Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 367 Unbreakable Alliance

Winters' decision not to return to Iron Peak County soon, but instead to venture into the Mountain Country, was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, though it was outside his original plans.

In fact, ever since his visit to [Alpard Duyom], Winters had been considering the possibility of a trip to Steel Castle.

To date, the main way the Tiefeng County Army has acquired weapons is through capture.

The weapons captured from the enemy were not only limited in number but also varied in quality, with a severe shortage of firearms.

Iron Peak County could barely manage to manufacture simple weapons such as spears and daggers. If costs were disregarded, they might even be able to produce fire-starting guns.

However, the more technically advanced long-barreled muskets or longswords were beyond the capabilities of the local blacksmiths, such as the Goncharov brothers.

If we really want to build it... it's not impossible.

If they couldn't make long barrels, they made short ones, then pieced together short barrels to make long ones. Muskets made in this way looked decent enough—but were utterly unusable.

The splicing of gun barrels inherently presents hidden dangers. No one knows whether there are hidden defects inside the seams, let alone whether these defects will cause a barrel explosion during the next shot.

After the Battle of Blood Mud, officers and sergeants from various musketeer detachments reported similar cowardly behavior: some musketeers always loaded as little gunpowder as possible, and even deliberately poured the gunpowder from the paper packets outside the muzzle, resulting in the lead bullets being less powerful, so that when they hit the barbarian armored soldiers, they only heard a muffled sound and did not bleed.

Winters's investigation revealed that most of the "cowardly" musketeers used muskets that were made from multiple pieces of firearms, and they had all witnessed the tragic scene of their comrades being seriously injured by gunfire when using such muskets, which made them afraid to load their guns with full powder.

How can you expect a soldier to fight if he is afraid of the weapon in his hand?

That's why Winters traveled all the way to Steel Castle—his army needed weapons, and Steel Castle was the largest weapons production center in the republics.

As for how to get it back... do you remember the pass issued by Alpard?

The traditional route for exporting steel products from Steelburg to Palatú was by water, down the Rose River to the Ember River, and then to various parts of Palatú.

However, this trade route is now blocked because the lower reaches of the Rose River are under the control of the military government.

The military government would certainly not allow steel fortifications and ironware to flow into the territory of the "puppet government," so merchant ships on the Rose River could unload their cargo in Jiangbei Province but could not advance any further.

However... perhaps the merchant ships of the rebels in Tiefeng County could be spared.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. For the military government, the Second Republic was an enemy, while the New Reclamation Army was a double-dealing enemy.

Compared to the first two, who were utterly repulsive, the "Iron Peak County Rebels," who were hostile to the Red Roses and the New Reclamation Legion, looked much more endearing.

Furthermore, the military government has now formed a de facto alliance with Vineta, and the military government's attitude towards the Iron Peak County rebels—especially Winters Montagne—has become ambiguous.

Winters tested the military government's limits, even making some excessive demands on Lieutenant Colonel Elek (such as asking him to take all his former subordinates with him).

As a lieutenant colonel in the engineering corps, Elek was not actually qualified to grant Winters permission.

However, Winters' requests were all met in the end, without any unexpected complications. Even with Alpard's prior tacit approval, it was still incredible that things went so smoothly.

This shows that not only Arpad, but other senior military government officials also chose to turn a blind eye.

Winters thus speculated that there was likely a desire within the military government to win over the Iron Peak County Army, and even more likely, to use the Iron Peak County Army to contain the New Reclamation Army.

Therefore, while transiting through the Jiangbei Province on his way to the Republic of Monta, Winters sent a letter to Lieutenant Colonel Elek.

In addition to sincere greetings and some intelligence from the Hart tribes, Winters also enclosed thirty gold bars and a simple message:

"Could the Iron Peak County Chamber of Commerce be permitted to purchase a few agricultural tools from Steel Fortress... for spring planting?"

Winters has not yet received a reply, but according to the situation described by Mr. Ed, the problem of "the military government not allowing the purchase" is more pressing than "the steel fortress refusing to sell."

……

“Steel Castle is going to impose a trade embargo on Palatour?” Winters sensed a hint of dark humor: “Isn’t that just blocking the military government? Anyway, the route from Monta to the Ember River is entirely under the control of the military government, and the Kings’ Castles wouldn’t get Steel Castle’s weapons anyway.”

Mr. Ed's smile carried a hint of mockery: "The State Council's statement is 'for peace.'"

"Has the Kingdom of Mountains already chosen sides?" Winters sipped his ice water.

"On the contrary," Mr. Ed corrected casually, "the position of the Republic of Monta has never changed."

Winters held the iron cup and sighed—it's a legacy of history, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

……

Unlike the United Provinces, Venetia, and Platú, which won their independence in blood and fire, Monta and Vane did not earn their sovereignty on their own.

No one knows exactly what conditions Marshal Ned offered Richard IV at the gates of Guido, but everyone can see the result: the Mad King withdrew his troops, most of the Monta Royal Territory and the Duchy of Varne were incorporated into the United Provinces, and from then on, the flag of the Sun Royal Family never flew south of the Shaded Mountains again.

However, no sooner had the imperial army withdrawn than the United Provinces, Venetia, and Palatour nearly broke apart over the [new territorial disposition plan].

The United Provinces made an exorbitant demand, arguing that Monta and Vane territories should be incorporated into the United Provinces as they were closer to them, and their reasons were quite valid:

The United Provinces have the smallest land area; the United Provinces have paid the highest price in the war; and placing the Shade Mountains entirely under the jurisdiction of the United Provinces is more conducive to the overall planning of the Empire's defense.

Paratul strongly opposed the proposal for a joint province, suggesting that the territory of Van could be incorporated into the joint province if the territory of Monta had to be incorporated into Paratul.

Since Veneta borders neither Monta nor Van, the Republic of Veneta cannot accept either of the two proposed options.

Ultimately, at Marshal Ned's urging, the three parties reached a compromise: Monta and Varn would join the alliance as independent republics, and the establishment and initial operation of their republican governments would be guided and supervised by the alliance government. Furthermore, neither country would have a veto right in alliance affairs.

On the surface, the final solution is an outcome that all countries can accept.

However, the representatives who signed the agreement never imagined that the United Provinces would ultimately win everything. In the years following the Empire's withdrawal, the United Provinces successfully turned the Union government into a glove and mouthpiece for Guitu City by infiltrating and controlling key departments of the Union.

This approach ultimately led to Palatour and Veneta's angry departure, rendering the coalition government virtually defunct.

However, by controlling the Union government, the United Provinces also deeply intervened in the political ecosystem of Monta and Vane, spreading their influence to every vein and pore of the two new republics.

In this political game, the more shameless ones ultimately win everything, while the more moral ones lose everything.

But the real losers are actually the "Perpetual Union of Free Republics".

After the vision of the Great Alliance crumbled, Field Marshal von Dürer died a few years later.

And so it has continued until today.

……

Winters spent nine years at the military academy and three years honing his skills in the archipelago, the wasteland, and Paratú. Although he had little exposure to politics, he still had a basic understanding of the inner workings of the alliance.

At least when I was still studying at the Army Academy, decisions like [Palatu and Veneta withdrawing from the Union government] – decisions to give up when things couldn't be won – were frequently brought up for criticism in internal discussions, often sparking heated arguments.

The reins of the Monta government were in the hands of the United Provinces Republic, so Winters believed that the [mountain kingdom's intervention in the Paratul civil war] was only a matter of time.

The Paratul military government and the Fortress of Kings can still hold their own, but if the United Provinces and Monta simultaneously send troops, the military government has no hope of surviving under a three-pronged attack.

The future of the Iron Peak County Army depends not only on its own efforts, but also on the power struggles among the various republics.

[A person who doesn't consider the overall situation can't even defend a corner of the chessboard.]

It was because he kept this in mind that Winters risked infiltrating the mountain kingdom, not only to purchase weapons, but also to find out the movements of the Monta Republic—it would be even better if he could send people to send back information regularly.

……

Therefore, the key to Montaigne's problem lies in—

"To what extent is the Monta State Council prepared to intervene?" Winters asked Mr. Ed. "Trade embargo? Political condemnation? Military confrontation?"

The old gentleman gently shook his head: "I don't know... Lord Montagne, may I ask a question?"

"please say."

Mr. Ed asked slowly, "Among the mountains, between the sky and the earth, is there a people called the Republic of Monta?"

Winters understood what the old man meant and replied with a smile, "Of course not, a nation is a collective of thousands upon thousands of people."

“Yes, just like a chamber of commerce, the interests of the partners are not always aligned.” Mr. Ed looked at Winters: “For example, some people think you are a rare commodity, some people think they must distance themselves from you as soon as possible, and some people have never expressed their opinions... the most important person is.”

"What is your opinion?" Winters asked politely.

“Me?” Mr. Ed looked at Anna and said kindly, “I was just doing my dear little lady a small favor.”

Anna nodded gratefully and gently took Winters' hand: "Mr. Ed was a close friend of my grandfather and a partner who moved to Venetta with him from Rhodes Island."

"Time flies." Old Mr. Ed smiled nostalgically and regretfully. "Let's get back to Monta. The interests of the United Provinces and the people of Monta are not entirely aligned, nor are the interests of the Monta State Council and Steel Fortress. There are considerable differences among the states of Monta over the trade embargo policy alone."

"You mean there's still a chance?"

“What I mean is that no consensus has been reached yet, and nobody knows what the final outcome will be.” Mr. Ed pointed to the mountains: “Monta and Veneta have very different customs, as you saw when you came. The Republic of Monta is essentially a collection of small settlements divided by mountains. That’s why the tiny Republic of Monta has twenty-six states, and each state retains a considerable degree of autonomy. Even the United Provinces couldn’t change this organizational structure…”

Winters listened patiently, then turned around and asked a straightforward question: "According to the current power structure of the Monta Republic, to whom does command of the 7th [Mountains] Legion and the 8th [Iron Wall] Legion belong?"

Mr. Ed paused for a moment, then replied hesitantly, "It should be the Army Committee."

Winters then asked, "Whom does the Army Council listen to?"

The old man pondered for a moment, then smiled helplessly: "I can't understand the inner workings of the military. Mr. [Borso da Este] should know more about it than I do. You can ask White Eagle when the time comes."

Winters let out a long sigh: "If even you can't figure it out, I have a pretty good idea of ​​what's going on. It must be another historical problem... On the surface, they listen to the State Council's resolutions, but in reality, they don't listen to anyone else."

Mr. Ed didn't quite understand, and the other two were also full of doubt. Winters was still lamenting, "Why can't the people of the United Province teach anything good?"

Mr. Ed coughed lightly, drawing the attention of the others: "At present, the only way to find a channel to purchase agricultural tools is to start with the differences of interest between Steel Fortress and the Monta State Council."

Winters understood the implication: "You mean we have an opportunity to circumvent the embargo restrictions."

The old man said unhurriedly, "If the Steel Fortress Blacksmith Guild is willing to trade, there are ten thousand ways to circumvent the embargo; if the Steel Fortress Blacksmith Guild is unwilling to trade, even ten thousand ways to circumvent the embargo will be meaningless."

"Instead of buying finished products directly," Winters asked, emphasizing each word, "would it be feasible to exchange formulas, customize machinery, and hire craftsmen?"

Weapons are consumables; they will break down sooner or later with use, and simply buying them is not a long-term solution. Besides acquiring armaments, Winters had an even more pressing plan—purchasing technology.

Mr. Ed was first surprised, then burst into laughter, his smile carrying a mixture of admiration and regret.

He shook his head and earnestly advised, "Your Excellency Montagne, your thinking is more far-sighted than many others, which is rare at your age. But I still suggest that you focus your energy on the supplies you need most and avoid making other requests."

"Excuse me... why?"

Mr. Ed didn't say it explicitly, but simply replied with a smile, "You'll find out in time."

[Currently two chapters missing] (Previous chapters will be counted separately)
[The ten standing legion designations of the Alliance]
[The First Legion of Victory, United Provinces]
[Second 'River Runner' Legion, United Provinces]
[The Third 'Great Venetta' Legion, Venetta]
[Veneta, IV 'Florence' Legion]
[The V 'Galloping Horse' Legion, Palatine]
[The VI 'Kings' Legion, Plato]
[VII 'Mountains' Legion, Monta]
[VIII 'Iron Wall' Legion, Monta]
[The IX 'Skylark' Legion, Varn]
[The Xth Legion, Varn]
[Standing legions are also a product of political compromise; for the sake of nominal fairness, each republic is only allowed to maintain two standing legions.]
[However, in practice, those with limited funds (Van) are eager to drastically cut the standing army budget, while those with ample funds and a desire to expand their armies (the United Provinces) will establish additional "National Guard/Reserve Corps"]
The equipment configurations of standing armies vary greatly from country to country, especially since artillery and cavalry are not part of the official military establishment, which most easily widens the gap in actual combat power between different corps.
[The United Province is backed by the Victory Arsenal, so the United Province Army has the largest artillery force.]
[Palatu boasts the most powerful cavalry among all republics, with fifty standing cavalry squadrons and tens of thousands of cavalry reserves (reserves who can ride and afford horses, militia, and Dussacs) that are unimaginable to other allied nations.]
[Veneta's army is mediocre, and its cavalry is also few, because the Venetian navy actually receives the most military funding...]
[Monta, a mountainous country with a strong military tradition, has been a recruitment center since ancient times.]
[As for Varne... well, Varne... their food is the best.]
(End of this chapter)