Iron Powder and Spellcaster

The fire started, and the farmhouse with wooden walls and thatched roof was instantly engulfed in flames.

While [Middle Tiefeng County] and [Shang Tiefeng County] still have the last trace of peace, this is not the case in other places.

Wargne County, Hammer Town, Oak Village.

Unarmed men and women, tied in strings with hemp rope and whips whipping mercilessly on their backs, stumbled away from their homes, crying all the way.

Not a single old man could be seen among the hundreds of captive Plato civilians, because old men without the ability to work were either left in their houses to be devoured by fire, or were killed directly.

In addition to the captives on the road, there were also carriages carrying food and utensils, horses carrying clothes and belongings, and... Telton people who were laughing and laughing.

Going forward, past the small forest in front of them, these Platoans will completely embark on the road of no return.

Suddenly, a young Platoan man broke free. He hid a small knife on his body and quietly cut the rope while the barbarian was not prepared.

The young man immediately wanted to untie the woman behind him, but was pushed off the road by the woman in tears.

The sound of horse hooves and whistles came from behind, and the young man also shed tears and staggered towards the woods.

But two legs can't outrun four legs, and the sound of hoofbeats is getting closer and closer.

Fear occupied the young man's mind. He instinctively looked back and saw a black shadow coming towards him.

Amid his mother's screams, the young man was knocked down by Yiguduo Dootou.

The man who struck down the young Platoan man was a Hird of about his own age.

At the urging of the other Hirds, the young Hird dismounted. He tremblingly drew the bowstring, pointed at the heart of the man on the ground, turned his back to the riders, closed his eyes and let go.

The horn bow clanked, and other Hed people cheered and cheered.

The young Hed opened his eyes and found that the arrow had missed a bit and was stuck in the ground. He silently retrieved the arrow clusters, saddled up his horse, followed the other Hedians.

This young Hed man is the son of [Yuanguang], a small leader who owns forty families. [Yuanguang] is the friend and vassal of Qinglingyu Nayan [Red Moon].

Qing Lingyu [Red Moon] has 600 households, and can be regarded as a small and powerful foreign tribe within the Teldun tribe.

According to the tradition of marching and fighting among the Hud people, the fire-warmers divided the Terdun tribe into left and right wings.

The left wing is mostly composed of the unreliable foreign faction Nayan, with a total of more than 10,000 cavalry;

The right wing was dominated by Na Yan, a direct relative of the Jin family, with nearly 8,000 people, commanded by the roaster himself.

According to the route agreed before the war, the two wings of Terdun will spread their wings like birds and separately plunder the newly cultivated provinces.

The left wing crossed the river from the lower reaches, roughly entering the newly cultivated land from [Warnie County] and [Maplestone City].

The right wing crossed the river from the upper reaches, roughly entering the newly cultivated land from [Tiefeng County].

Another wing of troops pretended to attack Jinghu County, involving the power of the Plato people.

On the surface, the upper reaches are barren, vast and sparsely populated, while the lower reaches are rich and densely populated. It is a favor to allow Nayan from the foreign department to plunder the lower reaches.

In fact, it was just the opposite. According to the roaster's assumption, although the lower reaches were fatter, it was also more difficult to cross the river, and the main combat power of the Palatuan people was deployed downstream.

During the great plunder in mid-September, even the coalition forces of the Hed tribes on the south bank failed to gain favor in Jinghu County.

Let Na Yan from the outside faction go to the lower reaches to involve the Platoans, while he leads his own troops to plunder the upper reaches, and then wait for opportunities to go north, east, or retreat according to the battle situation - this was the original plan of the roasters.

The people of Teltown accepted this strategy obediently, and even Nayan from the foreign department didn't find it strange. There is a difference between closeness and distance. Shouldn't fat meat be eaten by relatives instead of by outsiders?

However, things don't always go as planned.

When Iron Peak County showed great tenacity, they stubbornly blocked Turtown's right wing from the Bighorn River. On the contrary, it was Telton's left wing that caused extremely serious damage in [Warnie County], even threatening the jurisdiction of Maplestone City.

Because he knew that his fighting power was insufficient and he did not have a big leader to take the lead, Zhu Nayan of the left wing simply gave up the idea of ​​"fighting a war."

Before entering the newly cultivated land, Terdun's left wing dispersed in a flurry. Nayan and Keta, big and small, acted separately, each crossing the river according to their own ability, and whoever grabbed it would get it.

Some of them even turned around quietly while driving their herds, smeared the soles of their feet with oil, and went home quietly.

On the other hand, the military governor of Wargne County did not evacuate the villages, reduce the number of troops, and focus on defense as suggested by the rebel leader Montagne.

He deployed his troops on a river bank more than 200 kilometers wide. The overall structure was like an egg, "hard on the outside and soft on the inside." There was a squadron of hussars inside to clean up the scattered enemies.

It's hard to argue that his decision-making was bad, while Winters' decision-making was good.

Because Winters made his judgment based on the premise that [Wargne County's troops are empty].

Without enough troops, it was impossible to effectively defend the river, so Winters suggested that Wargne County give up the river bank, evacuate the countryside, and guard the forts and towns to minimize losses.

But the actual situation is that [seven infantry brigades are secretly gathering in Wargne County for the coming year's campaign against the rebels] - Winters certainly does not know this.

If arranged properly, maybe Warnie County can keep the Terdun barbarians out of the river like Zhong Tiefeng County did.

However, the Terdun people arrived much faster than the military governor of Wargne County expected. Before the troops of Wargne County were in place, the leading force of Telldun's left wing had already crossed the river.

As soon as the Teltons broke into Warne County, they scattered like mercury over the ground.

The Wargne County garrison, which lacked cavalry, fell into a passive situation of "it could beat them, but it could not catch up".

If they set up their battle formations and fight openly and openly, even if the Plato army is inferior in strength, they will still have the confidence to fight against the Tertun people.

However, the Hed people have always been "not shy about running away". They will avoid places where resistance is strong and go to other places when reinforcements come.

There were only about a hundred hussars in Wargne County, but the first group of Teldon barbarians to invade Wargne County had fourteen Tulu (centurions) and more than a thousand cavalry.

A squadron of hussars is simply unable to deal with so many barbarians, and will be eaten in turn if they are not careful.

The commander of Wargne County had a hard heart and did not dispatch any troops to reinforce the defense line along the river. Instead, he severely urged all troops to rush to their deployment positions.

As for the Telton people who have entered Wargne County, the Wargne County commander's response strategy is to "intercept and kill the enemy when they cross the Glorious River westward and withdraw from Wargne County".

For a military commander who is responsible for the safety of a county, this may be the most reasonable decision. Because as long as the river bank defenses collapse, more, more, more barbarians will flood into Warne County.

But for villages that lack protection and fail to be evacuated in time, this is tantamount to a catastrophe. They are like eggs without shells, and the Teltun people can eat them as they please.

This is how the tragedy in Oak Village happened.

When the Hammercastle Cavalry arrived at Oak Village, the village had been wiped off the map, leaving only the blackened ruins and a flickering fire.

As the gateway to Iron Peak County, Winters left a small force garrisoned at Hammerkeep.

Seeing the thick smoke rising into the sky from the north, the commander of Fort Hammer immediately led his cavalry to rush to the rescue, but it was still a step too late.

Smelling the burning smell of death, the horses snorted anxiously.

The Commander of Hammerfort is a gloomy man with a red birthmark covering half of his face.

"Search." He ordered with a concise and concise command, cherishing his words like gold.

The scouts dispersed, looking for survivors and clues.

"We found some corpses, all burned to a state of disgrace. There were no survivors." Some elderly sergeants reported. The old sergeant was so angry that veins popped out on his forehead: "I didn't spare any of them. They were either killed or kidnapped."

The man with the red birthmark looked increasingly gloomy.

"There are fresh tracks and hoof prints on the road to the west of the village!" Another scout reported: "The barbarian must have gone west!"

"How much?" the man asked.

"You can't tell." The scout shook his head: "The tracks of humans and animals are mixed together, at least a hundred people and a hundred riders."

"Chase!" the birthmark man ordered.

"Sir, no! Wait!" The old sergeant hurriedly stopped in front of the man with the birthmark: "There are too few of us. We only have eighteen riders in total. It's useless to catch up!"

The man with the birthmark said nothing and stared at the old sergeant.

The old sergeant was born in Dussac and was the most senior among the eighteen cavalrymen present. Even he was stared at in fear by the man with the birthmark.

He bravely tried to dissuade him: "If the Hud Barbarian has the size of a centurion, we cannot deal with it. If the Barbarian appears here, he can enter Tiefeng County by land. The top priority should be to report the news to Jevaudan.

Besides, this is Wargne County, we shouldn't be here. If someone sees it, they might put the shit basin on us! "

"This man is not dead!" Another scout shouted from a distance.

The birthmark man and the old sergeant heard the sound and immediately urged their horses to get closer.

I saw a young man lying in the farmland with his face covered in blood. If his chest was not still rising and falling weakly, it would be almost indistinguishable from a corpse.

The old sergeant struggled to get off his horse, touched the young man's neck for a while, then looked up at the man with the birthmark: "He's still alive."

"Take them away." The man with the birthmark pulled the reins: "Withdraw."

…

…

Tiefeng County, Niuti Valley.

According to the order of the tribune of Montagne, nearly a hundred "chopping stakes" were erected in the town square, filling the square.

The so-called chop stake is a strong log, half of which is driven into the soil and the other half is exposed on the ground.

Whether you are a military noble or an ordinary soldier, the first lesson in learning swordsmanship is to chop wood stakes and practice using force.

This is the meaning of the proverb "It takes three days to chop a wooden stake, and even an idiot can go to war."

The word "strength" sounds simple, but it is difficult to do. Just a small thing like [keeping the blade of the sword consistent with the trajectory of the swing] actually requires consistent practice.

If the posture of the sword is wrong, that is, if you hit someone with the sword, not only will it be unable to exert its power, but it will also easily cause the sword to break.

It's better to just use a stick - the mallet doesn't care about the angle anyway.

So Winters modified the chop pile, adding a crossbar to the otherwise bare wooden pile.

"Many of you have never touched a weapon." Winters stood on the high platform holding a mace in his hand, and his voice reached everyone's ears clearly: "That's good."

Among the adult men in Oxhoof Valley, all those who can ride horses, shoot arrows, and use muskets have been picked off, leaving only these "killer sticks" in the square.

The weapons issued to these people were also literally "club" weapons-thorn maces.

"People who have learned how to use weapons are often self-righteous and unwilling to accept new knowledge, so they are not as good as you people with a blank sheet of paper." Winters scanned the square majestically: "Listen, you don't need much to fight in the battle formation, just Just learn one move and that’s enough.”

Winters first demonstrated how to hold the weapon: "Hold it with your right hand at the tail and your left hand at the middle."

Then he walked up to the chop pile and demonstrated the steps.

Finally, the method of use is demonstrated: first with one move - deflect the crossbar, and then take a step forward to thrust.

"Just practice these two movements." Winters let go of his hands, and the stabbing mallet was deeply pierced into the wooden stake, and the tail of the rod trembled.

The civilians of Niu Tu Valley in the square were confused at first, and then started to practice stiffly under the scolding of the sergeant.

Winters walked off the platform, and Samkin ran over and asked: "Is it still too late? Centurion?"

"It was too late, so I only asked them to practice two moves." Winters flicked his wrist and asked, "Believe it or not, if they really had to go into battle, they would forget all about even two moves. In the end, they would just be swinging. Beating him with a stick."

"Trust." Samujin smiled happily: "When I first formed the formation, I just shot people hard with my spear. In the end, I didn't even think that the spear had a point. Since it's too late, is it useful to let them practice this?"

"Is it useful? It may be a little useful, or it may not be useful. But it is more useful if you practice it than if you don't practice it."

Samujin nodded and asked again: "A few people from Niuho Valley came to me and said that they knew how to fire guns and wanted to join the Musketeers. What do you mean?"

"No." Winters looked coldly: "What have you been doing?"

"yes."

"Have the scouts who crossed the river returned?" Winters asked for the fifth time.

"Not yet." Samujin asked tentatively: "If I don't come back, do I need to send him again?"

"Send," Winters said firmly, "keep sending more. I'll go myself!"

Trial attacks by the Terdun Division became more frequent.

Three times on the first day, six times on the second day, twelve times on the third day, and sixteen times on the fourth and fifth days. As few as three or forty people are dispatched each time, and as many as hundreds of people are dispatched.

Time is not limited to dawn, sometimes it is morning, sometimes afternoon, sometimes late at night.

The distance between the attack locations is also getting wider and wider. To the south you can reach the confluence of Pangtuo River and to the north you can reach Forge Furnace Township.

The Tertons did more than measure the depth of water. Depending on the opportunity, they will also smuggle a small group of people and horses ashore to spy on the true situation of Tiefeng County.

In the first three days alone, the four companies stationed in Oxhoe Valley and the two companies stationed in Forge Township were already exhausted.

Winters knew what the fire-warmer was up to.

The Teltun people's tactics are like bullfighting, waving red flags around the venue to lure the bull into chasing and running, and then attack when the bull is exhausted.

The enemy has many soldiers, and they are all on horseback; Winters has few soldiers, mainly infantry.

The battlefield is so vast - Zhongtiefeng County alone has 80 kilometers of riverbank - with the mobility of the Teldun Department, it would be a strange thing not to make an issue with the width of the battlefield.

In response, Winters deployed more and more troops on the river bank. This includes using the 9th and 10th companies stationed in Shengke Town, as well as expanding the army on the spot.

Under the emergency powers granted to the garrison officer by the Tord Accords, all males over the age of fifteen in the Oxhoof Valley were conscripted into the temporary militia.

The brave and energetic teenagers and young men who had not yet matured in strength received bows, arrows and slings. They were organized into auxiliary troops and assigned to each main infantry company.

Among the remaining adult males, those who had practiced weapons, could ride horses, or could shoot guns were singled out and led by several gentlemen who had served as soldiers, and were called "adult soldiers" - because these people usually have relatively rich families. Wealthy and slightly older.

The other adult men, those who were practicing how to use the mace, were commanded by sergeants assigned by Winters and were called "young men."

If it was just a low-intensity fight like this, Winters could continue with the Teltuns.

The fire-warmers wanted to kill the people of Tiefeng County, and Winters was killing the fire-warmers' time.

The longer it is delayed, the better it will be for Tiefeng County.

The situation seems to be moving in a good direction, but there is a small black spot on the smooth white paper: How can the Teltown people, who don't even have to eat hay and can only dig grass roots, have the confidence to continue to waste away?

Winters cares about this.

Frequent probing attacks also involved a lot of energy from the Teltun people, causing loopholes in the Teltun people's defense on the river bank.

According to the records from the watchtowers along the coast, the patrol frequency of Terdun Qingqi has dropped significantly in the past three days.

So Winters began to send scouts across the river to conduct reconnaissance, no matter the cost, he crossed the river to conduct reconnaissance.

"He's back!" Charles shouted and galloped on his horse: "We're back!"

"Where?" Winters asked.

"In the medical clinic, Father Carman's."

At the Cowhoof Valley Church, which was temporarily requisitioned as a medical center, Winters met the heroic scouts who had returned from injury.

"Centurion!" The scout didn't speak until he saw Winters in person: "It's empty! The Teltun camp is empty! The main force of the barbarians is no longer on the other side of the river! Their whereabouts are unknown!"

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