Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 231 One Pound

Ellen also noticed that the Navarre sisters were eating very little.

She didn't say anything, but traded six eight-week-old chicks for a bag of wheat. She first painstakingly pounded off the bran, and then ground it into flour.

Mitchell Estate has a mill, but even that little bit of wheat isn't enough to fill the gaps in the large millstone.

So Ellen used a hand-cranked mill and ground flour all night long, then sifted the flour several times.

The next morning, when the Navarre sisters came down the stairs, there was white bread on the Mitchell family's dining table.

Anna was delighted and repeatedly thanked Mrs. Mitchell for her concern.

Catherine was also pleased, and then there was still a lot of food left on the plate.

Even Anna couldn't help but take her sister back to her room. Suppressing her anger, she asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"It's still a bit rough," Catherine said with a slight smile, not quite understanding why her sister was so serious. "But it tastes much better than before, and it's barely edible."

"Then why do you have so much left?"

Catherine replied matter-of-factly, "You can't expect me to finish it all, can you?"

Anna sighed, took her sister's hand, and asked, "Do you think Mrs. Mitchell is good to us?"

"very good."

Are other people nice to us?

"It's not bad."

Why are they so nice to us?

This problem stumped Catherine.

Anna said earnestly, “The people here aren’t kind to Anna Navarre, nor are they kind to Catherine Navarre. They’re kind to ‘his’ fiancée and her sister. Here, we don’t represent the Navarre family; we represent… him. Our inappropriate behavior won’t bring shame to the Navarre family, but it will erode the respect others have for him.”

Catherine teased, "You're not even married to him yet, how come you already have the mentality of a mistress of the house?"

“Don’t laugh.” Anna squeezed her sister’s palm and sighed again. “The people here have a lot of respect for him. I don’t know what he’s doing, and I don’t understand why he stays here. But at least his reputation shouldn’t be damaged because of my coming here.”

Catherine sprawled out on the bed, rolling over lazily. "Fine, fine, I'll do whatever you say. Next time, I'll eat everything clean, just like that little girl, okay?"

Anna didn't know what to do with her younger sister either. She gently slapped her: "If Grandpa saw you like this, he would be furious. He hates wasting food the most."

"Hmph, he doesn't like me anyway. Grandpa only favors you, everyone favors you." Catherine felt a little hurt by what he said.

"But I love you the most."

Catherine gave a soft hum and turned around, revealing her back to her sister.

A series of hurried sounds of people climbing the stairs came from behind.

The sound was so violent, it was as if someone were climbing several steps at once.

Without giving the Navarre sisters any time to tidy themselves up, Scarlett kicked open the door like a storm and rushed into the guest room.

At this moment, Scarlett Girardovna is completely like a little Dusak.

The gentle and quiet nature inherited from Ellen has completely disappeared, while the wildness, impulsiveness, and volatile temper inherited from Girard have been fully unleashed.

Scarlett was furious. She clutched the remaining white bread in Catherine's hand, held it up in front of Catherine, and roared, "You blue woman! Do you think I eat coarse bread?! Do you think my mother eats coarse bread?!"

Anna and Catherine were startled; the two sisters stood frozen in place, unable to utter a word.

Scarlett's expression was even somewhat ferocious; her eyes were wide open, and anger seemed to be gushing out of her pupils, nasal cavity, and mouth.

“I grew up eating white bread too! I had servants to wait on me since I was a child! Do you think I don’t know that a lady should leave some food on her plate? Do you think I don’t know?” Scarlett roared furiously like a fierce lioness, “Have you ever been hungry? Not from dieting to wear a corset, but from having nothing to eat at all! So hungry that I wanted to eat my own hands! My mother and I would starve if we didn’t work! You just sit there and food is put on the table. How dare you leave any food? How dare you leave any food!”

Catherine was completely terrified, and even Anna was at a loss.

Scarlett grew increasingly furious, tearing at the white bread, squeezing and shredding it, her eyes reddening as she demanded sharply, "How dare you leave any? Do you know my mother didn't get a break all night for this little bit of flour?! And she had to prepare breakfast for you this morning! How dare you leave any?!"

“I’d eat this white bread even if it fell into the dirt!” Scarlett stuffed a mouthful of breadcrumbs into her mouth, tears streaming down her face, and asked, “How dare you leave it?”

Having nothing more to say, Scarlett threw the white bread in her hand at Catherine's face and walked away crying.

It took Catherine a long time to recover from the shock. She had never seen such an intense "argument" before. Feeling wronged, fearful, resentful... all sorts of emotions surged into her heart in an instant.

Anna suddenly felt her neck being strangled.

"Why is she bullying me!" Catherine hugged her sister tightly, crying bitterly. Tears smeared her light makeup, and breadcrumbs clung to her hair. "Why do they all bully me!"

Anna quickly hugged her younger sister and gently patted her back to comfort her, saying, "Don't be afraid, no one is bullying you."

Catherine cried even harder: "You won't help me! You're bullying me too!"

"I'll help you, I'll help you, I'm your older sister."

"I want to go home!"

Anna thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, you can go back to Hailan with Lieutenant Juan then."

Catherine's tears flowed like a flood, completely out of control.

She cried and rolled around on the bed like a little child, refusing to let her sister near her or say what she wanted.

"Is Miss Navarre alright?" Ellen asked from outside the door.

Ellen was picking vegetables in the west garden when she was informed by the maid and rushed back to the mansion.

“It’s nothing,” Anna replied with a wry smile to Mrs. Mitchell. “Just a child.”

“I’m so sorry, Miss Navarre.” Seeing the scene in the guest room, Ellen immediately understood what had happened: “It’s my fault for not disciplining her properly. I will teach Scarlett a lesson. Please accept my apologies on her behalf to you and your sister.”

Anna hurriedly waved her hands: "No, Scarlett did nothing wrong. You shouldn't scold her, please don't."

Before Anna could explain, Ellen lifted her skirt, bowed, and turned to leave.

She kindly closed the door, leaving the Navarre sisters alone in the room.

……

Later that day, Scarlett reluctantly came to apologize to Catherine.

Scarlett's face was still streaked with tears, and her eyes were full of stubbornness; she had clearly only come to apologize because she had no other choice.

Catherine was also crying like a little kitten, her chestnut hair disheveled.

She turned her head away angrily, avoiding eye contact with Scarlett.

“You don’t need to apologize, Scarlett,” Anna answered for her sister, smiling and comforting Scarlett. “Catherine just lacks a bit of education, and I think you’re right.”

Catherine, standing nearby, punched her sister in frustration.

Scarlett curtsied and said in a flat, emotionless voice, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake."

After saying that, she turned and left without looking back.

"What kind of apology is this?" Catherine was so angry she nearly fainted.

"Alright, alright, what are you unhappy about? I still want you to apologize to Mrs. Mitchell and Miss."

Catherine threw herself at her sister, wildly waving her fists and screaming in a tearful voice, "Go find her and be your sister! You're all on her side, you're all bullying me!"

But before she could make any further moves, Anna had already easily subdued her.

Anna wasn't particularly strong, but she was much more powerful than her sister.

Catherine couldn't win the argument or the fight, and feeling utterly wronged, she burst into tears again: "Why are you siding with outsiders? Mom! Anna is bullying me with the help of outsiders!"

Anna had to put in a lot of effort to calm her sister down.

“Seriously, Kate,” Anna gently patted her sister’s back, “you should go back to Hailan. If Lieutenant Juan leaves, you won’t have a chance to go back. You’ll have to stay here for at least a long time.”

"If I leave, what will you do?" Catherine asked, sobbing. "Won't you be all alone?"

Anna smiled and said, "I'm fine, don't worry."

Catherine retaliated by wiping her tears and snot on her sister's clothes.

Anna sighed deeply. "Ms. Little Cher is right about one thing: this isn't home, this isn't Hailan. If you don't work, you'll go hungry. Didn't Grandpa have a tough time starting from scratch? Didn't he always tell us stories about how he went to sea as an apprentice at twelve, collecting, dyeing, and selling cloth from door to door?"

Catherine huffed angrily, "Grandpa never tells me! He never tells Olivia either, he only tells you! He's so biased."

In short, I'm staying here.

“What are you doing here? You’ve already seen Mr. M; you should take him back. He’ll definitely go back if you just ask. Trust me, just ask.”

“He doesn’t want to leave, and I don’t want to sway his will.” Anna shook her head and whispered, “I don’t know what he’s doing here, what he’s been through over the past year, or why the people here respect him. But I want to touch him, I want to understand the real him, not the him I’m stuck in my memories.”

"You fool who's obsessed with love! Marriage and love are not the same thing at all!" Catherine couldn't help but remind her sister, "Have you ever seen anyone marry for love?"

"I'm not leaving, but I want you to go back to Hailan. You're sixteen now, it's time to get engaged. You can't stay away from home for too long, what will happen to your reputation?"

"Don't worry, Mom's here! She'll handle everything." Catherine smiled through her tears. "If I go home now, she'll be furious and definitely give me a good scolding. Besides, winning over any man I want is a piece of cake, isn't it?"

“But life here is really tough. Mrs. Mitchell has given us the best, and it’s still very difficult.”

Catherine remained silent for a long time. After thinking it over, she made up her mind and said, "I'll stay... I don't care about Mr. M, and I don't care about this lousy place, but I can't leave you here alone. Mom said we're like twin lotus blossoms, neither of us can leave the other. I won't leave you here; I'm not that bad guy, Mr. M."

Anna gave a helpless, bitter smile.

“As for Mom, isn’t there that silly Olivia by her side? She won’t be lonely. Olivia will be happy to finally have all of Mom’s love to herself.” Catherine’s eyes were swollen like peaches as she looked at her sister and said earnestly, “After all, I have to take care of you!”

……

On August 11, Wolftown Church resumed its weekly services.

A few days later, a school officer arrived.

This officer always looked like he hadn't slept, and spent most of his time dozing on the recliner in the living room. Lieutenant Juan respectfully called him "Lieutenant Colonel Van Nassu".

A few days later, Winters returned.

Pierre, who came out of town to greet Winters, noticed Winters' barely concealed joy: "Who have you seen? Why are you so happy?"

"I'll tell you in detail later." Winters' mind was only on Anna. After a long separation, they were separated again for a short time, and the urge to see her was almost unbearable: "Come on, let's go to your house first."

"I also have something important to report to you."

"No rush, let's go to your house first."

Winters and Pierre galloped toward Mitchell Estate, and Pierre heard a jingling sound coming from the centurion's saddlebags.

As the two stopped in front of the Mitchell mansion, Pierre couldn't help but ask, "What bottles and jars did you buy from Gévordt?"

Winters, a little embarrassed, mumbled out a single word: "bribe."

The two dismounted, and Winters didn't even wait to tie up his horse before striding into Mitchell's mansion.

The reception room was empty.

The living room was empty.

Winters searched all the way upstairs, but the Navarre sisters' room was still empty.

"Where is he?" Winters asked Pierre, his eyes wide.

Pierre was also taken aback: "I didn't know either."

Hearing the noise, Ellen came out of the study: "Mr. Montagne, Pierre, we're here."

The layout of the Mitchell house included a study, but the Mitchell family didn't actually have many books.

Since Girard was illiterate, Ellen would do embroidery and handle account books in the small living room, leaving the study unused.

Winters' tense nerves finally relaxed, and he walked toward Mrs. Mitchell with a smile: "Are you taking refuge? It's not safe upstairs. I'll build you a basement sometime."

Ellen rarely joked, and she smiled and replied, "Okay, I really do want a basement as a storage room."

Now it was Winters' turn to be at a loss: "Then I'll bring men to chisel it tomorrow."

"You're joking."

"Where are the Miss Navarre?"

"In the study."

"In the study?"

"The ladies needed some space for their work, and the guest rooms were too small, so I brought them to the study."

"Work?" Winters asked, puzzled.

Ellen smiled but answered firmly, "Yes, work."

The study window faces south, so it gets a lot of natural light.

Inside the room was a wide oak table and two rows of bookshelves, which held the Mitchell Estate's account books and documents from over the years.

Anna was sitting at her desk, busy with something.

Catherine snuggled up to her sister, idly sharpening her quill pen.

Upon seeing Winters enter the study, Catherine suddenly became interested.

Before anyone else could speak, Catherine frowned slightly and retorted, "Mr. M, in all my life, I have never seen an account book as badly done as yours. Did you have those four hunting dogs outside keep the books for you?"

Ms. Navarre had a soft voice and gentle demeanor, but her words were ruthless.

Anna gave her sister a light tap without making a sound. Pierre coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment; he had been in charge of the militia's accounts until now.

“It’s not that bad, is it?” Winters said with a smile, defending Pierre.

Catherine ignored Winters and glared at Pierre with her almond-shaped eyes: "Why are you coughing? Did you do this?"

With no way to avoid it, Pierre stepped forward and replied, "Yes."

“Then please tell me.” Catherine rested her chin on her hand, adopting an even more languid posture, and asked, “The first line of the account reads, [Distribution of military pay, 39 ducats], [Purchase of barley, 12 ducats]. Where did this money come from? Did it appear out of thin air? And there isn’t even a date.”

"It's all Captain Montagne's money."

“And what about you?” Catherine then looked at Winters: “Where does your money come from?”

Where did Winters get his money?
There's only one answer: Anna gave it to me.

That night at Kingsburg, Winters exchanged a thousand gold coins from the goldsmith.

The expenses from Kingsburg to Wolftown, plus a hundred coins for the old pirate as travel expenses, were all left in Winters' hands.

It is thanks to this money that the militia has been able to hold on until now.

Winters' cheeks suddenly felt hot, and he looked at Anna, too embarrassed to speak.

Anna also felt her lover's gaze, and she immediately understood what was going on, her face flushing red with embarrassment.

Catherine looked at her sister, then at Winters, and suddenly realized what was going on.

“You…” Catherine stared at Winters, her eyes strange, her brow furrowed, her tone full of disbelief: “So you’re a kept man!”

There were five people in the study. Mrs. Mitchell covered her mouth and chuckled, leaving only Pierre standing there, bewildered and at a loss.

“I have some matters to attend to, please allow me to take my leave.” Pierre quickly left this place of trouble.

"I won't disturb you either." Ellen also walked towards the door.

"No, Mrs. Mitchell, please stay." Catherine quickly hugged Mrs. Mitchell. "If you leave, he'll definitely take advantage of us. How can unmarried men and women be together without an elder to supervise them?"

Ellen glanced at Winters strangely, then at Anna, smiled helplessly, and sat back down at her desk.

“This money was indeed lent to me by your sister,” Winters explained. “It helped me a lot, and I will pay it back.”

"How much will I lend you?" Catherine blinked.

"One thousand Ducates."

Upon hearing this number, Catherine angrily walked over to her sister and pinched her lower back hard: "You're not even married yet! And you're already keeping a lover? You spendthrift, wicked woman!"

Ellen was also slightly surprised by the number.

"Stop it!" Anna maintained her polite smile and smacked her sister's knee hard.

“Without Miss Navarre’s funding, there wouldn’t be this place today…” Winters hesitated for a moment, then used a concept familiar to the Venetians to describe what he was doing: “…this ‘business,’ so you are actually my original shareholders.”

Upon hearing this, Catherine became serious, her emotions gradually calming down, and she put on the mask of [Little Lady Navarre] again.

She smiled politely and shook her head: "No need. I can already roughly tell what kind of 'business' you're in. We don't want to get involved in bloody deals. If you ever achieve success, just don't forget that my sister helped you."

"What are you talking about?" Anna asked, both anxious and embarrassed. She pulled her sister behind her, looked at Winters, and asked seriously, "You mean, your personal assets and the funds for this... business are mixed up?"

Winters thought for a moment, then replied with a wry smile, "That's about right."

Catherine spoke up before her sister could: "How can this be? Public accounts and private accounts can't be mixed up."

Do you want two sets of accounts?

“Of course!” Catherine frowned. “Does the expense of Navarre Manor have to be accounted for through Navarre Trading Company’s books? Of course, there should be two sets of books!”

Not only did Winters fall silent, but even Ellen, who was listening in, seemed to be deep in thought.

“Whether there are one set of books or two sets of books is not the main issue.” Anna showed the ledgers to Winters. “Mr. Mitchell uses a separate accounting method, where expenses and income are recorded together. It’s very primitive and makes it difficult to show the specific figures for assets.”

"You call yourself a Venetian, yet you don't even understand double-entry bookkeeping?" Catherine pressed her advantage, relentlessly attacking Mr. M.

Winters actually knew a little bit about bookkeeping, but he didn't have the energy to keep accounts, so he left it all to Pierre.

Anna gently led Winters to sit at the table and continued her patient questioning: "I also saw some strange items, [distributing an ox], [distributing a plow], are these all from the White-haired generation?"

Winters explained, "It's not like they're just giving it to them for free; they'll pay me with grain at harvest time."

Anna held her lover's hand and whispered, "I don't understand why you're doing this, but if things continue like this, it will result in a net loss on the books. A business that keeps losing money, no matter what it is, can't last long."

"so what should I do?"

Winters Montagne was trained from childhood to adulthood as a pure soldier.

If he were to train soldiers and fight on the battlefield, he would have no fear or hesitation. But in the current situation, he is indeed not good at dealing with it.

Moreover, Winters was no longer able to think clearly because Anna was holding his hand, and his mind was filled with Anna's body temperature; his cheeks were flushed uncontrollably.

“You can treat it as a loan, so your assets will still be balanced.” Anna hadn’t noticed her lover’s change in mood. She explained carefully, “Although the net assets on the books will decrease, it’s not a simple loss.”

“But they don’t have the money to pay back,” Winters replied with difficulty.

“It’s okay, you can pay it back slowly. It’s fine to pay it back for twenty or thirty years, and it’s fine to set a lower interest rate. As for you, you will eventually have to pay it back to everyone. But it will be reflected on your debt statement.” Anna looked at her lover tenderly.

Suddenly, Anna also noticed Winters' emotional change, and she quickly let go of his hand as if she had touched a branding iron.

Winters breathed a sigh of relief and coughed lightly a few times.

Ellen and Catherine may or may not have noticed, but they remained silent.

Anna picked up a pen and paper and began to calculate for Winters: "If the debt can be repaid steadily for twenty or thirty years, even with an annual interest rate of only 5%, the final interest will be more than the debt itself. Then this debt is profitable and can even be sold. If someone is willing to take it over, you can even use this debt as collateral for cash."

“This…this isn’t becoming a tax collector?” Winters suddenly realized.

“You don’t have to mortgage it; it’s just one way of using debt,” Anna continued methodically. “There’s another very important asset: land. Land is a crucial and very important asset. Why would you give it away for free?”

Winters sighed and briefly explained the situation of the newly reclaimed land and the plight of the refugees fleeing famine.

According to Winters, there are large tracts of wasteland in the newly reclaimed land, so why is it not allowed to be cleared privately? Ultimately, it's because of profit.

Because of the interests of the landowners and the new reclamation army, land reclamation was restricted, land prices were driven up, and all landless farmers were effectively forced to become tenant farmers and laborers.

If unauthorized land reclamation were allowed, land prices would plummet, and major estates would no longer be able to recruit farmhands and tenants—no farmer would not want to own his own land.

This situation may not be intentional, but it is not surprising that those in power, pursuing their own interests, have gradually evolved into the current state of newly reclaimed land.

Anna, Catherine, and Ellen listened attentively, especially Ellen—who was the wife of a large landowner.

But Ellen did not defend the plantation owners; she simply listened quietly.

This was the first time Winters had shared his thoughts with anyone else; he hadn't even told Pierre.

"You think the interests of farmers are more important than the interests of plantation owners and legions?" Catherine asked pointedly, even though she didn't actually know much about the history of the newly reclaimed land.

“I believe everyone’s interests are important.” Winters thought for a moment and replied, “But those in power should not exploit the powerless, who are also trying to live.”

Anna thought for a moment and concluded, "Ultimately, it all comes down to land. Land is always an important asset, for everyone. You can put all the wasteland in Wolf Town into your accounts. That way, your business will have a large amount of net assets and capital. You can even use real estate as collateral."

Winters thought for a moment. This was a blatant embezzlement of the New Reclamation Legion's property, but it was exactly what he was doing, so he nodded.

“Land shouldn’t be given away for free. If something has no price, it won’t be cherished,” Anna suggested softly. “Land debt can be held long-term and can also generate profits.”

Winters was initially pleased, but the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

Suddenly, he realized with a start that he was gradually starting to think of everything as a business.

“No, this won’t do.” Winters felt uneasy and asked sadly, “They’ve only just escaped the mire of abject poverty, are I going to exploit them until they have nothing left?”

Anna was also somewhat surprised. Pursuing profit is human nature, and she never felt there was anything wrong with it.

However, altruism is also a spirit that humanity praises. Even the profit-driven Hailan people have the heroic feat of "breaking down their homes to build a city".

Anna began to understand Winters' thoughts a little better. She was touched, but also heartbroken.

She came up with an alternative: "Then you can set the price of the land lower, down to a silver coin. But don't give it away for free; at least let everyone get used to prices and contracts."

Winters fell into deep thought but still couldn't nod.

Anna whispered in her lover's ear, hugged his shoulders, and said sadly, "Darling, no one can save everyone, but... I will stay with you."

This was the first time she had used the term "darling".

Winters felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head; the shock to his body and mind was indescribable.

"What are you talking about?" Catherine protested, displeased. "There are other people here, and you're whispering in each other's ears. You're completely ignoring Mrs. Mitchell and me!"

"I'm sorry," Anna apologized to Mrs. Mitchell.

Allen smiled and shook his head.

Winters suddenly asked seriously, "Anna, would you help me?"

This was also the first time he used the name "Anna".

"What are you saying?" Catherine jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "My sister is an unmarried woman. How can she show her face in public? Have you even considered her?"

“I’m willing.” Anna nodded with a smile, but then shook her head. “But no, not only because it would violate etiquette and customs, but also because it would cause your subordinates and everyone else to lose respect for you. We still live in this world and are bound by its rules. I don’t want your reputation to be damaged because of me.”

“It’s okay.” Winters grinned, revealing a row of teeth. “I’m in charge here.”

"All I know is how to keep accounts and review them..."

"That's still better than everyone else."

"Are you going to have my sister manage all the accounts for you? Do you want to work her to death?" Catherine was anxious, but she quickly came up with a compromise: "Anna and I can teach other people how to keep accounts. If you have the general ledger, you can leave it to my sister. She won't have to put herself in the spotlight and attract criticism. Even my mother wouldn't keep every single ledger herself."

Winters laughed heartily, saying to the ladies, "Since Miss Navarre came here, everything has been exceptionally smooth, like the monsoon winds blowing through a ship's sails."

“How can I repay you, Anna?” Winters asked.

Anna wanted to say "Stay with me forever," but she ultimately didn't say it.

She smiled faintly and said, "Then how about you make me an easel? Make a lightweight yet sturdy easel that I can take out of the studio."

When Winters came out of the study, Pierre was not waiting at the door.

Winters searched the first and second floors of the mansion but couldn't find Pierre.

Finally, he found Pierre in the attic.

Mr. Little Cher was embracing another lady affectionately.

Upon noticing someone going up to the attic, the woman panicked and ran down the escalator, nearly knocking Winters over.

Winters couldn't see the woman's face clearly, but he did see the black veil tied in her hair.

There are only a few people at Mitchell Manor, so it's easy to guess who they are.

Tying her hair up with a black veil signifies that she is a widow.

Currently, there is only one widow in the manor—Mrs. Medellin, the widow of the wolf-stricken refugee soldier who was driven to desperation by Big Ben.

Ellen paid off Mrs. Medellin's taxes and hired her as a maid, bringing her and her young daughter to Mitchell's estate for care.

Mrs. Medellin was four or five years older than Pierre, and Winters hadn't paid much attention to whether she was good-looking or not.

Caught off guard by his superior, Pierre scratched his head sheepishly and asked with a smile, "Are you done on your end?"

“It’s done.” Winters looked at Pierre with a subtle expression and a complicated look in his eyes.

At Pierre's age, he was still living the life of an ascetic.

He had to attend classes and perform duties every week, and also serve as Ike's sparring partner. He was often beaten up with bruises all over his body, and he never won a single time.

In his life, the only women were cooks and laundresses, whose arms and legs were stronger than his.

No one is as colorful and diverse as Mr. Little Cher.

“Let’s go back to the camp.” Winters sighed. “You said you had something very important to discuss. What was it again?”

Pierre, buttoning his shirt, answered slowly and deliberately, "Blackwater Town is willing to provide food; please be their protector."

In September, the autumn grain harvest will come, mainly consisting of barley, oats, and beans.

Anyone of sound mind could foresee that when the autumn harvest came, the newly cultivated land would be met with another round of ruthless harvesting and forced requisition.

Through word of mouth, the people of Blackwater gradually learned about the actions of the Montagne resident official.

They learned that the grain requisition team sent to Wolf Town had been ambushed;
It was learned that the Montagne garrison commander had wiped out all the bandits near Wolf Town;

I also learned about the tragedy and trial in the Valley of Saint Gisele—the bandit leader's remains still hang at the entrance to the Valley of Saint Gisele, deterring any thugs with ill intentions.

So the people of Blackwater Town came up with a bold idea: to invite the resident official of Wolf Town to be the protector of Blackwater Town.

They needed protection not only from bandits and robbers, but also from grain requisition teams.

Of course, this was a secret agreement; outwardly, Blackwater Town remained loyal to Revordan.

But if the grain requisition team was hijacked, then no one can blame Blackwater Town.

“That’s exactly it.” Pierre hesitated. “Although we are short of food, becoming their protectors… is almost tantamount to facing off against Gévordans.”

"Excellent!" Winters laughed loudly. "Just what I wanted!"

[As a Venetian merchant, it's perfectly reasonable for me to choose the "Double-Entry Bookkeeping" skill.]
[Today's chapter is also long, 8589 words, which is equivalent to an extra chapter.]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, rewards, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)