Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 235 Determination
The dervordan will come sooner or later.

Conversely, Winters was also waiting for them.

Outside the town, Winters met Captain Epper, who had been stopped by the sentries.

“You’re just going to leave me standing here doing nothing?” Epel, accompanied only by one guard, saw Winters in the distance and laughed loudly, “This is no way to treat a guest!”

Eppel was not Winters' direct predecessor, but he had helped Winters a great deal with his service in Dussac.

When Winters last visited the garrison in Gevordan, Éper also gave him a warm welcome.

When Winters saw Epper, a smile appeared on his face: "I'm sorry, Captain. There's construction going on inside, and it's dusty, so it's not convenient to entertain guests."

“What’s there to apologize for?” Epel laughed heartily. “Aren’t you a captain too?”

After speaking, Épert took a silk package from the guard's saddlebag.

He slowly opened the package in front of Winters; inside was a captain's uniform.

Eppel explained gently, “I didn’t know your exact size, but I figured Asco was about the same size as you, so I made this uniform based on his clothes. The tailor was the best in Gévord, and the fabric is top-notch.”

"Thank you." Winters did not reach out to take it.

Epel looked at her junior carefully, somewhat wistfully saying, "At this time last year, you were about the same size as Asco. Looking at you this year, this outfit is a bit too big. If it doesn't fit properly, you can alter it yourself."

Winters sighed, took the uniform with both hands, and slowly asked, "I want to know... who gave me this uniform?"

“The Republic of Palatour,” Epel said with a smile.

"Which republic?" Winters responded with a warm smile, "The first? The second? The third? Or General Adams's republic?"

……

The faction of the Kingsburg reorganized the Grand Council and announced the resolution to reorganize the [First Republic] into the [New Republic], which caused a great uproar in Palatine and even the Alliance.

The Blue Blood Faction, which was facing off against the Kings' Fortress across the river, immediately responded fiercely.

Amidst the roar of gunfire, the Provisional Military Government of the Republic of Palatour was officially established in Hongchuan, the capital of Jiangbei Province.

Arpad Duyom was appointed Marshal Paratu, in charge of all matters, large and small.

The officers and blue-blooded members of parliament who followed Arpad became high-ranking officials in the military government.

The military government declared that the establishment of the [Pseudo-Republic] violated the Charter of the Alliance, and Palatine immediately entered a state of war, with the Pseudo-Republic being the enemy.

"Under the protection of the Lord and the justice of the world, the Provisional Military Government will not rest until the pseudo-republic is eradicated and the corruption of Palatine is swept away."

The Second Republic didn't react much to this, because they had already defined the "Alpad gang" as [traitors].

On the land of the old Republic of Palatine, two sets of leadership, two governments, and two countries suddenly emerged.

The situation is changing so rapidly that it's overwhelming.

Fortunately, the Republic of Paratu is vast; even if it were divided in two, it would still be larger than the combined area of ​​the United Provinces and Veneta.

In order to distinguish between the "two countries", people privately referred to the Zhuwangbao government as the "Second Republic" and the Hongchuan military government as the "Third Republic".

Of course, whether it's the Fort of Kings or Hongchuan, the full name they inscribed on their crowns is still "[People's Republic of Palatine]", excluding adjectives like "second" or "third".

Because the Second Republic claimed that it had inherited the legal system of the First Republic.

The Third Republic, on the other hand, claimed that it had always been the First Republic.

In May and June, the two sides fought a series of battles in the heart of Palatine, with each side winning and losing.

Ultimately, the two armies, exhausted and worn out, vaguely formed a standoff across the river.

However, thanks to the continuous replenishment of troops and supplies, the Second Republic has firmly suppressed the enemy.

In July, on a bloody night at Kingsburg, General Sackler died.

The Grand Chancellor of Kingsburg, Grove, was gradually stripping Sackler of his military power, but in the blink of an eye, the pillar of the kingdom collapsed.

Seeing an opportunity, Alpard launched a series of counterattacks, routing Major General Roland, the frontline commander personally appointed by Grove.

The Second Republic's army north of the Jinliu River was wiped out, and countless corpses floated down the river, even into the moat of the Fortress of Kings.

However, Alpard ultimately failed to break through the Jinliu River, and the stalemate across the river not only remained unbroken but gradually stabilized.

These all happened before September.

While the two armies were fighting a bloodbath, Winters, who had triggered a new round of war, was completely unaware of it.

During that period, all he could think about was, "What will I eat tomorrow? What will I eat the day after tomorrow? What will I eat the day after that?"

It wasn't until Father Carmen brought back news of the remnants of the Montagne Battalion in Gévodan that Winters rushed to the county capital to reunite with his comrades and learned what had happened outside since he fled Kingsburg.

……

Now, Winters Montagne, a key figure in the Blood Night at Kingsburg, asked Eppel with a smile, "Which republic? The first? The second? The third? Or General Adams's republic?"

“There is only one Republic of Palatour.” Epel did not give a direct answer.

He brushed a small speck of dust off his uniform, but the dust still left a small white mark on the fabric: "Don't worry about it, just consider it a gift from Major Ronald."

"Major Ronald, how is he?"

“He’s fine,” Eppel laughed. “He’s just not in a good mood.”

After laughing, Captain Eppel gradually became serious. He stared into Winters' eyes and asked, "Are Andrea Cellini, Richard Mason, and Bud all with you?"

“Yes,” Winters readily admitted.

"Have them come out for a moment, I want to meet with them."

Winters nodded.

The sentry beside him turned and ran towards the military camp to call for reinforcements.

Is Ascoli still alive?

Lieutenant Asco, an officer from the Gevodan group who had come with Bud and Mason to "suppress bandits," also disappeared without a trace.

“Chief Aske is fine and uninjured,” Winters answered honestly. “He’s been learning to weave sandals lately.”

“It’s good that he’s alive.” Epel let out a long sigh of relief. “He just got married four months ago. I was scared the whole way here, scared of how I would face Asco’s new wife. It’s good that he’s alive.”

"rest assured."

Epel abruptly changed the subject, her brow furrowing involuntarily: "Were the collection teams sent south of Zhevodan all raided by you?"

"Yes," Winters said without trying to hide it.

Epel chuckled, a hint of satisfaction in his expression: "I knew it. Bandits wouldn't have such skills. It must have been done by one of our own. I suspected it was you, but everyone said you were dead, and some even claimed to have seen your body, so I dismissed the idea."

"Many people died; I just survived by sheer luck."

“You know what?” Epel put her hand on Winters’ shoulder and said emotionally, “When we realized it was you, I, Major Ronald, and all your seniors, were not angry at all. We were genuinely happy because you were still alive.”

Winters also fell silent, lowering his head to look at the tips of Epper's boots.

Epel asked with a wry smile, "But I'm a little curious. You're the resident official of Wolf Village. It's one thing for you to intercept the tax collection teams coming to Wolf Village, but why do you have to interfere with the tax collection teams going to Blackwater Town, Five Mastiff Town, Little Stone Town, and Oxhoof Valley?"

“I… the people of the five towns asked me to be their protector.” Winters’ face flushed slightly.

Epel was stunned at first, then burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

Suddenly, his smile vanished, and his brow furrowed. "Guardian? Are you the Earl of Wolf Town? You're an officer, a defender of the republic who received ten years of enlightenment education! Guardian? Do you intend to carve out your own territory in the republic! To dominate a region! To become a noble lord?!"

“No, I don’t want to.” Winters looked directly into Epper’s eyes.

"Then what do you want to do?"

Winters didn't answer, but instead asked, "Then what are you doing here?"

“I’ve brought you your transfer order!” Eppel produced four sealed orders: “Captain Montagne, you may return to Veneta.”

He then carefully took out a wooden box containing an olive leaf gold cross medal.

Eppel looked somewhat reluctant: "We've wronged you, and we're very grateful to you. But now, all we can do is ask you to go home. Go back to Veneta, Winters, take this uniform and this medal with you."

Don't worry about your military status; it will be transferred to you page by page. Your war merits will also be recorded truthfully, and no one has the right to gossip about you. Cellini, Mason, and Bud's transfer orders are here; they can leave if they want. Go... go then.

Winters did not accept the transfer order, but instead took the wooden box.

He took out the gold cross badge, carefully stuffed it into his pants pocket, and then casually threw away the wooden box.

"Which republic gave me the transfer order?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Captain Epel raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I am an officer of the First Republic, and I only obey the orders of the Royal Fortress Army Headquarters."

"The army headquarters is no longer in Fort Zhuwang; only the army committee remains."

“Well, that’s not my fault.” Winters smiled broadly.

Epper simply asked directly, "You don't want to leave?"

"Don't go."

“Alright, then come to Ghevodan.” Epel tore the four transfer orders to shreds. “If you don’t want to leave, we’re happy to have you. Major Ronald needs a deputy with extensive combat experience.”

"Does Ghevorden intend to continue its extortionate and tyrannical practices?" Winters retorted.

“It’s not that Gervodan wants to, nor does Major Ronald want to,” Epel explained bitterly. “General Adams gave a direct order that the supplies we collect must also be sent to Maplestone.”

Winters shrugged: "Then I don't want to go to Gervodan either."

“Then what do you want to do?” Epel glared and roared.

"Farming." Winters was not intimidated by his senior's imposing manner. He sighed and said, "Get everyone something to eat."

Epel stood there motionless for a while.

He suddenly grabbed Winters' shoulders, his voice cracking from speaking so fast: "You fool, do you know what you're doing? You only have one small town, and you're fighting against Ghevordan, the New Reclamation, the entire New Reclamation Legion, even the entire Palatul! They can finish you off with a flick of their fingers! We're saving you! Don't be silly, go home! You're a Venetian, you don't need to shed blood for Palatul!"

“You’re mistaken, senior.” Winters was incredibly pleased: “I’m a legitimate Platut officer, and my military rank is still with Platut!”

Eppel released his grip and took a few steps back, knowing he could no longer persuade the young man before him. He thought the young man was too foolish, too naive, and too impulsive.

But he couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.

Badr, Andrei, and Mason rushed over from the military camp.

Epel glanced at the three people who had arrived later and calmly asked, "You're going to follow him, right?"

“That’s right!” Andrei answered loudly, “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time!”

“Alright.” Epel nodded, then asked, “Can I take Asco with me?”

“Sorry, senior, no way.” Winters replied somewhat awkwardly, “Senior Aske wants to drink and eat meat. He originally owed only 1,500 work hours, but now he owes 2,000.”

"Alright, I'm off." Without another word, Epel nodded to the group, mounted his horse, and galloped away.

Winters watched Epel until his senior disappeared behind the hillside: "Let's go."

"Why did they even send you a set of clothes?" Andrei touched the captain's uniform and casually commented, "The material is nice."

……

Epel didn't go far; after cycling about two kilometers, he stopped.

He and his guards removed the bits from their warhorses and took two sacks of grain from the saddlebags, seemingly to let the horses rest.

Before long, several people dressed as farmers, wearing linen clothes, wide-legged trousers and straw sandals, came out of the woods.

Upon seeing Captain Epel, the "farmers" all raised their hands in salute.

They were not farmers; they were spies and agents of Zhevodan.

“How is it?” Epel asked.

The lead scout replied, "The villages in Wolf Town are all normal; we didn't find any soldiers staying at farmers' homes. However, a large military camp has been built in the town center. It's huge, almost half the size of the town. And the checks are very strict; we couldn't sneak in."

“I saw the military camp too,” Epel said with a smile and a shake of his head. “But I didn’t get a chance to go inside. My junior is quite meticulous.”

"That?"

Captain Epel put the bridle back on the warhorse: "You wait here."

Epel and her guards set off again, heading straight for the Blackwater River crossing.

The horse only stopped once during the 20-plus kilometer journey.

When they arrived at their destination—the forest on the north bank of the Blackwater River—the warhorses were so exhausted that they were foaming at the mouth and their sides were drenched in sweat, as if they had just been pulled out of the water.

A hunter-like man was waiting for Captain Epper. Upon seeing the captain return, he immediately led the captain deeper into the woods.

Deep in the woods, Major Ronald was waiting for Epel.

"How is it?" Major Ronald asked.

Epel shook his head with a wry smile.

Ronald sighed heavily. "That's it then! That's it! Get everyone together and make sure they've had enough rest."

The soldiers' shouts echoed through the woods, along with the sound of knocking on tree trunks, as if to wake those who were asleep.

The canopy formed by the tree branches descended, and a dark mass of people stood up.

Winters, Ronald... they all had received the same military training and knew each other very well.

The complete defeat of Cellini's 100-man squad could still be an accident.

But if Major Ronald still doesn't understand what happened after Bud and Mason's troops were also "completely wiped out," then he's a complete idiot.

Winters' actions were so obvious and brazen that it was impossible for Gévordan not to notice.

So Major Ronald came, bringing with him two battalions.

Ronald gave Winters one last chance to escape unscathed, but he didn't accept.

Therefore, only one option remains for Gervadan—violence.

Ronald was determined to crush the rebellion with lightning speed.

"Let's move out now! Quickly! Don't give them time to react!" Major Ronald summoned all the officers: "They didn't stay at the farm; all the rebels are stationed in the barracks in the town center. That's good; we can wipe them out in one fell swoop."

The forest was quiet, and the centurions remained silent.

"What we are facing is not bandits or outlaws, but an organized and disciplined army. The commander of this army has received the same training as us, and in terms of combat experience, he is even more experienced than you and me. This is not a bandit suppression campaign, this is a civil war! We are fighting among ourselves, so we must not be careless."

The centurions' eyes dimmed.

The banks of the Jinliu River—the heart of Plato—have become battlefields, but the flames of war have yet to reach the newly reclaimed lands.

And they are about to fire the first shot in the civil war in the newly reclaimed lands.

“Our soldiers are poorly trained and demoralized.” Major Ronald scanned his subordinates. “But there are two pieces of good news: their soldiers are equally poorly trained and demoralized, while we have overwhelming numerical superiority!”

This is a full-force attack from Gervodan, and it must be a clean, decisive, and fatal blow.

"Intelligence indicates that Winters Montagne is an extremely powerful spellcaster." Major Ronald deployed standard anti-magic forces accordingly: "Don't give him a chance to engage in melee combat. Spot him, immediately sound the alarm! Captain Eppel!"

"Yes!"

"My best musketeers are all in your hands. Don't fire a single shot until you see Winters Montagne." Major Ronald's eyes were cold and stern. "There's no camaraderie now, only life and death!"

Captain Epper nodded emphatically: "Yes, sir!"

Major Ronald took one last look at his centurions. This time, who would return?

"Let's go!" he waved his hand.

……

At dawn, two battalions of Ghevordan launched their attack.

At dawn, the wolf was quiet, like a wolf coiled in its den, fast asleep.

New recruits, on their first battlefield experience, charged toward the town center from all directions, shouting as they were led by their officers.

The soldiers of Zhevodan charged out of the forests surrounding the town, one battalion heading straight for the town center, while another battalion flanked the town from the north along the river outside the town.

500 meters, 300 meters, 100 meters...

The wooden walls of the military camp were already clearly visible.

But Wolf Town remained eerily quiet, even strangely so.

One of the recruits suddenly stopped, and the other recruits also stopped in fright. They stood on the outskirts of Wolf Town, at a loss.

The centurion lashed down with his grapevine whip: "Charge! Kill! What are you standing there for!"

The recruits started running towards Wolf Town again, but this time, they dared not run as fast as before.

"Major!" Captain Eppel gasped as he found Major Ronald. "Nobody's here!"

"What?" Ronald jumped up in surprise.

"There's not a soul in the military camp! There's not a soul in the town either. There were definitely people here when I came this morning!"

Ronald was first surprised, then confused, and finally enraged.

He slammed his fist into the tree, sending dead leaves and fruit falling like rain.

"Damn it!" Ronald cursed. "It's all messed up!"

……

Winters, Ronald... they all received the same training and understood each other's tactical thinking.

Ronald understands Winters, and Winters understands Ronald.

But Ronald miscalculated one thing—all the officers in the Gevordan command miscalculated.

To them, it was crazy enough to fight against an entire prefecture with just one town.

But they ultimately underestimated Winters Montagne's madness, audacity, and determination!

Meanwhile, at the gates of Ghevordan.

"Hey! Open the door!" a soldier pounded on the door. "I'm back!"

A head, still half-asleep, poked out from the gatehouse and mumbled, "Who the hell are you?"

The city of Zhevodan originally had no walls or fortifications; the current earthen walls, wooden walls, and moats were hastily constructed a few months ago.

"I am Ish from Ganshui Town! Sergeant Ish?" the soldier outside announced. "Open the door for me!"

"Ish?" the person on the gatehouse muttered the name, then asked in confusion, "Weren't you dead?"

"Who the hell said I'm dead?"

"Oh... so you're not dead. We can't open the door now. Wait until dawn and then you can come in."

The soldier outside roared in fury, "Bullshit! Open the door right now! I barely escaped back here, I'm starving!"

"Sigh, then wait a moment." The soldier on the gatehouse said reluctantly, "Now we need the officer's permission to open the gate. I'll go find Lieutenant Elek and have him open the gate for you..."

Before the words were finished, the soldier on the gate tower suddenly trembled.

A steel nail pierced his skull, causing him to first lean backward, then slowly fall forward, and finally crash off the city wall.

Lieutenant Colonel Moritz and Lieutenant Juan emerged from the darkness, followed by a cacophony of footsteps, suggesting the presence of countless others.

"Why the hell are you talking to him?" Don Juan's temper was unusually volatile.

Ish from Ganshui Town nodded sheepishly.

"Come on! Bring these things over!" Don Juan roared, "Blow this damn door up!"

[Gevadan didn't come looking for Winters, but Winters went to find Gevadan. Ronald truly hadn't expected Winters Montagne to be so audacious, so...reckless. Since ancient times, it's always been officials suppressing bandits, bandits suppressing officials... then he wouldn't be a "bandit."]
[Background Notes: The New Reclamation Province comprises seven counties, with Maplestone City as its capital. The New Reclamation Legion, which controls the New Reclamation, is commanded by Kevin J. Adams, the same person who issued the conscription order to Winters when the Wolf Town militia was recruited. Iron Peak County, located at the southwesternmost tip of the province, has its capital in Revodan. Revodan comprises 17 towns, with Wolf Town, where Winters resides, being the smallest and poorest, practically on the edge of the world.]
The original text quotes: "[This order was issued by Major General Kevin J. Adams, Commander of the New Reclamation Legion and recipient of the Order of the Violet, in accordance with the glorious and inviolable Toold Agreement. The town of Wolftown, under the jurisdiction of the Consortium, is obligated to provide militia as auxiliary forces when needed by the New Reclamation Legion.]"
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)