Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Shovel Harbor Pier]

The monkey sat listlessly on a wooden pier with fish scales, turning his head and looking behind him from time to time, as if he could see the war outside the city through the houses and streets.

He pricked up his ears to listen for the sound, and when the cannon fired, he jumped as if he had squeezed his toes.

"The fight has begun!" The monkey grunted anxiously: "The fight has begun!"

"It's none of your business when people set off cannons?" Lu Xirong angrily pulled the monkey back to his original position: "Sit down."

Monkey and Lu Xirong were hiding in a thatched shed on the pier. Usually, after fishermen sold their catch, they would bring the unwanted small fish here to pickle and dry them.

Therefore, the gaps between the wooden boards under the hay shed have long been filled with black dirt, which is a mixture of blood, mud and fish offal.

Even if the nostrils are plugged with radishes, the monkeys can still smell the disgusting stench and rotten smell. Although Lu Xirong didn't say anything, he frowned.

On the other hand, Peter Bunier, who was hiding in the fish-killing grass shed with the monkey and Roussillon, didn't seem to feel any discomfort.

Monkey looked at Sergeant Bunir with mixed emotions. The latter was looking at the lake attentively, holding a small piece of dried fish in his hand, chewing it like a squirrel.

"Sergeant Bunir." Monkey asked angrily: "There must have been a fight outside the town. Isn't it good for us to hide here?"

Peter looked at the new recruit in confusion and answered without thinking: "No...it's good to stay here."

"I heard that the bandit leader Potal brought many people here!" The monkey seemed to have punched the cotton. He was half angry and half begging: "We have to go support Lord Tamas!"

"Support?" Peter was even more confused. He scratched the back of his head and replied a little blankly: "The battalion commander does not need our support."

The monkey's anger was really ignited now. He jumped up again, bared his teeth and roared: "We are the first company! Lord Tamas' personal leader! But what? They are fighting! We are watching. water!"

This time, before Peter Bunier could say anything, Roussillon had already put a large shoe print firmly on the monkey's butt, and then placed another imprint on the other butt in frustration.

Roussillon dragged the uneasy recruit back to his seat and apologized to Peter Bunier: "This boy...well, he didn't catch a single head when he beat the Hed Barbarian, and he was worried. Sergeant, you Don't argue with him..."

"It's okay." Peter waved his hands in a panic. He actually didn't quite understand why the recruit was suddenly so angry, because just now his attention was mainly focused on the piece of dried fish in his mouth that he couldn't chew thoroughly: "It's okay."

After thinking carefully for a long time, Peter walked around Roussillon and explained to the recruits: "Well, well, I don't understand why the battalion commander asked me to take charge of the first company, and I don't understand why the first company doesn't go to fight."

"But." Peter Bunier said seriously: "Captain Moreau must have a reason for asking us to guard the dock. We just need to obey the order."

The monkey lowered his head and remained silent.

Then, he received another slap on the head from Lu Xirong.

"The sergeant is talking to you!" Lu Xirong scolded: "Answer 'yes' to me!"

The monkey squeezed out a voice from between his teeth: "Yes."

"'Yes, sergeant'!" Lu Xirong slapped the uneasy recruit again.

The monkey stood up and saluted reluctantly: "Yes! Sergeant."

Peter still didn't understand why the recruit was so angry. He subconsciously returned the salute, but the recruit had already sat down heavily on Shayudunzi.

Lu Xirong, a veteran of the Fifth Army, bowed his head apologetically towards Sergeant Bunir, then turned to look at the monkey. After a long silence, he sighed and said sincerely: "You kid still doesn't know how lucky you are! You meet a good man, and Sergeant Bunir won't care about you. If it were another vicious guy, he would have peeled off your skin long ago!"

"Old man." Peter Burnier asked curiously: "How many years have you been a soldier?"

Hearing this question, Lu Xirong took off his helmet, smoothed his gray hair, smiled bitterly, and then said nonchalantly: "I haven't calculated it myself, it's almost... twenty years."

Monkey's eyes widened in disbelief. Although he knew that Sergeant Lu Xirong was a veteran, he never thought that he had served for so long: "Twenty years? I have only lived for a total of eighteen years. You have? Twenty years." ?”

"Twenty years..." Peter looked at the lake, chewing the dried fish, as if sighing.

…

[Outside Shovel Harbor Town]

"preparation!"

"aim!"

"Fire!"

"boom!"

After completing the shooting, the musketeer pulled out the bracket, shouldered the musket, turned and walked towards the back of the queue.

The musketeer who was originally in the second row took three steps and placed the bracket.

"preparation!"

"aim!"

"Fire!"

"boom!"

Although the shooter pulled the firing lever at different times, the gunshots sounded unified.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

On the front line of the new army in Tiefeng County, the sound of firing from each company came and went, like some kind of rhythmic melody.

However, for the soldiers under Potal's command, what came from the front was not a melody, but the hoofbeats of the death knight.

When approaching for reconnaissance, Portal had already discovered that the rebels' formation was strange. They did not form the usual solid square formation, but spread out in horizontal formations.

The horizontal lines are like bricks building a wall, stacked on top of each other, starting from one tip and extending towards the two wings.

Portal guessed that the opponent had a one-sided formation because it was defending with its back against the wall and did not need to guard against possible attacks from the rear.

To some extent, Portal is right. But when he actually commanded the troops to move toward the rebel formation, he was shocked to realize that because they were spreading out horizontally, the rebel front with a numerical disadvantage was actually wider.

On the contrary, Portal's own troops faced the enemy with a solid phalanx, and almost all the soldiers inside and behind the phalanx were "wasted". Not only is it unable to outflank the enemy, but there is a risk of being outflanked by the enemy.

But Potal neither dared nor could he march in a horizontal line like the rebels.

The rebels dared to line up like this because they had their backs against the wall and had no worries; but there was a sharp blade called "Rebel Cavalry" hanging above Potal's head. If Potal's soldiers lined up horizontally, the rebel cavalry would A single charge could completely destroy Potar's army.

What's more, Potal's troops were able to maintain discipline largely because of the sense of security that the phalanx gave the soldiers. What happens if the phalanx is disbanded? Portal couldn't imagine it.

Portal made a decisive decision and changed the direction of the infantry's advance. He no longer sought a central breakthrough and instead attacked one wing of the rebel line. He held only half of the squadron's riders in his hand to guard against the rebel cavalry that might suddenly appear, waiting for the fighter planes to attack the rebel flank.

He followed the tactics taught by Mr. Alpha exactly - sending his musketeers to shoot the rebels before their spearmen came within range of the rebel musketeers.

In the Union Army Academy textbook, this "exchange of fire" tactic is explained as: If the enemy shooters fire, their best first-round shooting opportunity will be wasted; if the enemy shooters do not fire, their own musketeers can continue Weaken enemy forces.

Then Portal's musketeers were attacked head-on.

One round, two rounds, three rounds...the rebels' muskets seemed to need no reloading, one after another.

Every time Portal's musketeers moved forward a short distance, the rebels would fire a new round of volley; each time the rebels' gunshots sounded, Portal's heart would stop.

Before the musketeers he sent could reach his shooting range, they were knocked down one after another by lead bullets that swept across the battlefield like hail. Those who were lucky enough to survive did not care about military law, dropped their weapons, and fled in front of the two armies.

The gunfire stopped, and the rebel formation returned to silence, as if they were silently mocking Potal.

The phalanx of the Shovel Harbor troops was also silent. No one knew whether they could survive.

Portal led his guards to catch up with the fleeing musketeers and killed them all.

When Potal returned to the front of the battle, his eyes were already red with bloodshot eyes. He didn't understand why he was beaten everywhere even though he was fighting according to the regular tactics taught to him by Alpha. He carried out Alpha's plan meticulously, but was restricted at every turn.

So what tactic? What officer? Go to hell! Just do it my way!

"Everyone in Shovel Harbor is a traitor! They have surrendered to the rebels! They are no longer protected by the laws of the Republic!" Potal shouted at the top of his lungs: "Take Shovel Harbor! Everything is for you to take! Women! Gold and silver ! Everything! Everything is yours!"

By the end, Potal's voice was almost an animal roar: "Don't worry about the formation! Spearmen! Kill them all! Charge!!!"

On the other side of the battlefield, Bart Schalling stared at the dancing gang leader in the distance and ordered the second battalion on the right wing of the front to move to the side of the enemy.

On the temporary artillery fort, Captain Moreau's voice was colder than his mask: "Fire the shotgun!"

Demon Anse ignites propellant charges and rains death upon his enemies.

…

At the same time, in a hut at the Shovel Harbor dock far away from the battlefield, Peter Bunier, who was chewing dried fish, suddenly said "Eh".

"What's wrong?" Lu Xirong asked: "Sergeant Bunir."

Peter pointed to the silhouette on the water outside the harbor: "It seems like a ship is coming."

"What?" The sleepy monkey suddenly became energetic: "Is there a boat? Did you really make us wait?!"

…

And in the southwest, also far away from the battlefield, Andre, who rushed to the battlefield at lightning speed, cursed: "[expletive]! It's still too late! There are only leftovers to eat! [angry expletive]!"

He actually arrived early. According to the original plan, the troops who captured Shovel Harbor would launch a feint attack on Portal Manor at the agreed time, lure the defenders of Portal Manor to attack, and then cooperate with the cavalry to annihilate them - a classic Hurd's trick, but combined with the Nulon Clock, the coordinated operation schedule can be accurate to the hour.

In order to ensure the success of the plan, Andre's cavalry must be hidden outside the patrol routes of the enemy's cavalry posts before launching the feint attack.

However, the plan was never as fast as the change, and he was still late - Potard thought that his troops could win in hand-to-hand combat, but the fact was that hand-to-hand combat was more cruel than shooting combat, and Potard's troops almost collapsed at the first touch.

"Sir! Wait!" Tulin's shout came from behind: "The new recruit can't keep up with you!"

Andre turned around and took a look: the men still following him were less than forty, and they were all in a miserable state. You know, when he set off from Gevaudan, he gathered a squadron.

Andre hammered his thigh in annoyance - the best cavalry and the best horses were all looted by that guy Winters, leaving him with only some unusable recruits and fools.

However, there is not without good news.

Because the cavalry brought by Winters were all lightly armed, the riders brought by Andre were all well-equipped, and the worst one had a captured Hedzha armor.

The Shovel Harbor Rebel Cavalry, which was originally evacuating, also spotted the Tiefeng County Cavalry that had just arrived on the battlefield and had not yet assembled - or perhaps noticed Lieutenant Andre's armor and horse clothes that were too gorgeous and conspicuous - and immediately changed direction. , galloping towards Andre's cavalry.

"Draw the sword!" Andre ordered: "Put the sword on the shoulder!"

The Tiefeng County riders who followed Andre to the battlefield drew their weapons.

"You being left in Tiefeng County means that you are all third-rate goods." Andre walked in front of his subordinates with a sword on his shoulder. He looked at his subordinates provocatively: "If you want to prove that you are not, then There’s an opportunity now.”

Túrin raised his saber and shouted feverishly: "Uukhai!"

"Shut up!"

"yes!"

Andre stood at the front of the riders. After a brief silence, he turned his head and said with a smile: "But don't be afraid, because the opponents are all inferior. I will go first. If you follow me closely, you can win." "

After saying that, he pulled the reins and stabbed the horse's ribs, causing the horse to raise its front hooves high.

Andre pointed his sword directly at the enemy: "Charge!"

At the other end of the battlefield, Portal, who was charging towards the rebel cavalry, found that the opponent not only did not retreat, but actively charged towards him, so he whipped his horse harder.

He immediately saw the gorgeously armored officer among the rebel cavalry. He already knows that today's victory may not be his. But if we can capture the opponent's important figures, things may turn around.

Two groups of cavalry collided on the plain between Shovel Harbor and the forest.

When he passed by the gorgeously armored rebel officer, the last thought in Portal's consciousness was "what a strength".

…

[Shovel Harbor Pier]

Alpha heard the sound of cannons and the melody of volleys of guns, but he arrived a step too late after all.

Shovel Lake can be reached by following the creek adjacent to Portal Estate. Although the creek could not accommodate large boats, and the Portal estate did not have enough large boats, Alpha did not need many boats.

According to the original plan, when Potal led the main force to launch a frontal attack on Shovel Harbor, Alpha would lead a small force to raid Shovel Harbor by boat - dealing with the rebels the same way the rebels did.

Like Andre, however, he arrived late.

However, even if he could arrive in time, the result might not change much: Alpha, who led the hand-selected centurions onto the dock, found himself surrounded by at least one and a half centurions.

"Put down your weapons! Surrender!" Lu Xirong took a step forward and shouted sternly: "Listen carefully! The gunfire outside has stopped! You have lost!"

The Shovel Harbor militiamen on the dock looked at me, I looked at you, and finally they all looked at the young man at the head, Mr. Alpha.

Mr. Alpha made no move.

The New Army soldiers present will all look at Sergeant Bunir, the acting company commander, waiting for Sergeant Bunir's order to kill all the small group of rebels.

Peter Bunier felt the gazes of his comrades, and he suddenly had a strange feeling, a feeling he had never had before, a feeling of "I must do something otherwise something bad will happen to everyone." The feeling - he was so ignorant that he didn't know that feeling was called "responsibility".

But he didn't know what he should do. He bravely walked towards the opponent's leader with trembling knees, and said cowardly and bravely: "It's over. Surrender. Otherwise, people will die. Many people will die."

His voice didn't sound like a threat, but like a begging.

But perhaps because of this, one of the Shovel Harbor militiamen threw away their weapons.

Then the second, the third...

"Put down your weapons!" Monkey saw that there were still some stubborn rebels waiting for the leader to express his position. He was very angry. He refused to do anything and walked into the rebels one by one without stopping. Weapon: "Surrender! Or die!"

Even if some Shovel Harbor militiamen are still hesitating, it does not mean that they have the courage to resist, they just need to be pushed. So the Shovel Harbor militiamen who finally refused to surrender their weapons acquiesced to the weapons being taken away.

"Hey! You!" The monkey holding a large bundle of swords came to the rebel leader and said in a pretentious manner: "Put down your weapons! Otherwise, we will kill you without mercy!"

The other party lowered his head and made no move.

The monkey waited impatiently and simply reached out to grab the opponent's sword.

This time, like a spark falling into a barrel of explosives, Alpha started to move. With lightning speed, he accurately controlled the monkey's wrist, then raised his leg and kicked the monkey's crotch with his boot.

"Sergeant! Back off!" Seeing this, Lu Xirong immediately pushed Sergeant Bunir away, picked up his halberd and stabbed the rebel leader with all his strength.

Alpha nimbly dodged the veteran's first stab. He held the sword in his right hand while holding the scabbard in his left hand. He used his one-handed sword to use two-handed swordsmanship. He used the spine of the sword to push away the veteran's second stab. He immediately rushed into the long pole and used The hilt of the sword struck the veteran hard and accurately.

Lu Xirong couldn't dodge and was hit hard. Even though he was wearing a breastplate, he was still hit by the heavy hammer-like hilt blow, which made his blood surge and he was dizzy.

The veteran staggered back a few steps, clutching his chest and falling to the ground.

Seeing that the old sergeant's life and death were uncertain, the monkey went crazy. Regardless of the severe pain in his crotch, he howled and pounced on the rebel leader - and then was kicked away cleanly.

Immediately afterwards, two more New Army soldiers who came to rescue were knocked down by Alpha.

Seeing that the surrendered rebels' eyes became uncertain, Peter Burnier shouted anxiously: "No one moves!"

Even if he is not smart, he can see that this guy in front of him is very difficult to deal with. I am afraid that no one in the entire company can win him in a one-on-one duel.

Fortunately, this is not a duel or a competition, but a life-and-death war.

And war is all about bullying the few with more people.

"Back off! Everyone back off!" Peter Bunir waved his arms and shouted the order: "Musketeers!"

The New Army soldiers beside the rebel leader either retreated or crawled, and they all distanced themselves from the rebel leader.

Alpha was just about to catch up and fight when he suddenly heard someone yelling "Try this", and then a fishing net flew towards him and caught him.

The monkey who threw the fishing net saw that the opponent was hit, raised his fist and rushed forward - but was kicked away again.

However, Alpha can solve the monkey, but he cannot solve the fishing net. The more he moves, the tighter the fishing net becomes.

Musketeers surrounded him from all directions. Faced with the black muzzle of the gun, Alpha, who was still struggling desperately one second, dropped his sword very simply the next second.

"I surrender."

"Huh?" Peter Bunier, who was about to order the musketeers to fire, was stunned.

"I surrender." Alpha repeated, smiling helplessly and said: "Take me to see Winters Montagne."

All the New Army soldiers present were stunned.

A figure flashed past.

"I'll fucking take you to see your uncle!" the monkey roared and kicked Alpha into the water.

…

Winters, two hundred kilometers away, suddenly sneezed.

Saber Saber glanced at the captain and asked rather disdainfully: "Are you catching a cold?"

"Maybe." Winters rubbed his nose.

Angelou escorted a Hurd man to Winters: "Centurion, the sentry found a sneaky guy."

"A personal follower of Chi Lian?" Winters asked.

"No." Angelou replied: "It seems to be a herdsman nearby."

"Let it go."

"I let him go," Angelou said helplessly, "but he refused to leave."

Winters walked up to the Hurd man, speaking in blunt Hurd, and asked: "[Hud], who are you? What do you want?"

The Hurd man raised his head in surprise, and after a while he spoke: "[Hurd language] I am Hanshan, a white-bodied man with a red head."

Winters asked coldly: "[Hud] Do you want to avenge Chi Lian?"

Han Shan swallowed his saliva and said: "[Hede] I want to know if the Chiliantou man is really dead."

Winters was a little confused, but still told Angelou: "Show him Chi Lian's body, and then let him go. We have stayed for too long and we must retreat as soon as possible."

Angelou came out of the tent and asked one of his subordinates to take Han Shan, a Hedian, to check Chi Lian's body. He turned around and returned to the tent and asked, "What should I do with the loot?"

"You have to ask?" Major Seber said impatiently: "Take away everything you can, and burn everything you can't take away!"

Angelou was unmoved. He just looked at Winters: "I mean...prisoner."

"Prisoners are not trophies?" Major Seber scolded him coldly: "Kill all the men who are taller than a wheel. Sell the children and women, just sell them to the guides. Taichi will want them."

Angelou didn't respond. He stood there, quietly waiting for Winters' order.

"Do this." Winters said thoughtfully: "In ten or twenty years, a group of Hud people will grow up who have a deep hatred against us."

"There is no deep hatred now?" Seb sneered and suddenly sneered: "If you are worried, you can kill them all. I have no objection."

Winters sighed and confessed: "Actually, I don't know what to do now. But if I want to kill women and children, I probably won't be able to do it. Do you have any good ideas?"

Major Seber rarely gave Winters a good look, and Winters also kept a respectful distance from Major Seber. The relationship between the two was basically in a state of mutual respect.

So Winters' sudden honesty caught Seb a little off guard, not to mention Winters asking him for advice.

"There is no good solution. If there was a better solution, we wouldn't have been fighting the Hed people for hundreds of years." Seb also answered honestly. Although his tone was softer, he still did not forget Ridiculing Winters: "How about you become the chief of these Hud barbarians? After all, the Huds attack and annex each other every day? I don't see them vendetta against each other to death. They will get used to it." "

"There are already rumors that I am a spy sent back to Plato by the White Lion." Winters sighed: "If I take in another group of Hurds, wouldn't it mean that I am a traitor?"

Seb didn't expect that Winters would reveal his own scars, so he sneered a few times in embarrassment and said nothing.

"Call the guide in," Winters ordered the guard.

The guide was brought into the tent. He looked quite nervous and his body movements were very uneasy.

"According to the way of the wilderness." Winters asked the guide: "After winning a battle, what should be done with the defeated?"

Realizing that he was not going to be silenced, the guide took a deep breath and relaxed his expression.

He lowered his head and replied respectfully: "In a great victory like Batu, Batu can control everything of the loser at will. Kill all the men who are higher than the wheel, possess all the beautiful women, livestock spirits, Gold, silver, heads of Guizhou, and slaves were awarded to meritorious warriors and nobles according to Batu's wishes, and their pastures were given to them."

Finally, the guide added: "Children who cannot remember can be brought into the felt tent to be raised, but children who can remember cannot be kept."

Major Seb laughed.

…

"[Hedian] I am the Champion of Plato and the Chosen One Hestas. I am your conqueror and your ruler." Winters did not let the guide translate, but directly used his half-baked words. Hud declared to the people in front of him: "[Hed] However, I will give you a chance to choose."

In front of Winters Horse, there were about a hundred white men, slaves, women and children from the old camp of the Chilian tribe. All the nobles and samurai class of the Akaribu were screened out - following the guide's advice.

Winters casually pointed at the guide sent by Taichi: "[Hed language] You can join Taichi's tribe as a white person."

"[Herd] Or." Winters raised his whip and pointed to the east: "[Herd] You can move eastward and accept my protection and rule."

Winters said no nonsense. In the culture of various tribes, talking too much means being weak, and weakness is the most despised quality in the wasteland. The wasteland can accept wisdom, bravery, and even cruelty, but it does not accept weakness.

"[Herd] If you can keep up, come on!"

After that, Winters rode away, and the black cavalry and the convoy full of trophies also left with him. The tribesmen who once belonged to Chi Lian were left standing in the ruins, making choices for their own destiny.

…

"Why did you two keep up?" Winters couldn't laugh or cry.

A young Hurd hunter and a half-grown man each carried a musket, knelt on one knee, and stopped in front of Winters' horse.

"[Hidden language] Batu said, 'If you can keep up, come.'" The young man said cleverly: "[Hidden language] So we came."

"Aren't you Taichi's tribe?" Winters asked.

Young people can't understand it, but young people understand it.

"Batu is the most powerful person I have ever seen." The young man struggled to convert his true thoughts into common language: "The Thai red-headed people can't do it, the Chiliantou people can't do it, they can't do it. I don't want to be loyal to them, please Allow me to join your tribe.”

Major Seb on the side asked curiously: "Then if one day, 'Batu' is not the most powerful person, you will change the master?"

After the young man thought for a moment, he drew an arrow, raised it high, and solemnly swore: "If I betray Batu, I will have such an arrow."

After that, he broke the arrow shaft in two.

When the young man next to him saw this, even though he didn't understand what his brother was talking about, he took out an arrow and broke it in two by holding his neck.

"What's your name [Hardish]?" Winters asked.

The young man immediately replied: "[Hidden language] We only have the names of various tribes. Please give us names other than those of various tribes!"

The young man also lowered his head: "Please give me your name, Batu."

Winters had a splitting headache: "The tribes are still white, so let's call you Dabai and Xiaobai."

Dabai and Xiaobai were temporarily given to Angelou by Winters. Major Seber, who witnessed the whole process, asked quietly: "What on earth did you say to those members of the Red Training Department?"

"I say," Winters replied, "They can accept my protection and rule if they want."

"rule?"

"Otherwise?" Winters asked nonchalantly, "Should it be replaced by an 'Alliance Charter'?"

"When did you learn Khedic?"

"It didn't take long." Winters said quite proudly: "I started learning last winter. It's pretty good, right?"

Major Seb frowned: "Have you been preparing to 'rule' the Hed since that time?"

"No, Major, I don't want to rule the Hurds." Winters replied seriously: "But I also don't want to fight the Hurds for another hundred years."

…

…

While Winters was dealing with the prisoners of the Red Training Department, Andre also had many prisoners to deal with in the forest outside Shovel Harbor.

"Everyone who is still alive is here." Tulin wiped the blood and sweat from his face and said with a smile, "Today is so happy! Sir! All the bastards ran north."

"Where are you running?" Andre still had more to say and waved his hand: "Chase!"

"Then... what to do with these prisoners?" Tulin pointed to the twenty-some prisoners staggering around.

"Check the identity and kill the bandits and robbers." Andre glanced at the prisoners and said, "If there are any kidnapped people, let them go home."

Tulin scratched his head: "The rebel cavalry are all recruited horse bandits, how can anyone be kidnapped?"

Andre put the stirrup on his horse, walked past the prisoners, and waved his hand impatiently: "Then kill them all."

"yes!"

Leading the cavalry that could still fight, Andre set out to pursue the fleeing enemy.

Turin grimaced and began to "process" the prisoners.

It was not out of pity - Dussac would have no mercy for the horse bandits - but because he failed to pursue the enemy with Lieutenant Cellini.

However, the sound of hooves sounded again, and Andre came back. He stationed his horse in front of the prisoners, pointed at one of them, and said: "Leave this kid alone, let him go."

Turin saluted: "Yes!"

Andre nodded and rode away.

Tulin walked to the prisoner named by Andre and found a young man about seventeen or eighteen years old, his face covered with blood and unconscious.

Turin poured some water on the "kid's" face and patted the latter's cheek: "Hey! Wake up! Lucky boy."

The young man woke with a groan and covered his eyes with his hands.

"Hey." Turin cut the rope from the young man's hand: "What's your name?"

"Alexander."

The accent when the other party said the name "Alexander" was different from that of the Platoans, and Tulin could hear the difference.

He frowned and asked, "Hey, what's your father's name?"

The young man replied hoarsely: "Nicholas."

Tulin's brows furrowed even more tightly, and the movements of his hands stopped: "Are you from Dussa?"

"yes."

"Then why did you become a horse bandit?"

The young man stopped talking.

"Forget it." Turin smiled self-deprecatingly, untied the young man's rope, and brought him a bottle of water: "You are really a lucky guy. By the way, you know who saved you. Life?"

[51026/100000]

[The troops in Shovel Harbor were still alive before the Battle of Blood and Mud, while Winters’ troops had already experienced the baptism of blood and mud. The two are no longer the same]

[So the Battle of Shovel Harbor looks a bit like killing a chicken with a knife - but, to borrow Peter Bunier's simple idea: war is not about bullying the few with the many, and the weak with the strong (face covering)]

[Thanks to book friends for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation votes, monthly votes, rewards and comments, thank you all]