Iron Power And Sorcerer

Iron Power And Sorcerer Chapter 385

2022-01-02

Chapter 385 Ascension
The first day of the "reverse auction", nothing happened.

no The forge owner offers the Barons an offer. Anna didn't take the initiative to negotiate with the various workshops, and also declined the numerous social invitations—on the surface.

Privately, she asked Carlo Ed to find more "books"

Buyers and sellers confronted silently, both sides understand that it depends on who wins or loses. Can hold your breath.

At dinner time, Berleone cooks the boneless stick bones, then removes the meat and tendons that stick to the bones, and pours the sauce for a tender and delicious main course .

The bone that should have been knocked out to suck the marrow cost two wolf dogs.

At the dinner table, Anna enthusiastically told Winters about her new discovery: "...it is precisely because of the fine division of labor in the Steelcastle Workshop that their business is very interesting.

Take the sword workshop of the Schmidt family as an example. The Schmidt family neither smelts iron nor burns charcoal. They even hand over hardening and sharpening to other workshops. They are only responsible for turning iron materials into swords. Strips, knives..."

"en." Winters subconsciously responded, stirring the vegetable soup absentmindedly.

Ana looked at Winters carefully for a moment, then asked softly, "What's wrong? Hiring a craftsman isn't going well?"

Winters wasn't bored by hiring a blacksmith, but he Going out to visit and inviting the Steelcastle blacksmith did not go well.

He came back to his senses and shook Anna's hand apologetically: "It's nothing."

"You can tell me." Anna took a long tone.

Winters sighed: "It's not going well, no blacksmith is willing to go to new fields, and it's useless to pay a high salary."

But what really annoys Winters is another One thing, that thing he could do nothing but count on Colonel Berne.

"Don't be discouraged." Anna's voice had a calming magic: "You'll find someone willing to work for you."

Winters felt much more relaxed, he nodded , smiled and asked: "Let's talk about the Schmid family. What happened to them? The iron can't be directly made into a sword, they can smelt steel?"

"Mr. Schmid's eldest son runs the business. A steel workshop with two forges." Anna had already kept the inside story of the Schmid family in her mind, and she could give the answer without consulting the records.

She continued: "Because many of the processes are left to other workshops, old Mr. Schmid can focus on forging swords, which makes them extremely efficient." The German family's sword workshop has only one forge, but it can produce so many blades and swords, thanks to the fine division of labor of the Steel Castle Blacksmiths Guild."

"Isn't this an advantage? ?"

"I'm not finished yet." Anna blinked her beautiful eyes and took out a loaf of bread from the basket: "Although the Schmidt family workshop is very efficient, because they I only do one business, so the ability to resist risks is very bad. Just like this bread, even if it is very long and long, but the thickness does not change, it does not require a lot of force to break it.”

After speaking, Anna broke the bread into two pieces and stuffed it in half for Winters.

“Then how do you break it?” Winters asked incredulously.

Hearing this, Kaman, who was drinking soup, glanced at Winters inadvertently.

"Breaking is just a metaphor." Anna's tone was like coaxing a child: "The point is still money. Mr. Schmid does not buy raw materials first-hand and first-hand delivery. 'Deferred payment' is in It is a common situation among the workshops of Steel Castle - it is credit. Other workshops prepay the raw materials and services to Mr. Schmidt, and Mr. Schmidt can wait until the goods are sold and the funds are returned, and then the payment is made. ..."

Winters listened to the end in silence, digested it for a while, and then tried to repeat it in his own words: "You mean, old Mr. Schmid is actually borrowing money to produce, ordnance. If he can't sell it, he won't pay the debt?"

"Accurately, it's not borrowing money." Anna tilted her head and thought for a while: "But it's about the same."

"He owes some money, but then what?"

Anna put away her naughty and brisk tone, and said seriously: "It's not just a little money, if old Mr. Insolvent, his chair will be smashed."

"Smashed chair?" Winters heard the word for the first time.

"Yes." Anna hesitated for a moment, then whispered another word: "Broken."

The table fell silent, and both Winters and Carman stopped.

Because bankruptcy is no small thing. In current law, bankruptcy means not only the loss of property and goodwill, but also severe criminal penalties, including but not limited to imprisonment, hard labor and corporal punishment.

"Bankrupt?" Kaman asked suspiciously: "Old Mr. Schmidt has worked hard all his life, and he can always save some savings, so he won't go bankrupt after one failure?"

" Old Mr. Schmid did save a lot, so he has seven forges." Anna explained to Kaman: "Except for wood, lake water, iron ore and a little grain, the steel fort produces almost nothing. The city also costs money, especially in Monta. Old Mr. Schmid doesn't seem to be a man of pleasure, and perhaps has some contingency. But the workshop owners who live as lavishly as the Flores, I doubt they have enough funds to deal with this crisis."

Ana looked towards Winters: "So you should change your mind. Before you always wanted to cooperate with the big workshop, because the big workshop has a lot of backlog, One transaction can meet the demand. But in the future, we must first target those small workshops.

Although large workshops have a large backlog, their volume is large and the cost of negotiation is sufficient. Small workshops are like The sampan is more likely to capsize in the face of the waves. When the small workshops sink one by one, the big workshops will also be dragged into the seabed."

"Well. It's like a battle between two armies, if the weaker flanks If the troops are defeated, the even the strongest Chinese army will be outflanked?" Winters propped his chin and begged Anna: "I love hearing you say 'we' so much, can you say it again?"

"I'm done eating, and I have to do evening prayers, please forgive me." Kaman stood up abruptly and bowed to Winters and Anna: "Mr. Montagne, Ms. Navarre, good night."

Kaman thanked the chef Bellion again, and then walked out of the restaurant without looking back, "dong dong dong dong" went upstairs and went back to his bedroom.

“What happened to him?” Winters asked knowingly.

Ana kicked Winters hard under the table.

Winters let out a low scream and lay on the dining table in pain.

Ana was at a loss, turned to Winters, and asked distressedly, "I touched your old injury?"

"Well...it's okay..." Winters was so angry "I want to hear you say us again."

"You!"

"Just say it once."

"We, we ." The more Anna said, the lower her voice: "We..."

"Okay, I'm fine." Winters sat up neatly and squeezed Anna's hand: "Eat quickly, for a while. The soup is getting cold."

Before she could finish her sentence, Anna kicked Winters again, this time targeting her right leg.

"You kicked me bad." Winters rubbed the sore spot and warned solemnly: "It's you who will suffer in the future!"

Anna was completely defeated. She didn't know what to say, blushed, and sat back to her place angrily.

In terms of business acumen, ten Winters tied up are not worth one Anna. But in terms of bickering, how could Anna be the opponent of Winters, who has been friendly with Kaman all the year round.

Winters knew that Ms. Navarre was thin-skinned, and quickly changed the subject: "What if the Steelcastle Blacksmiths' Guild came forward to maintain the Price Alliance?"

The sudden change of topic made Anna A little surprised, she thought for a while, and said, "The castle is always the easiest to break through from the inside. I already have some ideas, how to do it, and I need to understand the current commercial law of Monta before deciding."

"No matter what you want, I'm with you."

"Sometimes, I can't help but think about what Father Kaman said." Anna whispered, "Is it really the right thing to do? Kamen. Father Man is right... I am indeed taking advantage of other people's disasters, even pushing them off a cliff..."

Winters did not interrupt Anna, but listened seriously.

He took Anna's hand and said seriously, "Don't care what Father Kaman said. You're doing it for me, for me. Right or wrong, if anyone Need to bear the moral condemnation, that should be me too."

"Not 'I'." Anna corrected equally earnestly: "It is 'we'."

 …

The second day of the "reverse auction" also happened without incident.

The two sides continued to stand still, and Steel Castle spent another day in subtle tranquility.

Dinner time, Berian took off the fat on the belly of the pig, cut it into equal-sized slices, and fry the fat on a low fire.

Wait until the fat slices are golden brown on both sides and the lard has boiled out of a small pot, pick out the fat slices, burn the lard until it emits green smoke, and fry again.

Finally, a peculiar plate of "pig fried fat" was put on the table.

Winters, who had never eaten the dish, blurted out, "Isn't that greasy?"

It wasn't until he tasted it for himself that he regretted his reckless assessment - fried fat Not only is it not greasy, but it is crispy and meaty.

Berryon also made a clear soup as a side dish for "oil residue". After dipping the oil residue into the soup, the surface of the oil residue is dipped in some soup, but the inside is still crispy and more delicious.

Even Anna, who is easy to eat "tired", was full of praise for Berian's cooking skills, and the Dussac young men brought by Winters even swept away the plates in a few strokes.

At the dining table, Anna smiled and asked Winters: "How? Did you find a blacksmith who is willing to go to the new land today?"

Winters, who had been running outside for another day, shook the head .

Charle, who was sitting next to Winters, complained loudly, and said angrily: "Montagne big brother has given enough face and money, but these Montagne! Ha! One is more stubborn than the other, like The stones in the toilet - stinky and hard. I can't wait to pull out the saber and put it on their necks! Let's see if their heads can still be that hard!"

"The deal should be yours. Instead, Winters laughed, and he patted Ciel's back: "We can't do it if they don't want it."

Ciel let out an "um" and continued to deal with the bread glumly.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot." Anna whispered a few words to her close mama, mama nodded, turned and left, and came back with an invitation soon.

"The John H. Sherlock Trading Company came to visit today. I said you were ill and inconvenient to see the guests, so I declined." Anna handed the post to Winters and said confusedly: "Then they Just leave this invitation."

Winters opened the invitation, there was no signature or title, only a short line:

"Please be sure to come to John H. A meeting with Sherlock Trading Company".

Winters asked: "Just leave this invitation?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you leave anything else?"

"No."

Winters sniffed the invitation, but didn't smell anything.

He took the invitation in his hand, thought about it, and said, "Tomorrow I'm going to find out what this John H. Sherlock Trading Company is all about. If they send someone again, you Try to keep the person here until I get back."

"Okay."

"How's the bidding going?" Winters asked Anna: "Is it going well?"

p>

Anna smiled happily: "Of course."

......

On the third day of the "reverse auction", nothing happened.

At dinner time, Berrian serves a rich stew. Mysterious and secretive he refused to say what it was, but asked Winters and Anna to taste it first.

Winters took a look, and the lumps on the plate should be translucent with the soup pouring on the outside. It looks a bit like boiled radish, but it smells like some kind of meat.

He tasted a piece, and it was soft and glutinous at the first mouth, but when he continued to bite down, it brought out some chewiness. The soup wrapped around the meat is rich and fragrant, with a little sweetness in the mouth.

It's hard to imagine such a stunning dish coming from a blacksmith who spends most of his time changing horses' shoes.

Anna also really likes this dish, and rarely empties her plate faster than Winters. After thanking Berion repeatedly, she asked curiously, "What exactly is this? Some kind of sugar or paste?"

"Ma'am." Berian replied with a little pride: "It's beef cheeks. "

Anna's expression became a little unnatural, because beef face meat is a "quirky leftover", which is generally not placed on a formal table, but she has to admit that she likes Belion. out of this dish.

Anna quickly regained her composure, and she praised Berrian with a smile: "I heard that the most brilliant cook knows how to serve a plate of farmhouses that the guests normally see dismissive at the last moment of the banquet. As a special dish. Mr. Sawyer, thank you, your special dish is delicious."

Berrian bowed deeply and thanked Anna from the bottom of his heart. He was about to return to the kitchen, but was left behind by Winters.

Winters pressed Berrion to the seat and asked helplessly and earnestly: "What is the guild oath of the Steelcastle Blacksmiths? Where does it come from? Why are all the blacksmiths silent about it? Talking but being extremely loyal."

"What?" Anna asked, "Isn't there any gain today?
Winters shook the head and looked towards Berian.

Bei Leon lowered his eyes and looked towards the toe of his boots: "Your Excellency, I can assure you - I have not taken the oath of secrecy by the Blacksmith of Steel Castle. So I don't know the specifics of the oath. "

"Don't worry, you can just say what you know." " Winters patted Berrian's shoulder: "Just say what you want to say. "

Berian was silent for a moment, then asked with difficulty: "For example? "

Winters tried to use a tone that didn't put pressure on Berian: "For example, where does the Steelcastle Blacksmith's Confidential Oath come from? Isn't it just one sentence? Why does everyone take it so seriously? "

"Dear. Anna gave Winters a reproachful look: "A vow is more than just a word. "

Winters made an apologetic gesture.

Berrion's mood returned to calm and calm: "Your Excellency, instead of dwelling on the validity of the oath, have you considered 'what kind of Can a man be a Blacksmith of Steel'? "

"What kind of person? Asked by Winters.

Berrian said, "First of all, the blacksmith must be a local resident of Steelcastle, with a family and a clean background; secondly, to become an apprentice, you need a guarantor, usually They are guaranteed by a number of relatives and friends; in the end, the apprentice has to endure a long apprenticeship. During the apprenticeship, there is no salary, the master is often beaten, the work is not hard and may be dismissed. After several years of tempering, a child can become an officially registered steel fort blacksmith.

Sounds brutal, right? But compared with those 'mule workers' who have no skills and can only do the lowest manual labor in mines and workshops, the treatment of blacksmiths is already amazingly generous. They have better wages, high status, decent living, civil rights, and the possibility of masters of the forge. Most importantly - they can learn real skills. Many people never get through this door in their lifetime just because they are not from Solingen. "

Winters concludes: "You're trying to say that blacksmiths with skills are not enough and more than others, so they don't want to change and are afraid of change." "

"Not only that, Your Excellency. " Berian said in a deep voice: "If any of the registered Steelcastle blacksmiths choose to work for you, his family, relatives and even the guarantor when he entered the business will suffer. I am talking about suffering, and it is life-threatening. As for the blacksmith himself, Even more so. The Blacksmiths' Guild of Steelcastle will kill the betrayer at all costs—they have the ability and the determination."

Winters and Anna exchanged glances. Assuming that it is true as Bellion said, then the steel castle blacksmith is not a monolith, at least it is much stronger than the relationship between the Union Republics.

They are a collective tightly bound by interests and violence, and privately recruiting blacksmiths may not work.

Winters stared at Bellion's face with sharp eyes: "So, has the Steelcastle Blacksmith ever had a case of 'betrayal' in the past?"

Berion could not face Winters' eyes directly, He lowered his head and swallowed, "I'm not quite clear, Your Excellency."

Winters was secretly sighed, and Berian was obviously reluctant to talk about it. Since the other party is unwilling to speak, he is not really strong to exert pressure.

Berrian followed Winters all the way from wasteland to wasteland. Winters couldn't understand the character of this old subordinate. Berian doesn't want to say that you can't do anything about him. Forcing him to speak, Winters was reluctant.

Winters patted Berrian's shoulder, and said nothing more.

Berion stared down at the toe of his boot, silent.

"Nothing at worst." Winters tapped the table, pretending to be lighthearted, "If a blacksmith can't handle it, can you still get someone who can handle a blacksmith?"

One way If you can't get through, sometimes you change direction, and your thinking becomes open.

Winters slammed the table hard: "If you can't hire anyone, buy the hammer and drill press! Bring the furnace back to Iron Peak as it is!"

"Furnace? I'm afraid not, how can you find such a big carriage?" Anna added with a smile.

Winters laughs loudly: "Then make an identical one, ten, a hundred."

Winters' positivity also seems to be passed on to Berrian, who is tense His cheeks relaxed a little. He got up, saluted, and went back to the kitchen.

Only Winters and Anna were left at the table, and Father Kaman did not dine with them.

“Dear madam, how is your busy business going?” Winters asked casually.

"The Bone Token is ready." Anna replied with a smile, "Just a little push."

 …

On the fourth day, "Light Just a little push" came.

The Clarion Fort sent back the news that the appeal and defense against the trade ban... was a complete failure.

[Although it's a big chapter, but it's not enough for six thousand words late, I owe one chapter OrZ]
[About the guild oath/secret oath]
[In ancient times, mastering a door Unique and unmatched skills, keeping secrets is a natural decision. It should not be difficult for today's Chinese to understand. The phrase "passing on without passing on women" is familiar to everyone]
[The same is true in other civilizations]
[In the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, transparent glass ( glass as transparent as crystal), known only to the glassmakers of Murano, north of Venice. The Murano people strictly keep secrets, and the craftsmen who make glass cannot leave the island for life. As long as any craftsman is brought on board, kill without mercy ]
[So transparent glass has been the exclusive technology of the Murano people for a long time , relying on the manufacture of glassware and mirrors, the island of Murano has maintained considerable prosperity]
[The blacksmiths of Solingen, the city of blades, also have a "secret oath", they swear not to "forge the sword" secret tell outsiders. From the 12th to the 19th century Solingen was an important source of swords. Even today they still sell kitchen knives... (Zwilling)]
[However, all promises of secrecy will eventually be broken]
[Murano's transparent glass technology was finally used in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Leaked and bloomed everywhere]
[In the seventeenth century, a group of swordsmiths from Solingen fled to England in order to escape religious persecution, and finally resumed their old business in today’s Shortley Bridge, England, and brought their skills to England .至今在文件中还能找到当年逃难的铁匠的姓名:Oley、Vooz、Molle 和Bertram]