Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 479 Blazing Flames (Part 4)

[Hai Lan Suburbs]
Navarre Estate
Unlike the sweltering heat of Aquamarine, the Navarre Estate, located in the suburbs, is pleasant and cool.

The artificial gardens surrounding the main house kept out the heat and hustle and bustle, and the evening breeze rustled through the trees, creating a serene and tranquil scene reminiscent of bygone days—except for the mercenaries hired to guard the estate.

The deterioration of security in the Hailan urban area has also changed the lives of the wealthy people living in suburban estates.

Some families dug out their most treasured weapons and armor, arming their servants and employees for self-protection; others abandoned their comfortable suburban estates and chose to move back to their cramped old houses in the city.

After a rumor about a family being wiped out by bandits spread to Hailan, the wealthy became even more generous in paying people to wield swords for them.

Mercenary groups are thriving again, with reputable and highly skilled mercenaries in high demand. Even dock gangs have gotten involved, transforming themselves into semi-openly operating violence rental groups.

Ordinary people who don't have the spare money to hire thugs to protect themselves naturally direct their anger and resentment towards the Directory and the Venetta Army, who are supposed to protect the public.

Representatives from other cities vehemently criticized the inaction of the Governorate and the Army in the Grand Council, and more than one autonomous city of Veneta began to expand its city guard.

However, none of this affected the dinner at the Navarre estate tonight—Madame Navarre hosted a private banquet to entertain her business partner [Fernando Leo], who had traveled a long way from Palatour to return.

The atmosphere at the dinner party was harmonious at first.

Mr. Leo, a portly man, was always humorous. He recounted his experiences along the way in vivid detail, which made Olivia Navarre, the third daughter of the Navarre family, sometimes cover her mouth in amazement and sometimes giggle.

Even Madame Navarre was captivated by Mr. Leo's story and nodded frequently.

At the dinner table, only Catherine Navarre and Mrs. Navarre's father, Mr. Dan Ora, remained unmoved.

As a witness to many stories, the former naturally carries a sense of pride, as if he knows more than you do, when facing others.

The latter, however, sat at the head of the table, oblivious to everyone else, intently drinking the soup that was served with every meal, like a frozen lake that could not be disturbed even by a howling wind.

However, as the conversation inevitably touched upon the name of the host, a name that could not be mentioned at the Navarre estate, the atmosphere at the banquet began to turn somewhat strange.

Finally, Olivia Navarre couldn't hold back any longer.

The young woman, who had just entered the social scene, leaned forward with her long, swan-like neck, completely unaware that her pendant had fallen into the soup bowl in front of her.

Ignoring her mother's expression, she mustered her courage and asked Mr. Leo the question that had puzzled her for so long:

"Why a wolf of all? Aren't wolves bad animals? There are so many good animals, lions, eagles, whales... why a wolf of all all? How could they call that person a 'wolf'?"

Mr. Leo, sitting opposite the girl, put down his cutlery, wiped his mouth clean, and replied seriously, "You should know, Miss Olivia, Lord Montagne's 'honorific title' did not come from a friend, but from an enemy."

To be precise, it comes from the Hurd people. In their eyes, wolves are both greedy and cruel beasts, and powerful and resilient predators. The Hurd people both hate and revere wolves, so it's not hard to understand why they bestowed such an honorific title upon His Excellency Montagne. Don't you think so?

On the other side of the table, Mrs. Navarre and Catherine both frowned.

However, Olivia Navarre was so engrossed in the pleasure of having her curiosity satisfied that she was completely oblivious to the displeasure emanating from her mother and sister.

"I see!" The girl clapped her hands happily, then asked curiously, "So... does that person like the... this honorific title the Hed people gave him?"

"Who is Lord Montagne? How could he care what his defeated opponent calls him? Naturally, he has no reason to like or dislike him."

Mr. Leo then changed the subject, smiling broadly, and said, "However, the awe of an enemy usually speaks more of a person's achievement than the praise of a friend. So His Excellency Montagne's men accepted the title 'Blood Wolf' with respect, and that title has stuck ever since."

Olivia suddenly understood and nodded vigorously.

Mr. Leo then emphasized: "However, on formal occasions, His Excellency Montagne has chosen the winged lion as the emblem and flag of his own. This is enough to show that His Excellency Montagne has always been one of us, Hailan people, and this has never changed—although he is thousands of miles away, he will never forget his homeland."

The girl's eyes welled up with tears. She suddenly put down her cutlery, jumped up from her chair, and was about to slip away: "Grandpa! Mom! I feel a little dizzy! Please allow me to leave! Don't serve me any more food! Enjoy your meal! Goodbye, Uncle Leo!"

“Where are you going?” Catherine, sitting next to Olivia, grabbed her sister’s arm and picked up a napkin with a look of disgust to wipe the soup-stained pendant off the girl. “So clumsy, not at all like a well-mannered lady.”

"Mind your own business! I'm grounded and have no right to talk to me like that!" the girl retorted defiantly. She struggled to break free from Catherine's grasp and made a face at her sister: "You can stay grounded then!"

After saying this, the girl tugged at her skirt, gave the adults a perfunctory bow, and flew out of the hall like a gust of wind.

Just as Anna never treated Catherine like an adult, Catherine never took Olivia seriously either.

Being publicly contradicted by her younger sister shocked and infuriated Catherine. She looked at her mother with grief and anger, her delicate features almost shifting with rage: "Mom!"

Madame Navarre gently stirred her drink without even lifting her eyelids, and slowly asked, "What?"

"You spoil Olivia too much!"

Mrs. Navarre glanced at her second daughter with her phoenix eyes and said, "I never imagined that one day I would hear such a sentence from your mouth."

There's a saying, "Every creature has its counter." Catherine was both ashamed and angry, yet unable to retort. She pursed her lips, then looked pitifully towards the end of the long table: "Grandpa!"

The elderly man, sitting at the head of the table, slowly sipped his soup, completely unaware that Catherine was asking for help.

Catherine simply left her seat, lifted her skirt, strode over to the old man's side, grabbed his arm, and used all her charm to say, "Grandpa!"

The old man finally reacted, as if he had just woken from hibernation. He glanced at Catherine with his cloudy eyes and asked, half-asleep, "What's wrong?"

“Look at how impatient Olivia is!” Catherine said angrily. “She must be going to tell those little girls she’s with some ‘tales of the Blood Wolf’!”

"Hmm," the old man replied unhurriedly, "Then let her go."

“But what Olivia heard is completely wrong, and what she told others must also be wrong.” Catherine was on the verge of tears, and she glared angrily at Mr. Leo:

"Uncle Leo! That's not how the name came about, don't you know that? Even if you're just trying to coax a child, you shouldn't make things up! That little girl Olivia, just to show off, makes sure everyone knows as soon as she goes out!"

“The true origin of the nickname ‘Blood Wolf’ is too complicated,” Mr. Leo apologized earnestly. “It’s troublesome to explain clearly and not conducive to its dissemination. Lord Montagne needs a simpler, easier-to-understand, and more interesting story.”

Mr. Leo paused for a moment, then smiled and reassured Catherine, "As for the true origin, it's enough for us to know. There's no need to let outsiders know everything."

Upon hearing this, Madame Navarre stopped stirring her porcelain cup with the silver spoon in her hand.

However, hearing the explanation of "closeness to insiders and distance to outsiders" made Catherine feel somewhat better. But she still couldn't understand what Mr. Leo said.

"Spread?" Catherine frowned slightly.

“Yes! Spread the word!” Mr. Leo glanced at Madame Navarre’s equally furrowed brows and joked, “The Directory’s overt and covert propaganda about Lord Montagne’s victory is nothing more than an attempt to steal someone else’s tail to cover up their own bald head.”

They succeeded; indeed, many Venetians considered Lord Montagne's illustrious achievements as a victory for the Directory. But the Directory also gave us an opportunity—to use their ships to tell a story more favorable to Lord Montagne.

“Telling stories?” Catherine was increasingly puzzled. She cautiously glanced at her mother’s expression—Ms. Navarre dared not mention someone’s name in front of Mrs. Navarre: “What use would telling stories be to…to that person?”

“Of course it’s useful,” Mr. Leo replied calmly. “‘Reputation’ is the most valuable asset that His Excellency Montagne holds in Veneta, and it must be managed well.”

It is no exaggeration to say that in the vast Navarre estate, Monsieur Leo was the only person who dared to openly use the surname "Montagne" in front of Madame Navarre, and even dared to use the honorific title.

With a loud bang, Madame Navarre slammed the porcelain cup she was holding onto the table.

“Mr. Leo,” Madame Navarre smiled, scrutinizing the plump middle-aged man. “It seems the borderlands truly possess some kind of magic; this hasty trip has turned you into Winters Montagne’s partner.” Catherine shivered and instinctively sat up straight, her knees tucked behind her. From childhood, young Madame Navarre had never been afraid of her mother’s temper, but she was genuinely terrified of her mother’s smile. She was certain that her mother was burning with unprecedented rage, and she wanted to run away.

“No, madam.” Mr. Leo stood up, bowed to Mr. Aura first, and then answered Mrs. Navarre with neither servility nor arrogance: “From the day you promoted me to a partner, I have always put the interests of Navarre Trading Company first.”

Mrs. Navarre's smile became even more captivating: "Are you implying that I have harmed the company's interests?"

To Catherine's surprise, the kind-hearted Mr. Leo readily admitted, "Yes."

The temperature in the hall plummeted to freezing, and even the candles, as thick as a forearm, dimmed. Only old man Dan Aura was still drinking his soup, sipping it slowly.

"Grandpa, I...I'm not feeling well," Catherine pleaded pitifully with her grandfather. "I'll go find Olivia..."

Dan Aura lowered his eyes almost imperceptibly.

Catherine immediately took it as permission, rose to greet her mother and guests, and tiptoed out of the hall.

Madame Navarre waved her hand, and the servants left quietly.

Only Fernando Leo, the elderly Dan Ora, and herself remained in the hall.

“Speak,” Madame Navarre said, picking up her porcelain cup, her expression turning cold. “What are you dissatisfied with about me—you?”

“No one is dissatisfied, madam,” Mr. Leo said respectfully. “There are just some things I don’t understand. His Excellency Montagne’s interests in Venetta need someone to represent him. Even if we don’t act as his representative, other trading companies will come to him sooner or later.”

In this competition for that identity… Navarre Trading Company possesses an unshakeable advantage. Therefore, we would like to know, why are you so determined to distance yourself from His Excellency Montagne? Why are you handing over the apple that was so readily available to someone else?”

“They call me ‘Your Excellency’ all the time, how intimately familiar they are,” Madame Navarre remarked sarcastically.

She frowned and said sternly, "Don't forget what he did. He brought shame to my family and made the Navarre name a laughing stock. Isn't that enough?"

“Don’t forget, madam, we are businessmen.” Fernando Leo straightened his back. At this moment, he wasn’t pleading with Madame Navarre, but rather looking her in the eye.
"Even if someone offers to buy our lives, we should listen to the price first."

He said sincerely, "Everything has a price, and reputation is no exception. Your reason for so resolutely severing ties with His Excellency Montagne is far from sufficient."

Madame Navarre was momentarily stunned. She picked up her glass, took a small sip of her drink, and said coldly, "Even if we draw clear lines and handle things strictly by the book, no one can take away Navarre Trading Company's share of wool. So what difference does it make?"

“That’s exactly the problem!” Mr. Leo looked at old man Dan Aura, lowered his shoulders, and became humble again.

Mr. Leo spoke earnestly, yet with unwavering conviction: “Originally, my thoughts were the same as yours, but the trip to the newly reclaimed lands made me realize one thing—wool is nothing more than the least we can obtain from His Excellency Montagne. To only see the monopoly on the wool trade is tantamount to entering a treasure trove and sweeping away a handful of dust.”

The light in Fernando Leo's eyes was clearly the exhilaration of a sharpshooter anticipating that the arrow about to leave the bow will hit the bullseye.

He told the two men in front of him, word by word: "The truly valuable thing is Winters Montagne himself!"

Madame Navarre's brow twitched. She looked at her father, but received no response.

So she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, she was more powerless than angry: "Do you really know what kind of business you're going to do?"

“Transporting wheat and olive oil through the Inland Seas yields a 30% profit; smuggling cotton and wool from Plato earns double the profit; and acquiring pepper and cinnamon from the Far East can yield ten or even twenty times the profit.” Mr. Leo asked earnestly, “But compared to power speculation, what is the spice trade?”

"Hearing you address him as 'Your Excellency' so often, I never imagined that you would underestimate him even more than I did." Madame Navarre laughed instead of getting angry. "Do you really think that boy would willingly be controlled by others? No, he will never be led around by anyone! We have absolutely no chance of manipulating him."

"It is precisely because His Excellency Winters Montagne is so resolute and strong-willed that we must support him," Mr. Leo solemnly advised. "And we must support him without regard to cost or reward. Not only should we support him ourselves, but we should also leverage our influence to encourage other families to support him as well. Human resources, material resources, financial resources—whatever he wants, we must give him; what he cannot even imagine, we must give him even more. We must give him as much as possible, so much that he cannot bargain, so much that he cannot refuse, much, much more than he wants!"

Madame Navarre's expression was as if she were watching an absurd comedy unfolding in her own life: "Regardless of the cost? Without expecting anything in return? And then waiting to be used up and kicked out?"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Leo immediately picked up the leftover soup from across the table, poured it all into his own plate, placed the plate in front of Madame Navarre, and asked in return:
"Madam, you can pick out the vegetables; but can you even tell the difference in this soup?"

Madame Navarre instantly understood the true meaning behind her partner's words. She glanced at her father in shock, then stood up angrily and demanded of Leo, "Outrageous! Just because you went to Palatour, I'm going to hand over my entire business?!"

“Money and power are two sides of the same hull, and you know that better than I do.” Leo bowed to Madame Navarre, but addressed the old man Dan Aura: “Throughout the history of the Sea Blue, no family has ever been able to hold power without money, nor has any family ever been able to hold onto money without power. The Navarre Trading Company has already reached the crest of the wave; it either goes further or it perishes. There is no other way.”

Then Leo looked at Madame Navarre and asked, "Family business? Madam, isn't it also Miss Anna's family business? What's the difference between when Lord Aura handed over his family business to you and your husband back then and now?"

Madame Navarre was caught off guard and unable to refute him for a moment. She sat back down, shook her head, and said bitterly, "Winters Montagne is not like my late husband. You don't understand... you don't understand what kind of river you are leading us into."

“Madam, it wasn’t me who led the Navarre Company into the river.” Mr. Leo’s round, chubby face also showed a helpless smile. He gently corrected Mrs. Navarre, “It was Miss Anna.”

Madame Navarre's clenched fingers grew even paler.

Mr. Leo lowered his head and bent down, earnestly advising, "Please stop deceiving yourself. Can you really sever ties with Miss Anna? Can the Navarre Trading Company truly distance itself from Miss Anna?"

The hall was silent.

Suddenly, a burp rang out from beside the dining table.

Old man Dan Aura let out a long, contented sigh, put down his spoon, and wiped his mouth.

Madame Navarre and Fernando Leo both unconsciously straightened their postures and turned their gazes toward the former head of the family, waiting for him to speak.

“When Anna was little, you always praised her for her good taste.” Old man Dan Aura raised his eyelids and sighed, “Now it seems that her taste was a little too good.”

Mrs. Navarre lowered her gaze and remained silent; Mr. Leo wanted to say something, but ultimately refrained from speaking.

“Power is a dirty and dangerous thing, and political speculation is an even riskier business. A savvy businessman should wisely avoid them.” Old man Dan Aura’s gaze was so intense that Leo didn’t dare to look up. He paused for a moment, turned to his daughter, and said hoarsely, “But precisely because of this, you actually have no choice. Fernando was right about only one thing—can you really abandon your daughter?”

Madame Navarre clenched her teeth, her eyes reddening, and remained silent about her father's question.

The old man, Dan Aura, didn't seem like a former head of the family taking the helm again; he sounded more like a father talking to his daughter: "If you can really give up Anna, then you can do as you wish. Nothing else matters; it's just a matter of paving the way through mountains and building bridges over rivers. But if you can't do it, then you can't keep burying your head in the sand."

Hearing that the former leader had set the tone, Mr. Leo completely relaxed. Mrs. Navarre, on the other hand, grew increasingly pale.

Dan Aura sighed deeply, struggled to his feet by supporting himself on the table, went to his daughter's side, and embraced her with his old, thin arms.

Madame Navarre understood that the outcome was irreversible. The strong woman who had been in charge of the family for twenty years finally couldn't hold back and fell into her father's arms, sobbing softly.

Dan Aura gently patted his daughter's back and said with pity, "Where in the world can parents beat their children? I couldn't beat you when you wanted to marry Paganino Navarre. Now, it's your turn to be sad for your daughter."

After a while, Mrs. Navarre stopped sobbing. Dan Ora then released his daughter and returned to his seat.

Mrs. Navarre wiped away her tears and adjusted her makeup, while Mr. Leo kept his head down, staring at the plate the whole time, avoiding eye contact.

Before long, Madame Navarre regained her usual elegant demeanor, with only her bloodshot eyes proving that tears had been there.

“Let’s do as you say,” Mrs. Navarre’s voice was as melodious as ever. “Mr. Leo.”

Fernando Leo immediately stood up: "Yes, madam."

Silence fell over the hall once again.

After a moment, Madame Navarre gazed at the night sky outside the window, then gave a bitter smile and murmured to herself, "Can children really always outdo their parents?"

[Sorry I'm late]
[At the end of last month, I experienced a relapse and tested positive again. After the fever subsided and I tested negative, I still had a persistent cough. Because it's very troublesome to get an X-ray at the hospital now, I was hoping for the best and only checked my blood oxygen daily. However, the cough persisted, so I finally went for a chest X-ray, and unsurprisingly, I tested positive.]
[However, my cough wasn't too bad (but my tinnitus flared up again (T_T)), and the doctor didn't have any good solutions, so I could only go for IV drips every day. Plus, I went back to work soon after testing negative, so the first few days were basically wasted going back and forth between the hospital and work, and I haven't been able to write any updates. I apologize.]
[I've almost stopped coughing now, so there shouldn't be any major problems.]
[I will try my best to update and catch up.]
[Wishing everyone good health this year, and that you don't get sick (>person<;) Don't get sick (>person<;) Don't get sick (>person<;)]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
(End of this chapter)