Paulo Wooper had nothing to say, he covertly glanced over the audience, and apart from a few elder blacksmiths, there were only Colonel Berny and the colonel's adjutant—his gaze hardly lingered on Winters.
Seeing that there were no outsiders present, the solemn Mayor of Steel Fortress spoke in a subdued and defensive tone, "The order signed directly by the Upper Council can't just be revoked. I've already sent people to Forge Castle to argue against Schmid... gentlemen, the most pressing issue now is the election. Only if I remain as the Mayor of Steel Fortress will I have the authority to continue negotiating with the Grand Council to protect the interests of Steel Fortress."
"So, gentlemen," Paulo Wooper looked hopefully at the elder blacksmiths, "can I count on your support?"
The elder blacksmiths looked towards Schmid simultaneously.
