Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 397 The Game Between the Fox and the Cat (Part 1)
[Location unknown]
[Time unknown]
"clatter."

"clatter."

"clatter."

Water droplets fell rhythmically onto the hard surface, shattering into pieces.

Alfonso de Paiva's world was shrouded in darkness; his eyes were covered by three layers of thick cloth, and his limbs were bound by iron chains.

He had received no food or water since his capture. He could barely feel hunger anymore and didn't know how much time had passed; he could only guess, based on his thirst, that it hadn't been more than forty-eight hours.

Based on the leak, room temperature, and smell, he concluded that he was being held in a dungeon.

As the regional intelligence chief who reported directly to the Imperial Security Council, Alfonso de Paiva never used his real name in South Monta. He had another identity—the leather merchant Capfen.

Capfen, from St. Gallen, is a native of Helvetii and speaks with a slight northern mountain accent.

Capfen lost both parents to illness when he was young, so he was raised by his uncle. Four years ago, his widower uncle also passed away, leaving his entire estate to Capfen. Capfen then invested the entire estate in Lacey Brothers Trading Company, thus becoming a partner.

Afterwards, Kapfen arrived in Solingen and took over the position of head of the Lessie Brothers Trading Company in Steelburg. He primarily managed the company's leather business, occasionally acting as a middleman and engaging in small-scale speculative trading.

Because of his dark complexion, people who know him well usually call him "Blackface Capfen".

The above is the life story of leather merchant Cappfen, simple and unremarkable, but verifiable by any curious person.

The industry of occasionally going out of town to buy raw hides gave Capufen the freedom to move around, while the image of a greedy small businessman gave him the motivation to gather intelligence.

As a cover, leather merchant Capufen was virtually flawless.

However, Alfonso de Paiva, the "Hand of the Emperor," knew that since he was already imprisoned in the dungeon, even the most authentic false identity was meaningless.

He could only pray that others would find the dungeon as soon as possible and rescue him... or kill him.

After all, no one knows the "messenger's" abilities better than the Emperor's Hand.

……

……

[Location: Safe house in the northern part of Steel Fortress]
[Time: The day after the Old Town fire]
The homeowner, who had gone out to gather information, returned safely, much to the relief of the tense hideouts.

Steel Fortress is currently under martial law, so actively gathering intelligence is a risky move, but also a last resort.

Because the Eagle Guards responsible for carrying out these tasks always only obeyed the messengers and were isolated from the Imperial Security Council's spy network, they had no direct contact with them.

In the dimly lit secret room, a person whispered: "The fires in the city have been mostly extinguished, and the rebels are withdrawing from the city in different directions."

"Out of town?"

"Go deal with the wildfires. Also, there are rumors in the city... that the firestorm that night was the work of the advisors."

How credible is it?

"I believe this is a common tactic used by traitors to frame someone." The speaker hesitated for a moment, "But I can't think of anyone else besides His Majesty's advisors who possesses such... such power."

"Why hasn't the special envoy contacted us yet?" another person questioned.

"Perhaps... perhaps they're intentionally keeping quiet. After what happened that night, the envoy might suspect we've been infiltrated. Or perhaps he was injured and couldn't show himself. Or perhaps..."

The speaker dared not say any more.

The leader paused for a moment, then asked, "What was the result of the other matter we asked the homeowner to inquire about?"

"Some of those captured by the rebels were executed on the spot, while those who weren't executed are temporarily imprisoned in the Bankruptcy Prison in the North City. It's said that all the cells there are already full." The speaker nervously adjusted his collar before cautiously reporting:
"Mr. Mindorf also gathered some information—on the night of the operation, several 'prisoners' were secretly escorted back to the military camp by the rebel colonel Berne and placed under the special guard of the military police. It is said that Berne strictly forbade anyone to contact those prisoners in private and tried desperately to keep the news under wraps."

"Something's not right!" another person exclaimed urgently. "How could a retired gentleman like Mindorf possibly find out the intelligence that the rebels are trying so hard to keep secret?"

"Although the fire has been extinguished, the traitors have yet to find a scapegoat, nor have they released the results of their investigation into the fire." The speaker glanced at his superior and explained with great patience:
"Rumors are flying around the city. Some say it's all the Venetians pulling the strings behind the scenes, others say it's the United Provinces' doing. Still others say the Paratul were enraged by the embargo and sent spies to infiltrate and set fires, taking the opportunity to loot the steel fort's arms reserves."

There were even more bizarre and sensational rumors circulating, such as, "A monster escaped into Rose Lake, and at night it climbs ashore to devour scrap metal and gold and silver from the fire." My subordinates only sifted through the rumors to extract potentially useful information.

After he finished speaking, the secret room fell silent once more. Only the dim light flickered, casting long shadows of the group in the small room.

The leading man slowly spoke: "Since the special envoy did not report the situation to us as originally planned, then we should assume that they have been killed or captured."

The others listened in silence. Now that Eagle Captain had made his judgment, Eagle Guards would not question it further.

"From this moment forward, the primary task is no longer executing the plan, but finding the special envoy! Activate the emergency plan, send men to the other hideouts, and gather everyone who can still wield a sword. Security is no longer an issue; send all loyal servants of Steel Fortress to investigate the location where the rebels are secretly holding important prisoners." The leading man, ignoring the pain of his recently stitched abdominal wound, leaned on the table to his feet: "The special envoy and advisor must not fall into the hands of the rebels! We must find them alive or dead!"

"As ordered!"

……

……

[Location unknown]
[Time unknown]
Aside from the maddening dripping sound, Alfonso finally heard something different:

The friction of the door hinges turning, the dull thud of the wooden planks hitting the ground, the increasingly clear footsteps... someone came, probably two people, and walked right up to him, replacing the iron chains binding his limbs with shackles.

Alfonso was lifted up and then taken out of the dungeon.

The air felt much fresher, and the firewood crackled and burned in the fireplace, sweeping away the cold and dampness of the dungeon.

“That’s right,” Alfonso thought.

The fact that the traitor was not interrogated on the spot after being arrested could perhaps be explained by the fact that putting out the fire was more important.

But two days have almost passed, and he's still left in the dungeon without being asked about anything. It's obviously intentional—is he using imprisonment as a form of interrogation?
"They're underestimating me too much," Alfonso thought. He silently rehearsed the process to come: coercion, intimidation, torture, and when he couldn't take it anymore, feeding the traitors some half-truths and half-lies to buy as much time as possible until the messenger found him. The short journey soon came to an end, and Alfonso was tied to a cold, hard armchair.

With the hood removed, he found himself in a tiny room with the doors and windows nailed shut—he still didn't know the time.

Behind the long table in front of him, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas, the second-in-command of military affairs in Solingen, was waiting for him.

Beside Lieutenant Colonel Thomas, the pale-faced and somewhat tired fake Baron was playing with a deck of cards.

……

……

[Location: Safe house in the northern part of Steel Fortress]
[Time: The day after the Old Town fire]
Throughout the day, news from all parts of Steel Fortress poured into this temporary command hub.

The news was mostly bad; most safe houses were either empty or had been compromised.

Moreover, the real storm has clearly not yet begun. Once the other side has freed up its resources, there will inevitably be an even more severe, comprehensive search.

However, there was some good news: the subordinates who could continue fighting were successfully found, and even a "consultant" on standby was found.

Re-establishing contact with the remaining intelligence network of the Imperial Security Council was an unexpected bonus—although it violated the code of conduct between the Eagle Guard and the Emperor's Hand, the immediate priority was to find the messenger, and the Eagle Commander could not afford to worry about anything else.

"The construction standards of the rebels' permanent camps are very similar to those of His Majesty's new army."

The speaker kept sketching on the paper:

"Four roads divide the camp into three sections: front, middle, and rear. The prison is usually located in the central section, next to common buildings such as the armory, officers' quarters, and the legion hall. You can enter the central section directly from a side gate, but you have to pass two sentry posts."

“The front and rear areas are barracks and drill grounds, where only two battalions of the rebels are stationed on weekdays. If we force our way into the central area, it’s impossible not to disturb the soldiers inside the barracks.”

"But most of the rebels are currently fighting the fire in Nanshan, and the troops not involved in firefighting are also enforcing martial law in the city. Only a small number of auxiliary soldiers remain in the military camps—the defenses are weak, and it doesn't seem like any important figures are being held there."

"However, considering the existence of pseudo-magicians within the rebel army, the weak defenses are likely just an illusion. In reality, they are outwardly relaxed but inwardly tight, intending to lure us into a trap."

Eagle Captain examined the simplified map of the military camp for a while before asking, "What's the rebel commander up to?"

"The rebels' highest military commander in Solingen, Max Berne, has not shown his face since, and his deputy, John Thomas, has been in command for the past two days. 'Little Berne,' who briefly commanded the militia in the north of the city on the night of the fire, has also not appeared."

When it comes to intelligence gathering and processing, the Emperor's Hand is far more efficient and professional than the Eagle Guard.

"After extensive investigation, it has been confirmed that Max Berne has neither a son nor a nephew. Little Berne is undoubtedly a fake identity. Based on the information gathered, I believe..." The deputy director of the Emperor's Hand in Steel Fortress hesitated for a long time before finally stating his conclusion: "The mysterious [Little Berne] should be a pseudo-magician of the rebels, and a very high-level one at that."

Eagle Lieutenant suddenly recalled the knight who had beheaded the advisor with a single sword at White Eagle Manor, and the knife wound in his abdomen began to throb again: "When will these traitorous imposters be able to deal with His Majesty's advisors?"

"Although there is generally an insurmountable gap between the traitorous pseudo-magicians and the advisors, as far as we know, there are already a few elites in the foothills and Veneta who have reached a level comparable to the advisors."

"Mountain Frontier, Veneta, a select few elites? Then where did this Steel Fortress come from?"

"It can only be due to prior planning," the deputy director calmly replied. "I believe the reason things have turned out this way is likely because there was a leak somewhere. The rebels made thorough preparations beforehand, so much so that we, acting according to plan, fell headlong into their trap. Otherwise, this failure cannot be explained."

"I don't care about leaks, I just want the special envoy."

"The envoy was last seen at the Lakeside Hotel in the South District. There was a small-scale battle there on the night of the fire, reportedly resulting in many casualties. However, the exact outcome is unknown—the rebels have sealed off the area. The envoy and several advisors protecting him have disappeared without a trace." The deputy director then changed the subject: "But one thing is certain—some of our important personnel were indeed captured."

"Who?"

“Mr. Capfen, one of the two directors of the committee in South Monta, my superior.”

Eagle Lieutenant narrowed his eyes: "Evidence?"

The deputy director turned to look at the corner of the secret room, where a person wearing an iron mask was sitting.

Eagle Captain also looked towards the corner of the secret room: "My lord?"

The masked man nodded slightly, speaking sparingly: "I saw it."

The deputy director pressed on, saying, "According to reliable sources, Mr. Capfen was secretly sent to the military camp for detention on the very night of his arrest."

Eagle Lieutenant said coldly, "You want me to send my men to rescue your superior."

“If the envoy is unfortunately captured, he will most likely be imprisoned in the same place as Mr. Capfen.” The deputy director paused for a moment: “Moreover, we cannot bear the consequences for Mr. Capfen either.”

Eagle Lieutenant reacted indifferently to the second half of the sentence, only asking, "Have you considered what would happen if the rebels' elite mages were stationed in that camp, and we rushed in headfirst?"

The deputy director sighed inwardly. Once the envoy disappeared, Steel Fortress would never again find a decision-maker who could integrate the two systems of operations and intelligence.

He rallied his spirits and calmly replied, “That’s exactly what I wanted to say. In fact, it’s not just Bern and little Bern who are missing. The pseudo-magicians within the rebel system that we know of haven’t reappeared since the night of the fire. There are rumors that some officers were seriously injured while fighting the fire. Also, Mayor Paul Wupper has invited the best doctor in Steel Castle to his home, but he himself has been at the City Hall the whole time. I suspect…”

"Speak! Don't beat around the bush."

The deputy director licked his lips: "I suspect that the fire tornado that destroyed the Elin Cathedral on the night of the fire was actually a large-scale magic spell that the rebels lost control of. Forcibly using a spell of that scale, the rebels' pseudo-magicians must have paid a considerable price."

Bern and his son Bern have not reappeared, not because they don't want to, but because they can't—they are likely both seriously wounded. There may be an ambush in the garrison camp, but this must be their weakest moment.

After pondering for a long time, Eagle Captain looked up and asked the advisor in the corner of the secret room, "My lord, is it possible that powerful magic could render the user incapacitated?"

The consultant remained concise: "Possibly."

“Even if it’s a trap.” Eagle Lieutenant’s hand traced the camp map drawn on scrap paper, his teeth clenched and his cheeks twitching. “It seems we have no choice but to step on it.”

[The nucleic acid test on the 23rd was negative, hooray! My sore throat scared me to death!]
[I took too much cold medicine yesterday, and my head is all foggy. I thought I could write a chapter, but I didn't even finish it...]
Online novels inherently contain less information than other forms of entertainment, so consistent updates should be their most basic requirement.

Honestly, someone like me who updates every two days and then takes a break every three days doesn't deserve so many readers who keep following and commenting. I'm incredibly grateful for everyone's support, Orz.

Although we don't know each other in the real world, for me, reading this chapter is like chatting with a friend—it's the happiest and most relaxing thing I do all day (even more enjoyable than writing a novel...).
[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)