Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 425 Preparing for War (Part 2)

[wilderness]
[The "no man's land" between Iron Peak County and the Territory of Teldun]
The vast grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, and ten patrolling cavalrymen searched forward along the seasonal river.

The riders' attire looked somewhat incongruous: tanned leather trousers and linen cardigans appeared on the same person, and Hedde horses with trimmed tails and Paratul horses with untrimmed tails walked side by side, presenting an overall pragmatic style unique to the agricultural and pastoral mixed zone.

"Why are you looking so gloomy?" the young rider in the lead asked with a smile to his two companions who looked very similar and carried guns and bows. "What's wrong? You brothers aren't happy with me patrolling the border?"

Of the two riders carrying spears and bows, the younger one was practically pouting to the sky. Frustrated, he plucked a piece of sweet grass root and said angrily and resentfully:
“[Herd] Batu is going to war with another large tribe, why did he leave my brother and me behind? My brother and I joined Batu's service to fight, kill the enemy, and be rewarded. But Batu has abandoned my brother and me here to patrol the border, without even giving us a single piece of armor…”

“[Herd] Lord Beast Spirit Speaker.” Another rider carrying a spear and bow interrupted his brother, bowing slightly: “[Herd] My brother and I do not understand why you did not take us with you on the expedition, but it is not because we are dissatisfied.”

The two brothers carrying guns and bows were naturally Da Bai and Xiao Bai, who had just been given names not long ago.

The young rider who spoke to them was none other than Bell, one of Winters' original four "guards," Ralph's son, and a beast spirit speaker already recognized by the high shaman.

"[Herd] Armor? There's plenty of armor." Bell chuckled, waved to Big White, and said to Little White, "[Herd] But patrolling the border in armor, don't you find it tiring?"

“[Herd] I don’t mind!” Xiaobai replied firmly.

Although Bell was not very old, he had a certain adult authority in front of the more immature teenagers: "[Herd] Alright, I'll ask you for a suit of armor."

Upon hearing this, Xiaobai shouted excitedly.

But then, a low growl of discontent came from the cart at the back of the convoy.

Xiao Bai suddenly covered his mouth.

“[Herd] The armor is yours.” Bell tied a knot in the reins, letting them drape over the horse’s mane, and guided the horse using only his knees, freeing his hands to continue polishing a bone whistle: “[Herd] Are you satisfied?”

Little White's eyes darted around, ignoring her brother's shaking head, she spurred her horse and caught up with the Beast Spirit Speaker, grumbling, "[Herd] wants the armor, but I want it to fight. What's the point of getting the armor if I can't fight?"

Bell frowned slightly, already showing a hint of impatience. But he mentally imagined how "Brother Montagne" or "White Lion" would handle the situation, and ultimately refrained from anger or reprimanding, simply asking Little White, "[Herd] Do you want to go into battle?"

“[Herd] I want to!” Little White nodded frantically, his head shaking like a spring.

“[Herd] Then come here.” Bell reached out and pinched Xiaobai’s still thin shoulders and arms, then suddenly punched Xiaobai in the chest.

Caught off guard, Xiaobai nearly fell off his horse.

His body leaned back to the other side of the saddle, and one foot fell out of the stirrup. Big White quickly spurred his horse forward to help, and fortunately, Little White swung his arms and, with considerable effort, regained his balance.

The other cavalrymen on patrol burst into laughter.

Xiao Bai clenched his fists, glaring at the Beast Spirit Speaker with shock, anger, and grievance.

Bell ignored him and instead rode over to the other cavalrymen, giving each of them a solid punch in the chest.

The other cavalrymen in the patrol remained seated motionless in their saddles.

“[Herd] When will you be able to do that?” Bell deftly used his knees to guide the warhorse back to Little White’s side: “[Herd] Let’s go into battle again.”

“[Herd] They’re on guard!” Little White retorted.

Bell took a deep breath, turned around, and punched Little White in the chest again. This time, Little White was knocked off his horse.

After Big White pulled the disheveled Little White back onto the saddle, Bell coldly said, "[Herd] But I only used six-tenths of my strength on you."

Xiao Bai deflated, lowered his head, and lost all his previous energy.

Seeing the child become listless, Bell felt inexplicably guilty—even though he wasn't very old himself.

After much hesitation, Bell still said a few words of comfort: "[Herd] Blood Wolf ordered you and me to patrol the border not because he looked down on us, but because only you and I can do this job well—just like you need a falcon to catch a fox and a fast dog to hunt a herd of deer."

“[Herd] As for you, the first thing you need to learn is not to doubt the Blood Wolf’s orders.” Bell patted Little White on the shoulder and said, “[Herd] Then eat more meat, eat until you’re as strong as a real warrior, and then ask if you can go into battle.”

Xiao Bai sniffed hard, wiped away her tears, and nodded.

Bell breathed a sigh of relief. He scratched the back of his head and gave a mischievous smile typical of young people: "[Herd] How about this? You want armor, right? Then once you get the armor, you'll be my—wearing armor and patrolling the border every single day."

The other cavalrymen on patrol burst into laughter.

Across the Seasonal River, a scout galloped from afar: "[Herd] Beast Spirit Speaker! Beast Spirit Speaker! More flocks of sheep, herds of horses, and carts are coming!"

Bell took off his bone whistle and blew it softly; a strange sound traveled in all directions.

From the canopy-covered cart at the back of the caravan, a giant lion, larger than a bison calf, reluctantly crawled out.

The lion was as intelligent as someone who had been woken up from a lazy nap. It first put its front paws on the ground, stuck out its rear end, and stretched vigorously. Then it opened its blood-red mouth, yawned, and looked around sleepily.

Bell dismounted, walked straight over, and ruffled the little guy's cheek: "Alright, alright, wake up, time to get to work! Do you still want some meat?"

The little guy grunted a few times, took a deep breath, and let out a deafening and terrifying roar.

The other patrolling cavalrymen struggled to steady their horses, watching Bell with awe. The sight of the Beast Spirit Speaker conversing with the giant lion had astonished them time and again.

"[Herd] Let all their men and women come and swear an oath with arrows." Bell took out a pocket atlas and a graphite strip from his pocket and solemnly declared: "[Herd] From now on they are the subjects of the Vendor tribe, and the Blood Wolves will give them pastures, protection... and iron pots."

……

[Tiefeng County]
[Duanlu Township]
The bright yellow molten iron gushed from the bottom of the blast furnace, each drop carrying heat capable of corroding flesh. The molten iron flowed along the pre-designed grooves, the surface gradually fading to a reddish-brown, ember-like color.

Ironworkers, braving the scorching heat and drenched in sweat, stood guard on both sides of the trench, using long-handled rakes to scrape off the slag floating on the surface of the molten iron and guide it into the ceramic mold.

A moment later, the ironworkers dug out the pottery-like mold, broke the mold, and a perfectly round, dark black iron ball was exposed to the air.

With just a little polishing, this iron ball will become a qualified six-pound shell, which will take one or more lives at some point in the future.

The old blacksmith, Portan, sitting in his wheelchair, watched all this with satisfaction.

Swordsmith and municipal councilor Chaussa pushed his wheelchair, his round face beaming with smiles. He kept showering the man with compliments: "Master Berlion truly lives up to his reputation as the master whom Lord Montagne personally invited back from Steel Castle! His treatment is as effective as a cure. Ever since you helped us improve the blast furnace, our biggest worry has become the shortage of iron ore."

Berlion tapped each of the boulders with a small hammer and said calmly, "I am not a 'master'."

"Master is just a title; the key is skill!" Shao Sha quickly smoothed things over. "In my opinion, even if you tied up all the 'master blacksmiths' in the newly reclaimed land, they still couldn't compare to you. Oh my! When I was your age, I was still helping my master! Young people are truly formidable! Terrifying indeed!"

Carlos stood tall and proud to the side, his face beaming with pride. He was more pleased to hear praise for his brother than to hear praise for himself.

Berrian wanted to say something, but his lips moved and he ultimately remained silent.

Upon taking over the smelter, Berion immediately solved the problem of "the blast furnace not producing molten iron" that had plagued Carlos and Chaussa for months.

He improved the blower, corrected the raw material ratio based on actual test results, and adjusted the furnace shape and improved the heat preservation performance.

The workers Winters brought back from Steel Castle also joined the smelting workshop under Berion's coordination, taking up their familiar tools once again. The forge owners of Iron Peak County couldn't fathom where Blood Wolf had found such a valuable asset.
While secretly marveling at their situation, the forge owners began racking their brains to find out about the marital status of Berian and Carlos—if they couldn't marry the older brother, the younger brother would do just fine.

"By the way, you might not know this," Shao Sha said, subtly hinting, "I actually have an unmarried daughter, she's just a little young..."

Carlos, standing nearby, was startled. He knew Saosha's family situation all too well: "Your unmarried daughter, could it be Theresa? She...she's only eight years old!"

Shaosha shamelessly replied, "Don't all big trees grow from saplings? Teresa will grow up eventually too."

Berleon continued inspecting the shells without saying a word.

Shaosha was about to say something when the old blacksmith, Boltan, tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with displeasure: "Enough, stop making a fool of yourself!"

Shao Sha immediately shut his mouth.

“Mr. Berlion.” The old blacksmith Portin looked up at Berlion, gave him a thumbs up, and said seriously, “When it comes to the skill of swinging a hammer, you are the best! This old man is ashamed to admit that I am not as good as you.”

"Please don't say that." Berian was very respectful to the old blacksmith and explained sincerely, "Many things are new to me as well. I've been trying them step by step according to the teachings of my predecessors."

"No matter what, you got it done, you're the best." The old blacksmith, Boltan, gave a thumbs-up, but then he changed his tone, switching his thumb to his little finger, and said with a pained and helpless expression, "But when it comes to the ability to see into people's hearts, you're the best."

Before Berlion could speak, Carlos became agitated and angrily asked, "Old Master Portan, what do you mean by this?"

A scorching wind, carrying intense heat, approached them. In the distance, a massive water-powered forging hammer emitted a rhythmic, deafening roar.

"You also helped Goncharov and his team improve the blast furnaces, right?" Boltan asked in a deep voice. "Six in total."

“Yes.” Berleon admitted straightforwardly, “If time allows, I can modify even more.”

The old blacksmith, Boltan, became visibly distressed, slapping his thigh with gritted teeth.

"Foolish! Foolish! I know preparing for war is important. But even so, we can't cooperate with Goncharov and his men! They're different from me; all they care about is maintaining the guild's monopoly! Helping them improve their blast furnaces is like strengthening their power! Originally, if we just kept driving down prices, they would eventually give in. But now? They also have blast furnaces that can continuously produce molten iron, and our weapons are useless! How could Lord Montagne be so foolish!"

Berlian listened quietly to the old blacksmith's venting, and only when the latter was panting heavily and began to cough involuntarily did he calmly say, "Don't worry, Mr. Portin. If Lord Montagne wants it, Goncharov and the others will be crushed like ants. Compared to the blacksmiths' guild of Steel Castle, the blacksmiths' guild of Iron Peak County is utterly insignificant."

Confusion, fear, surprise... a complex mix of emotions appeared on the faces of Portan, Chauza, and Carlos.

“Right now, the most important thing is—” Berion didn’t elaborate, he simply looked at the three men: “to win the war.”

……

War, war, war.

War has not yet come, but in the smelting grounds of Forgetown, in the refugee farms of Lower Iron Peak County, in the desolate wilderness, and in the barracks of Thervodan, everyone is silently reciting its name.

In Tiefeng County, in the newly reclaimed lands, in Palatour, and in every piece of land between the two mountains, everyone is preparing for it.

Whether it's voluntary or involuntary, whether driven by desire to step into the whirlpool or swept along aimlessly by the river.

Because when war comes, no one can remain uninvolved.

……

“Alexander, you’ve got a lucky streak, kid.” Turin chuckled and patted the young man shoveling horse manure on the shoulder. “Blood Wolves aren’t planning to disband the light cavalry regiment for the time being. Lord Cellini is furious and says he wants to raise another heavy cavalry unit. They’re short-handed right now, and I told him your name. He agreed without a second thought.”

Alexander Nikolayevich, with a white cloth still wrapped around his head, continued shoveling horse manure in silence, only nodding.

……

"You want to go to war with Lord Montagne?" Charles could hardly believe his ears. He asked the tall, thin middle-aged man in front of him suspiciously, "Jacob... Mr. Green, you're forty years old, aren't you?"

Jacob Green—the town representative of Bullhoof Valley, a member of the free class, and who had temporarily served as the Bloodwolves' clerk during the Battle of Bloodsludge—stood before Charles and respectfully replied, "I can ride a horse, I can endure hardship, and I will not be a burden to Lord Montagne."

“I’m not…” Charles said, both amused and exasperated, “I’m worried about you.”

“My assets have been properly distributed to my wife and children, so please don’t worry.” Jacob paused for a moment and said softly, “Just let me witness Blood Wolf, whether he rises or falls, please.”

Charles was puzzled at first, then his brow slowly relaxed and he smiled: "Then come on over, we will always need a learned person like you."

……

"Say it again." Little Priskin scrutinized the white-haired young man before him, and asked with a headache, "What's your name again?"

The white-haired young man, speaking with a heavy Montaigne accent, was also secretly observing the young master of Paratul in front of him: "Roger, everyone calls me White-haired Roger."

Little Priskin's head throbbed even more. He had no idea what this Monta man was here for—to be an informant? A bodyguard? Or just someone to be sent on a whim?

But his naturally optimistic nature quickly led him to stop thinking about it. He put his arm around the white-haired Roger's shoulder and said casually, "I'm Mr. Leo's apprentice now. Since you were sent by Lord Montagne, I guess he'll take you on as an apprentice too. From now on, we're buddies!"

“Oh, right,” Little Priskin clapped his hands and asked Roger with a smile, “Can you ride a horse? We need to get back to Maplestone immediately!”

……

"Gentlemen."

Mason stood on the main podium in the council chamber, with about fifty people in the audience.

Eighteen of them were clerks, bookkeepers, and copyists at the city hall—that is, all the government employees of Gevadane.

The remaining people were accounting school students who had not yet been sent out.

“This is Lieutenant Bard,” Mason said happily. “From today onwards, he will take over all my duties.”

Bud gave a meticulous salute to the crowd below the stage.

“My dear daughters,” Mason thought, “I’m coming.”

Outside the window, a rider holding a green flag is galloping towards the council chamber.

……

……

War still came.

One day in mid-May of Imperial Year 560.

The messenger brought news to the people of Tiefeng County that the "New Reclamation Army" had marched into Jinghu County.

[87,029/100,000]
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(End of this chapter)