Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 92 Closing

After    a night of melee, Veneta's troops captured the city of Red Sulphur 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 they did not attack again. The two sides entered a delicate confrontation.

  The Venetas have the advantage in force, but they are not in a hurry to attack the bastions now. Galleys are salvaging sunken ships in the bay, clearing the channel for heavy warships to enter.

The   Tanilians didn’t fight back either, and their bastions had guns that could cover both the dock and the entire town—a small bastion on the edge of town, designed not only to defend against foreign enemies, but also to deter the citizens inside.

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

  After the break of dawn, Winters took the last surviving person into the Red Sulphur Harbor for the first time as the victor. Andre proudly held the flag high, and the group was unimpeded.

  The earthen walls and moats around the town have begun to take shape, but the Tanilians never expected that the port of Chisulfur would be breached from the sea, and the walls and moats surrounding the town became useless.

   Crossed the moat, the doors of the houses in the city were closed, and the bodies on the street had not been dragged away. The gendarmerie armed with halberds patrolled around to maintain military discipline and ordered the scattered soldiers to return.

After the   Red Sulphur Port was captured, there was chaos. Not only the remnants of Taniria were making waves, but also many Veneta soldiers trying to fish in troubled waters. Under the restraint of the gendarmerie, order was barely maintained.

   Above the council hall, the red dragon flag of the Tanilians was torn down and replaced with the golden lion flag, the symbol of Saint Mark, the patron saint of Veneta, and the flag of the Veneta army.

   Here, Winters met Lieutenant Colonel Field.

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

   "I really didn't expect..." Winters, who wanted to salute, was a little breathless: "...My people are clearly connected to the Third Legion...I'm afraid the Tanilians would not have thought that you came so quickly."

"'Big Veneta' is still floating on the sea north of Red Sulphur Island, so this piece of meat will be eaten by 'San Marco'." Lieutenant Colonel Field said beamingly: "Haha, but thanks to you guys. The three legions, if they hadn't contained the main force of the Tanir, the Red Sulphur Port would not have been so easy to win."

After the    order to start the war was issued, Lieutenant Colonel Field was transferred from the Military Police Department to the First Reserve "San Marco" Corps as the commander of the brigade. When Winters followed the Great Veneta Legion to the expedition, the San Marco Legion was still being reorganized, and even Winters did not expect that this newly recruited reserve army would go out so quickly.

  [Note: According to the consultation results of the Constitutional Assembly after the Sovereign War, in order to avoid military competition within the Senas Alliance, each member country can only maintain a maximum of two standing legions.

  Because the sequence of the standing legion comes from the alliance, the two standing legions of Veneta are named the third legion and the fourth legion.

  The militia, the reserve and other troops outside the standing army, such as the standing army, have exploited the loopholes in the treaty and belong to the internal affairs of the republics and are not subject to restrictions. Therefore, the designation of the Reserve Corps "San Marco" is the "First Reserve Corps". ]

   "Where's Major Moritz?" Winters

   "Patrol outside." Field said with tears and laughter: "I guess you can't imagine that Moritz is still in charge of the military police after joining the army. You can see him when he comes back."

  Field's voice was not finished, there was a sound of boots outside the council hall, followed by a hurried "Stand at attention!"

  Field and Winters straightened up subconsciously.

A group of senior officers pushed in the door, and the leading officer was dressed in the uniform of a general. Before entering the door, Winters heard his gruff voice: "Wait for a fart? Wait for the Tanee to react? After the fifth brigade has landed, use the strength of the four brigade to attack directly!"

   This general happened to know Winters, and it was Major General Layton who was in charge of picking up their captain. He frowned and thought for a moment, remembering that he had heard that Major General Layton was in charge of the newly formed reserve corps.

  Field and Winters immediately gave a military salute.

   "Field, how are your soldiers gathered?" Major General Layton spoke in a straight-forward style. Before Field could answer, Layton looked at Winters: "Who are you?"

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

"This is Warrant Lieutenant Winters Montagne of the Third Legion! The man who broke the two sea chains! The man who destroyed the bay artillery! The man who brought us victory! Without him, the port of Red Sulphur still remains. In the hands of the tani." Fidel proudly introduced Winters before answering Layton's question: "All six of my centurions have returned."

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

   They all saw the battle flag held high beside the burning fortress, but they didn't expect that the man under the battle flag was so... young and looked like a big child. However, the coat that was almost soaked in blood and scorched by fire on the warrant officer was silently telling everyone about the brutal battle he had experienced.

   "Montagne... oh, I remember you." Layton looked at Winters, thoughtfully. He thoughtlessly threw out an inexplicable remark from the other officers: "You did well on the ship, too."

   Winters salutes yes.

"Boy, I didn't have the skills for you when you were your age." Layton made an unexpected move. He took off the Oak Leaf Lion Medal he was wearing and pinned it on Winters. On the blood-stained coat: "Without you, the Red Sulphur Port is still in the hands of the Tani. Work hard, you will definitely be more successful than me in the future."

   Winters still just salutes yes. He is not proud, nor does he feel honored. He did not go to work hard with the Tanilians for the medal, and a medal could not return the sacrificed life.

  Layton looked at Winters' calm expression, and spoke more highly of the little warrant officer in front of him. He pointed at Winters: "You stay and participate in the military conference."

  Without red tape, a table is dragged over, a map is laid out, and the officers stand in a circle around the table to start the meeting.

The content of the    meeting was very simple. Major General Layton could not bear the sword hanging over his head and was determined to capture the bastion of Red Sulphur Harbor.

"I have already taken people to see it just now. This is a small four-pointed star fort, not even a triangular fort." Layton attached the map and marked it with a charcoal rod, saying: "The south of this fort is water, only Attack from the other three sides. The chief brigade controls the city defense of the Red Sulphur port, the second, third, and fourth brigade attack from the other three sides, and the fifth brigade acts as a reserve. The morale of the Tanir is definitely weak, as long as we rush through the trench Tanir You'll be terrified to surrender!"

   Another colonel apparently disagreed with Layton's opinion. The Veneta Army's military discussion was not limited by his identity, and he questioned: "The trench is at least ten meters wide, and water is drawn in it. How do we get through?"

   "Drag the boat ashore and make a temporary pontoon bridge." Another colonel who supported the storm said.

"Building a pontoon under the cannon eyelids of the bastion?" Field also spoke up, and he obviously did not support the storm: "I think it's possible to put on a storm to deter the tani, but don't really take people's lives to fill it up. The tani in the fort You probably want to surrender too, otherwise why haven't we been bombarded yet?"

   "If they want to surrender, they have already surrendered." The colonel who proposed the pontoon bridge just now retorted: "But the flag of the Federation is still planted on the bastion."

"It's very likely that the Tanis inside are also swaying, or are waiting for a good enough surrender condition." Field insisted that they should be persuaded to surrender: "There is still the main force of the Tanis on the island, and our troops should be reserved to deal with it. They can't be wasted on gnawing the fort."

   The officers present were at least a major. A general was leading a group of officers in a meeting. Of course, Winters was not going to interject.

   However, Leighton's attention stayed on Winters, who didn't say a word. He asked by name: "Warrant Officer Montagne, among us, you are most familiar with this island. Tell me what you think?"

  Everyone's eyes were focused on Winters.

"The bastion was renovated three months ago, and new artillery pieces were added. There is also a reservoir inside. The powder storehouse and grain store are also full." Now that he was named, Winters was not stage fright, neither humble nor arrogant. Said: "But the main force of the Federation is facing off against the Third Army Corps. This bastion is now mainly defended by the militia of the Red Sulphur Port, which means that the families of the defenders are all in the city."

   A group of high-ranking officers was present, Winters did not make suggestions, but just objectively stated the information he had obtained, but his thoughts had been revealed.

   "This is a military discussion, are you afraid of shit? Say what you want!" Layton's temper was as hot as ever, and he reprimanded Winters dissatisfiedly: "Stop talking!"

   "The bastion's defenders should be able to negotiate." Winters, who was reprimanded, was also a little angry and bluntly expressed his opinion. He added: "In addition, there are thirty-two-pound heavy artillery in the artillery base in the bay. Whether you want to negotiate or attack, you can drag those heavy artillery over first."

After listening to Winters' words, Layton made a decision: "It's settled, find a Tanee in the city to deliver the letter. If you want to talk, you can talk, if you don't want to talk, you can fight. The chief brigade is responsible for carrying the things that Montagne said. Heavy artillery, the other battalions go back and prepare to attack."

   "What about the trench?" someone asked.

   "If the Tanis don't surrender." Layton snorted coldly: "Let the Tanis in the Red Sulphur Port fill it up! Disband!"

  …

  …

   Outside the council hall, everyone who had waited for a long time finally saw Winters come out.

   "Why did it take so long?" Andrei was already very impatient.

   Winters tore something from his chest and threw it into Andre's arms: "Contaire, Layton, they are all one kind of people."

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

   Looking at Andre's surprised expression, Winters said gloomily to Andre, "You're almost like them."

   "Where did the Victory Medal come from?" Andre's eyes were shining, and he couldn't hear what Winters was saying: "This...is this a real Victory Medal?"

   "Keep it if you want."

   "Really? Really give it to me? Don't you regret it in the future? Is this a real victory medal?" Andre was so excited that he was almost incoherent.

   "Have you hired someone?" Bud's focus is not in the same place as Andre's now.

   "XX!" Winters scolded: "Layton came in for a meeting, I forgot what I did in it."

   He turned around and was about to return to the chamber, but he met Lieutenant Colonel Field who came out.

  Field pulled Winters: "The Union's troops are still on the island, you should rest with me first, and then return to the third legion on the island."

   "Lieutenant Colonel, please lend me ten people. You'd better lend me a few horses."

   "What do you need manpower for?"

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

   Bud and Field explained the ins and outs of going to the island, as well as the agreement with the Hurds.

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

  …

  …

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

The   Hard women struggled to identify the mutilated and burned corpses, and in the end they could only cry.

"What are you crying for? Don't cry!" The half-eldest boy who was beside Hestas wiped his tears and scolded the crying women and children: "If you cry, the boat carrying them across the Styx will overturn, and you are not allowed to cry. cry!"

  Kalman looked at the corpses on the cart at a loss, and the doctor was also greatly impacted by what he saw.

Grabbing the half-eldest's hand in grief, he asked, trembling all over, "Why? Why? Have I whipped you? Have I abused you? Have I torn apart your flesh and blood family? I do my best to be kind. You guys, why are you still going to die for the Veneta? All dead, all dead…”

"Mr. Kalman, you are very kind to us. You are the only slave owner on the Red Illusion Island who treats the Heards kindly." The half-eldest boy stared at Kalman's eyes and asked word by word, "But even so , are we not slaves? Are our sons and daughters not slaves? Are the sons of our sons and daughters of our daughters not slaves? I am also willing to treat you well, are you willing to be my slaves?"

  Kalman was stunned on the spot by this half-eldest question, and left in despair.

   Winters walked up to the half-eldest boy and said softly, "I'll take you to Red Sulphur Port, and I'll take you home as soon as the Third Army comes ashore."

   The half-eldest sobbed and said "um".

   "Hestas... I hope you can bring him back to his hometown for burial."

"Um."

   "I don't know about the funeral of your Hurd people. It is easy to breed diseases now. It's better to cremate the remains and bring them back, okay? If cremation is not allowed at Hurd's funeral, we'll think of another way."

   "It can be cremated." The half-eldest man wiped his tears and said with red eyes: "You are the 'Kurshita' of Hestas, and you have the final say in his funeral."

  …

  In a secluded clearing of the Red Pine Manor, torches lit the pyre, burning the last human flesh and texture.

   The Hurds sang a song of farewell to the dead in a low voice.

  The remains of Veneta soldiers were not cremated, and for the Veneta, cremation meant that they could not be resurrected until the end of the day.

   Winters and the others waved shovels and picks, dug pits and buried the remains of the Veneta soldiers.

   He suddenly remembered Major Moritz's view of life and death. Only the living have meaning. For the dead, no matter what their sacrifices have exchanged for, it is meaningless.

   He shuddered, not daring to think further.

  Field's exhortation sounded in his ears: "Don't get too close to your soldiers, keep your distance, or you won't be fit to be an officer."

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

Thanks to the book friends who voted for the recommendation before, thanks to the book friends who are righteous and pure is koala, Tianshui has beautiful women, social justice old king, please call me Pleasant Goat, Kekkkk, Yan Yunsan, Yuan Hongjian, 20181013204343295, writersblock and "I don't know" What's it called?" recommendation ticket.

   (end of this chapter)