Chapter 374 Whirlpool (1)

A simple signet ring lay quietly on the windowsill.

Seeing the ring, Winters stood at attention without hesitation and saluted meticulously.

The band of the ring was severely deformed, and the surface of the ring seemed to have been split open by brute force, leaving only a shocking fracture.

But Winters knew what design was originally engraved on the ring because he was supposed to have one.

It was the "Ring of the Great Confederacy," a gift given by the Union Army Academy to graduates, both as a congratulation and to remind the latter of Marshal Ned's original intention of establishing the Army Academy.

The middle-aged man raised his hand and touched the tip of his brow as a courtesy: "Relax, kid, don't tense up."

When returning the gift, the middle-aged man changed the wine glass to his left hand. Winters caught a glimpse of the middle-aged man's left hand, which was missing both his pinky and ring fingers—the rings had all met such a horrific fate, and the person wearing them would only have suffered more.

"Issue 21." Winters answered truthfully.

"Twenty-one issues? Haha, time is such a bitch. Twenty-one issues, twenty-one..." The middle-aged man rubbed the rim of his cup thoughtfully. As the wrinkles between his brows deepened, his eyes gradually became sharper.

When he spoke again, the middle-aged man's tone was already full of suspicion. He asked unkindly: "Twenty-one period? Did you graduate the year before last?"

"yes."

"I heard that all the Palatine graduates from the year before last were sent overseas?" The middle-aged man looked at Winters, his eyes seeming to cut him open: "When did you come back?"

Winters answered fluently: "I only returned to Plato in May last year."

The middle-aged man paid attention to the slightest changes in Winters' expression, and his intuition and experience told him that the little guy in front of him was not telling lies - Winters did not lie either.

"It's quite fast." The middle-aged man muttered, drank up the strong wine in the glass, picked up the bottle and poured it again while asking: "Are you suffering?"

"Eat a little."

"It must be more than a little. But it's good luck to come back alive. It's not a bad thing to suffer a little." The middle-aged man poured half a glass of wine for himself and was about to pour it for Winters.

Seeing that there was not a drop of liquid in Winters' cup, the middle-aged man joked: "Drink it, it's not poisonous. Everything in the Esther family's mansion smells of money, but the cleanest thing is wine."

Winters took a sip, and the pungent smell made him want to cough.

"Don't drink?" The middle-aged man poured some more wine for Winters.

"I don't drink it often."

"Huh, it's a matter of time." The middle-aged man sneered, and his tone changed from interrogation to inquiry: "Why come to Steel Castle?"

Winters answered cheerfully: "Purchasing ordnance."

"Who sent you?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't tell you."

"You've already revealed your trump card, why are you covering it with your hands?" The middle-aged man laughed dumbly, pretending to be angry, and reproached: "The Monta Republic is close to the territory of the Plato Military Government, who can you be? Are you? You still want to pretend to be the envoy of the Kings’ Castle.”

The other person obviously knows some information, but they obviously don’t know all the information.

So Winters smiled implicitly, neither admitting nor denying.

"Are you here alone?" the middle-aged man asked again.

Winters realized that the other party might not have investigated him in advance, so he decided to test it: "Sorry, I can't reveal it. How did you know my identity?"

"Just like you are stuck there like a wooden stake and you are helpless, anyone with a discerning eye can see where you are. After wearing uniforms for so many years, you don't know where to put your hands when you change into formal attire - I'm talking about you."

"Is it that obvious?" Winters touched the tip of his nose guiltily.

"Otherwise why are you here?" the middle-aged man asked, looking at Winters: "And no matter how well you disguise your behavior, once you speak, your secret will be revealed sooner or later. You can't hide your accent, especially someone like you. He looks like a kid who just graduated. So I’m curious, are all the guys under Arpad lost their minds? Did they send you here? Or are you just a front-line guy?”

"Me too..." Winters considered his words: "I can't help myself."

"Who can be absolutely free?" The middle-aged man laughed dryly, tilted his neck and poured the wine down his throat. After taking a long breath, he asked casually: "You came to Steel Castle, who helped you set up the line?"

Without waiting for Winters to answer, the middle-aged man sarcastically took the lead: "I know, but I can't say it, right?"

After confirming that the other party did not intend to embarrass him, Winters nodded apologetically: "Actually, I don't know much at the moment."

The middle-aged man poured himself a drink and ignored Winters.

Winters stood quietly for a while. When the atmosphere began to become a little awkward, he asked carefully: "What next? Sir."

"Then?" The middle-aged man glanced at Winters.

"That's it?" Winters dared to continue asking.

"Then what else do you want?" The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows and asked, "Wait until I catch you and torture you?"

Winters understood, and he immediately raised his hand to salute: "You are so noble, I am grateful."

"Monta and Plato are not at war, so you are not within the scope of my responsibilities. Behave yourself and don't get into trouble." The middle-aged man waved his hand and signaled Winters to leave.

Separated by a wall, the atmosphere in the hall is warm and the corridor is deserted. Winters took a few steps away and came back.

Facing the middle-aged man's displeased gaze, Winters smiled bitterly and explained: "It's more comfortable for me to stay in a place with fewer people. Do you mind having one more person drink with you?"

The middle-aged man pushed the wine glass, and the glass slid across the marble window sill and stopped in front of Winters.

Winters made up his mind not to ask for help from the other party, nor to ask for the other party's identity unless the other party actively informed him.

Because there is no need to ask, there are only so many officers from Lu Yuan, and there will only be fewer who can appear in Steel Castle. Combined with age and physical characteristics, you can know who the other party is by asking Carlo Ed afterwards.

The middle-aged man asked poignantly: "The matchmaker worked hard to get you tickets to the Esther family reception, so why don't you try to build relationships with the sellers and become familiar with them?"

"Actually, I don't know who I want to do business with right now." Winters answered honestly.

The middle-aged man glanced at Winters: "Then do you know where this place is?"

"The house of Borso da Este."

"That's all you know?"

"...please clarify my doubts."

"Who is Esther?" the middle-aged man asked calmly.

Winters gave a cautious answer: "The Veneta people."

The middle-aged man sneered.

"Uh..." Winters replied tentatively: "Mayor Wooper's friend?"

"Wrong, it's an 'ally'." The middle-aged man corrected, and he continued to ask: "Who is Paul Wooper?"

"The Mayor of Steelburg, whose family the Wupper Canal is named after."

"Wrong, it's the 'outgoing mayor'. No one knows whether it will be his turn to take the position of chief of the next guild."

The middle-aged man leaned against the window sill and looked at the wall inside the corridor. On the other side of the wall, where Winters and the middle-aged man could not see, the most powerful and wealthy people in Steel Castle were drinking and drinking, laughing and chatting.

"So." The middle-aged man looked at Winters: "What did Bai Ying invite these people to do?"

The sudden trade ban, the extinguished steel forges, the upcoming guild election... all the complicated information was compiled in Winters' mind, and he came to the conclusion without much effort: "Canvassing votes."

"Bullshit." The middle-aged man dismissed it: "It's vote bribery!"

Winters was silent.

"Look! This is how the United Provinces and Venetians are corrupting us!" The middle-aged man commented cynically: "Your Plato is being corrupted, and our Monta has been corrupted for many years. United States The tentacles of the Province and Veneta stretch out like this, spreading and growing in every shadow under the mountains. They fight for control of the Monta, but no one cares whether the Monta lives or dies. The free republic will always Union? Oh, are tyrants and slaves worthy of talking about freedom and union?"

The middle-aged man raised his neck and drank all the liquor in the glass. Only half of the liquid in the bottle was left.

The Republic of Monta and the Republic of Vane have been included since their establishment - under "supervision" to be nice, and "control" to be honest. As expected, Plato, which was torn in half, will also face a similar fate and will no longer be able to exist in the alliance as an independent political entity.

Winters estimated that the other party regarded him as a Plato soldier, so he had some sympathy, which led to such a conversation.

Winters held the wine glass and asked calmly and boldly: "Then, sir, what is the attitude of the seniors of Monta Army?"

The middle-aged man suddenly became alert, the drunkenness in his eyes disappeared, and his eyes condensed into a needle-like entity again: "What attitude?"

"About the attitude towards war." Winters did not hide anything and asked bluntly: "If the federal province requests it, will you choose a side? Will you declare war or even send troops?"

"Why, are you scared?" the middle-aged man asked with a smile.

"Yes." Winters replied calmly: "The Third Republic may still be able to fight against the puppet government of the Princes' Castle alone. But if it is besieged on three sides by the Princes' Castle, the United Provinces and Monta, it will only be a matter of time before it fails. Question. Even if the Monta Republic does not directly send troops and only deploys a legion on the border as a containment, the Third Republic cannot bear it. So I hope to know the attitude of the decision-makers of the Monta Army."

"So what if you know?" The middle-aged man sipped his strong drink and asked casually, "Surrender in advance?"

Winters pondered for a moment: "I don't know what I can do. After all, I just need to take one step and see one step at a time."

The middle-aged man glanced at Winters with a slightly surprised look, smacked his lips and sighed: "When I was your age, if someone asked me the same question, I would blush and swear, 'I would rather die than surrender.' You It’s good that I’m not talking nonsense. It’s difficult to die. No one knows whether he is a warrior or a coward until the last moment.”

Winters didn't take the credit, so there was no action.

"Boy, listen, no Monta wants to fight a war with the Platons. We have shed too much blood, and we don't want to be buried far away from our homeland. But sometimes..." The middle-aged man looked at Outside the window, to borrow Winters' words: "We can't help ourselves. Do you understand?"

Winters nodded: "I understand."

"You know nothing!" The middle-aged man slapped Winters on the forehead and waved his hand to chase him away in disinterest: "Go away, go and clink glasses with the gentlemen in the hall. Beg them to sell you more ordnance, so that you can The Platons shed more blood.”

Winters took the wine bottle, poured half a glass of wine for the middle-aged man, and poured a little more for himself: "But I really don't know anyone in there, sir, it's easier here."

The middle-aged man glanced at the empty wine bottle, drank the last liquor in the glass, and wiped his hands with the curtain nonchalantly: "Come on, I will take you to see the man wrapped in the shiny coat of the steel castle. carrion."

After that, he put down his wine glass and walked towards the banquet hall.

Winters was startled for a moment, then quickly followed.

…

At the same time, in another mansion in Beicheng District.

The secret agent of the Imperial Security Council and the black-faced man from Lacy Brothers is reporting to another man wearing an iron mask.

The black-faced man stood respectfully in front of the table, not daring to slack off.

The man wearing the iron mask asked in a muffled voice, "Da Granasi?"

"Yes." The black-faced man nodded heavily: "I got the registration book and confirmed that it is this surname."

"It seems to be a surname from the Piedmont area." The masked man pondered: "Is it an exiled family?"

The black-faced man looked troubled: "This... I forgive my subordinates for not knowing."

After the War of Sovereignty, a large number of nobles from the United Provinces fled to the Empire and Veneta with their families to avoid the purges.

Some of the nobles of the federal provinces who were exiled to the empire were scattered among the people, while others were rescued, selected, and appointed by the emperor, becoming [court nobles] with empty titles, no actual fiefdoms, and completely dependent on the imperial power.

With the help of the exiled nobles, the emperor gradually gathered power and suppressed the old powerful princes of the empire. In the process, the "southern exiles" also became a political force that cannot be ignored within the empire.

"Granasi... seems to be the family name in Piedmont." The masked man chewed on the unfamiliar surname repeatedly, and then asked: "What kind of coat of arms does that Baron use?"

"Golden Shield Lion." The black-faced man hurriedly took out a folded piece of white paper from his arms, held it up with both hands, and said as if to take credit: "My subordinate specially went to Nancheng District to copy Baron Granacci's carriage exactly as it was. Come down."

The masked man unfolded the white paper and commented: "Hmm...it's quite simple, with a kite-shaped shield and no crown. A two-winged lion? That might really be an exile. What's on this side? A whip? A sawtooth?"

"It seems to be wheat ears." The black-faced man answered cautiously.

The masked man sneered and put down the white paper with the coat of arms: "What does drawing wheat ears into the coat of arms mean? It's getting more and more chaotic."

The black-faced man wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Yeah, who knows what those adults are thinking."

The evolution of heraldry is definitely the best footnote to the growing luxury of the empire.

In the early years, when nobles of all sizes were extremely poor, there was no clear distinction between coats of arms and coats of arms. They were only symbols to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, so their structures were very simple and clear. Three circles and a cross can be used as badges.

But now the wealth of the imperial nobles is getting richer and richer, and heraldry has become a matter of comparison. The coats of arms of major families are becoming more and more complicated and luxurious, and everyone is eager to put all the symbols that can enhance their status into their coats of arms.

Not only nobles, but also merchants, guilds, and cities began to produce exclusive coats of arms, and the call for "standardization of heraldry forms" became increasingly louder.

Therefore, the masked man and the black-faced man don’t know whether “wheat ears” is a new popular element recently.

After pondering for a moment, the masked man asked: "Did Baron Granach come with his wife?"

"Yes." The black-faced man replied: "There are also several Dusak guards. I confirmed it with my own eyes. It is undoubtedly Dusak."

"Their purpose of coming to Steel Castle?"

"I don't know." The black-faced man asked tentatively: "Do you want to visit them? Sir?"

The masked man waved his hand: "A little baron, why are you visiting them? Just continue to pay attention to them. Your first priority right now is to keep an eye on White Eagle. White Eagle is the key. As for the Baron and his wife... remind them when necessary. Leave the Steel Fortress. As for their life and death, don’t worry too much.”

"This is also what worries me." The black-faced man cleared his throat and said cautiously: "As far as I know, the Baron and his wife went to White Eagle's mansion tonight."

The masked man's movements stopped for a moment. His expression was hidden under the mask and no change could be seen: "What are you going to do?"

"No... I don't know..." The black-faced man suddenly felt a chill running down his spine. He bent over hard and said, "I'm going to find out right now."

The masked man nodded slightly, and the black-faced man turned around and left in a hurry.

After the black-faced man left, the masked man took off his mask, stood up and opened the secret door behind him.

It turned out that there was a spacious compartment behind the masked man's seat. All the conversations between the masked man and the black-faced man were clearly audible in the cubicle.

In the compartment, a man with blond hair and green eyes was lying on a chaise longue.

The man with the black face thought that the masked man was the legendary "messenger", but in an instant, the masked man stood respectfully in front of the real messenger.

"Baron Granacy went to see White Eagle?" The blond man with green eyes fiddled with a prairie-style knife and smiled: "Interesting."

[Comrades, after repeated testing, I finally figured out why "I replied to everyone, but it was not displayed in the notification message" happened]

Because when I reply to everyone, I use the Qidian author client. The messages sent by the author will not be displayed on the "Qidian Reading APP". But only using the author client can I read every comment (not only the latest chapter, but also new comments from previous chapters), so I still have to continue using the author client]

[The solution I have come up with temporarily: try to read the comments on the author client, and then reply T_T on the reader client]

[Thank you book friends for your collection, reading, subscription, recommendation votes, monthly votes, rewards and comments, thank you all]