Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 764 - 59 Counting Stoves

Chapter 764: Chapter 59 Counting Stoves Chapter 764: Chapter 59 Counting Stoves In the days following the destruction of the Taltai family, squadrons from the Terdon Tribe killed their way to the west bank of the Big Horn River one after another.

For a time, the west bank was filled with the neighing of horses and the rising of dust; the civilians in Niutigu Valley all said “it’s thundering in winter”—which was actually the thunderous rumbling of a myriad of horses trampling the ground.

Moreover, because of the winter winds, the people of Terdon were upwind, while Niutigu Valley was downwind.

The smoke from the barbarians burning cattle and horse dung mixed with the dust kicked up by hooves, carried by the westerly wind towards the East Bank, made the people of Iron Peak County cough from morning till evening.

Just the smoke from the barbarians’ fires was so terrible, what if those barbarians crossed the river?

The hearts of the people of Niutigu Valley trembled with fear, and not a few civilians even thought about abandoning their homes to flee. Even the willpower of the warriors unavoidably wavered a bit.

But seeing the blood-red flag flying on the church bell tower, everyone felt reassured—Blood Wolf was still in Niutigu Valley, what were we afraid of?

...

Niutigu Valley was now the front line for both armies, so Winters had stayed.

As the Terdon Tribe’s large forces killed their way here, the troops under Winters also arrived at Niutigu Valley one after another.

The first to arrive to provide support were the Eleventh and Twelfth Companies.

The second batch of reinforcements was the “Volunteer Brigade” led by Samukin—though soldiers from other companies usually called them the “Basket-weaving Brigade”.

Because the Volunteer Brigade was recruited from captives, all of whom were carefully selected by Samukin as the best at weaving baskets—also the captives with the best obedience.

The name “Captives Brigade” didn’t sound good, so Winters personally bestowed them with the designation “Volunteer Brigade”.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

He had already signed a new contract with the captives from Vernge County:

[For each Terdon head taken, freedom after the war; for two Terdon heads taken, allowed to be known as a land-grant soldier; for more than two heads, merit accrued according to the standards of active soldiers.]

Originally, Niutigu Valley was garrisoned by the First and Second Companies, and with the arrival of the Eleventh and Twelfth Companies and the [Basket-weaving Brigade], the total military strength had nearly reached a thousand.

If the civilians of Niutigu Valley were counted as auxiliary troops, the size of the army could instantly swell to five thousand.

By the rules of exaggerating a bit, saying that Winters Montagne personally led a twenty-thousand-strong army to stand off against the Terdon Tribe’s hundred thousand Iron Cavalry across the river… obviously, this was very reasonable.

To monitor the enemy’s movements, Winters mobilized manpower to build a series of watchtowers along the East Bank of the Big Horn River.

At this very moment, he was standing atop one of them, leaning on the railing and gazing across the river at the Terdon people.

“What do you think,” Winters, leaning on his cane, suddenly asked with a laugh to the few people behind him, “are the Herders so poor that they only have horses left?”

Upon hearing this, everyone present laughed along.

Winters wore a tattered hat on his head and a triangular cloth over his face, looking like a highwayman without a trace of the “Honorable Civil Officer.”

The others were dressed similarly, wrapped up tightly, with only their eyes showing.

It also served Winters right, for the west bank meadow had been burned to the ground by his fire, and even without human activity, the wind would kick up dust storms. Now with the large forces of the Terdon Tribe, the dust storms were even more powerful.

“Besides horses, they also have cattle and sheep,” laughed Bart Xialing, his eyes reduced to mere slits, “Of course, horses are the most valuable! Centurion, the barbarians have sent us a generous gift, we must properly thank them!”

According to the initial estimate by Tamas and Bart Xialing, the Taltai Division had about five to six hundred horses.

But after the battle, upon tallying up, close to a thousand horses were counted—effectively a windfall. Poor Taltai Division, their hard-earned assets ended up in Winters’ pocket.

The highly profitable raiding business indirectly caused a tendency towards “nomadization” among Winters’ officers.

Saving and scrimping, they still ended up tight, and Winters couldn’t even muster a hundred warhorses.

A single victorious battle brought in nearly a thousand horses—some good, some bad. Why bother breeding any longer? Isn’t it quicker to just take them? How satisfactory.

Winters felt obliged to correct the Second Company commander: “Indeed, the Terdon people have sent a generous gift, but the most valuable gift is not the horses.”

Bart Xialing bowed respectfully: “I am dull-witted, please enlighten me.”

Winters slightly tilted his chin upward: “It’s that fat man Taltai; his value alone is worth a thousand horses. Tamas, well done.”

Tamas scratched his head with a silly smile.

In the surprise attack on the Taltai Division, Tamas captured the enemy chieftain, doing even better than Winters—after all, if Winters had made the move, the chances of Taltai surviving would’ve been somewhat lower.

“The Terdon people are unaware of our true strength, but we have already grasped the full extent of theirs,” Winters pointed at the grand encampment of the Terdon across the river, “No matter how many men or horses they have over there, they are just coming to deliver gifts to us!”

The officers laughed heartily. In addition to officers, the mayor of Niutigu Valley was also present.

The mayor smiled awkwardly; with the barbarians from across the river, they could trample Niutigu Valley flat with just their horses—he truly couldn’t laugh.

“Mayor, don’t look so down,” Winters said with a smile to the mayor of Niutigu Valley.

The mayor’s heart quivered, and his smile grew even more awkward.

Winters leaned against the fence, smirking: “You think I’m boasting, right?”

“Not at all, sir, not at all,” the mayor hurriedly shook his head.

“Not at all means you do have that thought, huh?” Winters’ eyes crinkled into a smile.

At his counterpart’s question, the mayor of Niutigu Valley was just about ready to burst into tears, clueless as to what had displeased this killing god.