Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The sun had just risen when the refugee camp at Qingfeng Town fell into turmoil.

Soldiers with long spears drawn in a line aggressively drove the refugees out of their tents, forcing them to assemble in the open space.

Peter Black and Peter Fisher were among them.

Bard stood on the cart in front of the open space, waiting for the refugees to gather.

In his hand, he held a flagpole. There was no flag on it, but rather it was covered with a burlap sack.

The shabbily dressed refugees stood silently, their bellies gnawing with hunger, utterly exhausted, their eyes numb.

Seeing that all the people in the camp had been brought over, Bard leveled the flagpole and slowly removed the burlap sack covering its top.

The refugees couldn't help but gasp softly.

The dirty coarse burlap was torn away.

A large emblem made of gold shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

Twelve pigeon egg-sized rubies were intricately inlaid on the emblem, reflecting a captivating halo.

Those with keen eyesight had already recognized what it was.

"This is the emblem of Saint Ados! The relic fragment is preserved within it!" Bard held the flagpole with both hands in front of him, sweeping his gaze over the crowd, his voice demanding, "Those who believe in the only Savior! Kneel immediately to pay homage!"

An elderly woman at the forefront of the crowd was the first to prostrate herself on the ground,

and like a great wave passing over, others quickly knelt down one after another, including the soldiers who also knelt on one knee.

"Our Father in heaven!" Bard recited the Lord's Prayer loudly.

The people murmured in a soft chorus, "Our Father in heaven."

Bard continued to recite, "Hallowed be thy name..."

He recited a line, and the crowd followed in kind, "Hallowed be thy name..."

The voices of the people praying in unison became louder and louder, converging together; many even shed tears.

Refugees from other camps rushed as well, crowding by their fences, eager to see what was happening.

"For ever and ever!" As Bard finished, he said, "Rise!"

"For ever and ever!" The crowd followed suit and stood up.

Bard handed the [Saint Ados Emblem] to Ish beside him—the Ish from Ganshui Town.

The Ish from Ganshui Town, overcome with emotion, grasped the flagpole firmly, not allowing it to tilt in the slightest.

On the day the city fell into chaos, the Revodan Cathedral was first looted and then set ablaze. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, all the valuable liturgical vessels inside the cathedral had been stolen.

The Saint Ados Emblem held by Bard was indeed recovered from the hands of the criminals.

"Those who follow the will of the Lord, you will be saved!" Leading the crowd in prayer, Bard naturally began to preach to the people, "Many centuries ago... the Prophet parted the sea, leading the people into the wilderness..."

His sermon was simple, merely recounting the scriptural story of "the Prophet parting the sea, leading the people to wander in the wilderness for forty years, and finally reaching the land flowing with milk and honey."

Bard was not a Protestant, nor was he old church clergy; he had no right to carry out the rituals.

But when he preached, everyone listened.

After the sermon, the son of a serf from Greenheart Monastery—Bard from Gerard Village—looked into the eyes of the refugees, his face expressionless as he announced their fate:

"Yesterday, the military administration of Iron Peak County passed the [Poor Relief Decree]. According to the decree, all refugees are subject to martial law with immediate effect, and the military administration will provide you with food! Housing! Agricultural tools! And land!"

Bard allowed no time for contemplation, his voice cold and merciless, "But from today, you will no longer be completely free people. You will be equivalent to serfs, henceforth farming and clearing land within the settlement farms!"

Even the most uninformed refugees were shocked at this moment.

The crowd began to whisper among themselves, their voices spreading and the camp getting louder.

Bard bellowed, "Silence!"

People abruptly closed their mouths, and the camp fell suddenly quiet, a testament to the lingering influence of punitive discipline.

"The Prophet led the people through the wilderness for a full forty years before entering the Promised Land," Bard pronounced to the refugees, unquestioningly, like a sermon: "By the grace of the Republic and the Lord, you only need seven years!"

The refugees were confused; even the soldiers listened carefully.

The autumn wind swept through the camp, carrying Bard's voice to every ear: "In the witness of the Lord, the Republic makes a covenant with you. After three years of labor as serfs, you will transition to being sharecroppers, no longer subject to martial law. After another four years of labor as sharecroppers, you will be eligible to redeem the land, regain your complete freedom, and become true freehold farmers."

Bard opened the [Book of Judgment] and handed it to the proclaimer who had come from Revodan, "As I call each name, step forward. Kiss the emblem, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Swear your allegiance!"

The proclaimer took the [Book of Judgment] with both hands. His usual job was tallying votes in town meetings and reading announcements in marketplaces; he had never experienced a situation like this before.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to read out the first name, "Peter Black from Shibi Village!"

Upon hearing his name called, Peter Black's legs shook uncontrollably.

He hadn't expected to be the first called, nor had he clearly heard what the priest was saying.

All he vaguely heard was "distribution of food," "distribution of land," and "becoming a serf."

"Survive, and there will be a way."

Suddenly, Peter Black recalled the words of the gentleman he didn't know.

He swallowed with difficulty, his body stiff as he walked forward, kissed the gold and jeweled emblem, and swore his allegiance.