Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 114 Back to School Season

"Homage to the proudest Tanilia!" A gruff male voice boomed over the cacophony.

"Homage to the most esteemed Veneta!" another group of people in the hall responded.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, the banquet hall was bustling with activity, a scene of great joy and celebration.

In a deserted corridor in the corner of the hall, Andrea Cellini sat casually against the windowsill, spitting contemptuously on the mirror-like marble floor tiles.

"I'm fucking damn idiot." Andrei tilted his head back and downed half a glass of strong liquor. "The tough Tani guys are either dead from our fire or plotting how to kill us. Has Debera's brain been soaked in donkey piss? Expecting to hold the archipelago with these spineless lackeys?"

After a year of fighting on the battlefield, Andrei's manner of speaking had become exactly like that of the most gruff veterans.

"I never thought you could actually spout some gems from your dog mouth." Bard sat cross-legged against the wall, sipping his honey brew, and said nonchalantly, "But we have to use some locals, there's no choice."

Bard, the boy who grew up in the monastery and was once the "bishop," is now also stained with blood and fire.

Although his temperament remained as kind and gentle as before, Bard's expression occasionally revealed a kind of numbness and sharpness that came from having seen life and death many times.

Andrei glanced at Winters and said impatiently, "Stop fucking touching it. There's nothing on your chin. You've been touching it all afternoon. Seeing you touching it like this makes me want to touch it too."

Winters ignored Andrei and continued stroking his bald chin. Although his half-year-old beard wasn't long, the sudden clean-shaven look made Warrant Officer Montagne feel like something was missing.

This was a high-profile reception, and the fact that the warrant officers were invited was already a great honor for the attendees. Therefore, no one approached them to drink and chat, and Winters and his group were happy to have some peace and quiet.

Before attending the party, the warrant officers took a good bath, carefully groomed their hair and beards, and changed into their brand-new, starched military uniforms. They all looked tall, straight, and dashing.

Only Bud was still wearing his faded cadet uniform.

Actually, after a year of fighting, Bard had managed to save up a small amount of money from the spoils of war. However, he didn't use the money to buy a uniform; instead, he sent it all to his parents.

So he still only has this one student uniform, and he resolutely refuses to accept loans offered by his friends.

However, when Gerald's Bud was still a cadet, he never felt any envy when walking among his classmates in this old uniform. Not to mention, after a year of fighting, having faced life and death several times, he cared even less about such material possessions.

Winters and Andre had no choice but to go along with him.

The bottle of wine was quickly finished, and Andrei gestured to the waiter to bring more wine.

Bud joked, "You're so quick to criticize them, but you're not so polite when it comes to drinking their wine."

"Drink! Damn it! If I don't drink, I'll drink!" Andrei poured out the last bit of liquor from the bottom of the bottle. "This is my humble yet glorious act of resistance. Not only will I drink, but I'm taking two bottles with me!"

Bud waved his hand: "Alright, alright, don't worry, Debera will definitely hear your indomitable cries in her dreams."

The waiter didn't come, but Alves Marcello walked over with two bottles of wine. Marcello uncorked the bottles and poured half a glass of wine for Andrea, teasingly saying, "You guys certainly know how to find peace and quiet."

Alves Marcello was also Winters' contemporary, a trainee officer, and a warrant officer. However, he came from the artillery branch.

People in the artillery department... aren't very close to people in the infantry or cavalry departments, mainly because they don't take classes together.

The infantry and cavalry departments often had large classes taught in the same classroom. As a result, the officers and cadets of the infantry and cavalry departments were mostly familiar with each other, while they were only nodding acquaintances with the artillery department students, even though they all came from Venetia.

However, after fighting side by side for a year, even strangers become like brothers, so Marcello and Winters are now very close.

After pouring wine for Andrea, Marcello poured wine for Winters.

Winters reached out to catch it while asking, "What are you artillerymen chatting about over there? It's quite a lively scene."

"You didn't know?" Marcello asked, somewhat surprised. "It's all over the artillery."

"Know what?" Winters asked, puzzled.

“Hey, I mean…” Marcello said mysteriously, “…Do you remember those heavy cannons on Chili Island? You know, those big guys that weigh thirty-two pounds.”

Winters certainly remembered those powerful weapons deployed on the fortifications in the middle of Chiliu Bay, capable of sinking a galley sailing ship with a single shot.

"What's wrong?" Winters was even more confused: "Didn't we use those heavy cannons when we fought Gusa?"

“Yes, those are the heavy cannons.” Marcello nodded and continued, “According to the Tani who have joined us, the Federation still doesn’t have the ability to forge those heavy cannons. The largest one they can make is a 12-pound cannon weighing two thousand pounds.”

“It was bought, so what’s so strange about it?” Andrei said dismissively.

"Who sold them?" Marcello immediately retorted. "Those 32-pound cannons are all giants weighing four or five thousand pounds. The craftsmanship is extremely exquisite, with smooth and flat inner bores and hardly any sand holes. There are only a few arsenals around the Inner Sea that can cast such cannons."

Andrei was getting impatient: "Old Ma, just say what you mean directly, stop with all this beating around the bush..."

Badr stopped Andrei, gesturing for him to calm down, and asked with a frown, "You mean that someone specifically provided those cannons to the Tanirians in order to deal with Veneta?"

“That’s right, that’s exactly what I mean.” Marcello said with certainty, “After hearing about these things, Covilian went to check them out. According to him, those cannons had no inscriptions at all. I hadn’t noticed before, but now it’s obvious that they were deliberately worn off. Not only the heavy cannons on Chiliu Island, but also the other heavy coastal defense cannons that caused us a lot of trouble, and the ones we finally captured were all like that.”

“That’s interesting.” Winters asked thoughtfully, “When were those cannons delivered to Taniria?”

“I don’t know the exact time.” Marcello shook his head. “Tani said it was personally handled by Edward Kenway… but it was definitely before we set off from East Harbor. By the way, it’s said that William Kidd is also one of Kenway’s men.”

“Does this even need to be thought about?” Andrei shouted angrily, “It must have been those provincial bumpkins who gave it to the Tani people! Didn’t the Victory Arsenal catch fire before we went home? Someone must be up to something! Those damn mud bastards! They’re trying to mess with us… Um, Bud, I’m not talking about you.”

"Stop making unfounded guesses!" Winters quickly stopped Andre from speaking further: "The people of the United Provinces aren't stupid enough to burn down their own arsenal and half of the capital just to send a few cannons to the Federation, are they? We're going to Guitu City by ship tomorrow, so don't say these things in front of the people of the United Provinces, or they'll find a reason to detain you and you'll be in trouble."

Bad nodded in deep agreement, while Andrei snorted in dissatisfaction but said nothing more.

“Old Ma, tell your colleagues not to mention this when we get to Guido.” Winters then looked at Marcello: “We’ll have plenty of time to investigate after we get back from the United Provinces. William Kidd is still alive, isn’t he? That guy knows a lot. I don’t believe we can’t get anything out of him if we interrogate him carefully. We’re just going to Guido to receive our titles. It’s best not to cause any trouble.”

"Understood, understood." Marcello chuckled and nodded, clinked glasses with Winters, and went back to the small group of artillery officers.

After Marcello had walked a distance, Andrei said angrily, "I could guess with my own eyes where the Tani cannons came from. Venetia, the United Provinces, and the Empire—these are the only three established arms factories. They definitely couldn't have come from us. If it wasn't given to them by the United Provinces, could it have been given to the Tani by the 'Oathbreakers'? Damn it!"

[Note: "The Oathbreaker" is a derogatory nickname for the current Emperor Henry III, because he broke his oath during the War of the Succession, executing his own brother and all his descendants. So much so that Henry III's mother, Mary of Lothair, and his maternal grandfather, Winfred, Duke of Lothair, refused to see him again until their deaths.]
[Note: Henry the Oathbreaker's father was Richard the Madman; none of the monarchs of the entire Sun Dynasty had a pleasant nickname.]
This time, Winters didn't stop Andrei. He just looked at the mead in his glass and said, "It doesn't matter who gave it to me. The Tanilia Federation has been devoured, and the war is over. After I become a full-fledged officer, I'll find a safe, easy job, be a lazy bum, and retire as a colonel. That will be my great achievement."

"There were more than thirty of us when we left Guitu City, but only about twenty of us went back. Many of my classmates didn't even make it to the day of the official conferment of ranks. Fate is really unpredictable," Bard murmured.

“I now wish there really was a place like heaven,” Winters said softly. “I wish every fallen comrade could be there now.”

“Whether it exists or not is not important, as long as you believe it exists,” Bard said slowly.

Andrei scoffed at this.

Winters finished his mead, wiped his mouth, and replied expressionlessly, "If I could fool myself, would I need to say such stupid things?"

……

……

The trainee officers of Venetta traveled directly from the archipelago, crossing the Inland Sea to reach Guido. After receiving their ranks, they would return to Hailan to await formal appointment.

As for Winters, whatever he may think, he certainly benefited from nepotism. Because Antonio had already arranged a place for Winters.

Before leaving, his adoptive father said affectionately to Winters, "If you don't want to be on the front lines, then go teach. Veneta is going to start his own military academy; it'll always be quieter in a school."

Teaching? Winters was a little confused... but perhaps it would be interesting?
With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Winters stepped off the familiar yet unfamiliar Guido dock.

Everything before my eyes is completely different. A year ago, a fire that swept through half the city burned everything, leaving only a pile of charred stones.

But without destruction, there can be no construction; new cities are springing up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain from the ashes of the old ones.

The Victory Arsenal, which had taken over most of the port area, was driven to the outskirts of the city and became an independent small town.

The relocation of the Victory Arsenal had been stalled for over a decade. Finally, like the Conqueror King cutting the knot of Geldeon, a great fire solved all the problems. The fire tornado burned the arsenal to the ground, leaving almost nothing behind; the last tools and raw materials were easily hauled away by a dozen or so wagons.

The port area is no longer an "onion" structure with layers of buildings. A well-planned cluster of buildings has replaced the original wildly growing city. The winding alleys have been transformed into straight stone-paved roads, and drainage ditches have been laid.

Winters and his contemporaries could hardly recognize the rapidly changing city of Guido before them.

But the joy of returning to their "second home" was quickly overshadowed. Due to the tensions between the United Provinces and Venetia, the Venetian trainee officers were placed under close surveillance from the moment they set foot on United Province soil.

They were not allowed to move freely, nor were they allowed to visit "New Guido". The Venetians were taken directly back to their dormitories at the Army Officer Academy and were not even allowed to move freely on campus, including Bard, a member of the United Province.

"Damn it! Are they treating us like prisoners?" Andrei grumbled and paced back and forth in the dormitory.

Winters wasn't angry at all; he comfortably lay back down in his bed... It was a strange feeling. Winters had spent thousands of nights in this bed; he knew it intimately, he knew the broken planks, the carvings on the headboard, the soot from the fire.

It's as if he could fall asleep the moment he closes his eyes.

He opened his eyes and saw a familiar face.

"Ike!" Winters exclaimed in surprise.

Axel was so happy that he punched Winters, and the two hugged each other.

Upon learning that students from Venetia had returned to school, Axel rushed over immediately, and students from other provinces also came.

There are disagreements between the Republic of Venetia and the Republic of the United Provinces, but these have nothing to do with the military cadets, nor will they affect the friendship between the students.

Marshal Ned's idea seemed to have come true at this moment. The students from Venetia and the United Provinces gathered together, laughing and joking, as if they had returned to their school days.

"My goodness! What happened to you? You look so haggard." Axel clicked his tongue in amazement as he looked at Winters' thinner face.

"Really?" Winters glanced around at his classmates in the dormitory.

The students from the United Provinces had rosy complexions and were full of energy. In contrast, the students from Venetia looked tired and haggard, but also more mature and experienced.

Several names were asked, but the Venetians' expressions darkened upon hearing them—those people had all died in Taniria.

"I think your swordsmanship has deteriorated quite a bit," Axel said enthusiastically. "Shall we have another match now?"

"Fine, I give up. It's been a long time since I've practiced." Winters laughed a few times and decisively raised his hands in surrender. He thought to himself: But I have a better gun now.

"By the way, how is Professor Christian? Is he alright?" Winters suddenly remembered the head of the Spellcaster Research Department, and he had a question he urgently wanted to ask.

Axel shook his head upon hearing this: "Not good, he's been dismissed, and his mental state isn't good either. The War Department has ordered him to stay home and reflect on his actions, and he's currently under house arrest in the faculty quarters at the military academy. Shall I take you to see him?"

“I’d like to go,” Winters said with a wry smile, “but I can’t get out of this door.”

The Vinnetta trainee officer was confined to his dormitory, but this did not stump Axel.

There's a paradox in the oversight system: military academies don't have enough staff, so who's watching over Winters and his classmates now? It's Winters' junior...

Axel glared at them, and the junior officers guarding the dormitory obediently made way.

On their way to Professor Christian's residence, Winters and Axel passed a lifeless two-story detached house.

Winters suddenly stopped in his tracks—because this was the former residence of General Antoine Laurent.

"What's wrong?" Axel stopped and asked, puzzled.

“Nothing, I just suddenly remembered the former owner of this place,” Winters replied.

Looking at the somewhat dilapidated house in front of him, Winters thought to himself, "Yes, Sophia stole the notebook from this place."

Winters approached the small building to take a closer look, but the doors and windows were boarded up and he couldn't see anything inside, so he had to leave with regret.

Winters met Christian Huygens at the faculty residence.

During his casual conversation with Ike, he had already learned something. Although he hadn't publicly acknowledged it, the United Provinces Army had already identified Christian as the person absolutely responsible for the "fire dragon burning the city" incident a year ago.

Although Christian didn't give the order to use a spellcaster to change the wind direction, he's definitely going to take the blame for it.

However, as a seasoned spellcaster, how to deal with Christian was a real headache for the United Provinces Army Department.

The one who casts the spell cannot be killed or punished.

So the punishment for Christian was rather lenient; for now, he has only been dismissed from his post and placed under home quarantine. As for whether to send him to a military court, it is said that the higher-ups are still considering it.

However, the problem now is that Christian seems to be experiencing some mental issues as well.

At least that's what Winters thinks.

The instructor Christian before him no longer resembled a soldier at all; he was unkempt and disheveled. Despite the sweltering heat of midsummer, Christian was tightly wrapped in a long robe and wearing a pair of furry slippers. As for what he was wearing under the robe, or even if he was wearing anything at all, Winters simply couldn't imagine.

Christian's residence was hardly a place for a human to live; the small faculty apartment was filled with experimental equipment and draft papers covered with writing were scattered all over the place.

The most insane thing is that these draft papers are not just randomly thrown on the ground, but are laid out on the ground one by one, with even the table legs and corners cut into suitable shapes, as if a paper carpet has been laid on the floor.

Winters didn't dare go inside the door, for fear of disturbing the neatly arranged array of manuscript papers.

“Oh…it’s you! Please come in, please come in.” Christian warmly welcomed Winters and Axel. However, he seemed to be sleepwalking, his eyes glazed over, and he walked without looking at the ground.

Winters and Ike looked at each other in bewilderment.

Winters thought: Instructor Christian might be crazy.

Axel thought to himself: Instructor Christian has gone even crazier.

Unable to resist the teacher's enthusiastic invitation, the two cautiously entered Christian's apartment.

"Welcome," Christian said, while pouring tea for his guest into two cups whose contents were unclear. "It's been a long time since I've had any guests."

“Please have some.” He placed two cups of tea in front of Winters and Axel, then pulled his robe tighter around himself.

Winters and Axel dared not drink; they held the cups by the handles and dared not bring them to their lips.

"Please drink," Christian insisted, adding, "Please drink."

Winters' powerful self-preservation instinct saved him. He looked at the draft paper on the table and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He put down his teacup, picked up the draft paper, and began to read it carefully.

Seeing Winters engrossed in his draft, Christian stopped talking and simply sat on the stool, trembling, wrapped tightly in his robe.

After watching for a while, Winters finally looked up and asked in confusion, "Sir, are you investigating the truth behind the fire dragon burning the city?"

“No wonder.” Axel suddenly realized. He thought to himself, “Because of being dismissed from his post due to the Fire Dragon Burning the City, Teacher Christian must be having a hard time getting over it. The resentment in his heart eventually led to mental problems. It’s really pitiful.”

“No.” Christian said something surprising: “That was a research project I conducted nine months ago. I already know the truth about the fire dragon burning the city.”

Thank you to all the readers who voted for this book. Special thanks to writersblock, 20200911140329006, Ami, Xiaocheng Shaonianlang, Tianxia Shijie, Dandingdi Huiguo, and Yunzhongyue1981 for their votes. Thank you everyone.

It's baffling that they directly deleted a paragraph from the author's note in the second chapter of my first volume. The context changed drastically after that paragraph was deleted. I had no choice but to repost it; I don't know if I can escape the Ministry of Truth's wrath. My reputation is truly being harmed…

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(End of this chapter)