Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 229 The Temple

   Early in the morning, the labor prisoners in Wolf Town were taken to the ruins of the church and cleaned up under the supervision of the militia.

  The militias are not only responsible for supervision, but also participate in the reconstruction work, doing some relatively easy work.

  The charcoal mud and black ash should be shoveled away, the burnt wood should be cleaned up, and the slate and bricks that could be used should be picked up and taken to the river for cleaning.

  Wolf Town is so small that you can count the buildings on one hand.

  The church became lively, and the center of the town was like a construction site full of people.

   Building a church is a grand event no matter where it is. For many believers, it is even more sacred and glorious than building water conservancy and paving roads.

   So everyone worked extremely hard, even the "slaves" who were forced to work.

   But on such an important occasion, the Montagne magistrate did not appear.

   The conductor at the scene is his deputy, Mr. Mitchell.

   It wasn't that Winters avoided it on purpose, but because the fire had burned to his brow, and he had more pressing matters to deal with.

  While everyone was burying their heads in cleaning up the ruins, in the barracks of Wolf Town across the road, a man with blood on his clothes was woken up by a bucket of cold water.

   "Name, affiliation." The interrogation voice was cold, not even asking a question.

   The man has not recovered yet, and his eyes have not yet adapted to the light.

   He stared at the interrogator in a daze, and immediately took a solid punch under the ribs - only then did he realize that there were two other interrogators in the dimly lit room.

   "Name, affiliation."

   The man gasped in pain. He spoke with difficulty and said intermittently, "I'm... I'm Sergeant Gurahi from the Revodan garrison..."

   "Evidence." The cold voice continued to ask.

   "Sir... How could you not recognize me?"

   The lighting was poor, but Gurahi could still see that the other party was wearing an officer uniform.

   In fact, he had already recognized this uniform during the battle last night.

   The most important thing is that Gurahi has been a soldier for more than ten years, and he can recognize the tone, attitude, accent and style of the other party's speech at a glance.

  Because he lives in the United Province all the year round, the orthodox officers will unconsciously bring out a little Guitucheng accent when they speak, which is impossible to pretend.

   Even Gurahi didn't realize this, he just listened to the other party's words and was the officer's "tone".

   "Clothes don't mean anything." The officer was unmoved: "The bandits can also wear officers' armor. Who is the commander of the Gévoudan garrison?"

   A glimmer of hope ignited in Gurahi's heart. The other party is not a bandit, so he still has a way to live: "It's still Major Ronald, always."

   "Everyone knows Major Ronald."

   "And Captain Epel! Lieutenant Arcos! Lieutenant Elek!"

   "belongs to."

  Gulahi tried his best to report all the information that could prove his identity: "Revodan gendarmerie in the garrison, my name is Gulahi, many people know me..."

   The interrogator waved his hand, and the person next to him gave Gurahi another punch.

  Gurahi was so painful that he was almost convulsed, and now he was more certain that the other party was an officer. And it's a serious officer, not a wild way.

   "What do I ask, what do you answer."

  Gurahi nodded desperately.

   "You are the military police."

   "Yes." Gurahi did not dare to speak any more.

   "You are the military police, what are you running for?"

   "I..." Gurahi was a little aggrieved, he said carefully: "You chased first, and I ran away..."

   After saying this, Gurahi's body curled up unconsciously, ready to take another punch.

   The expected fist did not fall.

   Only the voice continued to ask: "You are sneaking around Wolf Town, why don't I chase?"

  Gurahi vaguely realized that the other party was actually very good at talking.

So he said everything he could say like a bean in a bamboo tube: "I didn't come to spy on you, really not! You believe me. More than 20 days ago, an expropriation team was robbed, and the convoy fled back to Reve. Dan, Major Ronald wants us to come and check. I found this all the way and saw houses being built in the town, I was curious and wanted to take a closer look... Now that no one is building, I'm really strange..."

"us?"

   "There have been several food robbery cases in Tiefeng County in the past two months. The middle school principal has dispatched all the gendarmerie teams. Wherever there is a case, go to investigate it... It's really a misunderstanding..."

   The other party interrupted Gurahi: "Whose order is Geraldine listening to now?"

  Gurahi was stunned for a moment, and replied in a low voice: "Listen to the Legion, Maplestone City, General Adams."

   "It's alright." The interrogator stood up and passed the verdict in a leisurely manner: "You are still a prisoner, and you are being held in solitary confinement. I will go to Gervodin, and you can leave after your identity is verified."

   "Thank you sir!" Luckily saved his life, Gurahi was too happy to be in time, in comparison, going to jail is not a big deal.

   Winters left the prefab and walked towards the large tent, Samukin following him.

   "Are you really going to Revodan? Your lord?" Samukin asked worriedly, "I'll accompany you."

   Winters smiled and explained the reasoning to Samukin: "Whether you go to Revodan or not, you have to stabilize him first. Give him a little hope, otherwise he will definitely want to run away."

   "Then why don't you just kill it?" Samukin asked of course.

   "He knows something. Keep it, maybe it's useful." Winters explained: "Isn't that guy named Ivan also locked up."

   In fact, a soldier of this level can know very limited things. Winters just doesn't want to kill indiscriminately.

   "So...let them work?" Samukin asked.

   A total of six military police reconnaissance cavalry came, exactly one cavalry.

   However, their combat effectiveness was worrying. During the battle and pursuit, three were killed on the spot, and the rest did not escape and were all taken prisoners.

When    returned to Wolf Town, the seriously wounded one also died, leaving only Gurahi and another lightly wounded gendarme.

   Winters was a little distressed: "I don't want them to come in contact with other people."

   "Just shut them up and don't let them work." Samukin said a little unhappily: "Isn't that a waste of food? I think it's better to kill them."

   Hunger has penetrated into the bones of the wolf town militia. After all, even the militiamen have to work and hunt to eat, and they are not full.

  The prisoner can sit still and wait for the food to be delivered to his mouth - although there are only two bowls of wheat porridge a day, it feels a little unfair after all.

   Looking at Samukin's young and simple face, Winters was inexplicably emotional.

   Less than a year ago, Samukin Priskin was an honest and simple farmer.

   He works at sunrise and rests at sunset. He goes to church on weekends. In the future, he will marry a wife and have children, and one day he will be buried in the Wolf Town Cemetery by his descendants.

   But now Samukin can say things like "they can't work, I think it's better to kill them".

   And it sounded very convincing, and Winters had the idea of ​​killing it all—he was hungry too.

  In troubled times, human life is really inferior to grass.

"No." Winters patted Samukin's shoulder: "We are not bandits, we are the army. Even if we want to kill, we have to kill them with a canonical punishment and an open and honest killing. Without food, the reason is not worth the death penalty. , even more untenable. There are only three anyway, so let’s close them first.”

   "Yes." Samukin nodded heavily.

   He didn't quite understand what the centurion meant, but he did whatever the centurion said, without any hesitation.

Winters got a little inspiration and said with a smile: "Since you can't give them iron tools, get them a few bundles of straw and grass branches. Let them weave baskets and straw shoes. If you don't weave them, you won't be given anything to eat. Those who don't work are not allowed to eat. I have to pull a big saw and chop wood, and they can eat for nothing. It's really unfair."

  Samukin also smiled, revealing two rows of uneven teeth: "Yes, I'll do it."

   "Don't set your goals too high on the first day." Winters smiled and exhorted: "Step by step, slowly pile up."

   "Yes, I understand, don't worry." Samukin smiled with crescent eyes and agreed.

   Samukin left, leaving Winters alone in the tent.

   Winters' mind was filled with a lot of unrelated and implicated things, and he needed to sort out his thoughts bit by bit.

  The border town, which had not seen a single face for several months, suddenly came to three groups of people in one day—four waves to be precise.

   Each batch of visitors alone was enough for Winters to have a headache for a long time, but fate is so ruthless, they not only came, but also came together.

   The most irritating thing was the reconnaissance cavalry of Revodan. The gendarmerie in the garrison tracked it all the way to Wolf Town, but luckily it was discovered by the sentry set up by Winters.

   It was a battle of lightning and fire, and then the pursuit all night long. Winters finally solved all the six scout cavalry, and none of them let go.

  Through interrogation and the previous broken information, Winters speculates two points:

   First, the political stance of the New Reclamation Corps is ambiguous, neither the blue rose nor the red rose. However, the interior of the newly reclaimed province has not yet been divided, and it is still gathered under the banner of the new reclaimed army;

  According to what Winters had heard, there were three groups of people who entered the newly cultivated land to collect grain and harvest wheat fields. Winters was still very strange at the time, who was the third party other than Red and Blue Rose? It now appears that it is General Adams' New Reclamation Corps.

  Secondly, Gervoudan has not noticed the changes in Langtun Town, and he doesn't even know that he is still alive. Naturally, he has no plans to attack Wolf Town—for now.

  Winters acted very cautiously. Except for "ambushing the food requisition team", everything he did did not exceed the power and responsibility of the "town officer".

   Militia?

  The resident officer has the right to call up the militia.

   Bandit?

  The resident officer was originally responsible for public security and fighting bandits.

   Make bandits do hard labor? Trial bandits?

   The local judicial power is also in the hands of the town officials.

   Cross-border enforcement?

   This Revodan really can’t handle it. Heishui Town has to file charges first, but it’s too late for Heishui Town to be happy.

  It is not a lie that the garrisons have the status of feudal lords on the land of the Palatine military.

   Based on what Winters did, Gervoudan should not only not punish him, but also give him a one-ton medal—not including the case of robbing the grain cart.

   At present, the conflict between Winters and Gervoudan only happened in one point: Gervoudan wanted food, but Winters didn't want to give it, and if he gave it to the common people, he would not be able to survive.

   In fact, there is another point of contradiction that is difficult to detect and does not cause direct confrontation: the land of the Palatu military was given to the refugees for reclamation by him.

   As for when Gervodan will find out that the robbery of the food requisition team is related to Wolf Town?

   Winters thought it was a matter of time.

  The motorcade is walking on the road, it is impossible not to leave a trail, and the villages and towns along the way are all witnesses.

   It's just that Wolf Town is too remote, and Winters is careful when he "commits the crime", so it has not been exposed so far.

   And recently, when the green and yellow were not connected, Revodan did not send a food collection team to Wolf Town, so it did not trigger a second confrontation.

   And according to the statement of the military police sergeant, the looting of the ration team happened more than once, and there were other cases that distracted Gervodin's attention.

   However, Winters had seen the officers of the Gévoudan garrison.

   He had visited the home of Major Ronald, and he was warmly received by Captain Epert and other seniors.

   Those alumni are smart people who have the same education and training as him.

   Actually, Winters thinks he's exposed. When he intercepted this team of scouts, he had already been exposed to Gervoudan's vision.

   Gervodan might pretend to be confused, might want to lift it lightly, or slam it down with a heavy punch, Winters didn't know what to expect.

   But Winters already has some plans, thanks to Father Kaman.

The information that   Kaman brought back was very valuable. He had been with the remnants of the expedition, so... Winters had to go to Gervodin.

As for Father Kaman's church, its importance is currently slightly higher than "finding some milk-boosting food for the Mitchells' hounds", far less than "the blacksmith's charcoal is not enough to burn recently", so Winters just threw it away To Pierre.

   As soon as I thought of Pierre, Pierre came.

   "The church is over there, I need you to come over." Pierre rarely talks nonsense these days.

   "What's the matter?" Winters didn't care: "Why don't you build a wooden shed and make do with Kaman first?"

  Pierre showed a smile: "You still have to come to the groundbreaking ceremony."

  The original site of the military camp and the church was separated by a dirt road, less than 20 meters away.

   Winters and Pierre soon walked to the construction site.

   "You still have to lay down the first stake." Pierre scratched his head: "None of us are qualified."

  Winters had nothing to say. He took the stone hammer and hit it hard at the "first stake".

   "Okay!" Winters threw away the stone hammer and clapped his hands: "Go to work."

   It took less than ten seconds in total, and the groundbreaking ceremony was over.

  The militiamen and slave laborers were stunned for a while, then picked up tools and resumed their work. The silent church site returned to noise again.

   "Oh, if that old man Anthony knew that it was me, the sorcerer, who knocked down the first stake for his church." Winters suddenly felt a little funny: "I don't know what to think."

   This time it was Pierre's turn to be speechless.

   "But these convicts work hard for the church." Pierre looked at the slave laborers who were cleaning the stones by the river, and suddenly said with emotion: "If only they could work as hard as they normally would."

   Winters sneered: "After all, it's to please the gods. The more you sweat in life, the less the fire after death."

  [Note: here refers to purgatory]

   Hearing such a mean but sharp comment, Pierre wanted to laugh but dared not.

   "I originally built a wooden shed, but it seems that there is really something." Winters looked at the blackened stone wall of the church and suddenly asked: "The mortar and plaster are too hot, can they still be used?

   This question stopped Pierre, who said with a wry smile: "I don't know either, I have to ask a mason to ask."

  The old church in Wolf Town is divided into two parts, the older stone structure and the wooden structure expanded in recent years.

  After a fire, the wood was burnt away, leaving only the stone walls with an unknown history. Even the plaster and murals on the walls were burnt to the point of falling off.

   "Is there a mason in Wolftown?" Winters asked.

   "Not in Wolf Town." Pierre shook his head: "You have to go to Gervodin. Before you built a big house, you had to go to Gervodin to hire a mason."

  Masons are not only masons, but also architects and contractors.

   "Let's build a wooden canopy for Kaman to use first." Winters sighed: "Be careful, tell me immediately if there is a crack on the wall."

  Winters has no time to draw drawings for Kaman now, so Kaman's church was temporarily downgraded from "beautiful" to "build a wooden canopy on the old wall and make do with it".

  Winters suddenly had an idea as he watched the "laboured prisoners" work hard for the reconstruction of the church.

   he whispered: "Pierre?"

   "Yes?" Pierre tilted his head slightly.

   "You said, hope is important or not?"

   "It should be... important."

   "It's very important, there is hope to survive." Winters sighed: "You must also give these labor prisoners a little hope, otherwise they will be stuttering, forced labor, and will not work hard."

   "These convicts are... those from the Senge's Valley." Pierre said with some embarrassment.

   The crimes committed by the gangsters in the Senge's Valley are too bad. If Winters' previous temperament was followed, one of these gangsters would have to die.

   It was precisely because he chose to kill with the "Ming canon punishment" that these accomplices saved their lives.

"I'm not thinking of them, but our interests. It's good for us to work hard." Winters made up his mind: "Give them some hope and set a number for their sin. Like A thousand days, after a thousand days, we will set them free."

Pierre's understanding is always fast. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said thoughtfully: "There needs to be an evaluation standard to distinguish the pros and cons. For example, if a prisoner works hard for 800 days, we will let them free. If he doesn't work hard and spend a thousand days, he still owes us a thousand days."

"That's right! Well said. Let's study it carefully when we call a meeting at night." Winters thought for a while: "Isn't this Lieutenant Mason's labor ranch? Oh, we have to name 'days', How about a 'working day'?"

Pierre said thoughtfully: "The working day is not accurate, sometimes ten hours a day, sometimes six hours a day. Otherwise, it should be accurate to the hour and called 'working hours'? Any convict, as long as Once the required hours are completed, you can return to your freedom—provided you don’t mess with time.”

   "Okay, it's called working hours." Winters rubbed his palms and laughed, and he said excitedly: "I'll go back to the big account now, write it down, and draw up a few rules first."

   "Please wait." Pierre's expression was a little subtle: "Sir, did you forget something?"

"whats the matter?"

   Pierre said slowly: "My family..."

   "Broken." Winters exclaimed badly.

   He went out with a knife last night, chased the Revodan detective all night, and came back only after dawn. After that, the two prisoners were interrogated non-stop until now.

  Anna is still waiting at Mitchell Manor!

   [How can my wife have an important job.jpg (covering her face)]

   [Winters is burning his eyebrows now, and as a result, he left Anna to dry overnight...]

   [Updated the timeline of the Battle of the Great Wasteland at the end of the second volume, interested book lovers please turn to the end of the second volume]

   [There are two maps in this chapter, one is the map of Tiefeng County, and the other is the bird's-eye view of Wolf Town. The drawings are very crude. Interested book friends can find them in this chapter]

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you all]

   (end of this chapter)