Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 237 Freshmen
Most of the farmers in Wolf Town hide in the nearby forest.

Everyone was already very familiar with this process, because when the conscription teams came one after another in the past, the farmers would just go into the old forest.

Many farmers also dug hidden cellars in the forest to store grain.

As for Winters, he knew very well that he was the number one target, so he stayed even further away.

He crossed the Dajiao River and ran into the no-man's-land.

The wilderness was vast, and he had no shortage of horses. Even if Ronald knew where he was, he wouldn't be able to catch up with him.

"So this is what rebellion is?" the little lion asked curiously. "Why are you always being chased wherever you go?"

The two sat side by side on the hillside, where the view was best within a five-kilometer radius, leaving no place for anyone who tried to approach to hide.

"It's my first time, after all, so I'm not very skilled yet." Winters chuckled and countered, "You said you're registered as a commoner, could you explain that to me in detail?"

The little lion handed Winters a stalk of sweet grass: "It was Reid [De Xuechan] who taught him this. It's probably about weaving the heads of the people together like weaving a basket. I don't really understand it either, but even if I did, I wouldn't want to tell you."

"You people from the Chihe tribe?"

"No, my brother quelled the rebellion of the Zhuerqin tribe and captured all the Zhuerqin people, so we started by recruiting the Zhuerqin people."

Winters chewed on a stalk of sweet grass, pondering the meaning of "weaving the people together like baskets."

When the other party first mentioned the term "[registered households]", he sensed a hint of danger.

The little lion chewed on a stalk of sweet grass and sighed, "It's so much easier to rebel on the grasslands. Just gather your men and head straight for the enemy's lair. If you win, you win; if you lose, you run away. It's quick, clean, and efficient."

Winters laughed.

"Don't laugh, that's how it is. Grassland society is loose; whoever is strong, everyone follows. It's the same in war. Whenever there's a battle, the tribes gather together and elect a leader as commander. If the leader dies in battle or is defeated, the army will immediately collapse."

"What if we win?"

"It will still crumble," the little lion chuckled softly. "But everyone will be in a better mood."

Winters laughed heartily, even alerting Bard and the quiverman who were on guard on the other side of the hill.

After laughing, Winters said seriously to the little lion, "Since you told me about things on the wasteland, I'll tell you something about things outside the wasteland. I'm going to teach you how to do business."

"What do you mean?" The little lion frowned slightly.

Do you know what's most important in doing business?

The little lion simply replied, "I don't know."

Winters' eyes gleamed: "Capital."

The little lion looked towards Wolf Town: "But you've already lost all your capital."

“Yes, Ronald ruined my capital.” Winters also looked in the direction of Wolf Town, then changed the subject: “But if everything had gone smoothly, Ronald’s capital should have already been taken back by me.”

"I was wondering why you don't have a single soldier here." The little lion smiled. "I was actually thinking of advising you to come find me sooner rather than later, so you won't be chasing after me everywhere. Since you have the capital, are you planning to do business with my brother?"

"Yes."

“Alright.” The little lion brushed the dust off his hands and pulled out a rope. “We can talk about the price of a prisoner.”

“I won’t use this capital to ransom prisoners; I’m going to use it to do bigger business.” Winters smiled. “So, I actually want to buy on credit.”

The little lion was speechless, his Adam's apple bobbing: "This..."

Andrei shouted, interrupting the little lion: "South! Someone is coming this way!"

Winters and the lion cub leaped up and ran towards the warhorse.

"They actually came looking for us." Andrei was exasperated. "Isn't Ronald tired? Why isn't he going back to Zhevodan? What is he dawdling around here for? Can't you save everyone some energy?"

“If it were you, you would have arrived even faster than him,” Bard said as he saddled the horse.

Bader's original yellow horse is gone, and Andrei's precious black horse is gone too. Now, the two of them ride the Herd horse, which was given to them by Little Lion.

The people resting on the hillside were all saddled in the blink of an eye: Winters, Bard, Andrei, and two Dusaks, as well as the lion cub and his six guards.

In addition to their main horse, each person also had three chariot horses tied to their saddle.

Even if Ronald had two more legs, he still couldn't catch up.

"I have another gift, which I was planning to give you when I left," the little lion said with a smile. "I'll take it out for you now."

He whistled.

A quiver soldier took a roll of cloth—no, a flag—from his saddlebag.

"Could it be?" Andrei's eyes widened suddenly.

Winters wouldn't be unaware of what this is.

“That’s right, that’s it.” The little lion laughed, “It’s the flag you were wrapped up in when I found you. My brother asked me to bring it to you.”

Winters took the flags of the former Jessica Battalion and the later Montagne Battalion and put them in his pocket.

"Let's go!" he said, gently tugging at the reins.

"Wait!" Andrei called out to the group, squinting at the newcomer. "He looks like one of ours. He looks like Heinrich!"

Winters looked closely and saw two riders galloping down the hillside.

The rider on the left was a scout he had sent to monitor Zhevodan's army, and the rider on the right was Heinrich.

Heinrich returned to Palatour with Bader, but because of the chaos of war and his inability to find his grandfather, he stayed in the army and became a military policeman under Bader.

Bud and Winters reunited, and he returned to Winters' side.

While everyone else went to fight Zhevodan, Winters left Heinrich in Wolf Town.

The eldest grandson of the renowned teacher Franz is taciturn and steady in his work.

Winters liked him very much and specially sent him and Charles to protect the women.

Upon recognizing Heinrich as the newcomer, Winters immediately raced down the hillside to meet him.

"What's wrong?" Winters asked, his face expressionless.

“It’s Miss Mitchell! The other ladies are all fine!” Heinrich said succinctly, but a rare hint of panic flashed in his eyes: “A pregnant mare had a difficult birth and was left at Mitchell Estate. Miss Mitchell sneaked back while I wasn’t looking!”

……

At the same time, in the city of Gevordan.

The battle is completely over.

All the guards were disarmed, bound, and imprisoned.

The uncollected corpses lying in the streets told the citizens that the battle at dawn was not their dream.

During the siege last night, the citizens of Theovodan heard the attacking side identify themselves as the "Newly Reclaimed Land Legion that came to quell the rebellion."

They only realized it when it was light.

What arrived was not the newly established land army, but clearly the "Blood Wolf Gang," which they had long heard of.

The actions of the "Blood Wolf Gang" were exactly like those of bandits entering the city.

One carriage after another drove into Zhevodan, as if determined not to stop until everything was emptied.

The scene in Gervodan was in complete chaos. Winters' soldiers had no uniforms and were identified by the red sashes tied around their shoulders.

Many thugs and hooligans saw an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos, so they tied red sashes around their shoulders and engaged in vandalism, looting, and arson.

The refugees outside the city also discovered the chaos in Ghevodan. They had suffered oppression, were hungry and angry, and now found an outlet for their frustration.

Large numbers of refugees poured into Revodan, and, incited by local ruffians, looted food and goods.

The Gévordne Cathedral was even attacked, with thugs from the city leading refugees from outside the city into the cathedral, and even God could not protect the safety of his sanctuary.

In the chaos, Anglu led more than twenty carriages straight to the Zhevodan garrison.

Pierre caught up from behind, shouting angrily, "Hook! Where are you going? Go to the granary, the treasury, and the armory!"

“No!” Anglu replied stubbornly. “Lieutenant Bard made it clear that he would rather forgo gold and silver than not take the entire archives of the Zhevodan garrison.”

"What good are those files! In this world, they're all just pieces of paper! Go to the granary!"

“Lieutenant Bard wants me to move the archives!” Anglu’s stubbornness kicked in.

Pierre couldn't persuade the stubborn young stable boy: "Fine, go ahead, I'll give you fifteen wagons! Not a single one more!"

The young horseman drove the carriage to the garrison's archives.

Pierre watched the chaos on the street: people with red sashes tied around their shoulders—whoever they were—smashed open doors, dragged homeowners out into the street and beat them, and ragged disaster victims joined in;

Many furtive-looking men carrying gold, silver, and porcelain vases ran into the alley and disappeared without a trace.

"Damn it!" Pierre couldn't help but curse.

"This won't do!" Pierre thought to himself, "I have to go find Lieutenant Juan!"

Just as Pierre was thinking this, a Dussac galloped up on horseback.

"Pierre Gerardnovich!" the man shouted from afar. "Mr. A and Mr. B want you to see them immediately!"

……

According to Scarlett's calculations, Bottayun's due date should be in late August.

Her calculations were incorrect, because mare mates multiple times during breeding to ensure they become pregnant.

Botayun's due date is actually in early September.

However, as of the day before yesterday—September 20th—Bottayun still showed no signs of giving birth.

During this time, Scarlett was so anxious that she couldn't sleep. She stayed by Bottayun's side night after night, never leaving his side.

Until noon yesterday, Botayun suddenly began to have contractions.

Meanwhile, Mr. Montagne sent Charles and Heinrich—everyone in Wolf Town had to hide in the forest immediately, as they had rehearsed before, because the Ghevordan gang was coming.

To ensure that secrets were not leaked, the number of people who knew about the operation plan was kept to a minimum, and even the women were the last to know.

Only the officers knew the full picture of the battle plan.

Winters had led the Wolftown residents in two evacuation drills under the pretext of guarding against bandits.

Just when things were about to get serious, Botta Cloud was in production.

Botayun lay painfully in the haystack, neighing, but the foal did not come out for a long time.

Charles and Heinrich practically used force to drag Scarlett away.

But Scarlett had inherited her father’s stubbornness completely. Before Charles and Heinrich could see her, Scarlett had slipped into the woods and run back to Mitchell’s plantation.

At this very moment, Scarlett is facing a tremendous crisis.

Two soldiers from the Gevordans stormed into Mitchell Estate, taking whatever they could find and smashing whatever they couldn't carry away.

It crashed from the first floor to the second floor, and then from the second floor back to the first floor.

A soldier burst into a room on the second floor and suddenly shouted to another man, "I've found the room of the rich man's daughter!"

Another soldier rushed over in a panic and stood frozen at the doorway.

The two stood there dumbfounded for a while, then one of the soldiers suddenly leaned onto the bed and sniffed hard.

"If I could marry the daughter of a rich man, my life would be worth it!" he shouted.

Another soldier did the same.

The two initially rubbed against the sheets and pillows, but this way of venting their desires soon became insufficient.

One of them plunged a knife into the pillow and began tearing at it frantically.

Down feathers danced in the room, like a heavy snowfall.

"Wait!" another soldier grabbed his comrade. "What's that sound?"

They heard the neighing of horses.

Following the sound, the two found the stables and trapped Scarlett inside.

Scarlett was wearing dirty pants and an old shirt, and her hair was tied up, making her look somewhat like a boy.

However, the exquisite features she inherited from her mother could not be concealed by her clothes.

The two Zhevodan soldiers were stunned.

The older one hadn't been with a woman for a very long time since he was recruited into the army.

The younger one had never been with a woman.

Scarlett grabbed a pitchfork, and though she was terrified, she didn't scream: "My father is Dussac, and my brother is Dussac too. If you dare touch me, I'll kill you all and then kill myself!"

"Even if she's not the daughter of a wealthy man, the daughter of a stable boy will do!" the older soldier shouted, and pounced on the girl like a madman.

"Help!" Scarlett screamed as she stabbed at the man who had turned into a beast.

The older soldier bumped into a pitchfork, and the sharp pitchfork pierced his lower abdomen.

"You!" he cried out in panic, "You killed me!"

"You!" he shouted angrily, "You killed me!"

"You damned little wench!" The soldier, enraged, with his pitchfork still hanging from his stomach, drew his military knife and roared as he swung it at the girl: "I'll kill you!"

Scarlett screamed and dodged away, but she never let go of the pitchfork.

The younger soldier was terrified.

The sound of horse hooves came from far away.

Two officers rushed into the stable, one after the other.

With just one glance, the two officers understood what had happened.

The younger soldier was so frightened he wet his pants: "Major... Major Ronald... Captain Epper..."

Major Ronald, his face ashen, grabbed an older soldier and kicked him hard in the jaw.

The soldier was kicked so hard he passed out.

Eppel knew exactly what he had to do. He drew his sword, killed the soldier on the ground, and then led the other soldier, who was standing there dumbfounded, out of the stable.

"Are you alright?" Ronald asked the girl kindly. Scarlett still held the pitchfork in her hand, staring at the unfamiliar officer in fear, her chest heaving.

"Why didn't you leave..." Ronald's gaze shifted to the white horse in the stable.

As an officer with a cavalry background, he quickly figured out the cause and effect: "Is it because of her?"

Ronald went into the stable and bent down to examine the white horse.

Seeing the unfamiliar officer approach Bottayun, Scarlett, on edge, screamed and stabbed at him.

Ronald reacted quickly, deflecting the pitchfork with the hilt of his sword: "Calm down! Little girl. She's having a difficult labor, and I can help you."

Upon hearing the word "difficult childbirth," Scarlett's fear was temporarily suppressed.

A wave of fear washed over her, and tears welled up in her eyes. Scarlett began to sob.

Major Ronald was at a loss with the crying little girl, and his attention quickly returned to the white horse.

"When is your due date?" Ronald asked.

“The fourth week of August,” Scarlett said, crying as she tried to wipe away her tears.

"Don't wipe them, your hands are so dirty, you'll get an eye infection!" Ronald said helplessly, taking out a handkerchief and handing it to the girl.

He knelt on the ground to examine the cervix: "The foal is too big, and its position seems wrong. The mare can't give birth... Is this her first foal?"

"I...I don't know..."

Ronald rolled up his sleeves: "We need to get the pony out! You, go get me two thick ropes! Thick ones, the thicker the better!"

Then came the sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar.

A short while later, a man walked into the stable.

Hearing footsteps, Ronald looked up happily: "Eppel, you've come at the right time, come and help..."

His smile froze on his face, for the face of Winters Montagne was right in front of him.

“What about Epel?” Ronald asked.

“He’s unconscious, but not dead,” Winters replied.

Scarlett burst into tears and threw herself into Winters' arms.

"You...and her...you guys?" Major Ronald was speechless.

Winters gently patted Scarlett's back and asked, "What's wrong with Bottayun?"

"Difficult labor. When did her contractions start?"

“Yesterday evening,” Scarlett replied, wiping away her tears.

"That foal is probably not going to make it; it's breech. If we act now, we can still save the mare."

“I’ll help.” Winters also started rolling up his sleeves.

Ronald nodded.

An infantry officer assisted a cavalry officer as the two attempted to deliver Botayun's baby.

Ronald washed his hands, then reached into the mare's uterus and began to feel around.

Provoked, Bottayun kicked out with his hind legs, striking Winters.

Winters gave a soft hum.

Scarlett quickly knelt beside Bottayun and gently stroked the horse's neck.

"It's alright, don't be afraid..." she comforted the horse, unconsciously humming a childhood rhyme: "Edelweiss, edelweiss, greets me in the morning; small and white, pure and bright..."

"Found it!" Ronald, who had been frowning, suddenly shouted excitedly.

He gritted his teeth and struggled to drag it.

As the major's body moved backward little by little, a pair of small hooves emerged from the cervix.

"Belt!" Ronald roared.

Winters quickly unbuckled his belt.

"And mine!"

The major's belt was also removed.

Ronald, panting, shouted, "Put them on! Put them on the hooves!"

Two belts were tied around the foal's ankles.

"Pull hard! Push in one direction! Don't twist it!"

Upon hearing this, Winters wrapped the two belts around his hands, took a deep breath, and began to exert his strength.

Bota Cloud was in pain; it hissed in agony.

Scarlett cried as she hugged the horse, humming a lullaby intermittently: "Snow-white flower...may you be fragrant...and bloom forever...and grow forever..."

First came the translucent amniotic sac, then the foal's legs.

Suddenly, the foal got stuck.

Winters had already exerted a great deal of force, but he couldn't use any more.

The foal's legs looked so fragile that even a little force could hurt it.

"Push harder!" Ronald yelled at the clumsy infantry officer, helping with his hands. "Push harder! It can take it!"

Winters gritted his teeth and slowly increased the pressure.

"The head's showing!" Ronald exclaimed with delight. "Push!"

First, a small nose tip appears, and then the foal's head gradually emerges from the cervix.

Ronald methodically cleaned the foal's nasal cavity, held the foal's head and neck, and helped Winters drag it out.

The foal had its eyes open, and its body was covered with a light-colored placenta.

After the head and neck protrude from the cervix, the tension from the waist belt on Winters suddenly decreases.

The foal was smoothly pulled out of its mother's womb.

With a "pop," the foal's hind hooves left the palace.

The pale white amniotic sac, still attached to the red placenta, left Bottayun with the foal.

Bota Cloud's belly shrunk, and it lay exhausted in the haystack, panting.

"It's a success!" Scarlett kissed Bottayun: "It's a success!"

"Is it alive?" Winters dared not look, because the major had said the foal was stillborn.

"Alive! My God! Breathing!" Major Ronald tore off his shirt and wiped the colt's nose, head, and body. "Breath! Breathing is all it takes to live!"

The pale yellow amniotic fluid stained the major's uniform, but he didn't mind at all.

Winters quickly took off his shirt and handed it to the major.

The child's breathing was initially very weak, but gradually became stronger, and his chest began to rise and fall.

It is somewhere between gray and black, completely different from its silver-gray father and pure white mother.

“You are so beautiful.” Winters knelt beside the child of Strong Luck and gently stroked its wet mane.

"What a huge one! By the Holy Sacrament!" Ronald exclaimed ecstatically as he wiped the foal's body, muttering to himself, "No wonder the mare had a difficult birth! How could it grow so big? Good heavens!"

He lifted the foal's hind legs and examined them carefully.

“It’s a young male pony!” Ronald concluded.

Scarlett burst into laughter through her tears, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Is the mare yours?" Ronald asked Winters.

“His father was my partner.” Winters suddenly recalled the beautiful way Qiang Yun ran: “But he’s gone.”

Major Ronald paused, then said bitterly, "There's nothing we can do. Let's give this little guy a name! Don't worry, it will definitely be a top-notch warhorse someday."

“No!” Winters’ eyes filled with tears. “I hope he never has to go to the battlefield.”

The foal tried to stand up almost as soon as it was born.

It blinked, stumbled to its knees, and then fell down again.

Scarlett wanted to help the colt.

Ronald stopped the girl: "Let it stand up on its own."

After several failures and repeated attempts, the son of the strong-willed man finally managed to support his four legs.

Its legs are still slender, but their length is already about the same as that of an adult horse.

Although it stood precariously, it ultimately stood firmly on the earth by its own strength.

Winters hugged his lucky son.

The foal didn't know why the human in front of it was so gentle with it—it didn't even have a concept of humans; it just felt that it liked the smell of the "thing" in front of it.

It gently licked Winters' cheek.

“I’ve decided on his name.” Two tears slid down Winters’ face: “His name is Changsheng.”

……

Winters and Ronald, two weary men, sat side by side outside the stable.

Scarlett was in the stable, helping Bottayun feed Changsheng.

Major Ronald leaned against the wall, fumbled for a pipe, and slowly pressed down the tobacco leaves.

The smoke was packed tightly, but he couldn't light it no matter what he did—his hands were trembling, and he couldn't strike the flint accurately.

Winters took the pipe, and when he returned it, the tobacco had already been lit.

Ronald took a deep, satisfying drag, slowly exhaling a light mist: "What breed is its father?"

"Luciamar".

“No wonder.” Ronald smiled knowingly. “Don’t be fooled by its current dark color. As it grows up, it will fade and gradually turn into a light gray.”

"Ah."

Ronald continued smoking, and the two sat in silence.

"You fought a very well in that battle."

"Thank you."

How long ago did you start preparing?

Winters answered honestly, "A little over a month ago, when I went to Gervadane."

"Then when did you begin to regard us as enemies?"

"Earlier."

“No wonder,” Ronald said with a smile. “No wonder you came all the way to Gevordan and didn’t even come to see me.”

Winters smiled too.

The two fell into silence again.

Ronald smiled wryly and said, "The term 'bandit suppression' is a gross underestimation of you. You are more qualified to use the term 'civil war.'"

I originally thought I was the one to fire the first shot in the civil war in the newly reclaimed lands. But now it seems that no matter how you look at it, you fired the first shot.

But are you ready? Gennady, Maplestone, the newly reclaimed lands… and all of Palatine. Are you ready?

“No,” Winters shook his head. “But I will try my best to keep going.”

Major Ronald exhaled a puff of blue smoke from his lungs, pointed to the dissipating smoke, and said softly, "The warmth we feel now is like this smoke; it will vanish in the blink of an eye. The Civil War is very cruel, perhaps even crueler than you, or even my most terrifying imagination. Take care."

"I'm leaving." Major Ronald tapped the ash off his cigarette against the wall. "If we meet again, it'll be a fight to the death."

He rose and walked toward his warhorse.

Winters watched the major's retreating figure and said, "Thank you for your help today."

Ronald didn't turn his head, just waved his hand and said, "Thank you for sparing my life today."

……

Winters left with Scarlett, Bottayun, and Changsheng.

Ronald also rejoined his troops.

"Let's go." The major looked somewhat dejected. He gathered the centurions: "It seems we won't be able to capture Montagne. He's been planning this for a long time and won't give us this opportunity. Let's retreat and go back to Gévodan."

Lieutenant Adam asked tentatively, "There are still some crops left to harvest in the fields of several surrounding villages. Besides the crops, there are also houses... Should we burn them?"

"Burn? Why burn it?" Ronald asked casually.

Lieutenant Adam, forcing a smile, replied, "The people here are die-hard supporters of the Montagne gang, no different from bandits. Burning their food and houses would be tantamount to weakening the Montagne gang's foundation."

"Hahahaha!" Ronald laughed bitterly. "The peasants would rather follow the bandits than help me, the official garrison commander. Is it us who have the problem? Or them? Burning houses and crops, even bandits wouldn't do such things! Let them live, consider it as a way to spend a few less days in purgatory after we die."

The two battalions of Zhevodan soldiers assembled and embarked on their journey back to Zhevodan.

Meanwhile, two messengers are rushing to Wolf Town through the night.

One of the messengers, Lieutenant István, will bring Major Ronald a message: the Montagne gang has not withdrawn from Gévodan. On the contrary, they have occupied the city.

The other messenger is Pierre Mitchell, who will bring Winters a message: Execute Plan B.

……

Operation Plan A: Lure the enemy away from their stronghold, conquer Revodan, take away all the supplies that can be taken, and continue to accumulate strength;

Operation Plan B [Backup]: Lure the enemy away from their stronghold, occupy Thevordan, annihilate Ronald's forces, and bring Iron Peak County under complete control.

[The emotions conveyed in the previous and this chapters are interconnected. They should have been released together, but I couldn't finish writing them all at once.]
Whether this chapter is a bonus chapter depends on whether I update tomorrow (Wednesday, February 3, 2021). If I update tomorrow, then this chapter is a bonus chapter. Otherwise, it isn't (facepalm)
[However, this chapter is quite long, 7144 words, equivalent to two chapters, so it's actually an extra chapter.]
]
[As mentioned in the previous chapter, the battle is almost over. What remains is an interlude involving Major Ronald and some unnamed thug.]
[White Lion: My name is White Lion, but that doesn't mean you can get something for free.jpg]
[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)