Iron Power And Sorcerer

Iron Power And Sorcerer Chapter 267

2021-03-01

Chapter 267 Guilds
Twenty-nine years ago, spring.

A weary youngster walks into an unnamed settlement in New Reclaimed Land.

The youngster was tall, sallow-faced and thin, wearing very old clothes made of sacks.

He doesn't have shoes, but that's okay. The soles of his feet have been ground into thick calluses, and even stepping on sharp gravel will not hurt.

Two pliers and a hammer were all his possessions, now slung across his shoulders in a satchel.

Along the way, youngster relies on these tools to repair things for people in exchange for food and lodging.

Although he can twist steel and shape metal with his arms, he is not a blacksmith because he is not yet an apprentice.

And because he did not agree to extend the apprenticeship period, he had a falling out with the master, and I am afraid he can no longer be an apprentice.

A person who is not an apprentice is not a certified blacksmith; a blacksmith who is not a certified blacksmith cannot trade; he cannot trade, even if his ability is greater than that of a master, he will starve to death.

Youngster's master got him right, and the master waited for him to apologize and admit his mistakes, and to be an unpaid apprentice for another four years.

The youngster chose to leave his hometown and traveled across the whole of Palatu to seek opportunities in unknown new fields - I heard that there is no blacksmith's guild there.

To this end, the youngster traveled long distances, slept and slept in the wind, and went through all the Suffer untold hardships, and finally arrived at the new land.

Unfortunately, he came a little late, and every settlement he went to already had a silhouette of a blacksmith working.

youngster walks, walks, farther and farther, more and more remote. Finally, in this remote and desolate settlement, he did not find the existence of his peers.

youngster spent the first night under the eaves with a satchel. On the second day, he traded one of the tongs for a hot meal and a plank.

Drinking the last drop of soup from the disc, he solemnly engraved on the wooden board:
[Blacksmith_Portin Mejri_Repair, forge and smelt]
 …

Twenty-seven years ago, Xia.

Boltain and his two assistants are busy in the backyard of the smithy.

Three people, each holding a tool, work with a common purpose to dismantle a smelting furnace that is half a person high and made of mud.

This is the third year for [Portin Mejri] to come to the new land.

The once-unnamed settlement has a resounding name-Gevodan.

The young blacksmith apprentice who once only had a plank, a pair of pliers and a hammer, now has a small shop, and the inhabitants of Gervodin respectfully call him "Blacksmith Pol." Tan".

After breaking the furnace, Boltin cautiously clipped a piece of sponge iron of irregular shape from the hearth, like a precious piece of china.

"It's done!" Paul Vinicius - Boltain's assistant - was ecstatic, laughing and punching the air randomly: "We've done it!"

Another assistant, the silent Peter Goncharov, said nothing, but his eyes couldn't hide the joy.

"It's not done yet!" said Boltain, a smile already on his face.

The three of them immediately transferred the sponge iron to the anvil, with Boltain holding the pliers, and the other two swinging the hammer and proceeding to forge the sponge iron.

With the rhythmic hammering, the loose and porous sponge iron gradually becomes compact and dense, showing the appearance of "iron" little by little.

Busy from noon to night, the iron billet was returned to the furnace several times for heating, and the three finally forged this small piece of sponge iron into a mature iron ingot.

"It's done." Boltain wiped the sweat from his forehead and announced to his two partners with a smile.

Paul Vinicius was so happy that he was going crazy. He hugged his friends by the shoulders and laughed: "With iron, we can let go of our hands and feet!"

Without iron, blacksmiths can't use their fists; without smelting iron, the three of Boltain can only tinker and make a living by recycling a little scrap iron.

"It's still too much charcoal." Peter Goncharov pursed his lips, his joy dissipated a little: "The smelting furnace has to be replaced, it's too far from the Iron Peak Mine."

"Hey! Why are you always spoiling the fun? Let's celebrate first!" Paul Vinicius was elated: "Let's go! Have a drink! I'll treat you!"

Neither of the three Closing the door, he walked out of the blacksmith shop with a dirty joke.

Go to the little widow Ellen's house across the street to buy beer, they sit comfortably under the eaves, drink and imagine the future.

At the same time, three cavalrymen with green flags galloped past, rolling up smoke and dust.

Paul Vinicius was caught off guard and ate his mouth full of ashes. He was so angry that he yelled: "Donkey Day! Do you want to give Lao Tzu some seasoning?"

Peter · Goncharov stared at the back of the cavalry, and did not say a word for a long time.

The officer headed by the three cavalry went straight into the town hall, rang the bell to gather the residents, and read the announcement to the crowd:

"According to the resolution passed by the Great Council of Palatine... ... The newly reclaimed province is officially under military control... According to the Told Agreement, all forests, rivers, land, and mineral property rights in the newly reclaimed province belong to the military government... The old frontier policy is immediately invalid..."

The three blacksmiths came a little late. Paul Vinicius was so small that he couldn't see anything when he stood behind the crowd. He asked his friends anxiously: "Eh? What are you talking about? I can't hear you clearly! "

"What the hell is he doing?" Boltain crossed his arms: "No matter how happy the birds are, we have to earn bread by our craftsmanship."

Peter Goncharo Husband was silent. "It's going to change," he thought.

Meanwhile, beyond a thousand li's castles.

Six negotiators from the Republic of Monta looked solemn and entered the first Conference Hall of the Great Conference Hall calmly, six negotiators from Palato and the auditors from the United Provinces, Veneta and Vine waiting.

Delegates in the first Conference Hall will discuss a major event that will change the fate of many people:
Unification of commercial law, currency and weights and measures of the republics The free flow of goods within the alliance, and achieve the ultimate goal - the establishment of the [Greater Senas Customs Union].

 …

Twenty-one years ago, autumn.

In Widow Ellen's tavern, Boltain, Paul Vinicius and Peter Goncharov were drinking suffocating wine.

"Mejri, you have a solution!" Paul Vinicius broke the silence and clapped the table, "We all listen to you."

Boltainshook the head.

Peter Goncharov sipped his beer silently.

This is Portin Major's ninth year at the new land.

The little widow Ellen has become the widow Ellen, and one or two white hairs have come out of Boltain's temples.

Six years ago, Portin moved the forge to a new location at the foot of Iron Peak, on the banks of the St. George River, and business has grown day by day.

Paul Vinicius and Peter Goncharov are also no longer Boltain's assistants, they have their own forge, assistant and apprentice, but the three friends still do business together .

The three of Boltain specialize in iron smelting, and the iron materials they smelt are sold directly to other blacksmiths, so as not to trouble themselves.

In the beginning, blacksmiths from nearby villages and towns traveled a long way to buy iron materials. Later, some blacksmiths simply moved the forge next to the workshop of the three Boltains in order to save shipping costs.

In the vicinity of the Boltain workshop, people gradually become denser. Because of the large number of forging furnaces, nearby farmers call this blacksmith village "Forge Township".

Boltin likes the name, but he doesn't know how long it will last.

He finished his glass of wine and said with a sullen face: "The iron ingots from Forge Township are no longer sold in Linjun, and the iron forged last month is still in the warehouse today. Fort's iron eyes are about to crush us, and if we continue, we'll just die."

"Is there any need for that?" Paul Vinicius said impatiently: "What kind of bullshit treaty is it to blame? !"

Because the republics neither gave way to the other, the attempt to form the "Grand Senas Customs Union" finally failed. But the stillborn customs union plan leaves some legacy.

Example: At the strong suggestion of General Antoine Laurent, the republics agreed to unify weights and measures at the official level - of course, no currency.

And: The republics agreed in principle to reduce tariffs, and agreed to use the "bilateral treaty" as a substitute for the "big customs union" at this stage.

After Palatu and Monta signed a customs treaty a year ago, steel bars and ironware poured into Palatu like a dam.

It was a good thing for the Paratus that they could buy cheaper iron. But for the blacksmiths like Boltain, the situation couldn't get any worse.

It's only been six years since the good days, is it the end of it?

"If I have a way." Boltin gritted his teeth and asked the two partners in a deep voice, "Would you like to support me?"

Peter Goncharov He blinked, but didn't speak.

Paul Vinicius agreed impatiently: "Just say it!"

"The guild! We're going to start our own Iron Peaks Blacksmiths Guild!"

...

It's this moment, winter.

"Your Excellency, please allow me to betray you." Facing the Montagne tribune who visited late at night, the old blacksmith Boltin sat up with force: "Do you know what the core of the cultivation is? ?"

Winters faint smile: "Monopoly."

"That's right." The old blacksmith Boltain sat on the reclining chair Winters built for him, speaking calmly and slowly: "The core of the guild is internal democracy and external monopoly. Then do you know why I pulled the blacksmiths of Iron Peak County to set up a guild twenty years ago?"

"I guess." Winters He chuckled: "You want to monopolize the source of iron materials in Iron Peak County, and keep the steel bars out of the steel castle."

"Yes." The old blacksmith Boltain did not deny it: "Very well. Despicable?"

"No, it's normal." Winters smiled and shook his head. "That's what guilds do, and it would be weird if they didn't. I'm more curious why you failed?"

The old blacksmith Boltain was silent.

"Fortresses are the easiest to break through from the inside." Winters rubbed the hilt of his knife. "There must be a traitor."

"One of my business partners chose to stand on the other side. "The old blacksmith Boltain forced a smile: "The guild, the internal democracy. I didn't find this until the vote."

"Mr. Goncharov?"

“Yes.”

Winters laughed.

The old blacksmith Bortain was lying on a chair, looking at the ceiling and said: "The problem you are encountering now is nothing more than two solutions, one fast and one slow. I don't need to say more about the fast solution. But I can assure you that none of the blacksmiths in Forge Town dared to openly oppose you. However, the guild is the foundation of the city, and if the blacksmith's guild is moved, everyone will be in danger."

"If I wanted to come quickly, I wouldn't come to ask you for advice. If you have any ideas, please speak up." Winters smiled. If the old blacksmith planned to use him to take revenge on the blacksmith's guild, he wouldn't mind being a knife.

"Let me ask you one more question." The old blacksmith Boltain deviated from the subject: "Do you know why Peter Goncharov was against me twenty years ago?"

"I don't know." Winters cooperated with the old blacksmith.

The old blacksmith Boltain sighed: "Because he thinks that our iron can't beat the steel bar iron, in the final analysis there is one reason - their iron is indeed better and cheaper. Monopoly cannot make up for quality and price. It is better to admit defeat obediently and honestly.”

“Actually, the iron smelting business was crushed, I am not angry, at worst I will go back Just strike iron." The old blacksmith said with emotion: "What really makes me unacceptable is the betrayal of a friend. But do you know what is more uncomfortable than the betrayal of a friend? The betrayal of old Goncharov is right.

The more I think about it, the more I agree with old Goncharov. The steel castle can win because their bars are really good. If you want to rely on the blacksmith guild to squeeze out the steel bars of the steel castle, you have to use a large Pay tribute to buy Legion, the new land. In the end, the blacksmiths will make less money, and the iron will be more expensive. The money goes into the pockets of Legion, the new land, and it is better to simply surrender.”

Winters was a little surprised, and he listened quietly, because the old blacksmith was obviously not finished.

"But this decade, I've had another idea. Old Goncharov is right, but not right! What if our iron could be cheap and good? If we had Can you produce steel like a steel castle in one day? If you surrender, there will be no hope at all."

The old blacksmith Boltain summed up heavily: "This is what I have been thinking for ten years. Monopoly is not impossible. , the premise is to dignified the monopoly that is directly defeating the steel castle! To find a more labor-saving mining method, a better smelting furnace, cheaper fuel... How to do the steel castle, learn how to do it! Finally, defeat the steel castle! ”

The old blacksmith Boltain became more and more excited as he spoke, and at the end he was a little breathless.

Winters thought for a while, then asked, "It was with this idea that you started researching how to use coal to smelt iron?"

"Yes, but it failed." The old blacksmith Slumped on the reclining chair, he smiled bleakly: "If you want to wrestle your arms with Steel Castle, the blacksmith's guild is not qualified. Monopolizing the forge has already satisfied the blacksmiths. The blacksmith's guild exists not for more production, but for less. Production. That's what makes them different from Steel Castle.

The Blacksmith's Guild has neither the will nor the ability to improve, while the Steel Castle is getting stronger every day. Sooner or later, the Blacksmith's Guild in Ironpeak Will be completely crushed by the Steel Castle. So I didn't have any hope long ago."

He stared at Winters, his eyes bright: "And now, what I don't know is-- Starting a blacksmith's guild, do you have a stronger will and ability to wrestle with Steel Castle?"

"Why don't I?" Winters laughed.

"You really don't." said the old blacksmith Boltain resolutely and decisively, "you didn't even realize you didn't."

"Where did you start?" Winters wondered why .

The old blacksmith asked coldly: "Who is mining for you?"

"It's a hired farmer for the time being, but captives should be used later...that is, a slave."

>

“Do you need money for ore?”

“No.”

“Where’s the charcoal?”

“Neither.”

"The iron materials from outside can't get in." The old blacksmith squinted and asked, "Is there anyone else in Tiefeng County who can smelt iron?"

"No more..."

"You don't need money for raw materials, you use slave labor, and you monopolize the iron materials in Iron Peak County." The old blacksmith Bortain said coldly: "I really don't know why you want to change the status quo!"

"It's easy." Winters laughed heartily: "Because I'm not going to stay in Iron Peak all my life. I'm going to fight! I'm going to arm the army! I'm going to smash Legion! So I need a lot of iron, the more the better!”

…

It was already dark when Winters returned to the house.

One day and one night, he hardly rested. He spent the morning at the furnace and went to the township of Forge and Juntun in the afternoon. He was woken up shortly after he fell asleep at night, and then he went back to Gervoudan to visit without stopping. Portin Old Mister.

At this moment, he just wanted to sleep for a while.

An unexpected person is waiting outside the door - a lion cub.

"Didn't you go hunting with Senior An?" Winters was dazed: "It's very early to come back."

The little lion grinned: "I have something to do. , I'll be back first."

"What's the matter?" Winters yawned, "Let's talk about everything tomorrow—no, it's already today."

The little lion's smile grew more playful: "I don't mind. But I'll tell you something tomorrow. , I'm afraid you might regret it - someone's waiting for you."

Winters instantly became sober as if touching a soldering iron, he was nervous to the point of suffocation: "It won't be the one... come on ?"

"Which one?" The little lion smiled and deliberately asked back.

"You..."

"Stop talking nonsense." The little lion couldn't help laughing and opened the door to enter the house: "Come here, I'm waiting for you."

Winters had a stuffy chest, a splitting headache, and a strong desire to run.

After standing for a while, he walked into the residence with gritted teeth, brace oneself, and restless.

A man is sitting in the parlour waiting for him.

Winters such as the amnesty, he seemed to be drained of all his strength in an instant, and his body went uncontrollably weak.

But next moment, his mind and body suddenly tense again.

Although the man in the parlour had changed—thin, gaunt, and missing a left arm, Winters would never have mistaken that face.

It's Colonel Broad.

Before the others could even speak, Winters had already sprinted to Colonel Broad.

He grabbed the Colonel's empty sleeves and turned his head sharply, looking towards the little lion.

"It's alright, Winters." Colonel Bird began with a smile, his voice a little hoarse, but as easy as ever: "If they hadn't helped me amputate my arm, I probably would have too. Can't sit here."

"Why are you staring at me?" The little lion glared back at Winters: "Mr. Bird is right."

Winters had mixed feelings, he He hugged Colonel Bode, even if he held it back, tears still welled up in his eyes.

Colonel Broad patted Winters on the back with his only right hand: "Hey, why are you crying, it's alright..."

Colonel Broad said this, and the two Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Colonel Bird is the "gift" of the White Lion.

The white lion also sent another gift, a sentence.

"The fire roaster is coming," said the little lion.

[Thanks to book friends for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you everyone]
[The recent plot is really loose, I apologize here, and try to improve it later ]
[Thank you for your valuable comments, thank you all]
[I want to talk about the blacksmith Boltin, one of his important attributes is "old man", time is limited. Mr. Qian Zhongshu said: When an old man falls in love, the old house is on fire, and there is no way to save it. The same is true in other respects, because "it's going to die", so the obsession is getting stronger]
[There is also a problem between Boltain and Winters, that is, Boltain does not know what the purpose of Winters is. He didn't know where Winters was going - a local tyrant in Iron Peak? Get some money and go? He is a character outside the Winters faction]
[It can also be mentioned a little, because he had given up hope early, so Boltain's previous wish was to write a book...]
[Explained in rambles A bunch, I hope you all forgive me. I like this character quite a bit, but I won't get too much ink in the back.因为后面的剧情想写得紧凑一点……]