Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 64 Uninvited Guest

This minor incident cast a somber shadow over the household, and the laughter and chatter ceased under the eaves. The servants keenly sensed the change in atmosphere, and even Mother Marita became more cautious.

After dinner, as darkness fell, Antonio led Winters into the study, saying he had something to give him.

Winters initially thought that Antonia was just making an excuse to call him over to avoid Cosa, but Antonia actually found a box, opened three nested wooden boxes, took out a sword and handed it to Winters.

"Your sword is too..." Winters racked his brains for a long time but couldn't come up with a positive adjective: "...vulgar, isn't it?"

This sword is a typical single-handed ceremonial sword, somewhat resembling a swift sword, but shorter and lighter. However, the focus of this sword is not on the blade, but on the hilt and scabbard.

Ceremonial swords, being decorative, naturally strive for ornate style, but ornateness comes in different grades. Major Moritz's ceremonial sword is tastefully ornate, while the one Winters is currently wielding is a typical example of vulgar ornate style.

Apart from the steel blade itself, all the metal on this sword is gold. Not only is the entire hilt gold, but even the scabbard is gold.

The scabbard and the end of the hilt were inlaid with gems that Winters did not recognize, but since they were gems that could be set in gold, their value was definitely higher than that of gold.

The entire sword openly proclaims a nouveau riche aesthetic, with the scabbard being more expensive than the blade, making it a masterpiece of material extravagance and a pinnacle of buying the casket and returning the pearl.

“What do you mean by vulgar? That’s just how the times are.” Antonio’s face flushed red. “A ceremonial sword has to be luxurious and ornate. When I was young, everyone wanted to wear all their wealth on their person. If you went out with a plain sword, people would laugh at you. Do you think it’s different now? Keep it safe, this sword is yours from now on.”

Winters imagined himself wearing the sword and couldn't help but get goosebumps.

He quickly put the sword back on the table and refused, saying, "It's too shameful to hang this golden sword. Isn't that just telling people 'I'm just for show'? I'd rather just wear a gold bar on my belt. If you're embarrassed to wear this sword, how could I possibly feel comfortable carrying it out?"

“Be polite with your words.” Antonio tapped Winters on the head. “This is your father’s ceremonial sword. He gave it to me, and I’m giving it to you today. It’s a legacy. Keep it safe.”

“That only shows that you two have a problem with your aesthetic sense.” Winters drew his sword and tested the flexibility of the blade. The blade was bent into a large arc and then bounced back to its original shape, remaining straight. “The blade is quite good.”

"Of course, this is the best sword in Steel Fortress."

There is little emotional exchange between men, even between fathers and sons. But Winters, influenced by Elizabeth's emotions, has now become somewhat sentimental as well.

He sheathed his ceremonial sword, lowered his head, and spoke his true thoughts for the first time: "Actually, I don't care who my biological parents are. I don't know them, and they've never seen me. To me, Kosa is my mother, and you are my father. I will serve you like a son and protect Ella."

Antonio, also moved, put his arm around Winters' shoulder and whispered, "Silly boy, what are you saying? It's enough for me and Kosa to see you grow up. You are, of course, Kosa and my child. Always have been, and always will be."

The knocking interrupted the rare tender moment between the two men.

“Sir, there is a carriage parked outside. The people inside want to see you, but they won’t say who they are,” Mother Marita’s voice came through the study door.

“He is a guest I arranged to meet. Please ask him to come in through the back door and go directly to the study,” Antonio replied loudly.

Aunt Marita responded and turned to leave.

“Are there any guests? I’ll excuse myself then,” Winters asked.

“You must both avoid the situation and listen in.” Antonio opened a hidden door in the corner of the study. “The person coming will certainly want you to avoid the situation, but I want you to hear what they have to say.”

Behind the hidden door was a spiral staircase leading directly to the master bedroom upstairs; the whole family knew about this "secret passage." However, the hidden door was exquisitely made, its edges concealed within the wall's outline, making it impossible to detect any gaps.

Winters understood and hid behind the door, peering into the study through an observation hole hidden in the shelf.

Two people, a master and a servant, dressed in black cloaks, entered Antonio's study under the guidance of Sister Marita. The servant behind them carried an exquisite wooden box.

When only three people remained in the room, the man in the black robe who had come with his servants removed his hood.

Upon seeing the face beneath the hood, Winters, behind the hidden door, nearly gasped in surprise. Winters not only recognized the man, but he was absolutely certain he wasn't mistaken, for the man had left an extremely deep impression on him.

Luxurious warships, elite loyalist troops, and the legendary Eagle Riders... Several days ago, in the still unburnt Haidong Port, Winters and Andrei waited for several hours just to welcome this person.

Count Narcia—the Lord Keeper of the Seals and Plenipotentiary of Henry III the Oathbreaker—quietly arrived at the residence of Major General Serbiatti in Veneta.

Although the War of Sovereignty ended twenty-six years ago, many within the Empire still view the Cynas Alliance as a southern rebel. The mere mention of a powerful figure in the Venetta Army secretly meeting with the Emperor's favorite is enough to spark endless speculation.

But Antonio wasn't surprised by the visitor's identity. Without even a polite greeting, he simply nodded, gestured to the chair in front of the desk, and said casually, "Please sit down."

Despite being given the cold shoulder, Count Narzia was not angry. Instead, he put on a flattering smile and said, "His Majesty has ordered me to bring you his sincerest greetings."

Antonio chuckled twice but didn't reply.

Count Narcía, however, eagerly took the exquisite wooden box from the servant and placed it respectfully on Antonio's desk: "This is a gift from His Majesty to you and your wife."

But Antonio didn't even glance at it, leaning back in his chair impatiently and saying, "If you're here to deliver a gift and say hello on his behalf, I've received the gift, and you can leave. Otherwise, please just say what you want to say."

“Bringing His Majesty a gift is indeed the main purpose of my trip. His Majesty doesn’t want anything from you; he simply wants to greet an old friend,” Count Narzia said with a smile, but then he added, “Of course, there are other matters as well…”

"Speak directly if you have anything to say."

“I have come to convey His Majesty’s attitude to you… Of course, conveying the attitude is not giving you instructions,” Count Narcia said politely.

"Say!"

“Our side… that is, His Majesty and the government representing his authority, does not wish to see a war break out between Veneta and Tanilia,” Narzia said gently.

Antonio sneered: "Unfortunately, he doesn't have the final say."

“You misunderstand. His Majesty has no intention of imposing his will on the southern kingdoms… He merely wants me to relay some facts.” Narzia’s attitude remained polite: “A new warlord has unified most of the Norman tribes and gained the allegiance of the Bertal people. The Empire will not stand idly by while a new barbarian regime appears on its side. Our Northern Army will launch a proactive offensive to eliminate this threat.”

Antonio, who was initially very impatient, fell into deep thought, while Narcía waited silently.

After a while, Antonio asked, "When do you plan to start the war?"

“Four days ago,” Count Narzia replied with a smile. “The war has begun, and according to plan, the Northern Army departed from White Mountain Fortress four days ago. The news should reach here in a few more days.”

"You guys are good at preventing problems before they arise."

“There’s nothing we can do about it. If we don’t do our best to put out the fire when it first starts, the consequences are already clear,” Narzia said with a smile, pointing around. “These are lessons we learned from the people in the South.”

Antonio laughed too: "Why are you telling me all this?"

“Your Excellency, you surely understand what I’m talking about,” Count Narzia said eloquently. “The Empire and your alliance have close commercial ties, and merchants transport their goods wherever prices are high. Our war against the Norman barbarians has already driven up the prices of bulk commodities, and if Veneta and Taniria were to go to war now, the prices of military supplies would be driven to astronomical levels.”

The military supplies on this continent are insufficient to support two wars simultaneously. Our competition for military supplies only benefits merchants. At current prices, your side has absolutely no chance of procuring enough supplies. Moreover, Venetia is not self-sufficient; it relies entirely on imports for saltpeter and sulfur, let alone expecting to secure supplies through trade embargoes.”

Narzia paused for a moment, then threw out an even stronger argument: "Moreover, when the war against the Norman barbarians consumes most of His Majesty's energy, the balance of power in the south will be broken, and some people will inevitably become restless..."

Antonio snorted coldly, interrupting the other person, and asked in return, "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Someone wants to know your opinion."

"I have no stance; the stance of the ruling committee is my stance."

“No, your attitude is very important.” Narzia’s tone was very firm: “The rational people in the Veneta military follow your lead. Your attitude is very important.”

"Who said that?"

“I said it.” The servant who had been silently standing behind Narcía stepped forward and lifted his hood. Winters didn’t recognize the man, but this time it was Antonio’s turn to be taken aback.

Antonio stood up abruptly and asked in a low voice, "Your Excellency, Secretary of State?"

The highest title in the Republic of Veneta is Consul, while only the Republic of the United Provinces uses the title of Secretary of State. The Secretary of State of the United Provinces holds a position equivalent to the Consul of Veneta.

Winters was startled by what Antonio said.

“Yes, it is me. I am requesting your assistance as the State Secretary of the United Provinces Republic.” State Secretary Lionel stepped forward and said sincerely to Antonio.

At this very moment, the emperor's favorite, the head of state of the United Provinces Republic, and Veneta's general—three people who should never be in the same place—are all in António's study.

Of course, we also have to count the army warrant officer who was eavesdropping behind the hidden door.

“What’s going on?” Antonio asked Count Narcía.

“It was I who asked His Excellency Narzia to help me come here. If it weren’t for His Excellency Narzia’s protection, I would never have been able to reach Aquamarine City.” The State Secretary of the United Province, Lionel, explained quickly, “I have also made arrangements in Guitu City. No one knows that I have come to Aquamarine City.”

Lionel looked anxious and showed no trace of the composure expected of the chief civil servant of the United Provinces Republic.

"Then why did you go to all this trouble to come to Hailan?"

“The reasons are complicated, but I’ll keep it short,” Lionel said, leaning towards Antonia. “I can no longer control the younger generation of the provincial army. If you send troops to Tanilia, the provincial army will use that as an excuse to send troops to Veneta.”

"reason?"

The Secretary of State was nearly frantic: "What reason do those mad dogs need? The United Provinces Army has always wanted the Union to become a real country, don't you know that? And they can come up with a ton of excuses! The diplomatic powers of the republics have been handed over to the Union government, and Venetta has no right to declare war! You have violated the Union Charter!"

“Please wait a moment,” Count Narzia said leisurely. “Based on my understanding of your alliance, whether member states have the right to declare war is a controversial matter, and the Alliance Charter does not specify this in detail…”

“Controversy is enough!” Lionel interrupted him rudely.

Count Narzia smiled, shrugged, and shifted to a more comfortable sitting position.

The Secretary of State quickly added, "Furthermore, Taneria is now divided into several factions, one of which is very close to the United Provinces' army. What will you do if the Taneria Islands become the eighth province of the United Provinces after you send troops? Can the Venetta governing council tolerate that? The situation will be out of control then."

António frowned and said, "The idea of ​​the Great Cenas was originally Marshal Ned's idea. The United Provinces Army did inherit this concept, but it's not so crazy as to fight Veneta over it."

“Naive! Don’t you know what the United Provinces’ Army is like? A country within a country! There are indeed rationalists in the United Provinces’ Army, but the more serious the friction between Venetia and the United Provinces, the weaker the voices of the rationalists become, and the greater the voices of the pro-war faction become. So Venetia needs to give us rationalists some room to maneuver. If Venetia and Tanilia go to war, the rational voices in the United Provinces’ Army will be completely silenced,” Lionel said excitedly.

“But what’s the point of you telling me all this? The Venetia Army is different from the United Province Army. The Venetia Army’s command is in the hands of the governor. You should go to Governor Debera.”

"That's the biggest problem! The pro-war faction in the United Provinces is in the military, but in Venetia, the pro-war faction is in the government! There are people in the United Provinces who want to turn the Union into an authoritarian state, but don't you in Venetia have people who want to split the Union and make the Republic of Venetia independent from the Union?" Lionel spoke with the eloquence of a State Secretary, going on and on: "There are people in both of our countries who want to solve the problem through civil war, and what's even more dangerous is that they all think they have a great chance of winning!"

Count Narzia, standing nearby, interjected unhurriedly, "I think the Secretary of State is quite right. In fact, if it weren't for the military pressure His Majesty has put on you, your alliance would probably have already broken into a full-blown war. And now that we are tied up by the Normans in the north, some people see this as a good opportunity."

Antonio asked Lionel bluntly, "Your Excellency, Secretary of State, what is the purpose of your visit?"

“Avoid civil war!” Lionel answered decisively.

"I'm afraid I can't help with that."

"you can."

How could I?

Lionel made a startling statement: "The best way is for you to launch a coup, remove the power of Governor Debella, dissolve the parliament, and establish a provisional military government. Your legion is the only force near Aquamarine City, and no one can stop you."

Antonio slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "What nonsense are you spouting!"

“There’s a second way,” Lionel said, his eyes bloodshot and his emotions running wild. “Veneta will send troops to purge the provincial army, reorganize its structure, and take back command of the provincial congress. With my support, the pro-war faction in the army won’t be able to cause any trouble. We can wipe them all out at once to prevent future problems.”

"This is getting more and more absurd! Isn't this just a civil war?"

"A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one; a small, internal conflict is worse than a major one; a little bloodshed today is better than rivers of blood in the future!"

António grabbed the Secretary of State's arm and pulled him out: "Please leave. I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense. I'll pretend you were never here today."

However, to everyone's surprise, Lionel, the Secretary of State, a man even taller than Antonio, suddenly broke down in tears. Even Count Narcía, who had been watching the whole thing, was stunned, not to mention Antonio and Winters behind the secret door.

“I’m helpless! Do you understand? I’m helpless! I watched helplessly as the republics were about to be engulfed in a sea of ​​blood! The Senas Alliance is finished! The United Provinces Republic is finished! Your Veneta is finished! If there were any other way, why would I ask this lackey of the false emperor for help!” The hysterical Lionel pointed at Count Narcia: “I hid in the ship’s cabin and smuggled myself from Guitu City to Hailan to see Debera because there was still a last glimmer of hope in Veneta. But it’s too late, it’s too late after Haidong Port was burned! It’s over! It’s all over!”

The chief civil servant of the United Provinces Republic knelt helplessly on the ground, covering his face and weeping bitterly.

Winters, who had been watching all this from behind the hidden door, suddenly felt particularly sorry for him, but also thought he was a madman.

"Mr. Serbiati, what's going on in the study?" Kosa's voice came from the study doorway, it seemed that the commotion had alerted her.

“It’s nothing,” Antonio replied. “Have the servants go home and invite Ella and Miss Sofia upstairs.”

Kosha didn't ask any further questions, but simply replied softly, "Okay."

After a moment of awkward silence, Antonio and Narcía exchanged glances, and then Lionel suddenly stopped. A moment later, he stood up, looking like a completely different person.

The excitement and madness vanished from his face; the Secretary of State now showed no emotion, like a cold stone statue.

The stark contrast with what had just happened makes one wonder if someone had extracted his original soul and replaced it with a new one.

Lionel looked at Antonio expressionlessly and said in a cold tone, "Major General Serbiati, you are a qualified soldier, but you lack the awareness to sacrifice everything to change the course of history, the courage and determination to promote change, and the wisdom to see through fate."

I met with Governor Debera yesterday, and I met with you today. You and Debera are the same kind of people; Debera is driven by public opinion, you are driven by duty. I know what kind of person you are, so I knew the outcome before I came to see you. But I still came to see you, because if you can remember what I said today, perhaps destruction can be delayed.”

If someone had said such things to Antonio in any other setting, they would have undoubtedly wanted a duel. But the Secretary of State's tone now contained no hint of aggression or insult.

As soon as he finished speaking, regardless of whether Antonio understood or not, Lionel put his hood back on and walked straight to the study door.

As he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and calmly addressed António: “My assistant and close friend, Mr. Mara, came to Veneta to see Consul De Bella as my secret envoy, but we have not heard from him. He is obviously dead. Once you find him, please bring me his ashes.”

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the study without looking back, leaving Antonio and Count Narzia bewildered. Narzia paused for a moment, then nodded apologetically to Antonio and followed him out.

Winters only emerged from the hidden door after the two had walked away.

"Is that the Secretary of State of the United Provinces?" Winters asked incredulously.

Antonio nodded silently.

"Isn't he just a madman?"

Antonio paused for a moment, then replied, "Perhaps..."

Thank you to reader "Social Justice Old Wang" for the reward and monthly ticket. And thank you to all the readers who voted for the book previously. Thank you to readers "Unknown Name", "Yuan Hongjian", "writersblock", "Yanyunsan", "20181013204343295", and "Social Justice Old Wang" for the recommendation ticket.

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(End of this chapter)