Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 482 Blazing Flames (Part 7)

[Newly reclaimed land]
Maplestone City
Compared to the Allied Republics, which are increasingly shrouded in the shadow of war, Maplestone City, which is in the very center of the storm, is a scene of jubilation.

Every street and alley was swept clean; regardless of wealth or poverty, every household was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

The immense crisis that had been suffocating all the citizens of Maplestone—the rebels' "internal strife" that had reduced Maplestone to a wasteland—has finally been temporarily averted.

Because Colonel Gaisa Adonis has returned from Mirrorlake County, with troops from White Mountain County.

The entry of the Baishan County army broke the overwhelming power advantage of the Tiefeng County army over the Leiqun County and Bianjiang County armies, immediately triggering a series of chain reactions.

If before this point, Colonel Skul Mecklen only dared to adopt a defensive posture when facing Winters Montagne;

With the support of the White Mountain County Army, Colonel Skull now had a trump card to play.

Therefore, the first few days and nights after the Baishan County military flag appeared on the outskirts of Fengshi City were the most anxious days for the citizens of Fengshi City.

People were both afraid that Colonel Skull might act impulsively and want to challenge the younger generation, and also afraid that Blood Wolf might go berserk, so they decided to strike first.

So much so that even though it was the busy farming season, the area around Maplestone City was deserted, with hardly any carriages or pedestrians. Inside the city, flour prices were rising three times a day, and every household kept their doors tightly locked, fearing they would become victims of the chaotic soldiers' slaughter.

Fortunately, in hindsight, those sleepless nights were actually the darkness before dawn.

To this day, the citizens of Maplestone still don't know what kind of magic Colonel Gaisa Adonis possessed that allowed him to so easily resolve the "disagreement" between the Iron Peak County army and the combined forces of Thunder Valley and Border River counties.

With Colonel Gaisa's return, Colonel Skul, who had been continuously retreating his garrison to Leiqun County, finally lowered his guard—at least superficially—and led the Leiqun and Bianjiang County troops back to the outskirts of Maplestone City to "join forces" with the troops of Baishan and Tiefeng County.

As a symbol of the "allied forces" reuniting, at Colonel Gaisa's suggestion, the four county troops held a symbolic entry ceremony and made up for the victory celebration that had been missing.

Because the late General Adams and later Colonel Sanel, who took control of Maplestone, recruited a large number of officers and soldiers from all walks of life in Maplestone, many of the prisoners captured by the Allied forces in the Battle of River Valley were actually Maplestone residents.

Therefore, in order to avoid upsetting the people of Maplestone, the Allied forces did not have the usual "prisoner parade" during their entry ceremony and victory celebration; instead, they only displayed the captured weapons, flags, and cannons.

Following the convoy of spoils were the four county military commanders who carried Colonel Bode Gates' coffin: Colonel Gaisa Adonis, Colonel Skul Mecklen, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias Corwin, and Captain Winters Montagne...

Finally, each county's army selected one infantry battalion and one cavalry squadron.

Since the Battle of River Valley was a Pyrrhic victory for the troops of the other three counties, if the entire army were to march into the city in a parade, they would probably be seen as the losers. Therefore, each county only sent symbolic soldiers.

When the ceremony was held, the citizens of Maplestone City who had not been able to see the Blood Wolf in person before flocked to see its splendor.

However, what attracted the most attention and was talked about the most afterwards was Colonel Gaisa Adonis.

The citizens talked with great interest about Colonel Gaisa's non-existent hair and horrifying disfigurement, concocting one bizarre story after another about them, and arguing with each other over the contradictions in their different accounts.

Even the citizens of Maplestone and people from other places who didn't witness the entry ceremony quickly learned that among the "rebels" was a colonel with a hairless body and a terrifying face. Despite his ugly appearance, it was he who saved Maplestone from the ravages of war.

Finally, the coalition's procession stopped at the cathedral in the center of Maplestone—the true purpose of the entry ceremony.

The cathedral's main nave is opened, and the bronze bell in the tower tolls twelve times.

Amid solemn tolling of bells, the bugler sounded the final call to return to camp, and Colonel Bode's coffin was laid to rest in the burial chamber beneath the church.

The people of Maplestone City watched the grand funeral in bewilderment. They did not know who was being buried, nor did they understand why he was receiving such treatment.

Afterwards, someone swore that he saw tears in Blood Wolf's eyes.

But most people don't believe it, because Blood Wolf is Blood Wolf, how could Blood Wolf possibly shed tears.

However, some people say that perhaps even Blood Wolf feels sadness.

With the heavy doors of the Maplestone Cathedral closing once again, the march of the four counties' allied forces came to an end.

The troops from various counties who participated in the ceremony were not taken out of the city, but instead moved directly into the city's barracks, officially taking joint control of Maplestone's defense and security.

The military commanders of the four counties, each with their own guards, moved into the officers' quarters located within the city.

The sword of Damocles that had been hanging over the heads of the citizens of Maplestone City was finally removed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, even the schemers who hoped for "internal strife among the rebels" wouldn't want to see the rebels fighting each other on their own doorstep.

The newly harvested summer grains were continuously transported into the city, flour prices fell back to previous years' levels, and brewers had already begun brewing the new year's finest brews.

After a bloody battle, people were finally able to enjoy a brief period of peace and tranquility.

Aside from the occasional boom of cannons from Maple Leaf Castle outside the city, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction. In a daze, it was as if people had returned to the "good old days" that had once been despised.

Besides Maple Leaf Castle.

……

……

Maplestone City
[Officers' Housing Area]
Although it has hardly ever been at full strength since its inception—until recently.

However, the New Reclamation Legion remained a legion in terms of organization and rank. As the headquarters of the New Reclamation Legion, Maplestone City was naturally built with supporting facilities according to legion standards.

The garrison positions of the local county troops were incomparable in terms of both comfort and convenience.

Therefore, even the unlucky and disillusioned assigned to the New Reclamation Legion would do everything in their power to stay in Maplestone City, avoiding being assigned to various county garrisons or even being "exiled" to some desolate, godforsaken town as a garrison officer. The officers' quarters in Maplestone City were naturally also those of legion-level officers.

However, due to a long-term shortage of officers in the New Reclamation Legion, most of the officers' quarters in Maplestone City were vacant. Apart from regular cleaning, there was almost no sign of life.

It wasn't until a year ago, when the late General Adams began hiring a large number of "honorary officers," and after the Maplestone mutiny, when Colonel Sanel led the Kingsburg troops to arrive, that the officers' quarters in Maplestone were finally filled.

Furniture was added, the wine cellar was filled, firelight shone from the fireplace, and aromas wafted from the kitchen.

But today, they all have a new owner.

In the lounge of the most magnificent and luxurious of the many detached military officer residences, a one-sided argument is taking place.

"What...what are you thinking?" Colonel Skul Mecklen's face flushed red, and he trembled from the hem of his clothes to the tips of his hair.

He paced back and forth angrily, demanding of Gesa, "What on earth are you thinking?!"

Colonel Geisa, intently examining the liquor cabinet of the previous occupant of the apartment, casually asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Why attack Bazenauer? Why attack [Gaspar]'s troops?" Colonel Skul exclaimed in anguish, "We just fought a bloody battle with the Kings' Castle. At a time like this, to break ties with the Blue Blood Faction, have you even considered the consequences?!"

Colonel Gaisa took out a bottle of wine, glanced at it, and put it back. He did this several times before finally finding a bottle of fine wine that interested him.

He poured Colonel Skull a glass first, but the latter impatiently pushed it away.

Geza poured another glass for Lieutenant Colonel Matthias Korwin, who was standing by the window, and the latter accepted it with a smile.

Finally, Gaisa poured himself a glass and took a small, contented sip.

"Alright, anyway, the battle has been fought, the city has been captured, and Gaspar has been brought back to me. I did all of this, so the responsibility is all on me."

Gaisa Adonis unbuttoned the top two buttons of his military uniform, lay down on the soft couch in the lounge, leaned comfortably against the railing, stretched out his arms as if surrendering, and suggested with a very roguish smile: "Otherwise, you can tie me up and send me to Jiangbei to apologize to that old bastard Alpad. As long as you do it, I promise I won't resist."

Colonel Skull paused for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table in anger, causing the wine in the glass on the table to spill out: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"See, you still can't bear to part with it, can you?" Colonel Gaisa smiled and turned to Matthias Korwin. "Isn't that right?"

Lieutenant Colonel Matthias smiled and nodded.

“Of course, the Jinliu River is now blocked. Even if you were willing, you'd need a boat to take me there.” Colonel Gaisa said slyly, then began to examine the tobacco box on the coffee table: “Hmph, that old man Adams certainly knows how to enjoy life.”

"Why?" Colonel Skull was nearly driven mad by his old classmate's shameless behavior. "I'm asking why you did this?"

"Why?" Colonel Gaisa feigned ignorance: "I thought you were the one who disliked the Blue Bloods the most and didn't want to continue being second-class citizens. If we're talking about background, I'm a member of the Blue Bloods. Even if I joined Alpard, I'd definitely be more comfortable than you."

Colonel Skull was suddenly speechless.

After a moment of silence, Colonel Skull clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and squeezed out the words bit by bit: "Given the situation, we must choose sides. I will never stand with the traitors; we can only choose Alpad."

“You’re right.” Colonel Gaisa stood up, pressed Colonel Skul back into his seat, and poured him another glass of wine. “The Kings’ Castle is full of scoundrels and traitors.”

Immediately, Gaisa poured himself another glass of wine, drank it all, slammed the glass on the table, and said heavily, "But even if I consider myself a member of the Blue Blood faction, I must say that Alpad's men are a bunch of bastards!"

His eyes blazed as he looked first at Matthias Korwin, then at Skul Mechren: "Why must we choose between them?"

Skul frowned deeply.

On the other side, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias, who hadn't spoken until now, cleared his throat and said politely, "Senior, I think the key isn't why, but whether it's possible. Newly reclaimed land probably doesn't have the ability to avoid choosing between the two."

“Corwin,” Gaisa laughed, “Thinking too much and too far ahead will prevent you from ever getting things done.”

"Here you go again, spouting nonsense." Colonel Skull regained his usual composure and asked coldly, "You and I aren't making decisions for ourselves, we're making decisions for thousands upon thousands of people. How can we not think things through? How can we not plan for the long term? But you, have you thought about what to do next?"

“Next,” Gaisa said, gently swirling the golden liquid in his glass, “we must take advantage of the fact that the Kings’ Castle is severely weakened and launch a preemptive strike.”

"Fight, sure, but where? To Kingsburg? With our current strength, can we even take it?" Skul pressed relentlessly, "The vanguard of the United Provinces has already entered Kingsburg, and reinforcements will continue to arrive. Without General Alpad's support and containment, can we handle them?"

"Alright, alright, alright. I'm not as thorough or far-sighted as you." Gaisa patted his bald head and waved his hand in surrender. "Let's take it one step at a time. Whether we can win or not, we'll only know after we fight. As long as we have an army, we'll always have a chance to negotiate if you want."

Gaisa turned to Matthias Korwin and asked with a smile, "Don't you think so, Korwin?"

“I agree with you.” Lieutenant Colonel Matthias smiled and nodded in response, then looked at the other colonel: “So, Senior Skul, the most important thing for us right now is to restore the army’s combat power and build up more troops to deal with possible future conflicts.”

After a pause, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias said tactfully, "So we must reach an agreement with Captain Winters Montagne as soon as possible regarding the distribution of spoils. We need the warehouses in Maplestone, and we need them now."

"That's right!" Gaisa slapped his thigh excitedly, stood up abruptly, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted, "Korwin hit the nail on the head!"

Colonel Skull was startled and instinctively leaned back to avoid it.

Gaisa Adonis strode up to his old classmate, his muscular frame almost towering over him. He grabbed the latter's shoulder and said sternly, "If you want me to talk, instead of getting angry at me, you should go see what Winters Montagne is up to. That brat could have taken us all out, but he didn't; he could have swallowed all of Maplestone's war supplies, but he didn't; he's qualified to live in the officers' quarters, but look at him, he moved into a lieutenant's apartment."

Colonel Skull frowned involuntarily when he was told about his heart condition.

“In my opinion, that kid is definitely holding back a lot of energy, about to let out a loud fart.” Gaisa pressed on, concluding, “Instead of getting angry with me, you should go and check on him first.”

[Sorry, Orz]
[I've been so busy lately, it's been hectic. I kept thinking I could update tomorrow, but then tomorrow came and went, and I missed my chance to ask for leave, falling into the trap of not daring to speak up until I've written an update. Before I knew it, it was already this late.]
I'm so, so, so sorry, I'm so sorry everyone.