Chapter 1200: 25. Great Alliance Moves Forward (10)_3

Gessa and Skul couldn’t even recognize the ghostly figure before them at first, nor could they associate him with the once warm-hearted and likable Colonel Chloe Toriel.

“Surrender, everyone.” Chloe rode forward, his voice hoarse like a rusted door hinge: “While there’s still time.”

Gessa snorted, spat at Chloe’s horse hooves, serving as his response.

“That’s what I’ve told you both,” Colonel Bod replied calmly.

Sanel, behind Chloe, suddenly spoke: “Senior, your wife and daughter are waiting for you in Kingsfort.”

Colonel Bod’s face gradually darkened, fine wrinkles spreading from the corners of his eyes.

Sanel leisurely continued: “Rest assured, your wife and daughter are safe and well-treated. Since you had disappeared without a trace, Speaker Grof Magnus issued compensation to your family according to the treatment of officers. Even when they learned you’ve returned to the country, the allowances and sympathies haven’t ceased.”

Colonel Bod snorted lightly, showing a disdainful and sarcastic smile, wordlessly pulled the reins, and instantly rode away.

Gessa, without a word, swung his whip and turned away.

Skul’s gaze lingered on Sanel and Chloe for a moment more, he nodded slightly and followed his colleagues towards River Valley Village where the four-quadrant flags were flying.

Sanel and Chloe dared not stay, quickly scanned the flags flying across the West Bank, and rode away.

…

River Valley Village, Mont Blanc County, new recruit [Erno] held his firearm, half-kneeling behind the wall, eagerly looking at the departing officers, curiously asking the officer beside him: “Sir, you’re a learned man, can you tell me, what were those officers doing?”

Lieutenant Woods, also observing the brief conversation in the field, said indifferently: “Negotiations are done, this field is destined to be watered with blood today.”

The sergeant and another soldier carried a fire basin over; Erno and the other musketeers gathered around, unwrapped the hemp ropes strapped to their arms and placed them into the basin.

Once the hemp ropes soaked in salt water were ignited, they immediately drew out the ropes, extinguishing the flames underfoot, leaving only flickering embers.

Even the musketeers who had never learned to wield a sword were issued a saber today.

Erno leaned the saber against the wall, unbuckled a small wooden bottle from the leather strap on his chest, used his teeth to pull off the cap, poured the gunpowder into the gun barrel, and used a copper rod to compact the gunpowder.

Then he poured out the smooth polished lead bullets from another copper kettle, wrapped them in a small dirty piece of hemp cloth, repeating the loading and compacting process.

Finally, Erno opened the gunpowder pool cover, pouring the remaining bit of powder from the wooden bottle into the pool, and secured the cover tightly again.

After finishing all this, Erno also leaned the firearm against the wall, picking up the saber beside it casually.

Looking at the weapon, both unfamiliar and familiar in his hand, Erno shivered inexplicably.

He suddenly realized that today he might thrust this cold, sharp steel into another person’s arm, belly, chest.

He had seen scenes of slaughtering livestock: deep red blood, pale meat, wailing, screaming, soft viscera like sticky fish eggs… but he had never associated these with his own kind.

Erno hurriedly set the saber aside. Yet after a while, he picked it up again and placed it by his feet.

He picked up the firearm, praying while waiting.

Beside Erno, Woods Frank did not notice the inner turmoil of the new recruit, he stared intently at the hills across the river.

“The weather favors our army.” Lieutenant Woods felt the breath and pulse of the battlefield: “But the wind does not favor us.”

“Occupy the windward, release smoke to cover actions.” Woods thought: “Standard tactics.”

Indeed, white smoke, like beer foam overflowing a cup, hugged the ground slowly streaming down the curves of the hills.

The smoke screen like a thin veil blocked prying eyes.

The battle trumpets sounded across the unnamed river on the West Bank.