Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 280 Counting Stoves
In the days following the fall of the Tartar family, large groups of cavalry from the Teldun tribe repeatedly attacked the west bank of the Great Horn River.

In an instant, the west bank was filled with the neighing of horses and the rising of dust. The common people of Niuti Valley said, "It's thundering in winter"—in reality, it was the sound of thousands of hooves trampling the earth.

Moreover, due to the winter winds, the Teldun people were upwind, while the Cowhoof Valley was downwind.

The smoke from the barbarians burning animal dung for warmth mingled with the swirling dust, which was blown eastward by the westerly winds, choking the people of Tiefeng County and causing them to cough from morning till night.

If the smoke from the barbarians' fires is this terrible, what will happen when they cross the river?
The people of Niu Ti Valley were filled with panic, with many civilians even considering abandoning their homes and fleeing, and even the warriors' resolve was wavering.

But seeing the blood-red flag fluttering on the church bell tower, everyone calmed down—the Blood Wolf was still here, what were we afraid of?
Bullhoof Valley is now the front line of the battle between the two armies, so Winters has not left.

Teldon's army arrived, and Winters' troops also gradually arrived at Bullhoof Valley.

The first to arrive to provide support were the 11th and 12th companies.

The second batch of reinforcements was the "Volunteer Battalion" led by Samukin—although soldiers from other companies generally called them the "Basket Weaving Battalion".

Because the volunteer battalion was recruited from prisoners of war, all of whom were handpicked by Samukin and were the most skilled basket weavers—and also the most obedient prisoners.

The prisoner-of-war battalion didn't have a good name, so Winters personally bestowed upon it the designation "Volunteer Battalion".

He has already signed a new contract with the prisoners in Vaughan:

[A soldier who kills one Telden head will be released after the war; a soldier who kills two Telden heads will be allowed to join the ranks of land-granting soldiers; a soldier who kills more than two heads will be awarded merit according to the standards for active duty soldiers.]
Niu Ti Gu was originally garrisoned by the 1st and 2nd companies. With the arrival of the 11th and 12th companies and the "basket weaving brigade", the total strength has reached nearly a thousand people.

If the civilians of Niuti Valley are also counted as auxiliary troops, the army size can instantly expand to five thousand.

According to the rules, let's exaggerate a bit more. Then, it's quite reasonable to say that [Winters Montagne personally led 20,000 troops to confront Teldun's 100,000 cavalry across the river].

To monitor enemy activity, Winters mobilized manpower to build a series of watchtowers on the east bank of the Great Horn River.

At this very moment, he was on one of the hills, leaning on the railing and gazing at the Terdun barbarians on the opposite bank.

“Tell me,” Winters said, leaning on his cane, then suddenly asked the men behind him with a smile, “Are the Herd tribes so poor that all they have left are horses?”

Upon hearing this, everyone present burst into laughter.

Winters wore a tattered hat and had his face covered with a triangular scarf, looking like a highway robber and bearing no resemblance to a "Sir Tribunal for the People".

The others were similarly covered up, with only their eyes showing.

Winters brought this upon himself; he burned the meadows on the west bank of the Great Horn River to the ground, and even without human activity, the wind would whip up clouds of dust. Now, with the help of the Teldun army, the sandstorms are even more powerful.

“Besides horses, there are also cows and sheep!” Bart Sharing’s eyes narrowed into slits with laughter. “Of course, the most valuable thing is the horses! Centurion, the barbarians have given us a generous gift; we must thank them properly!”

According to Tamas and Bart Sharing's initial visual estimate, the number of horses in the Tartai tribe was around five hundred to six hundred.

But after the battle, when they took stock, they found nearly a thousand horses—it was like a windfall. Poor Tartai had painstakingly saved up a small fortune, and it all ended up in Winters' pocket.

The lucrative robbery business indirectly led to a "nomadic" trend among Winters' officers.

He saved and saved, but he was still short of money; Winters couldn't even muster a hundred warhorses.

Win a battle, and you can snatch nearly a thousand horses in one go—some good, some bad. Why bother breeding them? Just steal them! Isn't that more satisfying?

Winters had to correct the second company commander: "The Teldens did indeed send a generous gift, but the most valuable gift is not the horse."

Bart Sharling nodded respectfully: "Your subordinate is ignorant, please enlighten me."

Winters gently raised his chin: "It's that big fat man, Tartai. He's worth a thousand horses all by himself. Tamas, well done."

Tamas chuckled and scratched his head.

In the surprise attack on Tartai, Tamas captured the enemy chieftain alive, doing an even better job than Winters—after all, if Winters had been the one to take action, Tartai's chances of survival would have been somewhat reduced.

“The Teldonians are unaware of our true strength, but we have already ascertained their details.” Winters pointed to the imposing Teldonian camp on the opposite bank: “No matter how many men and horses they have, they are merely here to deliver gifts to us!”

The officers burst into laughter.

Besides the military officers, the mayor of Cowhoof Valley was also present.

The mayor forced an awkward smile; the barbarians on the other side could raze Ox Hoof Valley to the ground with just their horses, so he couldn't really laugh.

“Mayor, don’t look so sad,” Winters said with a smile to the mayor of Bullhoof Valley.

The mayor of Niutigu Town felt a chill run down his spine, and his smile became even more unsightly.

Winters leaned against the railing, chuckling as he asked, "You think I'm bragging, right?"

"I wouldn't dare, Your Excellency, I wouldn't dare." Mayor Niuti Valley shook his head desperately.

"I wouldn't dare, but I do have that thought?" Winters' eyes crinkled with laughter.

The other party asked with a smile, but the mayor of Niuti Valley was about to burst into tears. He didn't know where he had offended this killing god.

“Come here,” Winters beckoned. “Stand by the railing.”

The mayor of Niuti Valley walked nervously to the fence. He couldn't help but glance down and felt dizzy.

The watchtower is over five meters high, with soft riverbed below, but in the eyes of the mayor of Niutigu Town, it is as high as a hundred-meter cliff.

Mayor Niu Ti Valley felt a push from behind, screamed, and then realized he was still alive.

"What's your name?" Winters asked with a smile, putting his arm around the mayor of Bullhoof Valley's shoulder. "You startled me."

The town mayor, nearing forty, was being held by Blood Wolf. His face was deathly pale, and he stammered, "Pangpai... Your subordinate... Your subordinate is so overwhelmed with emotion... that I cried out..."

“Oh? Surge? You’ll get used to it.” Winters pointed enthusiastically to the herd of horses on the opposite bank: “I was afraid you wouldn’t understand, so I’ll explain it to you. See over there? That’s the Teldens watering their horses.”

"Look, look, I see it!"

“From what I’ve observed, the Telden people water their horses three times a day, probably because there’s no fresh grass for them,” Winters said with a smile. “Tell me, how many horses are in the herd that’s currently drinking?”

The mayor of Niuti Valley, his eyes brimming with tears, exclaimed, "This...this...I truly have no idea!"

“Then let me tell you, there are about a hundred horses, and the number of horses drinking each time is about this. I guess it’s because it’s inconvenient for too many horses to drink, so the Telden people take turns driving about a hundred horses into the river to drink.”

"Your Excellency is wise!"

"Stop flattering me and listen carefully." Winters smiled. "These are all military secrets."

The mayor of Niutigu Town nodded vigorously, his face contorted with grief.

"Now for the important part." Winters put his left arm around the mayor of Bullhoof Valley's shoulder and took out a small notebook with his right hand: "According to the records from the watchtowers along the coast, the Teldens watered their horses a total of 402 times yesterday—there may be omissions and repetitions, but it's roughly accurate. Tell me, how many barbarians are there on the other side now?"

The mayor of Niuti Valley was struck dumb: "I...I...How would I know?"

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Winters reassured the mayor. Then, remembering something, he added earnestly, “I forgot to tell you, although there are rich and poor, statistically speaking, each member of Teltown’s main force has roughly three horses. Let’s do the math again?”

The mayor of Niutigu Town shook his head frantically.

“If my calculations are correct,” Winters said confidently, putting away his notebook, “there are over 13,000 horses on the other side, and their forces number around 4,000. This corroborates the intelligence provided by our captured enemy chieftain, ‘Taltai.’ Isn’t it interesting that we can determine the enemy’s strength by counting the number of times their horses drink water?”

“Interesting.” Mayor of Bullhoof Valley nodded hastily. “Interesting.” Winters abruptly changed the subject: “Mayor, you know the enemy has four thousand men, but do you know how many of our troops are in Bullhoof Valley?”

The mayor of Niutigu Town swallowed hard and shook his head.

“Four companies, plus a battalion, less than a thousand men. This is a military secret.” Winters patted the mayor of Bullhoof Valley on the shoulder: “I’m telling you this without reservation, so you have to keep it a secret for me.”

The mayor of Niuti Valley could no longer hold back. His knees buckled and he knelt on the ground, hugging Blood Wolf's legs and wailing and crying, begging for mercy.

Tamas and Bart Sharing stepped forward and pulled away the mayor of Cowhoof Valley, and the two of them together lifted him up.

"Everyone was laughing just now, but you weren't." Winters' gaze turned icy. "Why weren't you laughing?"

The mayor of Niuti Valley was crying so hard he couldn't speak.

The conversation could not continue.

Without Winters giving the order, Bart Sharling had already stopped the mayor's tears, allowing the conversation to continue.

Winters leaned against the railing, his sword resting on his knees: "You don't laugh because you're afraid. Of course you should be afraid. With four enemies and only one of us, defeat is inevitable no matter how you look at it."

Let me tell you, the enemy chieftain's palace guards haven't arrived yet. Once the bonfire party's personal troops arrive, it'll be seven against one. Ha, they're doomed. That's why you don't laugh; you even think our laughter is ridiculous.”

"No...no..." Mayor Niu Ti Valley shook his head violently, crying out, "I never thought of that..."

“No?” Winters raised his sword-like eyebrows and drew his sword. “Come, kiss the blade and swear that you never said ‘defeat is inevitable, run for your life’, swear that you didn’t spout nonsense in the church, swear that you didn’t secretly form a faction against me. Swear it, and you can leave.”

The mayor of Niuti Valley trembled all over and dared not utter a sound.

“Hmm, that’s honest enough.” Winters sheathed his sword, his expression relaxed, and he smiled again. “Of course you can think that way, and you can say that way, I can even forgive you if you say it at the dinner table. But you can’t say it in public, because you are the mayor. In front of the people, you represent my authority and position.”

Wen Tesla sat down by the fence with the mayor of Niu Ti Valley: "Mayor, why don't you think about it? We are outnumbered. What would happen if I kept shouting 'We will definitely lose this battle' all day long? What would happen if I wore a mournful face?"

“I know better than you how dangerous this battle is,” Wentes said, stroking the arm of the mayor of Niu Ti Valley. “But we must laugh, not cry. If I laugh and you cry, won’t you be scared to death?”

The officers burst into laughter, and even the mayor of Niuti Valley managed a forced smile.

Winters looked at the mayor, his words earnest and his tone gentle: "I smiled to set an example for the soldiers. I hope you will also set an example for the civilians of Bullhoof Valley and stop forming cliques and factions against me, okay?"

"Good! Good! I will never dare to do it again!" The triangular scarf of the mayor of Niuti Valley was soaked with tears, and he nodded frantically.

“Good that you agree. Didn’t you send your wife and children to Theodore the day before yesterday?” Winters said kindly. “I brought them all back to Cowhoof Valley for you. Didn’t you also hide three horses to escape? I confiscated those for you too.”

Mayor Bullhoof Valley's vision went black, and he was only saved from falling headfirst to the watchtower by Winters.

Winters patiently explained, “With a major battle looming, it wouldn’t be good for you to send your wife and children away. You’re the mayor, and you have a responsibility to defend the town. If you run away, everyone else will follow you to Zhevodan, and then Oxhoof Valley will be impossible to defend. It’s good that we’re like this now, where we live together if we can hold the town, and we die together if we can’t.

The tears that the mayor of Niuti Valley had just stopped welled up again.

"Don't cry," Winters comforted the mayor. "Don't worry, strictly speaking, I have a perfect record against the Teltown tribe. Do you understand?"

"I heard you clearly." Mayor Niuti Valley's eyes were swollen from crying: "A complete victory."

"Okay, good to know. Just tell everyone in Bullhoof Valley that." Winters patted the other person's arm. "You can go now."

Mayor Bullhoof Valley was still reeling from the shock when Bart Sharling gestured to him, bringing him back to his senses.

The mayor of Oxhoof Valley, feeling as if granted a pardon, left, turning back every few steps. As he stepped onto the ladder, he heard the gentle voice of the tribunal:

"Mayor."

The mayor of Niuti Valley tensed up as if burned by hot coals, a chill running down his spine: "Yes, Your Excellency!"

"After this battle is over," Winters said with a smile, waving goodbye. "You'll need to submit your resignation."

……

"That bastard, you really don't need to waste your breath on him." Looking at the back of the mayor of Niu Ti Valley, Bart Xia Ling said indignantly, "He's two-faced, inflating prices, and inciting the townspeople to oppose us. He should be torn apart by five horses in public! To deter other villains."

“He wants to escape to Gevordan, and the better we hold the line, the less likely he is to leave.” Winters leaned against the railing. “So he’s trying to sabotage our preparations, which is like ‘burning down a barn for a handful of wheat.’”

"How can there be such a person?"

Winters sighed softly, "There are quite a few people like this, in fact... they're everywhere. Internal and external troubles, internal and external troubles indeed."

Several company commanders were momentarily frustrated.

“But—in the end, there are still more good people than bad.” Winters noticed that the atmosphere was a bit off and smiled to comfort the group: “People are like a vast ocean. Although there is some dirty water, the ocean itself is still clean.”

Tamas, Bart Sharing, Samukin and the others exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat strange.

"What's wrong?" Winters chuckled. "Don't you believe me?"

“It’s not that I don’t believe you,” Tamas said, forcing himself to step forward. “None of us have ever seen the sea.”

Winters took a deep breath and corrected his statement: "Human kindness is like a prairie; although it may sometimes be burned to ashes by a fire, it will eventually be reborn."

“We understand now!” Bart Sharling beamed with joy.

Winters summoned the company commanders not just to observe the enemy.

"How's the carriage collection going?" Winters' smile faded.

“We’ve collected everything we could,” Tamas replied immediately, then added in a low voice, “It’s just that the forced requisition of horse-drawn carts has caused quite a bit of resentment among the farmers.”

"Make good marks and register them. Tell them that loans must be returned and losses must be compensated."

"Yes." Tamas raised his hand in salute.

Bart Sharling gripped his sword hilt and asked, "Should the villages near Bullhoof Valley be burned?"

“No need, we don’t need to burn this place for now.” Winters shook his head with a smile. “We can’t burn it all down either. People still have to make a living. If we burn one house now, we’ll have to pay for another one later. It hurts me to see houses burned.”

The company commanders smiled kindly.

Winters then reassigned tasks to each company.

That afternoon, four companies of the Tiefeng County Infantry Regiment marched out of Niuti Valley and built small fortifications on the riverbanks.

Another logging team felled trees nearby around Cowhoof Valley to build rafts and small boats.

The walls of Bullhoof Valley are basically complete, and the new fortifications completely enclose the town of Bullhoof Valley. The next step is to continue to reinforce them—this part of the work has been handed over to the civilians.

Samukin's volunteer brigade is stationed in Niutigu Town, and their main task at present is still... basket weaving.

At dusk that day, an unprecedented blue horsehair banner appeared on the hillside on the west bank of the Tai Kau River.

The fire-warmer has arrived.

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(End of this chapter)