Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Veneta]

[sea blue]

The scorching sun hung high in the sky, indifferently scorching everything on the earth.

The heat wave surged, and the city was enveloped in steaming water vapor. Even the monsoon that arrived as promised could not dispel it.

Hailan Port, which used to be bustling with boats and crowded with people, is now deserted and desolate.

Three-masted ships filled the dock berths, but there were no porters on the trestle.

Only a few seagulls were left hovering over the anchorage, refusing to leave for a long time, searching in vain for any remaining fishy filth to satisfy their hunger.

The news that the federal provincial army had crossed the rushing river spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys of Hailan.

Since a long time ago, many sea blue people have predicted that this day will come;

Since a long time ago, many Hailan people have been looking forward to this day coming as soon as possible.

But when the "allies" really stepped across the non-existent border, Hailan fell into an abnormal silence.

The dark clouds on the horizon are clearly visible, and every Hailan person understands where the road under their feet will lead, but people will never know whether they are ready-until they can no longer look back.

In whispers, the Aquamarine waited for the Directory's response.

…

A carriage drove out from Haidong Port and walked slowly along the coastal avenue.

A small group of cavalry from Dongda Camp had already been waiting halfway. The leading officer politely confirmed the identity of the passengers in the car, and then escorted the carriage to continue driving to Hailan City.

The style of the carriage is ordinary: black paint, no emblems and no markings.

The draft horses pulling the cart were also ordinary horses, inconspicuous. On the contrary, the cavalrymen escorting the carriages all had sleek horses with strong muscles and thin legs. They were all the best Platonic horses.

In the past, when this kind of carriage that deliberately concealed its identity appeared on the streets of Hailan, it would definitely attract the attention of pedestrians.

But things were different now - even if the flames of war did not spread to Veneta, the fashion of sea blue was inevitably affected.

Because the war is no longer just a few words sent back from the distant frontier, it has actually affected the lives of every Veneta person.

In the past, thousands of sailboats raced across the inland sea, but now there are only a handful of boats.

The U.S. Navy and the Veneta Navy arbitrarily seized ships flying the "Allied" flag in the name of searching for contraband. As a result, the inland sea at this moment is more dangerous than when the Tanirian pirates were at their most rampant. Without naval escort, no merchant ship would dare to leave the port easily.

The looms and spinning wheels that brought Veneta great wealth in the past are now gathering dust.

Millions of weavers were once reduced to destitute people without enough food and clothing. Except for a few lucky ones who were able to leave the city and seek refuge with relatives and friends, the vast majority had nowhere to go and no way to go.

Desperate weavers may flock to the port to compete with the foreigners entrenched on the docks for the scant bread;

Or wandering in squares and dark alleys, forced to sell their bodies and beg on the streets in order to feed their children;

Others received settlement funds from the recruiting officers and resolutely went to Taniriya, praying for a chance of survival in a strange land.

Anger and violence are growing in people. In Sealand alone, there have been more homicides in the past month than in Veneta in a single quarter.

Every morning, mutilated corpses are transported out of the city and hastily buried in mass graves in the west of the city.

The businessmen tightened their purse strings and stopped buying easily; the farmers held on to their grains and did not dare to sell them casually. One after another, the price of flour has been pushed to new highs, making people's lives even more difficult.

Under this circumstance, the aesthetics of the Hailan rich people also unconsciously turned to be conservative and low-key.

Pink satin was pressed into the bottom of the box, and deep black velvet became the new fashion;

Simple and safe carriages are now more popular, and the splendid convertibles of the past are no longer found.

So when the cavalry escorted the carriage through the streets of Hailan, it was the cavalry escorting the carriage that attracted the most attention, not the carriage itself.

…

The carriage that set off from Haidong Port finally stopped outside the side gate of the Veneta Army Headquarters.

The coachman jumped down from his seat, set up the footstool and opened the door. The gesture of humility was so humiliating that it disgusted Colonel Kara who came to greet the guests.

A man in his early thirties stepped out of the carriage first.

Men of the thirties are well-proportioned and handsome, with neatly groomed beards and spotless clothes and boots.

He looked at the splendid army headquarters in the distance with a faint smile on his lips: "As expected, the more something is lacking, the more you want to show off."

"Don't be too demanding on the aesthetic ability of the nouveau riche." A cold voice came out of the carriage, and another middle-aged man with one eye and no fingers stepped out of the carriage: "Captain Pisani."

"What you said is correct." The thirty-generation man nodded gracefully: "I was the one who was abrupt, Captain Tiye."

Hearing this, Colonel Kara, who came to the side gate in advance to wait, was so furious that the hilt of the sword in his hand was almost water-drained.

However, from the beginning to the end, neither of the two people who got off the carriage took a serious look at Colonel Kara.

"enough."

The last passenger - an old man with gray hair and eyebrows - stepped out of the carriage.

The old man is tall and stocky, and the thickness of his chest and back is almost as wide as his shoulders.

Although no sunburned skin can be seen, it means that he has been away from the waves of the sea for a long time, but his eyes are still as sharp as a lookout. His legs were supporting his body steadily as they were when he stood on the deck.

Colonel Kala "reciprocated the courtesy" and walked straight towards the old man without looking at the two people who got off the car first.

The colonel did not salute, only nodded: "General Dandolo, welcome. Please follow me."

The old man lowered his eyelids slightly.

Colonel Kara turned around and waved, and the side doors of the "Imperial Palace" immediately opened to both sides. Although there was no military music or guard of honor, the guards held their boots together and raised their halberds in uniform to salute.

[Captain Pisani] watched the Army's "little performance" with great interest and looked at his fellow travelers with a smile.

But [Tie] had a straight face, still without any expression.

General Dandolo nodded, and under the guidance of Colonel Kara, a group of three people walked into the army headquarters.

…

[Second floor of Army Headquarters]

[Ma Zhengke Office]

The owner of the office, Colonel Bozukhov, was holding a cup, leaning against the window sill, and looking out the window coldly.

The door was pushed open, and a captain pulled a warrant officer in a brand new uniform and walked in.

Before the two of them had fully entered the office, the captain happily introduced: "Colonel, the officer cadet assigned to us this year is Paulino, Warrant Officer Paulino Como."

He put his arm around the warrant officer's shoulders and introduced him enthusiastically to his junior: "This is Colonel Bozukhov - if nothing goes wrong, you will have to get along with the two of us this year."

Warrant Officer Comeau's face still showed the unique childishness of an officer student who had just left the ivory tower. He immediately dropped the carrying equipment in his hand and saluted vigorously: "Colonel."

Bozukhov waved his hand helplessly and scrawled in reply: "Close the door."

The door was closed again, blocking the clerk's eyes and ears, leaving only the officers in the office.

"This year...560..." Colonel Bozukhov looked at the ceiling and counted to himself: "Then you are the first..."

"Issue 24." Warrant Officer Kemo answered first, and added a little embarrassedly: "But including preparatory courses, I only studied in Guitucheng for four years. The second and third years were all in Hailan New School. Army Academy.”

Colonel Bozukhov sighed: "One year counts."

He took out a new cup, poured some dark liquid from the exquisite silver pot on the windowsill, and motioned to the warrant officer to come to him.

Colonel Bozukhov said sadly: "You are the last generation. The last generation of Veneta officers who came from the orthodox Army Academy. From now on, there will never be any Veneta people from the school established by the old marshal. walk out."

Warrant Officer Comeau held the cup and didn't know how to answer.

The captain who ushered Warrant Officer Comeau in tried to adjust the atmosphere. He took the silver cup from his apprentice and looked at the colonel reproachfully: "It's still morning, and you're starting to drink?"

"This is not wine." Colonel Bozukhov had a close relationship with the captain, so he was not offended. He explained lightly: "This is a new thing from the Far East, called [coffee]."

The captain took a sip of it dubiously, then spit the cup back immediately: "What the hell!"

Colonel Bozukhov had no intention of explaining the refreshing effects of coffee to the adjutant, because he was already occupied by grief and anger: "Let the federal provincials take away the legacy of the old marshal! Let the Grand Veneta Army become the 'Army of the Navy'! Signed What a humiliating budget! Not counting all this - the navy is allowed to walk through our door openly? That old man Zio! What on earth are you thinking?!"

The warrant officer dared not speak.

The captain had no scruples. He asked puzzledly: "Navy? Where is it?"

"Isn't it right there?" Colonel Bozukhov pointed down casually.

The captain immediately moved closer to the window, followed by Warrant Officer Comeau.

The two happened to witness Colonel Kara leading three men in civilian clothes up the stairs and disappearing from their sight.

The captain pulled his upper body back from the window and confirmed to the colonel: "Colonel Kara brought those three guys?"

"Just those three bald heads." Colonel Bozukhov sneered: "I won't guess their origins wrong."

"Why did the admiral bring the navy to the palace?" The captain was dubious: "Borrowing a ship? Determined to send troops? Why didn't you hear the news?"

Colonel Bozukhov ignored the adjutant, but put down the glass heavily, stood in front of the new warrant officer, stared into the latter's eyes, and asked in a deep voice: "Warrant officer, answer me. We - Marshal Ned Smith personally The army established, the most noble Army of the Republic of Veneta, who is the primary enemy?”

The Warrant Officer responded instinctively: "Imperial!"

A cold snort came from Colonel Bozukhov's nose.

"Then..." the warrant officer's shoulders slumped, and he asked humbly and cautiously: "Is it the United Provinces?"

Colonel Bozukhov frowned and looked at the adjutant with an unkind expression: "Are you squeezing out juniors who failed to graduate from the Mainland Academy?"

"How is that possible?!" the captain shouted unjustly.

Colonel Bozukhov crossed his arms: "Then why aren't we teaching clearly what should be taught?!"

Upon hearing this, the captain lightly kicked the warrant officer and coughed to remind the latter.

"Oh! That's that! I remembered it!" The warrant officer blurted out as if he was enlightened: "The Navy! Our primary enemy is the Navy!"

"That's right!" Colonel Bozukhov grabbed the warrant officer's shoulders and warned through gritted teeth: "Navy! Remember! It's the Navy!"

[Sorry, I was in bad shape the past few days. But it’s no problem today]

[Additional explanation: Veneta’s land and sea conflicts]

[Venetan people often complain: the elitist army still has a strong aristocratic flavor, but people never complain about the navy, because the Veneta navy is originally [noble]]

[The Army School selects students through public examinations. Veneta people who want to become Army officers theoretically only need a smart mind]

[If a Venetian wants to become a naval officer, he or she needs not only ability, but family background, money and a strong guarantor]

[Hainlan, who made his fortune from the commune, has no land for agricultural development, and there is no strict distinction between knights and serfs, so there is no feudal aristocracy in the true sense]

[Instead of the feudal nobles occupying the ecological niche of the ruling class, it is the wealthy businessmen and captains]

[The business oligarch family is the prince of Hailan, the captains who cut the waves are the knights of Hailan, the deck is the land of Hailan, and money is the basis for Hailan's survival]

[The Seablue people cannot tolerate aristocrats who monopolize power, just as they cannot tolerate failed naval admirals, but they do provide captains and business oligarchs with an almost aristocratic status]

[When Hailan takes a big step and becomes the most noble Republic of Veneta, these traditions will naturally continue to the new republic]

[So the conflict between land and sea in Veneta is not only due to the competition for budget, but also has the color of natural opposition between the civilians and the aristocrats, the new rich and the old rich]

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