Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 315 Weapons

  When the left and center troops of the Tiefeng County Army held the enemy on the right like iron pincers, only destruction and death awaited the Teltown Division.

   The [Blasting Point] that directly led to the complete collapse of the morale of the Telton people was the collapse of the sweat tent banner.

   Facing the front of the Palatine Champion, the Fireboiler... escaped.

  The battle comes to an end at that moment, and the rest is the pursuit of the winner by the loser.

  Terdun's troops were devastated, and they burrowed into dense forests, climbed up barren mountains, and fled in all directions in a panic.

  The exhausted Iron Peak Militia was unable to pursue and kill the fleeing enemy, and the real pursuers were the Palatine Hussars—in a sense, this was what the Hussars were best at.

  The hussars, mounted on hot-blooded steeds, moved as swiftly as the wind, and they drove the rout of Terdun to flee without stopping, and both sides soon disappeared on the horizon.

   Until night fell, the **** day seemed to be over.

   The surviving militiamen wanted to return to the camp to rest, but found that the camp no longer existed.

  Because the camp of the Tiefeng County Army is the battlefield, the flat farmland between the mountains and the forest is full of unrecovered corpses and dying wounded people calling for help.

   There was so much blood that the air smelled sweet and fishy.

   The militias lingered on the edge of the battlefield, not knowing where to go or what to do.

   When the relatives and friends of the rest of their lives met, many people could not help but cry. More people were rummaging through the bodies, crying and calling out the names of their families.

   It was at this time that Mason met Bud.

  Senior Mason, who is always polite and maintains a social distance, said nothing. First, he gave his younger brother a bear hug, which made Bud a little uncomfortable.

   Comrades-in-arms reunite, there are really endless things to say. But when the words came to his mouth, he didn't know what to say.

  It was Mason who sniffed and smiled and said, "I really want to get some elbow meat to eat."

   "Yeah." Bud smiled gently: "Me too."

  Bud also just arrived on the battlefield, and he also brought a complete logistics detachment.

   Previously, Bud had been sitting in the [kennel village] ten kilometers south of the battlefield.

  According to the battle plan drawn up by Winters and Bard: Winters commanded the main force to seek a head-to-head battle, while Bard looked for a suitable position at the rear of the battlefield, built forts, and piled up luggage to prepare for the worst possible situation.

   Luckily, no backup plan came in handy this time.

   When he learned from the communication cavalry that the victory would be divided, Bard immediately led the baggage troops to the front line, and finally arrived at the battlefield before dusk.

   What awaits Bud is an unprecedented mess.

   "There are so many things." Bud concluded with a wry smile: "I am overwhelmed."

   While speaking, a military policeman with a white armband strode over and asked for instructions out of breath: "The tribune, the stretcher team caught two civilian husbands who stole the heads of the barbarians, what should I do?"

   Mason frowned.

   Stealing [trophies] is not only a serious violation of military discipline, but even worse in morality.

  Bud's response was very flat: "Bring people here."

   "Human Convict" is quickly brought before Bud and Mason.

  Looking at the appearance, the two prisoners were both farmers who were thrown into the crowd and could not be found. Facing the "Lord Tribunal", they didn't even know where to put their hands.

   They first looked at the surrounding soldiers in horror, then quickly stared at the ground, swallowing saliva.

   "Stretch out your hand." Bud walked up to the prisoner.

   After being pushed a few times by the military police, the two farmers hesitantly stretched out their palms full of thick black calluses.

  Bud saw the farmer's hand and asked again, "Do you recognize the head of the barbarian privately?"

   The two farmers did not answer.

  The gendarmes who escorted the prisoners were furious and raised their sticks to beat them.

  Bud stopped the gendarmerie, and asked again kindly: "Did you go to cut the heads of the Teltown people?"

   A farmer turned pale and nodded. Another, younger farmer nodded in tears.

   "Five lashes per person, public execution, and do it now." Bud issued the sentence: "After the five lashes, let them go back to the town of Sanke with the wounded carriage, and release them from the call."

   Two farmers were taken away.

   Stealing and beheading one's hands is justified; stealing trophies is also a matter of hanging.

The    five whips were obviously too light, and Mason neither understood nor agreed.

   But the presence was Bud's subordinates, and the senior had to maintain the authority of the junior, so Mason did not show any opposition.

  Bud understood what the senior was thinking, and he invited him: "Senior, since you are here, let me show you the camp?"

  Mason agreed.

  The two led a horse each, and walked slowly around the camp without any entourage.

  Budd set up the logistics detachment's camp on the south side of the battlefield, next to the road.

   The people of the transport unit fell trees, lit bonfires, boiled water, and baked cookies.

   In the dark night, the bonfires in the camp are as bright and warm as beacons.

   From time to time, militiamen armed with weapons, dragged their weary footsteps, and walked numbly towards the firelight.

   The military police on patrol have become accustomed to this.

   Gendarmerie stuffed a loaf of bread for the rest of the **** battle, wrapped him in a blanket, took him to the campfire, and went to pick up the others.

   The riders holding the torches went to look for the lost soldiers, and the carriages carrying the wounded drove to the rear.

  Unconsciously, Mason and Bud walked to the edge of the battlefield.

  Maybe it was a psychological effect, Mason always felt that the cold air was mixed with the smell of some blood.

  The battlefield has been shrouded in darkness, and the stars are moving around. It was a stretcher team organized by Bud, looking for the injured.

"The lightly wounded will stay in the temporary camp temporarily, and the seriously wounded will be sent back to the Kennel Village, and then sent to the town of Sanke." Bud explained his arrangement to the senior: "Father Kaman is rushing over, I asked him to set it up on the spot. Medical center. The sooner you receive treatment, the better the chance of the wounded surviving…”

   Mason listened carefully.

  Compared to the battle itself, the post-war finishing work is the real torture. Just treating the wounded is enough to be nerve-racking.

   After a day of **** battles, the victors and the losers are breathing in the dark; the wounded who cannot move on their own are abandoned on the battlefield together with the corpses, and the gangsters who fish in troubled waters come to loot their belongings at night—these are the most common sights.

   The wounded of the Tiefeng County Army were unfortunate and lucky.

   Because at least there are people who care about their lives and do everything they can to keep them alive.

  From the admission of the wounded, Budd spoke of the captives of the Terton department.

   "Senior, don't you know yet?" Bud said softly: "South of the Pantuo River, there are more than 2,000 Teltown prisoners waiting for us to deal with."

  Mason was taken aback: "Two thousand prisoners? Prisoners from the Battle of the Pangtuo River?"

   "Yes, the prisoners in the Battle of Pangtuohe. There may even be more than 2,000, because only one [Taichi] surrendered before, and there are still quite a few roaming soldiers from the Terdun tribe in Lower Tiefeng County."

   Mason was speechless.

Bud continued: "And it's hard to say whether Tai Chibu is a prisoner or not. Because we failed to effectively control them. We left them on the south bank of the Pontuo River, and then rushed towards the fire roaster. Now the fire roaster has been eliminated, What to do with Tai Chibe becomes the primary issue."

   Mason sighed heavily.

  Bard threw out another big news: "The previous communication with Gervodan was cut off, and I couldn't tell you in time - this battle, the New Reclamation Corps provided reinforcements."

  Mason felt dizzy, and he asked in a daze: "Those hussars? Are they the men of the New Reclamation Corps?"

  Bard mused: "In my opinion, they don't represent the official position of the New Reclamation Corps."

   "So what's going on?" The chills on Mason's back stood up.

   "Those people are..." Bud frowned slightly: "The [volunteers] invited by Colonel Bode. What happened, we have to wait for Colonel Bode to come back. As for whether those people have other demands, it is not known for the time being."

   Mason sighed heavily after thinking about it.

   "And then there's the [Decapitation Order]." Bud stared at the battlefield, then looked at Mason: "That's what you just saw."

   "Such a comparison," Mason said bitterly. "It's a trivial matter to convict two thieves lightly."

  Bud shook his head: "I think...the last thing is the most important thing."

   "Why do you say that?" Mason wondered.

   "The New Reclamation Corps, the Terdun prisoners... are all external forces, and external forces can't defeat us. But what [stealing the head] reflects is a grenade buried in our internal organs, and its power is enough to shatter our bones."

  Mason chewed on his apprentice's words and fell silent again.

   "I've dealt with no less than thirty cases of cutting heads. Seven people were hanged - not for stealing the heads of Teltown people, but for taking the heads of my own people."

Bud calmly stated the facts: "Lower Tiefeng County was destroyed by the Teltown people. What about Middle Tiefeng County? It's also seriously damaged. This is the biggest and most serious problem. The two farmers were not severely sentenced, because Enough people have died. Iron Peak needs a lot of things right now, but fear is not among them."

   "We won." Mason was a little sad: "We also lost, and the loss was a mess."

   "No!" Bud's tone became serious: "You are wrong."

  Mason raised his head in astonishment.

   "We just won." Bud declared firmly: "We won the right to survive, and that's the most important thing."

  Mason was startled for a moment, then "turned his worries into a smile".

   He breathed a long sigh of relief: "Yeah! We won the right to live through tonight, and let's talk about other things tomorrow!"

   "That's right." Mason suddenly thought of someone: "Where's Winters? Leave the mess to us, where are the others? Where's it going?"

  This time it was Bud's turn to sigh: "I don't know either."

  …

   In the early hours of the morning, Colonel Geisa returned to the makeshift camp and opened his mouth to meet Winters.

   He got the same answer: "We don't know where Captain Montagne is either."

Where is    Winters, you probably have to ask the fire roaster.

  …

  Dawn, Zhongtiefeng County, I don't know where it is.

   "[Hede] Khan, there is a river in front!" Quiver reported breathlessly: "[Hede] seems to be by the river."

   The fire roaster was also panting heavily, and asked viciously: "[Hedde] wolf cub... Is that wolf cub still behind?"

  The big quiverer listened for a moment, then swallowed a mouthful of saliva: "[Herde] doesn't seem to be catching up."

   "[Hedde] Okay, okay, take a break."

  Four quivers and fire roasters, a total of five people hid in the woods by the riverside to rest their horses.

  The man with the quiver couldn't stand his thirst, so he ran to the river bank and started drinking. The big quiverer, the chief of the guards, took the helmet and scooped some water and gave it to the fire roaster.

  The famous Terdun Khan, now there are only four people left beside him.

   The fire roaster sipped cold water and his face was ashen.

   Suddenly, the fire roaster suddenly turned his head to look at the two quivers behind him. Eyes met, the two quivers quickly lowered their heads.

   The fire roaster turned around slowly, and changed positions quietly, so that every quiverer was within his line of sight.

   Until death really comes, no one knows whether he is a coward or a warrior.

   At least the Fireboiler thought he had the guts to fight the Palatine Champion face to face.

   However, when the fire roaster really saw the blood dripping red flag approaching unstoppably, when the fire roaster really saw the sweat tent's guards were all broken... he was afraid.

   Fear came like an avalanche at a certain moment, and the fire roaster was afraid from the bottom of his heart, afraid to death.

   So he ran away, in a panic.

  Although defeat was inevitable, the one that directly led to the collapse of the Teltown Division was undoubtedly the fire-boiler who escaped.

   Khan allowed his banner to be captured, how could the troops still have the will to fight to the death?

  However, capturing the flag cannot make the opponent scabbard, and the night cannot stop the opponent's footsteps. In the nightmarish escape, the guards of the fire roaster disappeared one by one.

   Until the end, only five people, including him, were left.

   But he finally got rid of the wolf, "I won in the end", the fire roaster thought triumphantly.

  Power can make anyone appear inviolable and elevated, the more from a distance.

   But when that aura is stripped away and only a human figure remains, he will immediately become weak and vulnerable again.

  The destitute emperor is often the humblest slave, making those who once admired him doubt their own eyes. The so-called heroic bearing is not linked to power.

When    has power, new slaves will come to pay homage and swear allegiance to the death; without power, the closest quiverer becomes unreliable.

   "[Hedde] rests his horses here first." The fire roaster reiterated his position indirectly: "[Hedde] waits until evening, and then walks down the river. Cross the river and you can go back to Telltown."

   The four quivers bowed their heads in agreement.

   "[Hedd] You are my closest guardian. If you don't abandon me, I will reward you heavily."

   The three quiverers thanked them, but there was no joy on their faces.

  Only the big quiverer said directly to the fire roaster: "[Hedde] Khan, don't be so arrogant. As long as I have a life, I will protect you back to the grasslands."

The words    sounded loyal, but the way he spoke was a violation of authority—the fireboiler didn't need to think about these things at all, but now he was obsessed with these things.

   Before he could figure out how to respond, a series of hooves came from the river beach.

   A few people who roasted the fire immediately hid, and did not dare to let out the atmosphere.

   The sound of hooves was getting closer, and there were about a dozen riding.

   Hearing the sound of hooves is like a horse in the grassland, but the fire roasters are not sure, because the two-legged people also use a lot of captured horses.

   Until the person who came close, saw that the other party was wearing a robe with a slanted front, only a few people who roasted the fire breathed a sigh of relief.

   A quiverer blew his whistle softly—the fire roaster didn't have time to stop it.

  The visitor stopped and responded with a whistle.

   Both sides confirmed their identities, and they couldn't hide it. The fire roaster was heartbroken and walked out of the woods.

   "[Hedde] Which tribe are you waiting for?" the fire roaster asked loudly.

   "[Hede] Khan?" The headed visitor asked in surprise: "Is [Hede] a Khan?"

  The fire roaster stopped and put his hand on the tip of the bow: "[Herde] Which tribe are you waiting for?"

   "[Hede] I am..." The visitor headed by him took the initiative to greet them, and a few people approached the fire roaster: "[Hede] I am your servant in the door!"

   The fire roaster laughed madly, and drew out his bow and shot an arrow at the person who came: "[Hedde] surrender to the crowd! Traitor! Carrion wrapped in grass that cows won't eat!"

   The fire roaster's sudden action surprised the quivers behind him.

The followers led by    were shot off their horses on the spot, and the other followers also ripped off their faces and shouted loudly: "Shoot the arrows! Sound the arrows! Call others! Big fish! Big fish!"

  A dozen horsemen were recruited by the crowd, and they fired arrows at the fire-boilers one after another, obviously not intending to capture them alive.

   "[Hede] depends on you? You want to kill me too!" The fire roaster roared fiercely, stood still, and returned fire with his bow drawn.

   Four quiverers took part in the battle with bows and used their bodies as shields for the fire-boilers.

   Whether it is a quiver or a fire roaster, they are all real good players.

   The five arrows were not vacant, but instead they killed the followers and fled in embarrassment.

   A louder sound of hooves came, this time there were at least dozens of horses.

   Seeing that the fleeing followers turned back again, the fire roaster knew something was wrong and shouted: "[Herde] get on the horse and go!"

   Looking back, what about the horse?

  The horse has been taken away by those who have just followed.

  The roar of the hooves was getting closer and closer, and Laiqi rushed straight towards the fire roaster.

   The fire roaster pulled out his machete and roared in despair.

  …

   A helmet was splashed with cold water, and the fire roaster regained consciousness.

"woke up?"

   "Looks like you're awake?"

   "Does [Hedde] still recognize me?" The speaker patted the fire roaster's cheek, with hatred and teasing in his voice: "[Hedde] sweats?"

   The fire roaster's head was dizzy, the back of his head was wet, and he couldn't say a word.

   "Can't you hear [Herde] sweating? I'm..." The speaker lifted his hair, revealing a bald ear hole with no pinna on one side, and introduced himself kindly: "[Herde] Red dog!"

   Hearing this name, the fire roaster woke up in horror: "[Hede] Is this the River Styx?"

   "[Hedde] No, this is the river of the Great Shaman George." The Red Dog said casually: "The St. George River."

   "[Hede] But you're dead!" The fire roaster roared furiously, coughing up a few blood clots: "[Hede] Echige also deceived me!"

"[Herde] I couldn't survive, but some people thought I might still be useful, so I survived." The red dog slowly pulled out the dagger: "[Herde] Look, I'm not here to see you. Did you? You shouldn't have run away, you can still die like a warrior if you don't run away."

   The fire roaster wanted to say something, but the other followers held him tightly, making him unable to speak or struggle.

   "I know what you want to say." The Red Dog said in a language that the fire roaster could not understand: "The sweat that escaped was killed in the hands of our lowest slaves - what a proper way to die!"

  …

   When the morning light was slightly revealed, Winters returned to the battlefield.

   pursued all night, and his cavalry fell behind one after another. Because the horse stumbled, he still failed to get the enemy chieftain in person.

   On the way back, there was only one person left by his side.

   Not Charles, nor Heinrich, but Jacob Green, the tall and thin gentleman who wanted to write an epic.

   Seeing the Montagne tribune charging himself, Jacob Green followed without even thinking, without even taking a weapon.

   He just wanted to stand a little bit closer, a little bit closer, driven by this frenzy, Jacob Green remained close behind the Tribunal's saddle even though Shire and Heinrich had fallen behind.

  The sunlight penetrated the treetops and sprinkled onto the battlefield, illuminating the corpse of the pillow, the soil coagulated with blood, and the distorted expression of the deceased at the last moment.

Jacob Green recorded: "...The battlefield was full of corpses. Some of the Hurds, some of ours. The Montagne tribune did his best to prevent his mounts from trampling on the remains. He failed, so he dismounted. At this moment, I saw him cry... Is this true? Can the killing machine called [Blood Wolf] also have that emotion? Or maybe the memory deceived me... But at that moment, I cried while walking The helpless boy with teary eyes, but it left such a deep impression on me that I will never forget it..."

   [Thanks to the leader of the book friend "yokinoshita", thank you]

   [Thanks to the leader of the book friend "Garden and Talented", thank you]

   [Thanks to the book friend "Just a Waxy" leader, thank you]

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

   [Today, it is very common to rescue the wounded after the war, and even rescue the wounded of the enemy]

   [But before the Napoleonic Wars, the army's field rescue capabilities were very limited. Abandoning the wounded is common.]

   [Generally at night, the battle will come to an end or be completely over, and the victor will have to rest or pursue the enemy]

   [Therefore, the scale of the battle is small, and the chances of the injured being rescued may be higher. The scale of the battle is large, and the seriously wounded who cannot walk often have to lie down overnight or even for several days before they can be rescued]

   [During the period, some people will loot the property of the wounded and the dead on the battlefield at night, and the seriously injured have no ability to resist these "robbers"]

   [Organized stretcher teams also appeared relatively late. Before that, military musicians and "fire soldiers" were in charge. The musicians played drums and trumpets during the war and carried stretchers after the war, the manpower was far from enough]

   [The naval battle was even worse. After the two sides of the Lebanto naval battle were divided, the Ottoman side was defeated, and the Holy Alliance began to loot the property on the floating corpse. When night fell, the navy of the Holy Alliance also began to retreat. "Although many Christians in the sea have not died, no one is willing to rescue them"...]

   (end of this chapter)