Iron Powder and Spellcaster

In the early morning, the messenger flew into the city.

Before noon, the bad news had spread throughout Steel Castle.

The imagined scene of "Solingen rising up and shouting, and other autonomous states gathering to respond" did not appear. Instead, the Solingen representative was shocked to find that he had become a minority.

Steel Castle, which hastily counterattacked, struggled with the strength of one state against the House of Lords, who had been prepared for it. The battle situation was terrible. Not only did they fail to overturn the embargo, but the pro-Union provincial representatives took advantage of the situation and passed the embargo in the House of Representatives with three calls, making the embargo a final and official law.

In the political system of the Republic of Monta, the role of the House of Lords is to restrain the forces of the Monta nativists. Although the House of Lords only has incomplete legislative functions, it also has absolute veto power.

From the moment the embargo became official law, there was no way it could be outlawed without rewriting the Constitution of the Monta Republic or bloodbathing the House of Lords.

At noon, Ironhand Geisberg was the first to send someone to secretly visit Baron Granach and his wife.

Immediately afterwards, other forge owners also showed their kindness, surrendered, and lowered their posture. Throughout the afternoon, there was a constant flow of servants and messengers coming to deliver letters.

In the evening, a simple carriage stopped at the foot of the stone building by the lake. [Ernst Fuller] got out of the car with red and swollen eyes, disheveled hair and a decadent look.

Winters led Fuller into the small living room and motioned for Carman and the guards to leave.

He politely poured half a glass of wine for Fuller and said directly in the common language: "It looks like you need a little of this, Mr. Fuller."

Fuller unceremoniously picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He lowered his head and said to himself: "I originally planned to accept your offer, Sir, I originally planned to accept it! But it suddenly occurred to me that my The goods may not even be worth your initial bid now. What a good trick, Your Excellency, what a good trick..."

Winters listened quietly to Fuller's venting and gave Fuller another drink.

"But do you know?" Fuller looked up at the Baron and said with drunken eyes: "You are not the most profitable person in this big business, and you are not the most profitable person!"

Winters frowned slightly, returned to his upright sitting posture, and waited for Fuller to continue.

Ernst Fuller, who is nearly forty years old, is like a child who knows who is sleeping with the adults of whose family - with a mysterious smile on his lips, he stretches out his upper body and sneaks towards Winters waved, asking the latter to come over.

Winters smiled and leaned forward slightly in response.

"This deal." Fuller lowered his voice: "The most profitable ones are us Steel Castle people."

After saying that, Fuller slapped his thigh hard, crying and laughing: "We Steel Castle people!"

Winters stated the facts calmly: "You are drunk, Mr. Fuller."

"That's right! I'm drunk." Fuller breathed the smell of alcohol and corrected the Baron in a slurred but extremely serious manner: "But my mind is still...still sober!"

"Please go home and rest first. If you have anything to do, we can talk tomorrow." Winters knocked on the armrest, and the two guards opened the door and walked into the living room.

Winters turned to look at the curtain: "Send Mr. Fuller home."

"No!" Fuller stood up suddenly, staggered to regain his balance, and shouted loudly: "I have to tell you today! I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Winters nodded, and the guard, who was about to take down the wanton drunkard in front of him, retreated out of the door just for an order.

"What you bought is just some gun barrels and sword strips." Fuller muttered vaguely, waved his arms vigorously, and asked Winters: "But do you know what we Steel Castle people want to buy?"

"What to buy?" Winters raised his eyebrows.

Fuller licked his lips, leaned down, and whispered one word in a weak voice: "Forge."

After saying that, he laughed and asked Winters triumphantly: "Don't you understand? It's a forge, ha!"

The more he smiled, the redder Fuller's eyes became. He stumbled and fell heavily next to the waiter.

Winters stood up, picked up the plump Fuller with one hand, and placed him on the bench like an object.

Fuller, who had been giggling just now, suddenly burst into tears. He beat the bench, beat his chest, and tore his hair: "They want the forge! They want my grandfather's forge! They want my father's forge." ! They want to take away my family’s forge..."

Watching the middle-aged man collapse in front of him, Winters refrained from showing any sympathy or contempt.

Waiting until Fuller's mood calmed down a little, Winters patted Fuller on the shoulder and handed the latter a handkerchief.

"What's going on?" Winters asked.

Fuller choked back tears and replied: "They're going to liquidate me."

"Who's going to liquidate you?" Winters asked.

Fuller's eyes were red, and he spoke out the names one by one through gritted teeth: "Gaisberg, Witzleben, Hering, Oudorf...respected gentlemen! Respectable gentlemen! They learned from others." They bought away my debt and then forced me to pay it back! If I can't pay it back..."

At the end of the sentence, Fuller burst into tears again: "If I don't get enough, I will go bankrupt! I will take away my forge!"

Winters listened calmly and restrainedly, not feeling surprised at all, because the strategy adopted by Iron Hand Geisberg was what Anna had proactively provided to them earlier.

…

After carefully examining the income and expenses of small and medium-sized ordnance workshops, Ms. Navarre found that most of the small steel castle workshops are currently extremely short of cash.

When they ordered raw materials and paid remuneration, they agreed on prices in gold and silver coins.

Even after the outbreak of the Plato Civil War, the selling price of ordnance has been rising, and the cost of raw materials, processing and wages has also increased.

But on the other hand, the main form of book assets of small and medium-sized ordnance workshops is muskets, armor, lead ingots, swords and other spot ordnance.

Debts are fixed, but assets are floating. Once the price of ordnance plummets, small and medium-sized workshops can easily fall into the dead end of "inability to repay debts - forced liquidation - cash offsets are not enough to repay debts - bankruptcy".

Especially now, the embargo law has been passed by the House of Representatives three times, extinguishing the last hope. No one will buy arms at all. If it works properly, the muskets, armor, and swords in the small workshop's inventory can become worthless on paper.

Crises are also opportunities, and every crisis is an opportunity to reshuffle the cards. In a pond like Steel Castle that is already full of fish, the result will inevitably be that the small fish that are unable to resist risks will be eliminated one after another, and the big fish will take the opportunity to merge and expand - or fight each other.

Ms. Navarre never thought about stepping into the pond of Steel Castle. She just found the most suitable point to exert her strength, gently pushed the big fish behind, and drove the big fish to swallow the smaller fish. .

Acquiring debts, lobbying courts, operating liquidations... Who can do these things more powerfully than the local big workshop owners in Steel Castle?

…

Winters stared at Mr. Fuller, who was crying heartbrokenly.

According to the agreement between Anna and Iron Hand and others, what Winters has to do is simple. All he had to do was not buy the arms of small workshop owners and wait for them to go bankrupt.

At that time, Iron Hand and others took away the forge, and Winters could buy the ordnance stocked by small workshop owners at a price that was "so cheap as to give it away".

Winters asked: "Gaisberg is a member of Congressman Servetus, and Witzleben is a member of Mayor Wupper. How can they join forces?"

"In front of the forge." Fuller wiped away tears and said bitterly: "Politics is nothing!"

"Councillor Servetus and Mayor Wooper didn't stop it?"

"In front of the forge, the councilman is nothing! The mayor is nothing! They are all in the same group!"

Winters was silent for a moment and asked, "How do you want me to help you? Buy all your inventory?"

"No, no, you can't help me, Your Excellency Baron. Even if you buy all my goods, you can't cover my debt. I'm not here to ask for your help, no." Fuller burst into tears again: " I just feel too uncomfortable, too painful, I have no one to talk to, I don’t know who to talk to, who else to talk to..."

Winters stood up and left, and soon took back the other party's clean handkerchief and handed it to Fuller.

"Isn't it enough to pay your debt if I buy all your goods?" Winters asked.

Fuller wiped some tears, blew his nose vigorously, and asked with a sad smile: "Do you know how my grandfather did business?"

"have no idea."

Fuller gestured drunkenly: "Simple, when the sun didn't come out, he worked by the forge until dark. He spent only a small part of the money he earned on himself and his family, and saved the rest. Save, save, save until he could afford a forge. That's how the Fullers got their first forge. Do you know how my father did business?"

"have no idea."

“Like my grandfather, he worked, saved, worked, saved, all his life, and finally bought a second forge.”

Winters nodded slightly in approval and approval.

"But!" Fuller changed the subject, his voice as high as he was angry: "That was all their business at that time. Saving money and buying a forge - that was what they could do. It's no longer possible! It’s long gone! A forge can no longer be bought by hard work and saving one silver coin. In the past, a blacksmith could buy a forge by working honestly for a lifetime, but now? How many blacksmiths are affiliated with Steel Castle now? Working in someone else’s workshop? How many blacksmiths never have their own forge in their lives?”

Winters listened silently, noncommittally.

But before Fuller finished speaking, he slammed the table, stood up suddenly, and waved his arms exaggeratedly: "The idea of ​​saving money and then expanding has long been unworkable! If Fuller's workshop wants to expand, it can only To borrow money, you can only borrow money, and you can only use other people's money to fight! Go fight! Go gamble!"

"But you lost the bet," Winters said softly.

Fuller's volume and mood suddenly dropped, and he fell back onto the bench. He covered his face, and after a while, a whimpering sound came from between his fingers: "I lost, I lost, and I am willing to accept defeat... But I am so unwilling to accept it, I am so unwilling to accept it."

At this time, there was a knock on the door.

Kaman walked into the living room, ignored Fuller who was in tears, walked straight to Winters, leaned over and whispered: "You have guests again."

"Who?" Winters asked openly.

Carman whispered a name.

The corners of Winters' mouth suddenly turned up slightly - Carman recognized that it was the smile Winters would have when he wanted to tease someone.

Winters stood up, picked up Fuller, put the latter into Kaman's arms, and let the latter put his arm on Kaman's shoulders.

"Ask Mr. Fuller to go back to the inner room." Winters ordered, "Don't make any sound."

After saying that, regardless of whether Carman agreed or not, Winters quickly walked to the wall, opened the window, and then hurriedly opened the window on the other side.

Kaman rolled his eyes in disbelief and helped Fuller towards the inner room.

After collecting the cups and tidying up the benches, Winters waited until the smell of drunkenness dissipated from the living room before closing the windows and allowing Koch to invite visitors inside.

Not long after, Koch led a man in a black cloak and hood.

Koch bowed and exited the living room. The mysterious visitor took off his cloak and hood, revealing a shrewd and powerful face. He laughed and stretched out his hand to Winters: "My lord, Baron."

Winters also smiled and held the rough palm known as the "iron hand": "Mr. Geisberg."

After shaking hands with the blacksmith brotherhood, the two sat down by the fireplace.

"What's the matter with your visit in person?" Winters asked.

Iron Hand Geisberg showed two rows of strong teeth: "I always feel uneasy about letting others speak for me. If the matter is important, it is best to discuss it face to face."

"I think so too." Winters picked up the wine bottle and poured wine for Iron Hand and himself.

Iron-handed Geisberg picked up the wine glass and asked playfully: "Where is your wife? Do you want her to be present?"

"Since you are here in person, there is no need for anyone else to speak for me." Winters smiled lightly: "Just talk to me directly."

Iron Hand Geisberg laughed loudly: "I knew that in the final analysis, you are still in charge!"

The purpose of Iron Hand's visit was not only to reaffirm the previous "agreement", but also to discuss the price and process for Winters' future acquisition of ordnance.

The big workshop owners in Steel Castle have abandoned the small and medium-sized workshop owners and their political differences to form a new alliance.

The new alliance has fewer members, more direct interest binding, and stronger bargaining power. Iron Hand Geisberg put forward new conditions based on the new situation.

He suggested that instead of waiting for the bankruptcy liquidation process, the Baron could directly buy the spot goods from major workshop owners now.

In this way, Winters saves time - who knows how long it will take to complete the entire bankruptcy liquidation process?

Major workshop owners have received more sufficient funds for acquisitions - and at the same time, the unrest in this wave of mergers has been eliminated.

Of course, the selling price of the ordnance must also be increased as appropriate, from "so low as to be given away for free" to "slightly lower than the price offered by the Baron".

Winters listened carefully and nodded politely in agreement, but at the last moment he said, "I still hope I can think about it again."

Geisberg agreed immediately, put on his cloak and hood again, and left with satisfaction.

Winters poured the remaining wine into the fireplace, opened the door to the inner room, smiled and asked, "Okay, you all heard it."

In the inner room on the first floor next to the small living room, there were not only the bored Kaman and the stunned Ernst Fuller - the latter was leaning against the wall trying to eavesdrop on the conversation in the small living room.

There is also Ms. Anna Navarre and the livid old man Schmid.

…

It was completely dark when Winters and Kaman saw off Schmid and Fuller.

Old Schmid and Fuller came to visit secretly, so the carriage stopped far away, and Winters and Carman took a few steps to see them off.

"So, my attitude remains unchanged. I respect you." Winters held on to his cane, tightened his robe, and said to Old Man Schmid as he walked: "But if you want me to stand on your side, you must Offer better terms than Iron Hand—at least the same terms.”

"I understand." Old Schmid nodded expressionlessly.

Ernst Fuller, who was fat and fair, was drunk and already unconscious. Kaman supported him and walked behind. There were also two Dussac guards in charge of lanterns escorting the four people one behind the other.

The cold wind howled and the night was dark, the six of them walked all the way to where Old Schmid's carriage was waiting.

"I won't send you any more." Winters stretched out his hand to Old Man Schmid: "Take care."

Old Schmid held Winters' hand and shook it slightly: "Take care."

A guard carrying a lantern walked to the driver's seat and patted the driver's leg gently. The coachman seemed to be asleep. The guard patted him several times but there was no response.

Suddenly, the Dussac guard who wanted to wake up the coachman trembled and fell straight to the ground, and the lantern also fell to the ground.

Like a cat that sensed danger, the hair on Winters' whole body instantly exploded.

The door of Old Man Schmid's carriage opened with a creak, and four masked figures emerged from the darkness, surrounding Winters and others from different directions.

"It's really interesting. According to the records of the Imperial House of Nobles, the last Piedmont noble whose fiefdom was in Granasi passed away twelve years ago, and his title was Earl. If he were still alive, he would be... fifty by now. Are you old?" The man who spoke stepped out of the carriage lightly: "Don't you think it's interesting? Mr. Granach?"

Through the dim light, Winters saw the man's face - handsome features, blond hair, and a pair of green eyes.

Through the dim light, the green-eyed man could also see Winters clearly.

The expression of the green eyes froze slightly, and the pupils expanded uncontrollably. He put away his frivolous tone and immediately changed his words and asked: "Who are you? You..."

The green-eyed man didn't finish his words, because Kaman pounced on him like a leopard.

[These days it seems like there are bigger chapters every other day (summary afterwards)]

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