Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 370 Steel Castle

   [Monta Republic, Solingen, Steel Castle]

   The coldest weeks of this winter are over and the weather is getting a little bit warmer.

  When the sun is good at noon, the snow on the mountain will be melted by the sun. At night, the temperature drops, and the stiffened water is frozen into ice again, eventually forming a crystal clear ice shell on the surface of the snow.

  The snow melted water flows under the ice shell, and finally thousands of strands flow into the Rose Lake. Occasionally, you can hear the loud bang of a large ice sheet breaking off from the mountain.

   In three days, the Steel Castle Blacksmiths Guild will elect the next executive member.

  The employees of the city hall are busy setting up the venue and sweeping the roads. The shopkeepers of the shops on the street are also diligently cleaning their facades, trying to do more business through the celebrations on Election Day.

  Some people say that Steel Castle is a city of blacksmiths.

   In fact, Steel Fort is a city that "belongs" to blacksmiths.

   Nearly one-sixth of all able-bodied Steelcastle citizens—both men and women—are directly engaged in mining, smelting, and metalworking, and a third are their dependents.

   The remaining half of Steelcastle mainly make a living by providing services for the first two.

  Everything in Steel Castle revolves around blacksmiths, and the organization that binds all blacksmiths together is the blacksmith guild.

  Therefore, the executive member of the blacksmith's guild will become the executive member of the parish headquarter guild;

   The executive member of the Parish Headquarters will become the executive member of the Steel Castle City Hall;

  Executive member of Steelcastle Town Hall, who will in turn become the executive member of the Solingen State Assembly.

   There has never been a written or unwritten law that states: [Executive member of the Steelcastle Blacksmiths Guild, automatically becomes an executive member of the Solingen State Assembly].

   But no one has ever objected to the above process, everything will happen naturally and naturally.

  But if you weren't in it, who would have thought that an internal election of a guild run by a parish under a city of an autonomous state would determine who would be in charge of a state in the future? Even call the wind and call the rain within the republic?

  …

  When the streets of Steel Castle were filled with the scorching smell of Election Day eve, a young couple from the Empire checked into the finest hotel on the shores of Rose Lake.

   The full name left by the host when he registered was [Enrique, Baron Granasi], so the waiters at the hotel used the titles of [Lord Granasi] and [Mrs Granasi].

  The baron and his wife generously contracted a two-storey small building facing the lake, and also a separate stable.

  Although they didn’t have many followers, they took three whole carriages just to load their luggage. For trivial matters such as carrying luggage and feeding the horses, they only used the servants they brought, never under the hands of hotel waiters, and they were full of aristocratic style.

  [Enrique and Catherine of Granasi] The deity used only the old language, and did not speak a common language, so the waiters were confused and confused.

   The foreman of the hotel didn't know how many times he scolded "the rotten imperial pig of the recent marriage" over and over again, and he had to keep smiling.

   Just when the overwhelmed foreman urgently asked someone to find an interpreter, he saw the impatient Lord Baron wave casually.

   Immediately afterwards, a handsome man dressed in a priest's robe who should be the baron's personal priest stepped forward and relayed the baron's instructions to the foreman in common language—but his expression was a little unnatural.

The    inn foreman was quite shocked. It was not that he had never received nobles before, but it was the first time he had seen a "noble who could treat the clergy as slaves".

   At a certain moment, the foreman even developed empathy with the poor priest in front of him, and fully understood why the other party's eyes were full of struggle and remorse.

   After setting up Baron Granasi and his party, the foreman called all the waiters together and patiently instructed: "Be more careful, this Baron Granasi is probably not small."

   "Not small? How big can it be?" a young waiter asked curiously.

"What are you asking?" The foreman glared at him viciously, and the little waiter shuddered: "Don't ask if you shouldn't! What? No work? Go and fill the stable water tank for me. Everyone else, too. scattered."

  The little waiter was taught a lesson and went to fetch water. The others also walked away silently.

A tall, thin, gray-haired senior waiter deliberately stayed at the end, and when only he and the foreman were left, he asked with a hilarious smile, "What's the background? Isn't it just a little baron who grabs a lot? Look at his look. like!"

   "Nonsense!" The foreman stared, "Sooner or later, your tongue will kill you!"

   "Yes, I was wrong." The tall, thin and gray-haired waiter made a gesture of closing his mouth: "How about you tell me what that guy is from!"

   The tall, thin, gray-haired waiter was the foreman's nephew, named [Roger]. In front of trusted subordinates and relatives, the foreman no longer has any scruples in speaking.

   "In my opinion." The foreman smacked his lips: "He is either the heir of a certain marquis or the illegitimate son of a certain duke, so there won't be much difference between left and right."

   Roger was puzzled and pricked up his ears and waited for the foreman to continue.

   The foreman smacked his lips: "The big man... I have seen a lot of people. Although Baron Granache is not old, I put him among those lords in my heart, and I don't think there is anything wrong."

  Roger nodded superficially, but in fact scoffed at what his uncle said.

   The foreman saw through his nephew's thoughts at a glance, he frowned and pointed to the lakeside building: "You didn't see it at all?"

   "See what?" Roger was at a loss.

   "Baron Granasi's bodyguard." The foreman lowered his voice: "It's all Dussac!"

   Roger was taken aback: "But they?"

"What are they? A Dussac without a uniform, without earrings, without a forehead, without a saber, is not a Dussac? The accent they speak, the way they ride... and the looped legs, I close my eyes You can smell their origins, but you can't see it at all?" The foreman said with anger: "If there is no more powerful father, just rely on him as a little baron, how can there be so many powerful Dousas? Guards?"

  …

  All imperial nobles are proud to have Dussack guards.

  Although Dussac was criticized for his loose military discipline and rambunctious manners, they were "free people" who were directly loyal to the emperor, and this alone made them independent of the aristocratic class.

  Since Charlemagne appointed [Count] to administer the place, the feudal system of the empire has evolved and continued to this day, and Dussac’s position in it has been similar to [Baron]. Both are powers attached to imperial power, the only difference being that one is a noble and the other is not.

  Only the emperor can modify Dussack's personal attachment relationship. Without the emperor's decree, even the prince Duke Dusak would not serve.

  Therefore, giving Dussack guards represents the emperor's favor, and getting Dussac guards is a symbol of power and status.

  As for Baron Granath...a small nobleman in his early twenties, obviously he is not eligible for the honor of Royal Guard.

  …

After the    foreman, the baron's attitude towards the baron became much more attentive.

   Rumors have also spread like wildfire.

   First, a guest saw the carriage passing by and asked the waiter casually. Soon, all kinds of gossip about the baron became the latest topic of discussion among hotel guests.

  The Baron Granache and his wife arrived at Steel Castle at noon, and before it was dark, some well-informed people in the city had already learned that a wealthy imperial nobleman had arrived.

  The so-called well-informed persons include but are not limited to: ladies from respectable families, operators of other hotels or restaurants, merchants engaged in the iron trade, and relatively dynamic social groups in Steel Castle.

   Among them, some people share the rumors excitedly, some people feel jealous, some people see the last straw before bankruptcy, and some people smell the smell of fat sheep.

   But there is another person, his attitude after learning the rumors is different from all Steelcastle people, because…

   Because he's not Steelcastle, or even Monta.

  …

  [Steel Castle, Lake Bay Area, Lacey Brothers Firm]

"...The baron couple, eight guards, and a priest. There are eleven people in total, and a single house is built." The tall, thin man with gray hair stood at the table, clenching his fingers and thinking hard: "By the way, they used five A carriage!"

   The black-faced man sitting behind the table was indifferent and scribbled a few notes on a book-like book.

   The tall and thin man with gray hair pretended to be troubled and couldn't squeeze anything out of his brains, and said embarrassingly, "I know this."

   The black-faced man casually inserted the quill into the ink bottle, squeezed a little fine sand and sprinkled it on the paper, and said without looking up, "You did a good job, Roger."

   The tall, thin grey-haired man—the waiter named Roger at the hotel where Baron Granache stayed—bent down in a tame salute, not at all impatient with his uncle.

   Just his eyes were stealing a glance at the black-faced man's purse on the table.

The black-faced man noticed Roger's gaze, opened the purse with a grin, and threw a silver coin to Roger: "Be smart in the future, and let me know if you find out anything. If you can make a business, you will also be divided. moist."

   "Of course." Roger showed his habitual flattering smile: "Just leave it to me."

   "Go." The black-faced man waved his hand.

  Roger walked backwards towards the door.

  …

  The ironware of Steel Castle is not only circulated within the Alliance, but also sold in large quantities to the Empire. Many large buyers have offices or branches in Steel Castle.

  Although the parties will not take the initiative to emphasize their identities, but everyone is well aware of each other's background.

   For example [John H. Sherlock Firm]. Although bearing a strange name that has nothing to do with the Empire, [John H. Sherlock Firm] is actually the representative of the [Imperial Royal Chartered Commerce Commission] in the Republic of Monta.

   And the [Imperial Royal Chartered Commerce Commission] is the public purse and gloves of the oathbreaker.

   There is no doubt that every move of the [John H. Sherlock Firm] is being watched closely - using the firm to collect information is a common method, and businessmen are natural spies.

   So most of the time, [John H. Sherlock Firm] is doing serious business, occasionally doing small things to maintain its presence.

   The [Imperial Security Council] known as the "Hand of the Emperor", the real eyes and ears installed in the Steel Castle are the humble [Lacey Brothers Firm].

   Even [Lacey Brothers Firm] will only use a low-key approach, passively collecting information from public sources - just like everyone is doing.

  …

   The black-faced man did not give Roger any specific instructions, but only asked Roger to inform him of "notable news" in time.

   This kind of thing is done by many business houses and local snakes, and it will not attract attention.

   The news that Roger provided this time is not worth a silver coin, but for inquiring information, sometimes you have to spend appropriately on useless rumors.

   "White Hair" Roger is a very greedy guy, and in a good position, black-faced men don't mind hanging him for a little money.

   It was getting late, the black-faced man yawned and planned to close the door to rest.

   Suddenly, Roger, who had walked out of the door, seemed to remember something, and hurried back to the black-faced man: "That's right! Mr. Black! Baron Granache's guards are all Dussac."

   "Huh?" The black-faced man was stunned for a moment, then opened the book and glanced at it, then crossed his arms and asked with a smile, "Isn't he a baron?"

   Roger didn't answer, but looked expectantly at the purse on the black-faced man's table.

   The black-faced man burst into exasperation and realized that he had been tricked.

   But he still grinned, opened the purse, and threw another silver coin to Roger: "Can you talk now?"

   Thanks a lot, Roger carefully put away the silver coins: "Yes, he is a baron, at least he claims to be... That's why I think he has a lot of background. Otherwise, how can a little baron have Dussack as his guard?"

   "What's his surname?" The black-haired man struggled to identify his scribbled handwriting

   "De Granach."

   "How many guards does he have?"

   "Eight."

   "It's all Dussac?"

   "All."

   "...and a personal priest?"

"Um."

   "Are you rich?"

   "Like a rich man."

"how old?"

   "Early twenties."

   "In his early twenties?" The black-faced man closed the book, leaned back on the back of the chair, and asked with a smile, "Why did he say he came to Steel Castle? [Grand Tour]?"

   "Pret - oil?" Roger puzzled: "What do you mean?"

   The black-faced man briefly explained.

  …

   Grand Tour is a new trend that has become popular in recent years.

   No matter how cruel the current emperor was at the beginning of his ascension, his hard work after taking power is obvious to all. The empire is getting richer day by day, and the purses of the big and small aristocrats are also becoming more and more full.

  The more money you have, the more ways you can spend your money.

  Because the emperor won the civil war, stopped the private war, and suppressed the bandits, there have been no wars in the empire for many years, and long-distance travel is no longer a matter of risking life.

  Some noble families will give money to let their children who have completed their studies go on a long trip, where they can eat, drink and have fun while seeing the world.

   With the popularity of this new fashion, many wealthy families without aristocratic status also participated. Some young people are not satisfied with the long journey of a month or two, and start to try to travel around the empire, and even visit the rebel turf in the south.

  If Baron Granach was in his early twenties, it was the age for a grand tour. The elders in the family are worried that the young man is wasting money alone, and it is reasonable to send a few guards to protect him.

  …

   After listening, Roger scratched his head: "I...I don't know. But...but Baron Granache still brings his wife? Can Zhuangyou bring his wife?"

   "Uh." The black-faced man laughed dryly: "It can't be a honeymoon, right?"

   "Will you come to Monta on your honeymoon?" Roger tugged at the locks of gray hair and said angrily, "It's all mountains, what's there to see?"

"Maybe people like to see the mountain view? Who knows what tone the imperial nobles like?" The black-faced man waved his hand and signaled Roger to leave: "Continue to help me pay attention to that baron, if he eats, drinks and has fun, you can Never mind. If he has any contact with merchants, blacksmiths, or any other native, you can tell me."

   The black-faced man grinned and said, "If he can make his business, he will also give you dividends."

   Roger gave another flattering thanks, and walked backwards.

  After the white-haired boy left, the black-faced man spat in disgust and patted the bell on the table.

   Several employees entered the room.

   "Close the door, rest." The black-faced man said.

  The employee nodded and left.

   The black-faced man also planned to leave, put on his coat, and walked to the door. He couldn't help but go back to his seat, spread out his notebook, and re-read the recorded content.

  …

   Nominally, the Security Council is responsible for the defense and espionage of the Empire.

   But when the emperor's will needs to be practiced and the Imperial Security Council is not competent enough, the oathbreaker will use the other hand.

   Stronger, more invisible, more terrifying hands.

   Inside the Imperial Security Council, the other hand of the oathbreaker is called "the messenger".

   If the Imperial Security Council represents the interests of the empire, then the messenger represents the will of the emperor.

The    messenger may be one person, several people, or a group of people. No one knows how the messengers work, only that they can wield enormous amounts of money, power and force - just to accomplish their mission.

   That's why some people complain that the messenger is not fulfilling the emperor's orders, but exercising the emperor's authority.

   At this moment, there is such a "Messenger" in Steel Castle.

  …

   "Are you going to report this to the messenger?" The black-faced man hesitated.

   [About spies and intelligence]

   [Recommend a documentary "Queen Elizabeth I's Spy", which tells the story of Elizabeth I's favorite minister and spy chief [William Cecil]. How did he detect "enemy sabotage", how did he get the ironclad evidence that Mary of Scots was directly involved in the murder of Elizabeth I, etc.]

   [Monarchs will use spies, but William Cecil should be the first intelligence officer to "systematically use spies" in England's history, but England is a late starter in this regard]

   [Cum Laude cases are Portugal and Venice]

   [In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Portugal sent a large number of spies to all parts of the world every year, bringing back all kinds of information. The Portuguese people's cognition of the world was gradually improved in this process. Portugal even sent two spies disguised as businessmen to look for "China", John the Priest of the East... But the two spies couldn't get sick when they arrived in Egypt, and finally went to Ethiopia for a walk and gave the local After sending back a letter, continue to the East, and have never heard from again]

   [Venice established the earliest specialized code-breaking agency in Europe, and has carried out intelligence work on the Ottoman Empire and Shinra in full swing, and even penetrated into the court of the Ottoman Empire to obtain information on the physical conditions of the sultans as soon as possible]

   [And, besides the merchant spies, many spies were…Jews. For example, Venetian turned against the Jewish doctors of the Grand Vizier, and Muhammad II hired Jews as spies in the Mediterranean Islands—yes, the Ottomans also liked to use Jewish spies]

   (end of this chapter)