Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 777 The Turmoil in the Southeast
Achoo! Cough cough—

The military vehicle, covered by a tarpaulin, was drafty from all sides. Sitting in the carriage, Hick couldn't help but sneeze several times. Every time he opened his mouth, he was filled with cold air, which made him cough repeatedly.

The comrade standing close to him quickly handed him a water bottle, smiling and saying, "This is warm water that we just got from the last transport station. Drink a couple of sips to calm your nerves."

"Thanks, brother..." Hick waved his hand and looked out through the gap in the car awning, discovering that a thick white fog had risen up over the vast grassland at some unknown time.

“That’s how it is in Eisengard. After autumn arrives, the temperature drops sharply in the mornings and evenings. People from the south like you probably aren’t used to it,” a soldier born in the border region explained. “In previous years, these grassland people would have driven their herds of cattle and sheep south to prepare for the winter.”

But right now, let alone cattle and sheep, even their own lives are constantly threatened by the slaughtering knives of foreign tribes.

This new independent battle regiment, which was sent to southeast of Eisengard, had at least one-third of its members from the Defence Force. After His Majesty the Emperor delivered a national address encouraging conscription, a fervent atmosphere swept through the garrison units throughout the kingdom, with a large number of Defence Force soldiers who met the recruitment requirements volunteering to join the war. Several mixed independent battle regiments were quickly formed.

New immigrants like Hick were naturally among them... While the military service in the defense force offered excellent benefits and the daily tasks were mostly safe, he always felt that something was missing in his life. Perhaps it was the ideals and aspirations that the teachers at the night school repeatedly mentioned, or perhaps it was his obligation to do something to protect his homeland.

"In a little while, the farms outside the capital will be ready for harvest..."

Unfortunately, we won't be able to enjoy the harvest from the city wall this year.

……

Snapped--

The whip flashed through the air before lashing a man's gaunt back, tearing a gash in his already tattered clothes and causing dark red blood to seep from the tattered fabric.

"You bunch of bastards! All of you, hurry up! If you don't reach Burning Wind Fortress before dark, I'll tie you all to the backs of your horses and drag you along!"

The man who had been whipped immediately recalled the bloodied and mangled figure he had been dragged behind the horse not long ago, and couldn't help but shudder... He forced himself to his feet despite the throbbing pain in his wound and stumbled forward.

A knight in full armor rode up and whispered to the nobleman holding the whip, "Your Excellency, the town of Firefly Grass is ahead. Shall we stop to resupply and rest for a while before continuing our journey?"

"Yes, we can stop for a while and give the horses some water."

Although they were rushing back to the newly captured slaves early in the morning, the Fenfeng Fortress, located at the border crossing, was still dozens of miles away. If they didn't stop along the way... it would be fine if some of the slaves were worn out, but the knights' carefully raised warhorses couldn't be allowed to suffer.

Baron Kent was already taking a risk by obtaining permission from the Grand Duke of Raton to lead his three hundred elite cavalry across the border into the beleaguered Eisengard... If there were any additional losses along the way, it would be a loss for him.

Simply crossing the border to abduct people once doesn't yield very substantial profits... Most of those willing to pay for slaves in the entire southeast region are either the cave dwarves from the Hills of Breath mines or the coastal city-states of the southern seas. The costs of long-distance transport will gradually dilute the originally substantial profits of the slave trade.

Only by cooperating with local noble lords and, with their support and tacit approval, establishing a mature human trafficking route to continuously abduct refugees from the war-torn north of Eisengard, can it be considered a highly profitable business.

Fortunately, Baron Ramirez of Foehnwind Fortress shared his views on this matter. After relinquishing 40% of the trade profits, Foehnwind Fortress, situated at a strategic pass, naturally became a border transit point for Baron Kent's human trafficking. A troop of cavalry, led by the baron, drove the roped slaves and soon arrived at the town of Firefly Grass at the foot of the hill.

From a distance, you can see some scattered tents pitched on the open ground outside the town, with many people moving back and forth among them, seemingly busy cooking.

"Huh? Wasn't Firefly Grass Town abandoned? Which local noble's private army is passing through here..."

Baron Kent raised his hand to stop the march and sent a few cavalrymen to find out who the enemy was. Soon after, his men returned with a report.

"Baron, they claim to be the remnants of a noble private army that was defeated by foreign tribes in the north. They fled south all the way here, numbering about five or six hundred, and there are no nobles or knights among them."

Are they all mercenaries from commoner backgrounds?
Baron Kent narrowed his eyes and pressed further, "Don't they have horses and armor? What about their weapons? Do they have bows and crossbows or anything like that?"

The squire knight shook his head and said, "No, the other party was just wearing a cotton coat of the same color, and only carried a short metal spear on his back. The forging craftsmanship was quite exquisite."

It is highly likely that they are private soldiers raised by a powerful nobleman in the already fallen Steelrock City!
The baron's heart skipped a beat. Although they were scattered and defeated soldiers, their quality was clearly much better than that of the starving refugees. If he could recruit them into his ranks, it would be a tremendous boost to his strength. However, if they refused to submit, they would not be able to withstand a cavalry charge. At worst, he could handcuff them all and sell them to the south for a much higher price than ordinary slaves!
"Leave a few men to guard the slaves, the rest of you come with me... We'll launch a direct raid on their camp outside the town, first scattering their ranks, then using lassos to capture any who escape!"

Seeing that the baron intended to resort to force, the cavalrymen immediately perked up, grinning maliciously as they replied in unison, "Yes, sir!"

The momentum of hundreds of cavalrymen charging in formation was astonishing, like a torrent rushing down the hill in an instant.

Baron Kent, who was at the forefront of the group, had just drawn his longsword from his waist and was about to raise his arm and give a final roar before the close combat when he saw the "private soldiers" in front of him suddenly assemble into a formation, some half-crouching and some standing upright, drawing the short metal spears from their backs and holding them straight forward, staring blankly at him.

boom--

After a burst of gunfire, many birds that had been perched on branches and rooftops were startled into flight in the deserted town.

……

Battalion Commander Karon put away his rifle and strode into the battlefield where they were cleaning up.

"I never expected that by lying in wait next to this abandoned town, I could actually catch so many nobles from neighboring countries who were abducting refugees."

The adjutant handed Chiron an exquisitely crafted sword inlaid with many jewels, and said with a disgusted expression, "The warband commander is right. Instead of blindly chasing these rabid dogs who roam around plundering, we should guard their only route south."

This is also a strategy His Majesty often talks about—using stillness to control movement…it's something like “waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump.”

(End of this chapter)