Iron Powder and Spellcaster

The raid on Red Pine Manor was a decision made by the three warrant officers after discussion, not only because Lieutenant Colonel Contel, who had a lead in his abdomen, needed a doctor, but also because they urgently needed a channel to obtain information from the outside world.

The biggest problem for the group is that they know nothing about the battle situation. Did the Third Army launch a second attack? Where is the direction of attack?

Especially Winters and Andre, both of whom thought it impossible to hide in the Tanirian vacuum forever. Even if you want to hide, you should do it actively, that is, obtain as much information as possible and then move flexibly, instead of burying your head in the sand like an ostrich and praying that the Tanirians will not hit you.

Because of this, Red Pine Manor became the most suitable target. The plantation owner had a high social status and was well-informed; the Red Pine Manor was located in a remote location and was not easily exposed; and most importantly, Kalman was a doctor—although it is said that he mainly relied on bloodletting for treatment.

Before Winters and Kalman could say anything, a captain hurriedly walked in and reported to him: Something happened. Three of our men were killed.

Winters calmly left Kalman with Andre and strode out the door.

What happened? Winters spoke only after leaving the house, his attitude was very calm.

But his tenth captain was a little panicked: One man went to check the house to the west, but he didn't come out after going in. The other two went in to look for him, and the same thing happened.

This captain was a veteran for more than ten years, a senior sergeant, and Winters' right-hand man. He was trusted by several warrant officers, but even he was sweating profusely and looked panicked.

Take me there. Winters frowned.

Outside the townhouse on the west side of the house, the remaining soldiers stood a few meters away from the door and stretched their necks to look inside, but they did not dare to get close at all.

The house was pitch dark, as if a wild beast was dormant in the darkness, swallowing up all particles of light.

When the soldiers saw Warrant Officer Montavi approaching, they all saluted. Seeing that the raiding team had succeeded, Bud also led two musketeers and arrived here.

What's going on? Bud asked softly.

I don't know either. I only know that three of our people went in. Winters looked at the captain: Did you light a torch when you went in?

The second batch of people who entered were beaten. The Centurion explained anxiously: But after entering, our people screamed, and then it was dark again. Centurion, there is definitely something evil here.

Is there a backdoor?

No, just this one door. One door to enter, one door to go out.

Torch!

A torch was handed to Winters, who took out his saber and led two other soldiers into the dark wooden house.

The firelight reflected in the vicinity, and there were two curtains separating the wooden house from the door.

Winters used his saber to lift up the curtain. Behind the curtain was another curtain, and no one was there.

He cut off the rope hanging the curtain and led the soldiers to continue exploring deeper into the room. The entire wooden house is divided into smaller spaces by curtains.

Suddenly, Winters heard the creak of wood overhead. He knew something was wrong and immediately took a step back.

But the thing that attacked him moved very quickly, jumping down from the rafters and using the momentum to knock him over. Only then did Winters realize that it was not some evil thing, but a human being.

The two soldiers who came in with him yelled twice and then fell silent, and their torches were extinguished.

Winters fell to the ground, his torch extinguished by a hand reaching out from behind the curtain. The man who jumped down to attack him fell on Winters and struggled with him, twisting Winters' right wrist almost 180 degrees.

But the scimitar was still firmly held in Winters' hand. His eyes did not adapt to the sudden darkness and he could not see anything. More people came out from behind the curtain, trying to hold down Winters' limbs.

In a desperate situation, Winters gave the mounted raider a hard headbutt. His forehead hit a hard object, causing his skull to hurt.

But obviously he hit the right place and gave the opponent a hard blow. The attacker let out a scream and released his control on his right hand.

Attack! Winters yelled the signal, holding a scimitar in his free right hand and stabbing the enemy in the darkness.

However, there was no feeling of piercing the human body, and the opponent quickly distanced himself from Wen Tesla.

[Language Winters doesn't understand] A hoarse old voice came from deeper in the house: [It's still a language Winters doesn't understand]

The other hands that were trying to hold Winters down were pulled away, and Winters, who was completely free, stood up.

At this time, Bud had also led the remaining soldiers to rush into the wooden house.

Under the light of the fire, Winters finally saw clearly who was in the room.

A group of people with chains on their hands gathered in the corner of the wooden house. The women and some children were in the innermost corner, and other men stood outside protecting the women and children.

This group of people was vaguely headed by an old man with a ravaged face. The old man stood shivering in the crowd leaning on a long stick of dead wood, as if a gust of wind could blow him down.

Yet his eyes were bright.

We don't want to bleed. The old man looked at Winters, his voice was as hoarse as glass shards being squeezed and rubbed, and he said in blunt and strangely accented common language: Uninvited guests.

Where are my soldiers? Winters asked in a deep voice.

The old man uttered something that Winters couldn't understand. Several thin black men responded and carried out from behind another corner Winters' subordinate who had just disappeared after entering the house.

Bud immediately went to check and put his hand on the soldier's neck.

After checking, Bud nodded to Winters, indicating that he was just knocked unconscious and still had a pulse.

A young man who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old was supporting the old man. Winters saw that this young man had a bruise on his chin and blood at the corner of his mouth, and he understood clearly.

Winters was in a very complicated mood after almost falling into the hands of such a brat. He pointed his machete at the brat and asked, Were you the one who attacked me just now?

I wish I could use a knife. The half-grown man with chains on his hands spat out a mouthful of blood, and replied in blunt common language: Is it your turn to ask me now?

Seeing the chains and residences of these people, Winters had roughly guessed what these people were like. He sheathed his knife and asked calmly: Are you slaves of this plantation?

The dark and skinny half-year-old was furious when he heard this and was about to explode, but was stopped by the old man next to him.

We are not slaves, we are enslaved free people. The old man corrected Winters seriously and word by word. He asked: But you, what about you? Who is he?

We are free people who are not enslaved. Winters didn't want to reveal too much to the other party.

You...are you from Veneta? The old man narrowed his eyes and revealed the identity of the other party: On the shore of the sea, a free man enslaved by gold.

Winters laughed dryly.

So it seems that your republic has captured Red Sulfur Island?

Winters' eyelids twitched. This old slave man was actually quite well informed. He smiled and said calmly: You will know.

Oh... Hearing Winters' answer, the old man sighed slightly. His expression dimmed, but he quickly cheered up: I understand, don't worry, we will work as usual tomorrow. Now, please Please leave, we are going to rest.

The old man said a few words to the other slaves in an unfamiliar language, and the men, women, and children in the corner of the room started to move. They ignored the presence of Winters and his party, and began to retie the cut curtains, spread mats on the ground, and were about to go to sleep.

The Veneta people were stunned and confused as they were asked out of the wooden house where the slaves lived.

By the way, there is a wooden house in the north, and some people live there. The old man added when he was sent to the door.

He went in and came out inexplicably, and the Veneta people were a little confused as to what was going on.

Bud didn't say a word since he entered the house. He didn't say a word to Winters until he came out: Judging from their appearance, these people seem to be Herdese.

The soldiers nearby were even more confused when they heard the word 'Hed', but the captain of ten was thoughtful.

The Hurds? How come the Hurds are slaves on the islands? Recalling the knowledge in the book, Winters was also surprised: Aren't the Hurds in the Great West? Further west than the Republic of Plato.

It is precisely because they are next to Plato that the Hedians will be brought to Tanili as slaves. The Plato people have a tradition of selling captives as slaves, and they even specialize in plundering people and selling them. Bard was concise and to the point. explained.

Winters and the other soldiers suddenly realized.

These Palatuan sheep guys can really do anything. A soldier snorted and said disdainfully: If you use believers as slaves, you are not afraid of going to hell!

The Hurds don't believe in our gods, they are pagans. Bud corrected the soldier. He thought for a moment and then frowned and said, But it's really hard for us to deal with it. Taking pagans as slaves can circumvent the laws of the federal provinces. There is a loophole, but the laws of Veneta prohibit slavery in any form. So technically we are breaking the law by continuing to imprison them.”

Let them go, and we can wait to die. This is an island, surrounded by the sea, where can they run? Winters said dullly: Humph, this old man is smart, let's put the chain on Even if we smash them open, they won't run away, he has seen through our reality.

Then we...there are at least thirty or forty slave workers in a manor of nearly a hundred acres. We have killed all the guards responsible for guarding them... Bud said awkwardly: Then do we still have a few more people? Come out and take over the guard's job?

Winters took a deep breath: Become a pirate first, then a bandit. Now it's better. Being a guard for the slave owner is a proper job... Watch it among five people, don't let them escape.

The soldiers laughed.

The old man said there are some slaves in other places? Winters said to Bud indifferently: Take a few people over and take a look.

Bud nodded and led a few soldiers towards the north.

But after a while,

Another soldier ran all the way and reported to Winters: Centurion, Warrant Officer Bader asked you to come over again.

In a shack further north, the slaves and Hurds living there looked very different, obviously more like Winters and Bard.

The slaves here are all Senas Bay people.

Here, two warrant officers unexpectedly bumped into an acquaintance.

When Winters arrived, he saw a man holding Bud's thigh and crying with snot and tears.

You...you are... Winters recognized this man at a glance, but couldn't pronounce his name: Are you...are you the fat...captain of the Skua?

——Cut——

The next day.

Morning, light breeze.

Today's Red Sulfur Port is no longer as busy as it used to be. The wharf that was once bustling with people is now deserted, and there is not even a big ship in the bay.

Only a few seagulls stayed on the trestle, staring blankly at the undulating water.

Kalman, the owner of the Red Pine Manor, brought a cart of meat, vegetables, wine, and his nephew to the red sulfur port Laojun.

They say they are laborers, but they are actually here to see their long-term workers. On a small and medium-sized plantation like Red Pine Manor, there are less than fifty slaves working in the fields and only seven armed guards.

Outsiders think that the guards are private soldiers, but in fact the guards of small plantations are essentially long-term workers. Unlike slaves, they were paid and carried weapons. Catching runaway slaves was a part-time job. The guards usually had to do some light work, and they also had to work in the fields during busy farming periods.

After all, small plantations could not support full-time soldiers. But fortunately, this is an island with nowhere to escape, so it is rare for slaves to escape, and those who occasionally escape can't run very far.

Of course, the Red Sulfur Island Council is well aware of the situation in small plantations like Red Pine Manor. Therefore, the allocation of Red Pine Manor is mainly money and food, not manpower.

But even so, Red Pine Manor still needs to provide the Council with two men between the ages of twenty and forty who carry their own weapons and ammunition, are proficient in using muskets, and are also responsible for their salaries and possible pensions. .

In a noisy tavern, two long-term workers who were unfortunate enough to get bad luck were drinking and complaining to their boss. Kalman comforted him with kind words and made promises.

Kalman's nephew sat next to his uncle, never interrupting, but listening humbly. If anyone's glass is empty, he will immediately pick up the bottle and help fill it up.

Both guards were very pleased with this humble and gentle young man. The older guard said in his heart: The master's nephew was a little bad guy when he was a child. I didn't expect that he would grow up after not seeing him for six or seven years. He’s become a useful person.”

…

The carriage was driving on the stone road, heading in the direction of leaving Red Sulfur Port.

Kalman showed his pass with the council's seal and passed the checkpoint as smoothly as he had come. Red Sulfur Port is now under strict martial law, and civilians must have a pass to enter and exit.

On the edge of the town, hundreds of conscripted migrant workers were busy working to widen and deepen the original trenches, and then use the excavated soil to build earthen ramparts around Red Sulfur Port.

Winters saw all this and kept it in his heart.

Of course he saw more than that.

On the main road from Chisulfur Port, there are wooden piles erected every ten meters, with a human head nailed to the top of each wooden pile. The weather was hot and humid, and the heads had already begun to rot, exuding a stench that attracted crows to eat them.

These heads were all taken from the corpses of Veneta people.

The Red Sulfur Port Council used this method to declare victory to everyone on the island.

They are also intimidating the islanders, because there are not only wooden stakes nailed to the enemies, but also traitors.

Winters looked at these wooden piles, and there were no words to describe his extreme anger at this moment. His whole body was shaking, and he almost broke his teeth.

I have done everything you asked me to do, and the council will never let me go. Kalman asked humbly: Please let my wife and daughter go, and let them go to my father-in-law's house. They Not a single bit will be leaked out, I can keep it as guarantee.

Through constant chatter, Winters has learned the situation of the battle. After leaving the ambush circle, the Veneta fleet immediately blocked the red sulfur port. Winters and his small group were surrounded by the Tanirians, and now the Tanirians were being surrounded by the Veneta fleet.

The Red Sulfur Island Council built camps at several possible landing sites, and the Third Army launched several exploratory attacks from the northern beaches, but all failed.

Winters judged that the losses of the Third Army were not significant, because although the Red Sulfur Port Council claimed a victory, they had not erected new human head stakes in recent days, nor had they produced any other evidence to show off their military prowess.

This proves that the Third Army took away the bodies of the fallen soldiers and retreated in an orderly manner even if the attack failed.

The main forces that have fought against the Third Army in recent times have been militiamen and the guards of the Tanilia Union. The Council has realized that the pirates are not useful, and most of the pirate troops have been sent to unimportant defensive sections.

As long as you don't do anything that threatens our safety, the safety of your family can be completely guaranteed. We are not gangsters, we are trapped here.

This... Kalman thought about it and hesitated before making up his mind. He hesitated and said: Maybe I have a way... to send you out.

I wrote half of it last night and half of it this morning. I found that just like when I was studying, I found many low-level mistakes in the papers I took after ten o'clock in the evening, but I didn't notice them at night and my thinking was slow. So I found that the later I write, the worse my writing becomes (face covering)

Thank you to the book friends who have voted for recommendation before. Thank you to the book friends writersblock, Justice and Purity is Koala, and Yuan Hongjian for their recommendation votes.