Steel and Mana

Chapter 212 – Casting the Bait

"Don't roll too far away!"

"I don't think they will..." Pion mumbled, accompanying Matilda, who was watching her sons grimacing while sitting in their wheelchairs. Luckily, their mouths became much more restricted, and they simply grabbed their wheels, slowly rolling forward to check out some of the stalls around the main square.

"That was harsh." Matilda shrugged but kept up a slight smile. "But true. I am surprised that the people are still kind to them." She continued, watching as her sons were soon being helped by simple people walking by them or the sellers, making it easier for them to choose what to buy from their stands, be it sweet candy or grilled meat.

"It wasn't published in the newspaper who they are," Polo, accompanying the two, calmly expressed, his voice still a bit cold towards Matilda. He mainly was here because he was keeping his eyes on the trio, taking his mission seriously. "If they are not making a big fuss about it, most people are going to be more than willing to help them integrate into the city."

"I can see that..." She whispered, feeling that a big bag of weight had been lifted from her shoulders since Mirian had renounced her noble titles, stripping the Zimmermann family of power. "Being a simple girl does have its charms; I just hope I can do the same and find a new life here."

"If not, it would be your fault." Polo countered, making Pion raise an eyebrow, but he was not about to stop him from speaking his mind.

"Oh?"

"I am not from here." Polo continued, turning towards Matilda and looking into her eyes. Just like so many people in this city, he spoke to her as human, without the air of fake politeness seeping through his words because of her rank. "Yet I was immediately welcomed, and they made me feel at home. If you come in peace and are willing to leave your past behind the walls of this city, Avalon will welcome you. That is what I have learned, and right now, I am not only a soldier but a Knight who will fight for Avalon and its people."

"A Knight?" She asked, glancing at Pion for more explanation.

"A pilot. He has not been knighted yet but is one of the top candidates." He smiled proudly, patting Polo's shoulders, "When he has gone through it, he will be one who helms the same kind of machine that decimated your sons' army."

"That is incredible..."

"It is!" Pion laughed, making Polo finally blush a little and turn away with a proud and happy smile.

"Well, I should soon start calling him Ser Polo then!"

"Enough..." He grunted, not wanting to be teased by Matilda, too; it was enough for him to endure Pion's praising words. "Let's go find a good place if we want to have a chance to see the Sovereign and Lancelot from up close!"

"Is it always this lively here?" Matilda asked with an honest smile, watching Polo walk ahead of them, heading to collect her three sons, who were now sitting before a stand, enjoying something they had never tried before: meat and potato on a stick. A noble, eating such a simple food? Barehanded? Unimaginable.

"Not this much, but close." Pion answered, walking next to her and wearing his military uniform, which made many passersby salute him. "But this is a holiday. Every year, after the snow melts, the first week is deemed to celebrate the next year and the end of winter."

"I could get used to this... Heh, days like this are what I missed! Even if there was a parade, there was no way I would be able to get lost in the crowd."

"Did you think about what you would do now that you were accepted as an Avalonian? As a citizen?"

"I did." She answered after thinking a little, subconsciously touching her little book in her skirt's pocket, proving she was indeed considered an Avalonian. "I will open a winery."

"A winery? Here?"

"I know it is a bit cold up here, this far north, but... I can try, no? If it fails, I can still try and brew something else myself."

"So, you are not only a good drinker?" Pion joked, making her shake her head with a long sigh.

"When you drink as much and as long as I did, you start to realize how poor most drinks taste. Then, you start doing your own experiments... just to get the same feeling when you got drunk for the first time."

"You do remember what Lady Mikan said, yes?" He spoke, his voice trying to warn her.

"Don't worry, I do. I have no reason to guzzle wine down anymore... But! That doesn't mean I can't enjoy it recreationally, do I?"

"I guess? Haaahh... You are a grown-up woman; you can decide for yourself."

"Plus... Aren't I always bumping into you?" she giggled and, without hesitation, hugged his massive arm, snuggling up to Pion. "You can scold me if I drank too much..."

"That... I can do that." After a moment of hesitation, he finally answered, reaching out and letting her intertwine with his arm properly, widening Matilda's smile in an instant.

...
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......

"Ah, Miss Winefield, yes?" A jovial laugh echoed, coming from a slightly plump man named Imar Goldie... or just Goldie, as everyone called him. He was only about 160 centimeters tall, with golden, curly hair and piercing blue eyes... If not for his more rotund waistline under his velvet, crimson vest and black pants, he would have been surprisingly charming. But, instead of a chiseled jawline, he had been blessed with a round face.

"It is a pleasure to meet with you, Sir Goldie!" Clara, masquerading as Nora Winefield, answered with an amicable smile, bowing to the man. She was the same height as him, wearing a long, black dress with a fur coat on top, covering her pleasant, youthful curves while turning towards the host of the evening.

"Just Goldie will suffice, young lady! I am nothing but a merchant who got lucky."

"Luck is not something our kind believes in." She answered swiftly, taking the silver cup filled with wine offered to her.

"Haha, maybe, but I do believe in luck!"

They were standing inside Goldie's courtyard in a beautifully kept garden, enjoying the first, much warmer night of the year, the surest sign that winter had indeed ended. It was a few days ago when Clara finally had her breakthrough, and one of the nobles invited her to a 'Spring Welcoming Party.' It was a known occasion where many of those who could contact Baron Elliot personally exchanged pleasantries and the newest gossip, trying to learn news before they got out to the public. The fact that she was invited was the sign she was waiting for; now, she just had to be careful with the bait and let the fish bite before reeling it in.

"I heard you could provide people? Let's talk about that!" Goldie said with a smile, motioning with his hand for her to walk with him as they began strolling in his garden, temporarily distancing themselves from prying eyes and ears.

"Yes. My company not only trades and brings exotic goods from our western neighbors but also provides others with workers back home. Not just laymen but skilled builders. With the Empress opening the guilds and publicizing previous state secrets, many lost their privilege and needed to sell their expertise in a different way. We were the first to capitalize on it in Westland, collecting them under our banner and lending their expertise out to nobles and rich merchants. There is a renovation and building frenzy sweeping through the Empire; it is the perfect time to capitalize on it!"

"I fully agree with you on that." Goldie nodded, listening to her with a chuckle. Yet, deep inside, he was making mental notes on everything she said, taking their conversation dead seriously.

Goldie didn't lie; he was lucky, and he believed that. He was among the very few first people who recognized Elliot and the winds changing, siding with him before anyone even knew the outcome of his ambitions. Since that day, he became one of his trusted advisors, and he had the chance to strike up deals with other faraway regions, even leading a few caravans to Atuvia. Yet, his biggest deal was always when he could go and visit Avalon, being one of the head merchants who delivered goods and food to the city. What he saw there told him that he not only won the bet when siding with Elliot, but he also won in life. He just had to keep betting on him. So, when Elliot gave him the task of leading the enemy spies who infiltrated their city into a trap, he swore he would do his best and that he wouldn't fail.

"Tell me, Miss Winefield... What if there is a project coming up that requires both? Skilled workers who know how to build something big, and people who only need to lay down steel beams and hammer in nails?"

"I can provide both." She answered him confidently, "And for a reasonable price."

"Price is not an issue, as it is going to be paid through the baron himself!"

"I see." To Clara, it was a sign that they would use it to embezzle as much money as possible. Of course, they would... They may fear the new laws, but if the price of workers is high, it is high. Who could say if some of the money from that price lands in their employers' pockets? Nobody, especially because everything could be traced back to the contracts signed by the lord of the land himself.

"I can provide an extensive list of what I can offer, with proper prices."

"When can you get it my way?" Goldie asked calmly, glancing at her with one eye as they strolled, passing the blooming, colorful flowerbeds.

"By tomorrow morning."

"Oh, very good, very good! You see, a new project is starting soon, and we will build a grandiose station before extending a railway towards Avalon!"

"Railway..." She mumbled, first thinking about mines and how heavy carts would move minerals around in them, pulled by horses or pushed by hand. Why do they build something like that up on the surface? That didn't make sense to her, but she wouldn't ask questions. That would be too obvious. A proper merchant doesn't care about silly 'whys.' They only care about how much profit it would bring in. "I believe I can provide you with everything you need. Is the construction time-sensitive or open-ended?"

"Both. The sooner it is done, the better, but it can't get in the way of quality. You must understand that... It must be the best work our city can produce."

"Don't worry, my workers are not peasants. They are experienced builders!"

"Good." Goldie smiled, raising his cup and clanking it against Clara's. "Summon them as soon as you are able to; they will be housed by the city, so don't worry about that. But, they need to be sent to a quick course before they can start working... And as I said. Money is not an issue." He added with a wink.

"I understand. And... A course?" She asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yes. You see, the Frontier is using its own measuring format, something that has been present here for a... long time. Your workers will need to adjust to it but don't worry, I can assure you, it is something that is very, very simple and logical!"

"Your own system?" She hummed, and in her mind, it was just another point of rebellion against Ishillia. How dare they come up with something like that when the past Emperors already made sure there was a working system?

"Yes. We are very far away from the capital city, and when something broke, or beasts came through, rebuilding had to be done by our two hands. Before our current Empress opened the gates, we could do nothing but rely on our own experience and expertise. So, we developed our own systems. Please understand the dire circumstances we were subjected to in the old days."

"Oh, I have no issues with it, Lord Goldie. It will be done, as it must be done. When traveling to foreign lands, they also have it differently, so it isn't a surprise for people like us. Don't worry, my men will adapt perfectly!"

"Wonderful! Well, Miss Winefiled," he laughed while gently taking her hand and patting it, making Clara smile just the right way and at the right time to make any heart flutter. "We will have a bountiful year ahead of us!"