Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Location unknown]

[Time unknown]

"clatter."

"clatter."

"clatter."

The water droplets fell rhythmically on the hard surface and shattered.

The world of Alfonso de Paiva was dark. His eyes were covered with three layers of thick cloth and his limbs were fixed with iron ropes.

From the time he was captured until now, he had not received any food or drink. He could no longer feel hunger, and he had no idea how much time had passed. He could only estimate from the level of thirst that it had not been more than forty-eight hours.

Combined with the water leakage, room temperature, and smell, he concluded that he was being held in a dungeon.

As regional intelligence chief reporting directly to the Imperial Security Council, Alfonso de Paiva never used his given name in Monta do Sul. Because he also has another identity - leather merchant Kapfen.

Kapfen, who comes from St. Gallen State, is a pure Helvetian and speaks with a slight Shanbei accent.

Unfortunately, his parents died of illness when he was young, so Kapfen was raised by his uncle. Four years ago, my uncle, a widower, also passed away and left his inheritance to Kapfen. Kapfen invested all his inheritance in Lacey Brothers Firm, thereby gaining the status of a partner.

Afterwards, Kapfen came to Solingen and took over the original head of Lacey Brothers Trading Company in Steel Castle. On weekdays, he mainly takes care of the tanning business of the firm. Occasionally, he also acts as a broker, doing small speculative transactions.

Because of his dark complexion, acquaintances often call him "Black-faced Kapfen".

The above is the life of the leather merchant Kapfen. It is simple and inconspicuous, but it can withstand the verification of any good person.

The business of having to go out of town to buy raw hides from time to time gave Kapfen the freedom of action, and the image of a money-grubbing small businessman gave him the motivation to collect intelligence.

As a cover identity, the leather merchant Kapfen was perfect.

However, "Hand of the Emperor" Alfonso de Paiva knew that since he had been imprisoned in the dungeon, there was no point in using a false identity no matter how real it was.

He only prayed that others would find this dungeon as soon as possible and rescue him out...or kill him.

After all, no one knows the capabilities of the "Messenger" better than the Emperor's Hand.

…

…

[Location: Safe House in the North City of Steel Castle]

[Time: The day after the old city fire]

The owner of the house who went out to inquire for information returned safely, letting the nervous hiders breathe a sigh of relief.

At present, Steel Castle is still under martial law. Taking the initiative to spy on intelligence is a dangerous move, but it is also a helpless move.

Because the Eagle Guards responsible for execution have always only obeyed orders from messengers, they are isolated from each other and have no direct contact with the spy network of the Imperial Security Council.

In the dark secret room, a person whispered: "The fire in the city has been basically put out, and the rebels are withdrawing from the city separately."

"Out of town?"

"To deal with the wildfire. Also, there are rumors in the city... that the fire storm that night was the work of the consultants."

"How credible is it?"

"I think this is a frame-up method used by the rebel party." The speaker hesitated for a moment: "But I can't think of anyone else who has such... such power except your Majesty's advisors."

"Why hasn't the special envoy contacted us yet?" Another person questioned.

"Maybe... maybe he kept silent intentionally. After what happened that night, the emissary may suspect that we have been infiltrated internally. He may also be injured and unable to show up. Or maybe..."

The speaker did not dare to say any more.

The leader was silent for a moment: "I asked the owner of the house to inquire about another matter. What is the result?"

"Some of the people captured by the rebels were executed on the spot. Those who were not executed were temporarily detained in the Bankrupt Prison in the North City. It is said that all the cells there are full of people." The speaker moved his collar uneasily. Report carefully:

"Mr. Mindov also collected a piece of information - on the night of the operation, several 'prisoners' were secretly escorted back to the military camp by the rebel colonel Bern, under special guard by the military police. It is said that Bern strictly prohibited anyone from contacting those prisoners privately, and tried desperately to Block the news."

"Something's wrong!" Another person spoke hastily: "How could Mindov, an apartment owner, get information that the rebels are trying to keep secret?"

"Although the fire has been extinguished, the rebel party has not yet found a scapegoat, nor has it announced the investigation results of the fire." The speaker glanced at the superior and explained patiently:

"Rumors are spreading in the city now. Some say that the Veneta people are behind the scenes, some say that the United Provinces are behind it. Some say that the Platuan people were angered by the embargo and sent spies to arson, taking the opportunity to loot the steel. The ordnance stored in the fort.

There are more bizarre and sensational gossips on the market, such as 'a monster escaped into Rose Lake, climbed ashore at night, and ate the scrap iron, gold and silver in the fire scene'. The subordinates only picked out potentially useful information from rumors. "

After finishing speaking, the secret room fell into dead silence again. Only the dim lights flickered slightly, lengthening the shadows of several people in the small room.

The leading man spoke slowly: "Since the special envoy did not report the situation to us as planned, it should be considered that they have been killed or captured."

The others listened in silence. Now that Eagle Lieutenant has made his judgment, Eagle Guard will not question it again.

"From now on, the top priority is no longer to execute the plan, but to find the envoy! Activate the emergency plan, send people to other footholds, and gather everyone who can still hold the sword. There is no need to consider safety issues anymore, let everyone The servants of Steel Castle who are loyal to His Majesty went to inquire about the place where the rebels secretly detained important prisoners." The leading man ignored the pain of the newly stitched wound on his waist and abdomen and stood up with support on the table: "Special envoys and advisors must not fall into the hands of the rebels. , You want to see people alive, you want to see corpses when you die!"

"As you command!"

…

…

[Location unknown]

[Time unknown]

In addition to the sound of dripping water that was driving people crazy, Alfonso finally heard something different:

The friction of the door shaft turning, the muffled sound of wooden boards falling to the ground, the increasingly clear sound of footsteps... Someone came, probably two people, walked up to him, and replaced the iron ropes that bound his limbs with shackles.

Alfonso was picked up and taken out of the dungeon.

The air has become much fresher, and firewood is crackling in the fireplace, sweeping away the coldness and dampness of the dungeon.

"That's right," Alfonso thought.

The rebels did not interrogate him on the spot after they captured him, which may be explained by the fact that putting out the fire was more important.

But two days are about to pass, and he is still left in the dungeon without any attention. It is obviously deliberate-could he use his imprisonment as a method of interrogation?

"That's too much to look down on." Alfonso thought to himself. He silently rehearsed the next process: eliciting confessions, intimidation, and torture. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he fed the rebels some half-true and half-false information, delaying as much time as possible, waiting for the envoy to find this place.

The short journey soon reached its end, and Alfonso was tied to a cold and hard armchair.

The hood was removed, and he found himself in a small room with the doors and windows nailed shut - he still didn't know the time.

Behind the long table in front of him, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas, the second-ranking military governor of Solingen State, was waiting for him.

Next to Lieutenant Colonel Thomas, the fake baron, who was pale and somewhat tired, was playing with a deck of cards.

…

…

[Location: Safe House in the North City of Steel Castle]

[Time: The day after the Old City Fire]

Within a day, news from all over Steel Castle continued to flow into this temporary command hub.

The bad news is that most safe houses are either empty or exposed.

And the real storm has obviously not started yet. Once the other party frees up its hands, there will inevitably be a more severe round of carpet searches.

But there is also some good news: the subordinates who can continue to fight have been successfully recovered, and even a "consultant" on standby has been found.

Re-establishing contact with the remaining intelligence network of the Imperial Security Council was an unexpected gain - although it violated the operational code of isolation between the Eagle Guard and the Emperor's Hand, the top priority was to retrieve the envoy, and the Eagle Lieutenant did not have to worry about much.

"The construction specifications of the rebel permanent camps are similar to those of His Majesty's new army."

The speaker keeps sketching on the paper:

"Four vertical and horizontal roads divide the camp into three areas: front, middle and back. The prison is usually located in the central area, next to public buildings such as the armory, officer's residence, and legion hall. You can enter the central area directly from the side door, but you have to pass two sentries."

"The front area and the back area are barracks and playgrounds. On weekdays, only two rebel brigades are stationed. If we forcefully invade the central area, it is impossible not to disturb the soldiers in the barracks."

"But most of the rebels are currently fighting the fire in Nanshan, and the troops who are not involved in fighting the fire are also enforcing martial law orders in the city. There are only a small number of auxiliary soldiers left in the military camp - the defense is weak, and it does not seem like important people are being detained."

"However, considering the existence of pseudo-magicians within the rebels, the weak defense is probably just an illusion. In fact, it is loose on the outside and tight on the inside, intending to lure us into a trap."

Lieutenant Eagle examined the military camp diagram and asked after a while: "What's going on with the rebel commander?"

"Max Bern, the rebel's top military commander in Solingen, has not shown up again. In the past two days, he has been commanded by his deputy John Thomas. On the night of the fire, 'Little Bern', who had briefly commanded the North City militia, also never appeared again. "

For the collection and processing of intelligence, the Emperor's Hand is far more efficient and professional than the Eagle Guard.

"After multiple verifications, Max Bern has neither a son nor a nephew. Little Bern is undoubtedly a false identity. Summarizing the information, subordinate... I think." The deputy director of the Emperor's Hand in Steel Castle hesitated again and again, but still said Conclusion: "The mysterious [Little Bern] should be the pseudo-magician of the rebels, and he is a very high-level pseudo-magician."

Lieutenant Eagle suddenly remembered the knight who beheaded his advisor with a sword at White Eagle Manor, and the stab wound in his abdomen began to hurt again: "When will the fake rebels be able to deal with His Majesty's advisors?"

"Although there is generally an insurmountable gap between the pseudo-magicians who rebel against the party and the advisors. But as far as we know, in Piedmont and Veneta, there are already individual elites who have reached a level comparable to advisors."

"Piedmont, Veneta, individual elites? Then where did the Steel Castle come from?"

"It can only be deployed in advance." The deputy director replied calmly: "I think that the reason why the situation has evolved into what it is now is probably because a leak occurred in some link. The rebel party made full preparations in advance, so that according to the plan We acted headlong into each other's trap. Otherwise it is not enough to explain this failure."

"I don't care about leaks, I just want special envoys."

"The last location where the messenger appeared was the Lakeside Hotel in Nancheng District. There was a small-scale fierce battle there on the night of the fire, and it was said that there were many casualties. But the specific result is unknown - the rebels blocked the place. The messenger and the protection of the messenger The whereabouts of several of our consultants are unknown." The deputy director changed his topic: "But one thing can be confirmed - some of our important personnel have indeed been captured."

"who?"

"Mr. Kapfin, one of the Council's two directors in South Monta, my superior."

Lieutenant Eagle narrowed his eyes: "Evidence?"

The deputy director turned and looked at the corner of the secret room, where a man wearing an iron mask was sitting.

Eagle Lieutenant also looked towards the corner of the secret room: "Sir?"

The masked man nodded slightly, cherishing his words like gold: "I saw it."

The deputy director struck while the iron was hot: "According to reliable information, Mr. Kapfen was secretly sent to the garrison barracks for detention on the night he was arrested."

Eagle Lieutenant said coldly: "You want my people to rescue your boss."

"If the messenger is unfortunately captured, he is likely to be detained in the same place as Mr. Kapfen." The deputy director paused: "What's more, we cannot bear the consequences of Mr. Kapfen."

Lieutenant Eagle reacted indifferently to the next half of the sentence and just asked: "Have you ever thought about what would happen if the elite magicians of the rebel army were guarding that military camp and we rushed in?"

The deputy director sighed inwardly. Once the envoy disappeared, Steel Castle would no longer be able to find a decision-maker who could integrate the two systems of operations and intelligence.

He cheered up and replied calmly: "That's exactly what I want to say. In fact, it's not just Bern and Little Bern who are missing. The pseudo-magicians in the rebel system that we know about have not been seen again since the night of the fire. There were. There were rumors that some of the officers were seriously injured while fighting the fire. Also, Mayor Paul Wooper had the best doctor in Steel Castle come to his house, but he himself was always at the Municipal Palace. I Speculation…”

"Speak! Don't hesitate."

The deputy director licked his lips: "I speculate that the fire tornado that destroyed Elin Cathedral on the night of the fire was actually a large-scale magic that was out of control by the rebels. To forcefully use a spell of that scale, the pseudo-magicians of the rebels must have paid a heavy price. Not a small price to pay.

Bern and Little Bern have not shown up again, not because they don't want to, but because they can't - they are probably both seriously injured. There may be an ambush in the garrison camp, but this must be their weakest moment. "

Captain Eagle thought for a long time, then raised his head and asked the consultant in the corner of the secret room: "Sir, is it possible for large-scale magic to incapacitate the person who uses it?"

The consultant was still concise and to the point: "Maybe."

"Even if it's a trap." Lieutenant Eagle ran his palm across the camp map drawn on the straw paper, gritting his teeth and twitching his cheeks: "It seems we have to step on it."

[The nucleic acid test on the 23rd was negative, long live! The swelling and pain in my throat scare me to death]

[I took too much cold medicine yesterday and my head was dizzy. I originally thought I could write a chapter, but I didn’t finish it...]

[Online novels originally contain less information than other forms of entertainment, so stable updates should be the most basic quality.

Ask yourself, a guy like me who "updates in two days and posts on the Internet in three days" really doesn't deserve so many book friends who keep reading and commenting. I can't thank you enough for your support, Orz.

Although we don’t know each other in the real world, for me, reading this chapter is like chatting with friends. It is the happiest and most relaxing thing in the day (more pleasure than writing a novel...)]

[Thank you book friends for your collection, reading, subscription, recommendation votes, monthly votes, rewards and comments, thank you all]