Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 495 Rebuilding the Nation (Part 11)

Maplestone City
[town Hall]
In the examination room, which was temporarily converted from a meeting room, someone was throwing a tantrum.

"Listen to this! What kind of damned answers are these!"

Andrei picked up the exam paper booklet that had been slammed on the table, turned to the others in the grading room, and read it aloud, word by word:

"Common sense, Question 5: [Why can a boat float on water?] Answer: [Because wood can float on water, so can a boat float on water.]"

A burst of cheerful laughter instantly filled the marking room.

"[Swearing]!" Andrei slammed the exam paper on the table again, yelling, "The answers are all in the questions, how could you get them wrong!"

The laughter in the marking room grew even louder.

Andrei tried to pry open a crack in the cover of the exam booklet, the part that was covered with names and seat numbers.

He found that the binding of the test booklet was very sturdy and he couldn't break it by hand, so he looked around for a paper cutter.

"No way!" Andrei muttered nervously, "I have to see, I have to see, which idiot could be so stupid!"

"Hey! Yours is alright, listen to mine!" Another one-eyed cavalry captain, who was grading papers nearby, turned around, held up his exam booklet, and read aloud with dramatic intonation: "General knowledge, question five. Question: [Why can a ship float on water?] Answer..."

The one-eyed captain deliberately paused for a moment, whetting the appetites of the others, before revealing the suspense: "...[because it is the will of the Lord]."

Another burst of laughter erupted in the marking room.

The one-eyed captain picked up a handkerchief, removed the blindfold, and wiped his empty eye socket: "Ouch, really, it's making my wound hurt."

In a sense, this exam, which covered all unofficial officers in the entire army, was almost a large-scale preliminary assessment of the New Republic's army, so the exam results were naturally very important intelligence.

The preparatory meeting could not—and was too embarrassed—appoint external personnel to grade the exam papers.

Therefore, all the regular officers who were not on duty and were still able to move, including wounded soldiers like Captain Loson, appeared at the examination site.

As Andrei and Loson fired the first and second shots, the atmosphere in the examination room became extremely lively.

A group of regular officers then offered their own outrageous answers.

"Politics, first question, [What is the full name of 'Alliance'?]" Someone laughed heartily: "Answer, [The full name of 'Alliance' is 'Alliance']."

"Geography, second question, [Which two mountain ranges are referred to in the narrow valley between two mountains?]" Someone laughed and cried at the same time: "Answer, [South Mountain and North Mountain]. Hey! You can't say he's completely wrong, at least the location is correct."

A voice drifted from a corner of the grading room: "Then please listen to the answer from the person in my hand. [The 'two mountains' in 'two mountains narrowing the land' refers to]... [the big mountain and the small mountain]."

Another officer retorted, "[White Mountain and Black Mountain]."

"[Yinqueshan and Tiefengshan]." Someone interrupted the game, jokingly saying, "I just realized that the 'land' in the narrow area between the two mountains refers to newly reclaimed land!"

"Geography questions are a piece of cake, listen to this one! Current affairs, question three: [Who is the former Chief Secretary of State of the United Provinces and the current de facto ruler of the United Provinces?]"

Some people laughed so hard they almost fell over: "Answer: [The former Secretary of State was Blood Wolf, and the current leader is Winters Montagne]."

This sparked a huge discussion, and someone immediately chimed in, loudly proclaiming, "Current Affairs, Question 4: [Who is the current Speaker of the Grand Council of the Zhuwangbao government, who launched a coup in early 559, leading to the outbreak of civil war?] Answer: [Blood Wolf]."

"Current Affairs, Question 5: [Who is the current Marshal of the Hongchuan Military Government?] Answer: [It is His Excellency Winters Montagne]."

"Current Affairs, Question Six: [Who is the current Regent of the Republic of Venetta?] Answer: [His Excellency Blood Wolf]."

"Current Affairs, Question Seven... [Blood Wolf]."

Upon comparing the answers, everyone suddenly realized that any question that asked for a person's name was a hotbed of questions about "Winters Montagne" and "Blood Wolf".

Captain Loson patted Andrei on the shoulder and asked jokingly, "Lieutenant Cellini, what's wrong with your men? Do they only know one Blood Wolf?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Andrei said angrily, "The person I have in my hand right now, if you ask who the head of the Hongchuan military government is, the answer is [Richard Mason]!"

An unprecedented burst of laughter erupted in the marking room, with everyone laughing until tears streamed down their faces.

After the laughter subsided, Andrei let out a long sigh, slumped down on the only recliner in the grading room, covered his face with the exam papers, and cried out in anguish:
"So we've been relying on this bunch of illiterate people to fight all along?!"

Captain Loson couldn't help but chuckle: "What else did you think? Do you think everyone knows as much as we do?"

Richard Mason pushed a cart full of newly bound exam papers, distributing them along the way. He eventually came to André and Rosson's side and overheard their conversation.

Looking at the group of cavalry and infantry alumni in the grading room who were openly mocking others, Mason couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"Why are you sighing?" Andrei noticed his senior's micro-expression and sat up abruptly as if pricked by a needle. "At least I know that a boat can float on water because of buoyancy!"

“I know you know,” Mason explained calmly, then reassured Andrei in a hoarse voice, “I’m not making fun of you.”

Then he sighed deeply and said softly, "I'm just marveling at how great a power education is."

"Huh?" Andrei didn't understand what his senior meant for a moment.

"Grade the papers quickly, grade them quickly!" Before Andrei could react, Mason quickly shoved the test paper booklets from the cart into Andrei's hands, urging, "None of the reserve officers taking the exam will be able to sleep tonight. Grade the papers quickly so we can announce the next steps and put their minds at ease."

Andrei instinctively took the exam paper, and was about to complain about the lack of examiners when Mason, the senior student, had already pushed his cart and quickly slipped away.

André and Loson exchanged a glance, then reluctantly returned to their posts to continue facing those absurd answers that made their scalps tingle.

On the other side, Mason pushed the cart back to the binding room at the other end of the corridor and found that the clerks in charge of binding were no longer there. The only one left in the binding room was Lieutenant Woods from White Mountain County, who was making hot honey water with herbs.

"Is everything bound?" Mason asked hoarsely.

“Yes, they’re all bound.” Lieutenant Woods pointed to the exam papers on the ground and replied in a hoarse voice, “It was getting late, so I took the liberty of letting the clerks go first.”

As he spoke, Lieutenant Engineer Woods poured a glass of fragrant, steaming honey water for Artillery Captain Mason, and said with emotion, "It's really not easy, senior."

Mason took the hot honey water but didn't taste it immediately. Instead, he waited until Lieutenant Woods poured himself a glass before gently clinking glasses with him, as if celebrating a victory: "Yes, it wasn't easy, but we still managed to get it done."

The two men simultaneously turned their gaze to the conference table, where the last thirty sets of exam papers awaiting grading lay quietly, like an ordinary stack of files.

But looking at this ordinary result, it's impossible to imagine how much effort and sweat Richard Mason, Woods Friend, and the other organizers of this exam put in to get it.

Compared to the exam itself, what difficulty is it to not have enough people to grade the papers?
It should be noted that simply instilling the concept of "exam" into the test takers had already exhausted Mason and Woods.

Apart from a small number of people personally taught by Winters Montagne during the first period of the army's formation, most of the informal officers and reserve officers had not received formal cultural education and did not even understand what an "exam" was, confusing it with a "test".

As a result, many test takers naturally assume that the "exam" is similar to the questions that mortals must answer after death in order to pass through the gates of heaven, such as "Are you devout?", "Are you faithful?", "Have you ever lied?", and so on.
Or it could be one of the great feats that heroes in legends must accomplish—catching pigs, slaying snakes, capturing cattle, or even fighting to the death.

Many people were terrified, because the questioning of the gatekeepers of heaven would be impossible for ordinary people to pass, otherwise why would there be purgatory and confessionals?
The great heroes who caught pigs and cattle faced trials that were fraught with peril, so you can imagine how dangerous they were.

In fact, detailed information about the exam format, subjects, scope, etc., has already been provided in the posted and distributed announcements.

Unfortunately, the text was too small and too numerous, so people couldn't understand it and were too lazy to read it. As a result, all sorts of exaggerated and bizarre rumors spread like wildfire, and everyone told them with great enthusiasm.

Upon learning this news, Mason and Woods, who were busy printing test papers, had to personally travel to military camps in various counties to hold meetings with the test takers and explain the relevant content of the "exam" in person.

It took countless words, countless laughably stupid questions, and countless patient explanations to finally quell this unexpected turmoil and ensure the "grand exam" proceeded smoothly without delay. This "grand exam" wasn't just held in Maplestone City; examination centers were also set up in Vone County, Iron Peak County, White Mountain County, Thunder Valley County, Bianjiang County, and even Mirror Lake County.

The pre-printed exam papers have already been sent to various counties by express courier. If the exam is postponed, it will have far-reaching consequences.

The examination centers in Tiefeng County and Bianjiang County, which are far away, could not be notified in time. If the examination papers were opened in advance in the former two counties, then in principle, all the examination papers would have to be invalidated and the questions would have to be reissued.

This would not only result in enormous waste, but also make us look bad in front of the entire province.

Conversely, the successful holding of this "grand test" covering newly reclaimed land was also a brilliant display of skill, under the watchful eyes of the administrative agencies of various counties, municipalities, and even the powerful clans of Maplestone.

This time, it was an "internal test" within the military.

The next one will also cover newly reclaimed land, but will be a "selection" open to those outside the military.

The newly formed republic will no longer merely draw money, resources, and warhorses from the newly reclaimed land; it will also draw upon the talent of this land.

At that time, the intellectual class and gentry families in the newly reclaimed land will have to make a choice—whether to jump on this new ship.

That's what's troubling them.

Richard Mason and Woods Frank, who overcame numerous difficulties and successfully accomplished this feat, deserve a warm cup of honey water to celebrate... and perhaps soothe their throats.

"What's next?" Woods asked in a low voice.

"Next, we just have to wait for the exam papers to be graded and the results to be published." Mason sipped his hot honey water and sighed, "The illiteracy level of the officer corps... is worse than we expected."

"Don't worry, we'll teach them." Woods glanced at the noise coming from outside the door and said sarcastically, "If the old marshal's military academy can train those musclemen into what they are now, then what do we have to worry about?"

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a knowing smile.

But Mason quickly fell into his habitual worry again. Holding his cup, he said with distress, "But where are we going to find so many teachers now? We're so short-staffed! So short-staffed! The qualified clerks are already working themselves to death, we can't let those guys..."

Mason pointed vaguely to the other end of the corridor with his toe: "Become a tutor? They probably don't have that much patience."

Woods was also very troubled, but after the Battle of River Valley, the once cautious engineering lieutenant had learned not to worry about tomorrow's affairs tonight.

“Let’s enjoy the present,” Woods said with a smile, walking to the filing cabinet in the corner. “I know where the scribes hid their liquor, it must be…”

After a brief search, Woods pulled a bottle of wine from the mountain of scrolls: "Here!"

"Does the clerk drink alcohol at work?" Mason was dumbfounded.

"How can I get through this without a drink?" Woods replied with a smile. "Hot honey water with a little wine would taste even better."

After saying that, Woods poured a little wine into Mason's and his own glasses.

The dark red wine mixed with the pale golden honey creates a beautiful light pink color.

"To the great education," Woods raised his glass. "It is what makes us who we are."

Mason thought for a moment, then smiled and clinked glasses: "And a word to the exams—setting questions is definitely more fun than doing them."

……

Meanwhile, at Winters' home.

"How come there are only two?" Winters glanced at the two newly recruited spellcaster students sitting in the living room, staring at each other, and asked indignantly while pouring wine for Lieutenant Colonel Moritz, "The other one is an idiot."

Upon smelling the alcohol, Lieutenant Colonel Moritz's nose twitched slightly involuntarily, making his perfectly proportioned features appear somewhat unnatural.

But the lieutenant colonel ultimately didn't reach out to touch the cup.

“Having two is already pretty good,” the Alliance’s top spellcaster explained listlessly to Winters. “It’s also normal if there aren’t any.”

Winters scrutinized the lieutenant colonel carefully and cautiously asked, "Have you really given up drinking?"

“I’ve given it up.” Lieutenant Colonel Moritz yawned. Winters felt he could never imitate that languid movement in his entire life.

"Then may I entrust them to you?" Winters asked solemnly.

Lieutenant Colonel Moritz yawned again, not wanting to say anything more: "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

“Come here,” Winters beckoned.

Claude and Vahika, puzzled, took small steps toward Winters.

“Originally, it should have been more ceremonial, but…” Winters glanced at the already drowsy Lieutenant Colonel Moritz, cleared his throat, and smiled at Claude and Vasika, saying, “In short, congratulations to you two, you’ve been recommended for admission.”

It took Claude and Vahika a moment to figure out what "guaranteed admission" meant. Joy instantly welled up in their eyes; if they weren't in front of Blood Wolf, they probably would have jumped up and pumped their fists in celebration.

Immediately afterwards, the two heard Blood Wolf say something they didn't quite understand: "From today onwards, you have been chosen to be the first batch of students in the Magical Combat course at the Second Military Academy, and you have the honor of being taught by Lieutenant Colonel Moritz van Nassau. This means that I, the Supreme Council, and even the Republic have absolute trust in you. The following words are what they said to me when I was chosen, and now I will tell you."

Winters grasped Claude and Vahika's hands and briefly projected a stinging wisp of magical fire from his palm into theirs.

“When you one day use this power, remember where it came from,” Winters said, emphasizing each word: “Never betray the blood of our martyrs.”

Claude and Vahika nodded, bewildered but also solemn.

Lieutenant Colonel Moritz leaned listlessly against the liquor cabinet, his half-closed eyes seeming to glisten with tears.

“Now,” Winters released his grip and ordered, “Take half a step back.”

Claude and Vahika instinctively took a half-step back in unison.

"stand at attention."

Claude and Vahika stood at attention.

"Salute." Winters also took a half step back, saluting the lieutenant colonel along with Claude and Vasya: "Salute to the Alliance's finest spellcaster!"

Moritz straightened up little by little, brought his boots together, and returned the greeting solemnly.

……

The next day.

Also at the Winters home.

"Wait a minute." Winters, who was half-reclining on the bench, took the flyer away from his eyes, sat up abruptly, and raised an eyebrow at little Priskin on the other side of the small table: "Who do you think wrote this?"

As Blood Wolf slammed the flyer on the table, the sensational headline printed in large font on the first line of the flyer came into little Priskin's view:
Lies, Betrayal, and Massacre: The Second Bloody Night at Kingsburg

“Kay Morland,” little Priskin answered softly, his knees tucked between his legs.

[Though late, it has arrived]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)