Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 44 Hidden Street

Field pointed at Winters: "This is the new intern."

Then he pointed at Moritz: "This is my adjutant, but you seem to know him... Oh, I see. Moritz was mysteriously taking leave earlier to pick you up?"

"Major Moritz, and Major General Layton."

The old woman who opened the door downstairs heard the sound of the door being torn down upstairs, so she came up to see what was going on.

“Mrs. Warren, I’ll have to trouble you to send someone to fix the door again.” Field handed Mrs. Warren a few small silver coins, which she accepted without asking any questions, clearly used to such things.

The lieutenant colonel then handed Mrs. Warren a small bag of money, asking her to go to the neighborhood and buy some old clothes and boots that matched the figures of the three officers.

Major Moritz got up and rummaged through his desk drawer for paper, pens, and an ink bottle. Winters acted as the scribe, and the three of them communicated by speaking, writing, and using.

Field was unaware that his adjutant had been sent on a mission to the United Provinces, which the Army considered a secret operation; he also believed that Moritz had been recuperating at home.

When the lieutenant colonel learned that the major's eardrums had been ruptured by his own magic, he laughed so hard he almost fell over.

But when he discovered that Winters and Moritz were actually eyewitnesses who had kept him in the dark, his expression became complicated.

His face showed a look of astonishment, as if to say, "You guys actually formed a clique behind my back."

This is all because of Major Moritz's phrase "secret discussion".

However, Field didn't have time to ask questions in detail; he had more important things to do.

"Are you still capable?" Field asked.

Major Moritz, still half asleep, pulled a silver coin from under the mattress.

The next second, accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound, the silver coin in his hand disappeared, the wine bottle on the desk shattered, and a hole appeared in the wooden wall behind the bottle.

"Get up and come with me."

Major Moritz rubbed his neck and yawned widely: "But you should let me take a shower first, right?"

“No need. Go to Qianmin Street. Your slovenly appearance is perfect for you.” Lieutenant Colonel Field said with a sneer, “If you cleaned yourself up a bit, you’d only be good as a male prostitute.”

————Cut————

Although Qianmin Street is called a street, the area it covers is actually no smaller than the urban area of ​​Hailan City.

The history of Venetus can be traced back to the ancient imperial era, and the name Venetus comes from an ancient language.

This city has been destroyed by war and natural disasters several times, and rebuilt several times. The ruins of the old city lie beneath the surface of today's Blue City.

The ancients left two legacies for this city: a water supply system and a sewage system.

The water supply system has lost its original effectiveness, leaving only the remains of some elevated canals as the remnants of an ancient civilization, standing alone in the suburbs.

However, the drainage system still faithfully fulfills its original design function.

Although the city's owners have changed many times, the position of the dredging officer responsible for clearing the silt from the sewer system has been retained.

The old sewer system in Hailan City has always been maintained, which is why it wasn't blocked and abandoned like the old sewer system in Guitu City.

Moreover, whenever a wise person takes charge of the city, they will make additions and repairs to the old drainage system to accommodate the growing population of Blue City.

After numerous repairs, the drainage system of Hailan City eventually became a maze. No one knew how many forgotten paths and passages were inside, or where the drainage system actually led.

So this sewage system, which was supposed to be a breeding ground for filth in Aquamarine City, truly became a place where all sorts of people mingled. Thieves, smugglers, murderers, and cultists mingled here.

Goods that could never be sold on the market can be traded here, and even the ugliest human desires can be satisfied here.

The ruling council of Hailan City was helpless against this, so they dispatched guards to exterminate the rats, who then fled and disappeared into various paths and pipes that were not on the blueprints.

After the guards withdrew from the sewer system, the rats emerged from the drains again and gathered there once more.

Therefore, the drainage system of Aquamarine City is also known as the Hidden People Street, where a delicate dynamic balance is formed between the public power under the sunlight and the rats that can only live in the dark.

Winters changed into a dirty linen robe and cloak, wore a cat-face mask, and, holding the Dussac scimitar that Lieutenant Colonel Field had lent him, followed behind the two officers.

Lieutenant Colonel Field, though rough around the edges, was meticulous; he not only had Moritz's landlady get him clothes, but also several pairs of shoes.

The sight of three officers walking together was already conspicuous enough; if they were to wear military boots as well, they would be easily spotted even by a blind man.

However, shoes found in a hurry are never a good fit. The boots Winters was wearing were too small, making him feel a little sore.

The three men left their horses at Major Moritz's residence and, led by Lieutenant Colonel Field, descended the ladder next to the Carpenter's Bridge in the DC district to the dry bank of the river, arriving at a drainage pipe about the height of a person.

The lieutenant colonel lit a torch with his fire-making magic and took the lead as he went inside.

Major Moritz noticed Winters gripping the knife hilt slightly nervously and gently reassured him, "It's alright, there's not much danger on Qianmin Street, and there are plenty of cheap goods to buy. Relax, the way you walk right now makes you look like a soldier."

After he finished speaking, Major Moritz was the second to go in.

Winters stretched his shoulders and entered the drain with as natural a gait as possible.

The drainage pipe was about two meters wide and made of brick and stone. Most of its width was reserved for the waterway, and the water appeared dark under the torchlight, making it impossible to tell how deep it was.

A narrow path, just wide enough for one person to walk on, was built along the edge of the pipeline; it was originally intended for the dredging workers.

The three walked in silence, turning left and right, for an unknown amount of time. But when Winters counted the twelve forks in the road, he began to faintly hear footsteps and seemed to see flickering lights ahead.

Further on, Lieutenant Colonel Field suddenly led Winters to the right, into a hidden passage in the wall of the pipe. After walking a few dozen steps, the view suddenly opened up before them.

Inside, it was no longer a drainage pipe that required stooping to walk through, but a winding tunnel about two and a half meters high with no end in sight. There were quite a few people inside, making it seem rather lively.

Some people, like Winters, concealed their identities with masks and cloaks, set up small tables spaced a meter or two apart and lit oil lamps, seemingly selling things there.

Winters didn't recognize most of the things on their tables; some people had just a few small wooden plaques on their tables.

Other masked people would occasionally stop at the small tables and communicate with the sellers using gestures. It was unclear how a sale was calculated or not.

Winters found the underground cavern strange; part of the space seemed to have been recently excavated, with uneven walls made of damp earth and crooked wooden pillars supporting a few planks.

But some parts subtly tell Winters about the place’s long history: scattered old bricks on the ground, stone vaulted structures, and faint traces of color on some stucco walls.

Lieutenant Colonel Field walked straight ahead along the tunnel without looking to either side. Winters followed behind, accidentally kicking a white stone covered in mud. The stone rolled a few times, revealing three holes.

It was then that Winters realized where he was; the white stone wasn't a stone at all, but a skull.

This underground space, used as a market by the merchants of Qianmin Street, was originally a tomb. Winters couldn't tell exactly when it was built, but it wasn't from the ancient imperial period, nor from the last few centuries. Ancient people wouldn't build tombs next to their drainage systems, and tombs from the last few centuries wouldn't be dug this deep. Several layers of ruins lie beneath Hailan City; no one knows how many times it has been destroyed and rebuilt.

It is likely that someone accidentally discovered this tomb, took all the burial goods, and then repurposed the tomb chamber as a commercial street.

The original burial space gradually became insufficient, so the people of Qianmin Street continued to dig into the walls. This is why some walls are made of plaster, while others are made of mud.

Winters couldn't help but "admire" the reckless spirit of these street rats, who dared to build illegal structures in what was probably a thousand-year-old underground building.

The walls of this tomb chamber support the vaulted ceiling. They even knocked down the walls, not afraid that the soil above their heads would collapse at any moment.

Winters' mind was wandering, but he didn't stop, following closely behind Lieutenant Colonel Field.

Major Moritz, however, was drawn to something on a table. He stopped and began gesturing to the vendors on the street.

Field walked a little further and then turned around to find Moritz haggling with someone.

Enraged, he strode back and kicked the major hard in the butt.

The major remained unmoved, as if the kick in the backside wasn't even part of him, and continued to communicate slowly with gestures.

After the transaction was completed, the major took out a few gold coins, while the street vendor from Qianmin Street took out several paper packets from under the table.

The major opened the paper package, checked it, and nodded to the vendor after confirming that everything was correct. He then put the package in his pocket.

Although Winters couldn't see Field's expression because he was wearing a mask, he could easily imagine the colonel's face.

Major Moritz shrugged as if nothing had happened, as if to say: What's wrong? I'm just like this, you know that, right?

Lieutenant Colonel Field sighed helplessly and continued leading the way.

The three of them left the underground market through another hidden door.

Leaving the underground market through a hidden door and venturing deeper, you reach another underground market. However, compared to the previous one, this one is much less crowded.

Leaving the second underground market and continuing forward, the ground begins to become flat and dry. The passageway seems to have been carefully restored, with occasional openings in the walls large enough for one person to pass through.

Winters peered curiously into the cave entrance, which was either covered by black veils or concealed by wooden doors, making it unclear where it led.

Lieutenant Colonel Field stopped in front of a hole, nodded to Major Moritz, and then pushed open the wooden door and went inside.

Winters originally thought that this was the destination, but he didn't expect that it was actually a tunnel.

This labyrinthine structure had completely disoriented Winters; heaven knows how Field managed to find his way.

After walking along this tunnel for about several dozen meters, you can see flashing lights at the bend ahead.

After turning the right angle, a burly man carrying a hammer sat on a wooden barrel, blocking the three people's way like a wall.

The man had bulging muscles at the base of his neck, broad shoulders, and thick limbs; he was practically a human-shaped bear.

A sinister voice came from behind Winters: "I noticed you as soon as you came in, yet you kept your heads down and kept coming in. Don't you want to live?"

Seven or eight masked thugs emerged from the narrow tunnel behind them, carrying short knives and wooden sticks studded with iron nails, and were looking at Winters and his companions with ill intent.

Behind the humanoid bear, several hidden doors were pushed open, and four or five more thugs emerged.

Field, Moritz, and Winters also drew their weapons. Winters counted in his mind that there were about fourteen people in total.

Despite being outnumbered, the opponent might not be able to unleash their full potential in the confined space.

The most difficult one to deal with was that burly man. Even wearing a full set of plate armor was useless against him when he was given a blunt weapon like a hammer.

"There's no need to risk your lives for the sake of those rich people in the Senate." The sinister voice spoke again, and this time Winters could see clearly that it was a person wearing a clown mask behind him: "Throw your weapons on the ground, and I'll let you go back the way you came and spare your lives. Otherwise..."

The thugs, brandishing their weapons, approached with sinister laughs, trying to put psychological pressure on Winters and his two companions.

Lieutenant Colonel Field nodded to Major Moritz, who sighed and planted his sword in the ground.

“That’s right, look how clever your companion is…” The man wearing the clown mask stopped abruptly, a cloud of blood spurted from his eyes, and he fell backward to the ground.

Winters now understands why Antonio said, "Even a hundred men wouldn't be enough for Moritz van Nassu."

Archers draw their bows to shoot arrows, and musketeers load their guns to fire, but Major Moritz can use his flying arrow technique without any preparation.

Not only does it require no preparation, but it is also extremely stealthy.

There was no sound of bowstrings or gunshots, only the sharp whistling of something cutting through the air. There was no need to aim like with a crossbow or musket—Winters didn't see Major Moritz point at any enemy.

The major's hand rested casually at his waist, and one silver coin after another shot out from his right hand, his posture resembling that of a child playing marbles.

But for every silver coin he shot, an enemy would fall to the ground with a bloody hole in their head.

Silver is not a very hard metal, but when Major Moritz used magic to accelerate a silver coin to near the speed of a musket bullet, the unsharpened coin could easily cut through skin, tissue, and bone, turning a soft brain into a paste.

This is the simplest and most efficient killing technique that Lieutenant Colonel Field mentioned. It doesn't require fancy skills or complicated methods: just accelerate a silver coin to 200 meters per second and hit the enemy on the head.

In just six seconds, most of the enemies in the tunnel had been taken down by Major Moritz.

Even the man wielding the hammer had a silver coin strike him between the eyebrows, and the bear-like giant fell straight to the ground, motionless.

Several thugs who saw the situation was not good and turned to run away were accurately hit in the back of the head.

"Leave one alive!" Lieutenant Colonel Field stepped forward, sword in hand.

With a thought, the major struck the last enemy in the knee. The fleeing thug's legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Is this all the cripple's men are capable of?" The lieutenant colonel asked with great regret, as he plunged a sword into the neck of each man who was no longer moving or was still convulsing. Without turning his head, he asked, "Youngest gentleman, could you please handle the rest of the men behind you?"

The lieutenant colonel didn't call Winters by name, nor did he say what he wanted Winters to do, but anyone who wasn't a fool could understand what he meant.

Winters was no longer the fledgling who had just left the ivory tower. His last bit of innocence had vanished after that boarding battle, or more precisely, when he stabbed the poor oarsman in the neck with a dagger.

He endured the slight discomfort and began using Dussac to finish off the thugs from Qianmin Street one by one.

The official in charge of clearing the sewers is actually reminding me of the weir official of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Dujiangyan wasn't a one-off project; it requires regular dredging and maintenance, a practice that has continued for two thousand years. Rome's sewers were indeed clogged.

Thank you to readers 20170726153222839, 20181013204343295, ghko, and Yangxiachi for their recommendation votes. I also want to thank all the readers who voted for me before. Thank you!

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(End of this chapter)