[Guten Village outside Steel Castle]

[Legion Barracks, Colonel Bern's Office]

Three gentle knocks on the door sounded, and a loud and powerful baritone voice came into the house: "Report!"

"Enter."

The lieutenant on duty received permission and walked into the colonel's office with a guard. Colonel Berne's eyes moved from the scroll on the desk to the lieutenant and nodded slightly.

"Sir." The lieutenant touched the heels of his boots and stood at attention to report: "There is a young gentleman outside the camp asking to see you, claiming to be your friend."

Colonel Bern flipped through the calendar and confirmed that there were no guests scheduled for today. He frowned and asked, "What's your name?"

"He refused to say. He only said that the last time he drank with you was at the reception at the Este Mansion."

"Oh...where is he?"

"Waiting at the guard box."

"Invite him in."

"yes."

Not long after, the lieutenant on duty led the visitor into the colonel's office and immediately left, closing the door. Only the colonel and the visitor were left in the office.

"Your stable is really luxurious." Winters saluted meticulously and broke the silence with a smile: "It even has a heater, which is more comfortable than where I live."

Colonel Berne took off his glasses and sleeves, raised his hand to invite Winters to sit down: "Unlike you in Plato, Monta is too cold, and there is no cavalry establishment. Only officers ride horses. Officers' mounts are precious, of course.

Take good care of it.”

Winters dragged his itchy left leg and sat in front of the desk: "When I get back, I will pick some good horses and send them to you."

"Forget it, I can't afford it." Colonel Bern looked at Winters and asked curiously: "Why is your forehead so purple?"

Winters said without changing his expression: "I accidentally hit him while riding a horse."

"Take some ice and apply it. The bruises will fade faster." Colonel Berne was casually saying some words of concern one moment, but the next moment he suddenly narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "How did you find this place?"

Winters put the black wooden box under his arm on the colonel's desk with both hands: "Who in Steel Castle doesn't know your name? Why bother to look for it?"

"What is this?" Colonel Bern raised an eyebrow and looked at the wooden box.

"Bribery," Winters quipped.

Colonel Bern laughed loudly and reached out to open the wooden box.

In the center of the wooden box, there is an extremely exquisite spring-loaded short gun surrounded by black velvet, which is a feast for the eyes.

The colonel took out the blunderbuss, played with it fondly, and asked Winters happily: "Is it from the Fuller family?"

"Of course!" Winters replied confidently: "The best gun from Fuller Workshop."

"That's right." The colonel reluctantly put the musket back into the wooden box and pushed the wooden box back in front of Winters: "But you are a little too brave to enter the camp with a gun!"

Winters spread his hands: "Your men have checked it several times. It's just the gun, not loaded. I was also searched repeatedly inside and outside, and even my cane was taken away."

"Really?" Colonel Berne did not answer. He leaned back on his chair and looked at the young man in front of him with a cold gaze: "So, what is the purpose of coming to me?"

The office fell into brief silence.

Winters did not answer the question directly, but mentioned another unrelated person: "Colonel, I served under another lieutenant colonel."

Although Winters was not entirely sure, his tone seemed to be saying a confirmed fact: "Lieutenant Colonel Jessica, John Jessica."

Colonel Bern sat upright suddenly, leaned back slowly, snorted softly, and asked: "Is he still alive?"

Sure enough, Winters thought to himself: Officers dispatched overseas have more or less connections and friendships.

"Still alive, even returned to Plato. But..." Winters was silent for a moment: "It's just that Lieutenant Colonel Jessica also lost his other eye."

Colonel Berne also fell silent. After a while, he spoke: "The Lord has already made plans for each of us. At least he returned home alive."

Winters didn't believe in fate, but it was difficult for him to tell Lieutenant Colonel Jessica's experience to Colonel Berne in detail, so he could only nod silently.

After a while, Colonel Berne waved his hand tiredly: "Okay, boy, just tell me what you have to say! But let me tell you in advance, I will not bend the law for personal gain or destroy anything just because you were one-eyed subordinate.

Principle. So before you speak... think it over carefully."

Hearing Colonel Berne's words, Winters was completely relieved.

The "Legion" is the direct force deployed by the Republic of Monta in each autonomous prefecture. It is also the main executor of inspecting smuggling, eradicating bandits and suppressing rebellions.

If even the Legion is willing to provide help without violating principles - even if it means just turning a blind eye - Winters' next actions will be much easier.

"You met with Mayor Wooper to hope that the city government can provide funds to recruit unemployed workers for camp training?"

"So what?"

"Does Mayor Wooper agree?"

"You haven't given me an answer yet."

"You can rest assured that he will never agree." Winters said shockingly.

Colonel Bern looked normal: "Why?"

"What the 'respectable' members of Steel Castle fear most is for the mule workers they call to take up arms and start a riot. But you suggest that they allow the unemployed to receive military training? This is asking them to put a noose around their own necks.

.If it were you, would you agree?”

Colonel Berne frowned more and more and said nothing.

Winters changed the topic: "But I can help you convince Mayor Wooper or Mayor Servetus."

"Oh?" Colonel Berne sneered.

"Not only can I help you convince the Steel Castle Council, I also have a better proposal." Winters did not state the request first, but instead offered help: "You want to recruit unemployed people for training because you want to give them food and clothing.

Keep them from taking desperate risks. Am I right?"

Colonel Berne was noncommittal and motioned for Winters to continue speaking.

Winters asked calmly: "If it's just to give the unemployed a piece of bread, why bother with military training?"

Winters Montagne was not an experienced administrator, but he did do some minor work in Tiefeng County and accumulated some valuable successful experience.

"Dredging canals, leveling roads, repairing city defenses... If the legion is willing to maintain discipline, there are many things that the unemployed can do. Military training is just a name." Winters finally added: "Of course, there is really nothing to do.

Yes, it is understandable to accept several transportation contracts."

Colonel Berne sighed, stood up, walked to the closet, and came back with a bottle of distilled liquor and two square cups. The colonel poured a quarter cup for Winters and half a cup for himself, and asked: "What do you want?"

?”

"I hope to transport a batch of goods to Lucerne, in the name of the Legion." Winters' face showed no pride at all, and his attitude became more humble.

Lucerne is a border city of the Republic of Monta, across the river from Plato.

"Lucerne?" Colonel Berne picked up the square cup, sniffed the burnt aroma of the liquor, and asked doubtfully: "You can only go to Lucerne by land from Steel Castle, and it is very troublesome to go over the mountains."

"Ironware has always been exported through the Wupper Canal, so the Monta lords will definitely guard the Wupper Canal and the downstream waterways." Winters answered honestly: "In this case, it is better to 'seek the farther away' and take a detour to Lucerne."

Of course, Winters left half of the sentence unsaid - Lucerne also has a waterway, and it has direct access to Mirror Lake and the New Territory Province.

"It's a good example of 'leaving the near for the far'." Colonel Berne took a sip of strong wine: "But Lucerne still has to obey the orders of the Horn Castle. Send the ordnance to Lucerne, and you can transport it out of the country?"

"You don't have to worry about this, General Arpad has his own solution." Winters raised his glass in greeting.

"At first I thought you were just a minor player, but looking at it now, it seems that I was mistaken - you are the big deal in this deal."

"Colonel, I don't play an important role." Winters responded in a moderate tone: "But in this 'procurement', I have full power to make the decision."

Colonel Berne nodded slightly. After drinking the strong wine in the glass, he looked at Winters and asked calmly: "What can I get from helping you?"

"Money." Winters said without hesitation, "If you want it."

Colonel Berne smiled: "I don't need money."

Winters stopped smiling and his expression gradually became solemn and formal. He stood up and bowed: "Then you can get my gratitude. From now on, I owe you a favor."

"The Helvetic people have an old saying: A hero's promise is worth more than an atta of gold." Colonel Berne also stood up, handed the wine glass to Winters, clinked the glasses with Winters, and toasted: "Young man

, may your eyes always be bright, and may your sword always be sharp.”

The colonel returned the black wooden box to Winters: "Keep this gun, you will need it more than me."

…

When Winters visited Colonel Berne, Anna was checking the "account books" of the Schmid family.

The Schmid family's account books were stored in a pure iron cabinet by Old Schmid. There were also important documents such as land deeds, house deeds, and certificates for all forges in the cabinet.

There were five large locks hanging on the outside of the iron cabinet, and Old Schmid took the keys with him. The iron cabinet itself was placed next to Old Schmid's bed. The old man had to check it every night to make sure everything was in good condition.

Lie down where you should be before sleeping.

Even if Mr. Carlo Eide has a very good hand and an eye, he can't get hold of old Schmid's account books.

So he directly bribed the old Schmid's bookkeeper.

…

On the side of the waiter, Anna, wearing a veil, kept asking questions and writing down notes. The gauze not only failed to block her charm, but instead added a hazy beauty to her.
To be continued...