Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The journey was abruptly intercepted by the bandits of "Horse Palm Ivan." Old Bunting died, and his eldest son was tortured almost to the point of disability.

Upon Old Bunting's death, his three sons divided the inheritance, resulting in even smaller and more fragmented lands.

Due to issues with the division of the family wealth, the three Bunting brothers engaged in a lawsuit, which turned out to be very unpleasant.

Now, the people of Wolf Town call them Big Bunting, Second Bunting, and Little Bunting.

After Gerard Mitchell was conscripted, Big Bunting became the acting mayor.

His ascent to acting mayor was quite disgraceful.

As news of the draft spread, the hired hands planned to hide. Being landless, they could go anywhere with their feet.

Big Bunting gathered all his hired workers, claiming he wanted to treat them to a farewell feast.

Seldom generous, the stingy host's unexpected magnanimity raised no suspicion, and the workers ate and drank merrily.

When everyone was almost drunk, Big Bunting pushed open the gate—and the conscription squad was waiting outside.

After this incident, Big Bunting became the acting mayor of Wolf Town.

He acted maliciously, as if seeking revenge against the entire town.

The villagers who cultivated vegetables in the remote wastelands were also subjected to his demands for land payments and taxes.

He flatly refused to acknowledge the welfare system for war casualties established by Garrison Officer Montaigne.

The lives of war casualty relatives became extremely difficult, as they lost their workforce and had to pay back taxes and land fees from previous years.

A widow of a militia member fallen in a wolf attack, driven to desperation, almost committed suicide with her babbling daughter.

It was Eileen who took in the mother and daughter at the Mitchell estate and paid their taxes, averting the tragedy.

But the more respected the Mitchell family became, the more Big Bunting harassed them.

When collecting the immovable property war tax, Big Bunting specifically appraised the land of the Mitchell estate very high.

Left with no choice, Eileen and Pierre used Scarlett's dowry money.

Scarlett was very understanding and had no objections, which made Pierre love her even more.

Every night, he dragged his weary body to bed and looked at the saber hanging on the wall, wondering more than once whether he should have a "talk" with Big Bunting.

But he held back, for he had his mother and sister to think about, as well as the Mitchell estate. He couldn't be rash.

Now, when the people of Wolf Town mention Big Bunting, they do so with gritted teeth.

Big Bunting knew this and feared being shot in the dark.

Somehow, he managed to have eight soldiers sent from Revodan at his disposal.

With a squad of fierce soldiers to back him, Big Bunting acted more brazenly than ever.

Those eight soldiers, usual thieves and womanizers, showed outright hooliganism, disrupting the town's peace.

Now, rather than Pierre seeking out Big Bunting for a talk, Big Bunting had taken the initiative to come for him.

...

"What do they want to do?" Pierre's brows knitted tightly. "Do you know?"

Samukin was quick to reply, "Seems like they're drafting men again! They came with conscription orders and shackles. They might be here to catch us too."

"Hook! Go inform everyone," Pierre decided on the spot. This definitely wasn't just about one family.

Anglu nodded earnestly, mounted his horse, and headed towards Dusa Village.

The deserters gathered once again in the Mitchell mansion. Not only those from Dusack but also people from four other villages.

Old believers, Protestants, anyone who could make it, came.

Everyone took a horse when they fled, which made their movement swift.

"We run now! Escape immediately!" Anglu shouted urgently.

Vashka glared at him, "You're a bachelor, easy for you to leave! We have families!"

...

As the acting mayor—and acting Garrison Officer—of Wolf Town, Big Bunting relieved Anglu of his guard duties and handed them to his own foolish son instead.

The horses of Dusa Village were gone, ridden away by the Dusacks.

Horse boy Anglu was left with nothing.

He wasn't good at farming, nor was he willing to eat idle meals at the Mitchell's.

So Anglu started wandering on Red Mane around nearby villages, earning his keep by treating large animals.

...

Anglu countered, "If we don't run, what then? We'll either be conscripted or caught as deserters. Do you think you can hide?"

"If they come for deserters, I'll just hide across Big Horn River. If I refuse to go—that's it."

"They'll force you to go!"

"Let them try. I'm not some calf they can lead by a noose."

Pierre sighed, "Whether they're catching deserters or drafting men, I'm not going. Winters Montaigne, such a good man, they killed him without blinking. You think I'd serve their cause? Dream on! Do you want to serve them? We must leave, the question is where."

"Don't fuss about it. If it's desperate, we'll have to squeeze into any gap we can find," Anglu was the most decisive, having been left behind on the western banks of the Styx.

"Dong dong dong dong!" Suddenly a distant bell sounded.

The bell of Wolf Town church rang out.

The bell's peal descended from the tower, traveled over the square, rolled across the green wilderness and black fields, shattered against the trees, and then dissipated.

Then came the continuous anxious ringing: "Dong... Dong..."

"Do you hear that?" Anglu's eyes widened. "That's a death knell!"

Pierre made up his mind, "Then let's go! Those willing to leave, follow me; those who aren't, stay."

"Let's go!" Anglu leaped up excitedly.

"We've come through fire and blood shoulder to shoulder," Vashka said with difficulty. "If you're going, I'm going too."

They arranged a meeting place and time, and the deserters scattered, each heading home to prepare food and other necessities.