Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 547 Negotiation (Final)

Maplestone City
Once again, on the banks of the Anya River, on the street outside the officers' quarters, there were two allied soldiers, one from the Central Military Commission and the other from the Youth League.

Under the moonlight, the river resembled a road paved with silver. The two walked silently along this "silver river" for a while, when suddenly Gesa spat into the water, sneered, and asked bluntly:
Do you know what price Jason Cornelis offered me?

"You went to speak privately with Major Ranco Boyle?" Winters frowned.

"Of course I went, who didn't?" Gaisa asked provocatively, with an air of entitlement. "You didn't go?"

Winters readily replied, "I really didn't go."

Gaisa was speechless for a moment. He snorted and shook his head. "It means you're still too green."

Winters smiled and nodded.

Gaisa ground his teeth for a while before speaking again.

Judging from his tone and expression, the colonel himself found what he was about to say unbelievable.

“Lanco Boyle, representing Jason Cornelis, promised,” Gaisa said, “that if I were willing to cooperate, he could ‘manipulate’ Grove Magnus and help me take his place.”

Gaisa had expected to see the wolf cubs' expressions of surprise, but Winters Montagne showed no surprise at all, and even nodded slightly, which disappointed the colonel.

"Do you believe their promises?" Winters asked.

“It’s fucking ridiculous! It’s fucking laughable! It’s fucking absurd!” Gaisa cursed three times, but his eyes were a little unfocused. “So it doesn’t seem fake.”

“If I were in the position of Minister Cornelius, I would also make two preparations,” Winters said thoughtfully. “'Viper' Magnus is already infamous and despised by everyone. Rather than maintaining his rule at a high cost, it would be better to find a popular collaborator.”

"Oh ho? You're even analyzing it for him?" Gaisa chuckled, "And you're only saying nice things about him?"

“It’s not just about saying nice things,” Winters said calmly, “it’s just about saying nice things first.”

Whether a change of regime will bring stability after a period of turmoil or lead to a rapid slide into the next change of regime is entirely unknown.

"For example, in the 185th year of the old imperial calendar, a military coup occurred in South Coria. Emperor Kennedy watched as his vassal was overthrown. In hindsight, he did not make the wrong choice."

"But just two years later, in the year 187 of the old imperial calendar, Emperor Kennedy again acquiesced to the replacement of Vernan's corrupt rulers by his own generals. This time, however, made Vernan's situation even worse."

"Of course, in hindsight, we can certainly find all sorts of 'foresight.' But for people at the time, probably no one could have predicted where the future would lead."

Getting carried away, Winters couldn't help but add, "And in the same year as the Vernant coup, Emperor Kennedy was also assassinated..."

Gaisa was both angry and amused. "Where...where did you get all this information?"

“After returning to the world of the underworld,” Winters replied earnestly, “I have been studying diligently ever since.”

"go away!"

Winters shrugged, as if to say, believe it or not.

The two sat idly on the low wall on the riverbank for a while longer.

“I will not be bought off by Jason Cornelius,” Gaisa broke the silence first, saying wearily, “but if they can offer me this price, they can offer others the same, or even more tempting, price.”

“Indeed,” Winters nodded in agreement.

“Have Skul Mekren and Matthias Korwin come to see you?” Gaisa asked in a low voice.

Winters understood what the colonel was asking, and he answered cautiously, "Not yet."

“Neither of them came to see me,” Gaisa said coldly.

Winters paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed. He stood up, stretched his stiff joints, and joked, "Why? I feel like even if we don't agree to the hostage exchange, Ranco Boyle has already achieved his goal?"

Gaisa said bitterly, "Flies don't land on eggs without cracks. At its root, isn't it because we ourselves have problems? So we must make a decision quickly. The longer we delay, the bigger the problem will become. Taking action will solve the problem!"

The thought of the vote during the day infuriated Gaisa. "Why didn't you support me today?"

“Don’t rush, listen to me,” Winters turned around, his previous nonchalance completely gone. He looked directly at Gaisa Adonis and asked with high spirits, “Now that you’ve heard Jason Cornelius’s terms, why don’t you hear what I’m offering you?”

Gaisa was completely bewildered and subconsciously frowned.

Winters held up one finger. “First, I need your agreement to establish the Outer New Territories. The Hurds in the Outer New Territories may not be granted full citizenship for the time being, but a timetable for granting them full citizenship must be established.”

Gaisa's brow furrowed into a knot, but he didn't speak, patiently continuing to listen.

Winters raised another finger. "Secondly, I need your support for Lieutenant Bard to become the Speaker of the National Assembly, and at the same time, for Kai Morland to become the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Don't worry about the Separation Act; Lieutenant Bard's retirement application has already been submitted."

Gaisa's expression had become somewhat strange, but he still didn't speak.

Winters raised a third finger. "Third, I need your consent to release Colonel Gaspar and his men, and to allow them to return to Jiangbei Province. I can handle the transportation; you don't need to worry about it."

Ignoring Colonel Gaisa's increasingly grim expression, Winters raised his fourth finger. "Fourth, I need your approval for Lieutenant Colonel Matthias Korwin's plan, allowing him to lead an army of 'appropriate' forces to 'conquer' the Northern Province and open up the route connecting to Veneta."

"Fifth! Sixth! Seventh!" Seeing Winters about to raise a fifth finger, Gaisa Adonis finally lost his temper, jumped up, and stood right in front of Winters, spitting all over him. "Eighth! Ninth! Tenth! How many more?!"

"You little rascal," Colonel Gaisa said, trembling with anger, "you've gotten away with everything, haven't you?"

He laughed in fury, his expression twisted with a mixture of shock and barely suppressed amusement, and demanded sharply, "Are you setting a price for me? Or are you issuing me an ultimatum?!"

“I haven’t stated my price yet,” Winters said calmly, his voice carrying a convincing power, “Colonel.”

"What?" Gaisa calmed down a bit.

“I will support you in becoming the Supreme Military Commander of the Palatour Republic Army,” Winters calmly wiped the drool from his face and continued, “Fifth, I need your guarantee that you will not rashly attack the Fortress of Kings without sufficient intelligence support…”
-
"Did he really tell you that?" Skul Mechlan asked incredulously, "Did you hear that right?"

"Am I deaf?" Gaisa retorted irritably.

Colonel Skull pondered for a moment, “This is not a fair deal—the terms are unbelievably good!”

Gaisa gave a soft snort.

Colonel Skull asked cautiously, "Are you sure... he doesn't have any other plans?"

Gaisa grinned and said, "Why don't you go ask that kid yourself?"

Skul fell silent, looking down at his fingers, lost in thought once more.

“What do you say?” Gaisa turned to Lieutenant Colonel Matthias Korwin and asked directly.

Lieutenant Colonel Matthias's expression was uncertain. After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "I... can accept it."

Gaisa didn't speak, he just nodded.

“Incredible,” Matthias Korwin took a deep breath and laughed with relief. He praised with great poise, “I’ve only ever seen young people who achieve success early, become arrogant and conceited. This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone actually…someone who can do this…”

"Are you really sure?" Skull asked again, still uneasy. "Winters Montagne is willing to relinquish his position as supreme military commander? This is..."
-
“Are you really sure?” Gaisa asked incredulously. “You’re going to give me the position of supreme military commander? This is…”

Despite having gotten a good deal, Gaisa became anxious instead. "Let me tell you, this might be the closest you've ever come to this chair in your life! Once we take over Kings' Castle, the civil war might be over! It will be much harder for you to climb up then!"

The next second, Gaisa Adonis saw Wolfblood's eyes as dark as a deep pool. The latter's tone was extremely calm, but the words he spoke sent chills down Gaisa's spine.

“I wish I could be as optimistic as you,” Winters Montagne asked. “Why do you think the war will end in Castle of Kings?”
-
“So he asked for one more thing,” Gaisa felt a pang of sorrow and despair every time he recalled Winters Montagne’s question. He shook his head, trying to put aside the future and focus on the present.

“His sixth condition,” Geza said to Skul and Matthias, “is that he wants the Second Army Academy.”

“He was the one who arranged it in the first place,” Matthias Korwin said decisively, having accepted the status quo. “It’s perfectly reasonable for him to take it away.”

Colonel Skull, however, seemed somewhat hesitant and uneasy. He was a little embarrassed, yet also deeply worried. "To be honest," he said, "I...I still have a little...sigh, he's too young. If we hand over the military academy to him, in less than twenty years, the entire Palatour Army will be filled with his students. By then, he'll only be forty..."

Ignoring his old comrade, Gaisa raised another finger. "His seventh condition is that he wants a general's star."

"Oh?" Matthias Korwin asked Colonel Geza curiously, "You convinced him?"

“It’s not for him, it’s for John Jessica,” Gaisa Adonis glanced at Colonel Skull. “He wants us to agree that One-Eyed Jessica will be the first principal of the Second Academy.”
-
The news that Colonel Gaisa Adonis had become the chairman of the new government's provisional Supreme Military Council had spread like wildfire throughout Maplestone and even the newly reclaimed lands before the official announcement was posted.

When the official announcement was finally posted, many people felt a sense of emptiness, as if the shoe had finally dropped.

Regarding this 'appointment,' some within the new army were puzzled, some were indignant, some were resentful, and some were overjoyed.

Outsiders outside the military also discussed the matter extensively, and rumors spread.

But no matter how people inside and outside the military view this appointment or how many hidden stories they interpret, it will not change the fact that the war machine of the newly formed army of the Republic of Palatour has officially started.

Clarifying the command sequence is like opening the floodgates of a reservoir.

Sheets bearing the name [Gesa Adonis] poured forth like a flood, flowing into every bone, tendon, and flesh of the new army, awakening this war machine from its slumber.

War is coming again, and no one doubts it.
-
Maplestone Cathedral
For the first time since the last collective vote, the official officers of the four counties' armies have gathered here.

Each officer received a sealed letter of appointment bearing their name, but no one dared to open it until given the order.

On the pulpit, Gaisa Adonis—now a brigadier general—delivered his speech with a stern expression and a harsh tone:
"...The letter of appointment you hold is your final appointment."

"You can be dissatisfied, you can be unconvinced, you can be indignant."

"But an order is an order!"

"No delays! No appeals! No refusal!"

Gaisa waved his hand: "Now, listen to the command—Kaifeng!"

The officers in the cathedral simultaneously peeled off the lacquer seals, revealing their destinies.
-
[Military camp outside the city]
[Outside the Reserve Officers' Quarters]
Houdel hid in a corner outside the dormitory, closed his eyes tightly, and forcefully opened the notification letter.

After grimacing and mentally preparing himself for a while, he finally mustered the courage to open his eyes again.

The moment he opened his eyes, he immediately began searching through the letter with lightning speed.

The officer who handed him the envelope had already told him, "Blue means 'yes,' and red means 'no.'"

Suddenly, someone tapped Houdel on the shoulder from behind, startling him.

The only one who would dare to provoke Hoddle at a time like this is Claude Lee.

"How is it?" Claude asked.

"What do you mean, 'what's wrong'?" Houdel felt like crying, but he forced back his tears and pretended to be nonchalant, saying, "Who are we? We're Your Excellency's personal guards! What problem could there be?"

But Claude clearly saw that Houdel was holding the notice in his arms as if it were a fragile, rare treasure.
-
[Military camp outside the city]
[Tie Feng County Military Shooting Range]
“Senior Mason!” Woods—now a captain—stopped timidly outside the office door and shouted into it, “I’m taking the cannon with me!”

From the depths of the room came a low, beast-like growl:
"roll!"

"Fine! I'm off!" Captain Woods hurriedly ran off.

However, before leaving the firing range, he kept giving instructions to an officer with a terrible birthmark on his face.

"Try to comfort the senior," Woods said, tugging at the officer's sleeve, repeatedly urging him, "and don't let him be too upset. If anything seems amiss, let me know immediately."

The officer with the birthmark—'Devil' Once—nodded indifferently.

The draft horses pulled the cannons of the Tiefeng County Army away from the firing range; they now belonged to the newly formed artillery regiment.

Along with the cannons, most of the artillerymen, along with their ammunition and equipment, were also allocated.

After the sound of horse bells disappeared, the firing range of the Tiefeng County Army immediately became deserted.

Demon Ons stood at the entrance of the shooting range for a while, then silently closed the gate.

He walked sadly into Richard Mason's office, unsure of what to say.

But they found Mason—who had also been promoted and was now a major—lying on his cot, holding a palm-sized cannon model and secretly laughing.
-
[Military camp outside the city]
[Military Horse Farm]
Like the artillery, the cavalry, which originally belonged to various counties in the newly reclaimed land, were also officially reorganized into independent cavalry regiments.

Lieutenant Colonel Cypher Carrington sat in the shade, fiddling with his new hat, and complained, half-jokingly, "The tailors in this poor New Reclamation are really not very good."

Captain Andrea Cellini stood in the shade of a tree, one hand behind his back, silently practicing Ned Smith's stabbing technique, again and again.
-
[A certain location in Tiefeng County]
Captain Denzel Morrow's quarters received a rare visitor—Anglu, the former young horseman who had now grown into a man.

“Major Morrow.” Angru solemnly presented the letter of appointment, trying his best not to look at the iron mask on Denzel Morrow’s face. “I have brought your appointment.”
-
Maplestone City
[Corey Brothers Tailor Shop]
“What use is it for me, a blind man,” John Jessica asked coldly, “to make clothes for me?”

“You are a general now,” Anna soothed softly, “of course you should wear clothes befitting a general.”

John Jessica, who had inexplicably risen to the rank of general, snorted. Although his attitude remained indifferent, he still cooperated with Anna's commands and let the tailor do as he pleased.

Winters winked at Anna—his old superior was cold to everyone except for Ms. Navarre, whom he held in the highest esteem.

So Winters specially invited Anna out of the mountains.

"Shouldn't you be getting a new uniform made too?" Jessica asked abruptly.

“Yes,” Major Montagne replied with a smile, “I should have a few sets of officer uniforms made too.”
-
[Maplestone City Grand Council Hall]
The first formal plenary session of the National Assembly is currently underway.

The person in the speaker's seat asked loudly, "Representatives from Maplestone City?"

In the seating area of ​​Maplestone City, one person stood up and responded: "Your Excellency Acting Speaker, we hereby elect His Excellency Kai Morland to represent Maplestone City in the Supreme Council!"

Acting Speaker: "Representatives from Maplestone City who support this, please stand!"

The representatives from Maplestone City stood up.

The acting speaker tapped the gavel: "Passed!"

"Representatives from Tiefeng County?"

“We have nominated His Excellency Gerard Mitchell to speak on behalf of Iron Peak County in the Supreme Council.”

"Representatives from Vaughan?"

"We have nominated His Excellency Bard to speak on behalf of Vaughan County in the Supreme Council."

"Leiqun County..."

The process was similar and was completed quickly.

Each of the six counties and one district of the newly reclaimed land "elected" one member to "speak on behalf of their respective constituencies" in the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

It goes without saying that this seven-member standing committee is the brain and heart of the National Assembly.

The rest of the process was rather uneventful.

But for some, it wasn't like that—Kay Morland stared intently at a figure in the Vogneshire seating area, his eyes practically bleeding with envy.

Meanwhile, the acting speaker continued to stab Kai Morland in the heart, "Distinguished delegates, please allow me to nominate Representative Bader as the Speaker of the New Reclamation National Assembly..."

Bard's nomination was approved without any doubt with three votes, and the acting speaker handed over his duties on the spot.

Bard, sitting in the speaker's seat, showed no sign of pride. He surveyed the room, tapped the gavel, and seamlessly began his work.

“Distinguished delegates,” Bard’s voice resounded throughout the hall, “now we will vote on the first proposal on the formal agenda, concerning the establishment of the Outer New Reclamation Province.”
-
Just as the National Assembly of the New Reclamation Lands passed the resolution to establish the Outer New Reclamation Lands, Brigadier General Gaisa Adonis finally received accurate intelligence confirming that there were fewer than five battalions of soldiers from the United Provinces in Kingsburg.

Realizing the precious opportunity he had missed, Gaisa Adonis was furious and issued the order to attack.

Before dawn, the vanguard of a battalion of the Baishan County Infantry Regiment packed their bags and embarked on their journey once again.

Their songs echoed along the road:

"Our march is long;"
"Comrades, look ahead."

"The military flag flutters high in the wind."
"The officers are all at the front."

"Comrades, let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"My dearest one,"

"Please wait for me to return." The bugle call is coming.
"Goodbye, let's go..."
-
[Kings' Castle]
Just as the war machines of the newly reclaimed lands roared toward Kingsburg, thousands of miles away, the Allied Southern Front was also preparing for war day and night.

Unemployed poor people in the city and farmers outside the city were mobilized, whether for food or for gold, and they all threw themselves into the work of digging ditches and ramming earth.

The area beneath the city wall, which used to be a market for mules and horses, has now become a large construction site.

Outside the city walls, within sight, trees and houses were either toppled or burned.

The sun had just risen when Jason Cornelius saw his men off at the Kingsburg docks.

"Your battlefield may not be filled with the roar of guns and cannons, but it is still rife with the clash of swords—we are counting on your fighting spirit in Guitu City," Jason Cornelius said with a smile, casually to the officer in front of him. "Remember, take whatever you can get, as much as you can."

"Money, weapons, food—anything the military can provide, just ask for. I'll arrange for people to help you raise funds and campaign for you in parliament, but most importantly, it all depends on you..."

The officer nodded repeatedly. "Minister," he said sadly, his face showing reluctance, "take care."

“Don’t worry about me,” Cornelius said with his smile. “From the moment I set foot on the land of Palatine, I have only two possible outcomes: victory or death. I will have no regrets, whichever comes first.”

Just then, the sound of soldiers from the allied provinces singing could be heard from inside the city on their way out:
"Let us not forget their great contributions."

"They're the ones who smashed our shackles!"

"Remember how they risked their lives to dig the tunnels."
"For our wealth, our blood, and our religion!"
Listen! The war drums on the other side of the mountain are laughing menacingly!
"Listen! The imperialists have sounded their horns!"
"Look! How our people slaughtered their way in!"
"Conquer Blackwood in one fell swoop!"

"Guitu City stands tall and unyielding!"
"It blocked thousands upon thousands of imperialists!"

Forests, rivers, and streets!

"We must protect our land!"

Behind the window cracks, the awakened citizens of Zhuwangbao looked at their families, especially when they heard, "We must protect our land."

But the soldiers of the United Provinces continued to sing:

"Fearless, furious, blood-stained swords and blades!"

"A cold glint! A clanging sound! Sparks flying!"
"The earth shook, the wind and clouds changed color, and the sky collapsed and the sea tsunami struck!"
"Lightning, fire, and thunder, turn it upside down!"
"Explosions, muskets, and cannons!"

You can hear it every single day!

"The imperialists are besieged in the castle!"

"They drowned in their own bloody urine!"

Cornelius gazed at the castles of kings and began to hum softly:

"Guitu City! Standing tall and unyielding!"
"It blocked thousands upon thousands of imperialists!"

Forests, rivers, and streets!

"We must protect our land!"
-
[North bank of the Jinliu River]
[Rétia Town]
The Hongchuan military government's troops had already withdrawn from various border towns, so in the face of the letter of surrender sent by the United Provinces' army, the town of Retia raised the white flag without any doubt.

Singing triumphant songs, the Allied forces marched openly into the city of the Paratians:

The banner of the "Beggars' Army" is moving forward.

"Long live the United Provinces Republic!"
"The 'army of beggars' has risen again."
"Long live the United Provinces Republic!"
Look, our flag is flying high in the wind!

Listen, a new era is about to begin!

"Beat the drums! Beat the drums! Let the war drums roar once more!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live the United Provinces Republic!"

"We will reclaim our former glory!"

The banner of the "Beggars' Army" is advancing.

"Long live the United Provinces Republic!"
"Our fists and heads are incredibly hard."
"Long live the United Provinces Republic!"
"The former army of beggars has been reborn from the ashes."

"The pain and darkness of the old era have vanished."

Their singing grew louder and louder:

"Beat the drums! Beat the drums! Let the war drums roar once more!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live the United Provinces Republic!"

"The people of the land before the mountains will once again become incredibly powerful!"
-
[North bank of the Jinliu River]
[Shuangqiao Camp]
The accompanying adjutants were surprised to find that Arpad Duyom, who never watched plays or listened to music, had stopped to listen to a children's song.

The sound of a stringed instrument drifted from inside the tent, and a melancholy male voice was singing a children's song about the deeds of the ancient King Plato.

The adjutants were very familiar with this song.

Many adjutants were even lulled to sleep by this nursery rhyme when they were children.

But listening to it again today gives me a different feeling.

A melancholy male voice sang softly:

"Oh, dear rowan tree, where do you grow in the swamp?"
"Hey, hey, oh dear, where in the swamp did you grow up?"

Where did you grow in the swamp? Was it right next to the moss-covered path?
"Hey, hey, oh dear, but it's right next to a path covered in moss?"

"Oh, dear mother, why did you raise me?"
"Hey, hey, oh dear, why did you raise me?"
Why did you raise me? And then send me to the battlefield?

"Hey, hey, oh dear, why are you sending me to the battlefield again?"

Why did you send me to the battlefield? And why did you give me three bugles?
"Hey, hey, oh dear, why are you giving me three horns?"
"When you leave home, you sound the first bugle call."

"Hey, hey, oh dear, my son has already left the yard; "

"When leaving our hometown, we sounded the second bugle call."

"Hey, hey, oh dear, my son has already left home; "

"As they left Palatine, the third horn sounded."
"Hey, hey, oh dear, my son has already left his homeland; "

My horse struts proudly...

As they listened, the adjutants became engrossed.

But Alpard had already cracked his whip and was riding forward again.

The melancholic male voice continued singing:
"A Lowland army is attacking, a valiant Lowland army,"

"Hey, hey, oh dear, a valiant lowland army;

"We galloped across the battlefield, defeating all the Lowlanders."
"Hey, hey, oh dear, defeat all the Lowlanders;"

The adjutants all turned to look at Arpad Duyom's thin back.

"The fearless son of Horcade, he is a true king."

"Hey, hey, oh my, he's a true warrior."
-
[Republic of Monta]
[Steel Castle]
A group of spearmen were advancing along the road in the valley when fog rolled in, so the officer ordered the soldiers to rest on the spot.

Under pressure from the United Provinces, the troops of the Republic of Monta are also gathering towards the border of Palatú.

However, due to various factors, both controllable and uncontrollable, the progress of troop assembly has been far from ideal.

However, due to the United Provinces' decision to deploy an unprecedented number of troops to North Paratú, the need for support from the Monta people was no longer so urgent.

Among the soldiers resting on the ground, some gazed at the misty valley and softly hummed a song commemorating the insurgents of thirty years ago.

Soon, everyone was humming along:

One early morning, I walked down the valley to go to a town market.
An army marching past me;
There were neither bagpipes nor war drums.

But there was a sound in my ear;

"It was the morning bell of prayer that drifted across the valley."

"Through through the thick fog;
"Towns nestled in the mountains uphold justice."
"They raised the banner of rebellion;
"If I must die, I want to die under the sky of my hometown."
"It's better than dying in the North Sea, the Eastern Frontier, or the Lowlands..."

As they sang, the singing grew softer and softer.

Because no one in Monta knew how the story ended.

I walked down the valley again.

My heart aches from grief;
I have been separated from those brave people forever.

"We will never see each other again;"

"But time and time again, I meet them again in my dreams."
Day after day, I pray for them;

The Monta people, forced to travel to Palatul, gazed at the thick fog in the valley and hummed a sorrowful song:

"Dying because they refused to be enslaved"
"You have disappeared into this mist."
-
[Van]
As the army of the Monta Republic was assembling towards the frontier of Palatul.

The Ninth Legion of the Republic of Varn [Skylark] is also moving to the United Provinces.

Because too many troops had been withdrawn from the homeland, in order to prevent "unexpected situations," the United Provinces Army resorted to borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and pressured the Republic of Vane to "borrow" the Ninth Army Corps.

Relocation is like putting out a fire. Currently, the two army groups of the United Provinces have already started their operations, but the Ninth Army Corps has not yet arrived.

Faced with a daily barrage of harshly worded reprimands, the commander of the Ninth Army Corps no longer cared about conserving the soldiers' energy and increased the daily marching time to sixteen hours.

The soldiers, already filled with resentment at being far from home, began composing little tunes and even openly singing them during marches, which even the whips could not stop.

For example, at this very moment, the officers of the Ninth Army could only watch helplessly as their soldiers marched forward, singing loudly:
"These are bad days for the Legion soldiers."
"one two three;

He was tormented by a hellish fate.
"one two three;

"Having walked a long way and eaten little, we had no choice but to keep moving forward."

"One, two, one, two, three!"

"My musket is on my shoulder..."

Although the lyrics were very sad, the soldiers sang them in a funny and cheerful way, attracting passersby to stop and watch.

The officers of the Ninth Army Corps felt utterly ashamed.

“Uh,” a lieutenant in command tentatively asked the legion commander, “Should we stop them?”

“Never mind,” the Ninth Army’s supreme commander stood silently for a moment, then sighed, “Let them sing.”
-
[Taneria Islands]
Chiliu Port
As soon as the sun rose, the naval infantry of the archipelago fleet began their daily morning routine training—rowing.

Although the naval infantry were trained by officers from the Grand Vinetta Legion, their training programs differed greatly from those of the army.

For example, naval infantry completely abandoned their extra-long guns, replacing them with short spears and sailor's knives.

For example, every naval infantryman must learn to use explosives and throw grenades.

In the army, typically only specific branches of service receive such training.

The smallest military unit of the naval infantry was also changed from a "tent" to a "boat" to adapt to the "water" environment.

Thirteen people filled the boat, making it a full vessel.

A more accurate way to put it is the other way around—because a large boat can carry thirteen people, a naval infantry "boat" has thirteen people.

On the gun emplacement outside Chiliu Harbor, General Antonio Serbiati was using a metal tube to observe the direction of the harbor.

On the waters of the harbor, countless large boats were chasing each other toward the fortress, even completely blocking the waterway of Chiliu Harbor.

Unlike the oarsmen on galleys, naval infantrymen do not shout slogans or use drumbeats when rowing. Each soldier on the large boat simply rows silently, relying on tacit understanding to maintain rhythm and uniformity.

Before long, the large boats rushed onto the beach.

The naval infantrymen nimbly leaped over the ship's side, dragged their gear out of the boat, and donned their armor on the spot—a small technological improvement that distinguishes naval infantry from army infantry.

In the blink of an eye, the naval infantrymen went from being dressed in plain clothes to being fully armed.

The crew members, dressed in their protective gear, then carried out special ladders from inside the boats.

This type of ladder was modified from the "crow drawbridge" on a galley, with an iron hook at the top that can bite into wood or get stuck in crevices in rocks.

The naval infantry's "Raven Bridge" was also improved by adding latches at both ends, allowing the ladders to be connected together when necessary.

The first boat squadron to assemble the ladders carried them and raced toward the fortress where António was located.

Ultimately, they were the first to climb the fort, becoming today's champions and winning honors, along with a bonus meal.

Antonio didn't speak, he just nodded.

But the adjutants around him knew that this was a great recognition.

It seems the lieutenant general was very satisfied with the troops' performance today.

António put down the metal cylinder and made a gesture. The surrounding officers raised their hands in salute, dispersed on the spot, and went about their own business.

After everyone else had left, Colonel Sebastian Vauban moved to General Serbiati's side.

“Recently,” Colonel Vauban said cautiously, “there have been some unfavorable rumors about you in the ‘Palace’.”

“Ha,” Antonio Serbiati chuckled, “Remind me when there are no more rumors against me, Colonel.”

Below the gun emplacement, naval infantrymen, having completed their training exercises, carried large boats into the sea.

This time, they could sing out loud as they rowed:

"We're setting sail immediately, our destination is Jin Port!"
"Hey yo! Hey yo!"

"The sail cable is so long! Tie it to the winch, looping it around and around!"

Good morning! Girls of Golden Harbor!

"When we finally arrive at Jingang!"

"Hey yo! Hey yo!"

Let's get drunk and never be sad again!

Good morning! Girls of Golden Harbor!

"The girls of Taniriya are beautiful and wanton."
"Hey yo! Hey yo!"

"We will spend all our rewards on them!"
Good morning! Girls of Jingang!
"We will wander all day long and fall in love."

"Hey yo! Hey yo!"

On the fortress, Lieutenant General Serbiati also began to hum softly:

"Until we embark on our journey home, back to our blue hometown."
-
(The Negotiation, End)
Negotiations have broken down! Prepare for a decisive battle!

[The dubbing includes a sample military song]

[And, regarding the music used in this chapter]
[A comment from a reader in the chapter review section has stuck with me: "I hate it when authors make me fill in the blanks with my own imagination. If readers have to fill in everything themselves, what's the point of having an author?"]
Therefore, rather than creating a completely fictional song and having readers imagine the melody from the lyrics, I prefer to use a real song.
[Although the lyrics had to be modified appropriately, at least now, if any readers really want to hear the songs sung and listened to by the characters in the book, they can actually hear them in the real world.]
[Also, I apologize for the word count issue with the lyrics. I've tried my best to make them shorter, otherwise they wouldn't convey the meaning. So, I apologize again.]