Chapter 1635 - 104: Fox and Rat Game (14)

Chapter 1635: Chapter 104: Fox and Rat Game (14)

The church bells rang at dawn and never stopped again, starting with the bell of the Maplestone City Cathedral, followed by the city hall, the great council hall, and various small churches in the city, and finally the camp outside the city.

Inside and outside the city walls, the bells echoed each other. The merging bell sounds were like rolling thunder, rumbling through the streets and alleys, stirring everyone’s heart uneasily.

The gates of Maplestone City were tightly closed, and no one could enter or exit, except those with military passes.

Even those who did not know the specifics could see the blazing fire on the East Bank last night.

Connected merchants, representatives, and envoys were trying every possible way to gather information, but the city had been in lockdown since last night, and the people they sent out were arrested by patrolling gendarme cavalry.

Ordinary citizens without connections could only shut their windows, barricade their doors, and pray that the wrath of the new master of the Newly Reclaimed Land would not be vented upon them.

Everyone knew a storm was coming.

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Maplestone City Cathedral, every off-duty junior officer of the New Army received urgent orders to assemble here, and nearly a hundred people had already gathered in the nave, with more on their way.

The throng huddled around the altar, yet did not pray.

The air was thick with anxiety and confusion, even the holy icons seemed dim and lifeless.

The young junior officers kept loosening their collars, adjusting their balance, and changing the position of their swords. They exchanged glances with familiar comrades but found no answers.

Some had already heard something had happened in the warehouse, while others only knew there was a fire last night, but regardless of the details, they all urgently needed explanations.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Moritz decided not to wait any longer. He stepped onto the altar, standing where the archbishop normally preached to the lambs of the Newly Reclaimed Land on Sundays, facing unfamiliar junior officers.

In the audience, Roson immediately shouted an order, "Attention, salute!"

The junior officers instinctively clicked their boots together, raising their hands in salute to the officer’s uniform on stage, some bewildered, others naturally.

Moritz returned a simple salute.

"At ease," he commanded.

His voice was not loud, yet thanks to the excellent acoustics of the Maplestone City Cathedral, it clearly conveyed the command to every ear.

The junior officers shifted to an at-ease stance, awaiting instructions.

"I am Moritz van Nassau, Officer of the Vineta Army, Alliance Army Major," Moritz completed his introduction in just one sentence.

Roson couldn’t help but furrow his brow because Moritz deliberately emphasized "Alliance Army Major," as if reminding those below the altar he was the real major appointed by the Alliance, not the self-designated ranks you all bear.

Moritz paused for a moment, waiting for the junior officers to understand his irony before continuing, "Many of you don’t know me, and I don’t know you, but that’s not important, you’re not here for a gathering.

"You only need to know three things:

"Firstly, I am now the highest-ranking officer within Maplestone City;

"Secondly, I have been authorized to command all troops in the Maplestone City District;

"Thirdly, I am an expert in catching rats."

As Roson listened, his brow tightened further.

"This isn’t right," Roson thought.

Strictly speaking, Major Moritz is indeed the highest-ranking officer within Maplestone City at the moment. Judging by his performance, he is also indeed an expert in anti-espionage.

But he has no authorization to command all troops in the Maplestone City District, and the military council cannot give such power to a Vineta Army officer.

Stranger still was Moritz’s unusually aggressive demeanor; it was the first time Roson had seen the previously taciturn and reserved Major Moritz van Nassau display such an overbearing, aggressive manner.

The junior officers below the altar looked at Roson, mostly those from Iron Peak County didn’t know the man on stage labelled "Alliance Army Major," but they knew Roson Jura.

Regarding what the person onstage said, they were skeptical, hardly believed him at all, but they trusted Roson Jura.

There must be a reason behind anomalies, and Roson hesitated for a long time before deciding not to correct Moritz’s speech, so in face of the crowd’s inquiring eyes, he remained expressionless and silent, inadvertently supporting Moritz’s words.

On the altar, Moritz patiently waited for the junior officers seeking validation, and when most eyes had shifted from "inquiring" and "suspicious" to "resentful" and "uncertain," he spoke again.

Moritz gestured, and four service soldiers worked together to carry a heavy map rack onto the altar, displaying a military map of Maplestone City. The area within the city walls had been meticulously divided into hundreds of small plots, marked with numbers.

Pointing to the map, Moritz said:

"At eleven last night, in the northeast corner of the city, a military supply warehouse caught fire. As of six today, the remaining fires were extinguished, but all stored clothing and fabric within the warehouse were completely burned.

"The specific losses are still being calculated—but you’re not here to find out how much was burned."

Moritz surveyed the crowd, his expression somber, gaze sharp as each word struck like a sledgehammer, shaking their chest cavities:

"It has now been confirmed that the fire was caused by sabotage!

"The arsonists attacked the guards, damaged fire-fighting facilities, then set multiple fires simultaneously from the upwind position, causing the fire to spread so quickly and fiercely."

The faces of the junior officers below changed all at once; they didn’t have time to feel angry, only shocked.