Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 460 Hunting Goddess
The sunset glowed brilliantly, and the battle flags fluttered in the wind.

Major Sandel, the garrison commander of Vaughan, rubbed his eyes vigorously.

The garrison troops in each county either flew white flags with red stripes or blue flags with four sections. Only the rebel army of Tiefeng County used dark blue flags in the newly reclaimed lands.

The door was kicked open with a bang.

Sandel lunged at the military knife hanging on the coat rack.

But the man who burst into the bedroom didn't shout "Surrender and you won't be killed!" Instead, he reported with a sob in his voice: "It's terrible! Major! The rebels are here! The rebels have climbed the city walls!"

Upon hearing the sound, Sandel threw down his military knife, grabbed his trousers, and scrambled inside.

"I saw it!" the major replied in a deep voice, then sternly reprimanded the newcomer: "Discipline! Lieutenant Ma Jiya!"

The lieutenant whose name was called trembled slightly, quickly stood at attention, and gave a crooked salute.

In the previous campaign against Iron Peak County, the garrison of Vaughan County was completely wiped out, and its original officer corps was wiped out.

Thanks to the rebels, when the New Reclamation Corps headquarters rebuilt the Vaughan County garrison, it had to hire a large number of commissioned officers to fill the command level—and incidentally raise funds for the army.

Majjah Par was "lucky" enough to rise to the officer rank during this military expansion because he donated a particularly large amount of money and was even directly appointed as a lieutenant.

Sandel knew little about his subordinate's resume.

However, the major knew Lieutenant Majiya's abilities all too well.

So Major Sandel didn't want to waste his breath on a guy who bought his position with money, and directly asked the latter, "Where is Captain Qiu Ke?"

Ma Jiya shook her head frantically: "No... I don't know."

Sandel was furious. Qiu Ke was the only other official officer in the city besides himself, and his deputy was a major. Without being able to contact Captain Qiu Ke, the command system was effectively paralyzed.

"Who's on night duty tonight?" the major asked again.

Ma Jiya froze, swallowed hard, and lowered her head to answer, "I...I don't know."

A low growl of annoyance escaped Sandel's throat as he meticulously fastened the last few buttons of his shirt, tightened his belt, and picked up his military knife from the bed.

"Go!" The major waved his hand, not even glancing at the lieutenant, and strode out of the bedroom.

Outside, the garrison camp was in complete chaos.

The alarm bells were ringing as if it were a matter of life and death, and the shrill whistles were getting louder and louder with each passing moment.

Disheveled soldiers stumbled out of the barracks and poured chaotically onto the parade ground.

It was already broad daylight, but people were still shouting to light a fire. The ordnance sergeant wanted to distribute ammunition, but didn't know where the armory key was.

In the distance, the sound of war drums rolled like thunder.

Outside the gate, the defeated soldiers who had escaped from the city wall were crying and pounding on the camp gate.

The uproar and the devastating scene all crashed down on Major Sandel as he stepped out of the barracks.

Major Sandel felt a sudden, intense headache: "How come the rebels are in Artemis? Weren't they attacking Maple Leaf Fortress? What were the sentries doing?! What was Skul doing?!"

"I don't know, Major." A faint voice drifted from behind. Ma Jiya took the major's words as an interrogation. With tears in his eyes, he answered tremblingly, "I don't know."

Seeing the lieutenant's miserable state, Sandel felt a pang of pity.

“Demeanor,” he said coldly. “Lieutenant.”

Ma Jiya quickly wiped away her tears.

Major Sandel, accompanied by the lieutenant, scrambled up the camp wall in two quick steps.

Looking at the navy blue military flag planted on the city wall, and then at the sun, the major suddenly realized something.

"Damn it!" The major, who had been emphasizing his composure, finally couldn't help but curse, "Those damned rebels, they're from Zhevodan!"

……

Major Sandel's judgment was not wrong, but it was incomplete.

Because not all the “rebels” who appeared outside Artemis were from Gevodan, at least not those on horseback.

As soldiers from Ghevodan filled the trenches with baskets of earth and stones and pushed ladders up the city walls, a large number of cavalrymen from Maplestone were waiting anxiously outside the city.

Winters Montagne was also waiting on a small hill less than a mile behind the Iron Peak cavalry.

The war had an immediate impact on the newly reclaimed land.

In the past, only a small number of old colonies older than the newly established provinces have retained the walls built to defend against Hart raids.

Faced with the imminent threat of war, almost every town is frantically reinforcing its defenses in a state of panic.

Even settlements with only a dozen or so households were surrounded by wooden walls.

Artemis is a prime example.

She was born in a new era, grew up in peace, never experienced war, and naturally had no defense against the calamities of war.

Therefore, Artemis has no clear boundaries; stone and wood buildings extend outward from the city's starting point, naturally transitioning into the suburban farms.

But now, a high wall abruptly divides Artemis into two parts: the inner city and the outer city.

The city wall was approximately four meters high and two meters thick, constructed by filling the space between two layers of wooden walls with dry grass and clay and then compacting it. Wooden scaffolding was installed on the inner side of the wall to increase its width.

Farmhouses and granaries near the city walls were ruthlessly demolished to prevent them from being used by the attackers.

The builders also cleverly raised the water of the Anya River into the higher-lying moat, transforming the dry moat into a city moat.

The original military camps located within the city were also renovated and reinforced to give them defensive capabilities, forming an "inner and outer city" structure with the city walls.

In this way, the defensive depth is increased, preventing a complete collapse if the city wall is breached in one place; it also serves to deter some unscrupulous residents within the city.

However, in Winters' view, all the builders' efforts only turned "very bad" into "bad".

The builders hardly considered the possibility of the attacking side carrying artillery; all the designs were geared towards countering attacks by light infantry.

Even in actual combat, Artemis's city defenses couldn't withstand a surprise attack from light infantry.

Gazing at the city walls where gunfire flickered, the Alliance's most infamous spellcaster gently tapped the hilt of his sword, occasionally glancing down at the Nuremberg in his hand.

Beneath him, Changfeng seemed to be infected by its master's emotions, restlessly looking around, eager to bite something.

However, everyone in the escort, whether human or horse, knew that Blood Wolf's steed was a bad-tempered and belligerent fellow, so they all kept their distance.

Only Houdel, unaware of the danger of the long wind, gently whipped the grey mare assigned to him as it approached.

“Your Excellency,” Houdel asked warily, “do you intend to… go to the front lines again?”

Winters glanced at Houdl, who involuntarily shivered.

The wind snorted loudly, scaring the poor gray mare into retreating to the side.

Houdel desperately wanted to disappear into the ground, but protecting the Blood Wolves was his duty, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue stalling for time.

"Your Excellency, before we set off, Tribunal Mason told us..." Houdel dared not directly dissuade him, so he adopted a roundabout tactic, resorting to moral blackmail, pitifully saying, "He can't do anything to you, but he has plenty of ways to deal with us." Changfeng exhaled a breath of hot air; although it was combative, it wouldn't bully a little mare.

Winters was so angry he laughed. He put away the Nuremberg clock, looked at Hoddle, and asked probingly, "Then tell me, why can't I go myself?"

Without hesitation, Houdel replied, "Of course, because I'm afraid something might happen to you!"

But before he could say it, he realized something was wrong—how could the invincible Blood Wolf have any mishaps?
Since Blood Wolf is invincible, the reason for preventing Montagne's tribunal from going into battle is invalid.

If Montagne's tribunal could also die in battle like an ordinary soldier, then he would not be the invincible Blood Wolf that the soldiers of Iron Peak County firmly believed in.

Houdel was so confused that he simply put all reasoning aside.

He lowered his head and said softly, "You don't know, but that time in Hegu Village, I felt like the sky had fallen."

"Which time?" Winters didn't react at first, but the pain in his ribs reminded him: "Oh, that time... it couldn't be that bad."

“Not at all? Absolutely! Absolutely!” Houdel retorted urgently. “You have no idea how scared I was! I had only one thought in my mind, ‘It’s all over, it’s all over.’ The other brothers were the same, what’s that word again—oh, right! Utter despair!”

Winters chuckled and patiently explained to the trainees, “The army has a very well-established system that will not collapse because of the loss of a commander. Even if I were to die in battle, command could be passed down to the next officer, such as Tribunal Mason or Tribunal Cellini.”

"Your Excellency! Don't mention that word!" Houdel covered his ears, his expression twisted and pained, as if he were trying his best to erase the word "killed in action" from his memory.

“It’s different.” Houdel shook his head vigorously: “It’s different.”

Winters stared at Houdl—it had been a long time since he had spoken to his men like this.

Without needing anyone to remind him, Winters could sense that his position in the military was becoming increasingly precarious.

Unlike Andrei, the soldiers both feared and wanted to please him;

He was unlike Mason; the soldiers weren't afraid of Mason at all, but they loved him.

Deep down, Winters secretly envied his companions, because the gazes he felt were different from those of Mason, Andre, and everyone else.

He had no doubt that his soldiers would carry out his orders without hesitation, advancing wave upon wave, even unto death;
However, he also clearly realized that no one could ever get along with him as closely as they did with Andrei and Mason.

The gazes directed at him were filled not only with respect but also with expectation.

People hope that the "blood wolf" in their eyes is exactly what they envision.

He cannot be lively and cheerful; he must be profound and dignified, preferably with a beard and a bald head, as if he were born with an imposing appearance.

Winters had not engaged in such conversations with his subordinates as an equal for a long time.

Winters didn't want to spoil this rare opportunity for conversation. So he teased Houdel, "Are you implying that Tribunes Mason and Cellini are incompetent?"

"I...when did I say that?" Houdel asked anxiously.

“Then you’d better explain clearly.” Winters stretched his stiff back and said with a smile, “What exactly is different?”

Houdel fell silent, pondering for a long time before answering in a low voice: "Before the battle at River Valley, Battalion Commander Tamas told us, 'If you don't know what you're fighting for, tell yourselves you're fighting for the Blood Wolves.' He didn't say we were fighting for Tribunal Mason, nor for Tribunal Cellini; he said, 'We're fighting for the Blood Wolves.'"

Houdel paused, then continued, his voice trembling slightly, "I was confused at the time, but I understood later. What Battalion Commander Tamas actually meant was, 'The battlefield is just ahead, a place where you can lose your life in the blink of an eye. But it doesn't matter. Even if we die, our deaths will be meaningful. We die for Blood Wolves, not in vain.'"

Winters had never expected the prospective student in front of him to give such an answer, and he fell silent.

“Some say we fight for land, others say we fight for promotions. But what good is more land or higher office if we lose our lives? We fight the Heds, the government troops, and now the Vone County—no matter the reason, we fight for you. So, I want to ask clearly.” Houdel mustered his courage, staring intently into Blood Wolf’s eyes, and asked, word by word, “And what are you fighting for?”

The hill was silent; the wind drooped its head and lowered its ears.

“I want to give you an answer, but I feel that my answer is too vague and too hypocritical,” Winters said softly, muttering to himself, “Does true altruism exist? Or am I just indulging my own vanity?”

He remained silent for a long while, then looked up at Houdel and pleaded, "Give me a little more time, and I will find the answer."

Houdel wiped away his tears and nodded blankly.

Ahead, as the banner of the New Reclamation Legion was pulled down from the gate tower, the drawbridge of the south gate of Artemis City crashed to the ground.

The long-awaited cavalry of Tiefeng County erupted in a deafening cheer.

Before the cheers had subsided, the various cavalry units of Tiefeng County, guided by their military flags, entered the city in orderly batches.

Winters took out the Nuremberg clock and glanced at it—it was taking longer than expected, but still within the planned timeframe.

"Can you still ride a horse?" Winters asked Houdel.

Houdel paused for a moment, then sniffed hard, swallowing his sadness and tears, and answered decisively, "Yes!"

However, he immediately followed up with a bitter face and complained, "But, sir, I really think my balls are broken."

Winters couldn't help but chuckle: "I told you, don't 'sit on the saddle,' 'squat in the stirrups.' Learn to rise with the horse's back, then fall naturally..."

Houdel nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

“Forget it, you’ll understand after riding for a while. If you really can’t, go stand at a station for a couple of days.” Winters took out his notebook and graphite stick, quickly wrote a few lines, then tore off the whole page and handed it to Houdel, and put a saddlebag in Houdel’s hand: “Now I have something more important for you—go into the city, find Lannis, and give him this warrant and this saddlebag.”

Houdel raised his hand in salute and followed the last troop of cavalry into Artemis.

The city was in complete chaos, with chickens running rampant and dogs barking.

Iron Peak cavalry rampaged through the streets, capturing prisoners indiscriminately. Meanwhile, the routed soldiers of Vaughan County, retreating from the city walls, fled in droves to their camps.

Houdel questioned whomever he could find, and finally found Lannis, the commander of the Fifth Battalion, leading the prisoners down from the tower at the North Gate.

He stepped forward, saluted, and handed Blood Wolf's warrant and saddlebag to the Fifth Battalion Commander.

While other units went to participate in the battle to determine the ownership of the newly reclaimed land, the Fifth Battalion quietly stayed behind in Revodan.

Although the responsibility of guarding their home was heavy and relatively safe, when the news of victory was sent back to Tiefeng County, the commanders and soldiers of the Fifth Battalion still couldn't help but feel a sense of loss, as if they had been abandoned and forgotten.

Therefore, the entire Fifth Battalion was determined to fight in Vaughan this time.

Seeing Lannis's furrowed brow after receiving the order, a company commander couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Is the tribunal worried that we'll suffer losses and wants us to gather our troops and wait for reinforcements?"

Upon hearing this, the other company commanders also revealed disappointment and helplessness in their eyes.

For a city, a battalion of soldiers is still too few.

According to the original plan, the Fifth Battalion would be credited with the greatest achievement if it could launch a surprise attack and capture the city gate, and the attack on the military camps inside the city would be left to the subsequent troops.

“No.” Lannis took a deep breath, solemnly opened the saddlebag, and unfolded the brocade inside.

The three company commanders of the Fifth Battalion, as well as Houdel, all subconsciously held their breath.

For in Lannis's hand lay a flag, a flag originally blue but now stained crimson with blood, its edges curled from fire, its surface battered from countless battles. Each red stain represented a bloody battle, each bullet hole a victory.

This is the banner of the Blood Wolves, a sacred relic of the Iron Peak County New Army.

"The Blood Wolves have shown us we don't need to wait for reinforcements." Lannis's arms trembled slightly as he turned his gaze to the military camp in the center of the city, his eyes burning with fire: "Let's take Artemis in one fell swoop!"

……

As the Iron Peak County New Army stormed the last stronghold of the Vogne County troops, an uninvited guest also broke into the Thundercrow County camp on the border of Maplestone City's direct territory.

"You won't let me in?" Major Seber Carrington glared, looked over the duty officer's shoulder, and roared directly at the central command tent: "Then call Skul Mecklen out!"

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