Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 937 - 28 An Offer You Can’t Refuse_3

Chapter 937: Chapter 28 An Offer You Can’t Refuse_3

Upon hearing Gerard’s question, Old Sergei also stopped in his tracks and perked up his ears.

“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with you… rest assured, your matter has already been properly resolved, and the military government will not pursue you,” Winters said, leaning casually against the wagon, speaking in an easygoing tone, “Colonel Alec is upset because I made a proposal to him.”

“What… proposal?”

Winters laughed heartily, “I hinted to him that if he would provide us with some logistical support, we could help the military government clear out the bandits that are entrenched along the provincial roads.”

“Oh,” Old Sergei nodded vigorously, seemingly half-understanding.

“That’s the way it is.” Winters spread his hands.

“Oh!” Old Sergei nodded even more emphatically.

“Colonel Alec.” Gerard suddenly frowned, “It’s unlikely he would agree…”

Winters expressed regret: “He did not agree.”

Old Sergei suddenly slapped his forehead, as if struck by a revelation, and hurriedly said, “Your Excellency, are you implying something to Lord Alec?”

“Implying?” Gerard looked puzzledly at his old comrade.

“Don’t bother, Lord Alec won’t understand those kinds of things!” Old Sergei spoke passionately, spraying as he spoke: “The bandits don’t rob them, how could they know the severity of how bandits plague the common people?”

…

Small villages and large towns alike are unable to be entirely self-sufficient; people always need to engage in a certain degree of material and information exchange with the outside world.

The bandit problems that sprang up with the chaos of war have turned “going out on long trips” into a high-risk activity, and the material and information exchanges between different places have also diminished.

Economic crops harvested are piling up and rotting slowly in the warehouses, and even the small paths just a few steps outside of the villages have become unsafe.

From clergy, merchants, and landlords to poor farmers and tenants, everyone feels threatened. The once semi-open towns have erected walls one after another, and farmers gather together and form associations as much as possible for self-protection.

Winters had not fully understood this pervasive sense of panic that now exists.

It wasn’t until he sat by the fireside and shared meals with many different people along the way that he gradually came to understand, “While bandits are not as devastating as famine, their destruction of ‘sense of security’ is even greater.”

Given the choice between [no more conscription] and [no more bandits], men, women, the poor, the wealthy, the old, the young… people overwhelmingly choose [no more bandits].

…

“Colonel Alec.” Gerard pulled on Old Sergei, trying to smooth things over, “He wouldn’t be able to help much, after all, killing bandits and catching thieves aren’t really within his jurisdiction…”

“Yeah, ‘not within his jurisdiction’.” Winters was somewhat disheartened, he didn’t want to discuss the shortcomings of the bureaucratic system with the two old Dusacks, so he said with a smile: “I just mentioned it in passing to Colonel Alec, after all, our convoy is like uncovered meat, and flies will always smell it and come. It’s all about fighting, wouldn’t it be better to dig some money out of the Republic?”

“That’s more like it!” Old Sergei suddenly perked up, completely ignoring the increasingly awkward expression on Gerard’s face, and enthusiastically agreed: “I knew you would not do a losing business!”

Fortunately, Winters had another group of visitors—the three local chamber of commerce directors had come to call—which gave Gerard an excuse to pull his comrade away and bid farewell.

“These are our locally renowned smoked sausages, and there are some other specialties.” The lead middle-aged merchant, panting, brought two baskets of smoked sausages, trying to placate with a smile: “My lord, please accept these as a token of our esteem.”

Winters didn’t hesitate and gestured for the guards to take them all.

Seeing the youthful man’s military bearing in every gesture and the fully armed guards around him, the three visiting merchants became even more convinced that this large-scale merchandising convoy must have a military background.

“If it weren’t for your visit, who knows how many honest merchants in the town would go bankrupt?” The middle-aged merchant continued to curry favor, “May we offer our assistance and help you with accommodation?”

“No need, we’re leaving today.”

“So soon?” The middle-aged merchant’s eyes widened.

Winters answered succinctly: “We’re in a hurry.”

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“Where are you headed? To the west?”

Winters did not answer, only folded his arms.

The middle-aged merchant wiped the sweat from his forehead and, after a silent exchange of glances with the other two board members, ventured to ask with clenched teeth, “If I may be so bold, please forgive me, but may I ask…to which merchant brigade do you belong?”

Which merchant brigade?

This out-of-nowhere question baffled Winters. He narrowed his eyes, fixing a gaze on the three guild directors that sent chills down their spines.

Suddenly, Winters revealed a smirk: “That’s a secret, you mustn’t tell anyone else…”

The middle-aged merchant perked up at the hint of information and nodded hastily: “Of course! Definitely!”

Winters gestured for the middle-aged merchant to come closer and spoke deliberately: “We are the private merchant brigade of that general.”

“Which one? That one? That one!” the middle-aged merchant’s eyes were wide as saucers.

“Yes, exactly that one.” Winters let out a surname softly: “Alpad.”

As the young man finished pronouncing the name, the three guild directors held their breath for a second, feelings of “So that’s it!”, “No wonder!”, and “I knew it!” made their scalps tingle with realisation.

“Don’t believe me?” Winters arched an eyebrow: “Would you like to see the pass?”

“Not at all! Not at all!” The three guild directors waved their hands in refusal.

“Have a look, it’s no big deal,” Winters retrieved the pass from his bosom, deliberately showing off Alpad’s seal on the outside.

The three guild directors dared not really take the thin letter and scrutinize it, repeatedly requesting the young man to take back the pass.

“Finished looking?” Winters put away the letter, his expression immediately turned somber, and he demanded in a stern voice: “What are your intentions inquiring about military affairs?”

With Winters’ change in tone, the surrounding guards also closed in, hands on the hilts of their blades, encircling the three guild directors.

“No intentions, absolutely none,” the middle-aged merchant’s face flushed red as he stumbled through his explanation: “We were sent here by the local merchant guild… to ask a favor of you…”

“Speak.”

“As you know… the roads have been quite unsafe lately… could you possibly…” the middle-aged merchant licked his lips: “allow our caravan to follow yours? You’d only need to wait one more day, just one day! Allow us one day to load our goods. The local merchant guild is willing to offer a token of appreciation to you for this…”

“Is that all?” Winters couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes, yes, yes, just that,” the middle-aged merchant’s emotions surged, and suddenly he burst into exaggerated tears: “I beg you to show some compassion. It might be a trivial matter for you, but for us, it’s a matter of life and death!”

Seeing his act, the other two guild directors also began to lay it on thick with tears and snot.

For a moment, the atmosphere turned bizarre, with three local dignitaries weeping loudly as surrounding guards and hired hands couldn’t help but stop and gawk at the spectacle.

Winters waved his hand: “Alright, that’s enough, I understand what you mean, the other two gentlemen there don’t even have tears with their crying.”

The middle-aged merchant cut short his weeping, awkwardly forcing a few laughs.

After contemplating for a moment, Winters replied: “No can do.”

The middle-aged merchant wanted to say something more, but Winters stopped him with a gesture.

“First, my time is pressing, I can’t possibly wait for you for a day and a half,” Winters tapped his elbow gently, “Second, even if you did come with us, you wouldn’t be able to keep up with our pace.”

If it were a matter of pay, they could perhaps haggle over the price. But Winters’ reasons were solid, and the middle-aged merchant had no reply.

“Well then… so be it,” the middle-aged merchant tidied up his appearance and respectfully bid farewell: “Thank you for condescending to explain to us, the local guild wishes to present a gift of money to you, as a token of gratitude…”

“I haven’t done anything for you, how can I take your money?” Winters interrupted the middle-aged merchant’s pleasantries.

“And my words are not yet finished. The gangs that lurk around your town are actually just two groups, the rest are just small fries, not worth worrying about.” He pulled out a map book, urged the middle-aged merchant to sit down, and enthusiastically pitched: “I have a proposal…”