Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

In the situation of Revodan, if it were to be surrounded by two large armies, even the old marshal would be facing certain death in command.

Moreover, from the beginning, the old marshal would never fight such a battle.

To win, one must restrain one flank and attack the other, shattering one will make the other too scared to approach.

Right from the start, Winters' plan was to hold back Mont Blanc County and strike hard at Vernge County.

But if he couldn't restrain the garrison troops of Mont Blanc County and they rushed towards Revodan without a care,

Then Winters would have to resort to his backup plan:

Give up Revodan, retreat to the south of St. George River, to Wolf Town, or even further back to the Great Wilderness.

After all, he didn't have much in terms of pots and pans in Revodan, nothing worth grieving over if lost or smashed.

The storages in Revodan had long been emptied. Most of the food was taken away by Bard. Winters had spent all the money.

As long as the enemy dares to approach Revodan, he dares to attack Falconflower Fort.

Both sides would stab each other once, to see who bleeds more, who hurts more—no matter how Winters calculated it, Mont Blanc County would be the one in more pain.

Anna refused to evacuate early, for this reason, Winters left Little Lion in Revodan.

If the situation worsened, he asked Little Lion to take the womenfolk directly into the uninhabited area, seeking refuge with the Red River Tribe.

Little Lion was unexpectedly entrusted with Winters' family, his nose a bit sour, he rarely gave Winters a big hug.

Fortunately, none of the above happened.

Winters was willing to give up his "pots and pans" in Revodan, it seems Colonel Gaisa couldn't bear to lose his "pots and pans" in Falconflower Fort.

"Good! Gather the troops and prepare to depart," Winters laughed and patted his hands, saying to Andre and his subordinates, "The rest is up to Mr. A and Mr. B. Let's think of a way to see if we can get this 'handsome' colonel to take another stroll with us."

…

The news of Mont Blanc County's force turning back to assist spread in all directions.

Stationed within the borders of Iron Peak County, keeping an eye on Mont Blanc County's garrison, Dusack immediately sent back the intelligence to Revodan.

Winters also dispatched scouts by boat across the river to bring news back to Revodan.

As for the Mont Blanc County troops, Colonel Gaisa sent messengers, delivering letters to Colonel Zibeer, the garrison commander of Vernge County.

In the letter, Colonel Gaisa explained his plan: "The key is not Revodan, the rebels have legs and can abandon the city at any time. The key is to annihilate the enemy's main forces, and the key is to kill the rebel leader, Winters Montagne."

"Eliminating either will ensure the rebels' inevitable collapse."

Therefore, Colonel Gaisa urged Colonel Zibeer to "temporarily withdraw from Iron Peak County" and continue to "contain the main rebel forces" at the border of the two counties while waiting for news from Mont Blanc County.

"Victory or defeat does not lie in a single moment. If my troops annihilate the enemy's main forces, the Revodan proclamation can be settled. If my troops fail to annihilate the enemy's main forces, a pincer attack from both sides can be carried out later."

…

After dispatching the messenger, Gaisa immediately commanded his troops to march rapidly towards Manyun Valley.

Because of the inevitable delay in information transmission.

By the time Winters learned that the enemy was returning to help, Mont Blanc County troops had nearly completed their second Floating Bridge.

At the same time, Gaisa's messenger cavalry had also arrived at Vernge County's garrison camp.

When the messenger arrived, Colonel Zibeer was in a state of agitation.

The territory between Vernge County and Iron Peak County was separated by forests and hills, perfect for ambushes.

Thus, Colonel Zibeer proceeded with extreme caution, fearing to fall into rebel traps.

Unexpectedly, there were no rebel arrangements, but at the end of the forest, "Hammer Fort" blocked their path.

Intelligence said that Hammer Fort was a wooden fortress in disrepair, low and old.

But the "Hammer Fort" that stood before him was nothing like the one described in the reports.

The Hammer Fort blocking their way was not large, yet it had deep moats, tall walls, and bastions, a veritable miniature star-shaped fortress—it was clear someone had flattened the old Hammer Fort and raised a new one in its stead.

The most infuriating thing was that the rebels even had cannons.

Though they appeared to be wooden cannons, these were not something Zibeer's green troops could withstand.

The wooden cannons mounted on the walls fired two rounds of crossfire, causing Vernge County's new recruits to flee in utter disarray, crying out for their fathers and mothers.

Colonel Zibeer was seriously considering bypassing this tough nut and going straight for Revodan.

"What did the baldy send you for?" Colonel Zibeer asked the messenger irritably, "Where is he now? According to the time, I should be seeing him, not you!"

The messenger replied somewhat awkwardly, "Colonel Gaisa, he... he's gone back to Mont Blanc County."

"What?" bellowed Colonel Zibeer, enraged.

The messenger hurriedly handed the letter to Colonel Zibeer, "The colonel says to wait in Vernge County for his orders. He tells you to come, then you come."

The condescending tone irritated Colonel Zibeer beyond measure, but he didn't want to pick a quarrel with a mere messenger.

He tore open the envelope and quickly scanned the contents.

The letter was genuine, its pattern produced by a special process that couldn't be forged;

The hidden codes at the beginning and end of the sentences were correct;

And Zibeer recognized Gaisa's handwriting.

Confirming the letter was not fake only fueled Colonel Zibeer's fury. He slammed the table and bellowed, "He's a colonel, and I'm a colonel too! What right does Gaisa Adonis have to order me around?!"

The messenger did not dare to reply, keeping his head bowed even lower.

The other officers in the tent followed suit, no one daring to cross the furious Colonel Zibeer.

"What else did the baldy say?" Colonel Zibeer demanded.

"The colonel says... says if he kills the bandit leader Montagne, there won't be a need to attack Revodan."