Iron Powder and Spellcaster

As the seat of the Archbishop of New Reclamation, Maplestone City Cathedral is far more majestic and magnificent than small churches in the countryside or towns.

Even the Cathedral of Gévaudin, which was already considered extremely sacred in Houdel's eyes, was obviously overshadowed by it.

Standing in the square in front of the Maple Stone City Cathedral, Hodel and other reserve officers did not even dare to show off.

We should not blame these young people for their instinctive reaction, because the reason why the Maplestone City Cathedral is built to be so tall and steep is to make viewers feel dizzy and in awe when they look up.

Of course, there are also academic officers who have been tortured by small exams, major exams, class exams, month-end exams, midterm exams, and final exams. They plan to give their Yeluzi colleagues a little "surprise", so they deliberately do not inform the reserve officers " The written examination will be held at Maplestone City Cathedral” reason.

If the appearance of Maplestone City Cathedral was a wake-up call for Hodel, then the next character on the stage left Hodel completely at a loss.

Entering from the main entrance, which was somewhat insignificant due to the appearance of the cathedral, Hodel immediately saw several tables supported side by side under the altar at the end of the temple, and behind the tables was clearly the Blood Wolf himself.

"What's going on?" Hodel panicked and desperately asked the person next to him: "Your Excellency is here too? Are you here to invigilate the exam?"

Other reserve officers were equally unprepared for this. Everyone stopped at the door of the cathedral and did not dare to go inside.

The next moment, for Hodel, something terrible happened - the blood wolf waved at him.

"Are you aiming at me?" Holder grabbed Doug and Claude and asked in disbelief: "Are you aiming at me?"

Doug and Claude took off Holder's hands resolutely and silently stepped aside. Hodel, who was originally hiding in the crowd, was instantly isolated.

Then, something more terrifying happened - the blood wolf waved again, this time obviously more impatient than the last time.

With nowhere to hide, Hodel had no choice but to bite the bullet and step under the dome of Maplestone City Cathedral first.

Walking in the central aisle leading to the altar, the smallest sound from Hodel would be reflected by the walls and vaults, becoming clear and loud. This made him stand on tiptoe unconsciously, trying his best not to make any footsteps.

On both sides of the aisle, there were originally rows of benches for lay believers to sit when attending ceremonies.

At this moment, all the benches have been removed, replaced by sets of marching tables and benches, far apart from each other, but arranged neatly.

The servants of the cathedral were busy placing writing tools on the marching table. When they heard someone walking in, they all turned their eyes to the door.

Under the gaze of everyone, Hodel suddenly felt that he could not even walk away. Every step he took was like stepping on swaying gravel, and everything felt awkward.

Fortunately, the church servants only glanced at him briefly and quickly resumed setting up the examination room.

Hodel just walked on thin ice to the altar, raised his hand to the blood wolf and saluted: "Your Excellency."

Xue Lang just glanced at him expressionlessly and pointed at the gray-haired clerk next to him.

"Military card." The old clerk extended his hand to Hodel.

Hodel handed over his soldier's card.

"Are you Hodel?" the old clerk asked without looking up while registering.

If it were normal times, Hodel would definitely choke back with "I'm not Hodel, who am I?"

However, at this moment, Xuelang was sitting nearby and watching, and Hodel could only answer honestly: "Yes."

"age?"

"One month to nineteen."

"Age?" the old clerk asked again in a long voice.

"eighteen."

"Place of origin?"

"Huh?" Hodel didn't understand.

"Where is home?"

"Cow Hoof Valley." Hodel thought for a while and added: "Tiefeng County."

The comparison was correct. The old clerk took out a number plate from the wooden box at hand and handed it to Hodel along with the soldier's badge: "Wait nearby and someone will take you to your seat in a moment."

The next reserve officer to "identify his true identity" was Doug, and Hodel watched boredly as his friend went through the same question and answer process.

He didn't really understand why he was going to all this trouble, but now was obviously not a good time to ask.

The reserve officers received their number plates one by one, and soon arrived at Claude.

When the childish Claude took out his weapon card, the blood wolf who had been silent spoke: "Claude Lee?"

Claude was stunned until he was stabbed in the back by a comrade behind him.

"Yes!" Claude hurriedly stood at attention and saluted: "It's me."

"How is your recovery from your arrow wound?"

"It's all healed." Although the wound sometimes felt itchy, Claude subconsciously replied: "It's all healed."

"You've grown a lot taller than the last time I saw you."

For some reason, the tip of Claude Lee's nose felt a little sore: "I've grown a lot taller. I'm always hungry. The company commander said I wasn't full."

The blood wolf nodded.

Seeing this, the old clerk on the side unconsciously became much more friendly when talking to the half-grown man in front of him.

Claude successfully received his number plate and walked towards other reserve officers waiting to take their seats. One of them didn't pay attention and was caught in the neck by Hodel's elbow.

"Do you know your Excellency?" Hodel asked, biting his ear.

"This... it's a long story." Claude had not yet recovered from his conversation with the blood wolf, and he replied in a low voice: "It shouldn't be considered acquaintance."

"Screw you, don't you call me acquaintance?" Hodel said angrily: "I have never... never seen such... such a gentle expression on your face."

Soon, all reserve and commissioned officers were issued number tags.

Several church servants came over and led the subjects to the seats corresponding to each number plate.

The number on Hodel's number plate is "198", and the corresponding seat is in the third-to-last row of all seats.

As soon as I sat on the simple bench marked No. 198, the world immediately changed.

The dome of the church was so high, it seemed as if it was about to fall down and hit me in the eye;

The comrades-in-arms were obviously sitting a few meters away from him, front, back, left, and right, but there seemed to be a vast ocean between them.

Everyone, look at me and I look at you. We can talk when we open our mouths, but no one dares to speak.

Hodel's heart was pounding and he couldn't wipe the sweat off his palms.

In fact, just yesterday, he went to Captain Peter Bunier to inquire about the exam, and the news he received was that "the questions in this exam are very simple and not difficult at all."

However, when he actually sat in the examination room, he couldn't help but become anxious.

Holder had to find something to distract himself, and he began to study the number plate in his hand: it seemed to be made of pine? So exquisitely done! The colors are so bright!

Watching, watching, Hodel suddenly realized.

No. 198?

Doesn't that mean there are at least 198 people taking the exam?

However - Hodel craned his neck and looked around - even his comrades and the boys in leather boots could not fill half of the seats.

Is there anyone else who wants to take the exam?

Soon, Hodel knew-why was he only No. 198?

Not long after the reserve officers took their seats, a short figure appeared at the main entrance of the cathedral, opening his head. Then he was also waved by the blood wolf from a distance, and reluctantly walked towards the altar.

After recognizing who it was, Hodel couldn't help but be speechless.

It’s the famous Blood Wolf Champion—Captain Peter Bunir.

Then more company-level officers filed into the Maple Stone City Cathedral: Li Wei, Shao Luoshi, Rolf... all of them were well-known figures in the Tiefeng County Army.

At this time, even the solemn and solemn atmosphere of the examination room could no longer suppress the curiosity of the candidates.

The reserve officers began to ask each other with their eyes and lips: "What's going on? The company commander also has to take the exam?"

If the appearance of the company commanders had caught the reserve officers off guard, then the characters who appeared next made Hodel's jaw drop in a literal sense.

Tamas, Bart Shilling, and the hot new battalion commander Lannis, accompanied by Sergeant Ish Sweetwater, whom Holder had just met this morning, walked into Maplestone City talking and laughing. church.

Later, the commanders of the Wolf Cavalry troops-Pierre Mitchell and Vasika Morozov appeared.

Only then did Hodel realize that this was not just an exam for reserve officers—it was for all officers who had not attended a military academy.

He immediately thought: If company-level, battalion-level and even regiment-level officers have to take the exam, what about the troops stationed in other areas?

I am afraid that the same exam is being held at this moment in areas controlled by friendly forces such as Warnie County, Tiefeng County, and even Baishan County.

This was a unified examination covering the newly cultivated provinces, and the scale was far beyond Hodel's wildest imagination.

"Please." Hodel looked up at the unknown saint painted on the dome of the church and prayed so devoutly for the first time in his life: "Don't ask too difficult questions."

…

Just as Holder was praying desperately, in front of the altar of Maplestone City Cathedral, Winters took out an oblate silver box from his arms, opened the lid, and placed it on the table.

It was Winters' idea to use the cathedral as an examination room.

On the one hand, it is to put some psychological pressure on the subjects and deter anyone who wants to cheat;

The main reason is actually this: after searching all over Maple Stone City, I couldn't find a place more suitable as an examination room than the Archbishop's Cathedral.

Other public buildings that were considered were either not large enough – such as the Town Hall Auditorium;

Or there is nothing but a big enough place - such as the playground of the military camp in the city.

Besides Maplestone City Cathedral, where else can I find a good place that is protected from the wind and sun, has good ventilation, moderate lighting, is spacious, and has enough tables, chairs, benches, and pens, ink, and papers?

Using the cathedral as an examination room was such a genius idea that Winters couldn't help but want to applaud himself.

The only obstacle lies in the mood of His Excellency the Archbishop.

Fortunately, Father Carman's reputation was big enough, and the Archbishop of New Land happily lent his cathedral and generously donated all the writing tools needed for Maplestone City's examination room.

The Newlon clock on the table kept clicking.

When the pointer set with luminous stone reached the eighth mark, the big bell of the Maple Stone City Cathedral also rang.

The examination room suddenly fell silent.

"Let's begin." Winters ordered.

The church servants holding stacks of test papers walked out of the back hall as if they were holding relics of a saint.

They walked hand in hand to the tables and chairs neatly arranged in the temple, and solemnly distributed examination questions to the officers and associate officers of the New Republic.

Winters stood on the steps in front of the altar, watching the exam papers being handed out from the first row to the last row.

"Two hours," he announced majestically. "Good luck to you."

…

Hodel was completely dumbfounded.

Big beads of sweat fell from his forehead one by one, but the tips of his fingers and toes were cold.

Except for some arithmetic and geometry questions on the second sheet, he could do all the test questions on the six folio papers. He could not do any of the questions on the other five papers.

It's not that I "can't" do it, but I "can't" do it.

Because he didn't understand what the test questions were at all.

Before joining the army, Hodel had never attended school. After officially joining the army, under the literal "whip" of Lu Xirong and other sergeants, he learned some words and learned some knowledge other than shooting and riding horses.

Hodel was quite smug at first, because among the new recruits in the same batch, he was the fastest and most agile in learning.

However, when he faced a real exam, he suddenly realized that what he had learned was simply not enough.

He could recognize a few of the words in the question.

But when it was put into a sentence, Hodel couldn't understand it. Those whole lines and whole paragraphs of sentences, in Hodel's opinion, are tantamount to heavenly scriptures.

The more Hodel looked down, the more his mouth became dry and his eyes became dizzy.

Suddenly, there was a crisp sound of boots hitting the stone slab from the altar in front.

In the silent examination room, this sound was particularly harsh.

Hodel immediately recognized that this unique sound was the footsteps of the blood wolf.

He didn't dare to look up, and could only pray like crazy that the blood wolf wouldn't go towards him.

But whatever he was afraid of came, and the footsteps of the blood wolf not only did not move away, but got closer and closer, finally stopping in front of Hodel's table.

The sun shines through the skylight of the cathedral, casting the shadow of the blood wolf onto Hodel's empty test paper.

Only a few seconds passed, but Hodel felt as if a thousand years were long.

He wanted to hide the test paper, knead it, tear it into pieces, and eat it. Anyway, he just didn't want the blood wolf to see it.

But there was nothing he could do, he couldn't move.

Hodel was very scared, afraid that the blood wolf would sigh, shake his head, or slap himself in anger.

But in the end, the blood wolf said nothing and just walked away silently.

Hodel's dignity also collapsed.

He burst into tears.

…

In the copy room in the back hall of the cathedral, Winters pushed open the door and woke up Senior Mason who was napping.

"How's it going?" Mason rubbed his sleepy eyes, wiped the drool from his mouth, and asked with a smile, "Did I make the question too easy?"

"It's too easy." Winters said with a serious face, "But...it's also too difficult."

…

Two hours passed quickly, and Hodel didn't know how he survived.

Only another bell was heard, and the voice of the blood wolf came from the altar:

"Those who have finished answering the test papers, please leave your test papers on the table and leave the examination room."

Hodel wiped away his tears and tried his best to pretend that he had not cried.

The blood wolf then issued a second order:

“Anyone who can’t read the test paper – stay where you are!”

Hodel was stunned.

"Those who have left the examination room, do not disperse and line up in the square." Xue Lang's voice came clearly to everyone's ears: "We will have dinner at the city hall at noon, and in the afternoon we will set off collectively to Maple Leaf Fort to take part in the military skills test - listen clearly ?"

"Listen clearly." A buzzing voice echoed under the dome.

"I didn't hear that clearly." Winters frowned.

"Listen clearly!"

Winters waved his hand: "Execute the order."

…

People were leaving one after another, and Hodel gritted his teeth and decided to stay where he was.

When Maplestone City Cathedral returned to calm, all the "boot boys" left, but most of the reserve officers of the Tiefeng County Army did not leave the examination room.

Winters walked up to the altar and said shockingly: "I apologize to you."

Hodel didn't dare to look up.

“If the test taker can’t read the paper, that’s the test provider’s problem,” Winters said guiltily. He paused. “You’ll get an extra hour—don’t waste it.”

Houdel was confused at first, but soon he was taken by a clerk to a prayer room in the monastery attached to the cathedral.

Meanwhile, other reserve officers were led out of the cathedral by the clerk, but each was taken to a separate room.

The clerk of the city hall who was urgently summoned smiled and explained to Hodel: "Your Excellency understands that you may not be able to 'understand' the test paper, so from now on, I will read the questions to you, and you only need to answer orally."

"You have one hour." The clerk of the city hall put an hourglass on the table and wrote the annotation "Unable to read and write" in red ink on Hodel's test paper, then scratched his head: "But it's best to hurry up. Some, because I have to help other... gentlemen."

…

With the help of the clerk, Hodel finally finished answering the paper.

At noon, Hodel had a hearty meal and swallowed the stewed pork head with tears.

In the afternoon, he vented all his humiliation and anger on the target and the straw man.

The subjects of the military skills test are simply child's play for "veterans" like Hodel.

Whether it was riding horses, shooting, throwing grenades, or wearing armor, maintaining weapons, digging trenches and building forts, he did everything extremely well, far better than those "boot boys" who couldn't even shoot accurately. Bad breath.

The only thing that confused Hodel was the last subject of the "Military Skills Test".

Hodel was taken to a quiet room with a table and a pair of large hollow glass balls placed on the table.

Hodel swore that he had never seen such a large, transparent, and delicate glass ball in his life.

There is something like smoke floating in the glass ball, which is really beautiful.

Hodel had never seen the officer who presided over the examination, but he was very handsome. Even Hodel couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

The handsome officer asked Hodel a few questions and asked Hodel to do some inexplicable things.

After a few times, the handsome officer obviously lost interest and sent Hodel away directly.

That night, when he returned to the military camp, Hodel kept thinking about it until late at night, and he still didn't understand what the last test was about.

But after thinking about it, he fell asleep.

In the dream, he wrote the test paper completely.

…

At the same time, in the Maple Stone City Hall, in the temporary marking room.

"Damn it!" Andre jumped down from the recliner, slammed the test paper in his hand and the red graphite strips on the table, and couldn't help but cursed: "What kind of nonsense are these answers?!"

…

At the same time, in the officer's residential area of ​​Maplestone City, Winters' home.

Winters looked at Claude Lee in front of him, and then at the other person next to Claude Lee. He was dumbfounded: "Why... you too?"

Standing next to Claude Lee, Vashika was grinning and giggling.

[Oral answer sheet, derived from previously seen information on literacy in the New Fourth Army]

[Because many soldiers and cadres from poor backgrounds are illiterate at all, they can only take the cultural examination in this way]

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