Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The small pond was silent; no one was washing clothes anymore. Everyone eagerly waited for the soldier speaking to continue.

"And then?"

A slightly trembling voice broke the silence — Jacob Green raised his hand to ask.

The former councillor of Niutigu Valley, now secretary of the Iron Peak County Infantry Regiment, had somehow come to the pondside. He not only silently blended in among the soldiers but also held a small notebook, sweating profusely as he recorded.

"And then?" The storytelling soldier shrugged: "Then the Blood Wolf dashed out from the smoke and charged directly at the enemy. Who could withstand the Blood Wolf's charge? That bunch collapsed in an instant, shouting as they fled. Then we won."

This ending was quite plain, but the soldiers were very satisfied with it.

Someone naturally remarked, "Of course, the Blood Wolf wouldn't fall for such a petty trick."

"What are you talking about? What death? They couldn't even touch the Blood Wolf's fur!"

"Alas, I've never seen the Blood Wolf, nor do I know what it actually looks like."

"How have you not seen it?"

"It's always a distant glimpse from afar, never got close."

"Monkey... Houdel is now the Blood Wolf's guard; why don't you ask him?"

"Why don't you go ask?"

"Have you heard?" Someone spoke mysteriously, "The Blood Wolf is chosen and hence cannot be harmed by swords or spears..."

"Attention!" A bright command interrupted the spreading rumors.

The command came from Lu Xirong, who stood rigidly like a post.

The other soldiers followed the old sergeant's gaze and promptly stood up.

At the focus of everyone's gaze, Peter Buniel stood holding a wooden basin, somewhat at a loss.

"Captain, why are you washing clothes too?" Someone asked awkwardly.

Peter Buniel asked in surprise, "Why shouldn't I be washing clothes?"

It took Lu Xirong to stop the atmosphere from further deteriorating. The old sergeant gestured for others to make space for the captain, while respectfully saying, "For such menial tasks, you should hire a laundress."

Peter Buniel shyly walked through the soldiers, placed the basin by the pond, and said embarrassedly, "I... I don't have money."

Some soldiers quietly cursed "miser."

Though serving the Blood Wolf offered no salary, and the rewards for their valor hadn't been realized yet, just from plundering war spoils, the Iron Peak County Soldiers' purses had already been filled up.

The rank and file soldiers all made a small fortune, yet a captain claiming poverty — who would believe it?

However, Lu Xirong sternly glared at the others, rebuking coldly, "Do you think everyone is like you, scavenging from the dead?"

With these words, everyone sheepishly lowered their heads.

The soldiers silently sat back down and resumed washing clothes.

Around the pond, the only sound left was the beating of clothes, while Jacob Green watched everything quietly.

For Jacob, who was determined to witness and document Winters Montagne's success — or failure, what he'd just observed was far more interesting than "the Blood Wolf won again."

...

Tulin led the cavalry to water the horses, catching the tail end of the minor stir near the pond.

More soldiers prioritized taking a rare half-day off for bathing, playing in water, and swimming over washing clothes.

The shepherd girls on the West Bank were frightened home by the spectacle of hundreds of naked men jumping into the river, while the East Bank gathered quite a few children to watch the excitement.

Artemis lies by the Anya River, which serves as the border river between Vernge County and Thunder Group County. Hence, if Iron Peak County Military soldiers swam to the other side, they could reach the territory of friendly forces in Thunder Group County.

When Tulin arrived at the riverbank, he saw an infantryman swim swiftly like a mackerel — his arms and legs propelled him far, quickly reaching the opposite bank.

That infantryman swapped some small item with a child on the other side for a basket of fruit. He tied the basket to his ankle, dove back into the river, and swam joyously back to his comrades on the West Bank shore.

Tulin whistled, applauding the good swimming skills of the unknown infantryman.

The swimming champion returning to the West Bank acknowledged with a distant nod towards the cavalry.

"Water the horses here?" A cavalryman beside Tulin asked.

"No, let's head further upstream." Tulin smiled cunningly: "If we water the horses downstream, we'll end up drinking the infantry's piss; if we go upstream, the infantry has to drink ours."

The cavalry laughed and headed upstream, walking about a mile before finding a suitable river bend to water the horses.

They drove the horses down to the riverbank, staying on the dry land to watch their horses leisurely lower their heads to drink water and lick salt.

Tulin's gaze swept over the lush water grasses on either side of the Anya River, suddenly saying with some melancholy, "Time to cut grass."

"What?" The cavalryman next to him didn't hear clearly.

"I said." Tulin annoyed, deliberately raised his voice: "Time! To! Cut! Grass!"

The cavalryman next to him scratched his head, awkwardly asking, "Cut grass to feed the horses? Do we have to mow grass now? It's only June."

"You're not a Dusa, of course you don't know." Tulin said boldly, "June is exactly the time for cutting grass, or else it dries out and isn't easy to cut. You cut once in June, again in autumn, or else what do the beasts eat in winter?"

Tulin pointed at the grass on the riverbank and enthusiastically lectured on the nuances of mowing: "This riverbank grass won't do, soil's too loose. The grass grows short. Short grass is useless no matter how lush. Horses gain no weight eating it. Big animals like tall grass. Grass as tall as a horse's belly grows only in solid black earth. That kind of grass is a joy to cut."