Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Imperial calendar year 536][24 years ago]

[Plato Border][Today's New Reclamation Province]

The sky was dimming, the autumn wind was chilling, and a group of riders were running for their lives in the desolate wilderness.

The riders were of different ages and costumes, but the only thing they had in common was the look of genuine fear on their faces at this moment.

There were originally thirteen of them, but now there are only nine left. Those who fell behind were swallowed up by the vast night, and no one could catch up.

In addition to the hoofbeats of the riding horses, there was another hoofbeat sound mixed with a sharp whistle coming from the wind.

The strange sound of hoofbeats had been chasing the riders all night, like a gangrene attached to their bones. No matter how fast they ran away or how difficult the path they chose, they could not escape.

"Their horses are fast!" One of the nine riders shouted desperately at the others: "We can't get away! Why not take advantage of the fact that we still have the strength! Fight!"

The leading rider looked towards the horizon: it was already daybreak, and the outlines of the forest and hills were clearly visible. If they couldn't escape under the cover of night, there would be no chance after dawn.

He gritted his teeth and suddenly tightened the reins. His mount neighed and raised its front hooves, staggered a few steps and stopped.

"Stop running!" the leading rider gasped and shouted, "Fight them!"

Six of the other eight riders stopped their horses upon hearing the sound and moved closer to the lead rider. There were two other riders who seemed not to hear anything and ran towards the forest regardless.

The leading rider could not take care of his treacherous accomplices for the time being. He pulled out his bloody saber, swallowed, raised his eyes and shouted: "What are you afraid of? They are human beings too! When a white knife goes in, a red knife comes out! Kill them." , no one will dare to resist us again! From now on, we can take over this place!"

The other six riders also drew their weapons and roared with ferocious faces in order to embolden themselves.

This group of horsemen, who originally numbered thirteen but now have only nine left, are not ordinary civilians, but horse bandits and horse thieves who have made the people in the border areas talk about it.

For pioneers who moved to uninhabited frontier areas, horses were often a family's most valuable property and the most indispensable tool.

Without their horses, they were isolated on a small island-like settlement surrounded by a vast ocean of uninhabited wilderness.

So pioneers would defend their horses at all costs.

Because of this, horse thieves are all the most ferocious, cruel, and lawless criminals.

Not long after, the figure of the pursuer appeared on the hillside, also a small group of riders, about twenty people.

Seeing the horse bandits split into two groups, the leading rider whistled, and four riders were immediately separated from the chasing team to pursue the two horse bandits who fled into the forest.

The other riders galloped down the hillside, charging straight towards the seven horse bandits who wanted to give it a try.

The bells they hung on their horses' breastbands jingled, their narrow sabers shone coldly, their round earrings and forelocks fluttered in the wind, and the tassels of knives woven by their wives and daughters were wrapped around their hands.

On one side were veterans of hundreds of battles who came to seek their lives, and on the other side were desperate horse bandits who were at the end of their rope. There was no scolding or persuasion to surrender. The two sides roared towards each other.

…

The brief but fierce riding battle came to an end. The horse bandits were defeated miserably, but the pursuers were victorious.

The blood was sprinkled on this wild land. It was steaming at first, but soon turned cold.

A skinny young rider dragged a half-dead horse bandit to the pile of prisoners with difficulty, then smoothed his forehead hair and walked towards the leader of the rider.

The leading rider knelt beside a companion lying on the ground, held his companion's hand tightly, and nodded.

The rider lying on the ground spoke intermittently, with a coat covering his chest, covering the terrible wound on his abdomen. Blood flowed from underneath his body and formed small puddles in the mud. Seeing that he was taking in less and less air and letting out more and more air.

After saying his last instructions, the dying rider forced out a smile. He looked at the faces of his comrades who accompanied him and uttered the last word with difficulty:

"Thanks".

After saying that, his eyes lost their luster.

It was not until the leading rider covered his fallen comrade's eyes, stood up straight, and wiped away his tears that the skinny young rider spoke: "Gilard Planinovich, what should I do with the living horse thief?"

"Bring the kid over here," Girard said.

The skinny rider - Sergey - nodded and whistled, and upon hearing the sound, a Dusak came to Gilad carrying a little boy of about seven or eight years old.

The little boy was obviously greatly frightened. His eyes widened and he looked around in horror. Gilad just stood in front of him, and he screamed as if he was being stimulated.

But no one blamed him, because he was the only survivor of the massacre that just happened last night.

Gilad held the child in his arms until the child stopped screaming, until the child stopped crying.

Then he held the child and walked towards the still alive horse bandits, pointed to the nearest one, and asked: "Is there him?"

The little boy struggled hard and tried desperately to hide behind Gilad, not even daring to look at him.

"Don't be afraid." Gilad said softly: "Just nod and shake your head. Come, look at him and tell me - is there him?"

The little boy looked at it for a long time, sobbed and nodded.

Gilad didn't need to say anything. Sergey drew his saber and stepped forward. He grabbed the hair of the identified horse bandit with his left hand. He held the saber in his right hand and thrust it from the shoulder socket into the chest, killing him cleanly.

Several other captured horse bandits saw their companions being slaughtered like pigs. They begged for mercy, cursed, and rolled around trying to escape. They were all ugly.

"Beast!" Sergei kicked a horse bandit who was trying to escape and cursed angrily: "You have the guts to commit murder, but don't have the guts to die?"

Gilad did not speak until his companions controlled the horse bandit, then he pointed at another horse bandit and asked the little boy: "Is there him?"

The little boy nodded.

Sergey did not hesitate to take action, and the identified horse bandit's body softened and he fell on the wasteland.

Until the fourth and final prisoner was identified, the little boy shook his head.

"Without him?" Gilad asked with a frown.

The little boy shook his head again.

Gilad handed the little boy to his companions, squatted in front of the last living horse bandit, and asked: "Without you?"

The last horse bandit still alive was an old man. His sparse beard was already gray. One of his eyes was stuck with the blood from the wound on his head. He struggled to look at Chief Dusac with the other eye, feebly. Said: "I...I didn't do anything."

Gilad snorted disdainfully.

"You... what do you want... to do?" The old horse bandit gasped and asked, "Judge... judge me?"

"I am not a judge, and there is no law here." Gilad drew out his saber and gestured with his hand: "Pull up his right arm."

Without saying a word, Sergey quickly took off the old horse bandit's shirt, grabbed the old horse bandit's wrist, and raised the old horse bandit's right arm.

Gilad struck down with his knife with an expressionless expression. In a flash of cold light, the old horse bandit's right arm was chopped off at the elbow.

The severed limb was thrown to the ground by Sergei, and blood spurted out from the cut. The old horse bandit screamed heartbreakingly and almost fainted from the pain.

But it wasn't over yet. Gilad pulled off a piece of cloth and strangled the old horse bandit's broken arm. He also lit a fire to burn the shoe until it turned dark red, and stopped the bleeding from the old horse bandit's broken arm.

At the same time, other Dussac hung the corpses of the horse bandits in a row on the trees beside the road. Dussac, who went to chase the other two fleeing horse bandits, also returned dragging the bodies of the horse bandits.

Before leaving, Gilad stood in front of the half-dead old horse bandit and looked down at the latter.

"If you can survive." Gilad's tone was cold: "Go tell them, tell all the people like you."

"Tell them what?" the old horse bandit asked hoarsely.

Gilad leaned close to the old horse bandit: "Me."

After that, he walked towards his mount and mounted the horse in the stirrups.

"The horse bandit's head..." Sergey asked hesitantly: "Do you want to take it off in exchange for the bounty?"

"Just let them rot."

Taking the remains of his companions and the recaptured horses, Girard walked toward home without looking back.

Behind him, the body of the horse bandit swayed in the wind.

They will be pecked by crows and gnawed by animals, and the birds and animals will eventually die and decay, and eventually become part of this wild land together with the blood shed by Gilad and others.

…

It was almost dusk when the smoke from the settlement came into view.

The setting sun dyes everything on the earth golden, and the cool evening breeze is refreshing.

Sergey played Dusak's ditty, and the other Dusak also hummed softly, while the little boy with tears in his eyes hugged Gilad's neck and fell asleep.

Sergey rode up to catch up with Gilad and said nonchalantly: "The land here is very fertile."

"Yes." Gilad's body swayed rhythmically with the horse.

"This year's harvest is also very good."

"That's right."

"Next year... I plan to build another house." Sergei's Adam's apple twitched: "Then I will bring my father and mother here from the Dunhe River."

Gilad turned to look at his fellow countrymen, companions and comrades-in-arms.

"I don't care what others think, but I will never go back to Shield River." Sergey said: "My children and their children will not go back either. We shed blood for this land, and this will be ours from now on." s home."

There was a moment of silence.

"Yes." Gilad stared at the green smoke in the distance and replied softly: "This will be our home from now on."

Separating from his companions, he rode his horse through the tree-lined road. The oak tree he planted when he settled here has grown to be as tall as two or three adults.

At the end of the boulevard, at the gate of the wall.

His wife, who heard the clear ringing of his horse, was waiting for him.

…

…

…

[Location: Wolf Town]

[Time: now]

Gilad rode on a tree-lined road that he had walked countless times. The oak trees on both sides of the road were like huge umbrellas, shielding him from the scorching May sun.

The end of the boulevard was still his home, but it was no longer the home he was familiar with.

The faded silver bell tied to his harness still made a clear sound accompanied by the sound of the horse's hooves.

However, it was no longer his wife Ellen who was waiting at the gate of the manor when she heard the bell ringing, but his little daughter Scarlett.

As soon as Scarlett saw her father coming back, she immediately ran to her father and pretended to cry and shouted: "Dad!"

Seeing that his daughter was coming to complain again, Gilad had a headache. Because Scarlett cut off her long hair without authorization, Mrs. Mitchell prohibited her from appearing in public, and even did not allow her to appear at the wedding reception when Pierre got married.

The "wedding ban" was the cause of a new round of cold war between mother and daughter, but the real trigger of the conflict was Mrs. Mitchell's ban on Scarlett going to Gevaudan again.

Scarlett could not change her mother's attitude, so she could only cry and complain to her father every day. So Girard became a rat in the bellows at home - suffering from both ends.

So most of the time after returning to Wolf Town, Gilad took refuge in the town hall under the guise of working.

Gilad turned over and dismounted, looking at his daughter's pitiful posture, he sighed helplessly: "You know, what your mother decides, I also..."

"Dad!" Scarlett hugged her father's arm, half coquettishly and half pleading.

"I'm hungry." Gilad looked around and asked him: "Do you have anything to eat? Let's have dinner first."

At dinner time, the atmosphere was still awkward.

Mrs. Mitchell and Scarlett said nothing to each other, and Pierre's new wife didn't know what to say. The food on the table is also very simple, far from the sumptuous meals before.

In fact, Mitchell Manor has now lost its basic premise as a "manor" and has become a mansion with only residential functions.

Because of the previous decree of the new Tiefeng County government to "expropriate idle land and distribute it to the refugees," all the land in the Wolf Town plantation, including the Mitchell Manor, was expropriated and allocated to the refugees for farming.

At that time, the reasonable Mrs. Mitchell accepted the order of the new government and even took the initiative to help Bud persuade other manor owners who were unwilling to hand over their land.

However, when Gilad returned home and found that the land he had worked so hard to save was now in the hands of others - although it was only temporarily requisitioned - he felt really unhappy.

But old Dusak didn't say anything, he just sulked in his heart and drank wine at the wedding.

Gilad Mitchell's mentality is almost the mentality of all manor owners.

The haze of the war has receded, and the invasion of the Hurd Barbarians has been thwarted. Now the winter wheat is growing vigorously, and the spring wheat has been sown. Lower Tiefeng County is in a prosperous scene, and people unconsciously forget the sense of crisis they once had.

The war was over, but the land had not been returned—even the promised “rent” had not been paid.

When they were in Gevaudan, many Wolf Town manor owners openly and secretly encouraged Gerald Mitchell to "talk" with Tribune Montagne, but they were all rejected by old Dussac.

But Gilad also wanted to know from the bottom of his heart when his land would be returned.

"The order to expropriate idle land." At the dinner table, Girard asked Pierre: "When will it end?"

"I don't know." Pierre shook his head.

Gilad said "Oh" in disappointment.

Pierre stared at the plate in front of him. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly: "I will leave when the tribunes come back from conquering the Huds."

Everyone at the table stopped eating except Scarlett.

"Where are you going?" Pierre's new wife, Amelie, asked nervously.

Pierre smiled and said: "I will go wherever the tribunes go."

"I'll go with you too." Scarlett gnawed the dry bread loudly on purpose.

"No." Mrs. Mitchell's tone refused.

"Then I'll go secretly! I'll ride on a horse and leave! Mom, if you can catch me, come and catch me!"

After that, Scarlett took another piece of dry bread from the basket and ran away angrily.

Gilad couldn't stop his daughter. He turned around and met his wife's sad eyes again. He had to lower his head and concentrate on the beet soup.

"Dad, Mom." Pierre thought for a long time before speaking cautiously: "I want to take you out of Wolf Town together."

"Leave Wolf Town?" Gilad was first surprised, then angry: "This is my home! I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you remember what I told you?" Pierre explained patiently and unyieldingly: "Both I and the Mitchell family, there is only one way to go - to follow the tribune. The tribune The officer's career will not stop at Wolf Town, and I will not stop at Wolf Town, so I want to take you with me..."

"I'm not going." Gilad said decisively: "I'm not going anywhere!"

Pierre wanted to try again, but he heard the messy sound of horse hooves and footsteps coming from outside.

"Mr. Mitchell!" People outside shouted from a distance: "Mr. Mitchell!"

Gilad stood up and subconsciously wanted to respond, but the person who came to report the message was looking for Pierre.

"The cavalry team that conquered the barbarians is back!" The messenger's joy was beyond words: "They also brought back a lot of trophies! The cavalry team is celebrating in the town! Come quickly, too!"

…

The two streets in the center of Wolf Town are now brightly lit, like a sea of ​​joy. Even before she was devastated by the war, she had never been so lively.

The military camp in the center of the town was too small to accommodate the cavalry. After returning from victory, the light cavalry made fires, slaughtered animals, drank and feasted directly outside the camp.

Upon hearing the news, various refugee farms sent vegetables, flour and fermented liquid bread kvass as congratulatory gifts. Residents who lived nearby and came to watch the excitement were also invited to the banquet by the enthusiastic host.

There were also children from Dusa who rushed to the town on horseback from the village of Dusa, watching with envy the majestic light cavalry in black celebrating.

Among the light cavalry, there was even a skinny colonel who brought out a whole box of gold and silver and declared wildly, "Buy as much wine as you have," and asked the people of Wolf Town to "Stop hiding it and move all the wine out as soon as possible." ".

"Dad." In the noisy crowd, Pierre asked Gilad: "Don't you think... Mom prefers to live in the city?"

Gilad, who was just about to drink a glass of wine to drown his sorrows, heard this and his head drooped. After a while, he sighed and said, "Let me think about it again."

"Okay." Pierre said without urging, "I'll go find the tribune."

After that, Pierre left his father and walked through the crowd towards the barracks.

However, it was Ellen Mitchell who found Pierre first.

"Pierre." Ellen hugged her son's cheek with a look of sadness and relief. She said softly: "You can go if you want to. If you want to take your wife with you, take her with you... Also, if you want Take care of Scarlett.”

"What about you?" Pierre heard his mother's implication and asked in surprise: "Are you going to stay? You have never liked living in Wolf Town!"

"It doesn't matter." Ellen Mitchell wiped away her tears and said with a smile: "This is your father's home, which is also my home. He is reluctant to leave here, and I will stay here with him."

Pierre was silent.

In the distance, Vashika, who spotted his friend's figure, waved his arms and shouted Pierre's name loudly.

…

…

On the other side, in the office of the garrison officer at the Gévaudan garrison.

Winters felt that he no longer recognized what was written on the paper - the letters outlined with a quill gradually turned into unrecognizable lines, floating into the air, flying around Winters like flies, making Winters Tes was dizzy.

At the other end of the desk, Richard Mason placed a set of exquisite cloisonné enamel tea sets and drank some kind of light red liquid with gusto.

"Uh...what are you drinking?" Winters' throat ached with thirst.

Mason took a nice sip and said, "Sugar water."

Winters felt a little familiar: "Where did this set of cups come from?"

"Yours." Mason put down the cup and replied contentedly.

Winters smiled bitterly and poured himself a glass: "How many of them do I have left to watch?"

Mason looked back and said easily: "Not much, there is only one and a half cars left."

Winters couldn't help but sigh. He thought for a while and accidentally spilled the red liquid from the cup on the table. He wiped it hurriedly, and then pretended to be casual and asked: "How about we stop here today, and I will look at the rest tomorrow..."

"You know now..." Mason took a deep breath and asked slowly: "Do you know my difficulties?"

"I know." Winters responded quickly: "I know!"

"Then what should you say?"

"Thank you, senior!"

"I don't want to hear this."

"I will never throw my pick and leave casually again."

Mason snorted and nodded: "That's about right."

Then he took out a paper bag from the bottom of the second car volume and put it on Winters' desk: "Actually, although a lot of things happened during this period, there are only a few important ones. Just read these. .”

Winters nearly choked to death.

The first document in the [Important Matters Document Bag] is the report on the fire at Gevaudan Cathedral.

"The fire started at night. It is speculated that the candlestick lit the curtains. The fire started in the sacred room, and then spread to the prayer room and the main hall." Mason sighed: "Because of this fire, if Brother Carman hadn't come back, There was not even a single Catholic clergyman in Gevaudan who could say Mass."

"Isn't it just that Father Edmund was... burned to death?" Winters picked up the report and asked casually: "How come you can't even find a Catholic clergy who can hold mass?"

"Who said that only Father Edmund was killed?" Mason asked puzzledly: "When the fire spread to the prayer room, the monks of Gevaudan Cathedral happened to be praying at night, and in the end, no one could escape. Except for a few servants No one in the Cathedral of Gévaudin was spared. I have written to the bishop of Maplestone City, asking him to send a clergyman to temporarily replace him...Eh? Why are you so serious all of a sudden?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Winters put the fire report into a drawer alone. After thinking for a moment, he looked at Mason: "Senior, please find me all the files and testimonies about the fire, but... don't alarm me. anyone."

"Okay." Mason also stopped joking: "No problem, I can leave it to you tomorrow."

"Let's move on to the next thing."

"The next thing?" Mason slapped his forehead and asked angrily: "Wool! The Red River Department sent more than a hundred carts of wool! The Terdun Department sent more than eighty carts! The light can't get in or out! There's no place to put it! I have to build a warehouse to store wool for you. What are you going to do with it? Have you thought about the tax rate for the summer harvest? It’s almost time to pay the rent from the major manors. You can’t keep paying after you agree. Are you delaying? Also, Balion and his brother also request to see you..."

As he was talking, there were footsteps outside the door, and then a knock on the door.

Winters and Mason looked at each other, he put away the files on the table, and Mason straightened his chair and sat upright. Both of them put away their relaxed chatting attitude and adopted a formal attitude.

"Enter."

Bart Xialing opened the door and walked into the office, raised his hand and saluted: "Centurion."

Mason discovered that Winters was not only unhappy but a little angry when he saw one of his most trusted subordinates.

Winters raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "What are you doing back here?"

"Report! Submit you the battle report of the Battle of Shovel Harbor." Bart Shilling answered meticulously.

"That kind of thing can be done by sending a messenger. Besides, haven't you already sent a victory report?" Winters asked seriously: "You abandoned your troops just to report the victory to me in person?"

"Report, no!" Bart Xialing replied solemnly. He scratched his head: "It's because something unexpected happened. Tamas... he didn't dare to come."

"What unexpected situation?" Winters' expression softened a little, and he asked with a smile: "Did that Alpha escape?"

Bart Xialing stood at attention: "Report, no! We captured the enemy officer with the alias Alpha."

Then, Bart Shilling recounted the ambush of the small force led by Alpha in detail.

Winters nodded when he heard the part about "Captain Moreau had arranged an ambush in advance and waited for the enemy to fall into his trap."

When he heard that "Alpha was very skilled in martial arts and strong, even seven warriors could not capture him," Mason curled his lips, but Winters was very interested.

Finally, when he heard the "fishing net" part, Mason couldn't help laughing and praised: "That recruit is quite smart!"

"Report, Captain Mason, the problem lies in the fishing net." Bart Shilling was slightly embarrassed. He explained: "After the enemy officer named Alpha fell into the water, he was entangled in the fishing net and was wearing armor..."

"Drown?" Winters laughed dumbly.

"Report, he was not drowned." Bart Shilling added: "But he was almost drowned. After he was rescued ashore, the recruit was not relieved, so... he beat him again."

Mason chuckled and shook his head helplessly.

"Since he is not drowned, then take him to Gevaudan." Winters directly ordered: "I will interrogate him personally."

"Report, I have escorted him over. But..." Bart Xialing swallowed his saliva and said tentatively: "He said... his name is Axel."

Bart Schalling's voice was so quiet that it was almost inaudible: "He said he knew you."

[62741/100000]

[This incident will probably become the master’s dark history...]

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