Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

But how could he ever get home?

Run?

Where to run to?

To desert was to become a "traitor" and a "deserter" in the eyes of the law.

Wait?

And just how long would he have to wait for an end?

…

While Winters was lost in thought, Gerard came out of the town hall with the clerk Panveche, both beaming with delight.

As they walked, Gerard instructed, "Go back and tell Eileen to make sure everything's well-prepared today. On your way, also invite the Wilkes family and the Bunting family. Ask them to bring a couple of bottles of good wine..."

Upon seeing Winters upon exiting, Gerard exclaimed excitedly, "Lieutenant Montagne, we must have a good drink tonight! It's been a long time since we've had such a great joy. Oh, do you have a place to stay? Our town is small, with no hotels, so you should stay at my place! Really, although our town is small, the people here are all very kind…"

The warm hospitality of Gerard caught Winters off guard, but also brought him a hint of warmth. He smiled, accepted, and expressed his gratitude.

Old Panveche, seeing that Gerard and Montagne were deep in conversation, headed to the back of the house to fetch the horses.

However, Gerard seemed to suddenly realize something. He scratched his head and called Panveche back.

"What else do you need, sir?" asked Panveche.

"Panveche, you go on back."

With a grimace, Panveche replied, "It's quite a distance from home, sir."

"You lazy fellow, just go to the Bunting place and borrow a horse from Frank to ride back home," Gerard chided.

Muttering under his breath, Panveche reluctantly began his slow trek toward the western end of town.

Winters didn't understand at first but being perceptive, he soon realized: Gerard was letting Panveche give up a horse for his own use.

When Winters came to Wolf Town, he had ridden a government Warhorse, which Voyik had taken with him when he left.

In this unfamiliar land, he had nothing.

He had no Warhorse, no sword, no uniform—Winters was still wearing the uniform of a military academy student… If he hadn't received his salary for the quarter, he wouldn't have even had a single silver coin.

In Winters's brief life, he had never felt so desperate.

But then he suddenly thought of Bard—Bard's station was forty kilometers north of Andre's—he realized that his current predicament was actually the same hardship that Bard had always faced.

He was just temporarily poor, while Gerard's Bard had always struggled like this.

"If someone else can do it, then so can I," Winters Montagne, the lieutenant, thought as he rallied his spirits, "Since I'm here, I need to settle in. I'll find a way to get home."

…

…

"Forgive my frankness, but you neither allow me to meet with them nor make their assignments without notifying us first, I see no semblance of sincerity. How do you propose to agree to our officers' release?" Vineta's chief adviser in Kingsfort, Turanio, asked, struggling to keep his anger in check.

The head of external relations for the Paratu Army, Marco, replied with a smile, "Your excellency, I must correct your terminology. These lieutenants are not 'your' Vinetan officers, but rather career soldiers of our Republic of Palatu. Therefore, how we assign them is not for outsiders to dictate." Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Enough with these word games!" Turanio shook with rage, "We both know what's really going on. It's the United Provincials causing all this trouble! We should be united in our enmity, but you side with tyranny. Is it our responsibility that your men were sent to the overseas deployment forces?"

"So it's our fault that your men were sent to Palatu?" Marco countered sharply.

Out of patience, the chief adviser slammed the table, "Enough nonsense, just tell me what it takes for you to agree to release them!"

"What I say won't be put on the record, and the Republic of Palatu officially won't admit to it," Marco leaned back in his chair, his tone cold, "When our replacement officers return to the Kingdom of Galloping Horses, your replacement officers will be able to go home."

"Your men left on a ship, do you understand?" Turanio argued angrily, "The United Provincials specifically sent their fastest courier ship; they can't be caught up with! Back and forth, it'll take at least a year. If your men can't return for a year, do you mean to detain our men for a whole year?"

"Your excellency, if I were you, I wouldn't be complaining here, but already on the fastest ship in pursuit," Marco responded.