Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"He's fine," Apel laughed heartily, "just in a bit of a bad mood."

After the laugh, Captain Apel gradually became serious, looking straight into Winters' eyes and asking, "Andreya Chelini, Richard Mason, and Bard, are they all here with you?"

"Yes," Winters admitted plainly.

"Have them come out for a moment, I'd like to see them."

Winters nodded.

The sentry beside him turned and ran towards the barracks to call them.

"Is Asko still alive?"

Lieutenant Asko had come to "suppress the bandits" with Bard and Mason, naturally also vanishing without a trace.

"Senior Asko is fine, he hasn't been injured," Winters said with a light smile. "He's recently been learning how to weave straw sandals."

"As long as he's alive." Apel sighed with relief. "He just got married four months ago, and all the way here, I was afraid, afraid of how to face Asko's newlywed wife. It's good that he's still alive."

"Don't worry."

A change came over Apel, and his brows furrowed unconsciously, "Those requisition teams sent south of Revodan, was it you who ambushed them?"

"Yes," Winters did not hide the fact.

Apel chuckled lightly, his expression even showing a trace of relief, "I knew it, if bandits had such skill, that would be terrible, wouldn't it? It had to be one of our own. I had suspected it was you, but everyone said you were dead, and some even insisted they had seen your body, so I dismissed the thought."

"Many people died, I just happened to survive."

"Do you know?" Apel put his hand on Winters' shoulder, speaking with emotion, "When we realized it was you, Major Ronald, every one of your seniors, and I, we were not only not angry, we were genuinely glad because you were alive."

Winters too fell silent, his eyes lowered to the tip of Senior Apel's boot.

With a bitter smile, Apel asked, "But what I do find odd is, you're the Garrison Officer of Wolfton, and you intercept the requisition teams coming to Wolf Town that's understandable. But why intervene with the teams going to Blackwater Town, Wugou Town, Shizhen, and Niutigu Valley?"

"I... the elders and folks of the five towns asked me to be their protector," Winters said, his face flushing slightly.

Apel was stunned at first, then burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face.

Suddenly, he stopped laughing and frowned, "Protector? Are you the Earl of Wolf Town now? You're an officer, a guardian of the republican system educated for ten years! A protector? Do you really intend to carve out your own domain within the Republic, to dominate a territory, to become a noble lord?!"

"No, I don't want to," Winters looked right back into Apel's eyes.

"Then what do you want to do?"

Winters didn't answer but counter-asked, "What are you here to do?"

"I'm here to bring you dispatch orders!" Apel took out four sealed orders, "Captain Montaigne, you can go back to Vineta."

He then carefully took out a small wooden box, inside was an olive leaf Gold Cross medal.

Apel's expression turned reluctant, "We've wronged you, and we're grateful to you. But now, we can only ask you to go home. Go back to Vineta, Winters, go back with this uniform, with this medal.

You don't need to worry about your military service, it will be fully transferred. Your military deeds will be recorded accurately, no one has the right to gossip about you. The dispatch orders for Chellini, Mason, and Bard are here too, if they want to leave, they can. Go on, leave."

Winters didn't take the dispatch orders but took the wooden box instead.

He pulled out the Gold Cross medal, carefully tucked it into his trouser pocket, and then carelessly threw the wooden box aside.

"Which Republic are these dispatch orders from?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Captain Apel's eyebrows raised slightly.

"I am an officer of the First Republic, I only obey the commands from Kingsfort Army Headquarters."

"There's no longer an Army Headquarters at Kingsfort, only an Army Committee."

"Well, that's not my fault either," the smile on Winters' face was bright.

Apel simply asked outright, "You don't want to leave?"

"Not leaving."

"Well then, come to Revodan," Apel tore the four dispatch orders to shreds, "If you don't want to leave, you're most welcome. Major Ronald needs an assistant with rich combat experience."

"Is Revodan going to continue with forceful levies and exactions?" Winters retorted.

"It's not Revodan's will, and Major Ronald doesn't want it either," Apel explained bitterly, "General Adams has issued a strict order, and the supplies we gather will also be sent to Maplestone City."

Winters spread his hands, "Then I don't want to go to Revodan either."

"Then what do you want to do?" Apel glared, shouting.

"Farm," Winters was not intimidated by his senior's demeanor, he sighed, "provide food for everyone."

Apel stood dumbfounded for a while.

Then suddenly grabbed Winters' shoulders, speaking so fast he nearly broke into a falsetto, "You foolish boy, do you know what you're doing? You have just one small town, and you're going up against Revodan, the Newly Reclaimed Land, the entire New Reclamation Legion, even the whole of Paratu! With a flick of their fingers, you're done for! We're saving you! Stop being foolish, go home! You're Venetian, you don't need to shed blood for Paratu!"

"You're wrong, senior," Winters laughed heartily, "I'm a proper Paratu officer, and my service record is still with Paratu!"

Apel released his hands and took a few steps back, because he knew he could no longer persuade the young man in front of him.