Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 302 Mason

   The night was dark, I don’t know when and where.

  The soldiers with spears and muskets on their shoulders panted heavily, just following the comrades in front of them and galloping.

  The other side of the road was occupied by horses laden with armor. From time to time, out-of-control horses broke into the ranks of the army, causing a burst of exclamations and curses.

"This can't be done." Bud looked around the crowd, his eyebrows twisted into a knot: "The first company is about to run to the town of Sanke, and the militia behind have not yet left the valley. There is no food or drink. The soldiers can't find it. Ammunition wagons, armored packhorses can't find warriors."

   Winters carried the lantern and drew on the map without saying a word.

   In addition to two regular officers, there were all company commanders and militia commanders who could be summoned.

  Everyone knows the danger of forced marching at night, but can it be done quickly?

   This force of nearly 10,000 - including the militia - most of the baggage is in Gervodin.

The battle of   Pangtuohe relied on [Revodan-Xiaoshizhen-Pantuohe] to supply supplies, so that the front line could have food, drink, and ammunition.

  If Revodan was lost, embolization of the aorta would not be enough to describe it, but the heart would be directly gouged out.

   Not to mention that Gervoudin is still an evacuation place for military family members, the militia may lack sympathy for this, but those soldiers whose families are in Gervoudan can’t wait to grow wings and fly back.

   "Sweaty soldiers, warhorses with foam at the mouth, such troops can't fight!" Bud said heavily, as if he was telling his subordinates, but in fact he was telling Winters:

   "In this state, five hundred cavalry will be able to overwhelm our entire army. Until there is definite news from Gervoudan, it should be considered that Gervoudan has fallen, and the next battle plan should be formulated on this premise."

   Everyone listened silently, there are only two officers in the true sense, and there is only one person who can control this army.

"Revise the destination, let the second battalion and the third battalion go to the town of Saint Ke to assemble and reorganize; let the cavalry infantry brigade cross the river from Wangqiao Town and go to the north bank to Revodan." Winters spoke suddenly and gave a clear order. :

   "Let the 1st Battalion of Tamas turn back, and take the Oxhoof Valley militia to [Iron Peak Pass] to build a fort and nail the Iron Peak Pass."

  [Note: Tiefeng Mountain Pass is the narrow road between Niusho Valley and Forge Township. Winters reconnaissance the terrain there in Chapter 60]

   Before the others could react, Bud had already taken out his notebook and transcribed the verbal instructions into written orders.

   "How are the other militia units arranged?" Bud asked while keeping his hands on the other side.

   "All troops without specific orders will be concentrated in Sank Town." Winters folded the map and handed it to Bud: "Give the map to the acting battalion commanders. Have you mobilized the messengers from each village and town to send out?"

   "All sent out."

   "Re-dispatch, the assembly place is located in Shengke Town. Collect food and grass from Shengke Town and Wangqiao Town, and compensate for equivalent after the war."

   "I'll take care of this." Bud nodded. He is now nominally the resident officer of Sanke Town.

   The two answered questions and quickly sorted out the deployment of the army.

The    subordinates were ordered to return to their own teams, leaving only Winters, Bard and a few guards.

  Bud looked at Winters, not knowing what to say.

  From the moment he learned that Gervoudan was threatened, Winters' emotions gradually became calm and withdrawn, and even seemed to be stripped of human emotions.

   seems to be some kind of stress response or self-defense awareness, Winters never talked about his worries about Gervoudan.

   This shows that Gervoudin has treasures that Winters regards as life, and he cannot imagine what it would be like to lose them. So he can only occupy his mind with endless deductions of the battle situation, and no longer think about other things.

  Bud felt sorry for his best friend and wanted to say something comforting to Winters.

   But it was Winters who asked first, "Has the fleet set off?"

  Bud was slightly startled: "Samukin sent a messenger, he has already set off."

   "Okay." Winters nodded, turned and walked into the inner tent.

When   Bud looked at Winters again, the latter had fallen asleep on the camp bed.

  …

   At dawn, Gervoudan appeared in the field of view of the striker of Tertown.

  Gevodan is located on a solid flat ground in the middle of the valley, and it is also the lowest position on the valley plain, open and safe on all sides.

  Terdun is condescending and has an unobstructed view of Gervodin: the north and south cities face each other across the river, connected by a wooden bridge in the middle.

   At this moment, the city walls are brightly lit, and it is obvious that the defenders are waiting.

  The fire roaster was not surprised. Once the army moved, it would inevitably be exposed—they were already discovered by the coastal sentry towers when crossing the river.

  Beasts must approach quietly before hunting, but the final sprint is the key to determining whether you can eat them up.

  The fire roaster pointed to the outline of the city wall outlined by the lights on the south bank, and laughed: "[Hede] is so short, is it worthy of being called a city wall?"

   The guards also laughed wantonly.

   The "city wall" in front of me is really short and pitiful, just as tall as one person, and it's not much different from the fence of a peasant.

   Not to mention the sturdy and famous cities and towns, and the walls of those noble manors are a little short.

  The Battle of the Wasteland, the fire-boiler headquarters suffered heavy losses. Today's Su Wei, Ye Wei, and quiver warriors, many of them are newly promoted.

  These young Turdun nobles are all eager to prove their bravery and be rewarded for their merits.

   The fire roaster bends his bow and shoots an arrow towards the sky: "[Hede] God is above!"

  The leaders were like runaway hounds, each leading their own horses and roaring towards Gervodin.

  While the Teltons peeped at Gervodin, Mason saw the black silhouette on the horizon.

   "It really gave me a big problem." Mason complained helplessly in his heart.

   However, in the face of the trembling defenders, Mason enthusiastically brought out another set of rhetoric: "The Montagne civilian officer has already wiped out the barbarian army on the banks of the Pangtuo River! Now it's just some wandering soldiers scattered!"

  The city wall of Gervoudan is about two meters high, with a rammed earth structure and a wooden shelf on the inside for people to stand.

  At present, the labor team who built the city was directly recruited into the army and became a glorious defending militia. The way of assigning posts is quite simple. You can defend which section of the city wall you build.

  The only fighting force in the city—the city guard, mainly armed citizens, was held by Mason and did not fill the city wall.

   "Old Mr. Priskin." Mason gently comforted the mayor beside him: "Don't worry too much."

  Old Priskin had seen big winds and waves, but his knees were still shaking uncontrollably in the face of the barbarians that came like a tsunami.

  Learning that the barbarians were crossing the river from Forge Township, old Priskin urged Mason to withdraw to the old city and set the new city on the south bank on fire.

   But Mason firmly disagreed.

  In desperation, Old Priskin bid farewell to his family in tears, and sacrificed his life to accompany Mason Tribunal to stand on the wall of the new city.

The people of Teltown were about to rush to the edge of the city wall. Mason began to explain to the old Mayor Priskin the basis for his decision: "There are nearly 10,000 people in the new city, and the baggage is also hoarded here. It would be equivalent to cutting off the back of the Montagne tribune."

  Old Priskin didn't know what to say: "If it's not burned, won't these baggage fall into the hands of the barbarians, or will it not cut off the Montagne tribune's back path?"

   "Do you know why I stayed in Gervodin?" Mason asked the old mayor with a smile.

  Old Priskin was heartbroken and didn't bother to flatter him: "I don't know."

  Mason smacked his lips and sighed: "Because I am the best at defending the city. This city was planned by me, and I have confidence in it."

  Old Priskin wanted to cry but had no tears: With such a low wall and so many people, where did the confidence come from? my God!

   On the other side, the fire roaster and Lao Tongyi were watching the battle on the hillside.

  The ground around Gervoudan was eerily dark, not the tan that is common in autumn and winter.

  The old interpreter always felt that something was wrong, and after pondering for a while, he could see the clue—it was too bald, the earth was bare.

  The surrounding of the city cannot be bare, and the process of citizens moving towards the edge of the city is the process of urban growth.

   However, there is a white field around Nancheng, houses, trees, villages... nothing.

  The old interpreter looked around and found the same thing beside him: he couldn't find a tree that could be used, or a bunch of grass that could feed the horses.

   "Maybe it's a hard bone." The old interpreter had no reason to have an idea.

   Outside the city, the deafening sound of horse hooves is getting closer.

  In the city, a group of refugees are sneaking close to the west gate of the new city.

   "Stop, what are you doing?" Sergeant Ivan, who was guarding the gate, asked sharply.

   "It was the tribune who asked us to come here to bring you a few drinks." The refugee headed him with a smile, but his footsteps did not stop.

  Ivan didn't answer at all. Seeing that the other party was still walking forward, he directly took out his whistle, puffed up his cheeks and blew it.

   "Fuck!" The refugees headed took out a short blade from their arms and rushed towards the guards: "Kill!"

   The other Telton tribes [affiliates] who had infiltrated the city also stormed and attacked the guards.

   "Spy!" Ivan shouted a warning, raised his shield, raised his broadsword, and greeted the headed spy: "Protect the city gate!"

  The guards are well-armored, but there are few people; there are many people attached to them, but they have only short blades. The two sides met hand in hand and fought into a group.

   On the other side, Mason heard the whistle from Simon.

  Mason stepped on his horse, turned his head and said to old Priskin with a smile, "I'll leave it to you, Mr. Mayor."

   Having said that, he led the guards and the city guard to the west gate.

   "Old man...Old man..." Even in the face of the Montagne tribune, old Priskin was never so embarrassed. In desperation, the old man even shouted a broken voice: "This old man has never fought a war!"

On the hillside   , the fire roasters watching the battle saw the fire swaying and the gate opening on the south side of the city wall.

   "Success!" The fire roaster couldn't hide his excitement.

  The old interpreter looked strange and noncommittal.

   The dull sound of horns penetrated the battlefield, and a group of armored cavalry broke away from the group and rushed towards the city gate where someone was waving torches.

   The other Turdun cavalry continued to gallop around the wall, distracting the defenders.

   It would be foolish to use cavalry to storm the city wall—even if it was a low wall—the most ideal strategy for the Terdun people, who lack siege equipment, is to combine the inside and the outside.

   In mid-September, when the first raid failed, the Burner was already planning a second raid.

  The [Returners] of the Terden Division infiltrated Ironpeak and Vigne earlier than the first raid.

  The so-called subordinates refer to the non-nomads who fled into the wasteland for various reasons and joined the tribes of Heder. The most common source is criminals. And only by subjugating the crowd, the tribes of Heard were able to spy on the inner conditions of Plato.

Now that the    subordinates have succeeded, the most elite armored veterans will break into the city wall to expand the victory.

   The Terdun nobleman who received such an honor was named [Nai Ya], from the family of the fire-boiler's mother.

   "[Hede] God is above!" Nai Ya roared, and rushed into the city gate first: "[Hede] not a single one!"

  The rest of the Tordun armored people screamed, roared, laughed cruelly, and rushed through the city gate behind Kota.

   But...what about two-legged people?

   Nai Ya was startled that there was still a wall in front of him, and violently restrained the truce horse. The armored cavalry at the back couldn't dodge in time and bumped into it.

   By the light of the brazier, Nai Ya realized that in front of him was not another wall, but a series of carriages connected end to end.

   "[Hedde] is in ambush!" Nai Ya's eyes were about to split open, and he shouted in despair: "[Hedde] quit!"

  The gate fell heavily.

  The cold light flashed, and a blood hole appeared on Nai Ya's face. His hands flicked backwards weakly, and he fell from the saddle in slow motion.

   "Fire." Lieutenant Colonel Moritz looked stern and turned to order Sergeant Shaosha.

   Blacksmith Shaosha - who has been temporarily commissioned as a sergeant - cried out, "Fire!" and snapped his firing rod.

   The other citizen musketeers also gritted their teeth, held their breath, and pressed the firing rod.

  The cavalry that lost speed was a living target, and the Tordun armored soldiers fell into panic. Several Teltown people jumped on horseback to the city wall, trying to turn over outside the city wall.

  Another burly Terdun armored with ferocity, jumped directly to the carriage, smashed into the hands of the citizens' muskets, and cut off half of the shoulders of the Palatine in front of him.

   The citizens of Gervoudan have never seen such a scene. The most boastful citizens were scared to pee their pants, and some people simply threw their guns and ran away.

   Moritz raised his hand, no one could see what he had done, anyway, the burly barbarian fell dead on the spot.

  Moritz raised his hand again, and the citizen running at the front fell to the ground with severe knee pain.

   "Don't run!" The potbellied blacksmith Shaosha cried while reloading his musket: "Can you live if you run? Kill the barbarians!"

   On the other hand, Mason has led the cavalry to strangle the spies who attacked Simon.

   The entourages of the Teltown Division attacked the west gate, but the south gate was just opened. The west gate is the bait, and so is the south gate.

  The labor force is managed by military law, and the number of people is counted every day. If you know how much bread you bake every day, you know how many people there are in each labor force.

   After learning about the disappearance of laborers one after another, Mason had to plan for the worst - there were spies from Teltown people in the city.

   But there are too many refugees, and Mason's manpower is too small, it is difficult to carry out the screening. If the large-scale search for spies makes people in the city panic, it will be even more of a loss.

   "Leave a few alive." Mason shook off the blood on the saber and calmed down a little from his unsteady breathing due to the strenuous exercise: "Sergeant Ivan!"

"Yes!"

   "Guard Simon."

"Yes!"

   "Gentlemen! Sergeant Shaosha at the South Gate is still waiting for us." Mason said with an inviting smile: "Don't make him wait."

   As soon as he finished speaking, he had already ridden away. Other riders followed suit.

   Outside the city walls, the Turdun cavalry found a big problem.

   That is the city wall that the fire roaster calls "good to be short". In fact, not only is it not short, but it is high and insurmountable.

  This is a "wall and moat" wall, which was specially prepared by Captain Richard Mason for the people of Teltown.

   [The name Mason itself means mason]

   [But in the Middle Ages as well as in the Renaissance, the mason was more than just a "craftsman with stones", a mason was a craftsman's craftsman whose duties and authority were closer to that of an architect and a foreman. Responsible for master planning, hiring other craftsmen, controlling spending, etc.]

   [For example, if a lord wants to build a castle, the first thing he has to do is to find a mason, and he almost doesn't care about the rest, the mason will arrange it]

   [There is also a more interesting place, the original meaning of Freemasonry is actually the Brotherhood of Masons... that is, the Association of Architects]

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   (end of this chapter)