Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 182 Strategy Master
The Heds were still besieging the city when the general suddenly arrived. Jessica was clearly flustered: "You... why are you here?"

"Me?" Sackler punched the lieutenant colonel in the left chest, gritting his teeth as he said, "I'm here to give you an award!"

The general moved his hand away, and everyone saw that Jessica had a gleaming gold medal on her chest.

"Gentlemen!" Andrei shouted, raising his helmet at the opportune moment, "Cheer for Lieutenant Colonel Jessica three times!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

The other soldiers in the command post took off their hats and cheered.

Only Jessica's smile seemed forced—because the needles on the back of the medal were digging into her flesh and hurt.

Mason and Winters were also urgently summoned to headquarters. Sackler, however, did not lash out at the centurion and instead presented medals to the two lieutenants with a gentle smile.

Winters' ears were ringing from the cannon fire, and he couldn't hear what Sackler was saying at all.

He accepted the commendation order tied with a red rope, bowed his head to let the general hang the medal around his neck, and then hurriedly returned to the fortress wall.

The three sword medals symbolizing bravery and fearlessness—two silver and one gold—were personally awarded by Sackler in recognition of the Jessicas's valiant raid on the Teldun camp.

Both gold and silver medals were tied with blue ribbons and had pins on the back so they could be clipped to clothing.

Although Jessica never deliberately tries to get close to his subordinates, his actions show that he cares deeply for his centurions.

When the lieutenant colonel reported to headquarters, he spared the detail by not writing anything about "Lieutenant Richard Mason getting lost".

It was only said that on the way back, in order to shake off the pursuers, the main force detoured north and accidentally discovered the enemy camp.

However, there is a slight flaw in the story: according to the custom of the Hed people, they would put on their armor, change their horses, and string their bows ten miles away from the battlefield, so the camp would be set up at least ten miles away.

Taking a detour? How can I get around to ten miles away?
According to Winters's idea, it would be more logical to say that he "ran into Hart's scouts returning to camp and followed them all the way," which is at least reasonable in logic.

However, with the quill pen in Jesse's hands, the lieutenant colonel didn't want to boast too much.

In the report, the lieutenant colonel made no mention of the golden statue used for the sacrificial ceremony—because the statue was still buried in the pit.

They only said that they had seized some ritual objects and flags, and sent a few to headquarters as proof.

The sacrificial vessels and flags were all illusory; the real and most important spoils of war were the thousands of Herd horses.

The horses of the Teldon tribe were terrified by Winters' enhanced [Frightened Beast] and scattered in all directions, most of them disappearing into the night, with only a small number being gathered together.

The captured horses were brought to the south bank of the confluence of the rivers, in herds of hundreds and thousands, a fact that could not be faked.

However, after inspecting the horse, Bader's assessment was that it was "unfit for service".

First of all, the best warhorses had been taken away by Hart's cavalry, and the warhorses left in the camp were of poor quality.
Secondly, the horses were not tall enough; by the standards of Plato's cavalry, these horses were even a bit short for light cavalry.
Finally, and most importantly: the season is wrong.

Supported by a vast agrarian society, Palatine's warhorses could eat feed, while Herd horses, living on the wasteland, mainly relied on grass.

Hedema already had difficulty finding food in winter, and had to rely on the hay they hunted and the fat they gained in the fall to survive the winter—this was one of the reasons why Plato specifically chose to wage war in winter and early spring.

Horses lose weight during the winter, and mares are close to giving birth in the spring, which is when the Herd tribes are at their weakest.

[Note: Because the gestation period for horses is 11 months, and the Hed tribes lacked warm stables, foals born in autumn and winter had a low survival rate. They would try to let the mares mate in the warm spring and summer.]
Teldun's troops assembled and set out this season. Although they caught Palatul off guard, Palatul would not have an easy time either.

The clues can be seen from these Hadema: the captured Hadema had sunken bellies and protruding ribs, so thin that they would be too skinny to cook.

“These horses should either be kept in a good place until next year,” Bard said. He had the final say on this matter and suggested to the lieutenant colonel at the meeting, “or they should be eaten as soon as possible, because they will get fatter and fatter as time goes on. In short, they are useless and cannot even be fattened up.”

"Why can't we feed them to fatten them up?" Winters asked, puzzled.

To prepare for the long siege, Plato's army transported a large amount of food and provisions from their homeland; otherwise, Winters wouldn't be here now.

“Herd horses eat grass from a young age; feeding them feed directly can easily cause digestive problems,” Bud explained. “To keep these horses alive, they need to be allowed to forage freely for at least half the day.”

Regardless of their usefulness, capturing thousands of horses would be a great achievement, and even if they were to be eaten, it would be better to leave them for the Hed people.

A medal weighs about 100 grams, and at least 80 grams of that is earned by trading those Herderma.

We also have to thank Lieutenant Colonel Jessica for giving most of the credit to his subordinates; otherwise, the two junior centurions wouldn't have gotten to receive the Grand Cross of the Knight's Sword.

Winters tore off his medal as soon as he stepped outside, haphazardly rolled up the ribbon, and stuffed it into his pocket.

If he looked closely, he would notice a ring of inscription on the medal: "[Pro Patria]", meaning "[For the Motherland]"...

On the battlefield, everything should be done as appropriate.

After the simple awarding ceremony, Sackler kept Lieutenant Colonel Jessica behind for a private talk.

Having been expelled from the headquarters, Andrei ran up the ramparts in two strides and found Winters in the northwest bastion.

Another siege was repelled, and corpses littered the area outside the walls. The Heds were regrouping two hundred meters away—they now knew the defenders had run out of solid shot, so they were acting with impunity.

Bud led some soldiers into the trench and began dragging the bodies toward the river.

Winters urged the musketeers to take this opportunity to clean the barrels of their muskets.

The musketeers were so tired they didn't want to lift a finger, and even with the centurion urging them on, their movements remained slow.

"Where's the medal?" Andrei asked in surprise when he saw that Winters had nothing under his neck.

Winters gave a wry smile and tapped his helmet: "There are plenty of archers outside the city. Wearing something so conspicuous is practically suicide. I even changed my officer's helmet."

"show me."

Winters took the silver medal out of his pocket and tossed it to Andrei.

"Wow! It's a Grand Cross!" Andrei exclaimed, clearly delighted. His tone was full of regret: "Why didn't I go with them?"

"Don't even mention it! Mason led us astray and almost took us into the Hed's lair. Luckily, the Teldun tribe suddenly came out in full force, otherwise, it's hard to say whether we could have escaped unscathed."

"You've already taken two, haven't you?" Andrei's mind wasn't on Winters's words at all. Winters was puzzled: "Where did you get two pieces?"

“The Victory Medal on Chiliu Island,” Andrei added, “though I’m keeping it for you now.”

Winters snorted and didn't respond to the question.

"Great!" Andrei reluctantly returned the sword-shaped badge to Winters. "Beautiful!"

“If you want them, I’ll go back and ask my uncle to get you a hundred! I have something to ask you.” Wentesla led Andrei to a secluded corner: “What on earth is Sackler up to? Where are the reinforcements?!”

While Winters was questioning Andrei, Lieutenant Colonel Jessica was also enduring the general's fury.

Seeing the one-eyed colonel's expressionless face, Sackler was furious.

The strategy of the Plato army against the Hed tribes was simply to kill, kill, and kill more.

Late the night before, Palatine's army launched a fierce attack on Bian Li using tunnel blasting tactics. Bian Li's defenders set fire to the city.

Yesterday morning, the North Bank camp was attacked, the siege was halted, and the JSKA battalion was stationed at the North Bridge fortress.

When Sackler and Alpad learned that Hed's reinforcements were attacking Beizhai, they were not alarmed.

The most troublesome aspect of Hart's forces was never direct confrontation. They wanted to kill people, something the two generals were more than happy to do.

The location of Beizhai blocked the entrance and exit to the north of Bianli City. If the Hede people wanted to relieve the siege, they had to conquer it.

Therefore, Sackler supported Beizhai with six battalions, intending to use Beizhai as bait to lure out Hede's reinforcements and then annihilate them in one fell swoop.

As a result, the Sackler tribe was ambushed halfway through their journey—unexpected yet reasonable, as the Hed people were also fishing.

They used Beizhai as bait to lure Palat's main force into an attack, then surrounded the stronghold and attacked the reinforcements.

The plans have changed, but for Sackler, the situation remains under control; it just requires technical adjustments.

Whether it's using Beizhai as bait or his six brigades as bait, as long as the strategic objective is achieved, there's no difference.

Through interrogating the prisoners, Sackler had learned that the reinforcements from Hart in front of him actually consisted of two parts.

The army of Hede, which is besieging Beizhai, is led by the uncle and brother of Yaxin, the chieftain of the Chihe tribe, and can be regarded as the peripheral force of the Chihe tribe.

The army that came to reinforce them was the Teldun tribe, led by their leader, the Fire-Baker.

In the past, whenever there was a war, the various tribes of the Hed not only refused to help each other, but the tribes that were not affected by the war would also gleefully annex the tribes that had been defeated by the Parat people.

No one knows how Yassin persuaded the Teldun tribe to send troops, but it seems the Firebringers are determined to fight the Paratus.

But it's alright, the Platu army can handle it.

Unlike the brave, fiery, and perpetually passionate General Alpard, Sackler was a master strategist who was calm, cautious, and preferred to achieve victory through meticulous pre-planning.

But plans can never keep up with changes. Who could have imagined that just last night, an inconspicuous pawn on the chessboard would suddenly move to a position that surprised everyone?

Now, Teldun's forces are launching a frenzied attack on Jessica's forces, leaving Sackler's six battalions standing aside.

The Hede people's forces were thus dispersed, with the Chihe tribe feigning an attack on the northern village and the Teldun tribe launching a fierce attack on the bridgehead.

Isn't it a good thing that the enemy is splitting up their forces?
The problem was that Plato's army was also scattered.

The three camps—Bridgehead, Sekler, and Beizhai—are located on the north bank, resembling a long snake.

The bridgehead had the fewest troops, consisting of only the JASKA battalion plus two hundred-man squads.

Beizhai has two brigades, while the Sekler tribe has six brigades.

Sackler had intended to lure the Heds into attacking the snake's head or waist, but the snake's tail acted on its own and suddenly lashed out at the man warming himself by the fire.

Now Hart's reinforcements are extending two fists, one to the head and one to the tail.

The straight-line distance from the bridgehead to Beizhai is about 17 kilometers, which would take infantry five to six hours to traverse.

However, for the Hud people, who possessed a large number of horses, it was only a half-hour march.

The cavalry's advantage over infantry in short-distance maneuvers was fully demonstrated over a distance of seventeen kilometers.

War manipulates humanity, and no one can manipulate war. The situation is spiraling out of control, for both sides.

The Heds currently hold the initiative, as their two forces can quickly combine, while the Platut army is unable to support each other.

“No need for further explanation.” Lieutenant Colonel Jessica removed the Sword Medal and held it in his palm. “Please speak plainly.”

Sackler paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

"You have no reinforcements here," the general informed him.

"The eight battalions of the main camp?" Jesca asked.

"Six battalions suffered heavy losses in the siege, and they are responsible for the besieging. I have other uses for the other two battalions." Sackler stared at Jessica: "I want to concentrate my forces and fight the Red River tribe as one, without dividing them up. The Teldun tribe may be lured away, or it may not."

Jessica remained silent for a while, then looked at the medal in her hand and said, "This thing... is really hot to handle."

Consider this an advance notice.

“Then I must ask you for one more thing.” The one-eyed lieutenant colonel calmly judged: “If we hold out until today, the Teldens will never be able to take this place again.”

I felt that the two chapters I wrote yesterday and today were rather bland, and I wrote them very slowly. I felt that I wasn't in a good state of mind yesterday and today, but I will try my best to make the later battle section more exciting.

Thank you all for reading, subscribing, recommending, voting, and tipping! Sending you all love!
Thank you to readers Fuxi Ser, Black Phoenix, Mass-produced Magic War Tool, AI039, and yedanhe for their generous donations. Thank you all.

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(End of this chapter)