Iron Powder and Spellcaster

The man wearing a big hat and his head lowered walked into the stable where the officers' horses were tied. I kept asking about the name Winters Montagne and was directed to Winters.

Winters didn't recognize the face, but the person called him by his last name accurately.

"Are you Mr. Montagne?"

"Do I know you?" Winters became alert.

"I am a friend of Benvenuto, and I have a message for him."

Upon hearing Benvenuto's name, Winters quickly led the visitor to a deserted area outside the stable.

According to the lame man, a group of Monta people were digging three feet into the ground to look for Benwei, but this friend directly reported Benwei's name in front of others.

"What's the message? Tell me." Winters couldn't help but remind the other party: "Someone is looking for your friend, don't mention his name casually. If someone who cares hears this name, follow you and you can find him."

"No way, how can the Monta people be so powerful? I have helped deliver many letters, and there has never been any mistakes." Benvenuto's messenger believed that he was experienced and was quite dissatisfied with Winters' reminder. .

Seeing the disapproving smile of the messenger, Winters roared in his heart: "The Vanns have no sense of keeping secrets at all!"

There are countless military operations in this world that have deceived the enemy's spies and scouts, but ultimately failed because of the tip-off from shepherds and woodcutters.

Never look down on the intelligence capabilities of the masses. This is an important lesson Winters learned in his war history class.

But there was obviously no point in talking to the messenger. Winters asked directly: "What news did he ask you to send me?"

"Benway said he is fine and safe now, and asked you not to worry about him. He will come back to you after the storm has passed."

"Where does he live now?" Winters thought.

The messenger replied without hesitation: "You live in my house."

…

Two hours later, in a small courtyard on the edge of a small village on the outskirts of the city, Benvenuto was chopping firewood.

His coat was hanging to the side, and he was shirtless. His upper body was tanned from working at the dock all year round. He wasn't fat, and he didn't have those strong tendons. He looked lean. But when he swung the axe, others could see the power contained in his body from the twisted muscles of his body.

Benwei is responsible for swinging the axe, lifting the ax with his hand and breaking it in half. Another little boy was responsible for arranging the sawed wood on the piles. The two people had a clear division of labor and cooperated skillfully. The chopped firewood had been neatly stacked into a wall under the eaves.

"Benwei, look who I brought to you." The courtyard door was pushed open with a creak, and the happy voice of the owner of this small courtyard came.

Following the messenger, Winters came in leading the horse.

"Why are you here?" Benwei's surprise was beyond words.

Winters strode up and gave him a bear hug: "It's a long story."

Benway's messenger and the owner of this small courtyard warmly greeted the mother-in-law at home to prepare food and drinks for Winters. Although the Van people were not good at plotting, they were generous and hospitable and loyal to family and friends.

Most of the residents in this small village were Waans who fled to Veneta to escape the war more than 20 years ago. It is no wonder that Benvenuto would hide here.

"Are you alone here?" Winters asked. No matter how you look at it, this small courtyard cannot accommodate Benwei and his family.

"My brother and I live here." Benway moved a stool for Winters and said calmly: "All the old people have been sent to live with relatives out of town."

The two of them sat under the shade of a tree in the corner of the small courtyard. The owner of the courtyard called his son into the house and politely avoided it. Only Winters and Benway were left in the courtyard in front of the house.

It just rained last night. After the sun came out, the accumulated water dried up bit by bit. The outside of the house was as hot and humid as a steamer. Under the mottled tree shadow, Benway held a large jar and poured water for Winters.

"You are actually not safe here at all. This friend is a very good person, but he is also a very bad messenger. He is too careless and your enemies can easily follow the clues to find you." Winters got straight to the point.

There was no time for pleasantries. Winters checked the defense measures of the small courtyard from the perspective of an officer: "The walls of this courtyard are too short, it is still on the edge of the village, and there are not even dogs. Someone comes here at night and you and I What should you do with your brother?"

Benway handed the water glass to Winters: "It's okay. The Van people in this village are all related to my family. As long as a new face appears in the village, I can get the news immediately. With their protection, I am safe and rest assured. Bar."

"The safer you think you are, the more dangerous you are actually." Winters is most afraid that Benway will be paralyzed by this false sense of security: "This small courtyard is not in the village, but on the edge of the village. If it were me Bring people here, go in and out quickly, the people in the village won’t have time to react.”

Benway said with a smile: "Don't take those Monta people too seriously. Whether they are Monta people or Plato people, they are actually just like us Van people, they are just a group of dock workers with some strength."

"The more you think like this, the more dangerous it becomes." Winters said worriedly.

"Okay, okay, then my brother and I will move to a house in the innermost part of the village." Benway didn't really care.

Winters sighed. The person involved was not in a hurry. It would be useless if others were anxious, but it would at least be safer to live in another house. He added: "It's best to change places every day so that others can't figure out where you are."

"Okay, okay." Benway dealt with Winters helplessly.

The two were silent for a while, and all they could hear was the cackling of toads in the small pond outside the yard.

"I heard about what happened at the dock." Winters spoke first: "Since when do you have to form gangs when working at the dock?"

Benway leaned lightly on the tree trunk and looked into the distance, and said: "It hasn't been a few years. Anyway, it wasn't like this when my dad was working at the dock... In fact, in the final analysis, it is just to grab a job. The number of people who have flocked to Hailan in recent years has become more and more... More and more people are coming. Although the work at the dock is hard, you can do it if you have the strength, so the competition is becoming more and more fierce. Malicious attempts to lower prices are easy, and it is common for people to be maimed in the alleys. If you don't stick together, you will be bullied and forced by those who do. The winning people have to stick together.”

"You are creating an oppressor for yourself, this kind of..." Winters bit his lip and didn't know which word to use: "... gang, organization, society, whatever you want to call it. Although now it's just to not be bullied. We just stick together, but in the future they will definitely degenerate and turn into monsters that use violence to suck your blood."

"Yes, there are already signs of this." Benwei said with a self-deprecating smile: "But after the dock was divided into several sites, the malicious price reduction among the porters was ended. Outsiders are not allowed to come to the dock to grab work. , the porters earn more money. Even if it is a rogue order, it is better than no order at all."

"Forget it, why are we talking so far away? This is a matter for the customs to worry about, and it has nothing to do with me." Winters stopped smiling and asked Benway seriously: "What do you Van people think about this matter? Ending? Do you want to keep hiding? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Benway laughed and patted Winters on the shoulder: "It's okay, you take this matter too seriously. This is not a war between the two countries. The Monta people's thunder is loud, the raindrops are light, and the shouting is loud, but actually it's for Take up more ground. I won’t have to hide when this thing calms down."

Winters frowned and said: "As far as I know, the Monta people bought a lot of real guns and more than a dozen matchlock guns. They are really serious about revenge."

According to the lame man, only sticks are used in dock fights, not edged weapons, let alone muskets.

The dockworkers were not soldiers, and the fights were just for grabbing jobs, not for killing people, and they didn't want to make things worse. Lame thinks that the Monta people are serious this time, and their purpose is not simple. It was probably because they wanted to make a big move to defeat the other two groups and monopolize the dock.

"Don't worry, we also have guns. In fact, the purpose of using guns is to scare people, and they don't contain lead." Benwei punched his thigh angrily: "These Monta people have something wrong in their minds! One of our own is dead. The blame is placed on us Van people, and they still insist that it was my family who killed them. It’s really..."

"Uh, was it really not you and your brother who did it?" Winters suddenly discovered a blind spot.

Although the Vans did not admit it, Crip, Field, Moritz and Winters all believed that Benway and his brothers killed the leader of the Monta people.

Because...it's so reasonable. There are nearly 200 homicides in this city every year, of which vendettas account for one-third.

When enemies meet, they draw their swords and stab each other. This is a very common thing in Aquamarine City.

Revenge is the simplest human emotion, and the culture of revenge is a culture shared by all mankind. Although the law relegated the power of revenge to the ruling class, in the "wild land" south of the Shade Mountains, blood revenge was still respected by most people.

Benvenuto killed someone to avenge his uncle. Although he violated the law, the citizens of Aquamarine City still applauded him.

But just now, just a few seconds ago, Ben Wei's words meant something different.

"Of course not!" Benway's tone was extremely helpless: "My brothers and I did plan to avenge our uncle, but Scar's death really has nothing to do with us. Alas."

"Not you?"

"certainly."

"Not your brother either?"

"The night Da Scar died, my whole family was keeping a vigil for my uncle. It was definitely not my brothers who did it."

"Then how..."

Benway sighed: "This is the biggest problem. Everyone thinks that my family killed Big Scar for revenge. Not only the Monta people, but also the Van people believe this, and even my distant relatives Now that I think about it, no matter how I explain it, it’s useless.”

There was no need for Benway to lie to Winters, especially about this. Because although Winters originally thought that Benwei was responsible, he still stood by Benwei's side, and Benwei also understood this.

So since Benvenuto said it wasn't him who killed the Monta man, in Winters' opinion, it really wasn't him.

"Then isn't this going to turn into a bad debt?"

Benwei snorted: "Actually, it doesn't matter. Even if Big Scar survives, I still want to avenge my uncle. It doesn't make any difference if I do it again and again. It does save me trouble."

"The difference is huge!" Winters said anxiously: "If this matter is blamed on you, you will be sentenced to exile even if you don't say anything."

"This matter cannot be blamed on me." Benway grinned: "My neighbors are all my witnesses. It is precisely because they can't get the sheriff to get me up and send me to trial that the Montagnards are so anxious to think about it. Seek revenge from me. Besides, I didn’t do this in the first place, and I will never admit it.”

"How can I help?" Winters asked. "Anything."

"It's okay. I don't need anything now. I don't have to go to work yet. I'm fine."

Winters looked into Benway's eyes and said seriously and solemnly, "If you hadn't saved me at the dock that day, I would have drowned. I owe you a life. There is anything... anything I can do, as long as you Speak up, friend."

Winters bites the word "any" very hard.

Benway understood what Winters meant. He smiled and punched Winters in the knee: "Do we still need to talk about repaying kindness? You guys should be your officers and don't get involved with my bad things." Something. Speaking of which, I really have something to ask you."

"you say."

"Is your workshop still there?"

"It's still there, my little uncle is in charge now."

"Can you help me get an apprenticeship?" Benway asked a little nervously.

"Of course! I'll guarantee it. My uncle will definitely agree." Winters said, patting his chest.

"It's not that I want to be an apprentice, I want my third brother to be an apprentice." Benwei quickly explained: "He also studied at Lu Youyou and graduated this year. Unfortunately, he can't go to Guitucheng. I don't want him to work at the dock. Live, it would be great if you could guarantee him to become an apprentice."

Craftsmen with special skills are the middle-income class in this society. They make money by relying on their skills. They are neither dependent on the weather like farmers, nor are they criticized and looked down upon like the merchant class. It is the envy of most purely manual workers.

But becoming a craftsman is not something you can just do if you want to. In Veneta, associations from all walks of life have monopolized access to all industries by paying large amounts of taxes since ancient times.

A person who only knows carpentry work cannot be a carpenter. The most he can do is make some furniture for his own home. Only formal members of the Carpenters' Guild can openly sell woodworking products and provide carpentry services to others.

The same is true for other industries.

In this way, craftsmen limit the number of people entering the market and avoid excessive competition. In fact, not only the handicraft industry, but also merchants did the same thing through commercial guilds.

If you want to become a formal member of the guild, you need to become an apprentice of a formal member first. After an apprenticeship period of five to seven years, you can automatically become a formal member of the guild with the tools given by the master when you become an apprentice. .

The apprenticeship period is extremely difficult, because many craftsmen have extremely bad tempers, advocate education with sticks, and are often beaten and scolded, and the apprentices do not receive wages. But it is the only way to enter a lucrative industry, and many people only dream of it.

"Why don't you go to my workshop? The dock work is very hard on the body, and you can't do it for a lifetime." Winters was sincerely thinking about Benwei. Benway is the same age as him, he is nineteen years old this year. It is not too late to become an apprentice at this age.

"I won't go." Benwei said with a smile: "Apprentices don't get paid, and I still have a large family. It's enough for my brother to be an apprentice. I'm just worried that this kid won't be able to bear the hardships of being an apprentice."

"Don't worry, I will ask Giovanni to take care of your brother." Winters remembered something serious: "By the way, I have something to ask you. You were also present that day when the dock pier was bombed and sank, right? "

"Be present."

"The man who blew up the trestle was not a man in black, but was dressed like a dock worker. Do you have any impression?"

Benway sneered and nodded: "Of course I have the impression that they are the Monta people."

According to the archives of the Bologna Criminal Court, there were nearly 150 murders in Bologna throughout 1660. The social atmosphere of the 16th century was more advocating for pleasure and grudges than the social atmosphere of the 17th century... Thanks to the book friends who have voted for recommendation before, thank book friend 20181013204343295 for the recommendation vote, thank book friend Yanyunsan for the recommendation vote, thank book friend 20200306210032266 for the recommendation vote Recommended votes, thank you all. It's late today. I have only written more than 4,000 words since I sat down at seven o'clock.