Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters
Chapter 1027: 64: Vortex (Six)_2

Chapter 1027: Chapter 64: Vortex (Six)_2

Winters had a smile on his face, and without even having to open his mouth, Caman already knew what he was going to say.

“Mr. Fuller,” Caman coughed, somewhat hesitantly: “The Baron does not buy firearms.”

“Ah?” Fuller was taken aback, “Then what does His Excellency want to buy?”

“The Baron only buys the barrels.”

…

It wasn’t until the evening that Winters, Caman, and their two bodyguards returned to the inn.

As soon as he got off the carriage, Winters was inspecting it back and forth, nearly to the point of undressing and crawling underneath it to check.

“What’s the matter?” Caman asked curiously: “Is someone hiding under the carriage?”

“Nothing much.” Winters frowned, “By the way, did you feel that this carriage was bumpier than the one we rode yesterday?”

Caman thought for a moment, “A bit.”

“Just a bit?” Winters vigorously shook the carriage.

“Yesterday’s was provided by Mr. Este.” Caman was indifferent: “Today’s was borrowed by Mr. Ed for you, of course, there’s a difference.”

Winters asked earnestly: “What’s the difference?”

Caman, caught off-guard by Winters’ suddenly serious tone, snapped back subconsciously: “How would I know?”

“I thought you were really knowledgeable.” Winters was quite disappointed.

As they were talking, Anna entered the courtyard, urging: “Gentlemen, if you keep arguing, dinner will get cold.”

Winters and Caman exchanged glances and cautiously asked: “Is it still Mr. Ed who sent the chef today?”

“Do you have any complaints?” Anna pretended to be annoyed.

“None.” Winters sighed: “Of course, it would be better if her taste was a bit more normal.”

A rich, mellow voice came from behind Anna: “I prepared the dinner today, sir.”

Barlion, wearing an apron, came out of the room, bowing low. Xial appeared immediately after, excitedly running towards Winters.

Winters was startled, then overjoyed, and hugged Xial, asking Barlion: “How did things go?”

“As per your instructions,” Barlion answered steadily: “We have bought back all the books and gold-measuring instruments available on the market.”

…

[Dining Room]

Barlion chopped the beef into mush, shaped it into balls, and cooked them with shredded radish and a bit of spices, creating an extremely delicious beef ball soup.

Aside from the two unlucky ones who drew guard duty, Winters, Anna, and others in their party gathered in the dining room, where there was no hierarchy or status discrimination. Everyone gathered around the long table to share the steaming soup.

“Did things go smoothly today?” Anna asked Winters while passing the breadbasket to others; Dusack receiving the basket was visibly flattered.

Winters was intently browsing through a thick folio: “Not bad.”

Anna let out a heavy snort laden with threat.

The people around the table instantly stopped what they were doing, even the air in the dining room seemed to grow colder.

“I don’t know how to summarize…” Winters lifted his head and said with a smile: “Basically, they all refused me.”

Winters did not finalize a single deal today.

No steel fortress workshop owner was willing to accept Winters’ insulting offer, but neither did anyone refuse on the spot—they all asked for more time to consider.

“Then explain in detail.” Anna elongated her tone slightly.

Winters glanced around the table, facing his subordinates’ curious or perplexed expressions. He suddenly realized this might be a good opportunity.

Every subordinate Winters had brought along was seen as a Reserve Officer he harbored great expectations for, hoping they could take on more responsibilities in the future, and they were the people he trusted the most. Allowing these Reserve Officers to hear more, see more, and understand more could only be beneficial.

“Then I’ll elaborate.” Winters put aside the folio, picked up his soup bowl, and glanced around at his subordinates: “Listen up, all of you.”

Winters then explained, in simple terms, the dilemma the steel fortress faced, the competition between The Federated Provinces and Vineta over the fortress, and the ‘opportunity amidst crisis’ as well as the ‘difficulties in seizing the opportunity’.

He thought he had explained in great detail, but his Reserve Officers still seemed baffled.

Koch—a Blackwater Town farmer who had followed Winters since the first military establishment—stammered, asking, “Do you mean, they have no place to sell their goods and they still deny you?.”

“Precisely that.”

“Why though?” Koch was even more perplexed: “What are they thinking?”

As for what the workshop owners were thinking, Winters could roughly guess a thing or two: Paulo Wooper had already dispatched someone to the lower house of Hornburg to contest the embargo decree. The workshop owners were likely clinging to a sliver of hope, awaiting news from the contestation.

Winters shared his suspicion, paused for a moment, and pondered: “I think… regarding the gamble over the embargo law, the steel fortress has little chance of winning.”

“Why?” Caman interjected, asking: “The people of the steel fortress seem quite confident.”

“People of the steel fortress think they are justified.” Winters took a piece of bread, breaking it forcefully: “But Hornburg has firearms.

…

Barlion and Xial, not only purchased a large quantity of scales, crucibles, glassware, and other gold-testing instruments as per special orders from Winters but also bought every category of books available in the marketplace in sets.

After dinner, Winters continued browsing through that thick book at the dining table.

Caman, passing by Winters’ side, asked curiously: “A folio? What book is this?”

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