Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 286 Fighter
One stone stirs up a thousand waves, startling three prefectures and nineteen states.

Messengers traveled day and night to Ghevorden, Shovel Harbor, Vaughan County, and White Mountain County to deliver the latest military intelligence.

Within Zhongtiefeng County, messenger cavalry frequently traveled between towns, and the number of patrol troops on the roads also increased sharply.

The war blockade made the people increasingly eager for news from the outside world. Therefore, from the day that Niu Ti Valley was placed under military control, the provisional military command would post notices in the town square every morning to report on the enemy situation, the battle situation, the list of kills and the list of casualties.

In the extremely oppressive atmosphere, the men relied on listening to reports of the battle to relieve their boredom, while the women anxiously flipped through the list of the dead.

The announcement originally had no title, and the public referred to it as "war communications."

Since the birth of war communications, crowds have always gathered in the town square, and requests to "read it again" can be heard from time to time.

Everyone eagerly "read" the war communications, and once they finished today's, they eagerly awaited tomorrow's.

Today's war communications were posted later than usual, which greatly displeased the people who had been waiting by the bulletin board.

As soon as the announcement was posted, a crowd gathered around it.

Although it arrived late, it also took longer. Usually it's one and a half sheets of paper, but today it's a full three sheets.

[The whereabouts of the enemy chieftain's personal guard are unknown] - The first item caused panic among the crowd.

Like a solid cannonball plunging into the column, the crowd erupted like a boiling kettle. Those in front shouted and yelled, while those behind desperately tried to find out what had happened.

After careful consideration, Winters decided to inform the public of the true enemy situation.

Because bad news is like baldness; no matter how thick the wig, it will eventually be exposed. Rather than helplessly watching rumors spread, it's better to inform the military and civilians openly and honestly.

"Stop arguing!" shouted an elderly man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, in front of the notice. "The notice hasn't been finished yet! If you don't want to listen, I'm leaving!"

The old man was a well-known doctor and gentleman in Niuti Valley. Every day, he would read letters and announcements to the illiterate villagers with great enthusiasm, and he was highly respected in the town.

Hearing the old doctor's reprimand, the crowd gradually quieted down.

The old doctor squinted at the notice board, his upper body unconsciously leaning back slightly.

"What is it written? Old philanthropist?" an impatient person couldn't help but ask.

The old doctor gripped his cane tightly, a glint in his eyes: "The next dispatch is a letter from the Montagne tribunal in his own handwriting."

……

Iron Peak County, Shovel Harbour, Church.

Alpha leaned back on the bench, reciting each word carefully: "...If you ask what our goal is, I can answer with one word: victory! Victory at all costs! Victory without fear of any terror! Victory no matter how treacherous the road ahead! Because without victory, there is only destruction..."

The old doctor in Cowshoe Valley was not right; this was not the only article written by Winters Montagne.

In fact, every word in "War Communications" was carefully chosen by Winters, who chewed up countless quill pens as he wrote it.

All other communications were issued in the name of the Provisional Military Command. Only this open letter bore Winters's signature.

This open letter was also the first article published in War Bulletin to carry "emotion".

The previous reports were mechanical, emotionless, and devoid of warmth, like steel dolls spewing out cold numbers.

But this open letter is different; one can feel the author's passionate and fervent spirit between the lines.

Mayor Potal listened silently to the entire text, then asked, "Is that all?"

“There’s another title.” Alpha flipped through the first few pages of the announcement, a faint smile playing on his lips: “A Notice to All Soldiers and Civilians of Tiefeng County—Your rhyming skills have improved quite a bit, but your naming ability remains as poor as ever.”

"A notice to all the soldiers and civilians of Tiefeng County?" Mayor Potal noticed something amiss: "So, all villages and towns will receive this notice?"

“It should be.” Alpha dusted off the announcement. “If we can receive it, other villages and towns should be able to as well.”

Mayor Potal was right; this was indeed the first "War Bulletin" sent to the entire Iron Peak County.

Previously, due to limited printing capacity, War Bullshoe Valley and Thervordan were only posted in limited quantities.

Thanks to Mason's idea, Winters wrote the content the night before and sent it to Gévordine by express horse. Using Gévordine's printing equipment, it was printed overnight and then sent to the whole county and even neighboring counties.

Mayor Potal clicked his tongue: "Besides these notices, the rebels also sent us fifty horses and three hundred large clubs with iron tips..."

“That’s called a spiked club,” Alpha corrected him, laughing, “but the description ‘a big club with an iron tip’ is quite apt.”

“Alright, spiked cone… spiked mace.” Potal’s expression was somewhat subtle: “We asked them for weapons before, and they wouldn’t give them to us. Now they’re suddenly being so generous. I really don’t understand what they’re trying to do…”

“They didn’t give them before because they could send troops to support Shovel Harbor at any time. Now they’re giving them weapons and warhorses, which is telling us that Shovel Harbor will have to rely on itself from now on.” Alpha let out a barely perceptible sigh: “Winters Montagne is going to fight to the death.”

……

late at night.

Winters Montagne, fully armored and holding his sword, stood solemnly on the bank of the Grand Horn, a blood-red military flag fluttering behind him.

It's not the east bank, but the west bank.

A pontoon bridge spanning the Tai Kok River lay quietly before him, and hundreds of soldiers and warhorses were crossing it to reach the west bank.

Everyone who crosses the pontoon bridge salutes the military civilian officer waiting at the bridgehead.

Winters has been keeping this fleet hidden away for a very, very long time...

The key to defending Tiefeng County lies in defending the river, and the key to defending the river should be defending the river channel, not the riverbank.

The naval capabilities of sheepskin rafts were pathetic; to avoid capsizing, the Telden people even rode them in a kneeling position.

Small rafts capsize easily upon impact. Large rafts are more stable, but they are less maneuverable and most vulnerable to arson ships.

To put it bluntly, the galley ship [Lucky] that Gold used when he was a pirate would have been the undisputed king of the Great Horn River.

Does Winters have a boat?

No, because all the ships in Iron Peak County were in Shovel Harbor, and they were all seized by Mayor Portal.

But when he learned that Teldun's forces were planning to launch a second offensive during the mild winter, he immediately ordered Samukin to begin building rafts and small boats.

The navy also proved very useful to Plato—a lesson he never forgot, learned from the painful experience of the Fifth and Sixth Legions at the Battle of the Styx.

However, Winters never used this fleet.

He deliberately used rafts instead of idle small boats when launching a strong attack on Tartai.

After Teldun's large force arrived at the Big Horn River, he deployed his troops on the riverbank and cleared the river channel.

The Teldenans employed a strategy of attrition, harassing the west bank more than twenty times in one night. Just when everyone's nerves were on the verge of breaking, Winters gritted his teeth and swallowed back the order to "launch the ships" several times.

This fleet has been hidden away for so long, so very carefully. Tonight, it can finally be shown to the Teldenans.

Once it was confirmed once again that the blue nine-tailed banner was just a bluff and that the Fire-Burning Army had already set off, Winters immediately ordered all companies in Iron Peak County to withdraw from the riverside fortresses and be replaced by Samukin's "Volunteer Battalion" and "Adult Soldiers".

The defense of Niuti Valley, originally the responsibility of Samukin's "Volunteer Brigade," was taken over by "strong men" temporarily recruited from Niuti Valley.

Winters used a clever maneuver to free up a mobile force.

The unit was not large, consisting of 647 people including him.

The only criterion for selection was that the rider wouldn't fall off the horse.

After seizing nearly a thousand Herd horses from the Tartai forces, the companies added equestrian skills to their intensive training program.

This hastily assembled "cavalry regiment" looked very strange:
A small number of people used the long stirrups and saddles that the Parat people used for fighting;
Another group used the short stirrup saddles used by the Hed people, which were advantageous for riding and archery.

Some people didn't even have saddles; they simply tied a soft pad to the horse's back and used makeshift iron or wooden rings as stirrups.

Among these people were Dusaks who grew up on horseback, infantrymen who were forced into service, and adult men who could ride horses and were conscripted from townspeople and villagers.

André and Don Juan arbitrarily took away the cavalry squadron, exacerbating the plight of Iron Peak County.

But Winters never complained; he had never fought a battle where everything went perfectly and everything went smoothly.

Making do with what one has and sharpening both ends of a spear is the norm.

If there are no warhorses, seize them; if there are no cavalry, train them; if there are no saddles, use blankets as makeshift saddles.

The cavalry regiment had already crossed the river, and Samukin led his men to begin dismantling the pontoon bridge.

Winters, with one hand on the stirrup and the other on the saddle, looked back at the men's faces, which were resolute, calm, fearful, or weary.

Without any flowery words, he got straight to the point: "As you all know, the barbarian chieftain's personal army has already begun to move. They may be heading north to attack Shovel Harbor and Vaughan County. If that's the case, Central Peak County is safe for the time being."

The winter nights are quiet, without even the chirping of insects; the only sounds are the heavy breathing of people and horses.

“But the Teldens are more likely to go south, because the further north they go, the more difficult it is to cross the river.” Winters calmly analyzed the predicament of Iron Peak County: “Go south, cross the river from Lower Iron Peak County, and then take the land route around to the back of Oxhoof Valley—the great detour that the Heards are best at.”

At that point, we will be caught in a pincer movement. The Teldens on the west bank will tie us down, while the troops that have outflanked us on the east bank will crush us like a hammer. The noose is tightening, and our only way out is to defeat the Teldens on the west bank first.

Although the Telden people are numerous, they are scattered along the river for a hundred miles; although their generals are many, they are outwardly united but inwardly divided and scheming against each other; although their advance is fierce, we still have the strength to fight them.

“Some of you are newly granted land, some are Dusaks who have served for generations, some are conscripted civilians, and some were prisoners of war just a few days ago. Who you were before is no longer important. From this moment on, you, me, and him are all warriors fighting for survival and our homeland.”

Winters pointed to a small boat on the riverbank: "Anyone who doesn't have the courage to fight this battle can take a boat back to the east bank—there will be no blame. Because I don't want to die with such a man—who is afraid to die with us."

Upon hearing this, the crowd fell into a deathly silence; even the sound of breathing gradually subsided.

The tall, thin elected representative and the short, stout elected representative who had argued outside the town hall were also among them. Because both of them could ride horses, they were both conscripted as "adult soldiers".

Upon hearing that he could take a boat back, beads of sweat involuntarily appeared on the forehead of the tall, thin elected representative.

He once publicly mocked the "children fighting" battle report that stated "nine enemies killed and several wounded".

But when it was his turn to go to the battlefield, what flowed in his heart was no longer blood, but liquid fear.

Realizing you are going to die and seeing someone die in an announcement are two completely different things.

He tried to move, but his heels felt frozen to the ground. He couldn't explain why he couldn't move—was it honor? Dignity? The fear of being laughed at by the short, fat man? The smiling faces of his daughter and son flashed through his mind, and the cries of his infant granddaughter echoed in his ears.

A hand grabbed the shoulder of the tall, thin representative, squeezed it, and then let go—it turned out to be the short, stout representative.

The short, stout representative also had a pale face, but he nodded slightly to the tall, thin representative.

The tall, thin man's eyes were slightly moist, and he nodded. A certain empathy arose silently between the two old rivals of over twenty years.

"From this night until the end of the world, our courage will be remembered forever." Seeing no one step forward, Winters mounted his horse: "Let's go!"

The tall, dark steed swayed slightly, but Winters remained firmly seated in the saddle, as if it were an extension of him, and rode northward.

The riders mounted their horses and followed closely behind.

"Stay close to me, I'll look after you," the short, stout representative said hurriedly to the tall, thin representative.

Having said that, he nimbly placed his heavy body on the saddle, carefully straightened the folds of his coat, and then spurred the horse forward. The scabbard of his saber swayed with the rhythm of his gallop, reflecting a dim luster in the moonlight.

The tall, thin man wiped away his tears and hurried after him.

……

The thunderous sound of hooves was like muffled thunder, impossible to conceal.

The cavalry galloped along the west bank, while the beacon towers, watchtowers, and forts on the east bank lit fires in turn, both as a tribute and to mark the distance.

Winters sped ahead, with his standard-bearer Heinrich following behind, holding the military flag high.

Many people who have just learned to ride a horse are too afraid to straighten their backs; they cling tightly to the horse's neck, and sometimes someone falls off the horse's back.

Riders must not only be wary of potholes, but also be careful not to trample on their fallen companions.

Some warhorses carried two people—one who could ride and one who couldn't—with several steeds on their saddles.

Everyone had only one thought in their minds: follow that flag.

At their most ferocious, the Telden raided the river twenty-three times in a single day and night, with the two furthest crossing points being nearly sixty kilometers apart. On several occasions, they even managed to bring small groups of light cavalry ashore.

The garrison of Iron Peak County was exhausted from fighting, but at the same time, the Teldun camp was also being torn apart.

For attackers, a wider battlefield is naturally better. However, there are no fixed rules in warfare, and once the balance of power is reversed, a once-in-a-lifetime and fleeting opportunity will be revealed.

Winters Montagne's responsibility is to seize it.

The number of lights on the watchtower on the opposite bank increased from one to two.

"Scatter!" The agreed-upon signal had been given, and Winters drew his saber: "This is it!"

After crossing the hillside, a small Teldun camp came into view.

Winters dismounted.

The cavalrymen shouted and followed.

The warriors, who had just learned to ride, dismounted, drew their weapons, and, with stiff legs, charged towards the fleeing Teldun people.

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(End of this chapter)