Iron Powder and Spellcaster

It was both lucky and unfortunate that everyone in the garrison could not witness the contest between the most notorious spell caster in the new land and the most unknown priest - or rather a one-sided beating.

When a third person appeared in the room, the atmosphere of spendthrift chatting and laughter that had existed between Winters and Carman disappeared in an instant.

Kaman backed away slowly and quietly gave up the central area of ​​the room, causing everyone's attention to focus on Winters again.

Carman himself, like every competent confessor, stood with his hands on his hands in a manner that had a sense of presence but did not steal the limelight.

Winters was startled for a moment, then he walked to the clothes rack cooperatively and put his shirt back on calmly.

The office that originally belonged to Major Sandel suddenly fell into an unusual silence, and the only sound that could be heard was the rustling of clothes.

Angelou scratched the back of his head after breaking the door, not knowing whether to turn around and leave or to ask for instructions.

He looked pitifully at Father Carman, but the priest looked at his nose, nose, mouth, and mouth, his expression as calm and serene as a marble sculpture.

Angelou looked at Pierre again for help, but Pierre's attention was completely attracted by the shocking large purple bruises on the chest and shoulders of Tribune Montagne.

Just when some people were wandering, some were panicking, and some were racking their brains to think about how to end it, another ping-pong-pong noise came from the corridor.

Your Excellency! Hold on!

The iconic broken gong's voice hurt people's eardrums, and the shouters seemed to be afraid that there were still people who didn't know that something had happened on the second floor.

Holding a shotgun with a terrifying caliber, Hodel squeezed through the other people blocking the door and rushed into the office: Here I come!

At the same time, Pierre on the side silently put away his saber.

When Hodel stepped into the office, he was about to shout majestically, Where is the assassin? when he suddenly felt that the atmosphere was very strange, as if he had broken into some ulterior ceremony, and he immediately froze in place.

However, his reckless behavior gave this little incident a chance to end.

Winters, who buttoned the last button meticulously, glanced at Hodel without anger or prestige.

Well... Houdel swallowed his saliva and raised his hand in a panic to salute. His voice was as weak as a mosquito flapping its wings: Your Excellency, if it's alright, I will retreat...

Winters nodded slightly.

As if he had been granted amnesty, Houdel saluted quickly, hunched his neck, bent his waist, and exited the room dejectedly.

As soon as Hodel left, others followed suit and left. The originally crowded corridor was quickly cleared.

Pierre saluted the tribune, nodded gently to Father Carmen, and prepared to leave with the others.

But a majestic and cold voice came from behind: Mr. Mitchell, please stay for a while.

Angelou, who was at the back, cast a concerned look at Pierre, but could only follow the others and exit the office.

The door was closed again, leaving only Pierre, Carman and Winters in the office.

Pierre carefully turned around to look at the tribune, only to find that the latter's previously frosty expression had melted away, and he had returned to his usual free and easy expression.

Winters made a sigh-like sound while resting his whole body weight on the armchair, like an old man with stiff joints and limited mobility.

When the entire set of actions was finally completed, he let out a long, contented breath.

Next to him, Kaman stared straight ahead and stood still, as if he didn't see anything.

However, even though the priest's posture was respectful and submissive, Winters was still sensitive to the disdain and contempt emanating from someone invisible.

He protested angrily: That's a natural reaction, Father.

The body is just a prison for the soul, and the pain is just your illusion. Carman replied politely: Your Excellency.

If we continue to discuss this topic, I am afraid it will trigger another debate.

Fortunately, Winters has already learned how to deal with Kaman, that is, not to engage in meaningless verbal sparring with Kaman in areas where he is good at.

So he didn't answer Kaman's words, but raised his hand to unbutton the top two buttons of his clothes, raised his chin and pointed to the chair in front of him, and casually asked Pierre: What are you standing for? Come and sit.

Pierre sat down carefully opposite the tribune, with only half his buttocks resting on the chair. Seeing this, Winters raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything.

Bishop Horn of the Diocese of Artemis has an appointment with me. Seeing that Winters and Pierre wanted to talk about serious matters, Kaman found an excuse to leave at the right time: Please allow me to take my leave first.

Winters nodded slightly. After thinking about it, he smiled and said to Carman: Please convey your gratitude to Bishop Horn and tell him that I am very grateful for his coming to appease the congregation in the city. If the time is right, I will come to express my gratitude in person.

Kaman frowned slightly, glanced at Winters suspiciously, and nodded reluctantly: I will convey it.

After saying that, Carman nodded slightly to Pierre, turned and left the room.

During the whole process, Pierre keenly felt that Father Carman's eyes stayed on him for an extra moment.

The priest's gaze was like that of a potter looking for cracks in the water urn, which inevitably made Pierre feel uncomfortable.

However, the priest of Wolf Town has a close relationship with the Mitchell family, so Pierre temporarily interpreted Father Carman's inspection as concern from an old friend.

Winters watched Kaman go out, then looked at Pierre and said humorously: Come on, give me some good news. I've heard enough complaints these days.

Pierre came to his senses and sat upright at once.

He solemnly placed the package that Vashika had given him on the table, neatly untied it, and then slowly took out a key from it.

Then came the second, third...

Finally, a total of seven keys were carefully placed in front of Winters.

The seven keys are made of different materials and sizes. Some are silver-bodied and gold-skinned, with exquisite shapes; some are just twisted iron bars at best, and it requires a considerable degree of understanding to recognize them as keys.

Pierre proudly explained the origin of the key: Longbow Bay, Fuqing Harbor, Bingxi Valley... wherever your banner went, the towns in Wargne County watched the wind fall, and all of them voluntarily presented the 'city key' to express their gratitude. submission.

The next moment, Pierre saw Xue Lang take out a large, heavy iron ring from the drawer.

The iron ring is covered with various keys.

Sometimes, I'm really curious. Winters frowned and threaded the seven keys on the table into the iron ring: How many of these so-called city gate keys can actually open a certain door? .”

I'm afraid there isn't even one. Pierre carefully concealed his disappointment and asked with a smile: The city gates in each town don't have locks, so how can they use keys?

Winters noticed the reluctance in Pierre's smile, and suddenly realized that what was in front of him was not just the seven keys, but also the result of Pierre's hard work.

He wanted to pat Pierre on the shoulder like an elder brother and say a few words of encouragement. But unfortunately, he is not good at that kind of tender communication.

He lifted the iron ring, and keys of all sizes jingled. He also smiled and asked, Since there is no need for keys, how could it be like this?

Because they heard that any town captured by you can be protected from robbery and extortion as long as you obediently present the city gate key. Pierre pointed to the thick and long twisted iron bar: So, even if it is Fuqinggang, which doesn't even have a city gate, also made a 'city gate key' for you on the day of my 'visit'.

Oh? Winters became interested and picked out the twisted iron bar representing Fuqing Port: Is this one?

Yes. Pierre couldn't help but smile: When it was handed into my hands, it was even warm.

Winters looked at the uneven surface of the key: They would not have been robbed or extorted.

But they don't believe it. Pierre replied calmly: They would rather believe that you are a 'blood wolf' who is keen to ask for city gate keys to show your authority, and as long as they obey you, they can avoid misfortune. Rather than letting them worry If you are anxious, why don’t you conform to their imagination and let them secretly rejoice?”

Winters only found Pierre's idea interesting, but he had to ask Pierre seriously: There is no way to not be a blood wolf, but there is a choice to pretend to be a blood wolf?

I think we should go further. Pierre gritted his teeth and answered honestly: Rather than being misunderstood by others, it is better to become a blood wolf calmly. The new settlers are used to the rule of the legions and are used to being treated roughly and arrogantly. Being too kind will only backfire.”

The office fell silent.

Winters thought for a moment and said, Sounds like something Andrea Cellini would say.

Pierre put his hands on his knees and lowered his head.

Why are you lowering your head? Winters laughed dumbly: Think of being with Tribune Cellini - this is not a derogatory comment.

Pierre seemed to have made up his mind. He raised his head, looked at the blood wolf, and said in a low voice: Your Excellency, on my way to the garrison, every 'commissioned officer' showed an inexplicable urgency. .At first, I thought they were eager for me to come see you. But in the end, I realized that it was not urgency, but anxiety and panic... They were afraid.

Winters raised his chin and asked quietly, What are you afraid of?

Pierre pursed his lips: Afraid of peace.

This answer caused the room to fall into silence again.

This time there was no need for Winters to ask, Pierre himself broke the silence: Towns can change flags, soldiers can go home, officers in leather boots can be readmitted. But commissioned officers - those who have been with you from the beginning The veterans have no way out. If we lose one day, they will lose everything.

As if to finish speaking before Winters spoke, Pierre spoke quickly: Please believe me, every one of them is willing to fight for you to the last moment - they have never even thought of betrayal. . It is precisely because of this, precisely because they no longer have nothing, and precisely because they will never betray you, that the ending of failure makes them even more desperate. Even just imagining that possibility will make them shudder.

Your Excellency, Centurion, Brother Montagne... Pierre tried his best to maintain restraint and said word by word: Your most loyal subordinates are gradually beginning to feel pessimistic about the future.

Why?

Because they don't know if this is the end. Pierre stared at the blood wolf closely, his voice trembling, and repeated: Is this our ending?

Winters looked at Pierre with a look of relief and helplessness on his face.

He stood up holding on to the table, called the stunned Pierre to the window, pointed at the Tiefeng County soldiers outside, grabbed Pierre's shoulders, and asked: Do you feel that they - your comrades - —Are you hostile to your subordinates?

Pierre didn't know why the tribune asked this. He stood blankly for a while and replied: I feel it.

The friendly forces also view us this way. Winters patted Pierre on the back and led the latter back to his seat: If we continue to ask for it greedily, the next war will start in the new land soon.

Pierre, who was sitting on the chair, clenched his fists tightly and lowered his head. When he raised his head again, his eyes were burning with fire. He gritted his teeth and asked, Isn't that better? It's because we took everything new. A great opportunity for land.”

Winters walked towards the chest of drawers in the corner of the room, as if he didn't understand Pierre's instructions at all, and asked casually: Then what?

Pierre was stunned: I...I don't understand...

Winters returned from the chest of drawers carrying a wine bottle and two glasses. He poured a little of Major Sandel's collection for Pierre, leaned against the desk, and looked down at Pierre: Let me ask you, take all the newly cultivated land - and then what?

Pierre was made restless by the blood wolf's eyes that seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts. He endured the discomfort and answered with his head held high: Then the King's Castle! Then the Jiangbei Province! Then the Senas Alliance!

I'm not asking you to make up your mind. Winters couldn't help laughing and put the cup into Pierre's hand: I'm asking you a more practical question.

Winters leaned against his desk, tapped the tabletop lightly, and asked one sentence after another: How many casualties do you plan to endure to annihilate the three counties' troops? If the three counties are unwilling to surrender, how many troops do you plan to put into the siege? After annihilating the troops in the three counties and taking over all the newly cultivated land, how long do you think it will take us to fully digest the results of the victory...

In any case, there will be no better time than now! Pierre clenched his fists tightly, his eyes were red, and he replied decisively: Since we will eventually have a battle with the New Reclamation Army, then Vietnam The sooner you fight, the better. If there is no blood today, it will be a river of blood tomorrow.”

I haven't finished asking yet. Winters waited until Pierre finished speaking before asking the last question.

He looked Pierre directly in the eyes and asked: If another civil war breaks out in the new land, when it ends, will we still have enough strength to deal with threats from the outside?

External threat. Pierre was startled at first, and then fell into an unprecedented anxiety. He asked in puzzlement and angrily: Your Excellency! There are no more available soldiers in the King's Castle! What are you worried about? Have you forgotten your Are you committed?

Winters put his hand on Pierre's shoulder and waited patiently for Pierre to regain his composure.

Pierre. Winters turned thousands of expectations into one sentence: Open your eyes and set your sights on the long distance.

The enemy is not only in the King's Castle. He said slowly: It's not even just in Plato.

[Oh my god! It’s the end of the month again! What on earth have I done! ]

[(ㄒoㄒ)(ㄒoㄒ)(ㄒoㄒ)]

[I am the great treason(ㄒoㄒ)]