Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 411 Monsoon (The End)

[Outskirts of Hirano Castle]
The bumpy path meanders along the terrain, and as far as the eye can see, there are vineyards everywhere.

It's April now, and the withered grapevines are sprouting tender green buds. At first glance, it looks as if the wooden stakes that anchored the grapevines have come back to life.

Wooden stakes of similar thickness and length are neatly arranged on both sides of the road, like soldiers being inspected, saluting the pedestrians on the road.

As luck would have it, among the three travelers on the road, there really was a general, and another...

Wow! So grapes grow like this?! I always thought grapevines were thin vines, but I didn't know they could grow like tree trunks?

[Nun Liz] turned around and excitedly shared her new knowledge with her companions, as if she had discovered something extraordinary.

"Stop yelling." The blond knight accompanying him coldly reprimanded, "Hold the reins tight, don't fall off the saddle."

The novice nun, who had been overjoyed, was suddenly doused with a bucket of ice water; her eagerness and joy to share new knowledge with her companions vanished instantly.

She glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes and retorted sharply, "Don't look down on me! I can ride a horse, maybe even earlier than you! I can swim, use a gun, and wield a sword!"

The blond knight did not react.

Seeing this, the novice nun also turned her head angrily to look at the other side of the road, leaving only her back to the blond knight.

The atmosphere became somber and awkward.

“The Liz sisters,” Mavy cleared his throat and kindly reminded them, “those aren’t grapevines, they’re the stakes used to anchor them.”

"Oh?"

The novice nun turned around in surprise. She carefully examined the nearby grape trellis and then saw clearly the grapevines tied to the wooden stakes.

“I see.” Novice Liz nodded slightly to Mavy and said sweetly, “Thank you, Mr. Mavy.”

"You're welcome." Ma Wei waved his hands repeatedly, flattered.

Mawei, looking slightly uncomfortable, took off his hat and smoothed his hair. Soon, his face turned red from his cheeks to the tips of his ears.

The blond knight sneered disdainfully.

Like a kitten caught in a trap, the novice nun Liz immediately bristled again: "What are you laughing at?"

Mavy quickly tried to smooth things over: "'Mr. Siegfried' probably wasn't laughing at you, Liz sisters. He just had a sore throat."

The novice nun was so angry that her shoulders trembled, and she let out a scream through gritted teeth—while keeping her voice as low as possible.

Then, Sister Liz gripped the reins tightly, remaining silent for a long while before whispering with a mixture of grievance and sorrow, "I'm not the fool in the story. Of course I know grapes don't grow from plates. I just... I've just never seen a grapevine growing on the ground before..."

Faced with the "novice nun's" sudden outpouring of genuine emotion, even Mawei didn't know how to defuse the awkward situation.

The blond knight [Siegfried] loosened his collar and said as gently as possible—though his face was still stern: "I seem to remember that you... you have a vineyard next to your house..."

Seeing that his friend was still fixated on the grape issue, Ma Wei quickly interrupted him.

He shifted his horse's flank, placing himself between the nun and the knight, and asked curiously, "Sister Liz, you said you can wield a sword and a gun?"

Sister Liz, who had just been overwhelmed by disappointment and frustration, instantly cheered up again. She couldn't wait to say, "I can use a longsword! A longsword like a cross! I can use a gun too! I've even shot down ducks!"

"Impressive!" Mawei coaxed, "But for a nun, swords and guns aren't essential subjects, are they? Where did you learn to wield a sword and a gun?"

“My father,” Sister Liz said proudly, puffing out her chest, “my father taught me himself!”

"Your mother doesn't object?"

“How could that be? Mom is very unhappy. But she can’t change Dad’s decision.”

Ma Wei listened with great interest, nodding frequently: "Instead of teaching his daughter embroidery and sewing, he taught her swordsmanship and spear fighting. Your father must have been a very interesting person with unique ideas..."

He rubbed his hands together and asked with great interest, "Did he teach you anything else? Or did he do anything else that was different from what I expected?"

“The Liz sisters!” the blonde knight suddenly spoke.

The novice nun tilted her head in confusion, looking at the blond knight.

“There are a few farmhouses over there.” The blond knight took the leather bag off his saddle and tossed it to the novice nun: “Go and fetch some clean water—fill it up.”

"Why should I go?"

The novice nun was initially indignant, but then she suddenly realized something, blinked, picked up the leather bag, gently tugged at the reins, and obediently left the path to fetch water.

Watching the nun ride away on horseback, Mavis sighed and shook his head. Then he turned to the blond knight and protested, "Mr. Siegfried, even if we are good friends, I must accuse you—this is 'obstruction of research'!"

“Now that you know her identity, don’t pretend you don’t and take advantage of her,” Siegfried—that is, Siegfried—solemnly warned Mave. “And don’t try to use this to pry into royal secrets.”

Mavi carefully observed every subtle expression on Siegfried's face. After a moment, he spread his hands, shrugged, and laughed nonchalantly, "Alright then! I promise you."

"Thank you." Siegfried nodded in thanks, then dismounted and let the horse rest.

He took some beans from the saddlebag and patiently fed them to the horse.

"What are you thanking me for?" Ma Wei also nimbly dismounted from the saddle, allowing the horse to rest for a while.

He smiled and said, "I should be thanking you. Traveling with you will definitely make my research trip a hundred times safer than originally planned. Have you decided where you want to go?"

Siegfried took a handful of beans from his saddlebag and patiently fed them to the horse: "We'll go wherever there's fighting. I want to see what the rebels, whom His Majesty considers his most dangerous enemy, are really like."

Mawei asked curiously, "What about the Prince? Why did you just leave without saying goodbye?"

“I have no interest in those secret political and intrigue affairs,” Siegfried replied succinctly. “Besides, I am not an official under the Prince.”

Ma Wei sighed softly and said meaningfully, "I'm afraid some people don't think that way..."

Siegfried remained silent.

"Forget it, I knew I'd give you advice, but you wouldn't listen anyway—it's always been like this." Ma Wei chuckled self-deprecatingly, then changed the subject, licking his lips and asking with interest, "I'd like to ask you, you just kidnapped His Majesty's most beloved daughter like that, do you really think His Majesty won't find out? Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's wrath afterward?"

Siegfried remained silent.

Seeing that he couldn't dig out any good information, Ma Wei showed a slight sense of regret.

He patted his friend on the shoulder, his face beaming with delight, and joked, "In my opinion, if His Majesty really doesn't want the princess to leave, our Liz sisters will be caught and taken back before they can even leave the capital. Don't worry, maybe His Majesty is deliberately giving you a chance, hahaha..."

The unrestrained laughter was crushed by the horses' hooves as the novice nun Liz—Princess Elizabeth—returned from fetching water.

Sister Liz looked at the expressionless Siegfried Knight and the beaming Mave with suspicion, and asked curiously, "What are you two talking about?"

Siegfried took the water pouch and coldly replied, "It's nothing."

Sister Liz suddenly realized something, her expression turning extremely tense. She threatened warily, "I...I'm telling you, don't even think about sending me home! Even if you send me back, I can just run away again, and then you won't be able to find me again! I...I'm serious! You you you..."

"Don't worry, Liz sisters," Mavy smiled and bowed, "no one will want to take you home."

Siegfried then abruptly stretched out his arm, spreading his palm flat in mid-air.

After a while, he frowned: "It's going to rain..."

……

As the three travelers hurried toward a village ahead to take shelter from the rain, on the other side of the majestic Shade Mountains, Henry III the Oathbreaker—the supreme ruler of the empire—was slowly ascending a tall tower.

He brought no guards, no attendants, not even the priests who were usually by his side.

The staircase was dark and long, and the oathbreaker, carrying a torch, walked alone to the top of the tower.

Finally, I reached the top of the steps, pushed open the dark wooden door, and found myself in a room that was both messy and tidy.

The room was messy because it was filled with instruments, books and drafts, making it almost impossible to step inside.
The room is tidy because every instrument, every book, and every draft is clearly placed in a fixed location. Any unauthorized tidying would hinder the user from accessing the items and cause the user to experience severe anxiety and uncontrollable anger.

On the top floor of the enormous tower, the only visible household items are a bed, a square table, and a toilet.

On the square table, a small piece of leftover bread lay quietly in the middle of a silver plate, waiting for someone to come and take it away.

In stark contrast were the strange instruments, long and thick or thin, with precious colorless lenses embedded at both ends, scattered throughout the room.

In the corner of the room, an old man who was engrossed in writing calculations looked up in confusion at the newcomer.

After a brief moment of recognition, the old man saw the guest's face clearly. But he didn't get up to greet him; instead, he scratched his disheveled hair somewhat blankly and said, "So it's you."

As soon as he finished speaking, one after another, the candles and oil lamps in the room emitted light.

The charred candle wick flickered with flame, and the extinguished lamp wick reignited, illuminating the once dim and gloomy attic.

The oath-breaker left the torch outside the door and entered the room: "It is I, Professor Bonardi."

"What brings you here?" the old man asked, puzzled.

Without showing any displeasure, the oathbreaker calmly asked, "I come to ask you the whispers of the stars."

"Oh? Oh! That matter."

The old man suddenly stood up. He walked to the bookshelf, shakily searched for a moment, and took out scroll after scroll of star charts.

He laid the star chart flat on the floor and muttered to himself, "The red dragon's tail sweeps across the hunter's spear tip, Venus stands in the center of the zodiac, awaiting Mars' arrival."

The oath-breaker did not look at the star chart, but stared into the old man's eyes and asked, "Is it as the ancient books of the Seres say?"

“Yes.” The old man nodded: “Just as the records of the Seres, Saracens, and the Papacy say.”

A dripping sound came from above their heads.

"It's raining," the old man said.

……

[Hai Lan Suburbs]
Navarre Estate
Catherine Navarre lay in bed, watching the ribbons on the bedposts sway slowly in the wind.

A stout middle-aged maid knocked lightly on the door: "Miss Catherine, please come downstairs for your meal."

"I understand," Catherine replied lazily, turning over in bed.

Please come downstairs for your meal.

"I see."

The middle-aged maid persisted: "Please come downstairs for your meal."

Catherine jumped out of bed, flung open the bedroom door, and shouted angrily, "I know!"

The middle-aged maid remained composed and neither servile nor arrogant: "Please come downstairs for your meal."

“I…” Catherine’s breath hitched, and after a moment of speechlessness, she replied dejectedly, “I’ll go right away.”

"I'll be waiting for you," the middle-aged maid bowed.

Accompanied by a middle-aged maid, Catherine slowly walked down the stairs.

Since she returned home, Madame Navarre had assigned her a new personal maid. This maid carried out Madame Navarre's orders meticulously—never letting Miss Catherine out of her sight.

When Catherine arrived at the restaurant, she did not see her mother—only her sister Olivia and her grandfather were at the table.

For some reason, Catherine had always been somewhat afraid of her maternal grandfather. Upon entering the restaurant, Catherine immediately went to her grandfather's side and greeted him respectfully.

Mr. Aura, as if he had just taken a nap, peeked through a slit between his drooping eyelids. He glanced at Catherine with his blurry, presbyopic eyes and mumbled a nod.

Catherine let out a sigh of relief, returned to her seat, and casually asked her sister, "Where's Mom?"

"Mommy went out," Olivia replied in a slightly childish voice.

"What are you going out for?"

"do not know."

Just as Anna thought Catherine was inferior to her, Catherine felt the same way about her sister, and she gave a soft snort: "And what do you know?"

“I know—” Olivia deliberately dragged out the word, “She won’t let you go out.”

Just as Catherine was about to explode, she suddenly remembered that her grandfather was still there. She gripped her fork and glared fiercely at her sister.

Olivia tapped her glass in celebration, adopting the air of the head of the household, and instructed the maid in a childish voice, "Serve the meal, Miss Bethany."

A silver platter filled with food was brought to the table. Catherine casually stirred the pale red liquid in the dish with a spoon, without touching it.

The chefs at Navarre Manor were the kind you couldn't find in the remote and isolated Iron Peak County. The ingredients used at Navarre Manor were something Catherine could never enjoy at Captain M's impoverished home.

During her time in Iron Peak County, Catherine dreamed every day of the sumptuous dishes, exquisite meals, and tea parties in the small living room at home.

But when she actually left the detestable Palatour and returned to the Blue Manor, she felt that she had lost interest in everything.

She began to feel bored. The exquisite silver plate, the soft bed, the long silk dress... everything was nice, but it was all boring.

Because of her confinement, Catherine hasn't attended a ball since returning to Aurora, but she doesn't feel disappointed—being the center of attention at a ball doesn't seem so interesting anymore.

In the dead of night, Catherine would occasionally find herself in a state of horror to discover that she was actually reminiscing about the thunderous cannon fire during the Siege of Zhevodan, the feeling of the wind brushing against her cheek as she rode across the open plains, and the sense of accomplishment she felt when she and Anna finally sorted out the mountain of messy debts...

"Why aren't you eating?" Olivia asked, whether intentionally or unintentionally, "Catherine?"

“I was thinking…” Catherine stirred the clear soup in her bowl with a silver spoon and said wistfully, “Anna is probably still eating black bread.”

Olivia instinctively shrank her neck.

At Navarre Estate today, "Anna" is a taboo word, and anyone who mentions Anna Navarre will incur Madame Navarre's wrath and severe punishment.

"You...you...you..." Olivia stammered, "What did you say?"

"I said Anna is still eating black bread!" Catherine yelled at everyone, as if venting all the pent-up frustration in her chest: "And you all acted as if she didn't exist! You treated her like a dead person!"

All the servants remained silent, while Olivia screamed, "I'm going to tell my mother!" and ran out of the dining room.

Only the drowsy old Mr. Aura slowly raised his droopy eyelids, looked at Catherine seriously for the first time, and then continued to drink his soup.

“Don’t worry,” said Mr. Ola.

Just then, a servant knocked on the door and announced, "Miss Catherine, Lieutenant Don Juan has come to visit."

"Quickly, invite him in!" Catherine stood up happily, wanting to leave the table immediately.

But then she remembered that her maternal grandfather was still alive, so she tentatively looked at him.

“Go ahead,” said old Mr. Aura without looking up.

Catherine was given permission and dashed out of the restaurant like the wind.

Outside the Navarre estate, Lieutenant Don Juan looked up at the overcast sky and touched his cheek.

"It's going to rain," he muttered to himself.

……

[inland sea]
Chiliu Port
Chiliu Port has now replaced Haidong Port as the new home port for the Venetian Fleet.

Vice Admiral Antonio Serbiati, having just concluded a secret negotiation, stepped out of the cabin of the Inland Sea Fleet flagship, the Glorious, and onto the deck.

He made a decision that could affect the fate of many people, but what the outcome of this decision will be remains to be seen.

“It’s going to rain,” said Admiral Nareshaw, the second admiral to come up on deck.

……

[Republic of Monta]
[Steel Castle]
Congressman John Servit opened the window and looked out from the location of his new office, taking in the panoramic view of the Steel Castle South Shore area, which is undergoing rapid reconstruction.

He looked at the sky.

"It is going to rain."

……

[Republic of Palatine]
[Hongchuan]
News of the military coup in Guitu City has reached Hongchuan.

The military government officials have not yet reached a consensus on the potential impact of the coup; they also hold differing opinions on how to deal with it.

Military commissars from the Paratú-United Provinces border requested reinforcements, while military commissars from the north bank of the Ember River were unwilling to weaken the defenses along the river.

The surrender faction began to subtly criticize, while the radical younger generation shouted for a preemptive offensive against the United Provinces.

Listening to the endless arguments of his "subordinates" in the conference room, General Arpad Duyom looked out the window expressionlessly.

"It's going to rain."...

[Republic of Palatine]
[Kings' Castle]
Grove Magnus, the current speaker of the Second Paratun Republic, has just completed the compilation of a list.

News of the coup in Guitu City had also reached Zhuwangbao.

Upon learning of the success of the United Provinces' "allies," Grove Magnus immediately began to push forward with the plans he had already prepared.

After careful consideration, he crossed out one name from the list.

"This guy is a spineless coward," he thought. "We don't need to get rid of him for now."

A strong wind blew the window open, pulling the curtains outside. The clerk rushed into the office and frantically closed the window again.

Grove Magnus gazed out the window at the overcast sky.

"It is going to rain."

……

[United Provinces Republic]
[Guitu Castle]
[Army Headquarters Auditorium]
A victory celebration is underway, attended mostly by field officers, with a small number of lieutenant officers also in attendance.

In his address, Colonel Cornelius said: "For the past twenty-nine years, the people of the republics have always said ironically, 'The United Provinces Republic is not a country that owns the army, but an army that owns the country.'"

Cornelius looked into the excited or eager eyes of the officers below the stage, raised his glass, and said, "Good! Let them truly understand the power of the United Provinces' army!"

The next moment, the auditorium was filled with cheers.

The cheers caused a commotion that even reached the detention room beneath the auditorium.

In the solitary confinement cell, Brigadier General Barentsz, under house arrest, gazed at the narrow, gloomy sky outside the iron bars.

"It is going to rain."

……

[Tiefeng County]
[Thervordan]
"Excuse me." Richard Mason, carrying a large stack of files, carefully squeezed through the corridor filled with senior students, trying his best not to step on anyone's feet.

As they reached the end of the corridor, "Saber" Cypher spoke in a hoarse voice: "Mont..."

"I'll be right back!" Mason interrupted before the other person could finish speaking, "Don't worry, I'll be right back! Are you thirsty? Shall I get you something to drink? Or..."

“No need.” Saber Cypher waved his hand, gave Mason a deep look, and sighed, “You’ve had it tough too. I’m sorry for what’s happened to you these past few days.”

Upon hearing this, Mason suddenly felt his eyes well up with tears. He turned to look out the window and smiled, saying:
"It is going to rain."

……

[Tiefeng County]
[A pasture on the outskirts of Ghevordan]
"Turin!" Andrei stopped his horse on the hillside and roared at the top of his lungs, "Turin! Where the hell have you been?!"

Tulin, who was taking a nap, was startled awake and ran out of the woods in a panic, shouting, "Here! Here!"

"Damn it!" Andrei roared, "Where's your horse?"

Tulin was taken aback, then scratched his head: "I let it graze in the woods."

Enraged, Andrei raised his whip, and Turin shrank back in fright.

But the whip never came down—in fact, Turin knew perfectly well that as long as he pretended to be scared, he wouldn't get whipped by Lieutenant Cellini.

Andrei said fiercely, "Lose a horse! I'll give you twenty lashes!"

"Don't worry, sir," Tulin assured him, patting his chest and smiling ingratiatingly. "I know you cherish these horses; I take better care of them than I would my own mother! This winter was tough, but we made it through, didn't we? Not a single horse died! They're all green again now! So don't worry!"

"Enough with the nonsense." Andrei said sternly, "Quickly gather all the horses and take them back to the stable."

"Why bring it back to the stable?" Tulin asked, puzzled.

"Are you blind?" Andrei pointed to the sky. "It's going to rain! If any horses get sick from the rain, I'll beat you to death!"

……

[Tiefeng County]
[Heishui Town]
Having just finished inspecting the winter wheat regrowth at the migrant farm in Heishui Town that morning, Bade was galloping towards Lang Town on horseback.

"Lieutenant!" Anglu, who was accompanying them, suddenly shouted, "Wait!"

Badler stopped his horse, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's going to rain." Anglu caught up and pointed to the sky: "Let's find a place to take shelter from the rain."

Bard shook his head, cracked his whip, and set off again: "We'll talk when we get to Wolf Town."

……

[Tiefeng County]
[Shovel Harbor]
Mr. Alpha stared at the "militia" standing in crooked rows on the playground, their attitudes nonchalant, and his heart was filled with gloom.

After winter set in, the government of Jervodan was freed up to launch a sweeping anti-bandit operation within the Iron Peak County—but did not send any troops to the town of Shovel Harbor.

As a result, the bandits and robbers, having met with setbacks everywhere, flocked to Shovel Harbor. The mayor of Shovel Harbor took the opportunity to incorporate them into the militia and put them under the training of Mr. Alpha.

In the eyes of the town mayor of Chanzigang, these thugs who had seen blood were the perfect source of soldiers.

However, looking at these so-called "good soldiers" in front of him, Mr. Alpha couldn't help but wonder - could they really deal with the army of Zhevodan?
Mr. Alpha gazed at the dark clouds on the horizon.

"It is going to rain."

……

[Northwest of Tiefeng County]
[Upstream of Mirror Lake]
[A bed in the cabin of a barge]
“So…” Anna asked curiously, “What happened to Mr. Borso da Este in the end?”

Winters, who was looking through a box of drawings, asked without looking up, "Who is Borso da Este?"

Anna gave Winters a light kick: "It's White Eagle."

Winters pursed his lips: "Oh... what else can happen? Of course, it's just how it is."

"What's that like?"

“He wasn’t the mastermind, and I’ve proven he wasn’t directly involved in the arson. As for smuggling, what’s the big deal to the White Eagle family?” Winters turned a page of his sketchbook. “He’ll be released after a while. He’s a ‘noble’ White Eagle, and the Monta people can’t possibly kill him. Even if I don’t give testimony, it’ll only cause him some trouble at most.”

Winters deliberately emphasized the word "noble".

"That's good." Anna lowered her head and continued sketching lines on the paper.

Winters covered his face with the wooden box and said sourly, "Twenty-four dresses really do work."

Anna was both amused and exasperated. She gave Winters a light kick, but he pretended not to notice and continued to rustle through the animation manuscript.

Anna put down her charcoal pencil and drawing paper, propped herself up, climbed to Winters' side, and took the wooden box from his hand.

Winters wanted to hold on a little longer, but he didn't dare to exert any force.

Anna put the wooden box aside and nestled into Winters' arms.

She held her lover's chest and said softly, "You certainly wouldn't order twenty-four dresses just to please me. If it were you—you would only buy one dress at most, and then use the rest of the money to buy food and distribute it to the starving..."

“So,” Anna traced circles on Winters’ chest with her fingertips, “you’re still cuter.”

Winters held Anna in his arms, remaining silent.

"Shouldn't you say something that will move me?" Anna teased.

Winters coughed lightly. "I think I got sand in my eye."

Anna smiled faintly, pushed Winters away, and climbed back to the other side of the bed. She said playfully, "Of course, I also quite like the twenty-four dresses. At least... they're very romantic."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Winters jumped off the bed and protested loudly, "I'm not completely clueless about romance!"

"Oh?" Anna's eyes crinkled even wider with laughter. "Really?"

Furious, Winters strode out of the cabin and returned shortly afterward carrying a large wooden crate.

He placed the wooden box heavily on the table, pretending to be nonchalant, and said, "I originally planned to give you a surprise after we returned to Tiefeng County... but never mind, I'll give it to you now."

Anna opened the wooden box, and what came into view were small glass bottles filled with colorful powders. Each bottle was labeled, and the bottles were carefully separated by wooden boards and padding to prevent them from breaking due to collisions.

Lapis lazuli, hematite, orpiment, azurite, cinnabar, shell powder... these are all pigments.

"When did you buy it?" Anna asked Winters, looking up at him.

“Back in Steel Castle,” Winters turned his head and said casually, “it didn’t take much time, I just gathered all the paints available in Steel Castle…”

Before he could finish speaking, Anna pounced on him and kissed him.

The kiss lasted a long time, until there was a knock on the cabin door.

Pierre's voice came from outside the door: "Your Excellency, we have arrived at the south bank."

Winters and Anna parted ways in a flash. Winters quickly tidied himself up, walked to the door, and opened the hatch: "Have the Teldon troops arrived?"

“Our scouts ran into the Teldun scouts,” Pierre reported methodically. “They brought as many draft horses and wagons as you requested. But Teach did not appear; his son came in his place.”

"Tai Chi hasn't shown up?" Winters pondered. "The Terdun tribe is probably not at peace."

“I think so too,” Pierre nodded.

"The fleet should anchor, and the engineering team should go ashore to build a temporary dock first." Winters pondered for a moment and then gave the order: "Select a team of skilled men; I will personally go and meet with Taichi's son."

"Yes." Pierre raised his hand in salute, then turned and left.

Winters closed the hatch, turned around, and Anna was already waiting for him with her coat.

“I…” Winters was at a loss for words.

“Go ahead.” Anna helped Winters put on his coat, carefully buttoning it up, and whispered, “You were never meant to belong to me alone… I’ve known that all along.”

Winters nodded, and as one boot stepped out of the cabin, he turned around and casually asked, "By the way, where is that hunting portrait you drew for me in Qingqiu? The one with the long robe... I didn't see it in the sketchbook."

“I lost it,” Anna replied with a smile.

Winters said nothing, just nodded, and strode away.

Outside the cabin, guards fired three command shots, and the flag bearer waved a small flag to relay the order. The convoy, laden with weapons and personnel, anchored in an open area of ​​water near the south bank.

The craftsmen on board, carrying tools and equipment, disembarked in several small boats and began building a temporary dock for unloading cargo.

Winters was also on the small boat that came ashore.

Taichi's eldest son, along with a group of nobles from the Terdun tribe, was waiting for him respectfully.

“I’m back,” Winters thought.

……

[At the same time that Winters stepped onto the south bank of the Ash River]
In Fengshi City, the capital of the newly established province, another mutiny is taking place.

Essentially, the mutiny that occurred in Maplestone was an echo of the "April 1st Coup of the United Provinces".

However, its bloodshed was even greater than that of the coup that took place in Guitu.

Upon learning of the provincial coup, the "Palatu Government Army," which was originally stationed in Mirror Lake County, immediately set off secretly back to Maplestone City to launch a surprise attack on the New Reclamation Corps headquarters.

With the help of traitors, government forces captured the gates of Maple Leaf Fortress, the headquarters of the New Reclamation Corps, without lifting a finger.

Fully armed government soldiers then stormed Maple Leaf Fortress and ruthlessly killed any New Reclamation Corps soldiers who did not surrender immediately.

Throughout Maple Leaf Fortress, the sounds of blades clashing and gunfire erupted as newly reclaimed soldiers clashed with bloodthirsty government troops, their screams and wails filling the air.

Inside a spacious office at Maple Leaf Fortress, Major General Kevin J. Adams, commander of the New Reclamation Regiment, was waiting for someone to knock on the door.

The dull sound of footsteps penetrated the walls and came from the corridor.

Without knocking, the door was pushed open, and a colonel strode into the office—it was Colonel Sanel, the government army commander stationed in Mirrorlake County.

Major General Adams nodded, seemingly unsurprised.

The government of Kingsburg had sent troops to assist the New Reclamation Corps in resisting the raids by the Telden tribe, but after repelling the Telden raiders, the troops they sent were stationed in Mirrorlake County and never withdrew.

The person who followed Colonel Sanel into the office had a face that Major General Adams recognized very well.

Colonel Chloe Toril, the Legion Administrator—he was the one who had piqued Major General Adams's curiosity, but now all of Major General Adams's questions had been answered.

"So it was you," Adams said with relief.

Before the major general could ask, Colonel Chloe offered his reasoning. He licked his lips and earnestly said, "General, the New Reclamation Army's wavering state cannot continue. Otherwise, when the war breaks out again, we will surely become victims caught in the middle."

"Oh." Adams took a sip of his drink.

"The government of the Castle of Kings is the legitimate government of Palatour." Chloe hesitated for a moment, gritted her teeth, and said helplessly, "This state of division cannot last forever. We will eventually have to choose sides, and we must choose the victor's side! Besides... we are too close to the Castle of Kings and too far from General Alpad—we really have no choice!"

"Oh." General Adams took another sip of his drink.

Colonel Sanel glanced at the half-empty wine bottle on the table, scoffed inwardly, and interrupted Chloe, saying coldly, "It seems... you have a very clear understanding of the current situation."

Adams ignored Sanel and poured himself another glass of wine.

“Have your men surrender, and I guarantee you a glorious retirement, continuing to enjoy the benefits and pension of a general.” Colonel Sanel chuckled. “You can take all the wealth you’ve amassed over the years to Kingsburg and live the life of a rich man. This is not my promise, but Speaker Grove Magnus’s promise.”

Adams paused for a moment, then spoke in a hoarse voice: "My men, after they surrender... do not kill them. You have already won; there is no need to kill any more."

"Please rest assured," Colonel Sanel said with a smile, "We guarantee the safety of the prisoners, although their military careers may be coming to an end. We will also guarantee your safety, you can..."

“Chloe Toril.” Adams didn’t even glance at Sanel, his gaze fixed intently on Chloe.

Colonel Chloe felt extremely uncomfortable: "Yes, sir."

“You fucking idiot!” Kevin J. Adams slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted with rage. “Grove Magnus is a traitor! A viper! A sellout! And you’re completely oblivious! Legitimate government? Bullshit! If Grove Magnus ever wins, the Republic of Palatine will cease to exist!”

Colonel Chloe was so startled by the sudden appearance of the major general that she took a half step back.

Colonel Sanel stood in front of Chloe, frowning, and addressed Adams: "General, I understand your feelings. But don't humiliate yourself any further. Surrender while you still have the dignity."

"Surrender? Surrender?! You think I'm a spineless traitor? You want me to surrender to the viper who betrayed Plato?" Adams laughed, his expression suddenly turning ferocious.
"dream!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kevin J. Adams picked up the revolver from his knee, put the muzzle in his mouth, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Click."

The mechanism fell, the spring wheel spun, and a flash of light appeared.

"boom!"

Major General Adams had a gruesome wound ripped open at the back of his head, splattering red and white viscous substances all over the wall behind him. His body slumped backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

The officers in the room were shocked, puzzled, and looked at each other in disbelief. No one had expected that this "fence-sitter" would choose to commit suicide in such a tragic way.

Colonel Sanel wiped the blood from his face, remained silent for a moment, then took off his clothes and covered General Adams's mutilated face.

Chloe, as if waking from a dream, rushed over and frantically checked the major general's last vital signs, as if she believed there was still a glimmer of hope that he could survive.

But he quickly stopped, because Kevin J. Adams was undoubtedly dead.

"At least he died like a soldier," Sanel commented briefly.

Upon hearing Sanel's words, Colonel Chloe jumped up and punched him in the face.

"Die like a soldier? What the hell do you know?" Colonel Chloe roared in grief and indignation as the other officers grabbed him. "With Adams dead, every single officer in the New Reclamation Regiment! Every single one of them has a reason to rebel! The New Reclamation will be a river of blood!"

At the same time, a thunderclap boomed in the sky.

Raindrops the size of peas were pelted onto Maple Leaf Castle, Maple Stone City, the newly reclaimed lands, Palatour, and every piece of land in the Cynas Alliance.

It's raining—no, it's not just raining, the monsoon has arrived!
The farmers of Palatine have sown the seeds and are waiting for them to sprout new life.

On the other side of the ocean, merchant ships laden with silk and spices are about to return home.

The monsoon has arrived, bringing rainfall, life, and new hope.

(End of this volume)

The Monsoon Chronicle has come to a successful conclusion!
[Thank you all for your patience and support over the past year. Thank you for reading this story. Thank you, thank you so much! 〒▽〒]

[There are no pirates, because I calculated that it's not the monsoon season for pirates. However, they won't be forgotten; their stories will be presented separately.]
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(End of this chapter)