Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 359 Transaction (Part )

The winch creaked and the cable groaned in pain.

The pagan relics, buried deep underground, were lifted inch by inch by a crane. Soil slid away, revealing the treasure's true form. In the torchlight, the surface of the relics shimmered with a dim yet captivating luster.

Everyone present involuntarily held their breath—anyone would have this reaction upon seeing a lump of gold that was half a head taller than themselves.

Because gold is much denser than soil, the golden statue used for sacrificial rites has been slowly sinking.

Charles and his men dug all night before finally finding the golden statue, experiencing countless moments of self-doubt along the way. It then took another full day to clear the statue out.

All that's left is to destroy it.

Anna couldn't help but walk towards the golden statue used for the sacrificial ceremony, reaching out to brush the wet mud off its face.

His face, cast in gold, was serene and peaceful, showing no concern for the impending end.

“It’s beautiful.” Winters walked up to Anna. “Isn’t it?”

Anna gazed intently at the golden statue used in the sacrificial ceremony.

The golden figure before us is hardly comparable to the word "exquisite." The Khan who ordered its casting seemed to disdain the details, refusing to add or remove a single stroke once the molten gold cooled in the mold.

As a result, the facial features of the Jin people appear so blurry, and the sand holes and defects left during casting are also faithfully preserved.

But precisely because of this, compared to the gold and silver ritual objects enshrined in churches, and the jeweled crowns worn by kings and princes, this pagan-style relic possesses a unique beauty that is rugged, robust, and simple.

It requires no delicate or complicated processing; its intrinsic value alone is enough to surpass any sacred artifact or any crown.

"How long has it... existed?" Anna asked.

“If the records in the Grand Archives are correct,” Father Kaman, who was invited to preside over the ceremony, replied softly, “it should have been around 240 years ago, cast from gold presented by various tribes by the first barbarian Khan who conquered the wilderness.”

Anna looked at Winters, hesitated, and finally just sighed with regret.

Winters also felt a little regretful; if possible, he would have preferred to preserve the golden statue used in the sacrificial ceremony as a memorial. Seeing the statue brought back vivid memories of the days and nights of the Great Wilderness War.

But the future is more important than the past.

“I wonder how many relics have vanished into history like this, leaving no trace.” Winters touched Anna’s fingertips. “But at least you witnessed its disappearance.”

Anna nodded silently.

Winters finally looked straight at the golden statue used for the sacrificial ceremony. The statue stood silently, the west wind howled through the valley, and crows circled and cawed in the night sky.

“Melt it,” Winters said.

The final verdict was delivered, and the golden statue used for the sacrificial offering was dragged to the temporary workshop. Father Kaman presided over a simple baptismal ceremony, and then the crowd began to dismember the statue.

The first blow landed on the neck, and two blacksmiths used a specially made steel saw to slowly decapitate the golden man.

Seeing the hacksaw going back and forth, the accompanying goldsmith was so heartbroken that he almost cried.

To minimize waste, craftsmen typically used only pliers when cutting precious metals. However, the size of the sacrificial golden statue was so enormous that not only pliers but even axes and chisels were useless; only a specially made hacksaw could be used.

The goldsmith took off his coat, trying to catch the gold dust.

But how could they possibly catch it? A gust of wind blew, and the gold dust was carried away. It was the blood flowing from the golden people, returning to the wasteland.

The golden statue, which had been worshipped by the Hart tribes for 240 years, was eventually divided into seventeen pieces. The heavy gold blocks were buried in charcoal fires for preheating, then melted into liquid in crucibles, and finally cast into gold bars.

When the first rays of dawn appeared on the horizon, the golden statue used for the sacrificial ceremony was no longer there; in its place were gold bars neatly laid out at the bottom of four large carts.

Winters put down his cane, jumped into the carriage, and picked up a gold bar.

The gold bar had long since lost its heat and felt cold to the touch. Weighing around one kilogram, the gold bar was only as thick as a sword hilt and as long as a palm, just the right size to hold in one's hand.

The members of the delegation gradually gathered around the carriage. Among them, some had followed Winters since the recruitment of soldiers in Wolf Town, some had been assigned to Winters' command during the Great Wilderness Campaign, and others were prisoners forcibly taken into their ranks by Winters after the conquest of Ghevordan.

Everyone's eyes were unconsciously drawn to the gold bars—they didn't realize it while they were working, but once they had some free time, they truly began to realize that an immeasurable fortune was right in front of them, within reach.

Everyone present had a pounding heart, their mouths were drooling, and heavy breathing filled the air.

Winters scanned the crowd, and in the eyes of his men, he saw desire, awe, greed, and fear...

"The gold in these four carriages," Winters stated calmly, looking directly into his men's eyes, "is enough for anyone, anywhere, to live like a king."

No one could meet Winters' gaze; even Pierre lowered his head.

“Here you go.” Winters casually handed the gold bar to Pierre: “Take it, feel it.”

Pierre hesitated before accepting the gold bars, while Winters continued distributing them.

Soon, all sixty-odd people present received gold bars, and everyone was somewhat at a loss.

“No one has ever seen the life of an emperor, so I have a more direct way to describe it.” Winters displayed the gold bars in his hand: “Just the small piece you hold in your hands is enough for you to buy a farm in newly reclaimed land and live a life of luxury from then on. And there are a total of…”

Winters paused for a moment: "Two thousand two hundred and seventeen."

"Now, do you realize just how amazing this fortune is?"

"Now, do you know what you can buy with this gold?"

Winters paused for a moment, scrutinized the group, and slowly asked, "Now, do you know—why you came here with me?"

“Each of you has proven your courage and ability in the most brutal battles, and each of you was personally selected by me. I can call each of you by name, and you can count every scar on my body. In Zhevodan, in Iron Peak County, in Palatour, you are my most trusted men, the men I can rely on most, the men I can entrust my life to. That is why I brought you here—not anyone else.”

The crowd below the carriage held gold bars in their hands and listened quietly.

"You have many questions in your hearts. Why should we deal with the Chihe Tribe? Aren't the Chihe Tribe's hands stained with our blood? Aren't our hands stained with the blood of the Chihe Tribe's people? Why are we now acting as if nothing has happened, comfortably being guests of the Chihe Tribe?" "I will tell you honestly—from this moment on, I will not hide anything from you."

"Because the Red River tribe can redeem our comrades who have fallen into the wasteland."

"Because the Chihe tribe can guarantee that we can transport this batch of gold."

"Because the Chihe tribe is willing to sell us warhorses and wool, and because the Chihe tribe is willing to buy our ironware and minerals."

"In short, it is because our interactions with the Chihe tribe have enabled us to grow and prosper."

Winters scanned the faces of each of his men, not missing any subtle changes.

He took a deep breath, his back to the rising sun, and for the first time, he spoke frankly to everyone, his subordinates, and the heavens and earth, revealing his ambition: "The war will not end; the war is far from over."

"Taking Tiefeng County is not a victory; taking Tiefeng County is far from being a victory."

"The New Reclamation Army, the Military Government, and Zhuwangbao—they will not tolerate our existence. Sooner or later, the encirclement and suppression forces will reappear. But next time, they will have learned their lesson, and they will be better prepared."

"Therefore we must grow stronger, we must grow, we must desperately suckle every drop of milk and absorb every drop of nourishment, even if the nourishment and milk come from our enemies! Even if their hands are stained with our blood!"

Winters slammed his fist into the carriage, and the floorboards snapped in two. He didn't use any magic to amplify his power, but to everyone present, his voice was deafening, like a howling storm.

Winters calmed his breathing, then suddenly looked up and demanded, "What are we fighting for?"

“I will fight for you!” Pierre answered without hesitation.

"I don't want you to fight for me!" Winters roared, this time involuntarily using his amplification technique, his roar shaking the valley: "I, you, we—we are fighting for the right to live! We are fighting for fairness! We are fighting for justice!"

"We have to fight, because if we don't fight we'll starve! We can't surrender either, because surrendering will send us to the gallows!"

"The Republic of Palatul discarded us like trash, completely disregarding the blood and sacrifices we shed for her. We fulfilled our duty, but the Republic of Palatul failed in its duty!"

"Those who gain power wantonly alter the fate of ordinary people for their own selfish desires, treating even life as a consumable, wasting it in meaningless, worthless, and useless places!"

"This is a trampling of all fairness and justice in the world! It violates every promise made when this republic and this alliance were founded! It betrays every martyr who shed their blood for this republic and this alliance!"

"I stayed in Palatine because I couldn't stand it! Because I couldn't tolerate it! Because I couldn't swallow it! Because the country established by the old marshal shouldn't be like this!"

“I don’t know what fairness and justice will look like when they truly come to earth, but it will definitely not be like Palatine today. So Iron Peak County is not the end, White Mountain County, Vone County, Maple Stone City, New Reclamation Land… We will continue to expand, continue to conquer, continue to seize power, until the old world is destroyed, until a new world is born.”

The valley fell silent again.

After some time, Pierre asked, "And then what happens after the newly reclaimed land?"

“Then came Jiangbei Province, Xilin Province,” Winters replied, head held high. “And then Palatine!”

The scene was silent. For many people around the carriage, the newly reclaimed land was already vast, and Palatul was far larger than they had ever imagined. Many of them had never even left their hometown before.

Pierre was silent for a moment, staring intently at Winters, and asked in a deep voice, "And after Palatour?"

Winters smiled. The next goal seemed too distant for him, so distant that the hope was slim, but his answer was as firm as a vow: "Then Veneta! The United Provinces! Monta! Varne! Then the Republics!"

Winters was unaware of what his men were thinking at that moment, and for him, it was a strange moment.

Because of the burning flame in his chest, he shared for the first time his deepest desires, ambitions, visions, and aspirations... however you want to describe them.

That was an unrealistic, vague, and unattainable goal—at least that's what Winters himself thought.

He shared this wish with his most trusted subordinates, not expecting everyone to accept it.

“I will not force you to fight alongside me,” Winters said. “Anyone who wants to leave can leave with the gold bars.”

No one spoke. Pierre took a few steps forward and put the gold bars back in the carriage. The others followed Pierre, one by one putting the gold bars back in the carriage.

Two thousand two hundred and seventeen gold bars lay quietly at the bottom of the carriage, not one more and not one less.

……

[Wahika and Pierre's tent]
During the break, Vahika was still groggy. He asked Pierre, puzzled, "What's the new world like?"

"I don't know." Pierre flopped onto the blanket, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. "As long as it's better than the old one."

……

[Winters and Carman's Tent]
“No one can save the world, Mr. Montagne,” Kaman said, poking at the campfire. “That is the Lord’s authority.”

"Do I look like I'm here to save the world?" Winters sipped mare's milk. "Perhaps I'm better at destroying the world."

……

[Anna's Tent]
Anna stared at the canvas for a long time, but did not pick up a brush.

……

……

While Winters and his men were busy melting the golden statues into gold bars, a convoy arrived on the west bank of the Great Horn River.

As dawn broke, the outline of Tiefeng Peak gradually came into view.

"[Herd] Wake up the slaves and send envoys." Red Feather, who was escorting the caravan, ordered his guards, squinting as he gazed at the distant solitary peak: "[Herd] The other side is 'Iron Peak County'."

The expeditionary prisoners, who had once been enslaved by the Heds, finally returned to Plato.

[This was probably the first time Winters had publicly recruited "comrades," but his subordinates were still actually following him...]
[Actually, this was yesterday's update. I was too tired, so I went to bed at midnight and set an alarm for early morning.]
[I'm taking the day off because I'm worried the alarm won't work, hmm.]
[However... since I've already taken leave, should this chapter be considered an extra chapter?]
[Thanks to the new leader [Just Waiting for Someone], thank you!]
[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)