Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Ronald Division and Apel Division were successively annihilated, and the New Reclamation Legion had no available soldiers left in Iron Peak County.

After sweeping through Iron Peak County, Winters first sent a letter to Maplestone City.

He still used the messengers from the Revodan garrison and followed the communication channels of the New Reclamation Legion.

The "Rebels" had captured the county capital, and it was impossible to keep it a secret from the legion's intelligence network.

Moreover, Ronald and Apel had long since sent messengers to request troops and assistance from the legion.

Therefore, Winters did not plan on hiding anything, and he openly wrote a letter to General Adams.

Compared to the audacity of sending the letter itself, the words Winters used in the letter were quite humble.

He reported to General Adams in the formal tone of a subordinate, "Major Ronald led his troops out of the city to quell the disorder, and they were ambushed on the road, resulting in total annihilation."

Revodan is currently under the control of his troops, with him acting as the interim garrison officer.

Lastly, Winters wished General Adams good health and hoped that the legion headquarters would send a new garrison officer soon.

The recipient of the letter was "the supremely honorable General Kevin J. Adams."

The sender's signature was "Captain Winters Montagne of the Republic of Palatu Army."

"Brother," the temporary copyist Xial asked with confusion, "why do I feel like you're deliberately provoking General Adams while also seeming to talk softly?"

"You're improving," Winters said, focused on carving a chess piece with a small knife with a leather handle, "That's exactly what I am doing."

"Talk softly… so General Adams won't attack us?" Xial stopped writing and looked up to ask.

"No, the softer I speak, the more likely it is that Maplestone City will send troops to attack us," Winters blew the wood shavings off the chess piece, revealing the form of a horse's head representing a knight.

Xial was puzzled, "Then why…"

"If I talk tough, will Adams let us off?" Winters handed the finished chess piece to Heinrich and picked up a new piece of wood.

Heinrich took the chess piece and carefully began to color it.

In front of Heinrich were many [soldiers], [knights], and [cannons] already lacquered and now drying.

Ronald's office had now become a woodcarving workshop.

"Anyway, General Adams is going to attack us no matter what," Xial pondered, making an exploratory guess, "Instead of appearing strong, isn't it better to appear weak?"

"Exactly," Winters coughed and opened the windows, "The smell of varnish is suffocating; we need to go somewhere with better ventilation."

Heinrich nodded vigorously.

"Did you find any news about your grandfather?" Winters asked Heinrich.

Heinrich shook his head sadly.

Heinrich's grandfather—the executioner "Maestro" Franz—was untraceable, neither in Revodan nor in Iron Peak County.

"No matter, keep searching," Winters felt a pang of sadness remembering the silent and resolute old man, "The cavalry will soon scout the neighboring county, and they will help look for information as well."

"A wandering executioner has no fixed dwelling; he goes wherever there is someone to be killed," Heinrich tried to smile, "Maybe my grandfather just retired. In today's world, the last thing we lack is executioners."

…

When Winters was writing the letter to Adams.

In Sea Blue, Chief Magistrate Debela and the four satraps were also having a closed-door meeting.

Apart from the five-member governing group, Antonio and Merser Monte—the commander of the Fourth Standing Army—were also present.

The Third Army is currently stationed in the Tanilia Archipelago.

The Fourth Army is currently stationed on the southern bank of Torrent River, confronting the second army of The Federated Provinces.

Secretly summoning the two army commanders back to Sea Blue was to discuss a major issue—how much military force could the two armies allocate to intervene in Palatu?

The five-member governing group had already reached a consensus:

[The noble Republic must punish the "malicious breach of contract" of the Paratu People with the most severe measures; otherwise, all of Veneta's debtors will become restless]—these were just the overt reasons.

The governing council was determined to "arm themselves for debt collection," and calling back the two generals was not to discuss "whether to," but rather "how to."

However, Antonio unusually took a firm stand against the decision of the ruling council.

"Once our troops enter Paratu, it will be equivalent to declaring war against the United Provincials!" Antonio directly questioned the group of five: "Your Excellencies, do you have the resolve to go to war with the United Provincials? Is Vineta ready?"

According to Antonio's beliefs, military personnel should not be involved in political decision-making.

But this time, Antonio went against what he had long stood for.

The most loyal general of Vineta, Governor De Bella, showed great patience.

He carefully explained the secret agreement with Alpad: "Our forces will serve as mercenaries for the Paratu military government, and we will avoid a frontal conflict with the Republic of the United Provincials as much as possible."

Grief was evident in Antonio's eyes: "These are nothing but self-deception! Your Excellencies are all hoping for the best outcome, but reality often takes a plunge in the worst direction. Military intervention in Paratu will inevitably lead to a war against the United Provincials. That would be a real civil war within the Alliance! Brother fighting brother! But we are not ready, far from it!"

"Shut up!" Zio interrupted his favorite officer, not letting him speak further: "Does the weighing and consideration of the governing council need to be taught by you?"

"Militarily, Vineta may not be ready. But politically, we must respond." De Bella said slowly to the commander of the Third Legion: "What if all of Vineta's debtors start copying the Paratu People? What if we allow the United Provincials to intervene and take control of Paratu?

If Monta and Varn are already puppets of the United Provincials, and they gain control over Paratu, can Vineta continue to exist independently in the world? No matter what the cost, Vineta must at least ensure the independence of Paratu, at the very least prevent it from falling to the United Provincials, in order to maintain the internal balance within the Alliance."

Antonio could not refute De Bella, because he knew De Bella was right.

The territory of the United Provincials is small, just over one hundred thousand square kilometers, roughly a third of Vineta's size.

Although the population of the United Provincials is dense and the cities are wealthy, in terms of war potential, they are far from comparable to Vineta and Paratu.

It is with their formidable military strength and the two "puppets" Monta and Varn that the United Provincials maintain an equilibrium with Vineta and Paratu.

The three parties are like a triangle, mutually restraining and dependent on each other, barely maintaining balance within the Alliance under external pressure.

If this triangle were broken, and Paratu were to fall to the United Provincials, then Vineta would be the next to be swallowed up.

"If Your Excellencies are determined to deploy troops, then I request that the governing council immediately start preparing for a full-scale war with the United Provincials." Antonio clenched his teeth: "[Ancient Language] If you want peace, prepare for war! [Modern Language] I request Your Excellencies to allow me to devise a war plan to take Golden Harbor and annihilate the First Legion."

...

Meanwhile, in the State Palace of Guidao City, the office of the United Provincials' State Secretary Lionel, a fierce argument was also taking place.

"Mr. Secretary! Are you going to just stand by and watch Vinetians take control of Paratu?" General Taylor, the leading figure of the Provincial Army, shouted at the nominal head of state of the United Provincials: "Vineta plus Paratu! The United Provincials will be forced to fight on two fronts! Can you bear the responsibility of the nation's downfall?"

"General Taylor, you're getting the cause and effect wrong." The State Secretary suppressed his anger, speaking as calmly and gently as possible: "If your army hadn't interfered with Paratu, Vineta wouldn't have acted on their own."

"By the time they really intervene, it will be too late!" the leading figure of the army yelled.

"By the time they really intervene, it will still be timely for us to get involved." The State Secretary replied calmly and unhurriedly.

"Mr. Secretary." Taylor asked with a sneer: "Are you a United Provincial, or a Vincentian?"

"Your Excellency General." Lionel's facial muscles twitched, and he asked in a calm and composed manner: "Then are you a United Provincial? Or a person of the Provincial Army?"

"The army has always been for the protection of the United Provincials." Taylor left the words coldly and stormed out.

The meeting between the army general and the State Secretary ended without reconciliation.

...

At the same time, in the heart of the Empire—Worry-Free Palace.

The returning envoy, Count Narzia, walked through the long corridor and entered a small room at the southwest corner of Worry-Free Palace.

Not only was the room small, but it was also exceptionally plain, with only one desk and one chair.

A man sat on the room's only chair, writing something.

Behind the man hung a portrait—it was the only decoration in the room.

In the picture frame, an older man in military attire, bearing a resemblance to the man, gazed down with an authoritative look, overseeing everything in the room.

"Your Majesty." Narzia approached the desk and helped the man open the letters in the yellow wooden box, which came from the northern border, the southern regions, and even the ends of the colonized world: "The Rebels are about to engage in fratricide again."

"No rush." The man trimmed the excess part of the letter, folded it, sealed it with wax, and placed it in the red wood box on the desk.

His movements were quick and clean; the trimmed pieces of the letter were placed in a drawer for future use.

He personally handled these trifling matters, which others might find unworthy of attention, never delegating them.

"Just wait." He said.