Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"Alright, that's far enough," Winters patted Andre's arm, "It's not like we won't see each other again."

"Who would have thought that these shepherd bastards are even worse than the mud dwellers!" Tears welled up in Andre's eyes as he said, "If your family has a way, get them to pull you out of here as soon as possible. Among us buddies, whoever has a connection should take it, it's not about being dishonorable. We really can't afford to mess with these shepherd bastards..."

Shepherd bastard was a derogatory term for Paratu People. Andre was so emotional that he was speaking without thinking. His cathartic venting might have made himself feel better, but there were others around the two of them.

Upon hearing the term "shepherd bastard," the Paratu soldiers responsible for "escorting" Winters and the others couldn't help but cast a sidelong glance.

Winters quickly spoke words of comfort to Andre and persuaded him to leave. As Andre walked towards the town, he looked back repeatedly with reluctance.

After resuming their journey, Winters apologized to the Paratu cavalry beside him, "Lieutenant Cherini has always been a bit tactless, but he meant no harm. I apologize to all of you on his behalf."

Lieutenant Voyik, who led the team, forced a faint, cold smile and nodded.

The riders sped on their warhorses, the wilderness beside the road laying flat and endless, with the dark green mountain range rising on the horizon in the distance.

Looking around, the wilderness held nothing but the vastness of green.

Racing a horse across this vast land was exhilarating. But Winters couldn't muster any enthusiasm now, as the desolate scenery before him made him acutely aware of where he had been sent.

This was the frontier of the Republic of Paratu, the farthest western land of the Alliance. If Guidao City was the heartland within the heartland, then this place was the frontier of frontiers.

The situation had started six days prior when Warrant Officer Vineta and the others finally escaped from the confinement of the wagons, only to be placed under house arrest once again. Only at this moment did they learn two things:

First, they were now lieutenants;

Second, they were lieutenants of the Republic of Paratu.

The Paratu People treated Winters and his companions well, with food, drinks, and the opportunity to bathe. However, their freedom was still restricted, and they were not allowed to meet with the Vineta officials staying in Paratu. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

When the immortals fight, the mortals suffer. In the eyes of the military of the Federated Provinces, this was merely a trivial provocation, but it completely disrupted the life trajectories of Winters, Andre, Bard, and the other young lieutenants.

For these young men, the path ahead had been clear: receive commission, take post, accumulate experience, await promotion, retire…

But their path had now been thoroughly scrambled by the sudden "assignment," tangled like yarn played with by a cat.

In Vineta, they had been promising young men with bright futures, but in Paratu, they were nothing.

Without connections, without relatives or friends, even without money... Winters and the others were sent to Kingsfort without a single silver coin to their names.

Strangers in a strange land, cut off from any news. They didn't know anyone, and understood nothing. They were now merely the lowest-ranked professional officers in the army.

Unaware of the negotiations taking place above them, but after three days of house arrest, the Paratu People had a new plan for their fates.

In a sunny office, a Paratu colonel with a warm smile handed Winters a commission document.

After accepting the perplexing commission, Winters was promptly ushered out of the office, remembering only the colonel's words, "...the Republic looks forward to your hard work and struggle, with the vast world before you where you will achieve great things..."

This uninhabited wilderness... truly is a "vast world" my ass!

Recalling the colonel's enthusiastic smile, Winters couldn't help but swear inwardly.

After galloping for several hours on the rough dirt road, they crossed a shallow ford about a dozen meters wide, and the riders arrived at their final destination.

Before them lay a small town that could hardly be called a "town." Two dirt roads, each about twenty meters long, crossed each other to form the main thoroughfares; at their junction stood a small chapel.

Along the roadsides were a few plank-built houses that seemed to be the only shops in the tiny town.

Winters had thought the places Andre and Bard were sent to were desolate enough, but compared to this small town, where they had gone was practically bustling and vibrant.

"Here we are, this is Wolfton (Wulfthorpe)," Lieutenant Voyik pointed with his riding crop, "Come on, I'll take you to meet the mayor."

Winters followed Voyik to the front of a house opposite the chapel. Apart from the chapel, this wooden house was the largest in the town, which seemed to be the town hall.

Before they even entered, Winters could hear... snoring?

Lieutenant Voyik also seemed puzzled. He exchanged a glance with Winters before leading the way into the town hall.

Inside was a small compartment. A wooden wall divided the whole house. Facing the door, on a desk, a lean old man with clean-shaven beard was busily writing and calculating.

"Are you the mayor?" Voyik was straightforward.

The old man squinted at Voyik, answering slowly, "I am the town's clerk. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Lieutenant Voyik from the military," Voyik introduced himself and pointed with his crop at Winters, "This is Lieutenant Montaigne. We want to see the mayor."

"Oh, please follow me then," the lean old man spoke in an affected tone that sounded quite strange. He stood up and opened another door in the partition wall, "This is the mayor's office."