Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Wagne County]

[Oak Town]

Old Mattia Miklo woke up very early, but he just lay stiffly on the bed, staring silently at the dome in the darkness.

So does his wife.

In the spacious bedroom, only the slow breathing of the two could be heard.

I don’t know how long it took, but finally, a string of sharp and loud rooster crows broke the oppressive silence.

A series of sounds came from downstairs, and old Ma Jiya listened silently.

The morning noise in other people's ears painted vivid pictures in his mind:

Old Tasso, the elderly valet, yawned, pushed open the door that lacked lubrication with a groan, hammered his knees that also lacked lubrication a few times, dragged his heavy steps, and walked slowly towards the stable;

The live-in maid put on her coat rustlingly, walked quietly through the corridor, and carried the milk can to the cowshed;

The hounds outside the house and the guard dogs in the distance seemed to be greeting each other, barking one after another;

The herdsman rang the bell and drove the cattle into the pasture...

Surrounding this beautiful two-story wooden building, awakened by the crowing of the cock, is the most extensive, fertile and beautiful farm in Oak Town - Madiya Manor.

Old Ma Jiya listened carefully, not missing even the slightest noise, until the sun rose.

When the first ray of light shone into the bedroom, old Majia immediately got up from the bed mechanically, opened the window, and inspected the manor in the morning light as usual.

His old wife silently walked to the closet, took out the luggage she had prepared the night before, and carefully helped her husband get dressed.

"I will bring him back." Old Ma Jiya turned his back to his wife and said dullly, as if making a promise.

His wife said nothing, but touched her husband's hand.

Tasso, the valet who had served Mattia Milok for many years, brought four of the best horses in the manor.

The horses had been fed well in advance, and old Tasso got up early to give them a meal, so they were all full of energy and would be able to withstand the long journey.

But after carefully inspecting the four slender, muscular, sleek-coated horses, Mattia Miklo changed her mind at the last moment.

He shook his head and told Tasso: "Prepare a bald-tailed horse."

The old servant couldn't help but widen his eyes: "Those old horses have weak legs. If we ride them, we won't be able to get home before dark."

Mattia Milok had no explanation.

The old servant was used to the reticence of his "employer". He mumbled and took four good horses back to the stable. After a while, he led four bad horses with bald tails out.

The bad horses were old and knew they were going on a long journey. They were all biting the iron bits in their mouths anxiously, and the white saliva could not stop dripping down.

Mattia Milok stepped forward with his saber in hand. He gently patted the horses' necks, pressed his left hand on the horse's back, and jumped up to sit on the saddle.

Seeing this, Old Tasso also tightened the belt with his saber and mounted the horse in the stirrup.

Mrs. Matiya walked out of the room holding a saddle bag in both hands and handed the saddle bag to her husband with her own hands.

Without saying goodbye or seeing off, Miloc and Tasso, master and servant, each took a prepared horse and left the manor before the sun fully rose, setting off for Artemis.

The sky is still dark with night, and there are few pedestrians on the road. There are only a few shepherds driving their sheep out to graze.

If it were in the past, Mattia Milok and Tasso might have encountered caravans and travelers who were also heading to Artemis, and they might have happily traveled with the latter.

But now, the master and servant don't want to meet any "companions".

The war changed everything around people so profoundly:

Villages and towns became closed and exclusive, building high walls to deny access to strangers;

Communication between settlements no longer exists, and only malicious bandits and lawless soldiers roam the wilds;

Isolated farmhouses can turn into ashes overnight. After losing order, farmers who originally abide by their duties may turn into devils in a moment of thought;

As for those travelers who have a reason to travel, they should always hold on to their weapons, prick up their ears, and be alert to every sign of disturbance within their field of vision.

However, before the sun had even reached the treetops, Mattia Milok was caught up with someone.

"I'm going with you!" Mattia Raul gasped and announced loudly: "Dad!"

The old servant Tasso glanced at the horse under Raul's crotch, couldn't help but folded his arms and curled his lips.

Mattia Milok stared at her youngest son without saying a word, looking at the latter's childish eyes, the latter's beard that had not yet grown, and the latter's hunting suit that was soaked with sweat.

Raul felt uncomfortable when his father saw him, and senseless shame and anger filled his chest for a moment. He pulled out his saber from his saddle bag and said angrily: "Don't underestimate me!"

Old Ma Jiya was silent for a moment and asked: "You... know where you are going?"

"Go to Artemis." Raul looked directly at his father without fear.

Old Ma Jiya asked again: "Do you know what to do?"

"Redeeming people." Raul pursed his lips and replied in a low voice, "Or ransoming corpses."

"Do you know who you want to see?" Old Ma Jiya asked again.

"I know." Raul avoided his father's gaze and looked at the tips of his father's boots: "That person."

Old Ma Jiya is like a stone statue carved with knives and axes. Although he has facial features, he has no expression: "Who?"

Under the coercion of his father's gaze, Raul reluctantly said the name with half disgust and half fear: "Blood Wolf... Your Excellency."

But saying that name was like unloading some kind of invisible burden. Raul simply said everything at once: "So what? I want to see what's so great about that person!"

Old Ma Jiya looked at her younger son. For some reason, she neither taught the latter nor asked any more questions.

However, Lao Tasuo behind him smacked his lips and broke the stalemate between father and son: "Master, in my opinion, even if you drive Master Raul away now, he will catch up again."

Old Ma Jiya said nothing.

There is probably no one in this world who knows how to please and persuade Matya Milok better than her old servant.

I saw old Tasso blinking his eyes and complaining half-truthfully: "Oh, it's true, everyone is just like you, they are all stubborn donkeys! Stubborn donkeys! Alas... otherwise... or else first Take Master Raul to the county government? When we get to Artemis, it shouldn't be difficult to find a place to settle Master Raul..."

Old Ma Jiya thought for a moment and gently pulled the reins. The old horse he was riding immediately understood and turned around at a pace.

Mattia Raul was stunned for a moment, then became ecstatic and made a face at his Uncle Tasso.

Tasso also patted Raul's shoulder silently, took out a sweat towel from the saddlebag and handed it to the latter.

The three of them set out again.

[Oak Town] and [Artemis] are both located on the west bank of the [Anya River], and the straight-line distance between them is about twenty kilometers.

Regardless of the horsepower and running at full speed, it can be reached in two hours at most.

However, because the three members of the Matiya family consciously avoided settlements and towns along the way, they took some long detours and spent a lot of extra time.

In addition, the four old horses they were riding were old and weak, so it was already noon when the three of them arrived at the "rebel" outpost on the outskirts of the city.

The provincial road leading from Oak Town to Artemis is bounded by [Deer Mountain] to the west and the Anya River to the east. The "rebels" set up a blockade in the narrowest place between the mountain and the river, making it impossible to avoid and avoid.

The three of them were stationed on the hillside. Looking at the crowded checkpoints in the distance, Tasso couldn't help but look embarrassed.

"Master." The old servant suggested in a low voice: "Otherwise, why don't we go around it?"

Raul burst out laughing. Although he was young, his brain reaction was very fast: "Around? Where else can we go around? Can we go back the same way and circle around Lushan? What if there are checkpoints on that road? what to do?"

The old servant gently shook his head towards the young master, signaling the latter to be calm.

Old Ma Jiya silently observed the outpost in the distance, and finally nodded slowly.

Tasso's heart tightened - because he knew that Mattia Milok had already made up his mind.

…

[Half an hour later]

"When will it be our turn?" Raul couldn't help shouting.

The "congestion" you see when observing from a distance and the "congestion" you experience inside are completely different things.

In front of the three members of the Mattiya family was a long queue of more than thirty double carriages;

Behind the three members of the Madiya family were more single and double carriages.

The entire long team was moving forward at an excruciatingly slow speed, and the scorching midday sun above their heads was extremely fierce. Many coachmen simply hid in the shade of trees beside the road and took a nap.

Raul, however, could only endure the scorching heat and wait eagerly for the convoy to move forward slowly and anxiously.

Fortunately, old Tasso, who had gone to drink from his horse, returned quickly and brought back two sheepskin bags full of water.

Raul cheered for joy, took off the water bag from the saddle, bit open the cork, and drank happily.

Drinking alone was not enough, so Raul raised the water bag high above his head and poured the remaining water in the water bag over his body, washing away the sweat and heat.

On the other side, old Ma Jiya took another water bag from old Tasso, took a brief sip, put down the water bag and looked at the old servant.

Of course, old Tasso understood what it meant and replied with a smile: "I drank enough by the river."

Old Ma Jiya nodded, took a few more drinks of water slowly, then carefully tied the sheepskin bag tightly and hung it back on the saddle.

In this moment, old Tasso had already taken out the hay bag and took some time to feed some old bald-tailed horses.

After doing all this, old Tasso rubbed his sore shoulders and walked back to his "old employer" and "little employer".

"The convoy in front is from [Hammer Town]." Old Tasso lowered his voice: "The convoy in the back is from [Shannan Town]. There are also a few 'fellow townsmen' from [Oak Town], but they are all acting alone. Guy, just follow him."

"How did you..." Raul was stunned.

"While drinking the horse, I asked around." Old Tasso and old Ma Jiya looked at each other: "Don't worry, no one will recognize me."

Raul looked at his father and then at old Tasso. After a brief digestion, he asked in surprise: "Coming from Hammer Town or Shannan Town? That's more than a day's journey..."

After that, Raul stood on tiptoes and looked forward and then back. The size of the motorcade stretching on the provincial road was already "abnormal" in size.

Maybe two or three years ago, this was normal.

But in the current situation, what is normal is not normal.

"It is said." Old Tasso was also very puzzled: "The 'rebels' are buying on a large scale in Artemis. Food, hemp, oil, smoke... No matter what it is, as long as it is shipped to Artemis, it can be doubled. Sold to the 'rebels'. That's why the gentlemen are like crazy, working hard to send truckloads of good things to Artemis."

"The price of food is going to rise again?" Raul suddenly came back to his senses: "Send it to Artemis, and the 'Rebels' will buy it? Blood Wolf... Where did you get so much gold and silver? Could it be a trap? …”

Old Tasso leaned on his saber and shrugged nonchalantly.

Old Ma Jiya was silent.

Suddenly there was a noise ahead, and the driver who had been napping under the shade of a tree by the road was awakened and looked in the direction of the checkpoint without knowing why.

Suddenly, a coachman ran towards his carriage. Then, like a herd of horses blindly following a frightened horse, the other coachmen rushed towards their carts.

A bell-like voice came from the front:

"Get your passes ready!"

"The car in front and the car behind, the distance between the two horses!"

"Stop dilly-dallying! Move quickly! Run! Run!"

"..."

Old Matia and old Tasso couldn't help but look at each other, while Raul couldn't help but look up.

The sound became clearer and closer, and the people blocking the road moved out of the way. The three members of the Majiya family finally saw clearly the appearance of the "sound source":

He was a handsome young man, of medium height, but looked very strong. Although he was wearing an old military uniform that had been washed and faded, the leather boots on his feet were excellent.

What is even more eye-catching is the luxurious saber hanging under the young man's belt.

Judging from the exquisiteness of the knife, the sword should be enshrined on the fireplace as a family heirloom, rather than hanging casually on the belt with two leather straps.

What was even more impressive than the sword was the young man's bright eyes.

The sharp gaze shot out from those eyes was like a sharp arrow. Wherever it hit, everyone subconsciously avoided it.

Mattia Raul also felt the scrutinizing gaze of the young man with the sword. His instinct made him subconsciously want to escape, but he gritted his teeth and stared back without giving up.

Until the end, Raul did not avoid the opponent's sight.

However, perhaps it was this brief exchange of glances that made the young man with the sword who had already passed by the three of them turn back.

Don't worry when the young man with the sword returned, but several "rebel" soldiers following the young man with the sword immediately surrounded the three members of the Majiya family.

With one glance, the young man with the saber found the real leader among the three. He looked at old Ma Jiya: "Pass?"

Old Matiya nodded, took out a letter from the saddle bag - a pass signed by the mayor of Oak Town, and handed it to Raul beside him.

"To whom?" Raul asked, scratching his head.

The young man with the saber extended his hand politely.

Old Tasso raised his eyebrows, Raul's eyes became more mocking, while old Matiya still had a serious expression.

However, to the surprise of Tasso Lao and Raul, after the Saber young man took the pass, he did not just glance at it or wave his hand and go over, but "read" it carefully.

"Mr. Ma Jiya?" the young man asked.

Old Ma Jiya nodded slightly.

"Who are these two?"

"I'm just a horse feeder." Old Tasso answered first, and then motioned to Raul: "This is our young master."

"The reason for traveling is..." The young man with the sword frowned slightly: "Visiting friends?"

Old Ma Jiya nodded slightly.

The young man with the saber measured the three of them from top to bottom, and slowly folded the pass back to its original shape.

Raul held on and asked, "Is there anything else we can do to help?"

"Don't be nervous." The young man with the sword showed a hearty smile. He raised his hand and pointed at the checkpoint in front: "Freight carriages need to line up here, you can go directly."

Raul looked at the checkpoint in front of him, then at his father and old Tasso, his annoyance palpable: "Then what are you waiting for?"

Old Tasuo looked at old Matiya inquiringly.

"Thank you." Old Ma Jiya nodded in greeting.

The young man with the sword nodded in return, indicating that he would lead the way. The three members of the Majiya family, either actively or passively, followed the young man with the sword and marched towards the checkpoint unimpeded.

However, just halfway through, Raul suddenly stopped, his eyes widened, and he looked ahead blankly.

Old Tasso followed Raul's gaze and looked forward, his pupils dilating.

It was far away and blocked by trees on both sides of the road, so the three of them failed to notice it.

But where they were at this moment, the previously invisible scene was clearly displayed in front of them:

The huge oak tree downwind of the checkpoint was covered with human corpses.

Dozens of corpses swayed regularly in the wind, as if they were performing a terrifying group dance.

Raul suddenly felt a huge force welling up from his stomach; although old Tasso remained calm, his face was not pretty; old Matiya turned around and did not look at the oak tree again.

The young man with the sword took in the expressions of the three of them. Perhaps he felt that this scene was a bit too shocking, so he took the initiative to explain: "Those are robbers and criminals who were sentenced to hang. There was no time to build gallows for them, so they hung them directly on the tree."

Old Tasuo held his saber, swallowed hard, and forced out a smile: "Your Excellency Blood Wolf's method is indeed... extraordinary..."

"The way of punishment is to punish lightly and punish harshly." The young man with the sword swept the long motorcade in front of the checkpoint, then glanced at the tree with hanging corpses in the distance, and asked calmly: "Don't hang them on the tree, good people." How dare you go out?"

"Small punishment, heavy punishment." Old Tasso stared at the young man with the sword for a while, and finally lowered his head: "Good opinion."

"I didn't say this." The young man with the sword said with a smile, "Your Excellency said it."

The rebel checkpoints are divided into incoming and outgoing sides, with a small gate and a large gate on each side.

In front of the gate, the "rebel" soldiers on duty were checking and counting the goods of a double cart. This is probably the reason why there was such a long queue at the back.

Since the establishment of the newly reclaimed land province, toll tax has been one of the important sources of revenue for the counties and garrison offices. There are checkpoints between counties and sentinels between towns. It can be said that there are cards and sentries everywhere.

Not only the merchants, but also the common people hated it, but there was nothing they could do about it. So even Raul, who had little travel experience, knew what the "rebel" soldiers were doing.

Old Tasso spoke on behalf of the "employers" family. He put on a flattering smile and asked humbly: "I don't know? Toll tax?"

"No." The young man with the sword said in shock.

Old Tasso couldn't react for a moment: "Nothing?"

"There is no toll tax." The young man with the saber repeated it. He thought for a while and added: "At least not for the time being."

Raul couldn't help but ask: "Then why do you still want it?"

He raised his hand and pointed at the "rebel" soldiers who were inspecting the truck, and there was no need to say more about the second half of the sentence.

"By the order of His Excellency Tribune Bard, the toll tax is exempted." The young man with the sword replied politely: "But the declaration and inspection must still be carried out."

After saying that, the young man with the sword raised his hand and signaled: "Please."

Amid the "surroundings" of "rebel" soldiers, the three members of the Matiya family walked towards the checkpoint step by step.

For some reason, Raul's heart beat faster every time he took a step forward. But when he saw that his father's pace was still steady, he suppressed his dizziness and vomiting and walked forward.

In front of the checkpoint, the rebel soldier on duty asked coldly: "What do you have to declare?"

Raul shook his head.

"Yes." Old Ma Jiya replied concisely: "Gold."

He reached into the small saddle bag hanging in front of the saddle, took out two short stick-like pottery sticks, and banged them against each other.

The surface of the pottery is cracked and peeled off, and part of the contents is exposed.

Under the noon sun, there is a breathtaking luster.

[Return from the bloody battle]

[Orz Orz Orz]

[Sorry, there are really too many things going on in life and work recently. I write all the time, but I can’t use the spare time]

[Additional explanation about suppressing bandits]

[Whether it is the East or the West, no matter which dynasty or generation it is, suppressing bandits is a policy that unconditionally wins the hearts and minds of the people. Bandits must be suppressed, otherwise it will not work]

[Among the various policies Napoleon promulgated after he became the First Consul, [the extermination of rural bandits] was the most popular policy among the French.]

[In the vastness of France (compared to the small German states of the same period), banditry has never disappeared. The Bourbons, the Jacobins, and the Directory also issued orders to suppress bandits, but they all failed to eliminate banditry in France. Only the First French Empire exhausted all means, and only the First French Empire successfully eliminated the banditry in France]

[In November 1799, 40% of France’s territory was under martial law, but within three years, travel within the country was safe again, and commerce was restored; even Napoleon’s glorious victory in Italy was not as successful as [Suppression of Bandits]. Popular support - "Napoleon the Great\