Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The minor disturbance had rendered the atmosphere within the household somewhat somber, the eaves no longer echoed with joy and laughter. The several servants in the house also keenly sensed the shift in mood, with even Marita showing extra caution.

After dinner, as night fell, Antonio led Winters into the study, claiming there was something he needed to give him.

Winters had thought that Antonio was simply making an excuse to call him over and avoid Vineta, but Antonio did indeed find a box and, after opening three nested wooden cases, handed a sheathed sword to Winters.

"This sword of yours is too..." Winters racked his brain for a long time, but couldn't come up with a complimentary adjective, "...tacky, isn't it?"

The design of the sword was that of a typical single-handed ceremonial sword, somewhat resembling the Swift Sword, but it was shorter and lighter. However, the emphasis of this sword was not on its blade, but on its hilt and scabbard.

A ceremonial sword naturally seeks opulence due to its decorative purpose, but there are different levels of opulence. Major Moritz's ceremonial sword was opulent with taste, while the one in Winters' hands was a prime example of tasteless opulence.

All the metal on the sword, aside from the steel of the blade itself, was gold. Not only was the entire handguard made of gold, but even the sheath was encased in gold.

The sheath and the end of the hilt were also inlaid with gems that Winters did not recognize, but since they could be set in gold, their value was definitely higher than that of the gold.

The whole sword blatantly proclaimed an aesthetic typical of the nouveau riche, with the sheath costing more than the blade itself, a perfect embodiment of lavish material stacking, reaching the pinnacle of buying the casket rather than the pearl.

"Tacky? It's the fashion of the times," Antonio blushed, "A ceremonial sword is meant to be extravagant. When I was young, everyone competed to wear their entire fortune on them. If you went out with a plain sword, you'd be laughed at. Do you think it's different now? Keep it safe, this sword is yours now."

Winters imagined himself wearing the sword and couldn't help but get goosebumps.

He quickly placed the sword back on the table and refused, "Wearing this golden sword would be too shameful; it would be like declaring to everyone, 'I'm all for show'. I'd rather simply wear a bar of gold around my waist. If you're embarrassed to wear this sword, how could I possibly have the nerve to wear it out?"

"Be politely spoken," Antonio knocked Winters on the head, "This was your father's ceremonial sword; he gifted it to me, and today I am passing it on to you. It's an inheritance, take care of it."

"That only proves that both of you had questionable taste," Winters commented as he drew the sword and tested the flexibility of the blade, which snapped back into shape after being bent into a large arc, still perfectly straight, "The blade itself is quite good, though."

"Of course, it's made from the finest steel," Antonio affirmed.

Interactions between men rarely involved emotional exchanges, even between father and son. However, affected by Elizabeth's sentiments, Winters also became somewhat emotional.

He carefully put away the ceremonial sword, lowered his head, and for the first time expressed his true feelings, "Actually, I don't care who my biological parents are, I don't know them, and they have never seen me. To me, Vineta is my mother, and you are my father, and I will serve and protect Ella like a son."

Antonio, too, was moved, and embracing Winters' shoulders, he spoke softly, "What are you talking about, you fool? The fact that you have grown up is already enough for Vineta and me. Of course, you are Vineta's and my child. You always have been, and you always will be."

A knock on the door interrupted the rare moment of warmth between the two men.

"Sir, a carriage has stopped outside the door, and the person inside asks for you, but refuses to reveal his identity," the voice of Marita came through the study door.

"He is the guest I was expecting, please let him in through the back door, straight to the study," Antonio replied loudly.

Marita responded and walked away.

"A guest? Then I'll excuse myself," Winters said.

"You should make your excuses but also eavesdrop," Antonio replied as he opened a secret door in the corner of the study, "The visitor would surely expect you to leave, but I want you to listen to what he has to say."

Behind the secret door was a spiral staircase leading directly to the upstairs master bedroom, a "secret passage" known to the entire household. But the door was so well-made that its edges were hidden in the wall's contour lines, with no visible door seam in sight.

Winters got the hint and slipped behind the door, peering through an observation hole hidden in the shelves at the study.

Two figures clad in black cloaks, a master and a servant, entered Antonio's study under Marita's guidance, the servant carrying a finely crafted wooden box.

Only when the room was left with the three of them did the cloaked person remove his hood, revealing his identity to the person he brought with him.

Seeing the face beneath the hood, Winters behind the secret door almost cried out in surprise. Winters not only recognized who it was, but there was no way he could be mistaken, for this person had left a very deep impression on Winters.

Luxurious warships, elite loyalist troops, and the legendary Eagle Knights... Days ago, at Haidong Port, which had not yet been burned to ashes, Winters and Andre had waited for hours to welcome this person.

Earl Narzia—the head of Chancery and plenipotentiary envoy for traitor Henry III—had secretly arrived at the residence of Vineta Army Major General Serviati.