Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

In the military tent at Wolf Town, Colonel Moritz sat at a desk, propping up his chin and gently swirling his glass.

On the desk, there was also a small plate of almonds and green olives, all of which had been brought from afar from Revodan by someone.

The person who had bought these things was now holding a bottle of wine, carefully recounting to Moritz his experiences over the past year.

And whenever Moritz's glass was even slightly empty, he would immediately fill it up again.

Tang Juan burst into the tent, seeing this scene, he was so angry that smoke seemed to be coming out of his seven orifices, "It's not even noon yet, and you two have started drinking already?"

"Not him," Moritz took a small sip of the pale gold 'water of life', smiling as he said, "Just me."

"I asked you to come here, to get rid of him! But look at you, a few bottles of wine and you're sold? Have you forgotten the general's orders?"

Moritz yawned and looked at Lieutenant Juan, answering slowly and deliberately, "His father wanted me to collect his body. I could try to kill him and bring back a corpse, but I can't guarantee success. If you expect me to twist his will and force him to do something against his wishes, that's something I can't do."

Winters found another cup and invited Juan, his senior, to take a seat.

Juan gulped down half a glass of strong liquor in an almost venting manner, pouring it straight down his throat.

"Drink sparingly," Moritz said, a hint of distress in his voice, "I was planning on making it last for many days."

"Many days?" Juan slammed the table as he stood up.

"Senior," Winters earnestly requested, "there's something I'd like to ask for your help with."

…

At the Panto River ford, Winters was seeing off the old pirate.

"No need to escort me any further, my lord," Gold said, his front tooth still not fixed, which made his smile whist when he laughed, "We're already at Blackwater Town, please, go back."

When they had come from Vineta, there was a total of sixteen people including Gold, two ladies, and Juan's subordinates.

But on the return trip, there were only three: Gold, one of Juan's cavalrymen, and one of Winters's Dusacks.

"Be careful on your journey," Winters said with apology, "Lieutenant Juan will have to stay here for some time, so only two people will escort you."

Gold laughed heartily, "I know this road like the back of my hand; I don't need an escort at all. As long as I'm alive, I guarantee to deliver your letter back to Sea Blue."

Juan, who had come looking for someone, was instead detained by Winters, and he had to explain the reason to Antonio.

The only person Winters had at hand who could serve as a messenger and guide was Gold, so he had no choice but to send the old pirate on another journey.

Winters and Juan selected two capable young men for the old pirate, on one hand as escorts, and on the other, to familiarize more people with the route between Newly Reclaimed Land and Vineta.

Once others became familiar with the route, the old pirate would no longer have to be on the move.

"I'm off, don't worry!" Gold laughed loudly, cracked his whip, and spurred his horse, racing away.

Winters watched them until the three riders disappeared into the woods.

Then he turned his horse back towards Wolf Town, his will firm, for he still had tasks to accomplish.

…

It takes about six months for barley to grow from sowing to maturity; it is sown as soon as the weather turns warm at the end of February or the beginning of March, and harvested in September.

Oats vary by type, and the Paratu strain of oats is late-maturing, requiring roughly four months of growth. They are usually sown in May and also harvested in September.

Paratu agriculture generally follows a three-field system. The farmland is divided into three parts: one for winter wheat, another for supplementary grains, and the last left fallow.

Barley, oats, rye, alongside some legumes and vegetables, are the main crops in the Paratu farmers' [spring-autumn] agricultural cycle.

But before September when the grain is fully matured, a new round of collection would have already begun.

The reason is simple; if one waits until the wheat is completely ripe, what would be left for the collection team? The farmers would have harvested everything clean already.

"Forced harvest" means one must collect before the wheat ripens.

In the midst of this forced harvesting, the wheat matures.

These are valuable experiences accumulated during the [Sovereignty War] thirty years prior, and pulling them out now is no less relevant.

Wheat not yet matured may not be edible, but it is still a valuable commodity, suitable for feeding horses, and considered top-quality fodder.

Warhorses favor and require this kind of nutritious and moisture-rich fine feed the most.

As unripe crops are difficult to store due to their water content, the Paratu People invented the "silage" technique.

By chopping up the still-green crops, sealing them, and allowing them to ferment, not only is it possible to retain their nutrients and moisture, but it also "detoxifies" them.

The feed remains fresh for long periods without spoiling, and the slightly sour-tasting silage is particularly favored by cattle, horses, and sheep.

However, creating silage feed requires high levels of expertise and technique from the handlers and is typically found only in large military horse farms.

No one would be so extravagant as to use unripe grain for silage, for wouldn't that be a waste?

Yet, this very thing was indeed happening to the farmers in the Newly Reclaimed Lands.

The New Reclamation Legion was relatively polite in their approach, given that the Newly Reclaimed Lands Province was their own territory.

The raiding parties of Red Rose and Blue Rose had no regard for human dignity, and the New Reclamation Legion had no power to stop them.

As they watched the grain being taken away by the other two factions, the New Reclamation Legion's collection efforts grew increasingly aggressive.

Iron Peak County, located at the southwesternmost point of the Newly Reclaimed Lands Province and the most remote and backwards county, was also affected by this turmoil.

Maplestone City received a categorical order from Revodan's garrison, prompting collection teams to set out from Revodan again and head toward various villages and towns.