Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Having said that, Anna lightly kissed Winters' cheek and gently pushed him away.

Winters looked at Anna one last time as if he wanted to capture this moment of her in his eyes.

Then, he resolutely let go of Anna's hand.

"Rest assured, I will take good care of Longevity," Scarlett said softly.

Mrs. Mitchell, arm in arm with Scarlett, gave Winters a gentle nod.

In that moment, Catherine, too, abandoned her usual demeanor and simply said to Winters, "You must live, don't leave my sister alone… don't forget, you still owe my family a thousand Ducats."

Winters thanked each of the people from Wolf Town who had come to see him off, and finally, he approached Pierre, "I'm leaving Wolf Town in your hands."

"Rest assured," Pierre said, his face still pale as he raised his hand in salute.

Winters nodded, then mounted his horse.

His gaze slowly swept over the blacksmith's workshop, the sawmill, and the church, all burnt to ashes.

"One day, one day… one day we will rebuild all of this," Winters declared, looking into the eyes of his warriors, his voice stern yet steadfast as everyone listened clearly.

Winters took the battle flag covered in bloodstains, bullet holes, and scorch marks from Heinrich's hands. "But now, follow me to reclaim the right to rebuild our home!"

He pulled the reins harshly, charging toward the battlefield.

Without hesitation, his warriors followed him.

…

…

Major Ronald's retreat was incredibly difficult.

He was unable to secure enough supplies in Blackwater Town or in Shizhen.

Although Blackwater Town and Shizhen had not been evacuated, hiding their food had become a habit for the farmers.

Before the soldiers could even enter the villages, the villagers had already fled without a trace.

Even if they caught some farmers who had not managed to escape, their interrogation would yield nothing but "No," "Don't know," "We're starving too, sir."

Seeing the farmers' "simple and honest" faces, Ronald ordered them to be coerced into talking with sabers.

The shining steel blade resting on their necks, those farmers who just moments ago claimed to have no food, now obediently disclosed the location of their grain cellars.

Yet there were farmers who were exceptionally stubborn, stubborn to the point where Major Ronald began to doubt whether they actually had any food.

"Regardless, if they won't talk, kill them!" Lieutenant Adam's thought process was simple and brutal. "We need to set an example for the other farmers. Otherwise, they'll all follow suit!"

Major Ronald remained silent.

"Commander, what time is it? Are we still debating whether we're soldiers or bandits?" Seeing that the major didn't respond, Lieutenant Adam gritted his teeth and said, "Montaigne is in Revodan. We're bandits whether we like it or not! I'll handle this! You don't have to worry, nor inquire."

Having said that, Lieutenant Adam picked up his sword and left.

"Stop!" Major Ronald bellowed at the Centurion, "Are you the garrison officer, or am I the garrison officer? If I say no, then it's no! Release them all! How much grain can you squeeze out of one or two stubborn farmers?"

"But what if?" Lieutenant Adam was reluctant.

"What if?" Major Ronald glared, "Follow orders!"

After consuming the meager food they had conscripted in Blackwater Town and Shizhen, Ronald led over eight hundred soldiers on the road to Saint Town.

It was in the wilderness between Saint Town and Shizhen that Winters' cavalry caught up with this exhausted and starving Revodan troop.

The Revodan officers and soldiers saw Winters too.

After all, light traveled in a straight line, and there was little to no cover in the wilderness.

More importantly, Winters had no intention whatsoever to conceal his presence.

He stood alone on horseback, carrying a flagpole, at the top of a hill a mile away, openly surveilling the Revodan troops.

If the Revodan troops moved, he moved with them;

If the Revodan troops stopped, he stopped as well;

If the Revodan troops rested, he also planted the flagpole in the ground and dismounted to eat his dry provisions.

This was blatant insult and contempt.

"What does he want?" Lieutenant Adam roared furiously, "Does he think he can kill us all by himself?"

"Ignore him, just keep marching," Major Ronald explained calmly. "He's waiting for nightfall. Those who could catch up are undoubtedly elite cavalry, but their number won't be large. Night is the time when small contingents of elite cavalry can showcase their skills."

A Centurion could no longer endure such public humiliation and suddenly broke away from the column, charging toward the rider on the hillside.

"Ferenc, that idiot!" Major Ronald was furious, "Bring him back for me!"

Hearing his command, a Centurion and another messenger rider immediately spurred their horses to follow Lieutenant Ferenc.

Ferenc, enraged, ignored the shouts and galloping sounds coming from behind him and spurred his warhorse even faster.

"To hell with Spellcasters! I refuse to believe in such nonsense!" Ferenc bellowed uncontrollably. The two revolver guns inserted in the holsters on both sides of his saddle were ready to be fired at any moment.

"Come on, Monta!" Ferenc roared like thunder, "If you're as powerful as they say, try my two guns!"

Ronald, Adam, and all the Revodan soldiers could only watch as Centurion Ferenc charged like a madman towards the rider on the hill.

A gunshot rang out.

The rider remained unharmed.

Centurion Ferenc, on the other hand, swayed and tumbled off his saddle.

The two who went to his rescue didn't escape either, as the rider shot them all down.

A small troop of strange cavalry leaped out from behind the hill, capturing the three dismounted men as if snatching sheep and also taking their warhorses with them.

The hillside returned to peace.