Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 410 Monsoon (Part 4)

[Time: Now]
[Location: Agrippa Auditorium, Republic of Varn]
Captain Fritz pulled himself out of his reverie. Whatever had happened in Guido, it was all over now.

He looked at Richard Myerhouse, who was walking toward the podium—it's not the past that matters, but the future.

……

It takes thirteen steps from the audience to the podium, and Richard Milehouse took those thirteen steps with great composure.

The noise that had been lingering beneath the magnificent vaulted ceiling vanished instantly, and all eyes in the semi-circular auditorium focused on the purple-robed figure in the center of the hall.

Richard Meyerhouse stood behind the podium, tilted his head slightly, and squinted at the delegates and envoys in the hall.

Representatives and envoys from various republics and foreign lands also looked at him curiously, wanting to see what kind of performance this newcomer who had just stepped onto the stage of power would put on.

There are too many mysteries surrounding this nominal new leader of the United Provinces Republic: Is he a moderate or a radical? Is he a puppet of the United Provinces military or a head of state with real power? What is his view on the tense situation within the Union?
People are waiting for His Excellency Richard Myerhouse to state his position.

However, Richard Myerhouse said nothing.

He stood silently at the podium, coldly surveying the people in the seats as if they were a pile of lifeless puppets and clay sculptures.

An unsettling silence fell over the room.

Dead silence.

Dead silence.

If silence is the opening remark, then the new Speaker of the United Provinces' Parliament's opening remarks are far too long.

After a brief moment of surprise, the representatives and envoys in the hall became somewhat bewildered. People began to whisper and murmur among themselves, trying to find answers to the unexpected situation before them.

……

The first floor of the auditorium belongs to the sector of the provincial representatives.

A military officer from the United Provinces, dressed in a rank-and-file uniform, turned his head and asked another officer beside him in a low voice, "Is he having stage fright?"

The person being questioned looked at the new speaker they had placed on the throne of power, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, and waved his hand: "Don't rush."

……

The second floor of the auditorium was reserved for foreign envoys.

Prince Richard looked at Earl Vares beside him, puzzled, and asked with interest, "Was this pre-arranged?"

Count Vares—the Imperial Ambassador to Varne—looked embarrassed and bowed slightly as he explained to the prince, "Your Highness, I have no idea what the people from the United Provinces are up to..."

……

At the podium, Richard Myerhouse met the gazes of the crowd, savoring their emotions—he had waited far too long for this moment.

In the silent stillness, he sensed the unease and confusion of the people.

"There are too many chatterers," he thought, "but no one knows the power of silence."

It was 10:15. Sunlight streamed through the skylight in the vaulted ceiling, shining directly onto the podium in the center of the hall and onto Richard Myerhouse.

He reached out, briefly flipped through the speech prepared for him by the "Provisional Supreme Conference," and then placed the thick stack of notes face down on the podium.

When the purple-robed man on the podium suddenly made a move, everyone in the hall realized that he was about to speak, and the dome instantly fell silent again.

Richard Meyerhouse took a deep breath and let his voice burst forth in the dead silence.

"I know what you're thinking."

The newly elected speaker of the provincial council had a hoarse and deep voice, and the ingenious acoustic design of the Agrippa Great Hall ensured that his words could be clearly heard by every listener without any magical amplification:

“You are trying to associate my face with every famous traitor, oath-breaker, and schemer in history, trying to find even the slightest similarity between me and them!”

Richard Meyerhouse’s self-deprecating opening remarks caught everyone under the dome off guard.

In the provincial seating area, the officer who had just said "don't rush" frowned even more deeply; on the second-floor viewing platform, Prince Richard's interest was even stronger.

At the edge of the hall, Captain Fritz glanced at Mrs. Meyerhouse with a hint of doubt, but he saw no panic or tension on her face, only a confident smile.

However, Richard Milehouse hadn't finished his startling statement when he paused briefly and scanned the room:
“I know why you think that way—because, no matter what words are used to embellish it, the change of power that occurred in Guitu City four days ago was without a doubt a coup, a rebellion, and a crime of treason with irrefutable evidence!”

"Buzz!"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

No one expected that the newly elected Speaker of the United Provinces would choose to publicly deny the legitimacy of his power in his first speech.

The truths that the provincial military was unwilling to mention and that the republics were reluctant to reveal were laid bare before the representatives of the entire alliance.

Richard Meyerhouse waited patiently until the room quieted down and the delegates fell silent, wanting to hear what else he had to say, before speaking again:
"However, please remember that on a sinking ship, any means are justified to save it from sinking!"

He stared fearlessly at the representatives from the republics, then repeated, word by word: "Any means are justified as long as the alliance is spared annihilation!"

The room erupted in uproar again, but this time, Richard Meyerhouse didn't give the delegates time to quiet down. He slammed his fist on the podium, drowning out all the noise with his questioning:
"Twenty-nine years have passed since the Founding Fathers signed the Charter of the Union."

For twenty-nine years, we have built monument after monument! We have erected pillar after pillar of honor! We have named streets and squares after squares in the name of freedom and alliance! We have held countless celebratory parades!

We are intoxicated by the achievements of our founding fathers! We constantly mythologize their accomplishments! We elevate everything about them to an untouchable position! To the point that anyone who tries to face the legacy of our founding fathers is branded a traitor and a rebel!

“Marshal Ned Smith defeated the Empire—that’s certainly a great achievement—but what legacy did he leave us?” Richard Myerhouse’s voice grew increasingly loud and intense: “A nation?”

“No!” Richard Myerhouse almost roared the answer: “It’s a loose and powerless alliance! A fractured alliance! A alliance exhausted by infighting! A alliance that exists in name only!

With each word he spoke, he would slam his fist on the podium. His voice grew more deafening with each word, and the sound of his fist slamming on the podium grew heavier with each strike, as if a hammer were striking the hearts of the audience.

The room fell silent once again.

Because Richard Myerhouse spoke the truth that every league representative avoided talking about but knew all along.

After scanning the room once more, Richard Milehouse spoke again. However, his voice was no longer as impassioned as before, but had returned to its initial hoarse, rough tone.

“This nation, this alliance, was established because of the defeat of the Empire,” Richard Myerhouse said. “And it is because of the existence of the Empire that you, me, and we—the republics—have barely maintained the so-called Great Covenant.”

The room remained silent.

Richard Meyerhouse looked at the delegates and continued, “But while we are engrossed in fighting and infighting, has anyone looked up to see the world outside? Has anyone crossed the Shaded Mountains to see the world on the other side? If anyone has seen—even just once—he will know that the Union is on the verge of destruction! Our freedom, our Republic, the legacy of our Founding Fathers are in grave danger!”

Richard Meyerhouse stretched out his arm and pointed to the unseen north: "On the other side of the mountains, the once corrupt and weak Muro Empire has entered an unprecedented golden age under the rule of the Oathbreakers!"
In Castile, the Oathbreakers have subdued the beasts of the forest! On the eastern frontier, the Oathbreakers have kept the Saracens from advancing any further! In the far north, the Oathbreakers have conquered the last Norman kingdoms, expanding their territory all the way to the Narrow Sea!

Flocks of ships set sail from the far western colonies, carrying immeasurable riches back to the Eternal City. That riches became gunpowder and steel! Become the flesh and blood fed to the beasts tamed by the oathbreakers!

One question after another pounded on the hearts of the alliance representatives:

"But what about us? What are we doing?"

"What were we doing while our great northern enemy was expanding its territory?"
"What were we doing while our merchants were being driven out of one trading port after another?"

"What are we doing as the sword hanging over our heads grows ever sharper?"

Richard Meyerhouse replied with a mixture of sorrow and anger: "We're fighting each other! We're tearing each other apart! We've exhausted everything in twenty-nine years of infighting!"

“If anyone thinks I’m exaggerating, look up at the son of the false emperor sitting above you! Look at that envoy with his fake smile on his face!” Richard Milehouse raised his hand, pointing directly at Prince William sitting on the reviewing stand:
"While the Oathbreakers send their own sons as a symbol of peace, their spies set fire to Steel Castle and committed atrocities! They intend to instigate a massive rebellion in Monta! How hypocritical! How ugly! How despicable! The Oathbreakers—have never given up their ambition to destroy us!"

"And what about us? We're like five skinny wild dogs, tearing each other apart over a few bones until we're covered in blood, completely unaware that on the other side of the mountains, a real beast is sharpening its teeth and sucking blood! It's thinking about tearing us to pieces all the time!"

……

The viewing platform on the second floor of the auditorium.

Imperial Ambassador Count Vares leaped from his chair, roaring angrily toward the center of the hall: "Insolence! Slander!"

After shouting, Count Vares, his face pale, kept wiping the sweat from his forehead and bowed deeply to the prince, almost pleading, "Your Highness, please leave with me!"

Prince Richard waved his hand.

Count Vares's face grew even uglier, and he kept muttering curses, "This won't end here! This is open slander and defamation! You wait! You wait! I'll make these ill-mannered mud bastards pay..."

Richard spoke calmly: "Count Vares."

Count Vares was taken aback: "Yes."

"Sit down," the prince said softly. "You're making it impossible for me to hear what's being said on stage."

……

The podium.

Richard Myerhouse resumed his somber and aloof demeanor.

"Gentlemen, citizens representing the Alliance, look up!" he said. "The last Norman king south of the Narrow Sea, Karl XI, has been beheaded, and his kingdom has been incorporated into the Muro Empire."

The Oathbreaker has swept away all those who refused to kneel before him, leaving only us! Once the Oathbreaker's army has recovered from the losses of conquering the North, it will be our turn!

The meeting hall was silent.

Richard Meyerhouse took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and gave his final statement for his first public speech.

"A house torn apart cannot stand, and an alliance torn apart can never survive the Empire's military might." His tone was cold and his attitude resolute.

"The Alliance cannot remain a mere shell forever. I do not wish to see the Great Alliance crumble, I do not wish to see the house collapse, but I will never allow the Alliance to perish in my hands! I will never allow the legacy of the Founding Fathers to be taken away! I will never—submit to those who break their oaths!"

"On a sinking ship, any means are justified to save it from sinking! The Alliance and the Empire are destined for war! This war is inevitable! As long as the Alliance achieves final victory, the United Provinces Republic will use any necessary means and will not be afraid to bear any blame for it!"

He concluded emphatically: "Gentlemen, freedom is not free; freedom comes at a price, and so does peace!"

"If war is inevitable, then the sooner it comes, the better!"

Long live the Alliance! May its glory endure forever!

After saying this, Richard Meyerhouse gave the audience one last look, neither staying at the podium to receive greetings nor paying attention to the various expressions on people's faces in the auditorium, and strode out of the center of the hall.

Representatives from the republics originally thought that the newly elected speaker of the provincial council would not take any major actions, at most just show his attitude towards the situation in Palatour, and more likely just give some perfunctory remarks.

No one expected to hear such a speech that could be described as a "declaration of war on the empire".

After a brief silence, sporadic applause broke out.

One, two, three... then a thunderous roar. On the first floor of the hall, all the delegates in the joint provincial seating area stood up and cheered loudly.

Many representatives from other republics also stood up and applauded, and even a representative from Veneta followed suit with a polite salute.

Captain Fritz glanced at Mrs. Meyerhouse, who was clapping with a proud smile on her face.

……

Second-floor viewing platform.

Prince Richard stood up with a smile and clapped his hands lightly.

Count Vares stood awkwardly beside the prince, unsure whether he should applaud along with the prince or simply leave.

……

Seating area of ​​the Republic of Venetia on the first floor.

As Governor de Bella watched Richard Myerhouse's retreating figure, he remarked, "It seems the newly appointed Speaker is not a puppet of the military, but rather an ambitious fellow who wants to establish his own faction."

“Isn’t this a good thing, Your Excellency?” The attendant asked, puzzled. “How could the United Provinces Army let them form their own faction? Let them fight like dogs. The fiercer they fight, the better it is for us.”

De Bella sighed deeply: "I'm just worried that we may be facing an opponent who is even more difficult than Lionel."

……

Just as thunderous applause and cheers resounded through the vaulted ceiling of the Agrippa Auditorium, reaching the clouds.

Three travelers had just left Hirano Castle and were riding westward along the main road.

A tall, blond man with a sword, a thin man wearing a strange hat, and... a nun.

[It's not over yet!]
[The United Provinces, which have always been a background force, have finally made their appearance! Hooray!]
[There are quite a few characters and factions appearing so far. After this volume is finished, we'll dedicate a week to organizing the timeline and then drawing a "faction map."]
[This week's bonus chapter features a full-body portrait of Moritz.]
[Moritz's full-length portrait was actually the second work completed, and it differs somewhat from Winters's full-length portrait.]
[I have already relayed everyone's opinions (such as the character being too weak) to the artist (or possibly the younger one)]
[Actually, the artist's style and skills are very good; it's probably a communication issue (they're not Chinese). With time and practice, they'll be able to work together even better in the future.]
[The four completed paintings have already been released. The next one is a full-body and half-body portrait of Andrei, but work on that won't begin until June (the artist's schedule is full in April and May).]
[Next is Mason, and then the next... there probably won't be a next one, or maybe I should consider it (how much money I have in my wallet). Because of time and money constraints, I might not be able to keep drawing...]
In short, commissioning articles is a "self-entertaining activity among book lovers." I am commissioning articles as a reader, not as an "official."

If you all like it, I'll be very satisfied; if you don't, just treat it as fanfiction, it's all fanfiction. I'll also try my best to find other ways to make up for the hiatus caused by unforeseen circumstances, like... a side story?
[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)