Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 740 740 51 Beacon Fire_3

?Chapter 740: Chapter 51 Beacon Fire_3 Chapter 740: Chapter 51 Beacon Fire_3 “Forget it, forget it,” Colonel Bod’s face turned red as he struggled to catch his breath, “I’m old and thin-skinned, I can’t afford to lose face.”

In Senior Mason’s eyes, the colonel’s posture and expression had become natural amid their joking, and the previous sense of being an outsider or foreigner had gradually dissipated.

“Let’s talk about serious matters,” Senior Mason steered the conversation towards official business, chuckling as he said, “Shovel Port has sent us an official document.”

Upon hearing ‘Shovel Port,’ Winters’s attention suddenly sharpened, and he unconsciously furrowed his brow, “What does it say?”

“Mayor Botar says the militia recruitment is complete, but they’re urgently in need of food and arms, and they hope we can allocate some to them.”

“Botar? Asking me for arms and food?” Winters stroked his knife hilt, scoffing with laughter, “Does he also want a fissure spell from me?”

“Shall I reply to him like that?” asked Senior Mason, smiling.

“Tell him to guard the East Bank of Glory River, and if there’s an enemy situation, light the beacon, and reinforcements will naturally go there,” Winters snickered, “As far as I can tell, he probably doesn’t even want us to go there!”

“Alright.” Senior Mason immediately set about drafting a reply.

Seeing that Colonel Bod did not speak, Winters explained to the colonel, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to help, but that… Botar, he’s never had good intentions.”

Colonel Bod listened in silence.

Winters left his chair, retrieved a map, and spread it on the table, inviting the colonel to stand close and study it.

“The riverbank of Central Iron Peak County is nearly eighty kilometers, and that of Lower Iron Peak County exceeds a hundred kilometers,” Winters said of Iron Peak County’s terrain with ease, “Only Upper Iron Peak County has less than twenty kilometers of riverbank to defend. The river is widest and the current fastest there, making it the easiest position to defend.”

“What lake is this?”

“Shovel Lake.”

“In winter when the water recedes, is the actual size of the lake as big as it’s drawn on the map?”

“It’s even bigger, this is an old map.”

Colonel Bod stroked his beard, asking, “Since it’s a port, there must be boats. Why not requisition them?”

“They were all confiscated by that damn town mayor,” Winters’s brows locked tighter, “Previously, Botar has been hoarding food, attracting migrants, and disobeying Revodan’s directives in secret.”

“As for arms, it’s hard to say. As for food, I’m afraid he’s better stocked than I am. I haven’t touched him out of consideration for maintaining town peace.”

“But this scoundrel,” Winters sneered coldy, “is becoming less and less honest.”

Colonel Bod bent down to examine the map, muttering to himself, “There’s a lot to learn at the seams of maps—that’s something I heard from John Jeska. In terms of map work, I’ve never seen anyone better than him, what a pity.”

A thought struck Winters, “Do you know where Major Jeska is?”

“I don’t even know whether he’s alive or dead,” Colonel Bod responded with a wry smile, shaking his head. His fingertips traced the border between Vernge County and Iron Peak County on the map, “Have you considered the seam here—the riverbank at the junction of the two counties?”

“I’ve considered it; that area is forested.”

“Forests can still be traveled by horse.”

“But Revodan can’t send troops,” Winters felt helpless, “otherwise, we’d end up fighting with the Legion before the Herders even arrive. We can only ask the militia at Shovel Port to be more vigilant.”

Colonel Bod didn’t say anything more, heavily sat back in his chair, and smilingly asked Winters, “Earlier you were discussing whether to report to the neighboring counties, did you report it?”

“I did,” Winters replied with a touch of bitterness, “But I didn’t disclose the source of the intelligence. The Legion didn’t respond to me nor send a reply; they probably don’t believe it.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Colonel Bod’s smile grew more profound, “What if… the intelligence came from me?”

Winters straightened up instantly, and after a moment’s hesitation, also smiled broadly, “Then we’d need to come up with a good story.”

“Do we need to? Just say I escaped from the Terdon Tribe, bringing back important intelligence that the Terdon people are amassing looters,” Colonel Bod laughed heartily, “Perfect, it will also let me shine a little.”

“Then…”

“I’ll personally take a trip to Vernge County and Mont Blanc County,” Colonel Bod said naturally.

Even Senior Mason, who was in the middle of drafting the reply, stood up abruptly, and Winters even more so grabbed the colonel’s hand, “Then we’ll be in your debt.”

“It’s a trivial matter, dealing with the Herders is the main event,” Colonel Bod waved his hand dismissively, then asked, “Is the chief military officer of Mont Blanc County still Colonel Gaisa Adonis?”

Winters was thrilled, “You know that bald guy?”

“I outrank him, I was his mentor when he entered the academy,” Colonel Bod sighed with a trace of melancholy, “Gaisa suffered serious injuries and barely came back with his life, that’s why he looks like that. Originally, he was a very handsome and charming man, such a shame.”

“So, that bald man was telling the truth,” Winters thought to himself, showing deep humility as he requested the colonel, “Could you go to Mont Blanc County first? I’ve got a little deal with Colonel Gaisa, and I’d like to ask for your help to facilitate it…”

…
By noon of that same day, Lieutenant Washington from Mont Blanc County, who was currently imprisoned in Revodan, was granted his freedom.

Colonel Bod had a few words with Washington in private.

Upon learning that the one-armed colonel before him had crossed a hundred kilometers of uninhabited land alone, surviving great peril to return from the wilderness to Paratu, Washington was so moved that he broke down in tears, his heart swelling with endless respect.

Upon further learning that Colonel Bod had also returned with important military intelligence, Washington immediately wanted to return to Mont Blanc County.