Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 272 Beacon Fire
The following day, Mason was pleased to learn of Colonel Bode's decision.

Because of a hangover, the senior felt an empty, aching sensation inside his skull.

He said bluntly, "Good! Excellent! Now we are no longer 'a small group of foreigners commanding a large group of Paratists'."

Senior Mason sincerely hoped that the Colonel would join them.

The new government of Iron Peak County, which is part of the local government of Palatour, is led entirely by Venetians and people from the United Provinces, making its composition quite awkward.

It is only because the new government has a small territory, a small population, and the infamous reputation of the Blood Wolf can still deter those who are eager to cause trouble that it has not been able to be severely attacked.

The addition of Bode Gates will increase the Paratist concentration in the decision-making body from [0] to [14.3%], which can be described as "a small step for the Colonel, a giant leap for the new government".

However... the concentration of military personnel is still 100%.

Aside from the reasons mentioned above, the senior also had a little bit of personal motive.

With Bard absent, Winters indifferent, and no one else in sight, all the big and small matters, both inside and outside of Gévorden, now rest on Mason's shoulders alone, causing his hairline to recede at a visible rate.

The senior student was more than happy to have an extra helper to share the workload.

But Mason never invited Colonel Bode.

Who is Bode Gates?

In terms of status, he is the chief battalion commander of the Sixth Army Corps, only a step away from becoming the corps commander; it is only a matter of course that he will one day become a general.

In terms of background, he comes from a prominent Paratul family; the [Bod] family has a history as long as the [Alpad] family, both tracing back to the time of the seven ancient tribes of Paratul.

Recruiting him to join the "rebels"? The chances are extremely slim.

Mason didn't know how his junior had persuaded the colonel, and although he was happy, he still felt a little uneasy.

……

Colonel Bodle attended the resolution meeting without ceremony or introductions—Winters and the others had all been his subordinates. Adding a chair to the table was all that was needed to go through the motions.

Winters began by saying, "The total number of votes in the resolution has always been an even number. With the Colonel in attendance, we no longer need to worry about a tie!"

Mason clapped listlessly.

Lieutenant Colonel Moritz was not present—Winters had not yet found an opportunity to inform Colonel A and Colonel B of their presence; there were only Winters, Mason, and Colonel Bode in the conference room.

“Wait, I haven’t agreed to rebel with you yet.” Colonel Bode leaned back in his chair and sneered, “Don’t be so quick to include me in this.”

“How can you call it a rebellion?” Winters asked in bewilderment. “We are all appointed officers of the Republic of Palatour.”

Colonel Bode snorted and ignored Winters.

“Winters came running over excitedly this morning to tell me you’d joined the group,” Mason joked. “So it was just a false alarm?”

Colonel Bode raised an eyebrow: "Join us? Are you bandits? Want to swear another oath?"

“If you wish to take an oath… no problem. I’ll lend you a relic.” Winters enthusiastically recommended: “How about the emblem of Saint Ados? It’s said to contain a fragment of the true emblem.”

"Stop trying to bluff, I wasn't drunk last night. I can stay in Iron Peak County—in Alpad, I don't want to go; and I can't be bothered with those idiot councilors from Kingsburg." Colonel Bode's tone shifted, and his eyes became serious: "But there are two things I need to know."

"Please ask," Winters said, straightening his clothes and sitting up straight. "I will not lie to you about any question I can answer."

Colonel Bode stared intently at Winters, trying to glean clues from the latter's eyes and expression: "What exactly is your relationship with the Herds?"

“Hostile relationship.” Winters spread his palms.

"I'm not asking about the Teldon tribe." Colonel Bode leaned forward involuntarily. "I'm asking about the Red River tribe! The Red River tribe that fought us to the death, captured me, and then released me!"

"Two years ago, I unintentionally saved the younger brother of the white lion Yasin. It's that simple."

"Yasin owes you a favor, so you released me too?"

"Don't always try to make me a scapegoat." Winters rested his chin on his hand and chuckled. "I did my duty in Plato, in Bianli, and in the Styx. If you're unhappy, you should take it out on János, Árpád, and Seckler. Why hold a few lowly centurions like us accountable?"

"Stop trying to fool me! I'm not taking my defeat out on you; you know what I mean."

“Then I will answer you squarely.” Winters’ smile vanished as he looked directly at Colonel Bode. “White Lion let me go, perhaps to repay a favor. Because at that time I was all alone, with nothing. Letting you come back, on the other hand, was clearly to help me. There are only three possible reasons.”

"First, if I can gain a foothold, he can trade with the outside world through me; second, the Iron Peak County's resistance against the New Reclamation Army, regardless of who wins or loses, will deplete Palat's strength; third, the Iron Peak County is right next to the Terdun tribe's sphere of influence, and I have an old grudge against the Fire-Bakers, so he can use me to restrain them."

This is a win-win-win situation, so why not do it? All the White Lion has given up so far is you, a slave. Now that he's sent you back, am I supposed to say 'no' and send you back as well?"

Colonel Bode's face turned from red to white, then from white to green. He kept his face tightly taut and didn't say a word.

Mason, who was listening nearby, was terrified. He gently tugged at Winters, signaling his junior not to be so aggressive.

Winters ignored his senior and continued, "I have never betrayed the interests of the Palatine to the Hed, nor have I betrayed the interests of the Palatine. I am upright and have a clear conscience."

But if the Hart tribes profit from my actions, though it is not my intention, I will not give up. The New Reclamation Army is attacking me; I cannot simply refrain from retaliation just because the Harts will benefit.”

Colonel Bode was speechless.

After sitting quietly for a while, he sighed deeply and asked, "Second question. Since you have connections with the Red River tribe, do you have a way to bring back those prisoners from the wasteland?"

“I have a way! And I will do everything in my power to rescue them—I have men among the slaves.” Winters took out a small knife: “I have a verbal agreement with the White Lion to exchange prisoners for supplies. Give me the opportunity, and I will open up the trade route to the Red River tribe and bring the people back little by little.”

"Trading supplies for prisoners?" Colonel Bode asked, frowning. Palatul's long-standing blockade of the wasteland and his use of supplies to exchange for prisoners was nothing more than smuggling.

“What else?” Winters retorted. “Instead of taking goods, are you going to exchange them for gold and silver? Not only do I not have any gold or silver, but what use are gold and silver in the wasteland? The White Lion values ​​practical benefits and would never exchange people for money.”

Colonel Bode was speechless again. He gritted his teeth and warned Winters, "The White Lions and the Red River tribe are more dangerous than all the other Herd tribes combined."

“I know, of course I know. This is feeding the lions,” Winters admitted. “But exchanging the veterans back will also make us stronger. Ultimately, my survival is more important.”

The colonel pressed further: "And then what? You keep having them fight for you?"

“Yes, that was what I initially thought.” Winters sighed. “But after meeting you, I realized that they are living, breathing people with families and loved ones. They are not puppets, weapons, or my tools. So… let it be.”

Winters made up his mind and said to the colonel with a smile, "It's up to you to stay or leave. If you want to stay, continue serving me; if you're wounded, I'll give you land; if you want to go home, I'll give you travel expenses. How about that? Are you satisfied?"

"What do I have to complain about?" Colonel Bode scoffed.

He straightened his clothes with his only remaining right arm, stood up, and solemnly saluted Winters: "If you can accomplish this, I thank you on behalf of all the Palatine veterans who are stranded in the wilderness and cannot return home, and my men!"

Winters accepted the greeting and returned it with a raised hand.

Having listened intently for so long, Mason finally felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. Having gained a better understanding of Colonel Bode's motives, his unease lessened somewhat.

But then, his nerves tensed up again.

Because the senior student overheard the colonel saying to Winters, "I need to ask you for something."

"What do you need? I'll give you whatever you want." Winters readily agreed at first, then quickly added, "I don't have any money, we're in a tight budget."

"I want an official position."

"What official position?"

"The highest rank," Colonel Bode sneered. "Give me whichever rank is the highest."

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold, and Mason instinctively shrank his neck. He was mild-mannered and disliked conflict; what he least wanted to see was power struggles and internal strife.

“You don’t have to do that.” Winters blinked.

"No need for anything?" Colonel Bode feigned ignorance: "What's wrong with me, a colonel, wanting a higher-ranking position?"

"There's no need to worry about our future. Since we've embarked on this path, we're willing to take the risk of not being able to escape unscathed."

The air was no longer frighteningly cold, but the conference room remained quiet.

“Are you naive or brave? This is no small matter; it involves an entire county.” Colonel Bode sighed deeply. “When the sword falls, can you little brats withstand it? Use me as a shield, and when you’re at your wits’ end, hand me over. Maybe you can even get a new colonel position? Wouldn’t that be better?”

“You’re being too pessimistic,” Winters said with a smile, recommending his backup plan: “At worst, you can come with us to Veneta. It’s not like you’re doing business for the difference of having another partner.”

Colonel Bode's temper flared up again: "You idiot, do you think Veneta will protect you when that day comes?"

“Then let’s escape overseas, to the west.” Winters drew a circle in the air: “I heard that if you keep going west, you can reach the Far East.”

Colonel Bode leaned on the table, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

“An official position is nothing more than a seal; I can just carve one for you, can’t I?” Winters explained sincerely. “But your requirement—the highest official position—is a bit…”

“You said it was just a seal,” Colonel Bode said, puffing out his beard and glaring. “You’re stingy even with a seal?” “The highest rank I have here is Marshal,” Winters asked tentatively. “Then shall I have a Marshal’s seal made for you?”

The colonel's breath caught for at least a beat. Senior Mason stared at his knees, desperately trying to suppress a laugh.

Bode felt a tightness in his chest and spoke with difficulty: "A thousand or so people, and an area no bigger than a horse's hoof, and you already have a marshal? Does that mean we also need a legion commander?"

“Both are available. They're all officially funded positions.” Winters asked with a smile, “Or…would you like to pick one you prefer?”

"Forget it, forget it." Colonel Bode's face flushed red as he tried to calm himself down. "I'm old and easily embarrassed. I can't afford to lose face like this."

In Mason's eyes, the colonel's demeanor and expression became natural as he chatted and laughed, and the feeling of being an outsider and an outsider that he had felt before gradually dissipated.

"Let's get down to business." Senior Mason steered the conversation toward formal matters, saying with a wry smile, "Shovel Harbor sent us an official document."

Upon hearing "Shovel Harbor," Winters' attention immediately focused, and his brow furrowed involuntarily: "What did you say?"

"Mayor Potal said that the militia has been recruited, but they urgently need food and weapons, and hope that we can allocate some to them."

"Potal? Asking me for weapons and provisions?" Winters chuckled, stroking the hilt of his sword. "Does he want my Disintegration spell?"

"Should I just reply to him like this?" Senior Mason asked with a smile.

“Tell him to hold the east bank of the Radiant River, and to light the signal fire if there is any enemy activity; reinforcements will come naturally.” Winters scoffed, “In my opinion, he probably doesn’t want us to cross over!”

“Okay.” Senior Mason immediately began drafting a reply.

Seeing that Colonel Bode remained silent, Winters explained to the colonel, "It's not that I don't want to help, but that... Potal, he's got ulterior motives."

Colonel Bode listened quietly.

Winters got up from his chair, took a map, spread it on the table, and pulled the colonel to stand nearby to study it.

“The riverbank of Zhong Tiefeng County is nearly 80 kilometers long, and the riverbank of Xia Tiefeng County is over 100 kilometers long.” Winters readily described the terrain of Tiefeng County: “Only Shang Tiefeng County has less than 20 kilometers of riverbank that needs to be defended. The river is the widest and the current is the fastest, making it the easiest position to defend.”

What kind of lake is this?

"Shovel Lake".

"Is the lake actually as big as it appears on the map during the winter when the water level is low?"

"It's even bigger than this; this is an old map."

Colonel Bode stroked his beard and asked, "Since it's a port, there must be ships. Why not requisition them?"

“They’ve all been detained by that scoundrel mayor.” Winters’ brow furrowed even more. “Before this, Potal had been hoarding food, recruiting refugees, and outwardly complying with but inwardly defying Gervodan’s instructions.”

Regarding weaponry, it's hard to say. As for food, he probably has more than I do. For the sake of maintaining peace in this town, I haven't touched him.”

“But this bastard,” Winters sneered, “is getting more and more unruly.”

Colonel Bode bent down to examine the map, muttering to himself, "There's a lot to learn about the seams of a map—I heard that from John Jessica. I've never seen anyone better at mapwork than him, what a pity."

Winters had a sudden thought: "Do you know where Lieutenant Colonel Jessica is?"

“I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.” Colonel Bode shook his head with a wry smile, his fingertips tracing the border between Vaughan and Iron Peak counties: “Have you considered the seam of this map—the riverbank at the border between the two counties?”

“I’ve considered it; that area is mountainous and forested.”

"You can ride a horse even in the mountains and forests."

“But Ghevordan can’t send troops.” Winters was also helpless: “Otherwise, we would have to fight the Legion before the Herds even arrive. We can only tell the militia in Shovel Harbor to be more vigilant.”

Colonel Bode said nothing more, sat heavily back in his chair, and asked Winters with a smile, "I overheard you discussing whether to inform the neighboring county. Did you do so?"

“They’ve reported it,” Winters replied somewhat bitterly. “But they didn’t mention the source of the intelligence. The Legion ignored me and didn’t reply. I guess they don’t believe me.”

“I have an idea,” Colonel Bode’s smile deepened. “What if… my source of intelligence was me?”

Winters sat up straight immediately, hesitated for a moment, then smiled broadly: "Then we'll have to come up with a good story."

"Do we need to make things up? Just say I escaped from the Teldon tribe and brought back important intelligence that the Teldon people are gathering raiders, isn't that enough?" Colonel Bode laughed heartily, "Perfect, let me show off a bit too."

"That……"

“I will personally go to Vaughan County and White Mountain County,” Colonel Bode said naturally.

Even Mason, who was drafting a reply, suddenly stood up, and Winters grabbed the colonel's hand: "Then I'll have to trouble you."

"It's a minor matter; dealing with the Hed's raid on our territory is the real issue." Colonel Bode waved his hand and then asked, "Is Gaisa Adonis still the chief officer of White Mountain County?"

Winters was overjoyed: "You know that bald guy?"

“I’m a year ahead of him, and I was the one who mentored him when he entered the academy.” Colonel Bode sighed, somewhat sadly, “Gisa was seriously injured and barely survived, which is why he turned out that way. He used to be a very handsome and dashing man, what a pity.”

“So what that bald man said was true,” Winters thought to himself. He adopted the utmost humility and pleaded with the colonel, “Could you please go to White Mountain County first? Colonel Gaisa and I have a small business deal, and we'd like your help to make the connection…”

……

That afternoon, Lieutenant Worthington, from White Mountain County and currently imprisoned in The Wardden, was released.

Colonel Bode spoke briefly with Worthington alone.

Upon learning that the one-armed colonel had single-handedly crossed a hundred kilometers of no man's land and escaped back to Palatour from the wilderness, Lieutenant Worthington was moved to tears and felt an overwhelming sense of respect.

Upon learning that Colonel Bode had returned with important military intelligence, Worthington immediately wanted to return to White Mountain County.

Winters selected a stallion and a mare from the stolen herd as gifts and had Lieutenant Worthington take them back to White Mountain County.

"Please pass on a message to Colonel Gaisa," Winters said sincerely to his senior Worthington. "Adam and Eve were only one man and one woman, yet they still produced so many people today. Colonel Gaisa, please be patient; a pair of horses will eventually become a herd of horses again."

“You should talk to the colonel yourself,” Lieutenant Worthington said with a complicated expression. “I’m afraid the colonel will beat me up.”

Colonel Bode, returning from the wilderness, made only a brief stop in Ghevordan before resuming his trek.

……

Winters, however, was busy with something else—building a city.

To be precise, it was an expansion of Thervodan.

Unlike ordinary farms, Juntun Village had no ability to protect itself after the soldiers were conscripted.

Winters simply issued a scorched-earth order, evacuating all the families of the twelve military settlements to Zhevodan, so that the soldiers could fight with peace of mind.

The city of Jervodan was already small, and with the addition of military families and civilians seeking refuge, it quickly became extremely crowded.

Fortunately, the weather is getting cooler now, otherwise a major epidemic might have broken out.

Moreover, Winters and Priskin the Elder both believed that more civilians would inevitably flock to Ghevordan in the future—the villages and towns of Iron Peak County had no walls and were easy prey for Hard's cavalry.

Winters made the decision decisively—to build a new city, a new city that could accommodate all the refugees.

Old Priskin suggested expanding the city on the existing walls, while Winters advocated building a new city south of the St. George River.

Winters' reasoning was that "building the city walls with their backs to the riverbank would minimize the amount of work required."

This reason is quite valid, and Priskin the Elder does not object.

So while the wildfires of Teltown were about to reach their hair, Winters was busy with civil engineering.

The new town, located on the south bank of the St. George River, is more of a "fortress" than a "city".

Because it was essentially a semi-circular city wall and moat backing onto the riverbank, with no living facilities inside, but the defensive fortifications were very well built—after all, the barbarians were coming.

Another interesting point is that, according to Winters' method of dividing Upper, Middle and Lower Iron Peak counties, the old town of Gévordan was entirely located on the north bank of the St. George River, so Gévordan undoubtedly belonged to Upper Iron Peak county.

But the new town was built on the south bank of the St. George River, which means that Ghevord has one foot back in Central Peak County, like a child standing on a threshold.

He attended a meeting in the morning, saw Colonel Bode and Lieutenant Worthington off at noon, and went to supervise construction in the afternoon. Winters didn't return to his residence until late at night, dragging his tired body.

He fell asleep on the bed without even taking off his clothes.

Just as Winters lost consciousness, about forty kilometers downstream from Shovel Harbor—at the border between Worgneshire and Iron Peakshire, at the seam of the map—the Heards launched sheepskin rafts under the cover of night.

People traveled by raft and horses by wading, taking advantage of the darkness to cross what Winters called "the easiest position to defend."

[I'm late, sorry]
Thank you all for your concern. I hope everyone stays healthy and doesn't get sick.
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)