Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 108 Ludwig: A Completely Different Person

Morin led Ludwig into the manor’s hall, which was so spacious it was almost exaggerated.

A crystal chandelier hangs from the extremely high dome, its light spilling onto the floor and clearly reflecting people's shadows.

The moment Ludwig stepped into this place, he seemed to have transformed into a completely different person. His originally cheerful officer demeanor vanished completely, and he became extremely cautious in his movements.

Maureen gestured for Ludwig to sit on a sofa that looked quite expensive, and the butler quickly directed the maids to serve coffee and delicate pastries.

Ludwig's somewhat nervous demeanor piqued Maureen's curiosity.

Just as he was about to ask the lieutenant colonel what was going on, a light footstep came from the spiral staircase on the second floor.

Morin subconsciously looked up and saw Cecilia's figure.

She was wearing a well-tailored black dress today, the hem of which swayed slightly with her steps.

Her long, honey-colored and platinum-gold hair was still neatly styled at the back of her head, but her expression carried a coldness rarely seen on her usual face.

She walked slowly down the stairs, her grey-blue eyes first sweeping over Morin before landing on Ludwig, and she quickly recognized his Teutonic Knight uniform.

"Who is this Teutonic Knight?" Her voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

Ludwig, who had been relatively relaxed, jumped up from the sofa the moment he saw Cecilia appear, his body taut and straight.

He even subconsciously straightened the collar of his already impeccable military uniform.

"Hello, Mrs. von Falkenstein!"

He gave Cecilia a stiff knightly salute, his voice slightly strained.

"I am Ludwig von Seeckt of the Teutonic Knights. I apologize for my intrusion."

Ludwig even recited the other person's full name, and his respectful attitude left Morin, who was standing to the side, dumbfounded.

Is this the same guy from Seville who used to put his arm around me and keep saying "my sister and you are a match made in heaven"?
Cecilia simply nodded slightly in response.

Her aura was so strong that even though she was just standing there quietly, she naturally became the center of the entire space.

It was the kind of authority that only someone who had long held a high position possessed, completely different from the gentle older sister that Morin usually saw, who would straighten his collar and complain softly.

Mo Lin thought to himself, "This look does indeed give off the vibe of a CEO of a giant corporation."

“Lieutenant Colonel Seeker, is there something you need from Fritz?” Cecilia asked, her tone still calm.

“Yes, madam,” Ludwig replied hastily, not daring to be negligent in the slightest, “it’s about some…some important business.”

He seemed to want to say something, but hesitated because he was worried about something.

Seeing this, Morin took the initiative to explain, "Sister Cecilia, it's about an invention I made on the battlefield, which Ludwig and his knightly order are very interested in."

"invention?"

Upon hearing those two words, Cecilia finally showed a hint of surprise on her face.

Her eyes darted back and forth between Morin and Ludwig, as if assessing the veracity of the matter.

"An incredible invention?" she pressed.

“Yes, madam is truly remarkable!” Ludwig quickly added, his tone full of certainty.

Cecilia remained silent for a moment.

Her grey-blue eyes looked at Morin again, this time for a longer time, and the emotions in them were much more complex.

"Since this is important business, why don't you go to the reception room to talk?"

She turned around and walked towards the corridor on one side of the hall.

"follow me."

Morin and Ludwig exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

Cecilia led them to an elegantly decorated, more private, and soundproofed meeting room.

"You two talk, I won't disturb you."

After she finished speaking, she turned and prepared to leave.

The instant the door closed, Morin clearly saw that the look she gave him carried an intense, unyielding resentment.

That look seemed to be a silent complaint: Fritz, you wouldn't even tell me about something this important first?
"boom."

The heavy door was gently closed, blocking that complicated gaze.

Only Morin and Ludwig remained in the room.

Ludwig let out a long sigh of relief, then collapsed onto the sofa like a deflated balloon.

He raised his hand to wipe away non-existent sweat from his forehead, looking as if he was still shaken.

"My God, they're finally gone!"

Seeing Ludwig's relieved expression, Morin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“I mean, is it really necessary?” Morin poured a glass of water for both of them and asked curiously, “Back in Seville, when you mentioned Cecilia to me, you weren’t this reserved.”

At that time, Ludwig spoke of this 'lady' with more of a teasing tone.

But now that I've actually met him, why have I become so timid?
"Ahem." Ludwig coughed twice, somewhat embarrassed, and sat up straight.

"It's one thing to joke with you in private, but it's quite another when you actually meet this person in person."

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously to Maureen:
"Friedrich, you don't know how lucky you are. You haven't seen Mrs. von Falkenstein's methods outside."

“We, the Teutonic Knights, also have dealings with some subsidiaries of Falkenstein-Eisenstein United Industries.”

“I heard from the logistics knight commander in the group that this ‘Queen of Radiant Crystal’ is a ruthless person who will devour people without spitting out the bones at the negotiating table.”

"It is said that once, a business representative from Gaul tried to play tricks on the contract, but in the end, not only did he fail to do business, he was also humiliated by her business rules and forced to leave the Saxon market, and his company went bankrupt."

"That's amazing?" Morin was somewhat surprised.

In his memory, Cecilia had always been the epitome of gentleness and care; this was the first time he had ever heard of her having such a strong side.

“It’s more than just impressive,” Ludwig exclaimed. “So, you’re probably the only one in the entire Saxon Empire who can be as relaxed and at ease in front of her as you are.”

He paused, then added, "Moreover, this is only the second time I've visited Madam's estate today."

"The second time?" Maureen was even more curious. "When was the first time?"

Ludwig's expression instantly turned strange. He looked at Morin, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

"What's wrong? Speak your mind."

"It's that time when you flirted with my sister Patricia at the party, and then confessed your feelings to her in public and got rejected."

Morin: "."

A long-forgotten, unbearable memory quickly surfaced in my mind.

"When I first found out about this, I got really angry and immediately wanted to come and cause you trouble, to teach you a lesson, you playboy."

Ludwig continued, though there was no hint of anger in his tone.

"So I stormed over here in a rage, only to find out you'd already gone back to military academy. I had no choice but to give up."

Morin awkwardly touched his nose and gave a dry laugh.

However, Ludwig was just saying it for now; the friendship they forged during the battle of Seville had long since dispelled any resentment he might have felt.

After exchanging a few words, Morin quickly steered the conversation back on track.

Ludwig took a document from his briefcase and handed it to Morin.

"This is what our commander personally reviewed from the front lines, and he asked me to bring it to you."

His expression turned serious.

"The Grand Commander is very interested in your invention of the 'shaped charge armor-piercing bullet.' He believes that this technology is likely to change the way armored knights fight in the future."

Morin took the document and glanced through it briefly.

This is a technical assessment document from within the Teutonic Knights, detailing their needs and preliminary plans for testing 'shaped charge armor-piercing projectiles'.

“Our Saxon armored knights were consistently suppressed and suffered considerable losses in previous battles against the Brittany armored knights due to technical limitations, often only able to win by sheer numbers,” Ludwig said, his tone heavy.

"Therefore, the Grand Commander hopes to apply your technology to actual combat as soon as possible, so that we can also have weapons that are efficient enough to penetrate their heavy armor."

As the Teutonic Knight spoke, his eyes were filled with a desire for victory.

The Teutonic Knights, one of the most elite armed forces in the Saxon Empire, were at a disadvantage in their clash with their old rivals, which was undoubtedly a great humiliation for these proud knights.

“I understand.” Maureen nodded. “What do you need me to do?”

"The Grand Master means that he hopes you can complete the patent application for this technology as soon as possible," Ludwig explained.

“Only when you obtain the official documents from the Imperial Patent Office can our Teutonic Knights legitimately apply to the military to test and procure this technology.”

“Otherwise, even if we use it directly, it would be considered plagiarism of your invention, which violates the code of chivalry.”

Hearing this, Morin was genuinely surprised.

He also thought that critical technologies urgently needed by the military would usually be requisitioned directly, with at most some compensation given afterward.

Unexpectedly, the Teutonic Knights respected his personal rights so much that they went to the trouble of going through an extra step.

"Oh my~ I didn't expect you guys to be so principled." Morin said, half-jokingly and half-sincerely.

A look of pride appeared on Ludwig's face.

“Friedrich, the title ‘Knights’ is not something to be used casually.”

He straightened his back and continued, "Although we cannot compare with the true knights of our ancient predecessors, we still regard honor, justice, and integrity as the most important virtues."

"This is something etched into the very bones of every Teutonic Knight, and it will never change."

(End of this chapter)