairs, clothes, tableware and all kinds of things that can be taken away from home.

At that time, although it was urgent to follow the power, it also dug a big hole for the finishing work in the future.

Even the above are not the most pressing problems. In and out of Steelcastle, tens of thousands of stomach rumbling with hunger and homeless asylum seekers are staring in horror at the future.

Putting out fires is not the end, putting out fires is only the end of the beginning.

……

[Steel Castle, South Bank of the Old City]
[Garrison Temporary Command Post]
The sky was grey and the sun could not be seen.

Due to the terrain surrounded by mountains, the smoke and dust from the fire stayed in the sky above the steel castle, and it was difficult to disperse for a long time.

Everyone in line covered their mouths and noses with scarves, and Ernst Fuller was no exception.

He stifled the urge to cough and vomit, wrapping his cloak a little tighter, doing his best not to draw extra attention.

At Fuller's right hand, a few steps away, a dead man was hung on a gallows from a new tree.

A piece of wood hangs on the dead man's chest, and the cause of death is written in a few strokes - [I robbed].

Two crows landed on the shoulders of the dead, one on the left and one on the right, screaming wildly and gorge oneself.

The dead man was pushed by the wind and swayed gently, his mindless eyes glanced at the living people who were queuing up, but the living people deliberately avoided his gaze.

The queue moved forward slowly, and Fuller finally got a little further away from the corpse, which gave him a little psychological relief from his tumultuous stomach.

The martial law did not end with the fire, and Steel Castle remained under the control of the military.

The way the army established order was brutal and ruthless, and any criminal—even if it was just to limit the dog and steal chicken—was to be hanged after a simple trial.

Looking around, there are the same broken walls and ruins everywhere, only the gallows erected along the road are brand new.

Fuller lowered his head and focused on the calf of the person in front of him, but his mind was gradually occupied by other things.

What he's been through is so crazy that he's still dizzy.

The cloak, assassin, the strange touch of the icy blade piercing the thigh, the greasy brain contents dripping to the ground...

In just a few days, he went from a decent forge The lord was reduced to a sad speculator on the verge of bankruptcy, and then all wealth was wiped out by a fire, and even the qualification for bankruptcy was lost.

But there was another ray of light in the desperate situation, showing a turning point...

The team moved a few steps forward, and Fuller was still standing stupidly. He didn't came back to his senses until someone coughed disapprovingly behind him, and hurriedly followed.

If someone with good deeds came over at this moment and asked the identity of the people in the queue one by one, he would be surprised to find that the people in this long queue, even if not the respected forge master, at least He is also a free man with civil rights.

It is a spectacle to make so many "people who really own Steel Castle" wait in line like ordinary soldiers.

But none of the people in the queue were in the mood to appreciate the comments, most of whom were like Fuller: hooded, gloomy, silent.

It is not difficult to understand that anyone who has been destroyed by a fire has no heart to joke now.

The long line was creeping slowly, and everyone who passed the post was carefully searched, and Fuller was no exception.

A sergeant holds up long halberd and looks at Fuller with the eyes of a prisoner. Two soldiers approached Fuller and motioned for Fuller to open his arms.

Fuller was stared at a little uncomfortable, and tilted his head looked towards Rose River.

In the middle of the river, some militiamen were led by soldiers who looked like soldiers, cautiously salvaging debris on the ice.

The reed-wheel pistol that Fuller was carrying was quickly found—of course, Fuller had no intention of hiding it.

The sergeant with the halberd took the short gun from his subordinate, frowned, and asked in a bad tone: "Why are you bringing this?"

"Self-protection." Fuller replied in a low voice.

The sergeant with the halberd inspected the gun chamber and gunpowder pool, but did not see the buckshot and gunpowder: "Empty?"

Fuller also felt a little sorry: "Just to scare People."

The sergeant with the halberd shook his head and put the gun into the box of the sentry box: "I'll pick it up when I go out."

"Okay, okay."

From the night the army took over Steel Fort, the Chapel Covered Bridge and the surrounding houses were requisitioned by the garrison, serving as a temporary command post for the garrison to this day.

Following the directions, Fuller walked into a shop on the bridge.

The original furnishings of the shop have been emptied, and the counter top is completely occupied by the map.

Inside the counter, there are far more shelves than the store should have. In order to place so many shelves, the partitions inside the room have also been removed.

Several clerk-like people were walking between the shelves, busy filing files, and a few orderlies kept moving whole boxes of files into the room.

An officer with bloodshot eyes and tousled hair sat behind the counter. Seeing Fuller coming in, the officer raised his eyelids slightly: "Name?"

"Fuller. Enns T. Fuller."

"Have the title deed been brought?"

Fuller vigorously nodded: "Bring it."

"Take it and take it out !"

With Fuller's body temperature, all proofs of the workshop title and the forge were placed on the counter.

The officer glanced at it, turned around and ordered a few words, and several clerks immediately rummaged through the shelves.

After a while, a clerk approached the counter with a copy.

Comparing with the supplementary volume kept in the city hall, the temporary clerk originally affiliated with the city government confirmed that the land deed was not forged, and gently nominated to the officer.

The officer took the title deed, marked the location on the map, rang the bell to call a messenger, and told Fuller without looking up: "He will take you there."

Fuller wanted to ask something else, but the officer was already urging impatiently: "Next!"

The messenger took the map, raised his hand in a salute, and walked out the door. Fuller also confusedly followed the other party out of the shop.

Walking out the door, the messenger asked skillfully, "Do you have a lot of stuff in your shop?"

"A lot."

"Then first Go get a carriage." The messenger took Fuller to the stables: "Ask two more militiamen to help move things."

Fuller thought of his warehouse and said hesitantly, "A car I'm afraid there won't be enough carriages."

"Hey, don't worry, the gentlemen I met today are worried that there won't be enough carriages." The messenger grinned: "Only when I got to the place, I found out that all the carriages are loaded with carriages. Dissatisfied."

The messenger drove Carriage, carrying Fuller and two militiamen, and slowly drove out of the bridgehead camp.

Walking through the current old town is easy to get in the wrong direction, because the once cramped and dark streets and alleys have completely changed their face.

What used to be workshops, churches and prefab houses are now in ruins, and there are no landmarks to tell people where they are, only the surviving minaret of Elin cathedral People stand in astonishment.

The workshop of the Fuller family is not difficult to find, just walk a section of the road along the river bank. It took Fuller some time just to accept the workshop as it is today.

The walls of the workshop collapsed, the roof collapsed, and the two forges of which Fuller's father and grandfather were proud were buried in the rubble.

It turned out to be a warehouse where two heavy-duty carriages could be parked, but there was only a small section of the smoke-blackened wall that stubbornly refused to fall.

The messenger whistled, "Look for something worth taking with you."

Fuller went into the collapsed warehouse so that no one else could see him tears.

To be honest, he didn't think he liked the workshop: too loud, too small, and the rafters he accidentally bumped into.

But at this moment, he was inexplicably filled with grief. Not because of the loss of property, but because the traces of grandfather and father have since been erased.

"We can't clean up such a large area alone." The messenger followed: "How about I find a few more people?"

"No, no Yes." Fuller replied unconsciously. He sucked his nose hard, and based on memory, he found the area that should be the warehouse shelf, and began to clean up the clods and burnt wood on the top layer.

Two militiamen also silently reached out to help.

After the wooden structure was burned, it was carbonized even if it was not burnt out, so it took little effort to move it.

As soon as they worked together to remove a few thick beams, a militiaman suddenly screamed. Fuller followed the militia and knocked down, and couldn't help but shudder.

Under the beam lies a still unburned corpse. The bare skin was charred and cracked, revealing deep red flesh.

The messenger came over and glanced at it, kicked the beam on top of the corpse lightly, and came to a conclusion: "Take advantage of the mob who are looting things. I was crushed to death."

The two militiamen didn't know what to do, and the messenger didn't mean to join hands. Fuller stood for a while, bent his round waist, grabbed the charred corpse by the shoulders and dragged it out of the ruins.

I never thought that although the upper body of the charred corpse was dragged by Fuller, the lower body remained in place, and the contents of the abdominal cavity of the corpse were scattered all over the place.

The two militiamen couldn't stand it and rushed outside the hospital and vomited.

The messenger also turned his head in disgust and persuaded kindly: "If you don't move the corpse, just stay here for now, so as not to delay your search."

"No way." Fuller gritted his teeth: "This is the workshop left by my father and my grandfather. How can a thief use it as a tomb?" The two spent some effort and finally got the corpse outside the workshop.

Fuller gratefully extended the hand to the herald, but the herald just shrugged his nose and shook the head.

The work of clearing the rubble continued, and another beam was removed, this time by Fuller with a scream—a scream of surprise.

Under the gazes of the other three, the plump white forge master knelt on the ground, digging back and forth in the ash heap with dignity.

Soon, a musket was picked up by Fuller. Although the barrel has been smashed and the butt is burnt black, a musket is a musket, no doubt about it.

Encouraged, Fuller continued to rummage down, revealing more stacks of musket bodies pinned under the rubble.

The messenger looked around the ruins, estimated the original layout of the house, touched the chin and analyzed: "It seems that the roof is collapsing fast, maybe it's a good thing? If the things by the door are still there, there should be No problem."

Hearing this, Fuller fell to the ground. After a while, he sobbed softly.

Two militiamen looked at each other in blank dismay, the messenger seemed to see nothing, each minding their own business said: "Looking at it this way, a carriage is definitely not enough. Find more people to clean up the ruins. But, it's not a big problem. Steel Castle lacks everything now, but there is no shortage of people... Who, what's your name? It doesn't matter, you go back to Captain Hut, please Captain Send three more people and say we found a good warehouse."

The militiamen saluted, turned and ran to the camp.

The messenger pulled Fuller up and helped the latter slap the dust off his body without saying a word of consolation. Fuller, who wiped away his tears, kept thanking him.

You must know that the forge owners usually don't look at the big boss, but the situation is rare.

Here, Fuller was crying and laughing, and on the other side, a single-carriage pulled up from the east.

The gray-bearded old man in the car saw several people in the ruins, narrowed his eyes to distinguish for a moment, suddenly stood up, and asked loudly, "Ernst? Is that you?"

Fuller wiped his face indiscriminately and walked to the road in response.

Fuller was greeted by another forge owner named Georg. Georg is the same generation as Fuller's father, but he was not very close to the Fuller family in the past, and had very little contact.

It's just that the forge owners of Steel Castle have just experienced a catastrophe together, and the strangeness and prejudice of the past have also been diluted, and everyone has a kind of if the rabbit dies, the fox grieves when facing each other. empathy.

Georg picked up the water bladder from the car and handed it to Fuller: "How is your workshop?"

Fuller was about to answer when he suddenly remembered that a glimmer of survival, thinking suddenly sharpened.

He took the water bag, took a sip, and gently shook the head without speaking.

Georg spit into the peat by the roadside, his beard trembling with anger: "It's a thief, it's a fire, and the Legion has torn it down cleanly by Legion. , what the hell!"

"Where's yours?" Fuller asked.

Old Georg slapped his thigh and scolded: "The workshop let Legion blow up the gunpowder, and the warehouse is half left, so what is there to use? A good sword has passed the fire once. , it's all useless! Those that haven't been burned and deformed have to be sent to hardening again, but where can I find a hardener now? Who can they sell to after hardening?"

Fuller's thoughts moved, and he kept nodding.

"I heard that there are a lot of workshops on the North Shore. Oh, why didn't I put the forge on the North Shore?" The more old fogey said, the more saddened he became: "I also heard that they were placed in the Nancheng Wharf. The warehouses are all intact, I knew I had put everything in the Nancheng Dock, who would have known? Who would have known such a thing would happen?"

Fuller echoed and comforted the old a few words. fogey, and then tentatively asked: "Georg Uncle, what are you going to do with the rest of your goods?"

Hearing this, old fogey, who was still tossing and turning regretful just now, suddenly came to his senses: "What? Do you have a way?"

Fuller's indifferent expression: "You have to be prepared, no matter what, the blades and swords that have gone through the fire are impossible to the original price."

p>

Old Georg stared at Fuller for a long time, and asked suspiciously: "I remember, your father never used a hardener outside, and your house also has an annealing furnace?"

"My family The workshop only makes gun barrels, not sword bars."

"Don't fool me!" Old Georg slapped his thigh again and spit on Fuller's face: "You take my sword Take it away cheaply, harden it again, and then sell it as a brand new sword! Good boy, when did you learn to be so treacherous? It’s more treacherous than the Veneta!”

Fuller wanted to explain that he was just a middleman. But he remembered the other party's request - as little as possible to reveal the real buyer.

So Fatty Bai Ernst Fuller was heartbroken and asked bluntly: "You can say whether you sell it or not!"

Georg's breath stopped. Old fogey's lips pursed and pursed, and finally jumped off the carriage and dragged Fuller to a place where no one was around: "Negotiate a price first."

Fuller stood still and whispered: "I have one more request."

"Trouble! Say it!"

"Confidential. Can't tell anyone that I bought it." Fuller thought for a while and added to himself A legitimate motive, he said coyly: "This business...disgraceful."

Georg glanced at the surrounding militia: "As long as you don't tell anyone that I sold it to you. ”

…

[Steel Castle, North Shore of the Old Town]
[Municipal Palace]
Three landmark buildings of Steel Castle, Elin cathedral on the south bank, The Municipal Palace and the Parish Headquarters are both on the North Shore.

A fire broke out overnight, and the roof of the cathedral collapsed in Elin, but the Municipal Palace and the Parish Headquarters will be safe and sound.

From the day after the fire in the city was brought under control, Steelcastle City Councillors who were still able to gather at City Hall, and then... began to discuss.

The topics discussed covered various aspects, such as: refugee resettlement and relief, post-disaster reconstruction, whether to levy special taxes, etc.

There are also some very sharp issues. For example, some congressmen believe that the garrison's takeover of Steel Fort is a serious violation of the laws of the autonomous prefecture and the republic, and trampling on the property rights of citizens. The city government should immediately submit a petition to the General Assembly. compensation.

There are also members who believe that, according to the law, the command of the Steel Castle Militia belongs to the mayor elected by the city council, and Legion should immediately return the command.

However, the above topics are limited to discussion, and the discussion has been without results until today.

On the other hand, the steel castle is now completely in the hands of the military. Without discussing it, what else can the MPs do?

On the first floor of the conference hall, the members held their own opinions and debated fiercely.

In the second layer of the chamber, a young lady wearing a blue veil sat quietly in the corner.

A silhouette crept up the second floor of the chamber and came to the young lady. The guards recognized the faces of those who did not stop them.

The visitor took off his hat, held it in his hand, and saluted respectfully: "Mrs."

Anna returned the salute gracefully: "Mr. Fuller."

"Master Baron is..."

"He has other business."

"Understand, understand." Fuller repeatedly nodded: "I'm here..."

"Don't worry." Anna's eyes turned to the audience: "Listen first."

Senator Servette's dry voice came from the first floor: "...distributed relief and Aid is not as efficient and effective as general relief and aid, and the probability of the military compensating for losses during disaster relief is close to zero. Considering the above factors, additional special movable property tax is the only feasible option.”

The audience suddenly shouted:

"Special chattel tax?"

"What nonsense!"

"Steel Castle just experienced a fire, Do you want to raise taxes at such a time?"

A calm male voice overshadowed the other noises - it was Iron Hand Geisberger: "Mr. Senator, who is the object of the special chattel tax you plan to levy? What? The Blacksmith's Guild has no extra funds."

"The Blacksmiths' Guild has no extra funds, but other guilds have." Senator Servette's tone remained the same: "The levy of chattel taxes The purpose is not to take funds from the blacksmiths' guild, but to use the funds of other guilds to help the blacksmiths' guild."

"Which guild has the capital to help the blacksmiths' guild?"

"According to my calculations..."

"Stop calculating!" Geisberger interrupted Servette's speech: "Instead of spending energy embezzling other guilds' assets, it is better to find a way to make The garrison will return the seized ordnance to us as soon as possible. Each workshop has its own mark, as long as it takes some time, it will be returned to the original owner sooner or later."

"This is another thing I said. The best strategy is for the city government to come forward and buy all the ordnance in the form of guaranteed debts, and assist all workshops to rebuild without discrimination..."

Rumbling:
"Ridiculous!"

"Where does the city government get the money to guarantee the debts of all the workshops? is it possible that mortgage the City Palace?"

Iron Hand Geisberger's voice sounded again: "The hardworking blacksmith makes money, the lazy blacksmith loses money, until now. This is the case. Some workshops run well, some workshops run poorly, good ones continue to survive, and bad ones survive. It should go bankrupt. Guarantee the debt indiscriminately, where is the principle of fairness?!"

The more and more the Fuller on the second floor listened, the more he heard it, he couldn't help but whispered: "Madam, Iron Hand is not Serge Werther's die-hard? Why does he contradict Servette? And why doesn't Mayor Wupper say a word?"

"The Iron Hands are against Servetus because their interests are divided. Anna propped her chin: "Mayor Wupper didn't speak because he was thinking about three things. "

"What's the matter?" "

"How to clear responsibility, how to take credit. "Anna paused for a moment: "And how to take credit while clearing responsibility. "

Fuller glanced at Paul Wupper, who was in a purple robe and wandering, and couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

"If you have anything, please tell me, Mr. Fuller." . "

Fuller was stunned for a moment, then suppressed his joy, and reported as calmly as possible: "At present, four workshop owners have agreed to sell excessive ordnance at a low price—secret delivery. Mr. Gotze is still thinking, but I think he will agree sooner or later. "

"You're doing well, Mr. Fuller." More workshop owners should take the initiative to contact you in the next few days, please continue. "

"So... buy them all?" "

"Yes, all. "

"If you buy all of them, so many semifinished products and scrapped ordnance will leak out sooner or later. "Fuller became a little worried: "What are you going to buy it under?" "

"What name? "Anna smiled: "Of course it's scrap iron. ”

[No update a week ago, sorry]
[Originally planned to end the story of Steel Castle in one chapter, but now it seems that a big chapter is needed]
[Heat treatment It is an important part of the material forming process. After the metal material is overheated, it is easy to lose its original surface properties and even the overall mechanical properties]
[For example, a cold weapon is thrown into a furnace to burn red, and then cooled to room temperature, even if the shape is not change, the surface hardness will also decrease. That is to say, the original heat treatment is done in vain, and it needs to be re-quenched and tempered]
[Thank you for your collection, reading, subscription, recommendation ticket, monthly ticket, reward and comment, thank you all ]