Chapter 1009: Chapter 57 Carlo Aide_2
“…Alright.”
Steel Fort was originally just a small village at the mouth of Rose River. Most of the land that now belongs to Steel Fort City was once farmland belonging to Erwin Monastery.
The discovery of iron ore led to the gradual prosperity of the once-small village. As the external population continuously migrated in, and locals reproduced from generation to generation, the village evolved into a town, and the town into a city.
The Montan territory doesn’t have vast plains, only small patches of arable land divided by mountain ranges. As the population grew more and more, Steel Fort also beca increasingly crowded.
As the land on both banks of the river mouth beca insufficient, settlents naturally expanded outward, eventually occupying the various flat lands along the shores of Rose Lake.
What’s referred to today as “Steel Fort City” is actually a ring-like human settlent that encircles Rose Lake.
Among them, various craft workshops, due to the need to utilize water power, are still concentrated on the initial land of Steel Fort—along the banks of Rose River.
Therefore, the urban areas along Rose River are commonly known as the [Smiths’ District] or [Old Town].
Old Town is not only the center of craftsmanship in Steel Fort but also its administrative and religious center.
Most citizens and non-citizen poor people live within the labyrinth-like streets and alleys of Old Town.
From afar, the three stone high-rises of [City Hall], [Diocesan Synod], and [Erwin Cathedral] are wrapped in rows of low wooden houses, standing out prominently like a crane among chickens, extrely eye-catching.
The noise from the water-powered workshops is enormous, and maintaining a forge also produces a large amount of smoke. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the smoke from Steel Fort is difficult to dissipate, and in the worst case, the entire Rose Lake could be enveloped in thick smoke.
Thus, wealthy upper-class citizens of Steel Fort have one after another built their houses on North Shore of Rose Lake.
Although North Shore has limited space and the land is worth its weight in gold, it has beautiful scenery, and most importantly, it is located upwind.
It allows them to avoid the annoying noise and not be bothered by the thick fog spewed from the workshops’ chimneys.
As for those who want to improve their living conditions but don’t have enough money to buy land and build houses on North Shore, most move to the New Town on South Bank.
The inn where Winters stays is located on the South Bank of Rose Lake.
But whether they are residents of South Bank or North Shore, their industries and work locations are still in Old Town.
Hence, the most commonly used transportation in Steel Fort is actually boats. In winter, when Rose Lake freezes over, one can even walk directly on the lake surface.
However, as it is nearing the end of winter now, the ice is too thin, making it too dangerous to walk on the lake.
Therefore, if Winters wants to visit Este’s residence, he can only take the land route, circling around the lake for most of the distance.
That’s why Carlo Aide said “we need to set off early.”
…
…
[Steel Fort, Old Town]
The carriage bearing the White Eagle coat of arms rumbled down the street, n gathering around the fire to keep warm stepped aside, then listlessly returned to the fire after it had passed.
“I had thought that the famous Steel Fort would be a city teeming with wealth,” said Winters, pulling down the carriage curtain, speaking to Mr. Ed: “Yet what I see are slums dirtier and more cramped than Revodan, and people living even more miserably than the poor of Revodan.”
Mr. Ed replied: “What you see is not contradictory. Steel Fort is indeed a city teeming with wealth, but its lowest class people do live worse than serfs. The Monta Republic has little arable land; even if they wanted to be serfs, they couldn’t. That’s why Sea Blue Port has so many Montan laborers, and why the Emperor conducts military recruitnt in the Montan territory.”
Winters sighed.
“What are they doing?” Anna couldn’t bear to look at the ragged people on both sides of the road: “Why are they standing by the road?”
“What are they doing?” Mr. Ed glanced out of the window, answering lightly: “Waiting for work.”
Winters puzzled: “Waiting for work?”
“If soone hires them, they can earn bread by doing physical work in the workshop; if not, they can only wait by the road.” Mr. Ed slightly squinted his eyes, asking Winters: “Your Excellency, can you hear it?”
“Hear what?”
“The sound of the hamring.”
Winters listened intently but heard no sound of tal striking, so he replied truthfully: “I don’t hear anything.”
“Exactly, it’s strange because you can’t hear anything!” Mr. Ed pulled back the curtain, pointing at the densely packed wooden houses in the Old Town: “This is the blacksmith district, where the sound of hamring should be ceaseless, one after another. But now, listen, you can’t hear anything.”
Winters imdiately grasped Mr. Ed’s aning and asked: “Have the workshops in the Steel Fortress all stopped working?”
“Most of the forges have gone out.” Mr. Ed said indifferently: “That’s why these laborers have run to the streets, hoping to be hired by so workshop owner; they are not apprentices, nor are they blacksmiths, just laborers. When the workshop operates for one day, they have bread for their whole family for one day; when the forge goes out for one day, they have to starve for one day.”
Carlo Ed’s condescending tone made Winters slightly uncomfortable, he frowned and asked: “Does the Steel Fortress not have any laws for poverty relief?”
“Poverty relief? The church might distribute so thin porridge.” Mr. Ed asked as if it were obvious: “Those people don’t have citizen rights, why would the council care to provide for them?”
Winters’ frown grew deeper: “Isn’t the Steel Fortress city hall afraid of trouble?”
“The situation is not so dire yet.” Mr. Ed answered without any sign of excitent: “If it really cos to that, the Steel Fortress council should offer so relief. After all, it is still a matter for the people of the Steel Fortress, you needn’t be too concerned.”
Winters didn’t say anything and shifted his attention to another matter revealed by Mr. Ed: “The workshops in the Steel Fortress have stopped working?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“What do you think?”
Winters thought quickly: “…Trade embargo.”
“Correct.” Carlo Ed nodded in approval.
However, the more Winters thought about it, the more puzzled he beca: “The embargo only prohibits exporting weapons to Paratu, how could it cause the furnaces of the Steel Fortress to go out and the hamrs to fall silent? Can’t the Steel Fortress function without selling weapons?”
Mr. Ed looked at Anna with a smile.
Anna took Winters’ hand, explaining softly: “It’s not what you think. rchants are not gears; they won’t produce exactly as much as they sell. If wool production drops, wool rchants will hoard wool; if the neighboring countries are at war, blacksmiths will…”
Winters finished the sentence: “Ramp up weapon forging.”
“Exactly.” Mr. Ed said with a hint of mockery: “From the day the news of the [Blood Night at Kingsfort] reached the Steel Fortress, the forge masters, big and small, have been working day and night to churn out weapons and armor. They were rubbing their hands in glee, hoping to make a fortune, with every storage filled with ready-made goods.
The mont the embargo was announced, stocked goods instantly turned into overstock—overstock that could crush them. Moreover, the ironware of the Steel Fortress is mainly sold in two directions, south and north. With the southern route embargoed, not only are the warti profits gone, even the normal iron bar export has to stop, so… they are in a rush.”
Winters listened carefully, and after pondering, he humbly inquired: “Are you suggesting that during the negotiations, I should not appear too eager, that I can be more assertive and try to push for lower prices?”
“I’ve rely ntioned so well-known affairs of the Steel Fortress, I haven’t given any suggestions.” Elder Ed’s eyelids drooped low, his eyes like a pool of pitch-black depths: “Granashi Your Excellency, please rember, whether it’s or the White Eagle, we are both unrelated third parties to you.”
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