Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

In the adjacent cell was the sergeant Ivan from Revodan, infamous for the saying, "drunk men inevitably beat their wives."

However, Peter could hardly recognize Ivan any longer; the Ivan of the past was a burly, crude, and irascible sturdy man.

The Ivan of today had become so emaciated as to be almost unrecognizable, and the savage vigor he once possessed had been ground down to nothing. All that remained in his eyes was endless weariness.

"You... you..." Ivan's lips trembled, his voice even carried a sobbing tone, "you... how did you end up here too..."

...

The officers stationed at Revodan were all gathered in a room for a meeting.

There was only one item on the agenda: the "bandit problem."

The forced conscription leading to bandit uprisings was an inevitable situation.

The stance in Revodan was to suppress when possible and use it as an opportunity for training; if they couldn't catch the bandits, then there was no help for it.

But there was one group of bandits rampaging through the southwest of Revodan, whose actions had forced Revodan to take them seriously.

These bandits were like the wind in their swiftness, and targeted specifically the grain conscription teams from Revodan.

Any grain conscription team entering their territory would disappear without a trace, never to return.

Initially, this group only operated within the vicinity of the three towns: Blackwater Town, Wugou Town, and Wolfton.

In less than ten days, their reach had quickly extended to Niutigu Valley and Yuanhua Slope, and even Saint Town reported traces of these bandits.

There was even a vague saying that once you crossed the St. George River to the south of Revodan, no place ahead was safe.

While grain carriages being robbed was not common, it was happening with increasing frequency.

Because there were so many bandits, and most of Revodan's soldiers were untrained recruits, even local defense was strenuous, let alone rooting out bandits.

But unlike other bandit groups, the ones rampaging through the southwest of Revodan didn't just rob grain carriages; they also took people.

None from the conscription teams that fell into their hands ever escaped.

Even though recruiting soldiers was easy nowadays, such ceaseless loss was something Revodan could not afford.

"We must nip this in the bud. These bandits are not ordinary outlaws; the surrounding villages are sheltering them, they are plotting something big!" Major Ronald slammed his hand down, "I suspect they were the ones who ambushed my gendarmes. Their lair must be somewhere in the forest between Wolf Town and Blackwater Town."

"Is there any other intelligence? Like what the bandit leader's name is?" Captain Apel asked.

"It's a fog of mystery; these bandits have no known leaders," Major Ronald mused. "However, according to my informants, the surrounding villages all call them... the Blood Wolf Gang."

At this, Major Ronald looked toward Lieutenant Chellini.

At the mention of "Blood Wolf Gang," Andre boiled with rage, his eyes seething with fury and even hinting at tears, "Blood Wolf Gang? Damn them! Winters Montagne is dead! He died by The Styx! Which bastard dares to misuse his name to play the bandit? I'll wipe them out myself!"

"You do indeed have to go; my informants say that the Blood Wolf Gang has quite a few horse thieves that only your Dusacks can handle," Major Ronald sighed. "I think they must be Winters' former soldiers who became deserters and then turned to banditry. Try to recruit them if you can, we are in need of experienced soldiers. I authorize that if they surrender, they will be pardoned and even recruited to serve in Revodan."

Lieutenant Andreya Chellini set out with his men, brimming with fury, to suppress the bandits.

A week later, the disastrous news was relayed back.

Chellini's hundred-man troop was annihilated.

The bandits sent a message, demanding ransom from Revodan for their people.

"Ah, Andre was just too impetuous. He wouldn't have lost a fair fight; he must have been ambushed due to recklessness," Lieutenant Bard commented with his usual composure.

He summarized to the officers stationed at Newly Reclaimed Land, "The bandits asking for ransom suggests that Lieutenant Chellini is still alive. The bandits wouldn't have come out unscathed after a direct clash with Andre's hundred men. This time, Captain Mason and I will go together, ostensibly to deliver the ransom for scouting purposes. We'll proceed cautiously and ensure the total annihilation of these bandits."

Next to Bard, Captain Mason nodded eagerly, like a pecking hen.

Besides their local forces, Revodan's only mobile military power was these "militia" teams sent back by Blue Rose.

But Major Ronald still felt uneasy, "I don't underestimate your combat skills, but you are not native to Iron Peak County. I'll have Lieutenant Akos accompany you as a guide. He's very familiar with all the towns in Iron Peak County."

"Good," Bard's smile was earnest, "nothing could be better."

Six days later, bad news once again reached Revodan.

Bard's hundred-man team and Mason's hundred-man team were both completely wiped out.

Major Ronald's hand crashed down upon the table, splintering the surface as he cursed loudly.

At the same time, Winters finally had his reunion with Bard, Andre, and Mason.

"What exactly do you want?" Bard had only one question for Winters, "What, exactly, do you want?"