Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 476 Blazing Flames (Part 1)

[Veneta]
[Sea Blue]
The blazing sun hangs high in the sky, indifferently baking everything on the earth.

The heatwave surged, enveloping the city in billowing steam, which even the monsoon, which arrived as scheduled, could not dispel.

The once bustling Hailan Harbor, teeming with boats and throngs of people, is now deserted and desolate.

Three-masted ships filled the dock berths, but there were no dockworkers to be seen on the pier.

Only a few seagulls remained circling above the anchorage, lingering there, futilely searching for any remaining scraps of food to fill their bellies.

News of the Allied forces crossing the Benliu River spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Hailan.

Long ago, many people of the Sea Blue people predicted that this day would surely come;
For a long time, many people at Hailan have been looking forward to this day.

But when the "allies" actually crossed that non-existent border, Hailan fell into an unusual silence.

The dark clouds on the horizon are already clearly visible. Every Hailan person understands where the road beneath their feet will lead, but people can never know if they are ready—until it is too late to turn back.

Amidst whispers, the people of Hailan awaited the Governor's response.

……

A horse-drawn carriage departed from Haidong Port and slowly traveled along the coastal road.

A small cavalry unit from the Eastern Camp was already waiting halfway there. The leading officer politely confirmed the identities of the passengers in the carriage, and then escorted the carriage to continue towards Hailan City.

The carriage was plain in design: black paint, without any emblems or markings.

The horses pulling the carriage were ordinary, unremarkable steeds. On the contrary, the cavalrymen escorting the carriage rode sleek, strong, and slender horses, all top-quality Platonic steeds.

In the past, the appearance of such a carriage, which deliberately concealed its identity, on the streets of Hailan would definitely attract the attention of passersby.

But now the situation is different—even though the flames of war have not spread to Veneta, the fashion of Aquamarine has inevitably been affected.

Because the war was no longer just a few words from the distant frontier; it truly affected the lives of every Venetian.

The inland sea, once bustling with thousands of sails, now sees only a few boats.

The provincial and Venetian navies, under the pretext of searching for smuggled goods, arbitrarily detained ships flying the "Allied" flag. This made the inland sea more dangerous than during the height of Tanirian piracy. Without naval escort, no merchant ship dared to leave port easily.

The looms and spinning wheels that once brought Veneta immense wealth are now covered in dust.

Millions of weavers were reduced to abject poverty overnight, with only a lucky few able to leave the city and seek refuge with relatives and friends. The vast majority had nowhere to go and nowhere to go.

Desperate weavers either flocked to the port to compete with the foreigners who occupied the docks for the already scarce bread;

Or they wander in squares and dark alleys, forced to sell their bodies and beg on the streets to support their children;
Others received resettlement allowances from recruiters and resolutely headed to Taniria, hoping to find a glimmer of hope in unfamiliar land.

Anger and violence are growing in people's hearts. In the city of Hyland alone, the number of murders in the past month has exceeded the number of heinous crimes that once occurred in a quarter in Veneta.

Every morning, mutilated corpses are transported out of the city and hastily buried in the mass graves in the west of the city.

Merchants tightened their purse strings, no longer buying easily; farmers hoarded their grain, afraid to sell casually. This back and forth pushed flour prices to new highs, making people's lives even more difficult.

In this context, the aesthetic preferences of wealthy people have unconsciously shifted towards conservatism and understated style.

The peach-pink silk was tucked away at the bottom of the trunk, while deep black velvet became the new fashion.
Simple and safe horse-drawn carriages are now more popular, while the flamboyant open-top vehicles of the past are nowhere to be found.

So when the cavalry escorted the carriage through the streets of Hailan, the cavalrymen who attracted the most attention were not the carriage itself.

……

The carriage that departed from Haidong Port eventually stopped outside the side gate of the Vineta Army Headquarters.

The driver jumped down from his seat, set out a footstool, and opened the carriage door. His obsequious manner was so extreme that it disgusted Colonel Kara, who had come to greet the guest.

A man in his early thirties was the first to step down from the carriage.

The man in his thirties was well-proportioned, handsome, with a neatly groomed beard, and his clothes and boots were spotless.

He clicked his tongue as he surveyed the magnificent army headquarters in the distance, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Sure enough, the more you lack something, the more you want to flaunt it."

“We can’t be too demanding of the nouveau riche’s aesthetic sense.” A cold voice came from the carriage, and another middle-aged man with one eye and missing finger stepped off the carriage: “Captain Pisani.”

“You are absolutely right.” The man in his thirties nodded with an air of elegance. “I was being presumptuous, Captain Thier.”

Upon hearing this, Colonel Kara, who had arrived at the side gate to wait ahead of time, flew into a rage, his grip on the hilt of his sword almost watering.

However, from beginning to end, neither of the two men who got off the carriage gave Colonel Kara a serious look.

"enough."

The last passenger—an elderly man with graying temples and eyebrows—stepped off the carriage.

The old man was tall and sturdy, with the thickness of his chest and back almost matching the width of his shoulders.

Although the lack of sunburn on his skin indicated that he had been away from the wind and waves of the sea for a long time, his gaze remained as sharp as a lookout's. His legs, just as they had when he stood on the deck, steadily supported his body.

Colonel Kara, in return, ignored the two men who had disembarked first and walked straight to the old man. The colonel did not salute, but merely nodded in greeting: "General Dandolo, welcome. Please follow me."

The old man lowered his eyelids slightly.

Colonel Kara turned and beckoned, and the side gates of the "Royal Palace" immediately opened to both sides. Although there was no military music or ceremonial guards, the guards, with their boots pressed together, saluted in unison with their halberds raised.

Captain Pisani watched the army's "mini-performance" with great interest, then smiled at his companions.

[Tie] kept a straight face, still without any expression.

General Dandolo nodded, and led by Colonel Kara, the three of them entered the Army Headquarters.

……

[Second floor of Army Headquarters]
[Office of the Horse Administration Department]
Colonel Bozukhov, the office's owner, leaned against the windowsill, holding a cup, and coldly gazed out the window.

The door was pushed open, and a captain led a warrant officer in a brand-new uniform inside.

Before the two had fully entered the office, the captain introduced them with great enthusiasm: "Colonel, this year's assigned probationary officer is Paulino, Warrant Officer Paulino Como."

He put his arm around the warrant officer's shoulder and enthusiastically introduced him to his junior: "This is Colonel Bozukhov—if all goes well, you'll be spending the next year with the two of us."

Lieutenant Colonel Como still had the youthful innocence of a military officer fresh out of college. He immediately dropped his gear and gave a sharp salute: "Colonel."

Bozukhov waved his hand helplessly and gave a perfunctory salute: "Close the door."

The door was closed again, blocking the clerk's eyes and ears, leaving only the officers in the office.

“This year…560…” Colonel Bozukhov looked at the ceiling, calculating to himself, “Then you are the…”

“The 24th class,” Warrant Officer Komo answered first, then added somewhat embarrassedly, “But including the preparatory course, I only studied in Guitu City for four years. My second and third years were at the new Army Academy in Hailan.”

Colonel Bozuhoff sighed: "A year counts too."

He took out a new cup, poured some dark liquid from an exquisite silver pot on the windowsill, and gestured for the warrant officer to come to his side.

Colonel Bozukhov said with great sadness, "You are the last generation. The last generation of Vineta officers who graduated from the orthodox Army Academy. After you, no more Vinetas will ever walk out of the school established by the old Marshal."

Lieutenant Colonel Como held his cup, unsure how to respond.

The captain, who had led Warrant Officer Como inside, tried to ease the tension. He took the silver cup from his junior and looked at the colonel with a reproachful gaze: "It's still morning, and you're already drinking?"

“This isn’t alcohol.” Colonel Bozukhov, who was close to the captain, wasn’t offended and explained casually, “It’s a new thing from the Far East called [coffee].

The captain took a sip with some skepticism, then immediately spat the cup back out: "What the hell!"

Colonel Bozuhoff had no interest in explaining the energizing effects of coffee to his adjutant, as he was consumed by grief and indignation: "Letting the provincial barbarians steal the old marshal's legacy! Allowing the Grand Vinetta's army to become the 'Navy's Army'! Signing a humiliating budget! Putting all that aside—and then allowing the Navy to walk right into our house? What is that old man, Zio, thinking?!"

The warrant officer dared not speak.

The captain, however, was unfazed. He asked, puzzled, "The Navy? Where?"

"Isn't it right there?" Colonel Bozukhov casually pointed downwards.

The captain immediately moved closer to the window, and Warrant Officer Como followed suit.

The two men happened to witness Colonel Kara leading three men in civilian clothes up the steps and disappearing from their sight.

The captain pulled himself back from the window and asked the colonel, "Colonel Kara brought those three guys?"

“Just look at those three bald men,” Colonel Bozuhoff sneered. “I wouldn’t be wrong about their origins.”

"Why is the admiral bringing the navy to the palace?" The captain asked skeptically. "To borrow ships? Are you determined to send troops? Why haven't we heard anything about it?"

Colonel Bozuhoff ignored his adjutant, slammed his cup down, stood before the newly arrived warrant officer, stared intently into his eyes, and asked in a deep voice, "Warrant officer, answer me. Who is the primary enemy of us—the army personally established by Marshal Ned Smith, the most esteemed Army of the Venetia Republic?"

The warrant officer instinctively replied, "The Empire!"

Colonel Bozukhov let out a cold snort.

“Then…” the warrant officer’s shoulders slumped, and he asked humbly and cautiously, “Is it the United Provinces?”

Colonel Bozukhov frowned and looked at his adjutant with an unfriendly expression: "Are you ostracizing juniors who didn't graduate from the Army Academy?"

"How could that be?!" the captain cried out, accusing the captain of being wronged.

Colonel Bozukhov crossed his arms: "Then why weren't the things that should have been taught taught properly?!"

Upon hearing this, the captain lightly kicked the warrant officer and coughed to remind him.

"Oh! That's it! I remember now!" The warrant officer exclaimed as if struck by a sudden realization, "The Navy! Our primary enemy is the Navy!"

“That’s right!” Colonel Bozukhov grabbed the warrant officer’s shoulders and warned through gritted teeth, “Navy! Remember! Navy!”

[Sorry, I wasn't feeling well the past few days. But I'm fine today.]
[Additional Explanation: Venetta's Land-Sea Conflict]
The Venetians often complain that the elitist army still retains a strong aristocratic character, but they never complain about the navy, because the Venetian navy has always been an aristocratic force.
[Army schools select students through open examinations; in theory, all Venetians need to become army officers is a bright mind.]
[For Venetians to become naval officers, it's not just about ability, but also family background, money, and a strong guarantor.]
[Hailan, who rose to power from the commune, had no land available for agricultural development, nor a strict distinction between knights and serfs, so there was no feudal aristocracy in the true sense.]
[Replacing the feudal aristocracy in occupying the ruling class niche were wealthy merchants and ship captains.]
[Business oligarchs are the dukes and marquises of Hailan, captains who brave the waves are the knights of Hailan, the deck is Hailan's land, and money is the foundation upon which Hailan survives.]
[The Aquaman cannot tolerate nobles who monopolize power, just as they cannot tolerate defeated naval commanders, yet they do indeed grant captains and commercial oligarchs a near-aristocratic status.]
[When Hailan took a giant step forward and became the most prestigious Republic of Veneta, these traditions naturally continued into the new republic.]
[Therefore, Venetta's conflict between the sea and land was not only due to a struggle for the budget, but also reflected the natural antagonism between the commoners and the aristocracy, and between the new and the old elites.]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)