Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Seber waited until only formal officers remained by his side before he asked Lieutenant Colonel Magash, "Weren't you guarding the Border Mountain City?"

"The threat has been removed." Lieutenant Colonel Magash hooked Seber's left arm, which was supporting the saber, and patted the latter's wrist: "Come, come inside and talk."

"Forget it, if we let him into the tent, he might think we're going to harm him." Colonel Skul stiffly stopped Magash.

The Colonel frowned, staring at the younger student, and asked, "What did Winters Montagne send you here to do?"

"First of all, I wasn't sent by him." Seber immediately corrected, and retorted: "What are you two counties doing combining forces for?"

"Oh, he sent you to gather military intelligence. Now that you've seen it all, go back and report to him."

With that, Skul coldly signaled Captain Luosong to see the guest out and turned to walk towards the command tent.

Instead, Seber became spirited, cleared his throat, and proudly said to Skul's back: "I came to inform you that Winters's troops are heading to attack Sunder in Vernge County."

Colonel Skul turned around abruptly, just seeing the expression on the Colonel's face made Seber feel this trip was worthwhile.

"When did this happen?" Skul asked.

Seber took out the Nulan Clock, pretending to glance at it — due to forgetting to wind and reset it, the clock had long stopped.

"Right now." Seber answered solemnly: "Sunder should have already surrendered."

The surrounding air instantly froze. The junior officers remained silent in confusion, and Magash looked at Colonel Skul without any visible emotion. However, his dilated pupils betrayed the Lieutenant Colonel's mental activities.

"Winters Montagne." Colonel Skul's breathing became choppy, he bit his teeth and asked in a restrained, calm tone: "How dare he start a war on his own, attacking allied forces?"

…

[Artemis]

"Oh?" Winters was greatly puzzled.

His gaze swept forward, and the prisoners waiting for identification in the barracks all lowered their heads to avoid his gaze.

He looked back at his subordinates, Lannis had a serious expression, and Houdel was holding back laughter.

Winters withdrew his gaze and sincerely asked Sunder in front of him: "So, we were allies?"

Major Sunder had been disarmed, and his family heirloom saber was currently being admired by the "Montaigne brat" in his hands.

Even though the Major looked somewhat embarrassed, every button on his coat was still fastened meticulously.

Major Sunder straightened his back, striving to maintain his last bit of dignity: "The Four County Army passed through Vernge County. I didn't stop you and even ordered all villages and towns along the way to provide you with supplies."

"Just sitting on the fence." Winters remained unmoved: "You didn't deploy troops to join the battle either."

"I didn't interfere with your correspondence with Revodan, nor your transfer of prisoners and spoils of war."

"Your cavalry was suppressed by my cavalry; you simply had no ability to stop us."

Sunder Colonel's face turned from red to white. After hesitating for a moment, he reluctantly revealed his final secret: "After learning the outcome of the River Valley Village battle, I sided with you. I've had correspondence with Colonel Skul, and the Colonel has already accepted my defection."

"I know, I guessed as much." Winters was not at all surprised, handing Sunder's saber to Lannis: "In the past, if Paratu nobles wanted to buy a good sword, they had to pay gold equal to the weight of the blade. Take it; it's yours now!"

Lannis started for a moment, then proudly accepted the saber under the envious gazes of his subordinates.

Winters turned to Major Sunder, his smile had already vanished: "But Colonel Skul never told me."

…

[Joint Camp of Thunder Group County and Riverside County]

"All right, stop thinking about how to deal with Winters Montagne!" Seber slapped the saber onto the map table and casually lay back in the campaign chair.

He held up two fingers towards Skul, then bent one down: "The pliers have broken one of the jaws, so what's there left to play?"

"You came here just to say that to me." Colonel Skul suppressed his anger: "And then show me a middle finger?"

Belatedly aware, Seber Carrington hurriedly pulled his hand back: "I'm sorry."

Colonel Skul snorted lightly, while Magash smiled, and the atmosphere relaxed.

"Explain your intentions, Seber." Magash placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.

"My intentions? I'm here to stand up for those little fellows of Richard Mason. Some words, if they said them, would definitely be belittled and bullied by you. So, I have to speak for them."

Skul furrowed his brow: "Stop the nonsense."

"Winters Montagne's intention is simple; he doesn't want to go to war with you. What happened in Maplestone City was an accident. However, since the citizens of Maplestone City chose him, there's no way he can hand Maplestone City back to you like a tribute." Seber raised his hand and confidently said: "Does the Blood Wolf not want face?"

Skul remained expressionless.

On the other side, Lieutenant Colonel Magash generously smiled and said: "Understandable. If we were in his position, we wouldn't be able to hand over the city either."

Seber seized the opportunity, adopting a tone of unprecedented familiarity, and continued his offensive towards Colonel Skul:

"The last time I came, although... it was a little unpleasant, you did send people with me to Maplestone City to check the treasury. Wasn't everything there? Nothing was touched? Montaigne's men didn't even enter the city gates, wasn't that sincere enough?"

Lieutenant Colonel Magash looked questioningly at the Colonel.

Colonel Skul neither confirmed nor denied, countering: "So what?"

"What's with the 'so what'?" Seber felt inexplicable.

Skul said coldly: "The untouched treasury could be a sign of sincerity or bait. Lure us in and then annihilate us — would the things in the warehouse grow legs and run away? So, what does it mean?"

Colonel Skul stood up and aggressively questioned: "Saber, I want to ask you! You come from a prestigious Paratu family, sheltered by the Republic since childhood, which side are you on?"

Seber Carrington flared up in anger, slapped the table, and fiercely retorted: "Do I need you to tell me which side I'm on? Do I need you to tell me the side I'm currently standing on?"

The sudden powerful blow broke the hinge of the map table, causing the tabletop to tilt.

But Seber Carrington's fire hadn't yet been fully vented; the nickname 'saber' wasn't given for nothing.

"Skur Meklen! Don't you dare act shamelessly!" Seber shouted: "Take a good look! Your forces are the ones pinned down now! It's not Montaigne's troops that are surrounded! If he really wanted to deal with you, would you live to see tomorrow?!"

At this stage of the argument, victory no longer depended on who was more reasonable, but on who had the louder voice.

And at this stage, the ultimate goal was no longer to persuade the opponent but to anger them to death.

In this battle of voices and sarcasm, Skur Meklen was utterly defeated.

The Colonel, full of strategies, could not withstand the destructive power of a single "Don't you dare act shamelessly."

Skul clutched his chest, almost fainting.

He hadn't realized, at the moment he started thinking, "How am I being shameless?" he had already lost.

Hearing the commotion from outside the camp, Luosong hurried in on crutches to intervene, only to witness a one-sided slaughter.

The junior officers of Thunder Group County hurriedly carried Colonel Skul away, leaving only Seber and Magash in the tent.

Seber slumped into the chair, still angry.

Magash walked over, patted Seber on the shoulder, and to his surprise, caught a glimpse of regret in Saber's eyes.

"The Nether River Ghost cannot hand over Maplestone City nor wants to start a war, so what does he want?" Lieutenant Colonel Magash asked softly, with a sneer: "He's not thinking of recruiting us, is he?"

"He isn't that presumptuous." Seber sighed: "He wants to invite you to co-administer Maplestone City."