Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Andre was getting impatient, "Old Ma, just speak plainly, what are you implying? Stop beating around the bush..."

Bard held Andre back, signaling him to cool down and frowned as he asked, "Do you mean that to deal with Vineta, someone deliberately provided those cannons to the Tanilians?"

"Exactly," Marcelo confirmed. "Kovyrian went to check on them when he heard about it. According to him, those cannons didn't have any inscriptions. We didn't notice before, but now it seems obvious they were deliberately erased. Not just the heavy artillery on Red Sulfur Island, but other coastal defense cannons that caused us a lot of trouble and that we eventually captured were the same."

"Now that's interesting," Winters mused. "When were those cannons delivered to Tanilia?"

"I don't know the exact time," Marcelo shook his head. "The Tanili say it was personally overseen by Edward Kenway... but it definitely was before we departed from Haidong Port. Oh, and apparently, William Kidd was also Kenway's man."

"Do we even need to think about it?" Andre exclaimed angrily. "It's definitely those United Provincials who gave the cannons to the Tanili! Wasn't the Victory Arsenal home before we came back here? There must have been someone stirring up trouble! Damn those mud-farmers! Racking their brains to mess with us... uh, Bard, no offense."

"Let's not voice unfounded speculations!" Winters quickly stopped Andre from continuing, "The United Provincials aren't stupid enough to burn their own arsenal and half the capital just to supply a few cannons to the Federation, right? We're catching a ship to Guidao City tomorrow, so don't say anything like this in front of the United Provincials, or they might find an excuse to detain you—and then you'll have a hard time."

Bard nodded in agreement, while Andre snorted in dissatisfaction but said no more.

"Old Ma, tell our classmates not to mention this when we get to Guidao City," Winters then said to Marcelo. "Once we're back from The Federated Provinces, we'll have all the time to investigate. Isn't William Kidd still alive? That guy knows a lot, and I don't believe we can't get it out of him with a good interrogation. Our trip to Guidao City is just for an award ceremony, so it's best not to cause any trouble."

"Understood, understood," Marcelo chuckled and nodded, touching his cup to Winters' before returning to the small circle of artillery officers.

After Marcelo had walked away, Andre said resentfully, "I could guess with my ass where the Tanilis got their cannons from. Vineta, The Federated Provinces, the Empire, the old military factories are just these few, it's sure as shit not from us. If it's not the United Provincials who supplied them, could it be the 'Oathbreaker' aiding the Tanilis? Damn!"

[Note: "Oathbreaker" is a derogatory nickname for the current Emperor Henry III, who, during the war of succession for the throne, broke his promise by executing his own younger brother and all of his brother's descendants. As a result, Henry III's mother "Mary of Lotar" and grandfather "Duke Winfred of Lotar" refused to meet with him until their deaths.]

[Further Note: The father of "Oathbreaker" Henry was "Madman" Richard, and not a single ruler of the fervent Sun Dynasty had a good nickname.]

This time Winters did not stop Andre, simply gazing at the mead in his cup and said, "It doesn't matter who supplied them, the Tanilia Federation has been devoured, the war is over. Once I'm a commissioned officer, I'm finding myself a safer and easy position, and coast to retirement as a Colonel—that will be enough for me."

"We had over thirty classmates leave Guidao City together, and only twenty-something returned. So many didn't even make it to the day of the official commissioning. Fate is really unpredictable," Bard murmured.

"I now hope that there really is a heaven," Winters whispered. "I hope every fallen comrade is there now."

"Whether it exists doesn't really matter, as long as you believe it does," Bard said languidly.

Andre snorted at this remark.

Winters emptied the mead from his cup, wiped his mouth, and replied expressionlessly, "If I could fool myself, would I even need to say such stupid things?"

...

...

The apprentice officers of Vineta departed directly from the archipelago, crossing the inner sea to arrive at Guidao City. After the award ceremony, they would return to Sea Blue, awaiting their official assignments.

As for Winters, no matter what he thought, he really did benefit from nepotism. Because Antonio had already planned a position for Winters.

Before leaving, his foster father lovingly said to Winters, "If you don't wish to be on the front line, then go and teach. Vineta is setting up its own military academy, and the school is anyhow a quieter place."

Teach? Winters was somewhat puzzled... but maybe it would be interesting?

With an uneasy heart, Winters descended onto the familiar yet strange docks of Guidao City.

Everything in sight had changed beyond recognition; the great fire from a year ago that swept through half the city had left nothing but burnt stones.

Yet, without destruction, there can be no construction; a new city was rapidly rising from the ashes of the old one. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

The Victory Arsenal, which had devoured much of the Harbor District's land, had been relocated to the outskirts of the city, forming its own little town.

You have to know, the relocation of the Victory Arsenal was a task that had dragged on for over a decade without success. In the end, like the Conqueror King cutting through the Gordian knot, a single fire solved all the problems.