Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 801 801 72 Interlude_4

?Chapter 801: Chapter 72 Interlude_4 Chapter 801: Chapter 72 Interlude_4 A frontal collision with the caltrop formation simply meant mutual destruction, and it was clear that Ronald was testing and pulling when the barbarians attacked.

Facing their first charge, the hot-blooded farmers might have had the courage to fight to the death. But facing the second and third charges, Ronald had no idea what would happen.

While Major Ronald racked his brains, calling to mind the most virulent curses to insult the enemy and striving to maintain the farmers’ morale from collapsing.

The barbarian cavalry did not, as he had anticipated, turn around and charge again but instead turned tail and ran, each stride carrying them further away.

Not only did the horse tails and banners flee, but the other inhabitants of Terdun around the caltrop formation also dropped their bodies and kinsmen and fled.

At first, the farmers were stunned, silent, then they cheered with all their braying hearts. To them, the battle was already won.

Ronald’s heart bled, and he could barely stand.

To have a chance of rescuing the captured women and children, it was imperative to destroy the organization of the Terdun people at the ford. Without a complete rout of Terdun, this battle could not be considered a victory.

Likewise, Ronald faced a difficult choice:
Retreat, the safest option;
Advance, take the ford, possibly win, but certainly be unable to escape.

They could only hold fast in camp, otherwise, leading a troop of the old, weak, women, and children, the militia forces would be dragged to death.

Just as Ronald had made up his mind, the “thud, thud” of war drums came from the river.

Ronald finally realized why the barbarians had fled: a convoy of ships was making its way upstream, and the Terdun’s ford had been taken.

Terdun only had rafts, not boats.

A boat meant…
“Reinforcements!” The people of Iron Peak County at this moment, with tears streaming down their faces, embraced and cried out, “Reinforcements!”

Sometime later, Ronald met the commander of this fleet—Samujin.

Coming ashore with him was Captain Apel, whom Ronald had sent to seek reinforcements.

In the makeshift camp built by the people of Terdun, all the captured Paratu People were rescued, and the reunited families celebrated joyfully and wept bitterly.

Ronald felt almost oblivious to this atmosphere of jubilation, and he directly asked Samujin, “How many men did you bring?”

Facing Major Ronald, his former “enemy boss,” Samujin always felt uncomfortable. He didn’t know how to address him, so he simply opted not to.

“Just what you see,” Samujin pointed towards the ford, where thirty-odd simple boats were moored, “These boats.”

With this answer, Ronald’s expression was pained, “What about Winters?”

Hearing his direct address of the Centurion’s name, Samujin frowned slightly, “I do not know.”

“He just sent you?”

“He just sent me.”

“That’s too few! Too few! What is Winters really doing?! What use is sending so few people?!” From the peaks of hope to the valleys of despair, Major Ronald’s emotions erupted uncontrollably as he pointed at the jubilant crowd around him and roared:
“Look! Look at them! What will happen to them if the Herders return? What if more Herders come back to kill? They have nowhere to run! Nowhere to hide! They cannot defend nor escape! Winters! What in the world is he thinking!”

Samujin was startled at first, then quietly waited for Ronald to vent.

“I do not know what you have to complain about,” Samujin, dropping any polite façade, coldly said to Ronald, “The blood Captain Winters Montagne has shed, the tears he has cried, the burdens he has carried, have been far, far more than yours! Do you know of his sacrifice? Could you possibly do better than him? What right do you have to criticize him?”

Confronted face to face by a rebel, not even an officer, and not knowing how to describe his rank… and inwardly admitting that the rebel had some truth in his words, Ronald for a moment felt a tightness in his chest and was at a loss for words.

“Do not worry,” Captain Apel quickly tried to smooth things over: “Captain Montagne also thought of a way.”

“What way?” Ronald asked, unenthusiastically.

“The Civil Guard Officer delegated me here, naturally after thorough consideration,” Samujin stated proudly, “The Civil Guard Officer, amidst a bloody battle with Terdun at Central Iron Peak County and learning of your call for help, still decided to split his forces. Please understand the significance of that decision.”

Ronald fell silent for a moment, then put away his anger and asked seriously, “What way does Captain Montagne have?”

“It’s simple, take all of you…” Samujin raised his hand pointing to the west, “across to the other side of the river.”

…
The battle at the Blackwater Town ford thus comes to an end. Although it was a small-scale battle—three hundred cavalry against more than a thousand infantry—it was, in strict terms, also a frontal confrontation.

Samujin said that Winters was “fighting bloodily” with the Terdun Khan’s tent, his emotions somewhat exaggerated.

Because in Central Iron Peak County, you hardly see such direct combat.

Tie Chi indeed very much desired to pick a good spot, set up formations, and have a gong-to-gong, drum-to-drum, legitimate main force battle.

However, Winters did not give the people of Terdun a chance.

As Tie Chi was desperate for a main force battle, Winters was still busily building his wall—and weaving more baskets.