Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 469: The Tragedy of River Sand Town

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The capital of the Gabella Empire was one of the largest cities in the central part of the continent, serving as the political, economic, and cultural hub of the Empire. Particularly notable was the White Tower within the capital, where a multitude of scholars gathered. These weren’t just local scholars but also foreign scholars who had traveled from afar, drawn by the tower’s reputation. Among them were numerous young royals and nobles from other nations who came to study. A rich tapestry of diverse cultures and ideas intermingled and clashed within the heart of the Empire.

To protect such a jewel, the Gabella Empire naturally took every measure to safeguard it. Besides the towering city walls, six outlying fortresses strategically positioned around the capital played a crucial role in its defense.

Although the walls of these six fortresses weren’t as imposing as those of the main city, they were still remarkably sturdy. Initially, these fortresses were purely for military defense, inhabited by stationed commanders, knights, and their families. However, as the Gabella Empire expanded and its frontiers pushed further away from the capital, the military pressure on the capital diminished.

Gradually, the military significance of these six fortresses waned. With the rise and prosperity of trade routes, more civilians moved to these fortresses, settling down and multiplying over generations, eventually transforming them into small towns.

Among these, four fortresses guarded the land routes leading to and from the capital, one protected the waterways, and the last, the smallest and closest to the capital, was River Sand Town, located to the southeast. This fortress wasn’t situated on any major trade route and was established mainly to guard against bandits who once roamed the nearby mountains. After the bandits were cleared, the area stabilized. Its flat terrain was ideal for agriculture, and the residents cultivated fruits and vegetables, selling them to the nobility in the capital.

Because it wasn’t on a trade route, River Sand Town was relatively obscure, and newcomers often hadn’t even heard of it.

“Ah!” A bored town guard on night patrol yawned.

“Sigh, why can’t I ever catch a thief to earn some extra money?” he lamented, seeing the moon beginning its descent in the western sky, signaling another uneventful night.

“Just another tedious night.”

Contradicting the guard’s words, a sudden, thunderous boom echoed from the southwest of the town. A pillar of fire shot into the sky, splitting into fiery tongues that sprayed in all directions.

The flames quickly spread to nearby houses, igniting them. In no time, the entire southwestern corner of the town seemed ablaze.

“Fire! Fire! We need to put out the fire!”

The stunned night guard quickly recovered and blew his conch horn to raise the alarm.

River Sand Town was soon in an uproar, with able-bodied men and women gathering towards the southwest, carrying buckets and basins.

People formed long lines from a well to the fire, passing buckets of water hand-to-hand towards the blaze. Amidst the sounds of splashing water, crackling flames, and the heart-wrenching cries and screams, the scene was chaotic.

Survivors kept emerging from the burning area.

The town mayor arrived on horseback, gasping for breath, his hair disheveled and his clothing in disarray, clearly having rushed from his bed.

Hearing the wails from the flames, his face grew increasingly grim.

“Damn it, how did such a massive fire break out so suddenly?”

“People, follow me to the Somolette residence to rescue people!” the mayor commanded, dousing his coat in water before charging into the inferno.

In the southwestern corner of the town was a large estate belonging to the Somolette family.

The head of the family, Lord Somolette, had always enjoyed a good reputation in the town for his generosity and community service. He was seen as a benevolent, affluent country gentleman.

However, recently, the security at his residence had noticeably tightened. Any approaching individuals were aggressively turned away by guards brandishing shiny swords, presenting an intimidating and fearsome sight. freēnovelkiss.com

The official explanation for the increased security at the Somolette residence was a series of recent burglaries.

The town mayor, aware of the gentleman’s significant and discreet connections with the great nobility in the capital, knew that any mishap under his jurisdiction could have dire consequences not just for him but for his entire family.

The mayor’s servant, in a bid to restrain him, tugged at his sleeve urgently, “My lord, please be calm. The fire is too fierce; charging in would be suicidal.”

“Don’t stop me. Either follow me or get out of the way!” the mayor retorted, pushing away his loyal servant.

“You, you, and you too! Follow me!” he commanded, pointing at a group of people, determined to rescue those trapped in the inferno.

Though fearful of the raging fire, the townspeople dared not offend the mayor and reluctantly followed him into the blaze after dousing their clothes in water.

…

The southwestern corner of River Sand Town was almost completely engulfed in flames and smoke. However, a bird’s-eye view would reveal an astonishing sight: at the epicenter of the fire, a certain area remained miraculously untouched.

This area was the courtyard of the Somolette family estate.

The scene in the courtyard was a gruesome one: bodies lay scattered in various positions – guards, servants, old and young alike.

Blood stained the marble floors, the lush green grass, and the ornate carpeted steps. The nauseating stench of blood mixed with the acrid smell of smoke from the nearby fire, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

It was evident that a horrific massacre had just taken place in the estate.

Near the central fountain in the courtyard, a group of people, blindfolded and with their arms bound behind their backs, knelt in a circle, awaiting their fate.

Around them stood a group of figures in black robes, their faces hidden by hoods.

One of them, looking at the surrounding flames, spoke angrily, “Did Sion really have to make such a scene? Such a huge fire not only draws attention but how many innocents must have perished in it? An arsonist! A murderer!”

The speaker was a woman, her voice, despite being filled with anger, was very pleasant to the ear.

“Enough, Carol. Sion must have had his reasons,” a tall, seemingly authoritative figure in black spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Humph! Carol, you weren’t exactly merciful in the fight just now either!” a voice laced with sarcasm called out from a distance, as another black-robed figure emerged from the glow of the fire.