Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 425 Preparing for Battle (Part 2)

   The news of Jinghu County's change of flags is like a hot summer shower, falling from the sky, causing unprepared pedestrians to rush to avoid. However, once the rain stopped, the rainwater was quickly evaporated, leaving only some pale white traces on the leaves, and the pedestrians continued on their way with cursing.

   Just looking at the approaching dark clouds on the horizon, no one would doubt that this shower was just a preview of a more terrifying storm.

  …

  [Revodan]

   [a makeshift camp for "redeemers"]

   "We can choose where we want to go—at least that's what the guy Winters Montagne promised."

Facing the ragged, yellow-faced and skinny "redeemers", Major Seb Carrington leaned against a simple chair whose bark had not been scraped off. I don't care much about anything but women and honor," said in a tone of voice:

"Those who want to go home will be issued with passes and tolls; those who want to stay will be allocated land according to the standards of the pioneers; those who have done deeds for the Iron Peak County garrison, the reward standard will be equal to that of Montagne's soldiers. What do they have? , you have what. They each have a hundred acres, and you have a hundred acres as well."

  The officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force who had returned to Palato after the ordeal surrounded Major Seber and listened nervously to the major's announcement of his fate.

"Major, Montagne took a lot of effort to redeem us." A lieutenant who had shaved his head to treat lice and had sunken cheeks due to long-term malnutrition stood up and asked suspiciously, "What's the result? Don't want to, let us go in vain? Are Veneta people really so generous?"

   "Oh, don't you believe it?" Major Seber showed two wolf-like fangs and suggested with a smile: "Then you go and ask him in person?"

The lieutenant    shut his mouth shyly.

  Cerber folded his arms and glanced from left to right at the comrades, colleagues, and subordinates gathered in the low shack.

Among the faces he saw, some had fought side by side with him and sang triumphant songs, some had cuddled with him on the deserted wasteland to keep warm, and some he did not know, but shared with him the same kind of destiny.

   He turned his head to look out the window and waved his hand impatiently: "That's all I can win for you! If you feel dissatisfied, go find the blood of the wolf yourself! All right! Disband! Think carefully before making a decision."

   The other people present look at me and I look at you, not because of any dissatisfaction, but because the conditions offered by the other party are too good to be believed.

   "Major." A small auxiliary soldier leaning on two crutches struggled to get to the front, and asked timidly, "Can someone like me... also get a place?"

   The trouser leg below the left knee of the thin auxiliary soldier was empty, and there was nothing left.

  Cerber couldn't bear to look at it, he turned his head and answered bluntly: "Yes! Why not? There are all of them!"

  The interior of the wooden shack suddenly became noisy. Those who couldn't hear them panicked and asked others what the major said, while those who could hear them had more questions.

   "Can you put it on the account first? My lord." A soldier asked eagerly: "I want to go home first, and take over my family before taking over the land, is that okay?"

   Another officer frowned and asked, "Sir, if we are going back to Jiangbei province, does Captain Montagne have a boat?"

   "Where will the land be divided? Did Lord Montagne directly allocate it to us, or do we need to draw it ourselves?"

   "Just give us land? What about farm tools and livestock?"

   "Can the divided land be sold?"

   Major Seber only felt that there were a thousand mosquitoes buzzing in his ear canal, which made him extremely irritable. He kicked the chair under him to pieces with a whip, and shouted furiously: "Shut up, Lao Tzu!"

  The shack was quiet for a moment.

Major    showed a fierce look like a wolf again, and scolded: "Ask this and that, I'm not from Winters Montagne, where should I know?!"

   Everyone present consciously avoided the major's gaze.

   After taking a few breaths, Major Seber patted his thigh and said helplessly, "Let's do it! I'll go get Richard Mason and let him answer your questions."

   The tense atmosphere in the shack was relaxed, and everyone's hearts were calmed down.

   "That's right." Major Seber suddenly remembered something and scratched his hair: "Whether you leave or stay, your affairs will take some time to be dealt with."

   As soon as these words came out, the hearts that everyone had just put down came to their throats again.

   "Major." An officer asked tentatively, "Wait a while...how long?"

"When? Of course, when the new land is not fighting." Major Seber sneered: "Don't you know? Alpad's men have already occupied Jinghu County, and outside Jinghu County is the Great Council. Soldier. Even if you are issued a pass now, do you dare to go on the road?"

   After listening to the major's words, everyone thought or whispered.

   A sergeant raised his courage and asked from the back of the crowd, "Sir, are you going or staying?"

"I'll stay to help Montagne fight another battle." Seb Carrington replied simply, he was silent for a moment, raised his head, and said indifferently: "The battle is imminent, and he is short of manpower. Although the boy said something about himself Neither, but I don't want to owe him favors."

  …

  [Revodan]

  [New Army Barracks]

   "Sergeant!" The monkey happily ran into the barracks and heard his shout from a distance: "Sergeant! Good news!"

  In the barracks, veteran Lu Xirong was mending the tent. He raised his head and scolded the monkey with a sullen face: "Keep your voice down! The barracks is quiet, don't be presumptuous, be careful the military police will hang you up and smoke you!"

  The monkey gave himself a mouth when he heard the words. Standing beside Roussillon, he put his hands on his knees and finally breathed, pretending to be mysterious and asking, "Have you heard?"

   Lu Xirong devoted himself to mending the gap in the tent, ignoring the monkeys.

   "Hey! I'll tell you!" The monkey couldn't hold back and announced the good news: "The commendation order has been issued! Lord Tamas has officially been promoted to the battalion commander!"

   "Oh." Roussillon didn't even look up.

   "Why don't you understand?" The monkey grabbed a bench, sat down next to Lu Xirong, and leaned close: "Is this a good thing?"

   "How good is it?"

  Monkey patted his thigh and said with a smile on his face: "You think! Since Lord Tamas has been promoted to battalion commander, is the position of the first company commander vacant?"

"Oh."

   "Since Mr. Tamas has been promoted by one level, should Sergeant Bunir also be promoted?" The monkey analyzed honestly: "If Sergeant Bunir also takes a step up, then you are not..."

Old Roussillon bit off the thread and knotted it, then checked the stitches against the light, and then put the tent cloth into the monkey's arms; ."

  The monkey ran out without saying a word, holding the mask. After three strokes, five eliminations, and two dryings, he ran back in a hurry.

   When he returned to the barracks, Roussillon had already taken out the rucksacks of the "companion on the same account".

  Monkey squatted beside Roussillon and complained, "Don't be busy for now! I'm telling you something important!"

   Lu Xirong opened his rucksack and poured out the contents for inspection. There was no emotional fluctuation on his weathered and ravaged face: "This is what matters."

"It's too late to do this kind of thing." The monkey leaned over to Roussillon's side and couldn't hide his excitement: "I tell you - you're going to be a sergeant again! A real sergeant! Eh? What do you think? Not happy?"

   Lu Xirong ignored the monkey, but took the monkey's luggage in front of him and opened it, then he was stunned and asked, "What is this?"

   "What what?" The monkey tried to play stupid.

  Roussillon put his hand into the monkey's rucksack, and pulled out a messy fishing net from it, the latter's rucksack slumped in an instant.

  Monkey swallowed and said with a smile, "A fishing net? Don't you know me?"

   said, he took the fishing net and tried to spread it. It's a pity that the knots of the fishing net are entangled with each other because they are placed too casually, and it is impossible to sort out.

  Rao is the old Lu Xirong who was used to seeing all kinds of characters, and was also trembling with anger by the monkey: "You don't bring anything serious! What are you doing with a broken fishing net?!"

"Trust me! This thing works!" The monkey hugged the fishing net, and said proudly: "I have fully realized that the fishing net is the most useful thing on the battlefield! It doesn't matter how strong or skilled you are, I will keep an eye on it. The opportunity is caught in a net—hey! You can only capture it with your hands. That is, during the battle of blood and mud, I didn’t have a fishing net in my hand, otherwise that green feather would definitely be my beheading!”

"You know what war is like! You know what is useful! You know everything! You know best!" Old Lu Xirong raised his hand and slapped the monkey on the head in anger. It's that the cesspit hasn't been dug enough!"

"The tribune punished me for digging the toilet because I beat the prisoner." The monkey nimbly avoided the old sergeant's slap and ran out the door while defending himself: "But the tribune didn't even take that man's sword. Rewarded to me? That's the credit for the fishing net! If I didn't have the fishing net, how could the credit for capturing that guy be credited to me?"

   "Stay stubborn!" Lu Xirong grabbed the fire stick and chased after him.

   The two ran away and chased. Lu Xirong was getting old, and he felt exhausted just after chasing a few steps away.

   He stopped, panting heavily, leaning on his lower back, and ordered the monkey: "Okay! Don't run! Come here! I have something really important to tell you!"

  The monkey was holding the fishing net, his eyes full of vigilance, he moved a little bit closer to the old sergeant, like a wriggling snail, and was ready to run again at any time.

"come over!"

   "You put the stick down first."

   "Come here!" Roussillon angrily hit the ground with his stick.

   Realizing that the old sergeant was really unhappy, the monkey reluctantly returned to Roussillon.

  The old-fashioned Lu Xirong seized the monkey's flaw, grabbed the hem of the new recruit Danzi's clothes, whipped up a fire stick and beat the monkey violently, making the monkey cry and beg for mercy.

After    vented his anger, Old Roussillon panted and threw away the fire stick, and sat down outside the barracks: "In the army, the most taboo thing is to be stubborn, that is, to be tough! You stand up straight when you are beaten! Do you understand?"

  Monkey rubbed his **** and thighs, tears were about to fall out: "Where am I pouting?"

   "This is the mouth!" Roussillon frowned, he waved at the monkey: "Come and sit."

   "I'll just stand. My **** hurts."

  Old Roussillon sighed deeply, patted his sore knee, looked at the monkey, and said, "You kid... Actually, you have always had good luck."

   "Where's the luck?" The monkey cried and said with a sad face: "After two battles, I didn't have a single head! After finally capturing a guy, I got a sword, and I was fined for digging a toilet for a month."

  Old Roussillon shook his head with a wry smile: "You... your first battle was in the battle of blood and mud, and you can walk down the battlefield alive and well, doesn't it mean that you are lucky?"

  Monkey gave a disapproving "Oh", thinking of Sergeant Bunnir and his own hair.

"Besides, it's not that every major soldier can act like no one after offending a noble person. Who are they? Who are you? If they talk about it, you have to sweat and bleed! You even risk your life. Get in!" Lu Xirong continued to say earnestly:

"But you are lucky. Your Excellency Montagne is a rare and impartial officer in the barracks. Punishment is punishment, reward is reward, never favoritism. Do you think it is punishment for you to dig a toilet? That is to favor you! Believe it or not, if Your Excellency Montagne wants to punish you, even if he doesn't speak, there are many people rushing to clean you up for him?"

  Monkey sat next to the old sergeant and gave a dejected "Oh".

   "So, little monkey." Old Roussillon sighed again: "I'm afraid you'll use up your luck too early. What will you do then?"

  The monkey stopped talking.

"I heard that Your Excellency Montagne is going to reopen his school and is selecting loyal and reliable soldiers with good brains." Old Roussillon said the serious thing he really wanted to tell the monkey - he was thinking for the monkey The way out: "I've asked Sergeant Bunnier, and he promised to add your name. You're young and smart, and there's still a chance... don't waste it."

"I'm not going!" Hearing that he was going to be separated from the old sergeant, the monkey subconsciously resisted, and he hurriedly pleaded: "Sergeant, my parents died early, and since I was a child, no one treated me well except the dog and you. -From now on, I will call you old father! I have had a headache since I was a child, old father, please don't drive me away! I will listen to you in the future! What **** school is happy?"

Roussillon also had reluctance in his eyes, but his tone did not soften. Instead, he taught him more sternly and firmly: "You kid, you don't understand anything! This is not an ordinary school, it is a school for training officers. Chief Tamas , Commander Xia Ling... Those people you don't dare to look up to now all came out of the same training class. You go in and study hard, and when you come out, you'll be an officer too! Isn't it better than being a big head all your life? Strong soldiers?"

   "What's wrong with the officer!" The monkey wiped his tears: "I don't care!"

Roussillon stood up abruptly, slapped the monkey hard, and said sadly, "Open your eyes! The war has just ended! There will be another war! There will always be an unfinished war! No matter how lucky you are! , and the day when it runs out! Do you imagine that you are like me, with no children, no family, no job - nothing! Are you destined to die on the battlefield?!"

  The monkey grabbed the hem of Roussillon's clothes and cried out loudly.

  …

   Meanwhile, on the other side of the barracks, in the office area belonging to the officers.

"Be sure to make it clear to everyone. Repeat it to make sure everyone understands." Tamas said without looking up, while scrambling to sign his name on the supply list: "The Battle of Shovel Harbor was The last first-level credit. From now on, the indiscriminate killing of prisoners will be severely punished. Let everyone not worry, the tribune is formulating a new set of rules for credit and booty distribution, which will be promulgated soon. "

  Peter Bunir nodded vigorously.

  Tamas frowned again, squinted, and clumsily signed a few documents. When he looked up, Peter Bunir was still there.

   "Anything else?" Tamas asked.

"The battalion commander." Shorty Peter bowed his head, and asked nonchalantly: "Can I really be a company commander? Can I really...can manage hundreds of people? When I think that if I do something wrong, they may die, I'm just... my legs are weak..."

  Tamas thought for a while, put away the pen and paper, and asked seriously, "Then do you think I am qualified to be a battalion commander?"

   "Yes!" Peter the Short answered without hesitation.

"But I never felt that I was qualified." Tamas said hoarsely after being silent for a long time: "I was just a soldier feeding the horses. I will do whatever people ask me to do, and I will do whatever I want to go. Where are you going? I even learned how to read and write by the tribune, and I can't even write my own name! I'm also worthy of commanding others? I'm also worthy of shouldering the lives of 480 soldiers? Ling is far more qualified to be the commander of this first battalion than I am. Why me? Why? I don't understand either."

   Peter the Short did not know how to answer.

"But sometimes..." Tamas struggled to organize the language: "What happens to us doesn't care what we think. I don't want to lose the battle, but in the wasteland we lose. I just want to save money to buy a land, Living in peace, but now I'm sitting here...you get it, Peter? It doesn't matter what we think - it doesn't matter! What matters is how we choose and what we do."

   Peter the Shorty nodded vaguely.

   "You have been on the battlefield, charged in the most dangerous places, and made many meritorious deeds. The soldiers respect you. When you are in charge of a company alone, you have also completed your assigned duties." Tamas picked up the quill again:

"Whether you are brave or cowardly, capable or lucky, in view of your resume, Your Excellency the Tribunal believes that you can temporarily act as the company commander of the first company. In the future, based on your performance, you will decide whether you can get Officially appointed. So—congratulations, Captain Bunir."

  Tamas lowered his head and continued to check the supply list: "Now, go back to your company."

"Yes."

  Peter Bunier raised his hand in salute and turned to leave.

   [82332/100000]

   [No accident should be upper, middle and lower…]

   [Characters in this chapter]

[Major Seb Carrington: used to be the No. 1 troll of the Palatine Army, and is currently the No. 2 troll; member of the expeditionary force, captured at the Battle of the Great Wilderness, and later redeemed by Winters; It is customary to refer to the number of cavalry with a saber, and Cerber is the only one who is called "that saber" for being so brave as to be insane;]

   [Veteran Lu Xirong: When he was drafted into the army, Lu Xirong was only eighteen years old, and now, he is a half-old man of fifty-one years old. He hated the army and hated war, but the army was home to him, and war was the only thing he knew.]

   [Monkey: Another 18-year-old boy in the army, arrogant and timid, clever but reckless, slick but loyal; whoever treats him well, he treats whoever is good, still a child who is easy to understand]

[Tamas: The head of the Twelve Arhats under Winters... No, no, it should be said that he is the head of the twelve personal soldiers; because the second company commander is too "capable", he has been in self-abasement and self-confidence for a long time. Doubtful...]

   [Peter Bunnier: The man was unexpectedly short and sometimes brave; good luck]

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you all]

   (end of this chapter)