Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 214 Going Home
The councilors who remained in Kingsburg unanimously passed a resolution to abolish the old Palatine Republic, reorganize the government, and establish the "Second" Palatine Republic.

The councilors were still members of the Kingsburg faction, and their offices were still located in the Great Council Hall.

It may look like just a change of brand, but it's actually much more than that.

In the early years of the Republic, the Princesburg faction, representing the interests of the city, was able to suppress the old aristocratic faction.

However, as the ranks of military merit free agents continued to expand, the Blue Blood Faction gradually gained the upper hand and eventually suppressed the Kings' Fortress Faction.

The Blue Blood Faction has been in power for many years, while the Fortress of Kings has been in opposition for many years, and the opposition faction has been in power for more than 20 years.

Having suddenly seized power, the Princes' Fort faction immediately began a series of radical reforms.

The first law passed by the new council was the Debt Restructuring Act.

According to this decree, Palatine is about to undergo a large-scale debt restructuring.

The Republic's net assets will be used to pay domestic creditors first, while debts owed to foreign creditors will be enforced to be paid using a type of [annuity bond].

The annuity bonds generally have an interest rate of 3%, a repayment period of forty years, and the Second Republic has the right to redeem the annuity bonds at any time.

Although Grove spoke with great force, his deputy [Senator Baker] immediately approached Vineta's chief advisor.

Baker explained the reason and asked for understanding: "The national treasury is really empty! It's far from enough to pay off the debts!"

……

For the past thirty years, Plato has always borrowed money to fight against the barbarians.

Not only were the citizens happy to buy the bonds, but allied investors were also happy to lend them money because Plato always won.

Allied investors are mainly Venetta Bankers, with provincial funds accounting for a relatively small proportion.

Firstly, because the people of the United Provinces had suffered great losses, and secondly, because the United Provinces didn't have many bankers.

By leveraging, Paratul only needs to pay a small amount of interest to access a huge amount of capital.

These funds were converted into weapons, armor, warhorses, military rations, and lead bullets fired at the barbarians, bringing the Paratists thirty years of victory.

The spoils of war mainly consist of land, slaves, and livestock, with very little gold and silver. How can investors recoup their investment?

No problem. Based on the premise that bonds are tradable, Venetta bankers invented a wide variety of dazzling financial instruments: mortgages, second mortgages, bundling, splitting...

To hedge against risk, Venetta bankers even introduced the concept of shipping industry insurance into the bond market.

Field Marshal Ned underestimated the greed of human nature. He never imagined that the little trick he used to raise military funds would evolve into a colossal beast.

In short: if Plato wins, everyone in the chain makes money; if Plato loses, the whole edifice will collapse like dominoes.

The first to be affected were the Venetta bankers and the retail investors who went bankrupt buying bonds.

Therefore, the Platutians could not afford to fail; before this, no one thought the Platutians would fail; but this time, the Platutians did fail.

Some people might ask, don't newly established lands have large tracts of uninhabited land that can be used to pay off debts?

Please don't forget that those lands are not the property of the Republic of Palatul, but the property of the Palatul army.

Plato's army could not only engage in commerce, but also act as landlords, and even maintain a state within a state.

……

That's why Grove's second reform was to reorganize the government and take away military power.

Due to historical issues stemming from the Sovereignty War, the Palatine Army Headquarters is legally a subordinate agency of the "Alliance," only half a level below the Grand Council.

Strictly speaking, the two are in a cooperative relationship. The Grand Council cannot even decide on the appointment and dismissal of army personnel; it can only "suggest" them.

Grove Magnus reorganized the [Palatu Army Headquarters] into the [Palatu Military Council], which was subordinate to the Grand Council.

This has always been the political demand of the Kingsburg faction: to change "[possessing the country's army]" to "[a country with an army]".

The template for [a nation with an army] is the United Province, and the template for [a nation with an army] is Venetia.

Plato's level of JGism falls somewhere in between, but he has been steadily declining toward a federal model for the past thirty years.

In addition, there were several other reform measures, all aimed at weakening the power of the old aristocracy in the local areas.

The new Grand Council issued a declaration, the Republican Declaration.

Our core ideology is to occupy the moral high ground: The Second Republic of Plato has been established! Everyone can live a good life! Taxes, corvée labor will be reduced! Land rights will be shared, and land reclamation will be encouraged! Anything outside the Second Republic is a pseudo-government! Please support us!

Of course, there were two other crucial orders: to summon troops from various regions to Kingsburg; and to send envoys to Arpad to do everything possible to salvage peace.

……

Congressman Baker pulled Veneta's chief advisor aside and said a lot, but in short: we really have no money.

The national treasury can't even afford the interest payments, let alone the debt itself.

The government couldn't even afford to pay the expeditionary force's compensation, because it was an astronomical sum.

The army's assets must be confiscated to fill this huge hole.

"Fuck you!" the hot-tempered chief advisor, Veneta, immediately retorted. "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? Net worth first to repay domestic debt? Who are the domestic creditors? Aren't they you bunch of congressmen?!"

The chief consultant pushed the other person away and stormed off.

……

When the news of the debt restructuring reached Hailan, it was met with another wave of lamentation.

An elderly man immediately realized, "Isn't this the Mad King's tactic against the people of the United Provinces?"

The previous emperor, Richard IV the Madman, also borrowed money from the bankers of the United Provinces to fight the war—at that time, it wasn't called the United Provinces, but the Duchy of the Foothills [Fersland].

When he ran out of money to repay his debts, the Mad King simply shrugged and issued a Bankruptcy Decree, announcing a debt restructuring.

The Fursland banker was so badly beaten by this combination of blows that he vomited blood.

On the surface, their claims were not cancelled, but in reality, it was as if the Mad King had frozen all their capital with very little money.

If they want to sell these bonds, they'll have to take a huge loss.

Many Froslanders went bankrupt or even committed suicide as a result, altering the continent's financial landscape.

When Palatine's message returned, the Venetta bankers were outraged: "They think they can just refuse to pay?!"

"A 3% interest rate? That Japanese sheep is really daring! Even the Mad King offers 5% interest rates!"

"What right does that sheep-loving bastard have?!"

"[Swear word]!"

……

Leaving aside the merchants' anger.

At the "Throne Room" of Army Headquarters in Venetta, the generals' attention was elsewhere.

"What exactly happened? How did they start fighting?" someone asked, puzzled. "Sackler was my classmate, a very rational person. How could he allow something like this to happen?"

"The key question is how the fight went? Who won and who lost? We're just sitting here, not knowing a thing," Layton—now a major general—grumbled. "Alpard was my sergeant! I'm not surprised he could do something like this."

"What about General János? Couldn't General János control them?" someone asked.

“General János is said to have suffered a stroke,” another voice replied softly.

General Zio, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke up: "Do you know what Alpad and Sackler are?"

The officers looked at each other, unsure how to respond to the military governor.

Major General Layton mustered his courage and asked, "What...what?"

“Alpard and Sackler are two of the best hounds, strong, loyal, and fierce. But only János is the hunter.” Zio slowly answered himself, looking much older than when he was planning the island war two years ago: “Now that the hunter is gone, the hounds will tear each other apart... and there’s no one left to separate them.”

The analogy of the hunting dog and the hunter was only fitting for General Zio; no one else could chime in.

"Then what do we do?" Layton said in a muffled voice, puffing on his cigarette. "The Third Army is locked in a stalemate with [Victory Goddess] on the Islands, and the Fourth Army is locked in a stalemate with [River Runner]. Both are unable to move. Should we call up the reserves again?"

"Come on!" someone immediately objected. "Tanilla hasn't even finished digesting its own forces! How can we mobilize the reserves so frequently? Can't we clarify our objectives first before discussing whether to conscript the reserves?"

Layton, stung, also became angry: "The military attaché in Palatour is a complete waste! What kind of intelligence is he sending back? It's all jumbled up and confusing. Can he even understand it himself? He knows nothing, how can he make decisions?"

Zio opened his eyes and sat up straight.

The officers in the throne room, knowing that the Censor was about to speak, also composed themselves and sat up straight.

"Send a military officer to observe the battle."

……

……

Pierre Mitchell deserted.

Anglu, Vashika, and the other Wolf Town residents also fled back with him.

Pierre did not consider himself a coward.

He fought his way back to Palatul from the wasteland with his life hanging by a thread, and his legs never gave way.

Pierre simply didn't want to work for them anymore.

"Let's go," he told his companion.

The word "home" seems to possess a magical power, bringing tears to the eyes of everyone who is gloomy.

"Okay," everyone muttered. "Let's go home."

When the troops set off from Shuangqiao Camp, they slipped away.

Desertion, death penalty... they no longer care about any of that, they just want to go home.

The people of Wolf Town deliberately choose to take small paths, avoiding villages and towns, and even venturing into uninhabited areas.

They drank from the stream when they were thirsty and ate dry rations when they were hungry. After going through countless hardships, the Big Horn River on the border of Wolf Town finally came into view.

Got home.

Everyone cheered and ran like madmen towards the Big Horn River. They kissed the riverbank and scooped up water from the river to drink deeply.

Pierre sniffed and softly called to Anglou, "Hook?"

"what's wrong?"

“My father told me about back in our old home in the north. After serving the emperor for seven years, the Dussacs would be sent home. They would load their clothes, knives, and belongings onto their horses and walk together, leading their horses. They would walk all the way to Bowback Bay, and that was when the Dussacs first saw the Shield River…”

[The Don River: Homeland of the Dusa people within the Empire]
The other Dussacs listened quietly.

“…‘My God! Just you wait!’ Pierre mimicked his father’s tone: ‘Everyone was like a madman, rushing to the riverbank shouting, ‘Shield River! Quiet Shield River! My parents! My benefactors! Hurrah! Ahhhhh!’”

Pierre couldn't help but laugh, but his eyes welled up with tears.

Even those from Wolftown who weren't from Dussac had their eyes well up with tears and their noses tingled when they heard this.

Pierre continued, "They threw their caps, uniforms, pillowcases, and boots all into the river. They returned home safely and rewarded the Shield River. The parents, wives, and children downstream saw the caps floating down the river like swans and knew their loved ones had arrived home..."

Pierre took off his hat and threw it hard into the Big Horn River. The black hat followed the winding river a few bends and disappeared behind the reeds.

The others followed suit, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Father! Mother! I'm home!"

Pierre walked to the riverbank, wanting to wash away the dust from his body.

Looking at the face reflected in the water, Pierre could hardly recognize who it was.

The man had a melancholy look in his eyes, his brows were tightly furrowed, his eye sockets were deep-set, and his cheekbones were prominently slender.

Pierre touched his face; he could hardly remember what he originally looked like.

After witnessing his comrades die several times, he could no longer feel any pity. He became hard-hearted and ruthless towards the enemy.

But he could no longer laugh like before, and he could hardly look into the innocent eyes of children anymore.

Prior to this, he had firmly defended Dussac's honor, displaying selfless courage whenever the opportunity presented itself.

He treated the lives of others and himself with indifference and contempt.

For his bravery in battle, he received four commendations and three medals.

Now, he has become a deserter.

But none of that matters anymore, because he's gone home.

Pierre leaped onto his saddle and galloped toward Mitchell Estate.

The bright sunshine swept away the winter gloom, and the sky was a clear, deep blue.

The mountains and rivers have long since thawed, and the soil exudes the fresh scent of sprouting grass.

The swallows have returned home from Venetia and the United Provinces, building new nests in pairs in their old haunts.

A flock of geese swept across the land, flying towards the wilderness.

In Pierre's memory, the house would usually be very lively around this time of year:
The fathers and drivers would crack their long whips, urging the horses to plow furrows into the ground. The other hired laborers followed closely behind, carefully scattering tobacco seeds.

My mother would fence off a small vegetable garden and scatter seeds of nettles, pumpkins, black beans, and persimmons.

To the northwest is the family's wheat field. The wheat seedlings have already turned green, and it's time to weed and fertilize.

Lost in his memories, Pierre was suddenly struck by the silence of the Mitchell estate behind the oak tree.

There was no neighing of horses, no work chants sung by laborers, and no sign of human habitation.

The once flat and fertile land is now barren, overgrown with weeds.

Pierre was filled with terror. He whipped his horse wildly, leaped over the fence, and galloped straight toward the mansion.

"Dad! Mom!" Pierre shouted, "I'm back!"

Young Dusak dismounted, strode up the steps, and burst through the front door, crying out, "Dad! Mom! I'm home!"

"Crash!" The plate fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Scarlett, who was in the foyer, threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

“It’s alright! Don’t be afraid!” Pierre hugged his sister tightly: “Brother is back.”

Pierre saw his mother—his noble, graceful, and delicate mother—running towards him weeping, just like an ordinary peasant woman, her hair wrapped in a square scarf and dressed in coarse work clothes.

Pierre's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally settled down; his worst fears had not come true.

He swore he had never seen his mother run like that, lifting her skirt.

Ellen Mitchell cradled her son's face in her hands as if holding the most fragile glass vessel, murmuring, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

The mother, son, and sister embraced tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

That evening, Ellen cooked eggs, heated milk, and toasted bread for her son.

Pierre finally learned about his family's situation.

After news of the Hed barbarian invasion spread, the first person to be conscripted was Dusak.

All of Dusak's from Wolftown were on the list, including his father.

The Dussacs, armed and mounted on their warhorses, assembled and set off.

Apart from the old men and underage children, all the adult men in Dusa Village had left.

To guard against barbarians, they also had to conscript tenant farmers, collect grain, and requisition livestock.

The laborers fled, and the farmers hid their livestock in the forest and buried their grain in cellars.

Unable to recruit tenant farmers, they seized many self-cultivating farmers.

Many of the hidden livestock and grain in the cellars were also found, and the farmers who hid the supplies were all whipped.

The vordans desperately gathered supplies and recruited troops to protect themselves, but no one cared about the outlying villages and towns of Wolf Town.

Amid the turmoil, a few scattered waves of Hed raiders arrived at Wolf Town.

The Hurd people probably thought it was just a few undefended villages where they could plunder and rest.

However, the villages in Wolftown had militias left behind by Winters Montagne, and the scattered Hurd soldiers were unable to gain any advantage.

Like hunting animals: six or seven Hart raiders burst into the village, and as soon as the gongs sounded from all directions, they were all killed or captured with javelins.

In contrast, the people who caused the most damage to Wolf Town were not the Hed people, but the Paratu people.

Not long ago, another order was issued.

Mitchell Estate was subject to a wartime property tax—a tax levied on a percentage of the value of the land it owned.

During the pre-meal prayer, Pierre held his mother's hand with his left and his sister's hand with his right, and he sadly noticed the scars on both their hands.

“I’m back,” Mr. Mitchell said softly. “Leave everything to me.”

……

At the same moment, in the blue sea, at Navarre Palace.

The tense atmosphere seemed ready to explode at any moment, and the servants scrambled to avoid the flames.

Anna sat in front of the dressing table, her head bowed.

"To the monastery?" Madame Navarre clutched her chest, her heart heaving. "What's wrong with you?"

Anna said nothing.

This was what Madame Navarre feared most; if her eldest daughter appeared in public in this manner, it would mean that she had made up her mind.

Once her eldest daughter has made up her mind, nothing can change it.

She was a very stubborn girl, and her outwardly gentle but inwardly strong qualities became her biggest problem at this time.

"Is it worth it? You're so young, is it really worth it?"

"You've given him your all precisely because you've only known each other for a short time. You love the image of him you've created, not the reality. The real him will disappoint and disgust you, don't you understand? You'll meet someone better!"

"He's just one man; a hundred or ten thousand men aren't worth a woman giving up on herself!"

Anna, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "And what about you and Dad?"

Mrs. Navarre's breath hitched: "Your father and I are the exceptions. And we're married! And we have you! And your father wouldn't let me go to a convent!"

"I volunteered."

"You silly girl!" Madame Navarre was no longer her usual composed and elegant self. She raised her arms high, struggling with all her might but still unable to bring herself to tie them up: "How could you be so foolish?"

Madame Navarre could always see the shadow of her deceased husband in Anna's face.

Mrs. Navarre held her daughter's hand, almost pleading, "I won't force you to get engaged anymore, and I'm not in a hurry to find you a husband. It's all up to you. You don't need to become a nun, you don't need to resort to this method."

Two tears slid down Anna's cheeks: "I just want to pray for him forever."

Tears slid down her chin and landed on the blood-stained letter in her hand.

She read every word, her hand tracing each letter.

This is not actually a letter; it is Winters Montagne's diary entry to his lover.

In the diary, it's as if nothing happened: the wasteland is cold, the sky is blue, and I miss you.

But from this simple and monotonous record, she saw his handwriting trembling, and she smelled the burnt smell on the letter.

The diarist gradually shifts from first-person to third-person narration, describing everything from an observer's perspective.

His mind became increasingly detached, and his words grew colder, as if he had lost all feeling.

Anna felt as if she were touching Winters Montagne's soul across time and space, seeing him hugging his knees, curled up in a ball, and crying in the endless darkness.

"Did he die peacefully?" Anna wanted to know the answer. "Is he in heaven?"

“Because he’s gone, he will always be the most beautiful version of himself,” Anna sobbed. “If I forget him too, then that most beautiful version of him will be gone forever.”

Mrs. Navarre felt a sharp pain in her chest, and she could no longer explain herself.

She leaned back in her chair, her face pale, and pleaded in a mournful voice, "Anna, Mommy's heart isn't very good. Please don't upset Mommy like this, okay? Calm down first, and we'll decide later, okay? Mommy's heart hurts a lot right now."

Anna lowered her head in anguish.

Mrs. Navarre grew increasingly anxious; if even guilt couldn't break her daughter, then she was truly at her wit's end.

"Mom! Don't pressure my sister anymore!" Catherine rushed into the bedroom and hugged Anna tightly. "If my sister wants to stay at the convent for a few days, then let her go. I'll go with her!"

Catherine then pleaded with her sister, "If you want to go to the convent, then go, but don't rush to swear an oath and enter, okay? Let's stay there for a while first, alright?"

Anna nodded slightly.

It was quite common for young ladies and wives to stay temporarily at convents.

You can pray with the nuns, but you don't need to make a lifelong vow.

The crisis has been temporarily averted.

“Alright, go ahead.” Mrs. Navarre’s tense nerves relaxed.

She thought with exasperation, "My daughter, my outstanding daughter, should be bewitching men, how come she's the opposite?"

Thinking of this, Madame Navarre said angrily, "Even if that boy were still alive, let alone dead, I would not allow you to marry him!"

I'm terrible at naming things, so I sincerely thank my friend "Flowers Bloom in the Sun" for providing the translation of "Shield River".

For Winters, Anna was like a dream girl. But for Anna, Mr. M was the same.

Thank you to all the readers for reading, subscribing, recommending, voting, tipping, and commenting.

The chapter title is suspected of being fraudulent.

Actually, it's because, following the convention of the previous volume, the title of the last chapter of this volume must be "Galloping Horse".

I've paid back half a chapter, only one chapter left to owe QAQ
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(End of this chapter)