Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 91 Ending
After a night of fierce fighting, Veneta's forces captured the town of Chiliu, while the remaining Tanilian troops retreated into the bastion in the southwest corner of the town.

Lacking siege weapons, Veneta's forces failed in several probing attacks and did not launch another assault, resulting in a delicate stalemate between the two sides.

The Venetians have a numerical advantage, but they are not in a hurry to attack the bastion. Light galleys are salvaging shipwrecks in the bay and clearing the channel to allow heavy warships to enter.

The Tanilians did not retaliate; the artillery on their bastions had a range that could simultaneously cover the docks and the entire town—these small bastions located on the outskirts of town were designed not only to defend against external enemies but also to intimidate the citizens inside.

However, for some reason, the cannons in the bastion fell silent, allowing Veneta's light warships to come and go at the dock.

At dawn, Winters led the last survivors into Chiliu Harbor as victors for the first time. Andrei proudly raised the military flag, and the group proceeded unimpeded.

The earthen walls and moats surrounding the town were already taking shape, but the Tanilians never expected that Chiliu Harbor would be breached from the sea, rendering the walls and moats around the town useless.

Crossing the moat, the doors of houses within the city were tightly shut, and the corpses on the streets had not yet been dragged away. Military police, armed with halberds, patrolled everywhere to maintain discipline and ordered stragglers to return to their units.

The port of Chiliu was in chaos after its fall, with not only remnants of the Tanilian army causing trouble, but also many Venetian soldiers trying to take advantage of the situation. Order was barely maintained under the control of the military police.

Above the council hall, the Tanilians' red dragon flag was torn down and replaced with the golden lion flag—the symbol of Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venetia, and the military flag of the Venetian army.

Here, Winters met Lieutenant Colonel Field.

"Hahaha, didn't expect it to be us, did you?" Field laughed and gave Winters, who was covered in blood and soot, a bear hug.

“I really didn’t expect this…” Winters, who was about to salute, was choked and could hardly breathe: “…My men clearly contacted the Third Legion…I’m afraid even the Tanilians didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly.”

"The 'Great Venetta' is still adrift in the sea north of Chiliu Island, so this piece of meat is for us, 'St. Mark'," Lieutenant Colonel Field said gleefully. "Haha, but it's also thanks to your Third Army Corps. If they hadn't tied down the main force of the Tani, Chiliu Harbor wouldn't have been taken so easily."

After the order to go to war was issued, Lieutenant Colonel Field was transferred from the military police to the First Reserve "San Marco" Legion as a battalion commander. When Winters went to war with the Legion of Grand Vineta, the San Marco Legion was still being reorganized, and even Winters did not expect that this newly recruited reserve legion would go to war so quickly.

[Note: According to the results of the Constituent Conference after the Sovereign War, in order to avoid an arms race within the Cenas Union, each member state can only maintain a maximum of two standing corps.]

Because the standing legions were assigned from the Alliance, Venetta's two standing legions were designated as the Third Legion and the Fourth Legion.

However, militia and reserves, forces outside the standing army, exploited loopholes in the agreement and fell under the jurisdiction of the republics, thus remaining unrestricted. Therefore, the reserve corps "San Mark" was actually designated "First Reserve Corps."
"Where is Major Moritz?" Winters
“He’s patrolling outside.” Field said, half-laughing and half-crying, “I bet you wouldn’t believe it, but Moritz is still in charge of the military police after joining the legion. You’ll see him when he gets back.”

Before Field could finish speaking, the sound of boots came from outside the council hall, followed by a sharp shout of "Attention!"

Field and Winters instinctively straightened up.

A group of high-ranking officers pushed open the door and entered. The officer in the lead was dressed in a general's uniform. Before he even stepped inside, Winters heard his gruff voice: "What the hell are we waiting for? Waiting for the Tani to react? Once the Fifth Battalion lands, we'll launch a direct assault with four battalions!"

Winters happened to recognize the officer; it was Major General Layton, the officer in charge of receiving them as captains. He frowned, thinking for a moment, and then remembered hearing that Major General Layton was in charge of the newly formed reserve corps.

Field and Winters immediately saluted.

"Field, how's your troop regrouping going?" Major General Layton spoke in his usual blunt style. Before Field could answer, Layton looked at Winters: "And who are you?"

Although Winters still remembered Major General Layton, it was clear that Layton no longer remembered the young Warrant Officer Winters.

“This is Warrant Officer Winters Montagne of the Third Army! The one who destroyed those two iron chains blocking the sea! The one who destroyed the bay fortifications! The one who brought us victory! Without him, Red Sulphur Harbor would still be in the hands of the Tannen.” Fidel proudly introduced Winters before answering Layton’s question: “All six of my hundred-man squadrons have returned to their posts.”

The hall fell silent. The officers looked at the warrant officer next to Field in shock, thinking he was just one of Field's soldiers.

They all saw the battle flag flying high beside the burning fortress, but they didn't expect the person under the flag to be so... young, looking like a big child. However, the warrant officer's coat, almost soaked in blood and charred by fire, silently told everyone about the brutal battle he had experienced.

“Montagne… oh, I remember you.” Layton looked at Winters thoughtfully. He blurted out a remark that seemed nonsensical to the other officers: “You did a good job on the ship too.”

Winters saluted and replied, "Yes."

“Kid, I wasn’t nearly as capable as you when I was your age.” Layton made an unexpected move, taking off his Oak Leaf Lion Medal and pinning it to Winters’ blood-stained coat. “Without you, Red Sulphur Harbor would still be in Tanny’s hands. Keep up the good work, you’ll definitely achieve more than I have in the future.”

Winters simply saluted and replied. He was neither proud nor honored; he hadn't fought the Tanilians for medals, and a medal couldn't bring back a life lost.

Looking at Winters' calm expression, Layton's opinion of the young warrant officer rose even higher. He pointed at Winters and said, "You will stay and participate in the military council."

Without any formalities, a table was dragged over, a map was laid out, and the officers stood in a circle around the table to begin the meeting.

The meeting was simple: Major General Layton, unable to bear the sword of Damocles hanging over his head, was determined to capture the bastion of Red Sulfur Harbor.

“I just took some men to check it out. It’s just a small four-pointed star fortress, not even a triangular one.” Layton attached a map to it, marking it with a charcoal stick as he spoke. “The fortress is surrounded by water to the south, so we can only attack from the other three sides. The Chief Battalion will control the defenses of Red Sulfur Harbor, the Second, Third, and Fourth Battalions will attack from the other three sides, and the Fifth Battalion will be in reserve. The morale of the Tani people is definitely very low. As soon as we cross the moat, they’ll be scared into surrendering!”

Another officer clearly disagreed with Layton's view. In the Vinnetta Army's unreserved military council, he questioned, "The trench is at least ten meters wide, and it's filled with water. How are we going to cross it?"

"Tow the small boat ashore and use it as a temporary pontoon bridge," another officer who supported the assault said.

"Build a pontoon bridge right under the noses of the fortress's cannons?" Field chimed in, clearly opposed to a direct assault: "I think we can put on a show of force to intimidate the Tani, but we shouldn't actually throw people into it. The Tani inside the fortress probably want to surrender, otherwise why haven't they shelled us yet?"

“If they wanted to surrender, they have already done so.” The officer who had just suggested building a pontoon bridge immediately retorted, “But the Federation’s flag is still flying on the bastion.”

“It’s highly likely that the Tani people inside are also wavering, or waiting for a good enough surrender offer.” Field insisted that they should be persuaded to surrender: “The main Tani force is still on the island. We should save our troops to deal with them, not waste them on attacking the fortress.”

The lowest-ranking officers present were majors. A general was leading a group of field officers in a meeting, and Winters certainly didn't intend to interrupt.

However, Layton's attention was fixed on the silent Winters. He called on him and asked, "Warrant Lieutenant Montagne, you are the one who knows this island best among us. What do you think?"

All eyes immediately turned to Winters.

“The bastion was renovated three months ago, with new cannons added, and there are also water tanks inside. The gunpowder and grain depots are also full.” Since he had been called out, Winters was not intimidated and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “But the main force of the Federation is currently confronting the Third Army Corps. This bastion is now mainly defended by the militia of Red Sulfur Harbor, which means that the families of the garrison are all in the city.”

With a group of high-ranking officers present, Winters did not offer any suggestions, but simply stated the intelligence he had obtained objectively, though his intentions were already clear.

"This is a military council, what are you afraid of? Just say what you have to say!" Layton's temper was as fiery as ever, and he scolded Winters with dissatisfaction: "Stop talking nonsense!"

“The garrison at the bastion should be negotiable.” Winters, who had been reprimanded, was also a bit annoyed and stated his opinion directly. He added, “In addition, there are 32-pound heavy cannons in the fort in the bay. Whether we want to negotiate or launch a strong attack, we can drag those heavy cannons over first.”

After hearing Winters's words, Layton made the decision: "It's settled then. Send a Tanny from the city to deliver the message. If they want to talk, they can talk; if they don't, then we'll fight. The chief battalion will be responsible for moving the heavy artillery that Montagne mentioned, and the other battalions will go back to prepare for the attack."

"What about the trenches?" someone asked. "If the Tani don't surrender," Layton scoffed, "then let the Tani in Red Sulphur Harbor fill them in! Disband!"

……

……

Outside the council hall, the crowd that had been waiting for a long time finally saw Winters come out.

"Why is it taking so long?" Andrei was getting very impatient.

Winters tore something from his chest and threw it into Andrei's arms: "Contel and Layton are the same kind of people."

"What is that?" Andrei caught it hastily, his eyes widening suddenly: "Victory Medal?"

Seeing Andrei's delighted expression, Winters said to him gloomily, "You'll soon be like them."

"Where did this Victory Medal come from?" Andrei's eyes lit up, no longer hearing what Winters was saying. "Is...is this a real Victory Medal?"

"Keep it if you want it."

"Really? Really for me? Don't you regret this later? Is this a real Victory Medal?" Andrei was so excited he was almost incoherent.

"Have you managed to get any manpower?" Bard's focus was not on the same thing as Andrei's at the moment.

“Damn it!” Winters cursed. “Layton came in for a meeting in the middle of the night, and I’ve forgotten what I was doing there.”

He turned to return to the council chamber, but bumped into Lieutenant Colonel Field as he came out.

Field pulled Winters along: "The Federation's troops are still on the island. You can rest here for a while and return to your unit after the Third Legion arrives."

"Lieutenant Colonel, please lend me ten men. It would be best if you could lend me a few horses as well."

Do you need manpower to do this?

Winters was silent for a moment, then said with red eyes, "My men are still lying there, I have to take them back."

Bud and Field explained the whole story of their arrival on the island and the agreement with the Heard people.

“Go.” Field’s expression also turned serious. “I’ll give you two squads of ten… Be careful, there are still Tanny’s men outside.”

……

……

After the truck carrying the bodies returned to Red Pine Manor, Winters heard only weeping.

The Herd women struggled to identify the mutilated, burned corpses, and in the end, all they could do was weep.

"What are you crying for? Stop crying!" The boy who had been standing next to Herstius wiped away his tears and scolded the weeping women and children: "If you cry, the ship carrying them across the River Styx will capsize. Stop crying!"

Kalman stared helplessly at the corpses piled on the truck; the sight before him deeply shocked even the doctor.

He clutched the boy's hand in anguish, trembling as he questioned, "Why? Why? Did I whip you? Did I abuse you? Did I separate your families? I treated you with all my might, yet why did you still go and die for the Venetians? You're all dead, all dead..."

“Mr. Kalman, you’ve been very good to us. You’re the only slave owner on Chiliu Island who treats the Heds kindly.” The boy stared intently into Kalman’s eyes and asked, word by word, “But even so, aren’t we slaves? Aren’t our sons and daughters slaves? Aren’t our sons’ sons and daughters’ daughters slaves? I’m willing to treat you kindly too. Would you be willing to be my slave?”

Kalman was stunned by the question posed by the boy and left dejectedly.

Winters walked over to the young boy and said softly, "I'll take you to Red Sulphur Harbor, and once the Third Legion lands, I'll send you home immediately."

The boy, barely a teenager, sobbed and gave a soft "Mmm".

"Herstus... I hope you can take him back to his hometown for burial."

"Ah."

“I am not familiar with the funeral customs of the Hed people. They are prone to spreading disease now. It would be best to cremate the body and then take it back with you. Is that alright? If cremation is not allowed in Hed funeral customs, we will think of another way.”

“He can be cremated.” The boy wiped away his tears and said with red eyes, “You are Herstius’s ‘Kurshita,’ so you can decide what happens to him after his death.”

……

In a secluded clearing of Red Pine Manor, torches ignited a pile of firewood, burning away the last vestiges of human flesh and texture.

The Hed people sang a farewell song to the dead in a low voice.

The remains of the Venetian soldiers were not cremated; for the Venetians, cremation meant that they would not be resurrected until the end of time.

Winters and the others wielded shovels and picks, digging pits to bury the remains of the Venetta soldiers.

He suddenly remembered Major Moritz's view on life and death: only the living have meaning, and for the dead, no matter what their sacrifice brought, it was meaningless.

He shuddered and dared not think any further.

Field's advice echoed in his ears: "Don't get too close to your soldiers, keep your distance, or you're not fit to be an officer."

“Yes,” Winters added the last handful of soil. “Maybe I’m really not cut out to be an officer.”

Thank you to the readers who voted for the book before, and thank you to the readers who voted for the book: Justice and Purity is Koala, Tianshui has a Beauty, Social Justice Old Wang, Please call me Happy Sheep, Ke kkkkk, Smoke and Clouds Disperse, Yuan Hongjian, 20181013204343295, writersblock, and "Don't Know What to Call".

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(End of this chapter)