Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The soldiers from Iron Peak County did not stop them, just now they could madly stab the enemy with spears, but for some reason they could not bring themselves to stab anymore.

"We haven't lost yet!" the chief centurion of Vernge County, Captain Salai, cried out in anger and grief, "We haven't lost yet! Come back!"

Captain Laisa raised his military saber, trying to stop the flood of defeat.

Suddenly, a soldier from the crowd behind Laisa shot a dark silver coin, hitting Laisa in the back of the head.

Laisa fell to the ground, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, and his consciousness was extinguished.

...

Over at Winters', he still did not know the outcome of the battle at Hammer Fort.

Separated by hundreds of kilometers, he couldn't possibly remote control his troops.

At the same time, Winters had ample confidence in the military talents of his senior, Juan.

The vast battlefield was roughly divided into the Eastern and Western fronts, Winters was in charge of the Eastern front, while Lord Juan had absolute command of the Western front.

Mysterious Man A and Mysterious Man B were the most powerful secret weapons Winters had.

Just as Lord Juan had secured a great victory on his front, Winters had encountered a bit of trouble on his.

Winters discovered that the enemy from Mont Blanc County was approaching fast.

In Deerhorn Town, he received the message that "the enemy army has turned back to help."

Before he could leave Deerhorn Town, another scout returned with the news that "the enemy is building a Floating Bridge, and they're making rapid progress."

Considering the situation within Mont Blanc County, Winters concluded the enemy had been prepared early on.

Three hundred-men units quickly assembled in the square of Deerhorn Town.

Facing his soldiers, Winters ordered without mercy, "Throw away all the plundered goods!"

The soldiers were undersupplied, wore threadbare clothes, endured strict military law, and had to fight for their lives; looting was one of the few outlets they had.

Or rather, looting after battles had become a "sacred and inviolable right" of the soldiers.

Winters deeply detested this, but he couldn't eradicate this tradition overnight.

He could restrain his soldiers from theft, arson, or rape, but as for petty thievery, he chose to turn a blind eye for the time being.

Entering prosperous places like Deerhorn Town, his soldiers had all made a little fortune.

Some soldiers had even changed into new clothes and shoes, creating a mix that was both comical and sad with their old garments.

Upon hearing Winters' order, everyone was very reluctant.

"Throw it away!" Winters repeated the order, a rare occurrence.

His old subordinates—centurions and sergeants—hesitated no more, taking out coins, fabrics, silver cutlery, fine little porcelain, and other trinkets from their backpacks and resolutely threw them to the ground.

With the centurions and sergeants leading by example, other soldiers followed suit.

But they truly didn't want to part with their spoils, with some even crying as they threw them away.

On the other side, Andre was leading a cavalry unit to raid the bakeries, taverns, and all places where food might be stored in Deerhorn Town.

Andre, wielding a military saber, kicked open the door of the baker's house and ordered, "Take all the bread!"

The fierce-looking cavalry immediately started looting the baker's home.

"Sir! This isn't my bread!" the baker wailed, "I'm baking it for someone else! If you take it, what am I supposed to say?"

Andre indifferently threw a bag of silver coins to the baker.

The baker weighed the bag and nodded in resignation.

Back with Winters' group, after seeing the soldiers clear all the burdensome items, he went through the ranks to inspect personally.

Six soldiers still had "spoils of war" in their backpacks, and he singled them out.

"Throw it away," he repeated the order for the third time.

The six soldiers dutifully threw away the items they had looted.

Returning in front of the troops, Winters told his men directly, "The enemy is coming to kill us, they swear to wipe us out. The speed of the march is life itself. Carry nothing but weapons, rations, and ammunition! Don't covet these petty profits, the money from the Deerhorn Town treasury is being transported by the horse team, and everyone will get a share after the battle!"

The soldiers turned from sorrow to joy, with the particularly heartbroken ones instantly laughing through their tears.

Andre's cavalry unit returned to the town square, distributing the requisitioned bread and salted meat and other portable food and drink to everyone.

Having shed their burdens and replenished food, Winters waved his hand, and the troops left Deerhorn Town, continuing their march to Falconflower Fort.

Winters did not know the status of the battle on Juan's front, but the longer he tied down enemy forces, the more breathing room the Western front would have.

So even though he knew the enemy had prepared early, Winters chose to stick to the original plan and continue to feint an attack on Falconflower Fort to keep pulling at the enemy's attention.

Upon leaving Deerhorn Town, a scout reported, "The enemy's floating bridge is now in place."

Winters did not say a word.

He led his troops less than five kilometers out of Deerhorn Town when another scout reported, "The enemy's advance guard is fast and lightly equipped, only fifteen kilometers away from Deerhorn Town."

The speed of Mont Blanc County's garrison was astonishing, like bloodhounds that had caught the scent, hot on Winters' tail.

"Right." Andre also figured it out and laughed heartily, "It looks like they've been waiting for us to leap into the outer lines and want to devour us whole."

"No need to go further ahead. If I'm not mistaken, the militias from the various towns of Mont Blanc County have already started to assemble, and wherever we go we're likely to hit a wall," said Winters, looking at the map with a furrowed brow.

Andre yawned, completely unconcerned that they were surrounded.

"The garrison officer of Mont Blanc County... he wouldn't think I had dashed recklessly into his territory without any preparation, would he?" Winters Montagne was utterly dumbfounded.

He laughed out of frustration, "This guy, he really fucking looks down on people!"