Iron Powder and Spellcaster

"What'corridor'? Veneta Corridor?" Winters heard this unfamiliar term for the first time. After thinking for a while, he understood, "Are you talking about the Northern Foothills Province?"

"Yes," Mason nodded, then shook his head gently, "Not entirely.

"Lieutenant Colonel Matthias has no intention of swallowing up the Northern Foothills Province in one go. His first step is limited to controlling the towns between Bianjiang County and Veneta.

"Although he called it 'encircling the Kings' Castles', I think it is more appropriate to call it 'opening up the Veneta Corridor'."

--

The Northern Foothills Province is located at the northern foot of the Jinding Mountains, in the transition zone between hills and plains, hence the name.

However, this simple and straightforward name is actually very counterintuitive.

Because although the Northern Foothills Province is called the "Northern" Foothills, it is the southernmost secondary administrative region of the Alliance, sandwiched between the New Reclamation Province and the Cambria Region of the Veneta Republic.

And because the Northern Foothills Province is shaped like an inverted triangle as a whole, the further south you go, the narrower the distance between the east and the west.

Therefore, if you want to draw the shortest line between New Reclamation Province and Veneta, then this line must be drawn in the Northern Foothills Province.

Of course, there is no such straight line on the land of Plato.

However, starting from the capital of Bianshan Fort in Bianjiang County, heading east and crossing the Northern Foothills Province is indeed the shortest route from New Reclamation to Veneta.

Winters is also familiar with this route, because this "Bianjiang County-Northern Foothills Province-Cambria Region" route is exactly the route that Anna and Major Moritz took to Tiefeng County, and it is also the route that Catherine, Don Juan and Mr. Leo took back to Veneta.

However, although this route is theoretically the shortest land route, due to the existence of the high-quality waterway of the Ember Stream River, the bulk commodity exchanges between New Reclamation and Veneta basically do not go through the Northern Foothills Province.

——

"However, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias's attitude is very ambiguous. He seems to be very sure that you will support him," Mason's eyes were a little evasive, "Do you have a secret agreement with him?"

"Of course not!" Winters complained, "When have I ever hidden it from you, senior?"

"That's strange," Mason was confused, "Then why did Lieutenant Colonel Matthias keep winking at us? And hinted to me in words and deeds that you will definitely support him?"

Winters didn't understand either. He fiddled with the table knife unconsciously, searching for possible clues in his memory.

Suddenly, a tall and majestic figure broke into his thoughts.

Following the tall figure, a chubby, smiling face appeared in his mind-Fernando Leo of Navarre Company.

"I think... Lieutenant Colonel Matthias did have an appointment with someone," Winters laughed, "but that person was not me - and he thought it was me. Senior, do you remember Mr. Leo?"

Then, Winters helped Mason recall what happened when Fernando Leo came to Tiefeng County in the first year of the year.

Winters smiled and said, "At that time, Mr. Leo hinted to me that as long as we could get the wool of the Hed people into the new land, he would have a way to get the wool back to Veneta. And he used the same word as you, 'open up', you two are in sync."

When it comes to wool, Mason gets angry. He rarely complains to Winters, "Open up? What did you open up? Look for yourself! We can't even fit the wool in our hands now! The warehouse is already full! The speed of building the warehouse can't keep up with the speed of wool being transported in, and we are still opening up!"

"This time, that time, the situation is different." Winters is not the kind of person who is so anxious that he loses a lot of hair, so his attitude is much more tolerant, "Who would have thought that so many things would happen in half a year?"

Mason couldn't refute.

After all, even if it was a dream, the senior had never dreamed of conquering the entire New Reclamation Land in just half a year, or even having the qualifications to compete with the Horse Country.

And now, they have actually reached this position.

"Mr. Leo refused to make it clear at the time, and only said that he would know when the time came. Now it seems that the person who was "opened" by the Navarre Company should be Lieutenant Colonel Matthias." The more Winters spoke, the more he smiled.

He joked, "It's just that Mr. Leo and Lieutenant Colonel Matthias agreed that the Navarre Merchants would smuggle some wool and military horses, and Lieutenant Colonel Matthias would receive some benefits. The Lieutenant Colonel could not have imagined that half a year later, the situation in Palatine would develop to what it is now."

"That makes sense," Mason suddenly realized, "I thought there was some unspeakable secret between you and Lieutenant Colonel Matthias..."

"To be honest, senior," Winters raised his lips slightly, "I also felt that Lieutenant Colonel Matthias's attitude towards us was a little too friendly."

"Lieutenant Colonel Matthias probably thought that with this cause, You will also tend to open up the road to Veneta as soon as possible," Mason thought for a moment and shook his head again, "No, it's not enough, just this is not enough. Just this, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias can't be so sure." Mason said cautiously: "I'm afraid he thinks you are..." "As Veneta's agent!" Winters answered first, he spread his hands calmly, "It doesn't matter, I have a special identity, it's not surprising that he thinks I am Veneta's agent-in fact, it should be said the other way around, who would not think I am Veneta's agent?" "Me." Mason answered without hesitation. Winters smiled slowly, he deliberately bowed his head exaggeratedly and saluted. "That's enough," he said.

"What's enough?" Andre asked vaguely with his mouth full of fish and bread.

Winters patted the fellow on the shoulder, "That's enough without any regrets."

Andre frowned: "Nothing?"

"Enough is enough." Winters sighed, "I said enough is enough."

Andre finally heard it clearly. He patted his belly and waved his hand confidently, "Then you are wrong. How can these fish be eaten?"

"That's right." Winters laughed and looked at the senior with a meaningful look, "How can you eat just these few fish?"

Mason immediately understood the implication of Winters’ words and followed Winters’s intention and asked: “Then whose house are you going to eat at? Or... let’s have a separate table?”

"What do you think, senior?" Winters wanted to hear the other person's opinion first.

Mason sorted out his thoughts and spoke eloquently: "The King's Castle must be very difficult to attack. To be honest, we have missed the best opportunity to capture the King's Castle. If we want to capture the King's Castle, we should be in Wailing After the Battle of the River Valley, we marched eastward without stopping, and planted the military flag under the castles of the kings before the reinforcements from the United Provinces arrived. The castles of the kings might surrender without a fight. "

"It is indeed a rare fighter opportunity," Winters commented, "and the rarer the fighter opportunity is, the more fleeting it is."

Mr. Leo's hint that Winters "everything has been taken care of" and Antonio's suggestion of "doing something by the way" are located in Volume 4, Chapter 5 [Excommunication] and Chapter 8 [Buy a Boat and Go Away]