Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 281 Intelligence
When the banners patrolled the river, the people of Teldun cheered with all their might wherever they went.

All that could be heard from the opposite bank were the battle cries, like muffled thunder, one after another, first from afar and then from near and far.

The residents of Niuti Valley rushed out of their homes to find out what was going on, but when they learned what the "thunder" was, they were terrified.

Some even exclaimed, "It's a horn! The horn of doomsday!" and scrambled to the church for refuge.

"So this is Armageddon?" Winters asked with a smile from the church bell tower, "Isn't this a bit too small?"

To be honest, even Winters felt a bit insulted by the chaos in Cowhoof Valley.

Kaman sighed softly, raised his hand in a gesture of respect, and coldly retorted, "The world is only what mortals can see. Isn't this battle their doomsday?"

“Survival is not the only outcome. But if everyone only thinks about their own survival, then no one will survive. The separation of men and women and children in Bard has been very effective. It not only properly protects women, children and the elderly, but also inspires men to fight.”

"Ah."

"I need your help with this."

Kaman gave a soft, cold snort, conveying a sense of 'as expected' disdain.

He stared at the people scattering and fleeing in the town square, and replied without looking up, "I'm not helping you."

“Okay.” Winters walked downstairs with his cane. “By the way, Bard captured a prisoner who claims to be ‘Father Saul.’ You’ll have to help verify his identity when you have time.”

Kaman ignored Winters, but the holy emblem in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell straight to the ground.

……

At the church entrance, Charles and Heinrich had already prepared their horses and were waiting for orders.

Samukin, fully armed, saluted with his sword at the ready: "The Volunteer Brigade is ready to ring the bell and prepare for battle at any time."

"Don't rush." ​​Winters mounted his horse with a relaxed expression. "Even if the battle is in the afternoon, we need to let everyone rest and recuperate in the morning. Besides, there won't be any battle today."

"Then...where are you going?" Samukin asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

Wen Tesla tugged on the reins and gently squeezed the ribs: "That monkey-faced guy is swaggering around over there, I'm going to check it out."

The warhorse began to trot, and Samukin chased after it, shouting anxiously, "Just taking Charles and Heinrich? Then take a few more guards! Wait a minute, I'll come along too!"

Winters laughed loudly and rode away from Cowhoof Valley.

……

A blue banner with horsehair was marching along the west bank, proclaiming to both sides that the "Khan" had arrived on the battlefield.

Winters followed side by side on the east bank until the horse-tail banner on the opposite bank turned around and the battle cries subsided.

"Look," Winters said, pointing his whip across the river, "the monkey-faced guy has turned back."

"Shall we go back too?" Charles asked.

"map."

Heinrich carefully took the large map out of his saddlebag and handed it to the military tribunal.

Looking around, Winters found some landmarks that helped him find his way, and he laughed, “Wow, we’re almost at Forgetown.”

Xia Er exclaimed, "Forge Township? That must be twenty kilometers away!"

“It’s twenty-three kilometers.” Winters marked it on the map: “One round of war cries marks one camp, that’s why I had you two count.”

"A camp? A camp with a monkey-like face that stretches for twenty kilometers?!" Xia Er was even more astonished.

“The livestock of the Herd tribes are numerous and not spaced out, so there’s not even enough room for the horses to graze.” Winters rolled up the map and, through his boot, struck his left shin several times.

"Although the west bank is already scorched earth, the mid-level leaders of the Teldun tribe still dare not easily change their marching route because the fire-bringers are not coming. But now that Monkey Butt Face has arrived, the hungry wolves of the Teldun tribe are also getting restless."

Perhaps because the river water was too cold, Winters' old injury to his left leg flared up again from the day he swam across to raid the Tartai tribe, forcing him to walk with a cane again.

"Go back now?"

"No rush, let's keep going forward. Once we cross this hill, we'll reach Duanlu Township. Let's go take a look."

Winters leaped onto his horse and galloped away. Charles and Heinrich followed. The three of them crossed the hillside and headed towards Forgetown.

……

In the main tent of the Teldun tribe, all the leaders, large and small, were summoned for a meeting.

The skylight was covered with cowhide, and the large tent was dimly lit, with only the firelight providing illumination.

The Nayans and Kotas sat in a circle around the campfire to show that military discussions were not divided by rank or status, and that everyone could speak freely.

"We can't delay any longer!" Uncle Taichi's voice, almost bursting out of the tent, cried out, "A direct attack or a flanking maneuver? We need to make up our minds!"

Voices of approval rose and fell:
"Tai Chi is right!"

"The little bit of hay we brought has long been eaten up. The livestock are now digging for grass roots to eat; how can they possibly get enough to eat?"

"Grassroots? A two-legged man set the grassroots ablaze!"

A man with graying temples and a blue feather stood up and said, “The children sent word that the two-legged people’s defenses upstream are very lax. Gan Quan, Zhuo Ma Han and other young men have already crossed the river. Since the two-legged people are blocking our way here, you and I should avoid them and go around to the upstream or downstream.”

Another chorus of approval erupted from inside the tent.

The Harts felt no guilt about "leaving without a fight." Furthermore, Hart culture lacked any moral constraints regarding "fleeing."

If it's advantageous, advance; if it's disadvantageous, retreat; if you can't win, run away. What's so strange about that?

However, the reality is always more absurd than the reasonable scenario.

The Teldun nobles who appeared in the main tent at this moment were all leaders who had failed to cross the river. They had failed to cross because there were garrison troops blocking their way on the other side.

Logically speaking... if you're blocking me downstream, then I can just go around to the upstream and plunder, right?

However, the Teldun nobles could not detour; they could take small detours, but not large-scale maneuvers of hundreds of kilometers.

They weren't inflexible, unwilling to compromise, or unwilling to take detours—in fact, they were incredibly insane.

For example, Tai Chi.

Hearing that others had made a fortune by conquering newly reclaimed land, and looking at his own increasingly emaciated cattle and horses, Tai Chi's heart ached as if it were being fried on a red-hot iron plate.

However, Taichi could not leave, as he was bound by the military orders of the fire-gatherers and had to stay.

The Telden's marching route was not just a matter of "how to walk," but also a way of distributing benefits.

If Taichi goes to other places to plunder, it's like milking someone else's sheep.

Those who make the fire decide on the marching route, and only they can modify it.

The alpha wolf has absolute authority over matters that the alpha can decide; any attempt to overstep its bounds in matters that the alpha cannot decide will be met with the most severe punishment—the alpha wolf will not allow any member of the pack to challenge its authority, not even its own uncle.

The nobles of Teldun waited anxiously for three days in the large tent, and finally the fire-warmer arrived.

Everyone was waiting for the person warming themselves by the fire to speak, so they could quickly leave this tough nut in front of them and go to a place where it was easier to eat and enjoy themselves.

The man warming himself by the fire finally spoke, his first question being: "Do you know whether Tartai is alive or dead?"

no one knows.

Kota told the fire-warmers, "There are no living people, but the dead... the two-legged people dragged all the corpses away."

"Hand over all the Tartars you've taken in to me," the fire-gatherer said gruffly. "I want to question them."

No one objected, since there were hardly any survivors left in the Tartai tribe.

"What about Tartar's horses and valuables?" Kota asked.

"You can keep it."

Since it was just a matter of sending a few people out, no one objected.

The tent fell silent again as everyone waited for the person tending the fire to speak, to say something more crucial.

The man warming himself by the fire pondered, "You and I..."

"Great Khan!" The urgent shout from the quiver soldier outside the tent interrupted the man warming himself by the fire. A military council was being held inside the tent, and the quiver soldier dared not enter: "A messenger has been sent from the other side!"

"What?" The man warming himself by the fire jumped up, took three steps to the tent flap, and kicked it open: "Where is it?"

The tent was in an uproar as all the Kotas rose to their feet, whispering and asking each other questions.

"Shut up!" the man by the fire shouted.

The tent fell silent.

So the veil was removed, the skylight was opened, and the large tent suddenly became bright. The man tending the fire returned to his seat of honor, and the kotas sat on either side, and everything returned to its original state.

The messenger was brought forward.

As soon as he entered the tent, the messenger knelt down, wishing he could bury his face in the carpet.

The man warming himself by the fire remained silent. The old interpreter, understanding his meaning, asked in the common language, "Who are you?"

The messenger spoke, but in Hedgd. His voice was so faint it was barely audible. The Teldun nobles exchanged glances, and finally, Taichi couldn't contain his anger any longer: "You spineless gelding! Speak up!"

“Tartai chieftain! I am a servant in the Tartai chieftain’s household!”

Those who are used as servants are slaves. Those who are used as servants in the household are the more favored slaves.

The man warming himself by the fire's face darkened.

"Taltai?" The old translator squinted, asking on behalf of the man warming himself by the fire, "Is Taltai dead or alive?"

"No, no, no... I don't know."

"How did he cross the river?" the old interpreter asked the quiver-wielding soldier escorting the messenger.

"Ride a raft."

"He's the only one."

"Yes."

Taichi slammed his hand on the table impatiently and demanded of the messenger, "What do the two-legged man want you for?"

The messenger, trembling, knelt on the ground and answered in a trembling voice, "Delivering a verbal message."

"What message? Speak!"

The messenger's Adam's apple bobbed, but he dared not speak.

"explain!!!"

The messenger, his voice trembling with tears, stammered, "The chieftain on the other side... Chief Ronald wants to invite the Khan to cross the river and fight him... He promises not to stop the Khan from crossing..."

……

While the Teldenans are holding a military council, Winters is also holding one in Bullhoof Valley.

Compared to Teltown's unit, Winters' meeting was much smaller, consisting of only six people including the five company commanders and himself.

“I found a prisoner and sent a message to Monkey Butt Face on the other side,” Winters announced with a smile. “In Major Ronald’s name, he invites Monkey Butt Face to cross the river and fight me.”

Tamas, Bat Sharing, Samukin, and other company-level officers were initially shocked, then baffled.

Bart Sharling swallowed hard: "Then... will the barbarian chieftain agree?"

“I don’t know either.” Winters spread out a map on the table. “Anyway, I assure Monkey Buttface that I will not intercept him while he is crossing the river.”

"Huh?" Tamas exclaimed in surprise, "What if the barbarians really cross the river?"

“Of course we should strike when the enemy is halfway across the river!” Winters replied matter-of-factly.

There was a moment of silence in the small room, followed by a burst of laughter.

"Are you trying to provoke the barbarian chieftain?" Samukin asked, blinking.

“If this can provoke that monkey-faced guy, it means he hasn’t improved at all.” A faint smile appeared on Winters’ lips. “I’ll see how he reacts.”

"What if the barbarian chieftain doesn't respond?"

"No reaction is also a kind of reaction."

Tamas asked curiously, "Why use Major Ronald's name?"

Winters gazed out the window, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "We really have a deep grudge against Monkey Butt Face. If he finds out that his opponent is me, is you, then what he will do next... is hard to predict with common sense."

The room erupted in loud laughter again.

“If you ask me, let’s get a pot, melt some gold and pour it on it. Take it to the riverbank and wave it at the barbarians on the other side,” Bart Sharing said slyly. “Who knows, the barbarians might get carried away and charge over without thinking. We can then take the opportunity to give them a good whack on the head and knock them all to death on the riverbank.”

Winters remained noncommittal, glancing at the others: "You think so too?"

Some people nodded.

Tamas shook his head and said in a low voice, "I don't think this is a good idea. The barbarian chieftain on the other side suffered a great loss at your hands last time. If he knows that you are here on our side, he will definitely be more vigilant."

“Barbarians aren’t that smart,” Bart Sharling retorted.

Tamas remained silent.

"If you were monkeys with big butts and knew that I was on the other side of the river, what decision would you make?" Winters wanted to test his subordinates: "Think carefully, everyone has to answer."

Bart Sharling, quick-witted, was the first to speak: "If it were a barbarian chieftain, I think he would come charging in recklessly. If it were me... I would avoid you and fight somewhere else."

After Bart Sharing finished speaking, no one else spoke for a long time.

Seeing that his subordinates were not eager to answer, Winters began to call on people: "Tamas, you are the company commander, you go first."

“I…” Tamas muttered, “My words… go back to the wasteland.”

"Why?" Winters asked, puzzled.

Tamas's voice trailed off as he spoke: "...I dare not fight you."

Winters was both amused and exasperated. Lacking a whip, he grabbed his cane and gave Tamas a whack: "Did I ask you to flatter me?!"

Tamas didn't dare dodge and took a solid blow. He stammered, "I meant to say that I... I can't beat you, so... so it's best not to fight if possible..."

Before he could finish speaking, Tamas was hit with another stick.

Winters slowly spoke: "Retreating to the wasteland, conserving strength, and choosing another day to fight is also a reasonable decision."

“Yes, that’s exactly what I meant,” Tamas happily chimed in.

Winters sighed heavily: "Samukin, you speak."

Samukin, who was watching the commotion, was struck dumb. After thinking for a long time, he finally spoke: "I think we can leave some men to hold you back, and then launch a surprise attack on our weak points. We can also cross the river in Wone County and then take the land route into Tiefeng County."

After the five company commanders finished speaking, their statements were largely the same, essentially outlining three options: a direct assault, withdrawal, or a flanking maneuver.

"Do you understand what I mean now?" Winters leaned on his cane. "Once the one warming himself by the fire learns I'm here, his decision-making process will change, in any way, compared to when he knew nothing. What is the advantage of the Teldens?"

“Troops,” Bart Sharling answered quickly. “They have far more men than us. They are all on horseback, and their mobility is far superior to ours.”

“Troop strength and mobility. That’s it.” Winters nodded approvingly and continued, “Then what are our army’s advantages?”

"The terrain is such that we can defend ourselves by relying on the river. As long as the river doesn't freeze, they can't cross it," Bart Sharling answered again.

"anything else?"

“Food,” Samukin said softly. “We still have food. The west bank has been burned, and the longer the Teldun barbarians hold out, the less food they will have. The weather is also getting colder.”

“Yes, time is on our side. The longer it drags on, the more uncomfortable it will be for the Teldenans.” Winters nodded. “There’s one more thing that our army has an absolute advantage over.”

Bart Sharing racked his brains, listing a whole bunch of things like "weapons" and "tactics," but Winters shook his head.

Tamas said cautiously, "And you, with you in command, we have an absolute advantage."

Then the company commander was hit again with a stick; Winters hit him so hard that his cane broke.

“You wait,” Winters slammed the broken cane on the table and said angrily, “Next time I’ll bring a lead cane.”

Seeing that the others couldn't answer, Winters took out a box of chess pieces: "The Teldonians don't know our strengths and weaknesses, but we know theirs—besides time and terrain, intelligence is our most important advantage!"

He placed the chess pieces on the map, with the horse representing the Telden people and the castle representing the Iron Peak County troops, making the situation of both sides clear at a glance.

On the southern front, the Teldun have already invaded Xia Tiefeng County and are wreaking havoc in the towns of Langtun, Heishui, and Wu'ao.

On the northern front, the Teltowns' attack on Shovel Harbor failed, and they began to turn towards Worgneshire.

In the middle line, the main force of the Teldun troops led by the Fireman was blocked on the west bank of the Bighorn River.

Meanwhile, the main force of Tiefeng County was stationed in Shengke Town, while troops were also stationed in Niuti Valley, Xiaoshi Town and Duanlu Township.

There are no chess pieces on the circle representing Gervadan on the map.

Winters' smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. Knowing he was about to give an order, everyone sat up straight and respectfully.

"Take down my personal flag."

"Yes!"

"Without my permission, operational plans are strictly prohibited from being communicated to anyone below the company commander level."

"Yes!"

"Those warming themselves by the fire should have someone nearby who can use the common language, and all operational plans and unit numbers should be changed to code names."

"Yes!"

"From this moment on," Winters slammed his fist on the map, "Operation Plan 'Storm' is officially launched!"

[Due to compression by the map editor, if the map is too large, the markings will be unclear; if the map is too small, the entire map will be obscured.]
[Therefore, the subsequent campaign maps should be a combination of large and small maps; the large map shows the overall situation, while the small map has annotations.]
[The current color scheme is tentatively set as follows: Iron Peak County side [blue], Teldun side [red], and battle details [yellow]. Please feel free to provide feedback, thank you.]

[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)