Iron Powder and Spellcaster

After a night of melee, Veneta's troops captured the city of Red Sulfur Port, and the remaining Tanilian troops retreated into the bastion in the southwest corner of the town.

The Veneta troops, who lacked siege weapons, failed to succeed in several tentative attacks and did not attack again. The two sides entered into a subtle confrontation.

The Venetans had the numerical advantage, but they were in no hurry to attack the bastion now. Light galleys were raising sunken ships in the bay and clearing the channel for heavy warships.

The Tanirians did not launch a counterattack. The artillery range on their bastion could cover the docks and the entire town at the same time. This small bastion on the edge of the town was designed not only to defend against external enemies, but also to deter internal citizens.

However, for some unknown reason, the cannons in the bastion were silent, allowing Veneta's light warships to enter and exit the dock.

After dawn, Winters and the last remaining people walked into Red Sulfur Port as a winner for the first time. Andre proudly held the military flag high, and the group passed unimpeded.

The earthen walls and moats outside the town have begun to take shape. However, the Tanirians never expected that Red Sulfur Port would be breached from the sea, and the walls and moats surrounding the town became useless.

Across the moat, the houses in the city were closed, and the bodies on the streets had not yet been dragged away. Military police armed with halberds patrolled everywhere to maintain military discipline and ordered stragglers to return to their posts.

After the capture of Red Sulfur Port, there was chaos. Not only were the remaining Tanirian soldiers making trouble, but there were also many Veneta soldiers trying to fish in troubled waters. Under the restraint of the military police, order was barely maintained.

Above the Council Hall, the red dragon flag of the Tanirians was torn down and replaced with a golden lion flag - the symbol of St. Mark, the patron saint of Veneta, and the military flag of the Veneta Army.

Here, Winters met Lieutenant Colonel Field.

"Hahaha, you didn't expect us to come, did you?" Field laughed and gave Winters, who was covered in blood and soot, a bear hug.

"I really didn't expect..." Winters, who originally wanted to salute, was choked with breathlessness: "...my people clearly contacted the third legion...I'm afraid the Tanirians didn't expect you to come so quickly."

"'Big Veneta' is still floating in the sea north of Red Sulfur Island, so this piece of meat was eaten by our 'San Marco'." Lieutenant Colonel Field said happily: "Haha, but thanks to you The Third Army Corps, if they hadn’t contained the main force of Tanilao, Red Sulfur Port wouldn’t have been so easy to capture.”

After the war order was issued, Lieutenant Colonel Field was transferred from the Military Police Department to the 1st Reserve "San Marco" Regiment as the brigade commander. When Winters went out with the Legion of Grand Veneta, the Legion of San Marco was still reorganizing. Even Winters did not expect that this newly recruited reserve army would go out so soon.

[Note: According to the negotiation results of the Constitutional Conference after the Sovereignty War, in order to avoid military competition within the Senas Alliance, each joining country can only maintain a maximum of two standing armies.

Because the sequence of the standing legions comes from the alliance, Veneta's two standing legions are numbered as the Third Legion and the Fourth Legion.

However, the militia and reserve forces other than the standing army took advantage of the loopholes in the treaty and fell under the internal affairs of the republics and were not subject to restrictions. Therefore, the designation of the reserve legion "San Marco" is the "first reserve legion". ]

"Where's Major Moritz?" Winters

"On patrol outside." Field said, dumbfounded. "I guess you can't imagine that Moritz is still in charge of the military police after joining the army. You will be able to see him when he comes back later."

Before Field finished speaking, there was a sound of boots outside the council hall, followed by a sharp "Stand at attention!"

Field and Winters subconsciously stood up straight.

A group of senior officers pushed open the door and entered. The leading officer was wearing a general's uniform. Before he could walk in, Winters heard his rough voice: "What the hell are you waiting for? Wait for Tani to react?" After the fifth brigade comes ashore, use the strength of the four brigade to directly attack!"

This general happened to be known to Winters, and it was Major General Leighton who was responsible for picking up their first lieutenant. He frowned and thought for a moment, remembering that he seemed to have heard that Major General Leighton was in charge of commanding the newly formed reserve army.

Field and Winters immediately gave the military salute.

"Field, how are your troops gathering?" Major General Layton still spoke in a straightforward style. Before Field could answer, Layton looked at Winters: "Who are you?"

Although Winters still remembers Major General Layton, it is obvious that Layton no longer remembers the little Warrant Officer Winters.

"This is Warrant Officer Winters Montagne of the Third Army! The man who destroyed the two sea-blocking iron cables! The man who destroyed the bay forts! The man who brought us victory! Without him, Red Sulfur Port would still be In the hands of Tani." Fidel proudly introduced Winters, and then answered Leighton's question: "All six of my centurions have been restored."

The hall suddenly fell silent, and all the officers looked at the warrant officer next to Field in shock. They thought this man was just Field's soldier.

They all saw the battle flag held high beside the burning fort, but they didn't expect the person under the battle flag to be so... immature, looking like a big child. However, the warrant officer's coat, which was almost soaked in blood and scorched by fire, silently told everyone about the brutal battle he had experienced.

"Montagne...oh, I remember you." Layton looked at Winters thoughtfully. He blurted out a sentence that other officers could not understand: "You also did a good job on the ship."

Winters saluted and answered yes.

"Boy, when I was your age, I wasn't as capable as you." Layton made an unexpected move. He took off the Oak Leaf Lion Medal he was wearing and pinned it on Winters' head with his own hands. On the bloodstained coat: "Without you, Red Sulfur Port is still in the hands of Tanilao. Work hard, and you will definitely be more successful than me in the future."

Winters still just saluted in response. He is not proud, nor does he feel honored. He did not fight against the Tanirians just for the medal, and a medal cannot replace the life he sacrificed.

Layton looked at Winters' calm expression and spoke more highly of the young warrant officer in front of him. He pointed at Winters and said, "You stay to attend the military meeting."

There was no red tape, a table was dragged over, a map laid out, and the officers stood in a circle around the table to begin the meeting.

The content of the meeting was very simple. Major General Leighton could not stand the sword hanging over his head and was determined to capture the bastion of Red Sulfur Port.

"I just took people to see it. This is a small four-pointed star fort, not even a triangular fort." Layton attached it to the map and marked it with a charcoal stick as he said: "There is water to the south of this fort. Attack from the other three sides. The chief brigade controls the city defense of Red Sulfur Port, the second, third, and fourth brigade attack from the other three sides, and the fifth brigade serves as a reserve. The morale of Tani Lao must be fragile. As long as we rush through the trench Tani Lao You will be so scared that you surrender!”

Another school officer obviously disagreed with Layton's view. The military meeting of the Veneta Army was not restricted by status. He raised questions: "The trench is at least ten meters wide, and there is water in it. How can we get through it?"

"Tug the boat ashore and make a temporary pontoon." Another school officer who supported the storm said.

"Building a pontoon bridge under the eyes of the fortress's cannon?" Field also spoke. He obviously did not support a force attack: "I think we can put up a force attack posture to deter the Tani people, but don't really risk human lives. Tani in the fortress You probably want to surrender too, otherwise why haven’t you bombarded us until now?”

"If you want to surrender, they have surrendered now." The school officer who just proposed to build a pontoon bridge immediately retorted: "But the flag of the Federation is still planted on the bastion."

"It is very likely that the Tanilao inside are also wavering, or are waiting for a good enough surrender condition." Field insisted that he should be persuaded to surrender: "There is still the main force of Tanilao on the island, and our troops must be reserved to deal with it. They cannot waste it chewing on the fortress.”

The lowest among the officers present was a major. A general officer was leading a group of colonel officers in a meeting, and Winters was certainly not prepared to interrupt.

However, Layton's attention stayed on the silent Winters. He asked by name: "Warrant Officer Montagne, among us, you are the most familiar with this island. What do you think of it?"

Everyone's eyes suddenly focused on Winters.

"The bastion was renovated three months ago, and new artillery was added. There is also a water reservoir inside, and the gunpowder and grain depots are also full." Now that his name was called, Winters was neither stage fright nor arrogant. Said: "But the main force of the Federation is confronting the Third Army. This bastion is now mainly defended by the militia of Red Sulfur Port, which means that the families of the defenders are all in the city."

In the presence of a group of senior military officers, Winters did not make any suggestions, but objectively stated the intelligence he had obtained, but his thoughts were clearly revealed.

"This is a military meeting, what are you afraid of? Just say what you have to say!" Layton's temper was as fiery as ever, and he reprimanded Winters dissatisfied: "Stop talking!"

"The defenders of the bastion should be able to negotiate." Winters, who was reprimanded, also got a little angry and expressed his views straightforwardly. He added: "In addition, there are 32-pound heavy artillery in the fort in the bay. Whether you want to negotiate or attack by force, you can drag those heavy artillery over first."

After listening to Winters' words, Layton made a decision: "That's it, let's find a Taney guy in the city to deliver the message. If you want to talk, we can talk. If you don't, we can fight. The chief brigade is responsible for carrying what Montagne said. Heavy artillery, the other groups go back and prepare to attack."

"What about the trench?" someone asked.

"If the Tani guys don't surrender," Leighton snorted coldly: "Let the Tani guys in the red sulfur port take over! Disband!"

…

…

Outside the Council Hall, everyone who had been waiting for a long time finally saw Winters walking out.

"Why did it take so long?" Andre was already very impatient with waiting.

Winters pulled something from his chest and threw it into Andre's arms: "Contel and Layton are all the same kind of people."

"What is it?" Andre caught it in a hurry, his eyes suddenly widened: "Victory medal?"

Seeing Andre's surprised expression, Winters said to Andre gloomily: "You are almost like them."

"Where did you get the Victory Medal?" Andre's eyes flashed, and he could no longer hear what Winters was saying: "Is this... is this the real Victory Medal?"

"You can keep it if you want."

"Really? Really give it to me? Don't regret it in the future? Is this a real victory chapter?" Andre was almost incoherent with excitement.

"Have you hired anyone?" Bud's focus was not in the same place as Andre's.

"XX!" Winters cursed: "Leyton came in for a meeting in the middle, and I even forgot what I was doing there."

He turned around to return to the meeting hall, but met Lieutenant Colonel Field walking out.

Field pulled Winters: "The Federation troops are still on the island, so you can rest here first, and then return to the army after the third army arrives on the island."

"Lieutenant Colonel, please lend me ten men. It would be best if you could lend me some horses."

"What do you need help with?"

Winters was silent for a while and said with red eyes: "My people are still lying there, I have to take them back."

Bud and Field explained the ins and outs of arriving on the island and the agreement with the Hurds.

"Go." Field's expression also became heavy: "I'll give you two ten-man teams...be careful, there are Tani soldiers outside."

…

…

After the cart carrying the body returned to Red Pine Manor, all Winters heard was crying.

The Hurd women struggled to identify the mutilated and burned corpses beyond recognition, and in the end they could only cry bitterly.

"Why are you crying? Don't cry!" The young man who was originally beside Hestas wiped his tears and scolded the crying women and children: "If you cry, the boat carrying them across the River Styx will capsize. Don't. cry!"

Kalman looked helplessly at the corpses on the cart. What he saw in front of him greatly shocked the doctor.

He sadly grabbed the hand of the half-grown boy and asked, trembling all over: "Why? Why? Have I whipped you? Have I abused you? Have I separated your flesh and blood family? I tried my best to be kind to you. You, why are you still going to die for the Veneta people? They are all dead, they are all dead..."

"Mr. Kalman, you are very kind to us. You are the only slave owner on Red Sulfur Island who treats the Hud people well." The young man stared closely into Kalman's eyes and asked word by word: "But even so , aren’t we slaves? Aren’t our sons and daughters slaves? Aren’t our sons’ sons and daughters’ daughters slaves? I’m also willing to treat you well, are you willing to be my slave?”

Kalman was stunned on the spot when asked by this young man, and walked away in despair.

Winters walked up to the young man and said softly: "I will take you to Red Sulfur Port, and after the third legion comes ashore, I will send you home immediately."

The half-grown boy sobbed and said "Yeah".

"Hestas... I hope you can take him back to your hometown and bury him."

"Um."

"I don't know about the funerals of you Hed people. Nowadays, diseases are easy to breed. It is best to cremate the body and then take it back with you. Is that okay? If cremation is not allowed in the Hed funeral, we will think of other ways."

"It can be cremated." The young man wiped away his tears and said with red eyes: "You are the 'Kulshita' of Hestace, and you have the final say on his funeral."

…

In a secluded open space in Red Pine Manor, a torch lit the pyre, burning away the last bits of human flesh and blood.

The Huds sang in low voices a farewell song to the dead.

The remains of the Veneta soldiers were not cremated. For the Veneta people, cremation meant that they would not be resurrected until the end of time.

Winters and others wielded spades and picks, digging pits to bury the remains of Veneta soldiers.

He suddenly remembered Major Moritz's view of life and death. Only the living are meaningful. For the dead, no matter what they sacrificed in exchange for it, it is meaningless.

He shuddered and did not dare to think any more.

Field's admonition rang in his ears: "Don't get too close to your soldiers, keep your distance, otherwise you are not fit to be an officer."

"Yeah." Winters added the last handful of soil: "Maybe I'm really not suitable to be an officer."

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