Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 113 Tide
"That idiot Layton hasn't improved at all over the years," a man at the table grumbled. "He's making things convenient for himself by kidnapping civilians from their homes as hostages, but doesn't he ever think about how the Republic will govern this place after the war?"

This was a private dinner in Porto Chilu, with two other people at the table – Antonio and Winters.

When he heard the speaker mercilessly belittle Rost Leighton, who was already a major general in the army, Winters just kept drinking his soup without saying a word.

However, Antonio put down his cutlery upon hearing this and spoke up in defense, saying, "The situation at that time was rather special, and he didn't have any other good options. But then again, Layton's reputation among the island's civilians is now surprisingly good."

“Of course. He first scared the islanders so much they wet their pants, and then he did the good deed of ridding them of a menace. The Tanilians are naturally grateful to him.” The man snorted and said disdainfully, “But this is only temporary. The islanders will gradually forget their fear and gratitude, and they might even forget Layton’s name. They’ll only remember that the Venetians once captured their own family members to fill the moat.”

If someone else had said these words, they would most likely have been considered to be spouting nonsense.

However, the man at the table is qualified to judge Layton, because he is Gus Lanchi—Antonio and Layton's old classmate, and the newly appointed governor of Chiliuta.

Gus Ranci's resume is rather unusual. He graduated from the Army Officer School in the same class as Antonio Serbiati and Rost Leighton, and was also a cavalry officer.

After joining the army, Gus Ranch rose through the ranks and was expected to be among the first of his peers to receive the general's command. However, after serving for sixteen years, for reasons unknown, Gus Ranch suddenly gave up his promising future in the military and turned to politics, becoming a proud and humble public servant.

Fortunately, he also had important figures in the administrative system to help him. Starting from the lowest level of notary, Gus Lanch rose through the ranks and soon became the municipal official of Modong Port, where he was praised for being "shrewd and capable, and good at establishing rules and discipline".

Because of his background, origins, and past experience, Gus Ranch still maintains close ties with the Army and is considered an important bridge between the administrative and military systems.

This is precisely why the ruling five appointed him as the first governor of Chiliu Island.

Gus and Antonio were close friends; to Winters, he was "the uncle who often visited our home when I was a child." Antonio hosted a private dinner for Gus and invited Winters as well.

“Soldiers shouldn’t be thinking about politics,” Antonio smiled tolerantly, then frowned and asked, “But I still don’t understand what the resolution’s so-called ‘semi-colony’ means?”

"Semi-colony" is the political status that the Venetta ruling committee granted to Chiliu Island, Sea Spring Island, and other "new territories".

“Hey, it’s actually very simple. Think about it, since it’s a semi-colony, what’s the other half?” Gus’s face showed that “all-knowing, smart” smile.

"Semi-overseas territory?"

“No.” Gus shook his finger. “It’s a semi-occupied territory. But if we use that term, it would be tantamount to acknowledging the Federation’s ownership of the archipelago. The five-man group neither wanted to rule the archipelago as conquerors nor wanted to grant the Tanilians citizenship now, so they created the term ‘semi-colony’.”

"It seems the Governorate has no intention of truly incorporating the archipelago into Venetia?" Antonio's worry deepened.

"The governor has long-term plans for the archipelago, and I believe that in the future the archipelago will gradually gain political status equivalent to the mainland, but not now." Gus Lanchi said, leaving the table and walking to the window. Looking at the Chiliu Port docks outside, he slowly said, "If we give the Tanirians citizenship now, how will the Republic squeeze money out of the archipelago?"

Upon hearing this, even Winters, who had been eating quietly, stopped what he was doing.

Gus returned to his seat, laughing heartily, and said, "To put it bluntly, they sent me here to make money."

"Is the budget already that tight?" Winters couldn't help but ask.

“I don’t know how much Dukat is left in the national treasury, but war is definitely an expensive business. The war with the Federation may be profitable in the long run, but we have to try to make up for the short-term deficit, so I came.”

Winters' heart skipped a beat: "Fill it in...how do we fill it in?"

“Since they are our enemies, all the fixed assets of the Red Irrawaddy Council will be confiscated and liquidated. The property owned by the council members will also be confiscated and auctioned off.” After explaining this concisely, Gus Lanchi leaned back in his chair and said with a smile, “The fastest way to create wealth is to build an empire, and the fastest way to do that is to destroy an empire.”

The council members were essentially all the plantation owners on the island. And the fixed assets of the Chiliu Island Council were, in essence, the common property of all the island's residents.

“There is a plantation owner on the island who played a significant role in the battle to capture Red Sulfur Harbor. Could we give him some leeway?” Winters’ first thought was of Kalman of Red Pine Manor.

“Sure, it’s very simple,” Gus replied casually. “Your legion sends me a certificate, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Winters felt somewhat relieved, but then thought of the slaves on the island and asked, "What about the slaves on the plantation?"

“That’s quite simple,” Gus Lanch said confidently. “Veneta’s laws do not allow any form of slavery, but slaves are important assets of the plantations. So after the plantations are confiscated, all the slaves on the island can redeem themselves.”

"Where would a slave get the money to redeem himself?" Winters chuckled.

“The Venetta government can lend them money to buy their freedom,” Gus said, taking a small sip of his drink. “The freed slaves can then repay their debts through labor.”

Winters listened to Gus's words and felt that... there hadn't been much change. But this wasn't something he could comment on, so he didn't say anything more.

Antonio raised an eyebrow and asked, "Doing this would be tantamount to wiping out the wealthy class of Chiliu Island. Aren't you worried about inciting a popular uprising?"

"Do you think there are more poor people or rich people on the island?" Gus Lanchi spread his hands and smiled, saying, "The main force of a popular uprising is 'people.' I won't touch the property of the common people and the poor. The power of the rich comes from their wealth. By taking away their property, leaving them with only the attributes of 'people,' I'd like to see how they resist me. Besides, aren't there you all? As long as your swords are sharp enough, I can do whatever I want on Red Sulfur Island. I'd rather they resist, so I can give Red Sulfur Island a good cleansing."

“It seems you’ve had a complete plan all along,” Antonio said, carefully choosing his words. “You haven’t changed over the years; you’re still so… radical.”

“Otherwise, why would I have been sent to Red Iwo Jima?” Gus Lanchi tapped his knuckles on the table, his tone quite smug. “Who would rip off the poor people of Red Iwo Jima? Only the rich would do that. Where does the council’s wealth come from? It’s all squeezed from the poor, isn’t it? I’m different. I’m too lazy to take money from the poor. I’ll just rip off whoever has money!”

“My duty was to conquer Chiliu Island, and I have accomplished that.” António sighed. “As for how to govern this place, that is your responsibility. The Directory appointed you as governor, which must have been a matter of consideration.”

“I’m not going to talk about this with you anymore, I know you’re not interested.” Gus could tell that his old classmate was uninterested in his plan, so he turned to Winters, who was struggling with the ribs: “Kid, you have a good reputation on the island! Those citizen representatives have asked me several times, ‘Can you let Warrant Officer Montagne stay?’ How about he stays here to help me? I need some capable men.”

Winters and Andrei went to "buy firewood as a token" without thinking too much about it, but after transporting the firewood back to Chiliu Port, they discovered that the residents were in dire need of such supplies.

Originally, the local farmers carried firewood to the city to sell to the residents of Chiliu Harbor. After Venetta's army landed, the farmers dared not come, and the residents' firewood reserves quickly ran out, leaving them worried about what to do.

Seeing that the residents of Chiliu Harbor were in dire need of fuel, Winters simply distributed several cartloads of firewood he had purchased free of charge, relieving their immediate crisis. Winters also took the opportunity to visit the villages surrounding the port, restoring the firewood supply to Chiliu Harbor.

After this back and forth, Warrant Officer Montagne's reputation among the residents of Chrysler became very good.

The two legions are about to depart, but some soldiers still need to be left to garrison Red Irrigation Island. It should be a hundred-man squad, and they are short of a centurion.

Winters was genuinely tempted by Gus's suggestion. Staying on Red Irrawaddy to deal with a few plantation owners seemed safer than fighting the Federation army, right?
He thought of Kosha, Ella, and Anna, who were hoping for his safe return home.

Winters looked at Antonio.

Upon hearing Gus Lanchi's suggestion, Antonio was taken aback at first, then whispered to Winters, "It's up to you. If you want to stay here, then stay."

Winters gritted his teeth, but ultimately shook his head, stood up, bowed to Gus, and replied, "I lack the ability; there are others who are more suitable for the position on Red Irrigation Island."

“Alright.” Gus Lanch didn’t say anything more, and said with a smile, “The Army is as unscrupulous as ever. They’ve taken all the good lads, and they haven’t left me a single useful one.”

“Always making sarcastic remarks about the military, aren’t you also from the army?” Antonio laughed.

Gus said with a straight face, "So I was a really good young man when I was young." The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Slightly tipsy, Gus Lanch looked at Winters again: "You really do look more and more like your father... You weren't this much when you were little... But now the more I look at you, the more you look like him... Back when Anton, your father, and I were in military school..."

The favorite pastime of middle-aged men—reminiscing about their glorious past—has begun again.

Winters rolled his eyes inwardly, gave an awkward laugh, and continued to bury his head in his soup, while Lugus and Antonio reminisced about their youths, one after the other.

A few hours later, a heavily intoxicated Gus Lanchi was carried into his bedroom by servants, while Antonio and Winters rode away from the now-requisitioned Governor's Palace on Chiliut Island.

"I feel like," Winters said, "that since it was just the two of them, Winters had no qualms about asking, "Uncle Lanchi seems to have some personal grudge against the Federation?"

António said calmly, "Because Gus Lanchi... was originally a Tanilian."

……

……

The formidable star-shaped fortress of Red Sulfur Harbor held out for only one day, while the poorly fortified Tower City took a full month to finally conquer.

The siege had exhausted the Vineta soldiers and cast a shadow over the hearts of all the officers. Some officers even said privately, "If all the defenders of Tannella are as difficult as William Kidd, then we might as well negotiate peace based on what we have already gained."

After resting for more than a month, the replenished Grand Vinetta Legion and the San Marco Legion left Chiliu Island.

The officers' concerns were not entirely unfounded; not everyone possessed the same tenacious will as William Kidd.

Three weeks later, the Union garrison at Cutthroat Harbor surrendered to Vineta's forces.

A month later, the Legion of Vienneta the Elder and the Legion of San Marcos captured Santorini.

It was already December, and the winter climate of the archipelago was vastly different from the mild climate of Venetta. The cold winter sea winds caused the skin on one's hands and face to crack and peel, revealing raw, raw flesh that was excruciatingly painful to the touch. Even though the temperature hadn't reached freezing, wearing two layers of clothing didn't feel warm at all.

The ocean waves are becoming increasingly turbulent, making it difficult for galleys to navigate safely in this unpredictable sea. Only large round ships can carry supplies between the archipelago and Veneta.

After their main fleet was destroyed, the Tanilians changed their strategy and returned to their forte – piracy.

Nearby islands, jagged coastal gaps, and miasma-ridden lagoons... everywhere hides the Tanilians' nimble and fast sailing ships, waiting to hunt down the unarmed Venetian transport ships.

The Venetian Navy was forced to commit more warships to the operation to protect the shipping lanes, and a brutal war of raids and counter-raids broke out in the winter seas of Cenas.

The Venetian army faced increasing supply difficulties and was forced to abandon its previous policy and instead procure supplies locally. This further fueled the resistance of the Tanilians.

Despite the unsuitable environment for combat, Antonio Serbiati and Rost Leighton relentlessly drove their soldiers toward the next Tanilian city.

However, faced with Gusa's formidable fortifications, even the most ruthless officers could not force their exhausted soldiers to attack.

The Battle of Ghusa turned into a long and arduous siege. The Venetians were powerless to attack, and the defenders of Ghusa were powerless to retaliate. In the biting cold wind, behind three-meter-deep trenches, the Venetian army outside the city silently waited for the people inside to starve to death.

Having exhausted all their food, mules, dogs, cats, and even rats and leather, the Gusa people, forced to resort to cannibalism, could no longer endure it. The citizens of Gusa and the Allied forces began to fight each other, the sounds of battle and screams clearly audible even to the Venetians outside the city.

The next day, when the citizens of Gusa, who had slaughtered all the Union soldiers, surrendered, the Venetians who entered the city discovered that this once vibrant and prosperous city... was utterly dead.

No one in Venetia could be happy, not only because of the hellish scene before them, but also because they had received news:
The army of the Republic of Fusland [Republic of the Mountain Territory] has entered Gold Harbor and received a warm welcome from the Tanilia Federation. The United Provinces declare that the Archipelago has officially become the eighteenth province of the United Provinces.

Secretary of State Lionel issued a strongly worded note demanding that the Republic of Venetia immediately return the island territories it had seized.

The First Legion of the United Provinces Army, the "Goddess of Victory," advanced directly towards the territory occupied by Venetta, confronting the Grand Venetta Legion and the Legion of Saint Mark across the river.

The Legion of Victory was eager to fight, and repeatedly provoked small-scale bloodshed, with everyone knowing their intention to take advantage of the Venetta Army's fatigue and exhaustion to wipe out both legions in one fell swoop.

The situation within the alliance is rapidly escalating, and even the most optimistic Cynas are now hesitant to say that a civil war is inevitable.

Many commentators from the United Provinces are clamoring for a "complete solution to the deep-seated problems of the Union State not being a state" and "the removal of the military independence of the Republic of Venetta".

Debera countered by adding a new title to Veneta's title of consul: Lord of three-fifths of the Taniri Islands.

This title is partly due to the Venetians' meticulous and shrewd nature, their ability to balance everything—the Venetians did indeed occupy three-fifths of the archipelago.

But at the same time, it's also telling the United Provinces: I may not claim the other two-fifths of Taneria, but you can't expect me to give up the three-fifths of the islands I've taken.

However, Venetta only managed to secure three-fifths of the goal, even after Antonio and Leighton had played consecutive matches throughout the winter.

The Venetians fought desperately, but in the end, they only benefited the United Provinces. The United Provinces acquired the remaining two-fifths of the archipelago with minimal effort, including the most valuable parts of Taniria—Gold Harbor and the main island.

On the Tanilla Islands, witnessing the ebb and flow of military struggles and political games, Winters spent the winter and spring, and now welcomes the summer of the new year.

Compared to the spirited young man who had just graduated from military academy at this time last year, Winters had lost thirteen pounds, and his whole body had become thinner and more wiry. His cheeks had sunken, and the lines of his cheekbones and jawline had become more defined.

One grueling siege after another had tormented him to this state, and all the Venetians suffered the same torment.

He started growing a beard on his chin—actually, shaving in the winter had cracked his facial skin, so everyone simply stopped grooming themselves.

Many officers died in battle, and even he, a trainee officer, has now been promoted to centurion, in charge of a 100-man squad that is half-depleted.

At Anna's request, he wrote many letters, each one detailed. But not a single one was sent back—ships to and from the homeland were intermittent, and even officers did not have the privilege of using precious shipping capacity to send messages.

A year has passed, the probationary period has ended, and Winters, Bard, Andrei, and their classmates will return to Guido City to obtain their official military ranks.

(The End of the Tide Chapter)
This is yesterday's update; there will be another update tonight... I think...

The Tide of Time has come to an end. I never imagined the first volume would be half a million words long; I originally thought two hundred thousand words would be quite verbose. The next volume will be more concise, and I'll try to avoid dragging out the plot. I really didn't intend to write this much, but I decided to write it anyway, so I won't have any regrets.

This volume introduces the setting, the main characters and forces, and the tide has begun to rise. "The answers to all future stories can be found in the past."

Thank you to all the readers who voted for this book before, and thank you to all the readers who have been supporting this book all along.

Thank you to all the readers who voted for the book these past two days. Thank you everyone.

This is just for my own enjoyment; I never thought about making money, nor do I think it's good enough for anyone to spend money to buy it. Since I can only create VIP chapters, I won't put Volume Two inside Volume One; that would feel awkward. Thank you everyone.
(End of this chapter)