Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The handkerchief was sprayed with perfume, making the carriage unusually fragrant.

Winters helplessly said, "Once this helmet is on, no one can tell if it's a human or a ghost inside. If there really is something popular, it's just this armor. If you wear this and take a turn in the square, you'll definitely get more attention than I do."

Anna laughed with a snort, placing the neatly folded handkerchief in Winters's hand, "Alright, alright, keep these handkerchiefs. When you're old, you can reminisce about your glorious days with them."

"Do I need them?" Winters felt both annoyed and amused, "I'll show you a magic trick."

Having said that, he placed the helmet on Anna's head and, clutching the handkerchief, stuck his hand out of the carriage window, focusing his mind.

Although Winters's level of magic had not improved significantly in absolute terms, the skills he used in combat after numerous battles were worlds apart from before. It was as if his strength had not changed much, but his power-release and fighting techniques had been honed day by day.

Winters smoothly entered the spellcasting state and cast a fire spell, instantly igniting the flammable silk handkerchief.

Ana hummed as she took off the helmet, "I'm not afraid of you receiving handkerchiefs from others."

"It's not that I don't want to receive them, I'm afraid," Winters said, feeling utterly exhausted.

Ana looked at him with feigned anger, then suddenly leaned in and lightly touched Winters's forehead with her lips before nonchalantly throwing the fan engraved with some young lady's maiden name out of the window.

The black carriage slowly left the Parliament Square.

...

In fact, the speech made by the Governor Debela — which Winters did not listen to closely, and the people in the square listened to half-heartedly — was very important.

Although the war had not ended.

However, Debela had made the Venetians firmly believe in three things with one grand victory parade: Vineta had already won, Vineta was winning, and Vineta was still on the path to new victories.

Debela took this opportunity to announce three things.

First, in the future, they would cast a new statue of Saint Marco from captured Tanyrian cannons and weapons—a traditional Venetian custom, using mostly old cannons and weapons, of course;

Second, all debtors could receive debt relief by enlisting in military service;

Lastly, a draft would be executed in the rural areas of Vineta to form two new legions. The war would continue until Vineta's ultimate victory;

The second and third announcements were essentially about one thing: manpower.

The Standing Army consisted of volunteers, elite professional soldiers; whereas the reservists were well-trained citizen-soldiers.

That meant half of the Da Weineta Legion and the entire Saint Marco Legion were made up of urban residents—most of them citizens of Sea Blue City.

These conscripted reservists were the cream of the city. Receiving weapons training and carrying weapons were privileges in Vineta, ones that the lower classes of the city, struggling to make ends meet, did not have the time or money to obtain.

Thus, the reservist soldiers were essentially "citizen soldiers," affluent merchants and craftsmen in the city. They received military training once a week, and a significant number had purchased their own weapons and armor.

Because of this, although not as elite as the Standing Army, the reservists showed strong combat abilities in the battle on Red Sulfur Island.

But the two legions had already drawn nearly ten thousand able-bodied urban laborers—healthy adult male citizens.

If they continued to conscript reservists on a large scale, the production and day-to-day life in Vineta cities like Sea Blue would inevitably be affected.

Thus, the new legions and additional soldiers would be conscripted from rural areas... whether this decision was good or bad, no one knew.

A week after the victory parade, a new fleet had assembled at Sea Blue Port.

Before departing, the Debela regent held a grand departure ceremony.

Drums and bugles filled the air, horns competed in a cacophony, and clergy conducted religious rites to bless the fleet.

Debela handed over a battle flag to the fleet commander, Cro Zenon. The red background of the flag featured a golden lion with a crown and wings, holding a sword in one paw and a scripture in the other.

The regent solemnly proclaimed:

"God has entrusted you with a sacred mission, to defend this republic with your courage and to seek vengeance against those who dare to insult and threaten its security. We entrust you with this victorious, awe-inspiring battle flag, and your duty is to return with it triumphantly, without tarnishing its honor."

Amidst the cheers of the crowd and the sound of saluting cannons, the fleet slowly departed Sea Blue Port.

However, the ships were actually only filled with reinforcements and military supplies; two new legions had not yet completed assembly, and even their numbers had not been determined.

Cro Zenon was merely a naval commodore, far lower in military status than Nalesho, Antonio, and Layton.

There was no ceremony when the Da Weineta Legion departed, nor when the Saint Marco Legion did; yet, the departure of a small supply fleet was celebrated with great fanfare, which caused those in the know to smirk quietly.

Winters was also in this fleet.

The reason he had returned to his homeland was only partially to escort prisoners; his main reason was to heal from his injury. Dr. Kane had sternly warned him, "If you don't want to have an arm amputated, then go home and rest properly."

But after three weeks of rest, Winters felt that his arrow wound had mostly healed.

He didn't want to fight, but Antonio was on the front line, Bard, Andre, and Moritz too; he couldn't bear to stay safe at home while his friends and family shed blood on the battlefield.

Therefore, Warrant Officer Winters Montagne requested an early return to duty.

The faces of those on shore saying farewell had already blurred; Winters returned to his cabin. He carefully opened the delicate locket, which housed portraits of Kosha and Ella... and Anna's as well.

In the tiny paper pieces, the soul of the portrayed was captured by delicate brushstrokes, a gift from Anna.

Ana's voice lingered in his ears: "Write to me! Mr. Montagne, write me a hundred letters; write every day. Tell me everything, you can tell me everything! I will also write to you every day! I will wait for you... I will write to you every day! Please write to me too! Don't forget me..."
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Winters gazed for a while, then closed the locket, snapped it shut, and carefully hung it back around his neck.

Before leaving, he had promised Anna, "When all this is over... I'll leave the army, or apply for a safe duty."

"Retiring with the rank of Major isn't so bad," Winters mused as he lay in bed, pondering the thought.

...

On shore, the silhouette of the ship had slowly disappeared below the horizon at sea.

Elizabeth supported the tearful Mrs. Serviati, while Sofia held the weeping Miss Navarre in her arms.

Ella hadn't expected that she, the youngest, would end up being the strongest in the end. She too wanted to cry, but she firmly believed in one thing: "Winters won't have any trouble."

...

Departing with the soldiers were appointed officials, emissaries for receiving duties, merchants, priests, speculators... the number of non-military personnel was more than double that of the military.

With dreams of glory and wealth, the Fourth Venetian Fleet set sail for the Tanyria Archipelago.