Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 734 734 50 The Way Forward

?Chapter 734: Chapter 50 The Way Forward Chapter 734: Chapter 50 The Way Forward When the last drop of wine had been drunk, it was time to end the farewell banquet.

In accordance with Paratu customs, Mrs. Mitchell presented the colonel with a new pair of stirrups and boots as a gift.

Bod laughed heartily as he changed into the new boots, then forcefully tossed his old shoes out the window, signifying that he had completely rid himself of bad luck.

Interestingly, Winters hosted the welcome banquet for Colonel Bod in the style of the Kingdom of Galloping Horses, yet the only Paratu person present was the colonel himself.

Captain Mason, his mind blurred, was taken back to his residence by Heinrich, still mumbling about his breeding experiences on the way.

And Colonel Bod wanted a private word with Winters.

Leaving the Mitchell residence, the two men strolled along the bank of the St. George River, chatting casually about the anecdotes from the Land Academy.

“I can’t walk anymore,” Colonel Bod said, looking at two large rocks by the shore, “Let’s sit for a while.”

“Sure,” Winters had been longing to stop anyway.

After sitting down, Winters slowly stretched his left leg and unconsciously let out a grunt.

“Why do you sound like an old man?” Colonel Bod teased, “All groaning when you sit down and get up.”

Winters tapped his left knee and replied casually, “During the battle on the western bank of The Styx, my leg got stepped on by a horse hoof. It was almost healed, but with the recent turn of the weather, it started to feel sore and itchy again for no reason.”

Colonel Bod remained silent for a long while before he spoke, his tone full of remorse, “I haven’t thanked you yet. If you hadn’t turned back to save me that night, I would have been dead.”

“No need to thank me,” Winters pointed to the back of his head, smiling, “I took a blow here, and I can’t remember much from that night.”

“I’ll tell you about it.”

“Never mind.”

“Thank you.”

Winters just smiled and said nothing.

Winters had changed, and so had Colonel Bod.

The colonel of the past was burly, enthusiastic, laughed loudly, cursed fiercely, like a majestic stallion;
Now, the one-armed soldier was silent, quiet, gaunt to the point he couldn’t fill out his clothes, his outward appearance aging ahead of his years while his soul aged even more than his appearance.

Although he still retained a sense of active humor, it was hard for him to come out of his shell—this Winters understood best.

The two sat on the large rock, listening to the river water churn in the dark, again without speaking for a long time.

It was Colonel Bod who broke the silence, his attitude as humorous as ever, jokingly saying, “No wonder back then when I wanted to marry off my daughter to you, you steadfastly refused. Turns out you already had a bridle on.”

Winters’s breath hitched, “Please don’t mention this to Miss Navarre.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“It is not that I’m afraid… never mind, I’m formally asking you.”

“Relax,” Bod chuckled, patting his junior’s shoulder, “How could gentlemen’s business be told to a lady?”

“Exactly! You’re right!”

“You kids from juvenile school,” Bod’s eyes filled with a hint of pity, “have too little contact with women from a young age, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

“You didn’t attend juvenile school?”

“I didn’t even go to preparatory school at that time!” The colonel laughed heartily, “I entered the academy at the age of twenty, after my coming-of-age ceremony was already done.”

“Times have changed,” Winters defended weakly.

Colonel Bod laughed even more heartily, as though asking casually, “Do you have any plans for dealing with the Terdon Tribe?”

“If a sword swings at you, block with a shield. If an arrow flies at you, deflect with armor,” Winters picked up a few pebbles, launched them with Arrow Flying Spell, and twisted their trajectory with Deflection Spell, “No plans, just ideas.”

“Can you tell me about them?”

“There is nothing that can’t be discussed,” Winters started drawing a map in mid-air with his finger, smiling, “I’m thinking of dividing Iron Peak County into upper, middle, and lower parts, according to the direction and distribution of the rivers.”

“Dividing by the upstream and downstream?”

“No, by watersheds,” Winters explained, “So the lower Iron Peak County only includes Wolf Town, Blackwater Town, and Wugou Town.”

Colonel Bod softly uttered a name, “Lieutenant Bard.”

“The population is sparse across the vast expanse of the lower Iron Peak County, and over twenty thousand refugees are settled there. Bard is in charge.”

“From that perspective,” Colonel Bod pondered, “does the middle Iron Peak County comprise the remaining areas south of the St. George River?”

“Yes, the remaining five towns of South Eight Town make up the middle Iron Peak County. North of the St. George River is the upper Iron Peak County.” Conversing with someone as quick-witted was convenient, Winters simply added, “The upper Iron Peak County is the richest and most populous. Strictly speaking, Revodan, situated on the north bank of St. George River, also belongs to the upper Iron Peak County.”

Colonel Bod seemed to imagine a map in the air, smiling as he said, “I see… Your method is like peeling an onion, one layer after another.”

“If up against New Reclamation Legion, it’s indeed like an onion. The outer you go, the more dangerous it is, the inner, the safer,” Winters didn’t deny it, but swiftly changed his tone to a more serious one, “However, if up against the Herders, it’s like an onion being sliced open, with the flanks completely exposed.”

“At the lower Iron Peak County, you’re not deploying troops?”

“No,” Winters said, expressionless, “That’s left to Bard.”

“What about the upper Iron Peak County?”

“Not deploying there either. North Eight Towns don’t swear allegiance to me.”

“Because of that reason, you won’t deploy troops to help them?” Colonel Bod appeared to smile.

“No,” Winters was forthright, “Since they don’t swear allegiance to me, it’s difficult for me to secure supplies and mobilize manpower in the upper Iron Peak County. It’s not suitable for combat, so I won’t deploy troops.”

“What’s your plan then?” asked Colonel Bod, his expression gradually becoming serious.