Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"Field is dead, and I'm even more heartbroken than you!" Moritz pressed his forehead against Winters's, "But men always die in battle! Do you understand? Field doesn't need you to avenge him! Do you understand?"

Winters finally came back to his senses from his rage after an indeterminable amount of time. He suddenly felt extraordinarily tired, as if all his strength had been drained away, and the sword in his hand dropped to the ground.

Seeing that Winters was no longer out of control, Moritz finally let out a sigh of relief. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire

Observing the blood-stained armor and clothes on Winters, the major hurriedly ordered Lieutenant Pisalo and another lieutenant to "escort" Winters to the military doctor to deal with his injuries.

Looking at the dark red bloodstains on the tower floor, Lieutenant Kirk said to the major with a lingering fear, "This little guy... When he goes mad, he's totally different compared to normal times! It's like... It's like there's a completely different soul inside his skin..."

Moritz watched Winters's figure walk towards the camp from the top of the tower and also sighed.

...

Outside the military medical office, Winters said to the two lieutenants "escorting" him, "Seniors, there's no need to follow me anymore. Rest assured, I won't go looking for William Kidd."

Pisalo observed Winters for a while, and seeing that he really seemed to have returned to normal, he nodded gently, "Alright, come find me if you need help."

Winters nodded in response and walked into the medical office.

The military doctor, Kane, was almost scared by Winters's appearance. Kane's assistant helped Winters take off his breastplate, which had two horrific dents in the front.

Pointing at the dents, Doctor Kane asked Winters, "How did this happen?"

"It was from a musket." Winters recalled the previous fierce battle, "Probably because it was from a distance, it didn't penetrate."

"Take off your clothes, let me examine you."

"It didn't penetrate, and I don't wear the breastplate against the skin, so it's fine."

"It's not as simple as you think; just because the musket didn't penetrate your breastplate doesn't mean you're not injured." Kane insisted, "Take off your clothes, I need to check you."

"Mr. Kane," Winters said wearily, "Perhaps you should treat my left arm first."

"Your left arm?" Kane looked at Winters's left sleeve, covered in mud and bloodstains, "What happened?"

"I was hit by an arrow when crossing the trench." Winters replied nonchalantly.

"The arrow?!" Kane exclaimed in shock.

"I pulled it out myself."

Kane shouted angrily, "Mr. Montaigne! Do you have a death wish?!"

"I'm not dead, am I?" Winters said with a light laugh, "Just wash the wound and sew it up for me."

With that, Winters started to take off his uniform.

"Don't move!" Kane yelled, "Don't you move! I'll cut it open with scissors! Don't you move!"

Doctor Kane went to get scissors, and suddenly Winters felt his internal organs as if churning, his throat dry, followed by a powerful force surging up from deep within his chest.

Winters, holding onto Kane's assistant, couldn't help but retch violently. The severe retching made him feel as if his organs had shifted, yet he vomited nothing.

Kane hurried back to Winters's side and quickly cut the uniform open.

At the corresponding places to the two dents in the breastplate, bruises bloomed like two purple flowers on Winters's chest.

...

"I still don't understand to this day, Tachi was a city doomed to fall." Antonio sat beside the dying William Kidd, his tone as if chatting with an old friend, "Knowing you're bound to be defeated, why did you refuse to surrender?"

"How about you?" William Kidd, who couldn't move in bed, spoke with difficulty, "If... you were me... would you surrender?"

Antonio fell silent.

"If I had... opened the city and surrendered," William Kidd actually managed a faint smile, "I'm afraid it would make you all think... there is no one on the islands..."

"Is there anything else you wish to say?" Antonio stood up.

William Kidd refused to be outdone and retorted, "Do you have... anything else to ask?"

After leaving the room where William Kidd was held, Major Moritz was waiting outside for Antonio.

"Did you find the Tanilian spellcaster?" Antonio asked straightforwardly.

"Sorry, commander, but no," Major Moritz shook his head, "The origins of the prisoners are too diverse to effectively discern. General Layton says we might as well just kill them all."

"That's the last resort. Alright, leave this matter to me and Layton, you don't have to worry about it anymore." As Antonio walked side by side with Moritz towards the headquarters, he praised, "You and your spellcaster squad did very well, Layton and I will commend you. What do you think about making this type of spellcaster squad a permanent formation?"

"It's difficult to achieve," Moritz shook his head, "General, all the spellcasters in the army are officers, which officer would be willing to be treated like a soldier? There's actually a conflict between the identity of a spellcaster and a commander. Officers don't need strong personal combat abilities, and the role of spellcasters would be hindered by command duties. Perhaps... the Empire's approach to using court mages is the right direction..."

...

...

Fifteen days after the Vineta army captured Tachi.

The door to Anna's studio in Navarre Manor was flung open, and Elizabeth hurried in, in a flurry.

"What's happened to you?" Anna shifted her gaze slightly away from the canvas.

Elizabeth Selvidi, hugging Anna and gasping for breath, said, "I... my brother's back!"

With a clatter, the palette knife in Anna's hand dropped to the ground.

"What does his return have to do with me?" Anna bent over to pick up the palette knife, feeling guilty, and began fiddling with the paint bottles unconsciously.

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh, "Then why is your face red?"

"Nonsense! Where is my face red?" Anna angrily threw down the palette knife and covered her cheeks.

"Alright then, I'm leaving!" Elizabeth said as she rose to leave.

"Wait, don't go!" Anna caught the hem of Elizabeth's clothes.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked with a mischievous smile.

"Don't leave, Ella," Anna asked with a blush, "Mr. Montaigne... where is he now? Has he returned home yet?"

"No, he went to the army headquarters in Sea Blue first to report on duty; he'll only go home after that's done."

...

Upon leaving the army headquarters, Winters said goodbye to everyone and headed straight home.

Accustomed to the scent of sulfur, the stench of blood, and the smell of gunpowder from the siege, returning to the bustling, busy Sea Blue, Winters felt a profound sense of alienation, as if he were an outsider from another world. Everything around him seemed normal, yet at the same time, so abnormal.

A black carriage was parked outside the house, and through the carriage window, Winters saw Ella's grinning face. Elizabeth beckoned to Winters, signaling him to get into the carriage.

It wasn't until he opened the carriage door that Winters realised there was another person inside—Anna was also there.

Before Winters could react, Elizabeth had already jumped off the carriage and pushed Winters inside. She said, "I won't disturb you two," then quickly ran into the house.

Anna was startled as well, and by the time she collected herself, only she and Mr. Montaigne were left in the carriage.

Recalling that short reply letter, Anna steadied her emotions—she would still feel saddened whenever she thought of that letter. She took out the ceremonial sword that Winters had given her from the hidden compartment behind her, convincing herself that the reason she came to see Winters was to "return the sword to that bad guy."

But when she took the sword in hand, ready to utter the most heartless and hurtful words she had prepared during many sleepless nights, she was surprised to discover: the "bad guy" in front of her was staring at her, his eyes rimmed red, tears gradually streaming down his face.

Was he... crying?

Anna suddenly panicked, the words she had meticulously planned for getting back at this "bad guy" slipped from her memory instantly.

She clumsily reached out to wipe his tears and instinctively embraced him.

Winters leaned on Anna's shoulder, sobbing softly. Anna didn't know what he had been through, nor why he was so sad; she merely gently stroked Winters's hair, over and over again.