Iron Power And Sorcerer

Iron Power And Sorcerer Chapter 401

2022-02-02

Chapter 401 Echoes of the Mountains (middle)

[Interrogation Record]
The first time

Time: 13th, March, Year 560

Starting at 8:1 pm

Ending at 9:30 pm

Inquirer: John Thomas, Lieutenant Colonel, Commander of the 6th Battalion, Seventh Army Regiment
Recorded by: Sickingen Miller, Captain, Solingen State Garrison Headquarters Gendarmerie Captain
Interviewed by: Alfonso de Paiva

[Inquiry is recorded below]
Q: Tell me your name.

Answer: Alfonso de Paiva.

Q: What is the family situation?

Answer: mother, two younger sisters, one younger brother.

Q: Not married?

Answer: No.

Q: Do you use the name Alfonso de Paiva in Solingen?

A: No, my identity in Solingen is Kapfen, a fur trader.

Q: What is your real identity?
A: Imperial Family Safety Committee, Level 2 Commissioner, State Supervisor of Solingen

Q: What are your responsibilities?
A: (Silence for a moment) The intelligence collection of Steel Castle and Solingen, as well as the intelligence of the six autonomous states, will also be collected and screened by me, and then sent to North Monta.

......

They are all poured out of the same mold, and the questioning process of the Monta Gendarmerie is no different from that of the Veneta Gendarmerie.

Moreover, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas should be determined to handle the case so that not one drop of water can leak out, so he asked a lot of necessary but not critical information during the formal trial at first. . .

Winters scanned the unimportant content at a glance, pulling the scroll directly to the back.

 …

Q: Tell me about the fire on the night of March 10th.

A: (silence).

Q: Why don't you speak.

A: I don't know where to start.

Q: Start at the earliest place you can think of. For example, when did you learn about the arson plan? Who told you again?

A: I didn't know the plan from start to finish. The messenger only told me what to do, not why.

Q: Messenger?
Answer: Your Majesty ... Henry III's most trusted executor. I don't know his name, only that he is the messenger.

Q: When was the first time you met the Messenger?
A: A month ago.

Q: Who brought him here?
A: No one, he came to find me by himself.

Q: Then how do you know he is a messenger?
A: He has a token, he can speak the code, and he knows my identity.

Q: What token?
A: The iron ring, and a key.

Q: The key?

A: The Commissioner of the Imperial Family Safety Committee is given a grimlock when appointed. Each lock corresponds to a key. The key represents the absolute power of the emperor. The man came to me with my keys.

...

"Key? Ring."

Winters thoughts are revolving, immediately thinking of the plain steel ring found in the back room, and That little bunch of keys.

Except for liquid fire, iron bombs, and gunpowders, everything stored in the chambers—including those bagged ballast—was collected by Winters as spills of war and not handed over to the Monta Army .

To be precise, Winters never mentioned the cards, keys, and rings to anyone who didn't know.

The first time Lieutenant Colonel Thomas heard about the "key", he asked a lot about the key: what material, what style, what size and so on.

Winters blinked and scrolled through the section, continuing to search for key information.

……

Q: Tell me about the riots, who are those assassins?

Answer: I don't know.

Q: Don't know?
A: I don't know. Security committees are not assassin killers and only do passive information gathering. The movement of troops, the fluctuations in the price of flour, the personalities and tendencies of city and state legislators... these are all things I usually inquire about.

Q: What about those assassins?

A: If the emperor wants to get rid of someone who is an eyesore, or if he thinks it is necessary to use martial power, he will send those swordsmen. As for who those swordsmen are? We don't ask, and they don't tell.

Q: Tell us how you incited the riots.

A: (sarcastic smile) What's the use of flint and scythe without firewood and straw?

Q: I am asking you a question.

A: Last year was cold and rainy, and the crops failed. The price of wheat remained high after the fall, and even rose to one guerdu per bag after the winter, as did the price of barley and oats. People had to add more acorns, lentils, peas to the flour. Even so, there is still less and less bread that wages can buy. Also, do you know how many workshops are still in arrears with the wages of their helpers? Do you know...

Q: (knocking on the table) Answer the questions that are asked of you, don't answer the questions that are not asked of you.

A: (takes a breath) The mule workers submit to humiliation because they still hold on to the hope that the trade ban will be lifted, the employers will sell their stocks and pay off their wages. So as soon as the news of the Clarion came back, disappointment was immediately replaced by anger. A cry of "take back what we deserve", a brave person taking the lead, is enough to channel their anger into action.

A: You see, the riot is out there, it's going to happen sooner or later, I just speed up the process. And you are so arrogant that you turn a blind eye to the wrath of the silent ones. Do you know where the mule workers meet regularly? Do you know how many associations there are among mule workers? Do you know who is the most prestigious man among the mule workers? You don't know because you treat them like mules.

Q: (asked coldly) So you all know?
Answer: (spread hands).

 …

Winters sighed.

As for the resettlement of the victims, the Solingen military and administrative departments have not been able to come up with a proper plan.

After the fire, the rent and bread prices of Steel Castle skyrocketed, and even many residents who were not affected by the fire were complaining.

Citizens who can afford the rent or residents who have relatives to defect to can stay in the city for the time being. And those poor people who have nothing in the first place have no way to go to heaven and no way to enter the earth.

If Colonel Berne had not temporarily recruited a large number of young and middle-aged men to fight the fire and provide food and accommodation, the second round riot at Steel Castle would have broken out now.

Servetus' plans for a massive rebuild look good to Winters, and might even be Steel Castle's only hope.

Clearing the rubble and rebuilding houses was labor-intensive, and Servetus' ambitious plans even included dredging rivers, repairing roads and expanding urban areas.

Through some honest and reliable partners, Winters got a complete copy of the draft that Servetus submitted to the executive committee for the first time - the hand of the emperor fell, but the steel castle still did not escape Destiny penetrated like a sieve.

Unfortunately, no matter how good a mason is, he can't make bricks without straw.

Servetus had a good plan, but no one was willing to pay. Even if there is a road of "borrowing with city assets as collateral", the chances of success are very slim.

Because what Servetus needed was not a small amount of money, but a huge amount of money, the gold brought by Winters could only temporarily quench his thirst.

Debt must be repaid in the end, and debt is secured by city assets, and in the end it is up to property owners with civil rights to make up for it.

And "turning the city from a good asset into a debt hole" is exactly what "Steelcastle Citizens" do not want to see.

According to information obtained by Winters, the city council's executive members are more inclined to the "evacuation" plan.

That is to distribute the unemployed and homeless people in this state to other autonomous prefectures to reduce the burden of food and housing in Gangbao, and then slowly raise funds for reconstruction.

As for the evacuees, what happens next? The executive committee tacitly did not discuss the topic.

Therefore, when negotiating the scrap iron purchase agreement with Servette before, Winters was not nervous at all, and even omitted the back and forth link, and directly offered Servete a purchase price of a ton.

It's even a step-down price—that is, the larger the total, the lower the unit price.

Because "the original purchase plan has been achieved, and we continue to purchase scrap iron, we have to take unnecessary risks. Of course, there are more freight charges."

Servetus turned pale and walked away on the spot.

But in the end...it ended with a friendly handshake.

Winters blinked, opened the scroll of inquiry records, and continued to look down.

 …

Q: Tell me about your plans.

Answer: (sighs) As I said, it was not my plan, it was the messenger's plan. I don't understand the messenger's plan. I know your interrogation tactics and it is unnecessary to ask me this question repeatedly because I am telling the truth.

Q: Then say what you were involved in, what you knew.

A: I only know that there were four teams of people operating at the same time that night, and I was responsible for delaying your entry into the city and creating time for others to perform their tasks.

Q: Four teams? Which four teams?
A: There is a team from Nancheng, Beicheng, and Old City, as well as my team.

Q: How many people are there?
Answer: I don't know. I don't know how many people the messenger brought, I only know that he gave me twenty-two swordsmen.

Q: Can twenty people stir the steel castle?
A: There are also some outsiders who are not aware of it. (tired) It doesn't take a torch to light a house full of firewood.

Q: What are the tasks of each team?
A: My, you know. The team in the old town was responsible for guiding the rioters and getting in the way if necessary. Those who go to Beicheng, as far as I know, should go to kill Baiying. The team in Nancheng was led by the messenger himself, and I don't know his purpose. I guess... ah, still don't guess.

Q: Tell me about Bolso da Este, the White Eagle.

Answer: Many contraband and personnel came to Monta and Steel Castle by his way.

Q: Does he know who you are?
A: (laughs) I probably don't know. Or pretend not to know.

Q: Why did he help you?
A: Because he also has a lot of contraband that he wants to transport into North Monta.

Q: Why did you kill him when he helped you?
A: Why can't you kill him? He is a man to you, not worth a penny to us. As for why kill him? I don't know what the messenger thinks. Maybe it was because the messenger personally visited him, so he wanted to silence him? I have no idea. Besides, the messenger wanted to kill more than him.

Q: Who else will the messenger kill?
A: (lazily) The councilors and forge masters who are closer to Veneta will kill more, and those who are pro-affiliated will have to kill a few as well.

Q: Why?
A: I told you, I don't know. (Hesitates for a moment) If you want to hear it, I can tell you my guess.

Q: Say it.

A: The messenger wants to break the balance of factions in Steelcastle, get rid of the characters of the Veneta faction, and then anger Veneta. Alas, it doesn't really matter what the messenger wants, what matters is what the emperor wants. I guess, I have a vague feeling that Your Majesty may not want to see Nan Monta interfere too much with the situation in Prato.

Q: Is there any connection between getting rid of the White Eagle and preventing Monta from interfering with Prato?

A: (helplessly) Have you ever played chess? There are always some people who have already seen the next few moves in their minds when they make the move in front of them. Your Majesty - Henry III is a man of deep plans and distant thoughts, prophesying that his family will eventually conquer the world. I often get feedback on the intelligence I submit, and sometimes even detailed instructions. I can feel that your Majesty's eyes have been on the shaded mountain range, on you, even though the Empire has only fought in the North and East all these years. "

Q: I still don't understand, killing the pro-Veneta people will only lead to a bad relationship between Monta and Veneta, how can 'South Monta not interfere too much with the situation in Prato' ?
Answer: How do I know? I also want to ask you, is it possible that a massacre with the footprints of the Union Provinces could hit the South Monta government and make you dare not act rashly?
Q: (Exchange Eyes) You're talking about speculation.

Answer: (impatiently) Yes, and I told you long ago that I was talking about speculation.

(Brief silence )

Interrogated: (asked tentatively) What is the current situation of Nancheng?
Interrogator: It may be burnt to the ground, and it may be intact. Why do you care about the situation of Nancheng?

Answer: (bitter) Nancheng is the place where the messenger is personally responsible, and there are advisors. It should be burned to the ground, right? But the Baron gave me four Newron bells, so I don't know what to think.

Q: You still didn't say why you care about the current situation of Nancheng.

A: (sighs) I'm guessing what I said next.

Q : Please tell.

A: The full picture of the messenger's plans, I don't know. But based on the way he's allocating his forces, and the location of the storage points and safe houses - the storage points and the safe houses that I know I've told you all, it's all in the North City. So I guess... the messenger should want to destroy the two urban areas of Steel Castle at once.

Q: South City and Old City?
Answer: Yes, stay The North City. The South City is more difficult to handle, so he personally led the team.

Q: Why?
A: It may be more beneficial for his plan to keep the rich. His limbs are cut off and only his head is left, so he won't live long.

Q: Why is it better to keep the rich?
A: (helplessly) As I said, don't speculate on the messenger The messenger is the emperor's secret hand, and his plan is ultimately to realize the emperor's idea - should think about what the emperor wants.

Q: What does the false emperor want?
Answer: ( Unconsciously nervous) What I say below is all based on the premise that the emperor 'does not want to see Nan Monta interfere too much in the situation of Plato', it is all my guess. Can you not record it?
Q: Go ahead.

A: If Your Majesty doesn't want to see Monta swaying the Plato situation, then destroying a trifling steel castle, although it is a disaster for you, but for Your Majesty For example, it's like erasing a drop of ink on a map - the pen is too small and too small.

Q: (brows tightened)
A: (involuntarily swallowed saliva) If Your Majesty wants 'Monta does not interfere with Prato', then his way to achieve his goal must not be 'to let Monta retreat', It's 'Let Monta not be able to interfere with Prato even if he wants to'. Because he doesn't give his enemies a choice, he doesn't even give his subjects a choice - that's his style.

Q: What do you want to say?
A: (hesitatingly) I think the Steel Castle thing might just be the beginning. If Your Majesty doesn't want to see you reach out to Plato, (pauses) Famine, war, plague... He must have a way of accomplishing his purpose, keeping you trapped in the mountains and not taking a single step. Because he is the one who holds the authority, from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth - that's what the prophecy says.

Q: (contemptuously) We don't believe in the prophecies of the false emperor's self-deification.

A: (smiling miserably) But every citizen of the empire is convinced of this.

 …

The record of the first—in fact, the second—interrogation ends here.

Winters slowly retracted the scroll, still preoccupied with Alfonso's warning.

"Have you finished reading?" asked Colonel Bern on the sickbed.

"It's over." Winters put the scroll into the copper sleeve and asked with a smile, "Can I take this copy with me?"

"The copy?" Bernie The colonel's eyes widened: "This is the original, and that's all! It's going to be sent to the Clarion Fort today. You can seal it up when you're done reading it!" He picked up a copper spoon filled with lacquer and put it on the flame to bake patiently.

Colonel Bern raised his eyebrows: "Can you use magic?"

"It's okay to light a fire." Winters replied in a relaxed tone, but he still didn't give up: " Can I make a copy?"

"Sure." Colonel Berne lightly snorted: "You stay in Monta and make as many copies as you want."

Winters said nothing . He melted the varnish, poured a little on the snap of the copper sleeve, and took Colonel Bern's signet ring and put it on it.

Colonel Bern said quite hate iron for not becoming steel: "Do you know how many people will be involved in this small scroll parchment? What are the consequences? If you still want to go back to Palato , just as far away from it as possible!"

Winters sighed: "Hopefully it will calm down the great characters of the Interprovince and Veneta and let them know that there is another end on the other side of the mountains. Evil dragons are waiting for us to kill each other - as for Plato's affairs, leave it to Plato to deal with."

"Boy, you don't think you know the great character in your mouth now. There is another dragon on the other side of the mountain? But they still want to do what they want?" Colonel Bern took the sleeve and sneered: "Let them consider these things, and it is enough for us to do our duty as a soldier."

Winters are sighed again. After a while, he cheered up, stood up, and raised his hand in a meticulous salute to Colonel Berne: "I haven't thanked you for raising the carriage for me. Thank you so much."

"It's all fished out of the river. Here comes the scrapped carriage. You are willing to pay for it, but I want to thank you for the people of Steelcastle." Bernie waved his hand in dismay: "Go away. Don't let me see you again."

Winters doesn't move: "I have something to tell you."

"What?" Bernie frowned.

"Neither too big nor too small." Winters cleared his throat and asked, "What are you going to do with the body of a suspected court mage?"

"What else? What to do?" Colonel Bern's unfathomable mystery: "It is sealed as evidence, waiting for someone from above to examine it."

"That can't be done. The corpse of the court mage is not the corpse of the ordinary person, and the corpse of the court mage should also be It's spills of war. Even more how I killed all those court mages, so I can't give them all to you?"

Colonel Berne laughed angrily: "Then what do you want to do?"

Winters answered confidently: "Of course each person gets half!"

Colonel Berne was choked for a long time, unable to speak, and it took a long time for him to calm down: "Okay! Just each person gets half. But how do you take it away? There is no ice cellar, how do you embalmed?"

"Of course I have a way. There are five corpses in total, and I will take two and a half."

"Three for you. Get out!"

Winters raised a hand in a salute and walked swiftly out the door.

As soon as the door was opened, Colonel Bern's voice came from behind: "Wait!"

Winters held the doorknob, turned around and asked, "You still have instructions. ?"

"You brat, you are so fucking indifferent!" Colonel Bern slapped his palm on the edge of the bed, didn't know whether to cry or laugh: "Don't even say a word of goodbye."

"I'm not leaving today." Winters scratched his hair that was burnt short, and explained sadly, "I still have work to do in Steel Castle. I'll come back when I leave. Saying goodbye to you."

"No need. Don't come." Colonel Bern was silent for a moment, then said: "I joined the army at sixteen and entered the military academy at twenty-four. A few people who lose their temper. One-eyed person counts as one, you... barely count as one. If you walk out of this room today, we may never see each other again."

Colonel Berne turned his head and looked towards the window: "Boy, take care, don't die on the battlefield."

"You also take care." Winters raised his hand and saluted.

"What do you have to do in Steelcastle? Do you need my help?"

"No, little thing." Winters' mouth curled into a smile: "I was just Waiting for an answer."

[Add more! ]
[This chapter is mainly about filling in the holes, I have re-read it myself, there are only so many holes to be filled for now. If there is still a hole to fill, please book friends remind me. If it is a "can be filled" pit, I will fill it in this chapter. If it is a hole that "cannot be filled temporarily" or "has been filled and there is no need to refill", then I...then I will cover my eyes...]
[But tomorrow (today) should really be gone. If something goes wrong, you may have to go back to work urgently. ]
[Everyone must be healthy in the new year! ]
[谢谢书友们的收藏、阅读、订阅、推荐票、月票、打赏和评论，谢谢大家]