Iron Powder and Spellcaster

Reprimands and curses came one after another, and the monotonous melody of the military drums was heard. One after another, the soldiers walked down the high ground where the valley village was located, along the path that the farmers used to go to the fields in the morning and return home at dusk, heading for the battlefield that was not chosen by them.

With the orderly withdrawal of all coalition forces, this small, isolated village returned to its former emptiness—but failed to regain its former tranquility.

Because at the junction of the river and the village, next to the low wall used by the villagers to draw the boundary, the two infantry brigades left behind in the valley village were racing against time to reinforce the fragile walls made of rubble.

Colonel Gesa led people to break into the villagers' houses and sheds, took away all the tools that could be used, and then ordered the demolition of everything that was not useful to obtain building materials.

Colonel Gesa himself threw his gold-trimmed colonel's uniform jacket to the orderly, unbuttoned his cufflinks, picked up a shovel, stepped over the wall, and walked into the midst of the sweating soldiers.

He stood in mud that could sink his boots, tirelessly loading heavy mud into baskets;

He effortlessly picked up the wooden purlin, which was thicker than a plate, and carried it from one end of the village to the other alone;

A soldier accidentally fell into the rapids, choked several times in panic, and struggled to be swept downstream;

Gesa grabbed the man by the collar and lifted him onto the mudflat;

Another soldier failed to see the route clearly and swung his whip recklessly, causing the carriage to get stuck in the trench and unable to move.

Gesa jumped into the mud pit, trying his best to lift the wheel while yelling fiercely.

It must be admitted that Geza Adonis has a lot of energy. When he threw himself into the flames of war, the veteran's fatigue, the merchant's philistine temperament, and the Platonic cunning that usually existed in him disappeared without a trace in an instant.

He also left behind him the pain of old wounds, the comfortable mansion, and the vault beneath the mansion that would make any miser jealous.

All that remains is pure, unyielding, indomitable ferocity.

It is this contagious and strong emotion that inspires everyone around Gesa.

Witnessing Colonel Gesar Adonis leading by example, one man working frantically on top of ten others, the officers who stayed behind in the valley village, whether under his command or not, picked up their tools and joined the ranks of the soldiers.

Even the cavalry on standby outside the village left their horses and volunteered to share with the infantry the dirty work of digging trenches and building walls.

In the valley village, there were only two officers still wearing clean gloves: Colonel Bode Gates and the little-known Lieutenant Woods Frank.

Colonel Bode surveyed the battlefield from the church bell tower and issued orders one after another by summoning the cavalry;

Lieutenant Woods Frank was not lazy. Even for the defense of Riverdale Village, Lieutenant Woods was more important than Colonel Bode.

Because Colonel Bode was condescending and always focused on the deployment of the entire army.

Lieutenant Woods shuttled between the mud pond and the courtyard wall - he was the only engineer officer in Riverdale Village, and probably the best defensive warfare expert among the three-county troops.

"Take off the thatch on the roof as soon as possible! Which house? All the houses! Once there is a fight, those hay will set the whole village on fire! Can't find the ladder? If you can't find the ladder, tear off the roof!"

"Who asked you to pull out these fences? Colonel Geisa wants to use them? Colonel Geisa's instruction is to 'tear down the things that are no longer needed'! There is a row of wooden stakes being driven in the middle of this and this fence. Isn't it ready-made? You’re rejecting the horse?! Put the fence back in right now!”

"All stone walls must be covered with soil! If you don't have time to cover both sides with soil, just cover the front side! If the stone wall is not covered with soil, the lead bullets will hit you and the gravel will blind you! Find a shovel and start it now! What? No shovel? No Use a wooden board for a shovel! Use a spoon! Use your fingernails!"

"Stop! Stop! These hays are still useful. Who gave you the guts to burn them on fire? Did I let you? Bastard! When did I let you set the fire? All the hay pulled from the roof should be sent to the river bank!"

Lieutenant Woods was like the strictest overseer, patrolling inside and outside the village with eyes like cowbells.

The lieutenant grew more anxious and irritable with every second that passed. He "whipped" all his colleagues and subordinates mercilessly, trying to squeeze out the last bit of value from River Valley Village. His roars and curses were left in every yard and every hut in this small village.

It was out of his complete trust in Woods Frank that Geza Adonis would still devote himself to those simple and arduous manual labor before the war came.

The colonel wielded a pickaxe and personally dug trenches in the mudflats between the river and the highlands, and made the slope leading to the village steeper.

When Lieutenant Woods came to the river bank again, the originally loose stone wall had been covered with a thick layer of mud and hay mixture.

Colonel Gesa held the shovel and asked the lieutenant quite proudly: "How?"

Lieutenant Woods dismounted and answered honestly: "It's an amazing result."

"If it can be exposed to the sun for a few more days, it will be stronger." Colonel Gesa looked at the wilderness to the east with a smile: "It's a pity that we don't have time."

Lieutenant Woods also looked east, but he did not cast his gaze into the distance, but scanned the stone walls covered with wet mud and the trenches below the high ground:

Colonel Gesa focused on strengthening the defense of the "top corner" of the several-shaped river bend, where he dug the deepest trench and built the strongest parapet; he even strengthened the two existing livestock pens according to local conditions and transformed them into A fort on the river.

However, the stronger the colonel's repaired river bank defenses became, the more anxious Woods became.

Regarding the direction of the enemy's attack, Woods and the colonel came to the same conclusion - they both agreed that "the top corner of the river bend is the easiest position to be breached, and must also be the enemy's main attack direction."

Beyond that, the two men's judgments differed greatly.

Lieutenant Woods uneasily bent the riding crop in his hand and subconsciously spoke faster: "Sir, with all due respect! I still think there is no point in defending the river bank! There is no way we can withstand it!"

The lieutenant tried his best to lower his voice to prevent the soldiers on the side from hearing the conversation: "But we can take a step back and turn the valley village into an ambush ground. We can use every house and every wall to block the enemy's offensive first. , forcing them to retreat and reorganize, then cut off their tails, and eat them in small bites."

Colonel Gesar listened to the lieutenant's advice without saying a word, glanced at the four-quadrant flag flying on the church bell tower, turned to look at his most trusted subordinate, and replied lightly but unquestionably: "No, Woods Lieutenant, we must hold the enemy back on the river bank."

"If you are worried about Colonel Bode's safety, then leave a military flag on the bell tower and ask Colonel Bode to move his command outside the village." Woods almost begged: "As long as the enemy thinks that Colonel Bode's command is in the village church, Isn’t that enough?”

Geza Adonis couldn't help but laugh, laughing so hard that he was out of breath.

After laughing, he wiped away his tears and patted the lieutenant on the shoulder: "I want to sit on the southern battlefield. Once the fighting starts, you will be the only one here, Lieutenant Woods."

"Hold the bank," Colonel Geza said.

Lieutenant Woods hesitated to speak, and finally raised his hand to salute: "Yes."

Colonel Geza silently returned the salute to his subordinates.

"Since we have to defend the river bank." Woods is no longer as anxious as before: "Then the defense in the other three directions must also be strengthened - we must be prepared to be besieged. If the enemy cannot break through frontally, there is a high chance that they will try Outflank both sides.”

"You decide. From now on, you are the military commander in charge of the first brigade of Baishan County and the first brigade of Leiqun County."

"I hope to have cavalry support."

"Okay, I'll go communicate with Colonel Bode and Colonel Skull."

Lieutenant Woods thought carefully for a moment and did not intend to make any other requests. He raised his hand and saluted again: "Good luck, Colonel."

"Wish you victory." Geza returned the greeting cheerfully and briskly: "Frank."

Above the two of them, the sun had risen to its highest point, and the dust in the distance became increasingly clear. The sound of military drums and trumpets spread across the hills and across the river, accompanied by a warm and comfortable breeze, and penetrated into everyone's ears.

The soldiers invariably stood up straight with their stiff and numb bodies, looking up towards the direction where the sound of war came from.

"Don't stop!" Colonel Bode stepped forward and his roar overwhelmed the drums that were getting closer and closer: "Every extra shovel you dig now will save you a drop of blood today!"

The figures of three riders appeared on the horizon, the leader holding a green flag.

The coalition light cavalry with white ribbons on their shoulders immediately came forward. There was no fighting. The coalition's light cavalry surrounded the enemy's messenger and rode straight towards the valley village.

Colonel Geza stared at the green flag and narrowed his eyes.

"Go and fetch Colonel Skull," he ordered the messenger.

…

The small river outside Hehe Valley has never had a name, and no one has ever cared what its name is.

Perhaps many years later, people will give it a commemorative official name because of today's battle. But so far, it is still an "unnamed river."

The open land on the north bank of the nameless river had been reclaimed many years ago, where countless crops had grown and countless generations of children had been fed.

Under the scorching sun at noon, this mature but unharvested wheat field was filled with mist.

The three Plato officers stood in the middle of the billowing yellow dust, quietly waiting for their classmates, their old friends, and their enemies.

In the distance, two riders wearing school officer uniforms appeared on the edge of the hills. Like the three school officers waiting for them, they were not escorted.

The two of them galloped towards the three people in the middle of the wheat field.

This might be a God-given opportunity to easily dispatch the enemy commander - for both sides.

However, neither the ambush nor the assassination occurred in the end. Two school officers loyal to the Grand Council came to the commander of the three-county coalition without incident.

"Senior Bode." Colonel Sarnell was the first to take off his military cap and bend down to greet him.

Chloe Toriel also took off her hat and saluted silently.

Colonel Bode just nodded lightly, and it was obvious that he was not very close to the two of them.

"Isn't Lieutenant Colonel Matthias from Bianjiang County here?" Saner asked with a smile.

"Matthias is from the ninth period." Gesa replied lukewarmly: "I don't want to join in the fun."

There was no annoyance on Saner's face: "But as far as I know, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias stayed in Bianjiang County and did not go out with you."

Gesa raised his chin and stopped answering.

The little warm atmosphere left between the two sides also disappeared, and the rolling light brown wheat field became extremely quiet.

Instead, Colonel Chloe, who had been silent, broke the silence.

Chloe looked very bad, as if she hadn't enjoyed a good rest for a long time. His lips were chapped, his cheeks were sunken, his eye sockets were sunken along with his cheeks, and his eyeballs were filled with red bloodshot eyes.

Geza and Skull were not even able to recognize who the haggard ghost in front of them was at first, nor could they connect him with the most warm-hearted and lovable Colonel Chloe Toriel.

"Surrender, everyone." Chloe rode forward, his voice hoarse like a rusty door hinge: "Before it's too late."

Geza sneered and spat at Chloe's horse's hooves, giving his answer.

"This is what I told you two." Colonel Bode responded calmly.

Sanel, who was behind Chloe, suddenly said: "Senior, your wife and daughter are still waiting for you in the Castle of Kings."

Colonel Bode's face gradually turned gloomy, and small wrinkles spread from the corners of his eyes.

Sanel said slowly: "Please rest assured that your wife and daughter are safe and are being treated very well. Because there was no news from you before, Speaker Grove Magnus treated you like a general." The pensions and condolences will not be interrupted even after learning that you have returned to China."

Colonel Bode snorted, with a disdainful and sarcastic smile, pulled the reins without saying a word, and immediately rode away.

Gesa said nothing, waved his whip, and turned around to leave.

Skull's eyes stayed on Sanel and Chloe for a while. He nodded slightly and followed his two colleagues towards the valley village where the four-quadrant flag was flying.

Saner and Chloe did not dare to stay. They quickly glanced at the flags flying everywhere on the West Bank and rode away.

…

In Hehe Village, Baishan County recruit [Elno] was holding a musket, half-kneeling behind the wall, eagerly looking at the officers who were going their separate ways, and curiously asked the officer beside him: "Sir, you are a learned man, can you Tell me, what are those adults doing?"

Lieutenant Woods was also paying attention to the brief conversation in the wheat field. He said uneasily: "The negotiations are over. Today this wheat field is destined to be watered with blood."

The sergeant and another soldier came over carrying the brazier. Erno and the other musketeers gathered over, untied the hemp rope wrapped around their arms and put it into the brazier.

When the hemp rope soaked in salt water was ignited, they immediately pulled out the hemp rope and stamped out the open flame, leaving only flickering embers.

Even the musketeers who had never learned how to use a sword received a sword today.

Erno leaned his sword against the wall, took off a small wooden bottle from the belt on his chest, pulled off the bottle cap with his teeth, poured the gunpowder in the bottle into the barrel, and compacted the gunpowder with a copper bar.

Then he poured out the polished lead bullet from another copper kettle, wrapped the lead bullet in a small piece of dirty linen cloth, and repeated the filling and compacting process.

Finally, Erno opened the lid of the gunpowder tank, poured the remaining gunpowder in the wooden bottle into the tank, and fastened the lid again.

After doing all this, Erno leaned the musket against the wall and picked up the sword next to the musket.

Looking at the strange yet familiar weapon in his hand, Erno shuddered inexplicably.

He suddenly realized that he might have to pierce this cold and sharp steel rod into another person's arm, stomach, and chest today.

He had seen the scenes of slaughtering livestock: deep red blood, pink and white meat, wailing, screaming, soft internal organs like sticky fish eggs... but he had never associated these things with his own kind.

Erno hastily put his sword aside. But after a while, he took the sword back to his feet.

He picked up his musket, prayed, and waited.

Beside Erno, Woods Frank did not notice the waves in the recruit's heart. He stared intently at the hills on the other side of the river.

"The weather is favorable to our army." Lieutenant Woods felt the breath and pulse of the battlefield: "But the wind direction is not favoring us."

"Occupy the upper wind and release smoke to cover the operation." Woods thought to himself: "Conventional tactics."

Sure enough, the white smoke seemed like beer foam overflowing from the cup, clinging to the ground and slowly flowing down the curves of the hills.

The smoke screen is like a veil, blocking prying eyes.

The war bugle then sounded on the west bank of the nameless river.

[Ah... I always say that it will be today until dawn, but I end up being really confused. I thought tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival. ]

[Fortunately, I found it in time this time (face covering). There have been stupid things like "I overslept and hurriedly went out, but always felt that something was wrong, and only found out that today is Saturday when I got to work"...]

[Supporting character appearing in this chapter: Lieutenant Woods Frank]

[Woods Frank, a short, unattractive engineer lieutenant, Colonel Gesa's confidant (bushi). During the first counter-encirclement and suppression campaign in Tiefeng County, Lieutenant Woods was responsible for building a bridge on the Anya River; after the Battle of Blood Mud, Lieutenant Woods served as Colonel Geza's personal accountant and had a heated discussion with Winters on the pricing of military horses]

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