Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 477 Blazing Flames (Part Two)

The conflict between the Army and Navy systems in Venetia has a long history. The usually aloof "golden caps" and "big boots" arguing heatedly in the City Hall is quite a spectacle.

In a sense, the entire Republic of Venetia has passed through thirty years in this noisy, merchant-guild-like atmosphere, with some close calls but no real danger.

As the saying goes, rivals last longer than friends. Over the years, army and navy officers have become accustomed to an atmosphere of mutual contempt and competition. Under the overarching principle of fighting without breaking ties, they can occasionally still stage some tacit cooperation.

However, in the last three years, the hostility between the Army and the Navy has reached a new peak.

In the year 558 of the Imperial Calendar, after the consul de Bella declared that "the conquest of Taneria has been a complete victory."

Ignoring the overwhelming criticism and opposition, the Naval and Maritime Trade Committee of the Republic of Venetia (hereinafter referred to as the Maritime Committee) passed the plan to establish a third "Great Fleet" in the province of Utanilla in the five-member council.

Immediately afterwards, at the annual budget preparation meeting, the Maritime Commission forcefully pushed through the first and second readings of the astonishingly large "Naval Armament Supplement Plan of the Twenty-Eighth Year of the Republic".

In the final public vote, while all the representatives from the Army system voted against it, the participants from the Third Army Corps cast the decisive vote in favor.

The debate between "slow shipbuilding" and "rapid shipbuilding" has thus come to an end.

Rebuilding naval power rapidly, at any cost, became a guiding principle for Vinetta at the national level.

On the naval front, the addition of a new main fleet has created a large number of vacancies overnight.

The large number of naval trainee officers and junior officers who had been toiling away on the deck for many years finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and naturally there was jubilation.

As for the army, due to the massive amount of bonds issued by the Governor-General to raise funds for shipbuilding, the army's military spending will be significantly reduced in the coming years or even decades, and the resulting discontent and resentment within the military can be imagined.

The Third Army Corps' "betrayal" still lingers in the minds of many army officers.

In order to quickly bring the Taniri Fleet, which existed only on paper, into combat capability—and to appease public anger—the drafter and promoter of the new fleet plan, the high-ranking commander of the Inland Sea Fleet, [Reñero de Narecio], voluntarily resigned from his post.

Admiral Nareshah left the center of power and exiled himself to the Taniri Islands, becoming the "lone commander" of the newly established Grand Fleet.

Martino Dandolo, the former deputy commander of the Inland Sea Fleet, was promoted to commander of the Inland Sea Fleet and admiral.

In other words, Martino Dandolo's appearance at Army Headquarters signifies the first visit by a naval officer of fleet commander rank since the "Royal Palace" was completed.

It has been three years since the last time a naval officer stepped into the "Imperial Palace".

Last time—on the eve of the Tanilia War—the Military Council held a meeting at Army Headquarters, with four brigadier generals from the Naval Command in attendance. Admiral Zio ordered the "Throne Room" to be opened as a sign of goodwill.

This time, Admiral Dandolo, who was of a higher rank, was not invited to the luxuriously decorated conference room on the fourth floor of the Army Headquarters. Instead, the Army Colonel in charge of receiving him led him directly to the stairwell leading to the underground building.

Although [Vetor Pisani] had doubts, he did not ask any questions.

As the least senior captain among the three, and also as the "Pisani" who bears the glorious surname, Vitor cannot afford to be intimidated.

So, Vitor shrugged and followed the army colonel into the underground of the "palace" with a smile.

After passing through three security gates, descending two flights of stairs, and traversing a dark and damp corridor, the army colonel led the three visitors to the door of a basement.

The colonel pulled open the heavy wooden door, which was covered with felt and sheet metal, and a strong smell of herbs immediately wafted out, causing Wittor to cough.

He turned to look at Captain Thier and Commander Dandolo, and saw that both of them had their brows furrowed.

When the oak door was fully opened by the army colonel, a small room came into Vittor's view.

At the far end of the small room, six rows of sealed filing cabinets for storing important documents were placed against the wall. In the narrow space between the filing cabinets and the door, a simple table, barely larger than the door panel, was temporarily set up.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, and a dignified demeanor, sat behind a table, resting with his eyes closed.

A burly, imposing middle-aged man sat impatiently to the left of the old man, fiddling with his ring.

The man's shirt was unbuttoned up to his chest, revealing a thick layer of hair, yet it was still about to burst through his uniform.

When the door was opened, he merely glanced coldly at the four people outside, then continued to twirl the "Ring of the Great Alliance" on his finger.

To the right of the old man sat another dignified middle-aged man, who was flipping through the documents on the table.

After the door opened, the middle-aged man put down the file in his hand and smiled and nodded at the three people outside the door.

Even without the army colonel in charge of receiving him, Vitor Pisani recognized the three men in front of him:
The old man sitting in the middle is the Clerk, one of the five members of the Council of Five, and a General in the Army [Carlo Zio];

The burly man to Carlo Zio's left is Major General Rost Leighton, who rose to prominence during the conquest of Taneria.

The middle-aged general to Carlo Zio's right is Major General Jacob de Bar, commander of the Fourth "Florence" Legion.

Compared to the three army generals, the fourth army officer sitting at the edge of the simple table attracted more attention from Wettor—because the man was clearly wearing a field officer's uniform.

Compared to the chairs the generals sat on, the colonel only had a stool under his bottom. His hands were stiffly placed on his knees, his shoulders were tense, and his expression was more awkward than uneasy.

Upon seeing Vitor Pisani and the others outside the door, the officer breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders slightly.

Since the commander of the "Florence" legion was in the room, Vitor guessed that the officer must be a representative of General Antonio Serbiati, the commander of the "Grand Vinetta" legion.

But now is not a good time to ask questions.

The army colonel in charge of receiving them raised his hand in salute to the generals in the basement and stopped outside the door.

Vitor, unmoved by the army's display of force, smiled at his two companions and strolled into the room.

The heavy oak door closed again, shutting out all sound.

Vitor Pisani casually tossed his tricorn hat onto the table, pulled out chairs for his two older colleagues, and asked with a leisurely air, "You invited us to Army Headquarters, asked us to dress in civilian clothes, but sent such a conspicuous cavalry escort? You are indeed a respectable army colleague; you always manage to do things in ways that are hard to understand."

The three army generals frowned. The field officer sitting to the side, who had just relaxed his shoulders, unconsciously hunched them back down.

"There is a reason why I have invited you all here."

Rear Admiral Barr responded politely, placing the documents he was holding back into the file box, and then pushing the wooden box in front of the three naval officers:

"Because these documents—which we wish to show you—are classified with the highest level of secrecy. According to the Army Secrecy Regulations, they cannot be accessed or discussed outside this archive. To be honest, even within the Army, very few people have access to the archive, and only a handful of officers know the contents of these documents. Your presence here signifies our utmost sincerity."

Vitor raised an eyebrow, about to speak, but Captain Thier, sitting on the other side, spoke first.

Lorenzo Thier didn't even look at the wooden box. He stared at the three army officers in front of him and asked coldly, "After all that nonsense, you still have to show it to us in the end?"

Upon hearing this, Rost Layton, who was already suppressing his anger, finally lost his temper and slammed his fist on the table, saying, "You've probably gotten used to being kings on the ship! But we in the army have rules and regulations!"

Vitor Pisani immediately retorted: "So the army's rules are to smear butter on fatty pork and mix mud into dog shit?"

"[Vulgar language]!" Layton was furious.

Vitor retorted, "[The old-fashioned version of vulgar language]!"

"Enough!" General Zio roared angrily, "Stop making a fool of yourself!"

The people in the archives nearly had their eardrums ruptured by the deafening sound. It was hard to imagine that such a booming voice came from such a thin, elderly man. Layton gritted his teeth, righted the chair he had kicked over, and sat down angrily.

“Your safety will be guaranteed,” Carlo Zio said succinctly. “It was António’s request.”

“That’s right,” a colonel whispered in agreement. “Lieutenant General Serbiati attaches great importance to your safety. The cavalry escorting you are also from the Third Army Corps.”

Thier squinted as he sized up the officer.

"This is Colonel Sebastian Vauban," Rear Admiral Bar introduced to the naval officers. "He is General Serbiati's representative. General Serbiati deserves much credit for our frankness with our esteemed naval colleagues."

“We are willing to come to your ‘palace’,” Vitor Pisani scoffed, “not because of Antonio Serbiati, but because of Lord Narecio’s influence.”

Jacob de Barre remarked meaningfully, "It seems we all have some 'pacifists' among us, don't we?"

The major general emphasized the word "pacifist," which drew a snort from another major general standing next to him—Rost Layton.

"Let's get the important things done first," General Zio said, ending the heated debate in the archives.

Vitor Pisani and Captain Thier exchanged glances, and finally Vitor reached out and took the file box, distributing the documents inside to his colleagues.

The Army's top-secret documents are all bound with thick cardboard.

The cover only shows the serial number and security classification. The first page lists the recipients, the second page provides a summary of the contents, and the next page contains the original document pasted onto the paper.

The first file that Vitor received immediately caught his attention.

The overview on the second page indicates that the archives contain information about the imperial family's routine winter hunting ceremony on the Castilian Peninsula last winter.

Turning the page further, there are three original documents, all of which are handwritten copies with messy handwriting.

The first original document is a record of the imperial family's hunting during a winter hunt;
The second original document is a bill for the consumption of wine, meat, and flour by the Imperial Palace during the winter hunt;
The third original document is the shortest, but it records Henry the Sun IV's eating habits and behavior during his stay in Castile.

This intelligence was invaluable, given that the survival of the empire and the fate of the alliance largely depended on the life and health of Henry IV.

Vitor was disappointed to find that the false emperor's health still showed no signs of deterioration.

During the winter hunt in Castile, the false emperor's personal catch included two deer, a bear, and several foxes and wild boars.

According to the report, the false emperor slept only six hours a day, rising at dawn to run, ride horses, practice swordsmanship, and then handle official business. He took turns having lunch with the Castilian lords at noon, received petitioners in the afternoon, continued official business in the evening, and finally went to bed. This routine continued daily during the winter hunt.

The false emperor had no entertainment outside of public events and did not drink alcohol unless absolutely necessary. Even the report's author was amazed by the false emperor's seemingly inexhaustible energy and superhuman efficiency.

The only thing in the archives that brought Vitor any joy was the record of the false emperor's nightlife.

According to the reporter's records, aside from handling official business, the false emperor had no nightlife. He also did not sleep with the empress, at least not even once during the winter hunt.

Vitor couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth. He turned back to the first page, wanting to see who was observing the daily routines of the imperial family so closely, but he only saw a code name—"Cat".

He shook his head, placed the file in front of Admiral Dandolo, and then took another file out of the box.

Upon opening the cover and glancing at the first line of text, Vitor's brow immediately furrowed.

The second file he received was a statistical report.

A statistical report on logging permits issued by the Governor-General's Office in the Northern Territory of the Empire.

Six years ago, the Imperial Navy and the Fleet of the Fremans clashed in a fierce battle in the Far East. The sea turned color, and the wreckage of the ships burned for a full day and night.

This time, the Royal Navy washed away the humiliation of thirty years ago, destroying the Sultan's fleet in one fell swoop and successfully recapturing Rhodes.

The official Imperial report detailed every sunken or captured warship in the Freyman Navy, but remained tight-lipped about the losses suffered by the Royal Navy.

Since the main form of naval warfare in the Far East was boarding combat, and the main warships of the Royal Navy and the Fryman Navy were galleys and very large galleys, victory was often achieved by the sailors of one ship killing the sailors of another ship, which was extremely brutal.

Based on the Royal Navy's post-war patrol situation, the Venetian Navy internally assessed that the Imperial Royal Navy had lost at least half of its combat power, otherwise it would never have stopped at Rhodes Island.

But that was six years ago. The immediate priority for the Venetian Navy is to understand the current size of the Royal Navy—and more importantly, its future size.

Any intelligence that the Venetta Navy desires will be strictly guarded by the Imperial Navy. Therefore, so far, the Venetta Naval Committee's investigation into the Imperial Navy's shipbuilding plans has been like the blind men and the elephant.

At this moment, this unconventional "logging permit statistics" in the Army's classified archives caught the eye of Wertor Pisani.

With the successive fall of the northern kingdoms, the vast treasures of the primeval forests on the southern coast of the Narrow Sea fell entirely into the hands of the Empire.

According to Army intelligence, the Imperial Northern Governor's Office has issued logging permits for at least 60,000 oak trees over 100 years old in the past two years to "replenish the timber reserves of the Royal Shipyards."

Another order copied in the archives shows that the vassal emperor's Minister of the Navy had approved the First Royal Shipyard's request to "use timber that has not been completely air-dried" to meet "His Majesty's schedule requirements."

Vitor had no doubt that those towering oak and needlewood trees would eventually become the warships of the false emperor.

A rough calculation is all it takes: the flagship of the Inland Sea Fleet, the Glorious, used approximately 1,200 century-old Platteau oaks; the felling of 60,000 mature oak trees means that at least 50 warships of the Glorious class will eventually be launched.

Furthermore, the materials used in the Glorious far exceed those of conventional warships. If hardwood and softwood were used together to build the warships, the 60,000 oak trees could ultimately produce far more than 50 warships.

Moreover, judging from the description on page two, the Army's logging permit statistics are compiled from the bottom up, not the top down. The actual number of logging permits issued must exceed the number counted by the Army.

After the kingdoms on the southern shore of the Narrow Sea fell, the "heretic kingdoms" on the northern shore of the Narrow Sea also bowed their heads to the false emperor, meaning that the empire could still obtain high-quality timber from the north of the Narrow Sea.

The scale of the Royal Navy's shipbuilding program will be more terrifying than the boldest imagination.

Vitor Pisani cleared his throat and handed the file in his hand to General Dandolo.

“Your Excellency,” Vitor said calmly, trying not to appear nervous, “you need to take a look at this.”

General Dandolo silently took the file.

Vitor then took the documents from the general's hand, as if they were merely exchanging and reading them.

He glanced quickly at the newly acquired army files. The description on the second page was quite intimidating: a top-secret memorandum concerning the "future foreign policy of the Empire," submitted to the Emperor by the Imperial Foreign Minister Barrec de Champagne at the request of the puppet emperor.

Vitor quickly skimmed through the handwritten memorandum obtained by the army.

"[Old saying] Politics and trade mean that the Fremen (Sarasans) are natural allies of the Cynas Alliance," Champagne writes. "[Old saying] The Cynas Alliance is located on the edge of the continent, making it easier for them to gain benefits from the outer regions. Therefore, the alliance between the Cynas Alliance and the Fremen is predictable. The Empire must return to its traditional policy of containing the westward expansion of the Saracens and dividing the two mountain passes. When the Empire and the Cynas Alliance are at war again in the future, it must ensure that the lords of the broken lands become allies of the Empire..."

“A cliché,” Vitor thought to himself, scoffing. “Nothing new.”

He closed the cover again and put the top-secret Army document back into the file box.

At the same time, Martino Dandolo also finished reading the statistical report submitted by Vitor.

The admiral removed his glasses, pondered for a moment, and looked at Carlo Zio in front of him with his still bright eyes, asking in a hoarse voice, "So, let's look at these, why?"

Dandolo was greeted by the equally piercing eyes of an army general, and a resounding reply: "To prevent you from making mistakes!"

[Many thanks to reader 【凯风晴】 for being the patron of this book!]
[Recommended reading by a fellow reader: "The Kingdom of Bachina"]
[Supplementary Note: Naval Ranks]
Both army and navy ranks evolved from job duties. Army and navy ranks are not equivalent.
[Admiral - Fleet Commander]
[Vice Admiral - Deputy Fleet Commander]
[Rear Admiral - Commander of the Rearguard Fleet]
[Recommodore - Commander of a detachment]
[The Venetian Navy's ranks are not as systematic as those of modern navies and are still in an incomplete state. Therefore, Venetian Navy ranks are both positions and ranks. Promotion is based on position, and retirement is based on rank.]
[In principle, the Vinnetta Navy operates on a one-person-one-position system. That is, a vice admiral can only be promoted to admiral once a fleet commander's position becomes vacant.]
[However, ranks already conferred will not be revoked unless punished. That is, even if a naval admiral leaves office, he retains his rank.]
(End of this chapter)