Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 400 Echoes Through the Mountains (Part 2)

[Interrogation Record]
the first time

Time: March 13th, 560 AD

Starting at 8:1

Ended at 9:3

Interrogator: John Thomas, Lieutenant Colonel, Commander of the 6th Battalion, 7th Army
Recorder: Captain Sijingen Miller, Commander of the Military Police at the Solingen Garrison Headquarters
Interviewee: Alfonso de Paiva

The inquiry details are recorded below.
Q: Tell me your name.

A: Alfonso de Paiva.

Q: What is your family situation?

A: Mother, two younger sisters, and one younger brother.

Q: Not married?

A: No.

Q: The name you use in Solingen is Alfonso de Paiva?

A: No, my identity in Solingen is that of a fur merchant named Capufen.

Q: What is your real identity?
A: Royal Security Council, Second-Class Commissioner, Solingen State Supervisor

Q: What are your responsibilities?
A: (After a moment of silence) The intelligence gathering in Steelburg and Solingen, as well as the intelligence from the six autonomous states, will be collected and filtered by me before being sent to North Monta.

……

They're all cut from the same cloth; the questioning procedures of the Monta Gendarmerie are no different from those of the Venetta Gendarmerie.

Furthermore, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas was determined to make the case airtight, so he asked a lot of necessary but not crucial questions at the beginning of the formal interrogation.

Winters quickly skimmed over the unimportant content and scrolled directly to the very end.

……

Q: Tell me about the fire on the evening of March 10th.

Answer: (Silence).

Q: Why don't you speak?

A: I don't know where to begin.

Q: Start with the earliest place you can think of. For example, when did you learn about the arson plan? And who told you?

A: I knew nothing about the plan from beginning to end. The messenger only told me what to do, not why to do it.

Q: Messenger?
A: Your Majesty… Henry III’s most trusted executor. I don’t know his name, I only know he was an envoy.

Q: When did you first meet the messenger?
A: A month ago.

Q: Who brought him here?
A: No one was there; he came to find me himself.

Q: How did you know he was an envoy?
A: He carried a token, could read the code, and knew my identity.

Q: What token?
A: An iron ring and a key.

Q: The key?

A: When commissioners of the Royal Security Commission receive their appointments, they are given a steel padlock. Each padlock corresponds to a key. The key represents the Emperor's absolute power. When that person came to me, he brought my key.

……

"Key? Ring."

Winters' mind raced, and he immediately thought of the simple steel ring and the small bunch of keys he had found in the secret room.

Apart from liquid fire, iron bombs, and gunpowder, everything else stored in the secret chamber—including the bagged ballast—was taken by Winters as spoils of war and was not handed over to the Monta army.

To be precise, in order to avoid leaks, Winters never mentioned the cards, keys, and rings to anyone who was unaware of the situation.

When Lieutenant Colonel Thomas first heard the word "key," he asked many questions about it: what material it was made of, what style it was, what size it was, and so on.

Winters blinked, flipped past that section, and continued searching for key information.

……

Q: Tell me about the riots. Who were those assassins?

Answer: I don't know.

Q: You don't know?
A: I don't know. The Security Committee isn't an assassin; it only conducts passive information gathering. Troop movements, flour price fluctuations, the personalities and inclinations of city and state councilors… that's what I usually inquire about.

Q: What about those assassins?

A: If the emperor wanted to get rid of someone who was an eyesore, or if he felt it necessary to use force, he would send those swordsmen. As for who those swordsmen were? We didn't ask, and they wouldn't say.

Q: Tell me how you incited the riots.

A: (With a sarcastic smile) What good is striking flint and steel no matter how loudly they strike each other if there's no firewood or straw?

Q: I'm asking you a question.

A: Last year was cold and rainy, resulting in a poor harvest. Wheat prices remained high after autumn, even rising to one guilder per bag by winter. Barley and oats also saw price increases. People had to add more acorns, lentils, and peas to their flour. Even so, the amount of bread that wages could buy continued to decrease. And do you know how many workshops still owe their workers their wages? Do you know…?

Q: (Knocks on the table) Answer the questions that were asked of you, not the ones that weren't asked.

A: (Taking a breath) The muleteers endured their misery because they still clung to the hope that the trade embargo would be lifted, the employers would sell their stockpiles, and they would be paid in full. So when news came back from Hornburg, disappointment was immediately replaced by anger. A cry of "Take back what is rightfully ours!" and a brave leader were enough to transform their anger into action.

A: You see, the riots were there; they were bound to happen sooner or later. I just hastened the process. And you are too arrogant, so arrogant that you are blind to the anger of the silent ones. Do you know where the muleteers meet regularly? Do you know how many associations exist among the muleteers? Do you know who the most respected person among the muleteers is? You don't know because you treat them like mules.

Q: (Coldly retorting) So you know all this?
A: (Shrugs)

……

Winters sighed.

The Solingen state military and government authorities have yet to come up with a proper plan for the resettlement of disaster victims.

After the fire, rents and bread prices in Steel Castle skyrocketed, causing even many residents who were not affected by the disaster to complain bitterly.

Citizens who can afford the rent or residents who have relatives to stay with can remain in the city for the time being. But the poor who already have nothing are simply trapped with nowhere to turn.

If Colonel Bern hadn't temporarily conscripted a large number of able-bodied young men to help fight the fire and provided them with food and lodging, a second wave of riots could have broken out in Steel Castle by now.

Winters sees Servete's massive rebuilding plan as promising, even suggesting it might be the only hope for Steel Castle.

Clearing the ruins and rebuilding the houses will require a large workforce, and Servete's ambitious plans even include dredging waterways, repairing roads, and expanding the city.

Through some honest and reliable partners, Winters obtained a complete copy of the draft submitted by Servetus to the Executive Committee as soon as possible—the Emperor's Hand had fallen, but Steel Castle still could not escape the fate of being infiltrated like a sieve.

Unfortunately, even the best bricklayer cannot make bricks without wheat straw.

Servette's plan was good, but no one was willing to fund it. Even if there was another option, "borrowing money using city assets as collateral," the chances of success were extremely slim.

Because what Servetus needs is not a small amount of money, but a huge sum of money, so huge that even the gold brought by Winters can only temporarily quench his thirst.

Debts must eventually be repaid. Borrowing with urban assets as collateral ultimately relies on property owners who possess citizenship rights to cover the losses.

However, turning the city from a valuable asset into a debt hole is precisely what the citizens of Steel Castle do not want to see.

According to information obtained by Winters, the city council's executive committee members are more inclined to the "evacuation" plan.

This involved relocating the unemployed and homeless population of the state to other autonomous states to alleviate the food and housing burden on Steelburg, and then gradually raising funds for reconstruction.

As for what will happen to those who were evacuated? The executive committee members tacitly avoided discussing this topic.

Therefore, when Winters negotiated the scrap metal purchase agreement with Servet, he was not nervous at all. He even skipped the back-and-forth negotiations and directly offered Servet a price per ton.

It even has a tiered pricing structure—that is, the larger the total volume, the lower the unit price.

"Because the original procurement plan has already been achieved, continuing to purchase scrap iron would only expose us to unnecessary risks. Of course, there would also be additional transportation costs."

Servetus, his face ashen, stormed off.

However, in the end... it all ended with a friendly handshake.

Winters blinked, pulled back the scroll of the interrogation records, and continued reading. ...

Q: Now tell me about your plans.

A: (Sighs) I've already said it, that wasn't my plan, that was the messenger's plan. I don't know the messenger's plan. I know your interrogation tactics; there's no need to keep asking me this question, because I'm telling the truth.

Q: Then talk about the parts you were involved in and that you know about.

A: All I know is that four teams were moving at the same time that night. My job was to delay your entry into the city and give the others time to carry out their missions.

Q: Four teams? Which four teams?
A: There's one team each from the South City, North City, and Old City, plus my team.

Q: How many people are there?
A: I don't know. I don't know how many people the messenger brought; I only know that he assigned me twenty-two swordsmen.

Q: Can a dozen people really stir up Steel Castle?
A: There are also some outsiders who are unaware of the situation. (Tired) You don't need a torch to light a house full of firewood.

Q: What are the tasks for each team?
A: You all know mine. The group in the old city is responsible for guiding the rioters and eliminating anyone who gets in their way if necessary. The group going to the north city, as far as I know, is going to kill White Eagle. The group in the south city is led by the envoy himself; I don't know his purpose. I guess… well, I'd better not guess.

Q: Tell me about Borso da Este, the White Eagle.

A: Many contraband items and personnel enter Monta and Steel Castle through his connections.

Q: Did he know who you were?
A: (Laughs) I probably don't know. Or I'll pretend I don't know.

Q: Why did he help you?
A: Because he also has a lot of contraband that he wants to smuggle into North Monta.

Q: Since he provided you with assistance, why did you still kill him?
A: Why can't we kill him? He's someone important to you, but worthless to us. As for why we want to kill him? I don't know the messenger's thoughts. Perhaps it's because the messenger personally visited him, so he wants to silence him? I don't know. Besides, the messenger wants to kill more than just him.

Q: Who else does the envoy want to kill?
A: (Lazy) More members of parliament and forge owners who are close to Vineta will be killed, and a few people from pro-United Provinces will also be killed, just to make a show of it.

Q: Why?
A: I told you I don't know. (Hesitates for a moment) If you want to hear, I can share my guess.

Q: Go ahead and tell me.

A: The envoy wants to disrupt the factional balance in Steel Castle, eliminate the Venetta faction, and thus anger Venetta. Alas, what the envoy wants is not important; what matters is what the Emperor wants. I suspect, I have a vague feeling, that His Majesty might not want to see South Monta interfere too much in Palatine's affairs.

Q: What is the connection between eliminating the White Eagle and preventing Monta from interfering with Palatul?

A: (Helplessly) Have you ever played chess? There are always some people who, when they make their next move, have already envisioned several moves ahead. His Majesty—Henry III—is a man of great foresight, who prophesied that his family would eventually conquer the world. The intelligence I submit often receives feedback, sometimes even detailed instructions. I can sense that although the Empire has only been at war in the north and east in recent years, His Majesty's eyes have always been fixed on the Shaded Mountains, and on you all.”

Q: I still don't understand. Killing pro-Veneta individuals would only lead to a falling out between Monta and Veneta, so how could it prevent 'South Monta from interfering too much in Palatour's situation'?
A: How would I know? I'd also like to ask you, is it possible that a massacre bearing the footprints of people from the United Provinces would be a wake-up call for the South Monta government, making you hesitant to take any rash actions?
Q: (Exchanges glances) What you're saying is all speculation.

A: (Impatiently) Yes, and I already told you that what I said was all speculation.

(A brief silence)

Interrogated person: (probingly) What is the current situation in the south of the city?
Inquirer: It might be burned to the ground, or it might remain intact. Why are you concerned about the situation in the southern part of the city?

A: (Bitterly) The South City was under the personal jurisdiction of the envoy, along with advisors. It should be burned to the ground by now, right? But the baron gave me four Nuremberg clocks, leaving me unsure how to proceed.

Q: You still haven't explained why you care about the current situation in Nancheng.

A: (Sighs) What I'm about to say is all guessing.

Q: Please go ahead.

A: I don't know the full picture of the envoy's plan. But based on the way he allocated his troops, and the locations of the storage points and safe houses—I've already told you all the storage points and safe houses I know, they're all in the North City—I guess... the envoy probably wants to destroy both districts of Steel Fortress at once.

Q: South City and Old City?
A: Yes, we'll keep the north city. The south city is more difficult to manage, so he's personally leading the team.

Q: Why?
A: Keeping the rich alive might be more beneficial to his plan. Besides, if a person's limbs are cut off, leaving only their head, they won't live long anyway.

Q: Why is it more advantageous to keep the wealthy?
A: (Helplessly) I've already said, don't speculate on the envoy's thoughts. The envoy is the emperor's hidden hand; his plan ultimately aims to realize the emperor's ideas—we should think about what the emperor wants.

Q: What does the false emperor want?
A: (Unconsciously nervous) What I'm about to say is all based on the premise that the emperor 'doesn't want to see Nanmunta interfere too much in Palatine's situation,' and it's all just my guess. Can you not take notes?
Q: Go ahead and tell me.

A: If Your Majesty does not want to see Monta influence the situation in Paratú, then destroying a mere Steel Fortress, although it would be a catastrophe for you, would be like wiping a drop of ink off a map for Your Majesty—a very small matter indeed.

Q: (His brows furrowed even more tightly)
A: (Swallowing unconsciously) If His Majesty wants 'Monta to not interfere with Paratu,' then the way he achieves this goal will certainly not be 'making Monta back down,' but rather 'making it impossible for Monta to interfere with Paratu even if he wanted to.' Because he will not give his enemies a choice, he will not even give his subjects a choice—that's his style.

Q: What are you trying to say?
A: (Hesitantly) I think the matter of Steel Castle may only be the beginning. If His Majesty does not want to see you reach out to Plato, (pause) famine, war, plague… he will surely find a way to achieve his purpose, trapping you in the mountains, unable to take a single step. For he is the one who holds power, from this sea to that sea, from the great river to the ends of the earth—that is what the prophecy says.

Q: (Disdainfully) We do not believe in the prophecies of a false emperor who has deified himself.

A: (A bitter laugh) But every citizen of the empire firmly believes this.

……

The record of the first—actually the second—interrogation ends here.

Winters slowly put away the scroll, his thoughts still preoccupied with Alfonso's warning.

"Finished reading?" Colonel Bern asked from his sickbed.

“I’ve finished reading it.” Winters placed the scroll into the copper sleeve and asked with a smile, “May I take this accessory with me?”

"A duplicate?" Colonel Bern's eyes widened. "This is the original, and there's only one copy! It's to be sent to Hornburg today. After you've read it, seal it up!"

Winters casually brushed the oil lamp aside, and a flame leaped from the wick. He picked up a copper spoon filled with sealing wax and patiently heated it over the flame.

Colonel Bern raised an eyebrow: "You can use magic now?"

“Lighting a fire won’t be a problem,” Winters replied casually, still unwilling to give up: “Can I make a copy?”

"Fine," Colonel Bern scoffed. "You can stay in Monta and make as many copies as you want."

Winters remained silent. He melted the sealing wax, poured a little onto the brass sleeve buckle, and then took Colonel Bern's seal ring and stamped it on.

Colonel Bern said with a hint of exasperation, "Do you know how many people this little roll of parchment will involve? What kind of consequences it will cause? If you want to go back to Plato, stay as far away from it as possible!"

Winters sighed: "Hopefully it will calm the bigwigs in the United Provinces and Venetia down and let them know that there is a dragon on the other side of the mountains waiting for us to fight each other—as for Palatul's matter, let Palatul handle it himself."

“Kid, do you think the big shots you’re talking about don’t know there’s a dragon on the other side of the mountain? But they still do whatever they want, don’t they?” Colonel Bern took the sleeve and sneered, “Let them worry about these things. We’ll just do our duty as soldiers.”

Winters sighed again. After a moment, he straightened up, stood up, and gave Colonel Bern a meticulous salute: "I haven't thanked you yet for arranging the carriage for me. I am deeply grateful."

“These are all wrecked carriages salvaged from the river. If you’re willing to pay for them, I’ll thank you on behalf of the people of Steelburg.” Bern waved his hand dismissively. “Get lost. Don’t let me see you again.”

Winters didn't move: "There's something else I'd like to tell you."

"What is it?" Bernie frowned.

"It's neither a big deal nor a small matter." Winters cleared his throat and asked, "What do you plan to do with the body suspected to be that of a court mage?"

"What else can we do?" Colonel Bern asked, bewildered. "Seal it as evidence and wait for the higher-ups to come and inspect it."

"That won't do. The corpses of court mages aren't ordinary corpses; they should be considered spoils of war. Besides, I killed all those court mages; they can't all go to you, can they?"

Colonel Bern laughed in exasperation: "Then what do you intend to do?"

Winters answered confidently, "Of course, it's half for each of us!"

Colonel Bern was speechless for a long time, and it took him a while to catch his breath: "Fine! Then we'll each have half. But how are you going to take it with you? Without an ice cellar, how are you going to preserve it?"

“I have a way. There are five corpses in total, I’ll take two and a half.”

"Here are three for you. Get lost!"

Winters raised his hand in salute and nimbly walked towards the door.

Just as I pushed open the door, Colonel Bern's voice came from behind me: "Wait!"

Winters, gripping the doorknob, turned and asked, "Do you have any further instructions?"

"You little rascal, you're really fucking cold-blooded!" Colonel Bern slapped the edge of the bed, both amused and exasperated. "Not even a goodbye."

“I’m not leaving today.” Winters scratched his short, burnt hair and explained apologetically, “I still have things to take care of in Steel Castle. I’ll come back to say goodbye when I’m leaving.”

“No need. Don’t come.” Colonel Bern was silent for a moment before saying, “I joined the army at sixteen and entered military school at twenty-four. In all these years of military service, I’ve hardly met anyone I get along with. One-Eyed Dragon is one, and you… barely count as one. If you walk out of this room today, we may never see each other again.”

Colonel Bern turned to look out the window: "Kid, take care, and don't die on the battlefield."

"Take care, you too." Winters raised his hand in salute.

"Is there anything else you haven't finished taking care of in Steel Fortress? Do you need my help?"

“No need, it’s nothing.” Winters smiled. “I’m just waiting for an answer.”

[Bonus Chapter!]
[This chapter mainly fills in plot holes. I've reread it myself, and these are the plot holes that need filling for now. If there are any plot holes that haven't been filled, please remind me. If a plot hole is "can be filled," I'll fill it in this chapter. If a plot hole is "cannot be filled for the time being" or "has already been filled and there's no need to fill it again," then... well, I'll just close my eyes...]
[However, there probably won't be any tomorrow (today). Something came up, and I might have to rush back to work.]
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year!
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, rewards, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)