Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 355: Chapter 28: Regulatory Arbitrage_2

Winters was completely unaware that such an incident had occurred eight years ago, but since there was already a similar precedent, that was certainly for the best.

After much consideration, Major Ronald reluctantly said to Winters and Gerard, “This conscription will proceed as you wish, but whether future conscriptions can still be done this way… I’ll have to consult with the legion headquarters.”

All archival materials of the Dusacks in the county were managed by the garrison, and Major Ronald, as the highest military commander of Iron Peak County, had a considerable degree of autonomy.

He nodded, and with that, the matter was settled.

For a moment, Winters was also very excited, after all, he had never thought about the future, and everyone, including himself, believed that Winters Montagne would not stay in Paratu for long.

As Major Ronald was seeing Winters and Gerard out, he sighed unintentionally, “A son is not a creditor of his parents, but he can suck their blood even more than a creditor.”

“Hmm? Did the Major agree just to save Mr. Michel’s face?” Winters thought to himself.

He looked at Gerard, only to find that the old Dusack’s face was ashen and he was silent.

“Senior, thank you for lending a hand today.”

Stepping out of the garrison’s gate, Winters sincerely thanked Captain Apel. If it weren’t for the captain citing the precedent, they would not have been able to convince Major Ronald so easily.

To his surprise, Captain Apel merely replied indifferently, “I was not helping you, I was just stating facts. But if you ask me, it was really Mr. Michel’s influence that was more effective.”

After this, the captain greeted the two men and turned back to the garrison building.

Outside the garrison walls, only Winters and Gerard were left, along with two horses.

“Lieutenant, do you want the kids to join the militia now to idle away their time, so they serve less when they are of age?” the moment the captain left, Gerard asked impatiently.

Winters noticed the old Dusack’s unusual upset, “It’s not idling away time, serving in the militia auxiliary force is just as legally valid as any other service.”

“I disagree! This is exploiting a loophole! It is opportunism! It is stealing!” Gerard, for the first time since they met, shouted at Winters, “Dusacks are the kind of men who would rob but never steal! When it’s their turn to serve, they should do so honestly, and if they don’t want to serve, well, they might as well rebel! They should never engage in these sneaky tricks! We took a blood oath with the old marshal!”

Normally cheerful, Gerard suddenly erupted with emotion, and Winters did not know how to respond, “Please be assured, all of this is legally sound.”

“But what about conscience? Our blood oath? God is watching from the clouds!” As he spoke, the old Dusack’s energy deflated, and he muttered to himself, “Nobody wants to send their boy to the battlefield, who am I to tell others how to manage their children? Ah, you young people… do as you please…”

“I apologize for taking the initiative without consulting you in advance.” Winters was moved by the old Dusack’s emotions, “If you feel this is not right, we can pretend this never happened, and I won’t mention it to anyone else.”

“Child, I know you meant well.” Gerard grasped Winters’s hand, using the term “son” for the first time, “I will tell the other Dusacks when I get back, they should be very pleased. Ah, you young people… do as you please.”

Gerard, exhausted, mounted his horse and left without a word.

Winters did not expect that what seemed like a good deed would upset the old Dusack so much; he stood in place for a long time before leaping onto his horse to catch up from behind.

…

…

The goods from Wolf Town’s estates were successfully delivered in Revodan.

The year’s crops were good, which could be described as favorable weather, so there were no breaches of contract.

Beyond the produce pre-contracted by several large trading companies, Wolf Town’s estates had an additional surplus of crops. These were also brought over and, after some bargaining, purchased by the trading companies.

Produce like beets would be crudely processed right in Revodan, while the transport from Revodan to the provincial capital and other distant cities was the responsibility of the trading companies’ caravans.

The harvest season thus came to a complete end, leaving the estate managers with a substantial amount of cash in hand.

A portion of it was used to procure essential items for the next year’s production in Revodan, such as coal, iron farming tools, timber, etc.

Another portion needed to be paid to the employees, though the workers’ wages were mainly in the form of grain rather than Gold Coin or silver coin.

The landowners would take the money back and buy grain from the Dusans, who never lacked land or had an excess cereal production; this would be the most cost-effective approach.

Of course, as compensation for the hard work during the harvest season, each employee also received a bonus—although the amount varied, depending on the employer’s generosity.

Some ambitious estate managers immediately set out for the garrison, eager to fence in more land before others.

Take the Bunting family, for example. The Bunting couple raised five sons and two daughters—an almost miraculous achievement in those times.

Considering future subdivisions among their sons and dowries for their daughters, they too were desperately longing for more land.

The profits were thus poured back into acquiring more land in a never-ending cycle, with no sign of a finish line.

From Winters’s perspective, most estate managers immediately converted their money into consumer goods: fine wines, pure white sugar, beautiful furniture, tightly woven striped cotton cloth… a myriad of nice things, which need not be listed one by one.

Gold Coin and silver coin slipped through their fingers like fine sand, exchanged for material joys.

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