Munitions Empire

Hunger tormented his stomach, making the man lying in the street corner, who looked like a beggar, suffer immensely. He struggled to stand up from the ground, his eyes filled with a sinister glow of hatred.

He should not be so disheveled, not supposed to be like a beggar, watching dignified people drinking fragrant ale in the taverns around the bustling streets.

If it wasn’t for that accident, he should still be in the Vicious Forest, living the good life with his few accomplices.

But that night, the sound of gunfire, as if coming from the abyss, screamed like the howl of the devil, echoing in his ears, not fading in the slightest even now.

It was a terrifying sight! His strong companions fell one after another to the sound of gunfire, and a vicious band of thieves that had settled in the Vicious Forest was exterminated in an instant.

The Vicious Forest is not a paradise, but a hell! Without accomplices, bandits are basically the targets of other bandit groups’ robberies.

Under normal circumstances, it’s unlikely that a group would incorporate an unfamiliar thief, as it would bring many troubles. Thus, killing is the easiest option.

He who had escaped the Vicious Forest by luck had not yet regained his courage and had degenerated to this state, becoming a vagrant.

I must have revenge! The man, tormented by hunger and weakness, began to harbor unrealistic fantasies in his muddled mind.

Again, for the fifth time this month, he lifted his head to look at the grandiose gate not far away, guarded by soldiers.

Ultimately, the empty stomach churning with acid dissipated the lingering fear. He staggered forward, heading towards the magnificent gate.

"Stop! What do you want?" A guard spotted the approaching beggar, his eyes full of disdain and mockery, and he began to scold from afar.

"I! I have business, I want to, want to see... see Mr. Gis!" said the man, who resembled a begar, his voice weak.

"Hahaha!" The gatekeeper laughed loudly, turning back to his comrade, "Did you hear that? He says he wants to see Mr. Gis! Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!" Another guard also laughed, as they didn’t believe that a beggar had any right to meet the Shireck Consortium’s chief representative in Leite Kingdom.

"I, I saw with my own eyes, saw someone using a firearm! A terrifying firearm that could fire five shots in succession!" The beggar shouted excitedly, staring at the guard, "If you delay Mr. Gis’s important matters, you might die very miserably!"

"Have you gone mad?" The guard frowned, not at all believing that there was a gun in the world that could fire five consecutive times.

The other guard standing by also wore a look of contempt, feeling that the Shireck Flintlock Gun he was carrying was the best firearm in the world.

However, at this moment, a man passing by heard the beggar’s shouts. He was about to enter directly, but now he stopped in his tracks.

He glanced at the beggar, sizing up the man who was dressed in rags, looking utterly wretched. For some reason, he felt that the man’s words were credible.

Different from those beggars who come to cheat meals and drinks, this man didn’t seem to be seeking death—he had a desire for life in his eyes, completely different from those completely despaired beggars.

So without really understanding why, he spoke up, ordering the two guards who were ready to chase the man away, "Bring him in! Watch him, don’t let him wander around! I will speak with Mr. Gis, see if he has time..."

"Yes, sir!" The two guards instantly recognized that the man before them was their superior officer and hurriedly lifted their chins to respond.

"Give him something to eat." The man ordered without looking back, then walked through the grand gate, across the courtyard, towards the resplendent building.

"After the Harvest Festival passes and the ice and snow begin to melt, we can launch the attack... Perfect for disrupting Northern Ridge’s farming plans." A man sitting down assured the well-built man with blond hair and blue eyes at the head of the table.

"I can guarantee Suthers Kingdom’s share, but you better be careful... All the mines of Northern Ridge and Wolf City are ours," the leading man said without lifting his head, looking at a stack of contracts in front of him.

"Rest assured, sir! As a representative of Suthers, His Majesty the King has authorized me to command all the front-line military forces... All properties of the Shireck Consortium will be the best protected," the man immediately guaranteed, "We just want the land and people of Northern Ridge, nothing more."

"Since you can guarantee this, our cooperation will be very pleasant!" The middle-aged man finally lifted his head and glanced at the other party, giving a friendly smile, "Stay and have a drink with me tonight, how does that sound?"

"It would be an honor, Lord Gis," the envoy from the Suthers Kingdom hurriedly stood up, expressing his gratitude.

After the envoy from the Suthers Kingdom had left the room, Gis, the regional head of the Shireck Consortium, stood up and stretched his chest before walking over to the liquor cabinet, from which he grasped a bottle of wine engraved with patterns.

He removed the wooden stopper and poured the fine wine into a similarly intricate glass cup, pouring as he spoke, "How are things over at Northern Ridge?"

The man who walked in stood at the center of the room and bowed slightly toward Gis, "My lord, Northern Ridge is just delaying the Kingdom’s tax collection, no other obvious actions."

Before Gis could speak, he continued, "Fisheo is still the same, stubborn as a bull. He’s not willing to conscript more soldiers, and the Northern Ridge Legion remains at around 1500 in size."

"If he weren’t so obstinate, he wouldn’t be in this situation today." Gis snorted in disdain, "His land is the only one unwilling to cooperate with us, so he is doomed to be washed away by the times."

"I just think it’s a pity that he’s a good man," lamented the man subordinate to Gis.

"There are only two types of people in this world! Our friends and our enemies! To kill an enemy, there is no need for pity," Gis said, touching the tip of his nose with disdain.

The world is full of good people, but good people do not necessarily receive good things in return. What decides the life and death of a good person is not the word "good."

"Anything else? If not, go and order preparations for the banquet, I want to treat our friends from Suthers to some special dishes from the Leite Kingdom." Seeing that his subordinate had nothing more to say, Gis was ready for his afternoon nap.

"My lord, just now at the door, I saw a person... a person who wanted to see you. I thought his words were very important, so I had someone take him to wait outside," the subordinate said timidly, bowing his head, as he heard his immediate superior preparing for a nap.

Indeed, upon hearing his subordinate’s words, Gis’s brows furrowed. He put down the now empty wine glass in his hand and looked at him impatiently, "Have you lost your mind? Is anyone allowed to see me, to waste my time? If I were to meet everyone who wishes to see me, I wouldn’t even need to sleep."

"My lord, that person said he has seen a new type of weapon." Sensing his superior’s displeasure, the subordinate quickly began to explain.

"Ha, every day, there are madmen who make their living by bringing their so-called inventions, queuing up here, in Shireck King City! Here! They line up to present their treasures to our evaluators," Gis said coldly, pinching the wine glass and looking at his subordinate.

Without waiting for a reply, he then spoke again arrogantly, "And the result? The result is that the Shireck Flintlock Gun is still perfect! Still impeccable, while those inventions claiming to revolutionize the concept of weaponry are proven to be nothing but trash. Remember Mathews? I gave him enough trust, and yet, didn’t he still fail?"

"But, that guy at the door just now was insistent, claiming he saw a new weapon... I was afraid he would spread rumors, so I let him wait outside," his subordinate said somewhat guiltily, justifying himself.

Gis was silent for a few seconds, then decided to give face to his most competent subordinate, and commanded, "Fine, since it’s your recommendation, let him in then."

"Yes, my lord!" Indeed, upon hearing Gis’s command, the subordinate’s face glowed with relief.

Soon, a ragged escapee from the Vicious Forest was brought into a guest room carpeted with thick rugs.

He swore that this was the first time in his life he had seen such a splendid and imposing place. He knelt on the ground very carefully, worried that he would dirty the place and displease the nobleman before him.

Even after having eaten a little and regained some energy, the man began to stammer, "My... my... my lord!"

Out of boredom, Gis poured himself another glass of wine and asked with dragged interest, "So it was you... who said... you witnessed a brand new weapon?"

The escapee immediately prostrated himself on the ground, answering with a trembling voice, "Yes, my... my lord..."

"Don’t be nervous... I, and I don’t eat people, right?" Gis shook his wine glass with a slight smile.

The prostrate escapee lowered his head even further, replying in an even more humble manner, "Yes, my lord."

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