Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 461 Military Knife
The new camps of the troops from Leiqun County and Bianjiang County are located at the border between Fengshi City and Leiqun County, guarding the main provincial road from Fengshi City to Leiqun County.

Colonel Skul Mechren spared no effort in conscripting laborers during the busy farming season to build the camp to the standards of a long-term fortress.

Even if Major Seb Carrington were given three thousand cavalry, taking down Colonel Skull's camp would be no easy task.

But Saber Seber didn't have three thousand cavalrymen; Saber Seber only had himself.

Therefore, he is invincible.

The guards were too hesitant to stop the menacing major; the commissioned officer on duty gave up the idea of ​​using force after just one glare.

Saber, baring his wolf-like fangs, stood imposingly outside the military headquarters, commonly known as the "Forbidden Palace," and shouted in a stern voice: "Skool! Come out!"

The minor disturbance attracted some soldiers to watch—but only soldiers, as commissioned officers were eager to stay outside the barracks.

Even though Colonel Skull never explicitly stated it, anyone with a brain could see the signs.

They had just fought a fierce battle; the bloodstains on their clothes hadn't been washed off, and the gunpowder smoke between their fingers hadn't dissipated. The soldiers were exhausted. Yet Colonel Skull neither rewarded the troops nor allowed them to rest. Instead, he frequently moved camps and spent a great deal of effort building fortifications. There was only one reason—the Iron Peak County Army.

The tension between comrades who fought side by side yesterday is escalating. Who knows when they'll wake up one morning to find their "friendly forces" turning into "rebels"?

However, whether or not a battle takes place, and how it unfolds, has little to do with the appointed officers.

Although their military service was short, it was enough for the commissioned officers to painfully realize the most important unspoken rule of the Allied Army system—only those who come out of the Army Academy are considered human.

Otherwise, even if they wear the same uniforms, there is an invisible, intangible, inexplicable, and incomprehensible barrier between commissioned officers and Army Academy officers, but it is an indestructible and insurmountable barrier.

Just as captured academy officers could be treated with courtesy, surrendered commissioned officers could only wait for their families to pay ransom.

On important matters such as "fight" or "not fight," appointed officers have no more say than other people at the meeting.

The rights and obligations were not equal, and the input and output were not commensurate. Many commissioned officers tossed and turned at night, secretly shedding tears: How could I have been so bewitched to spend money to become an officer?
So when they discovered that the fierce Iron Peak County officer had returned, all the commissioned officers, except for the unlucky ones on duty, consciously avoided the situation—you humans can handle your own affairs, we, the desks and chairs, will not get involved.

Saber then moved freely through the military camp and went straight to the gates of the Forbidden City.

Finally, it was Captain Loson who arrived after hearing the news, and only then was there someone who could speak to the major.

In the battle of River Valley Village, Losang suffered more than ten wounds, mostly on his arms and legs—except for the one that caused him to lose an eye.

So when Rosson, with his arm in a sling and a cane, came to Major Seber, he looked somewhat disheveled: "Senior, what happened to you... Please come to my barracks and rest for a while. I'll send someone to find the colonel for you right away."

Seber glanced sideways at the captain and roared at the central command tent, "Skool! Come out and speak for yourself! Don't push a junior officer to take the fall!"

Although Loson was one of the most troublesome figures in the Reykton County Army, compared to the most troublesome figures in the Palatour Army, he was like a cheetah encountering a lion, or a kitten meeting a big cat—completely outmatched.

Moreover, according to the principle that friendly envoys should be received by high-ranking officials, only Colonel Skull of the Redfield County Army was qualified to negotiate, while Loson was just a junior officer.

Meanwhile, Losang was still struggling with how to deal with the major.

Meanwhile, Seber had already keenly noticed the unusual activity within the Redfield County army.

As more and more officers arrived, Major Seiber glanced around and immediately pointed out two conspicuous men.

“You two,” Seber’s gaze sharpened. “I’ve never seen you before.”

The two lieutenants who were called out looked at each other, and one of them replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "We enrolled late, so naturally you wouldn't remember us."

“Yes, senior.” Loson, leaning on his cane, walked forward with difficulty and explained sincerely, “When they enrolled, you had already graduated.”

Seber didn't relax at all. He frowned, walked over to the two lieutenants, circled them, and looked them over. Suddenly, he sniffed and said, "Something's wrong! You're too clean!"

Cypher took a half step back, gripped the hilt of his knife, and bared his sharp teeth like a wolf: "You fucking people are from Bianjiang County!"

Losang and the two lieutenants were so shocked that their faces changed color.

“Alright, Cypher Carrington,” a clear, pleasant voice came from the central command tent. “Don’t try to bully the little ones.”

A well-proportioned officer with gentle eyes walked over. His uniform was neatly ironed, and his thick, black hair was meticulously maintained.

“Matash Korwin,” Seber said slowly, his hand still resting on his saber: “Lieutenant Colonel.”

"Shouldn't you be the one to salute first?" Lieutenant Colonel Matthias joked.

Seber reluctantly raised his hand in salute, while Lieutenant Colonel Matthias returned the salute with a flourish.

Colonel Skull emerged from the tent after Lieutenant Colonel Matthias. He nodded to Captain Loson, who immediately dispersed all irrelevant people near the Forbidden City.

Only when only the regular officers remained beside him did Seber ask Lieutenant Colonel Matthias, "Weren't you guarding the border fortress?"

“The threat is gone.” Lieutenant Colonel Matthias took Seber’s left arm, which was supporting his saber, and patted the latter’s wrist. “Come in, let’s talk.”

"Forget it, let him into the tent. He might think we're trying to harm him," Colonel Skul said curtly to Matthias.

The colonel frowned, stared at the junior student, and asked, "What did Winters Montagne send you here for?"

“First of all, I wasn’t sent by him,” Seber immediately corrected, then asked, “What are you two counties doing here with your combined forces?”

"Oh, he sent you to gather intelligence. Now that you've seen it all, go back and report to him."

Having said that, Skul coldly gestured for Captain Loson to see the guest out, then turned and headed toward the central command tent.

Seber, however, perked up. He cleared his throat and said smugly to Skull's retreating figure, "I've come to inform you that Winters' men have gone to attack Sandel in Vaughnshire."

Colonel Skull turned around abruptly, and just by seeing the expression on the colonel's face, Seber felt that the trip had been worthwhile.

"When did this happen?" Skul asked.

Seber took out the Nuremberg clock and glanced at it pretentiously—because he had forgotten to wind it and reset it, the clock had long since stopped.

“Now,” Seber replied, feigning seriousness, “Sandal should have already surrendered.”

The air around them froze instantly. The lieutenants fell silent, at a loss for words, while Matthias glanced at Colonel Skull without batting an eye. However, his dilated pupils betrayed the lieutenant colonel's inner thoughts.

“Winters Montagne.” Colonel Skull’s breathing became labored. He gritted his teeth and asked with restraint and composure, “How dare you start a war without authorization and attack friendly forces?”

……

Artemis
“Oh?” Winters was very puzzled.

His gaze swept forward, and the prisoners waiting to be identified in the military camp all lowered their heads to avoid his gaze.

He glanced at his men behind him; Lannis looked serious, while Houdel was suppressing a laugh. Winters looked away and sincerely asked Sandel, "So we're allies?"

Major Sandel has been disarmed, and his family heirloom saber is now being admired by "Montagne the Boy".

However, despite his embarrassment, the major still kept every button on his jacket perfectly fastened.

Major Sandel straightened his back, trying his best to maintain his last bit of dignity: "The troops from the four counties are passing through Vaughan County. I did not stop you, and I even ordered the villages and towns along the way to provide you with supplies."

“Just sitting on the fence and watching.” Winters remained unmoved: “You haven’t sent troops to participate in the war either.”

“I did not interfere with your correspondence with Zhevodan, nor with the repatriation of prisoners and spoils of war.”

"Your cavalry is being suppressed by my cavalry; you have no ability to stop them at all."

Major Sandel's face turned pale and then flushed. After a moment's hesitation, he reluctantly revealed his final secret: "After receiving the results of the Battle of River Valley, I sided with you. I corresponded with Colonel Skull, and the colonel has accepted my defection."

“I know, I guessed it too.” Winters wasn’t surprised at all. He handed Sandel’s sword to Lannis: “In the past, Palatine nobles would pay gold equal to the weight of the blade for a good sword. Here, it’s yours now!”

Lannis paused for a moment, then proudly accepted the saber amidst the envious gazes of his subordinates.

Winters turned to Major Sandel, his smile fading: "But Colonel Skull never told me that."

……

[Allied Forces Camp of Leiqun County and Bianjiang County]
"Alright, stop thinking about how to deal with Winters Montagne!" Seber slammed his saber on the map table and sprawled into his cot.

He held up two fingers to Skul, then snapped one off: "The pliers are broken in half, so what are you going to do?"

"You came here just to say this to me," Colonel Skull said, suppressing his anger, "and then give me the middle finger?"

Belatedly realizing what was happening, Seber Carrington quickly withdrew his hand, saying, "I'm sorry."

Colonel Skulel gave a soft hum, and Matthias smiled, easing the tension.

“State your purpose, Seber.” Matthias placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.

“Why am I here? I’m here to stand up for those little guys, Richard Mason. If they said these things, you would definitely look down on them and bully them. So, I’m the only one who can speak up for them.”

Skull frowned: "Stop talking nonsense."

“Winters Montagne’s meaning is simple: he doesn’t want war with you. What happened in Maplestone was an accident. But now that the citizens of Maplestone have chosen him, he can’t simply hand over Maplestone to you like tribute.” Seber raised a hand and said matter-of-factly, “Doesn’t Blood Wolf have any pride?”

Skul remained expressionless.

On the other side, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias smiled tolerantly and said, "It's understandable. If we were in his position, we wouldn't have surrendered the city either."

Seizing the opportunity, Seber adopted an unprecedentedly warm tone and continued his offensive towards Colonel Skull:

“Last time I came, although… there was a little unpleasantness, you still sent people with me back to Maplestone City to inspect the treasury. Wasn’t everything alright? Nothing was missing? Nothing was touched? Montagne’s men didn’t even enter the city gates. Isn’t that enough sincerity?”

Lieutenant Colonel Matthias looked at the colonel questioningly.

Colonel Skulel remained noncommittal, instead asking, "So what?"

“What ‘so’?” Seber was baffled.

Skul said coldly, "The fact that the treasury is empty could be either a sign of sincerity or bait. They could lure us there, then wipe us out. Do you think the contents of the treasury will grow legs and run away? So what does this represent?"

Colonel Skull stood up and demanded aggressively, "Saber, I'd like to ask you! You come from a prestigious Palatine family and have been favored by the Republic since childhood, so whose side are you on?"

"Which side am I on?" Seber Carrington roared, slamming his fist on the table and retorting sharply, "Do I need you to tell me which side I'm on? Do I need you to tell me which side I'm on?"

The sudden, enormous impact snapped the hinges of the map table, causing it to overturn.

But Cypher Carrington's anger hadn't been fully vented yet; the nickname "Saber" wasn't given lightly.

“Skoll Mecklen! You fucking bastard, don’t push your luck!” Seber roared, “Look closely! It’s your men who are pinned down, not Montagne’s! If he really wanted to deal with you, do you think you’d survive until tomorrow?!”

At this stage of the argument, the outcome no longer depends on who is more reasonable, but on who shouts the loudest.

At this stage of the argument, the ultimate goal is no longer to persuade the other person, but to drive them crazy.

In the contest of volume and sarcasm, Skul Mechren was utterly defeated.

Even with his vast knowledge and strategic acumen, the colonel couldn't withstand the words, "Don't you dare push your luck."

Skul clutched his chest, nearly fainting.

He didn't realize that the moment he started thinking, "Why did I have to be so shameless?", he had already lost.

Hearing the commotion coming from inside the tent, Losang, who was waiting outside, hurriedly came in with his cane to break up the fight, only to witness a one-sided massacre.

The officers of Ryqun County hurriedly carried Colonel Skul away, leaving only Seber and Matthias in the tent.

Seber, still furious, slumped into his chair.

Matthias walked over, patted Seber on the shoulder, and was surprised to see a hint of annoyance in Sabre's eyes.

"The Styx Ghost can't hand over Maplestone City, and he doesn't want to go to war, so what does he plan to do?" Lieutenant Colonel Matthias asked softly, then chuckled, "He wouldn't be thinking of recruiting us, would he?"

“He’s not that arrogant,” Seber sighed. “He wants to invite you to co-manage Maplestone City.”

[Seber: I'm actually just the second-worst trash talker in the Iron Peak County team]
[A list of senior officers in the New Reclamation Army Corps (the text version is not as clear as the image version; the image version is included in the chapter description)]
[Major General Kevin John Adams, Commander of the New Reclamation Corps, a stubborn conservative, an marginalized 'outsider'] [Suicide]

[Colonel Chloe Toril, Administrator of the New Reclamation Regiment, a frustrated civilian] [Death]

[Colonel Gaisa Adonis, Military Commander of White Mountain County, distinguished in battle, enjoys bathing, adept at making money, and bald] [In office]

[Colonel Skul Mecklen, Military Commander of Rykeshire, a frustrated populist with mild paranoia, a strategist] [In office]

[Colonel Zipper Zoltan, Military Commander of Vöne County, Spellcaster] [Assassinated]

[Matash Korwin (Class 9), Lieutenant Colonel, Military Commander of Bianjiang County, [shaded out] [In office]

[Major Ronald, military commander of Iron Peak County, a frustrated commoner, an ostracized 'outsider,' an executor tormented by his conscience, and a Platu intangible cultural heritage inheritor (referring to straw sandal weaving)] [Arrested]

[Major Sandel Capello, appointed as the military commander of Vaughan County in a time of crisis, chose neutrality in the New Reclamation Civil War] [Captured]

[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]