Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Republic of Monta, Canton Solingen, City of Steelborg]

The coldest weeks of winter are over and the weather is getting warmer.

When the sun is good at noon, the snow on the mountains will melt. When the temperature drops at night, the hardened water is frozen into ice, eventually forming a crystal clear ice shell on the surface of the snow.

Snowmelt water flows under the ice shell and eventually flows into Rose Lake. Occasionally, you can hear the loud noise of large ice sheets breaking off from the mountains.

In three days, the Steel Castle Blacksmith Guild will elect the next executive committee member.

City Hall employees are busy decorating the venue and sweeping the streets. Shop owners on the street are also working hard to clean their storefronts, trying to do more business through the election day celebrations.

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

In fact, Steel Castle is a city that "belongs" to the blacksmiths.

Nearly one-sixth of all able-bodied Steelfort citizens—both men and women—are directly engaged in mining, smelting, and metalworking, and a third are their dependents.

The remaining half of Steelcastle make their living mainly by providing services to the first two.

Everything in Steel Castle revolves around the blacksmith, and the organization that binds all the blacksmiths together is the blacksmith's guild.

Therefore, the executive member of the blacksmiths' guild becomes the executive member of the general guild of the parish;

The Executive Committee of the Parish General Guild shall become the Executive Committee of the Town Hall of Steelcastle;

The executive member of the Steelburg City Hall will in turn become the executive member of the Solingen State Council.

There has never been a written or unwritten law stating that [the executive member of the Steelburg Blacksmiths' Guild automatically becomes the executive member of the Solingen Land Council].

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

But if you are not involved, who would have thought that the internal election of a guild run by a parish under the jurisdiction of a city in an autonomous prefecture will determine who can take charge of the power of the state in the future? Or even control the situation within the Republic?

…

When the streets of Steel Castle were filled with the anxious smell of Election Day, a young couple from the Empire checked into the best hotel on Rose Lake.

The full name left by the host when registering was [Enrique, Baron Granasi], so the waiters at the hotel used the titles of [Lord Granasi] and [Mrs. Granasi].

The baron and his wife generously rented a two-story independent building facing the lake, and also bought a separate stable.

Although their entourage was not large, it took three carriages just to load their luggage. They only use their own servants for trivial tasks such as carrying luggage and feeding horses, and they are never left to the hands of hotel waiters. They are full of aristocratic style.

[Enrique and Catherine of Granasi] I only spoke the old dialect and did not speak a word of common language, which made all the waiters confused and dizzy.

The headwaiter of the hotel had cursed him "the rotten empire idiot who married Konari" over and over again in his mind, and he had to keep smiling apologetically on his face.

Just when the anxious foreman was urgently asking someone to find a translator, he saw the impatient Baron waving casually.

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

The head waiter of the hotel was quite shocked. It was not that he had ever received nobles before, but this was the first time he had seen "nobles who can treat clergymen as slaves."

At a certain moment, the foreman even felt empathy with the poor priest in front of him, and fully understood why his eyes were full of struggle and regret.

After settling down Baron Granach and his entourage, the foreman called all the waiters and patiently warned: "Please be more careful. This Baron Granach is probably quite well-established."

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

"What are you asking about?" The foreman immediately glared at him fiercely, making the little waiter tremble: "Don't ask if you shouldn't! What? No work? Go and fill up all the water tanks in the stable for me. Everyone else is too, everyone. Dispersed."

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

A tall, thin, gray-haired senior waiter deliberately stayed until the end. When only he and the foreman were left, he asked with a playful smile: "What's the origin? Isn't he just a little baron who grabs a lot? Look at his air. Like!"

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

"Yes, I was wrong." The tall, gray-haired waiter gestured to sew his mouth shut: "You should tell me who that guy is!"

The tall, 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 when speaking.

"In my opinion." The foreman smacked his lips: "He is either the heir of a certain marquis or the illegitimate son of a certain duke. There won't be much difference between the two."

Roger was confused and raised his ears waiting for the foreman to continue.

The foreman smacked his lips: "I have seen a lot of big shots... even though Baron Granach is not very old, I put him in my heart among those lords and I don't think there is anything wrong with him."

Roger nodded on the surface, but actually sneered at his uncle's statement.

The foreman saw through his nephew's thoughts at a glance. He frowned and pointed at the small building by the lake: "You didn't notice it at all?"

"What do you see?" Roger was confused.

"Baron Granasi's guards." The foreman lowered his voice: "They are all Dussac!"

Roger was shocked: "But them?"

"What are they? Dussac who doesn't wear uniforms, earrings, forelocks, and sabers is not Dussac? The accent they speak, the way they ride horses...and their bow legs, I'm closed You can smell their origins with your eyes, but you didn't see it at all?" The foreman said bitterly: "If there wasn't a more powerful father, just a little baron, how could there be so many capable Du Sark Guard?”

…

All imperial nobles are proud to have Dusak guards.

Although Dussac has been criticized for his lax military discipline and dissolute style, they are "free people" who are directly loyal to the emperor. This alone makes them independent from the aristocracy.

Starting from Charlemagne's appointment of [count] to take charge of local areas, the feudal system of the empire evolved and continues to this day, and Dussac's position in it has become similar to that of [baron]. Both are forces attached to the imperial power. The only difference is that one is a noble and the other is not.

Only the Emperor can modify Dusak's personal dependencies. Without the emperor's order, even the prince and duke Dusak would not serve him.

Therefore, giving Dusak Guards represents the emperor's favor, and obtaining Dusak Guards is a symbol of power and status.

As for Baron Granach...a young nobleman in his early twenties, he is obviously not qualified to have the honor of being a royal guard.

…

After the head waiter mentioned this, the attitude of everyone in the hotel towards the baron unconsciously became much more attentive.

Rumors also spread like wildfire.

First, a resident saw the carriage passing by and asked the waiter casually. Soon, various gossips about the Baron became the latest topic among the hotel guests.

Baron Granach and his wife arrived at Steel Castle at noon. Before it got dark, some well-informed people in the city had already learned that a wealthy imperial noble had recently arrived.

The so-called well-informed people include, but are not limited to: ladies from respectable families, other hotel or restaurant operators, businessmen engaged in the iron trade, and relatively dynamic local social groups in Steel Castle.

Among them, some people excitedly shared rumors, some felt jealous, some saw the last straw before bankruptcy, and some smelled the smell of fat sheep.

But there was another person whose attitude after learning the rumors was different from that of all Steel Castle people, because...

Because he is not from Steel Castle, not even from Monta.

…

[Steel Castle, Lake Bay District, Lacey Brothers]

"...the baron and his wife, eight guards, and a priest. A total of eleven people, occupying a single building." The tall, thin man with gray hair stood in front of the table, clasping his fingers and thinking hard: "By the way, they used it. Five carriages!”

The dark-faced man sitting behind the table was not interested and scribbled a few entries in a book that looked like an account book.

The tall, thin man with gray hair pretended to be distressed and couldn't squeeze out anything after racking his brains, and said sarcastically: "That's all I know."

The black-faced man casually inserted the quill pen into the ink bottle, picked up a little sand and sprinkled it on the paper. He said without raising his head: "You did a good job, Roger."

The tall, thin man with gray hair - the waiter named Roger in the hotel where Baron Granach stayed - bowed tamely and saluted, completely without the impatience he showed when facing his uncle.

But his eyes were peeking at the money bag placed by the black-faced man on the table.

The black-faced man noticed Roger's gaze, grinned, opened his money bag, and threw a silver coin to Roger: "Be smart in the future and tell me any news you get. If we can make a business, I will let you share the money." Moisturized."

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

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

Roger walked backwards toward the door.

…

Steel Castle's ironware is not only circulated within the alliance, but also sold in large quantities to the empire. Many bulk buyers have offices or branches in Steel Castle.

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

For example [John H. Sherlock \u0026 Co.]. Although it has a strange name that cannot be associated with the empire, [John H. Sherlock Company] is actually the representative of the [Imperial Royal Chartered Commercial Committee] in the Monta Republic.

And the [Imperial Royal Chartered Commercial Council] is the open purse and glove of the Oathbreakers.

There is no doubt that every move of [John H. Sherlock Firm] is closely watched - using the firm to collect information is a common method, and businessmen are natural spies.

So most of the time, [John H. Sherlock \u0026 Co.] is doing serious business, and occasionally does some small tricks to maintain its presence.

Known as the "Hand of the Emperor", the [Imperial Security Council], the real eyes and ears installed in the steel castle are the humble [Lacey Brothers Firm].

Even [Lacy Brothers] will only adopt a low-key approach and passively collect information from public channels - just like everyone else is doing.

…

The black-faced man did not give Roger any specific instructions, but only asked Roger to report "noteworthy news" to him in a timely manner.

This kind of thing is done by many business houses and local cowards, and it does not attract attention.

The news Roger provided this time was not worth a silver coin, but when it comes to gathering information, sometimes you have to spend money appropriately on useless rumors.

"White-haired" Roger is a very greedy guy, and he is in a good position. The black-faced man doesn't mind spending a small amount of money to hang him.

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

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

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

Roger didn't answer, but looked expectantly at the money bag on the table of the black-faced man.

The black-faced man felt angry and realized that he had been tricked.

But he still grinned and opened the money bag and threw another silver coin to Roger: "Can you talk now?"

Roger thanked him profusely and carefully put away the silver coins: "Yes, he is a baron, at least he claims to be... That's why I think he has a good background. Otherwise, how can a little baron have Dussac as a guard? "

"What's his last name?" The black-haired man struggled to decipher his scrawled handwriting.

"De Granach."

"How many guards does he have?"

"Eight."

"It's all Dusak?"

"Both."

"...and a personal priest?"

"Um."

"Are you rich?"

"Like a rich man."

"how old?"

"Early twenties."

"Early twenties?" The dark-faced man closed the book, leaned back on the chair, and asked with a smile: "What did he say he came to Steel Castle for? [Grand Tour]?"

"Pretending to be oily?" Roger was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

The black-faced man explained briefly.

…

Grand tours are a new trend that has become increasingly popular in recent years.

No matter how brutal the current emperor's purges were when he came to the throne, it is obvious to all that he has worked hard to govern after taking power. The empire was getting richer and richer, and the purses of the nobles and nobles were getting fuller.

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

Because the emperor had won the civil war, stopped private wars, and suppressed bandits, there had been no wars in the empire for many years, and long-distance travel no longer required risking one's life.

Some aristocratic families will spend money to allow their heirs who have completed their studies to go on a long trip, where they can eat, drink, have fun and see the world at the same time.

As this new fashion became popular, many wealthy families without aristocratic status also participated. Some young people were not satisfied with long-distance travel for one or two months, and began to try to travel around the empire and even visit the rebel territories in the south.

If Baron Granach was in his early twenties, he would be at the right age for a grand tour. The elders in the family were worried about the young man squandering money alone, so it was reasonable to send a few guards for personal protection.

…

After hearing this, Roger scratched his head: "I...I don't know. But...but Baron Granacy still brings his wife? Can the Grand Tour bring his wife?"

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

"Will you come to Monta for your honeymoon?" Roger tugged at the locks of gray hair and said distressedly: "It's all mountains, what's there to see?"

"Maybe they just like to watch the mountain scenery? Who knows what the imperial nobles like?" The black-faced man waved his hand and motioned Roger to leave: "Continue to help me pay attention to that baron. If he is eating, drinking and having fun, you can Don't worry about it. If he has contact with merchants, blacksmiths or other locals, you can tell me later."

The black-faced man grinned and said, "If I can make his business happen, I will also give you dividends."

Roger gave another round of flattering thanks and walked away backwards.

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

Several employees walked into the room.

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

The employee nodded and left.

The black-faced man also planned to leave. He put on his coat and walked to the door. He couldn't help but return to his seat, spread out the notebook, and read the contents of the record again.

…

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

But when the Emperor's will needs to be carried out and the Imperial Security Council is not up to the task, the Oathbreakers turn to another hand.

A stronger, more invisible, more terrifying hand.

Within the Imperial Security Council, the Oathbreaker's other hand is known as the "Messenger".

If the Imperial Security Council represents the interests of the empire, then the envoy represents the will of the emperor.

The messenger may be one person, several people, or a group of people. No one knows how messengers operate, only that they can use huge amounts of money, authority and force - just to achieve their mission.

That's why some people complained that the envoys were not fulfilling the emperor's orders, but exercising the emperor's authority.

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

…

"Should we report this matter to the messenger?" The black-faced man hesitated.

[About espionage and intelligence]

[Recommend a documentary "Queen Elizabeth I's Spies", which tells the story of Elizabeth I's favorite and spy chief [William Cecil]. How he detected "sabotage by enemy agents", how he obtained irrefutable evidence that Mary of Scots was directly involved in the murder of Elizabeth I, etc.]

[Every monarch will use spies, but William Cecil should be the earliest intelligence officer to "systematically use spies" in England's history, but England started late in this regard]

[The top student cases are Portugal and Venice]

[In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Portugal sent a large number of spies to various parts of the world every year to bring back a variety of information. The Portuguese's understanding of the world was also gradually improved in the process. Portugal even sent two spies disguised as businessmen to find "China", Priest King John of the East... However, the two spies became ill when they arrived in Egypt, and finally went to Ethiopia for a tour. After sending a letter back from the mainland, he continued to the East and has not been heard from since then]

[Venice established the earliest specialized code-breaking agency in Europe, and carried out intensive intelligence work on the Ottoman Empire and the HRE. It even penetrated into the palace of the Ottoman Empire to obtain information on the physical conditions of the sultans at the first time]

[And, in addition to merchant spies, many spies were...Jews. For example, the Jewish doctor in Venice instigated the rebellion against the Grand Vizier, and Mohammed II hired Jews as spies in the Mediterranean Islands - yes, the Ottomans also liked to use Jewish spies]