Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The initial passion was soon ground down by the bran scraps in the bread, and after that it was all about persistence.

But Winters held on. If soldiers could eat it, he saw no reason why he couldn't.

Gradually, he adapted to the true face of this world, learning to chew and swallow whole pieces of bran without spitting them out.

Still, he especially missed Berlion, the blacksmith with a special ability to make unappetizing ingredients taste delicious.

Whereas most people only had the ability to make unappetizing food even worse.

Winters couldn't help but consider, "Should there be a separate department set up just for preparing food?"

But then again, that would make the army's organization bloated.

The old marshal's military reform, a major part of it, was about subtracting from the army: eliminating attendants, getting rid of all unnecessary auxiliary soldiers, and lightening the burden on the baggage trains.

Soldiers were responsible for carrying tents, military gear, and preparing food, and even without auxiliaries, the army would not lose its combat effectiveness.

So Winters was undecided.

"Perhaps it's worth a try," he thought. "After all, with only three arrows left, a mistake can still be corrected."

As he mused on his recliner, Scarlett quietly entered the living room.

"Will you be staying the night?" asked Madam Michel, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Your room is all set."

Winters had been staying with the troops during this time.

"No need to trouble yourself, I'll stay at the barracks in town."

Scarlett nodded without insisting, but she didn't leave either.

She boldly sat next to Winters, looking into his eyes and said, "Botayun should give birth to a foal by the third or fourth week of August."

"That's great."

Scarlett's gaze shifted to Winters' body, making idle chat, "Do you know why she's called Botayun?"

"Why?" Winters suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

Scarlett had grown from the shy, timid little Tess, who could hardly speak, into Lady Michel.

He felt a brotherly affection for Pierre, and looking at Scarlett, he naturally saw her as a little sister, always able to see Ella's shadow.

But he suddenly realized that she was not his blood sister; Scarlett was not Ella, and her demeanor had even become more mature, resilient, and independent than Ella seemed...

Winters' body language betrayed him; he subconsciously recoiled in the direction away from Scarlett.

All this time, he had actually been projecting Ella onto Scarlett.

For siblings who had grown up freely together, even the slightest thought of desire between a man and a woman can make one feel uncontrollably nauseous.

Ever since he realized that Scarlett had become a lady, Winters started to feel this nausea.

Scarlett eyed Winters' body, "In Dusan tradition, horses are named after their coat colors. 'Botay' was an ancient noble rank. 'Botayun' means a good horse as white as clouds."

"Oh? Named after coat color? The Herders do the same," Winters coughed lightly, retreating, "Where did you learn these things?"

"Stories my father told me..." Scarlett leaned forward slightly, "Stay here tonight."

Winters shook his head frantically.

"Then here!" Scarlett, biting her lower lip, suddenly stood up.

"What... what are you doing?" Winters broke out in a sweat on his forehead.

"Of course, it's to..." Scarlett grabbed Winters' trouser leg, slipping off her measuring tape from her wrist, "…take your measurements."

"Oh…" Winters breathed a sigh of relief, then cried out in alarm, "Even for measurements, no way!"

Scarlett's eyes blinked repeatedly.

Winters earnestly explained, "I don't need clothes, I've troubled the Michel estate too much already, it really isn't dignified to trouble you further..."

"It's alright, I want to sew clothes for you."

"No, really, it's not okay."

"I'll learn the tailoring skills."

"It's not about whether you can or can't..."

No matter what Scarlett said, Winters was adamantly refusing.

Suddenly, Scarlett's nose turned sour, and she started crying on the recliner.

If there was anything in the world that could scare Winters, it was surely a lady's tears.

"What's wrong?"

"Why?" Scarlett sobbed, "Why do you always reject me? Am I that bad? I..."

"It's not that," Winters fumbled, attempting to reason, "You feel this way about me... it's just because Wolf Town is so isolated, and I'm a fresh face. As you grow up, once you step outside Wolf Town, you'll meet more, better men, each more gentle and considerate than me..."

Scarlett wept even harder, "Are you saying I'm fickle, liking everyone I meet? I'm not! I! Am! Not!"

Winters' attempts to placate Madam Michel only ended up causing her more harm.

"I have a fiancée," Winters sighed softly, telling Scarlett, "She's still waiting for me."

This was a sufficient reason, but the first half of it was a lie, because Anna had not engaged Winters.

The second half might have been a lie before but was even more so now, because Anna would no longer wait for him; he had deeply hurt Anna's heart.

Scarlett's eyes had swollen from crying, "Your fiancée is in the distant lands, but I am right in front of you. I can become your fiancée too, I'm willing to take you away."