Iron Powder and Spellcaster

Gevaudan, the stables of the officers' quarters.

Father [Emond] of Gevaudan Parish walked into the stables and found that in addition to Tribune Montagne, there was another man wearing an iron mask in the stables, and the two were chatting about something.

"...The stone bridge is much more troublesome than the wooden bridge." The man in the iron mask said in a deep voice: "But...the most important thing you are lacking now is manpower. It is not difficult to repair it..."

Along with the continuous strange noises, Father Emond heard the voice of Tribune Montagne coming from the innermost room of the stable:

"It was before, but it is now. It's different... In the past, people could barely accept without being paid. But that's not the case now, no one wants to work for free... Sigh, I still miss the people of Teltown... Can I please leave this matter to you..."

The masked man sneered sarcastically: "I eat your food, drink your food, and live in your food. Do I have the right to refuse?"

"Of course."

Regarding the "blood wolf" with a prominent reputation - no, now a prestigious "blood wolf", the masked man obviously lacked the awe in the hearts of Tiefeng County people. He snorted and said nothing.

"Then I'll take it as your consent. How long will the construction last?"

"An optimistic estimate." The masked man replied casually: "Two or three years."

The strange noise stopped, and Tribune Montagne walked out of the stable with a shovel: "Two or three years?!"

But it just so happened that Father Emond, who had neither left nor stayed, but stood there for a long time, was noticed by the other party.

"Your Excellencies." Father Emond saluted on his chest and spoke first: "Good day."

"Good day." Winters recognized the person who was the current actual steward of Gevaudan Cathedral and nodded in return.

"Should I excuse myself first?" Emond asked awkwardly.

"No need." Winters waved his hand: "Captain Moreau and I are talking about building a bridge, and I would like you to listen."

Then, Winters looked at the masked man: "Two or three years is too long."

"What you want is a stone bridge, not a wooden bridge." Moreau's impatience could not be concealed even by his mask: "With the span of the St. George River, it will only take two or three years to build it, but four or five years may not be enough." Maybe. The key depends on how many people you can send out! How much money!"

Winters vowed: "Give it to as many people as you want! Give it to as many people as you want!"

Moreau was reluctant to talk as long as other people were present. He sighed deeply: "Just wait...tomorrow, I will submit a written plan to you."

After that, Moreau was about to leave.

Winters did not let the senior go. "I still have a question. It's so cold in winter. Is there any danger in underwater construction?"

"There is no such thing as underwater construction that is not dangerous." Morrow replied with disdain: "When it comes to summer and rainy season, you won't be able to repair it even if you want to!"

Moreau immediately saluted Father Emond and walked out of the stable without looking back, regardless of Winters's questions.

After watching the senior leave, Winters politely explained to Father Emond: "During the previous siege, wasn't the bridge demolished? Since it needs to be rebuilt, I think it's better to just build a stone bridge."

Father Emond looked a little embarrassed, because the old wooden bridge was actually the property of the Gevaudan Abbey, and outsiders had to pay money to the abbey to cross the bridge.

"To have a wise and kind tribune like you." Father Emond adjusted his position and spoke out his praises without hesitation: "It is really the Lord's gift to Gévaudan."

Winters walked into the stable again carrying a shovel: "What's the matter with you coming here?"

Father Emond's eyes turned to the interior of the stable. Behind the gate was a pure black pony and two puppies.

The foal stood in the corner of the stable, his eyes filled with grievances.

The two puppies were running wildly next to Tribune Montagne, but their running posture was a bit strange - they all raised their legs high. Not like a dog...more like a horse's dance steps.

Emond also finally figured out where the strange sound came from: it turned out to be the tribune Montagne shoveling horse manure.

"It's indeed the hound you raised." Edmund racked his brains to find something to praise: "It actually walks in a goose-step."

Winters, who was swinging the shovel, froze and his face turned dark.

"This little black horse is also a great horse!"

Changsheng learned how to bark like a dog at the right time.

"Father, what's the matter with you?" Winters stopped and looked at the priest with his shovel in hand: "Please tell me directly."

Father Emond tried his best to put on a flattering smile: "I heard that your wife can also ride a horse?"

"Um."

"It is not convenient for ladies to ride big horses." Father Emond recommended enthusiastically: "I have brought you two 'ponies' that the nuns ride, and I hope you will accept them."

Winters couldn't laugh or cry.

After the former Bishop of Gevaudan Parish fell to death, Father Emond took care of the Gevaudan Abbey and its affiliated cathedral temporarily.

Unlike his smooth, worldly predecessor, Father Emond is inexperienced, dull, and deeply religious.

According to Winters' observation, the reason why Edmund was promoted was probably because other monks were afraid of the "blood wolf", so they put this honest man in front.

Fortunately, Emond is a good person and is very cooperative with Winters' arrangements.

But Gévaudin was probably the only one who could send a gift to such an extent that the recipient felt extremely uncomfortable.

Seeing that the other party hesitated and refused to talk about the subject, Winters went straight to the point: "If what you are asking for is the position of Bishop Gevaudan - with all due respect, that is an internal matter of your church and I have no intention of interfering. You should still leave the pony. Take it back."

The Catholic Church is a centralized, centralized, top-down organization. Although the Pope is thousands of miles away, he still has to decide on the next bishop - in theory.

The actual implementation will involve power struggles within the church, and Winters does not want to wade into this muddy water.

"No, no, no." Father Emond shook his head desperately: "The appointment and dismissal of bishops should be subject to the Pope's decree. How dare I scheme!"

Winters was holding the shovel and did not speak. He waited for the other party to continue talking without saying a word.

"You seem to be short of money recently?" Emond asked tentatively: "How about Gevaudan Abbey giving you another cash donation? By the way! Donate in the name of building the bridge!"

Winters felt aggrieved. He wanted to ask the other party: "Building bridges and paving roads is a public expense. How can you say you are giving me money?"

But when the words left his lips, they became: "How much do you want to donate?"

Emond carefully said a weight.

Winters cleared his throat, picked up two benches from beside him, and helped Father Edmund sit down.

Then Winters himself sat down, facing each other, and asked seriously: "Tell me, what do you want?"

Emond defended himself anxiously: "I, and the other brothers in the monastery, do not want to ask you for anything, we just hope that you can respect a sacred and existing right of the Catholic Church."

"What rights?" Winters observed Father Emond with interest: "Is it worth two ponies and most of your family fortune?"

Father Emond swallowed: "The right to internal justice."

…

After a while.

Andre led the two miniature ponies into the stable.

The little pony is only about one meter tall, and its back just reaches Andre's waist. It looks like two large dogs.

"Where did these two little guys come from?" Andre asked as soon as he entered the door: "They are really rare things."

Winters teased the puppy without raising his head: "You want one? I'll give you one."

"I don't want it. They are all ridden by old men and old ladies." Andre found an empty stable and temporarily locked the pony in: "I'll ride it. Isn't that riding a rabbit?"

"Sent by Father Emond from the Abbey of Gevaudan."

"That's right, nuns and monks also ride this kind of horse." Andre dragged two large bundles of oat straw and rolled up his sleeves to spread bedding in another stable: "Don't underestimate it, these horses are expensive! It has short legs and is stable to ride. It is worth more than ordinary horses. It is troublesome to raise it. If I leave it to you to raise it, I think it will die sooner or later."

"I'll keep it for you."

"Where do I have time?" Andre spat out the grass clippings in his mouth and stood outside the stable fence waiting for the smoke to dissipate.

Seeing the two beagles fighting at Winters' feet, he couldn't help but laugh: "But I really can't raise it for you. Look at what you raise. The horse barks like the dog, and the dog steps forward. Don't accept it." "

Looking at the two puppies with their legs raised, Winters hid his face and sighed.

Girard Mitchell's hounds had a litter of pups, and Mrs. Mitchell took two of them with her as companions when she left Wolftown.

Later, the two puppies were raised together with Changsheng. The final result is that the puppy walks in step, and Chang Sheng barks in tune every day.

"Ronald brought back a prisoner from Lower Tiefeng County." Winters picked up a puppy and put it on his lap to comb it: "Do you know?"

The puppy, which couldn't stop for a moment, became very obedient the moment it was caught by Winters, sticking out its tongue to lick Winters' fingers in a flattering manner.

Seeing that the dust had almost disappeared, Andre led the two ponies into the stable: "I heard they are still clergy of the Catholic Church?"

"Yes. Have you seen that person?"

"I haven't seen him. I didn't go with Ronald when I came back." Andre picked up the empty bucket and went to get water for the little pony: "What's wrong?"

Winters fiddled with the puppy's fleshy ears: "The Catholic Church is going to deal with that prisoner."

Andre stopped and looked surprised: "Deal?"

"Hmph, dealing with them is considered friendly. A more accurate statement is..." Winters put down the puppy, watched the puppy run away to bite his brother, and slowly uttered one word: "[Inquisition Trial] .”

"Ah?" Andre was stunned: "Ah?"

Winters and Andre were born after the founding of the Union and did not experience the religious oppression of the imperial era.

The intuitive feeling that the word "Inquisition Trial" gave to both of them was like seeing a moldy, moth-eaten, and stinky old coat pulled out from the bottom of a box - both familiar and unfamiliar, but mainly still Discomfort.

Winters' eyebrows knitted together little by little: "Judging from the price offered by Edmond, as long as I nod, the stakes will be erected at the Gevaudin Abbey immediately."

"Burning stake? Wait?" Andre threw away the bucket: "How could they have such a big hatred? Isn't the prisoner an old man? The old man also wants to be burned?"

"I don't know either." Winters thought hard: "According to Emond, the trial of clergy is an internal matter of the Catholic Church. He set a high price and hoped that I'd respect their Divine right'."

Andre's jaw hadn't been closed for a long time: "Catholic Church? Internal trial? Is there such a thing? Is it true?"

Winters shook his head: "I still don't know this, at least according to Edmond's statement - that's the case."

"Then..." Andre was stunned for a while and asked puzzledly: "Since it is an internal matter, why do I need your consent? A very high price? And I want to bribe you?"

"This is the most interesting part." Winters stood up and paced: "In fact, it has nothing to do with me, why do you want to bribe me? Do you want my permission?"

"It makes sense." Andre said with relief: "Without our nod, who would dare to set up a stake at the stake in Tiefeng County?"

"If only it were this simple." Winters said with a smile: "Do you know what price Emond gave me?"

Andre tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.

Winters said a weight, then added a buoyant word: "Gold."

Andre took a deep breath: "Otherwise, just agree. Anyway, it's the Catholic Church's own affairs, so why get involved? It has nothing to do with us in the first place!"

"In that case, why do you want to ask such a high price? Just tell me casually, or can you burn it first and then quote it?"

"..." Andre was asked: "Then you promised him?"

"I didn't agree, and I didn't agree. In order not to reveal my trump card, I hinted to Father Edmund——" Winters picked up a straw and briefly entered a spell-casting state to stimulate his spirit.

The phantom pain made Winters smile a little weird: "I have to pay more."

It was like an invisible pair of scissors reciprocating in mid-air. The stalks became shorter inch by inch, so precise that the difference between the two times was indistinguishable to the naked eye.

Winters clarified his thoughts, and he suddenly laughed playfully: "Is it possible that this is the case-Emond thinks that we know far more information than we actually need to know. That's why he opened such a Give us a high price.”

"Hmm... uh... it seems... makes sense..." Andre pondered for a long time and slapped his thigh: "Damn it, why bother with this! Catch that old man and let him know everything after a trial. ?”

"That's the problem." Winters threw out the last small piece of straw, which was shattered in mid-air. He said helplessly: "The prisoner is not in my hands."

"Ah? Didn't that old man come back with Ronald?"

"I don't know, I've asked Charles to check." Winters walked up to Changsheng, who also hummed and stuck out his tongue to lick his fingers: "Even if the prisoner returns with Ronald, Then I don’t know where he went after that.”

Andre slapped his thigh again: "Could it be that the old man has fallen into the hands of the Catholic Church?"

Winters shook his head: "Then what Edmond brought to me should be news of death."

"I really don't understand." Andre pulled a few hairs hard and picked up the bucket on the ground: "I'd better go feed the horses."

"It's not complicated. There is another person hidden in this matter, the person who protected the prisoner." Winters stroked his long and soft mane, his thoughts already drifting far away.

He summarized the known information bit by bit: "Has the motive to protect the prisoner, and the ability to protect the prisoner. Most importantly, it can lead Father Emond and others to think that 'it is Winters Montagne who is protecting the prisoner.'" Who is this person?"

Andre stood there in a daze, with a strange expression on his face, and asked in a low voice: "Your wife?"

…

A quarter of an hour later.

"Father Carman!" Winters kicked the door open fiercely: "What good things have you done in my name again?!"

[It’s the weekend before dawn, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah! ]

[The dog (cat) walking in goose steps has a picture and is not considered original]

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