Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 437 - 62 Seizing the Household_2

Chapter 437: Chapter 62 Seizing the Household_2

“Quit rubbing your eyes, endure it a bit.” Winters was also shedding tears non-stop as he handed the military flag over to Heinrich and sheathed his sword, “Retreat!”

Quickly determining their direction, Winters led everyone to withdraw from Hurd’s camp.

But before long, once the strength of the fire had lessened slightly, he led his men back into the camp again.

They couldn’t help but return, famished beyond words. In the commotion of fighting the enemy and setting fires, they hadn’t seen a bit of the meat, mare’s milk, or roasted lamb that the Centurion had promised.

Winters commanded his men to put out the fire, regretting a bit in his heart.

In his exhilaration during battle, he had wished he could set Hurd’s camp ablaze three times over, forgetting all else, including the procurement of food and drink.

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The Paratu People had no choice but to search through the ashes for food and spoils of war.

“No hoarding! It will be distributed evenly when we get back! Death to hoarders!” Winters urged his men, “Hurry up! Don’t dawdle!”

Once a camp caught fire, it could be seen from miles away.

The earlier deployed Hurd Cavalry would surely return to assist, so the Paratu had limited time to scavenge the battlefield.

Winters dismantled a cart from the camp wall and harnessed it to Dusa.

The militia threw their spoils in the cart, which included silver scabbards, weapons, buttons, and such; not much of great value, leaving everyone somewhat disappointed.

It was Dusa’s first time pulling a cart, and he felt indignant to the utmost, acting stubbornly immobile.

Winters, frustrated, slapped Dusa’s behind.

Dusa started moving forward sluggishly.

Winters took out two sugar cubes, gently stroking the horse’s neck with them.

The horse complained with a snort, licked Winters’s palm with its tongue, and looked expectantly at its master.

Winters, resigned, shook his head and took out his last two sugar cubes, then turned his pocket inside out to show the horse, “That’s all!”

Only then did Dusa agree to lift its legs.

The sound of horseshoes approached from behind, and Anglu arrived beside Winters on his red-maned warhorse. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw it was Dusa pulling the cart.

“How is it?” Winters asked the young horse-handler.

Anglu nodded.

“Thank you.”

Anglu shook his head again.

Their exchange was like a silent riddle.

The most precious spoils were not gold or jewels but the thousands of horses. The herd, frightened by Winters’s “scare beast,” had scattered and needed to be corralled once more.

Herding the horses naturally fell to Dusack, and Winters’s secret order was: select three hundred well-fed warhorses and hide them well.

“The Lieutenant Colonel has instructed you to clean up the battlefield as soon as possible and to meet up with him,” Anglu also delivered a formal order.

“Alright, I got it.”

Anglu saluted and rode off.

The fire that started quickly also died quickly, and the campsite was soon cleansed by the flames. The smoke had not yet cleared, and the scorched earth was visible all around.

Where once tents lay thick, only charred poles remained, still crackling and burning.

It wasn’t yet dawn, and the militia, some wielding torches and others using the residual glow of the fire, searched through the ashes for food and valuables.

Occasionally, a militiaman would find leftover dried meat or charred cheese and without much fuss, would wipe it on their clothing and share it.

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Xial came running to Winters, holding a skin bag triumphantly, “Mare’s milk, Captain!”

“Mare’s milk?” Winters was quite surprised, he was so thirsty his throat seemed to be on fire.

But as soon as he removed the stopper, he remembered the promises and boasts he had made before battle and felt too ashamed to start drinking.

He had indulged himself before, and now it was time to pay back.

Winters sighed and handed the skin back to Xial, “Share it with everyone, let each person have a sip to moisten their throat.”

Xial’s face showed reluctance.

“Go on,” Winters swallowed compulsively.

The precious mare’s milk was passed from hand to hand among the militia, each person cherishing their small sip before handing it off to the next person.

Tess only took a taste, he longed to gulp it down. But since everyone was just moistening their throats, he didn’t want to be a jerk in front of his comrades.

He walked up to the edge of the tent remains, absent-mindedly sweeping his foot back and forth through the ashes.

The Blood Wolf had talked about gold cups, silver bowls, pearls, and gems buried here, but so far, they had found none.

Even though Tess knew it was probably just Blood Wolf boasting, he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.

Because if he could only bring back two—no, even half a gold cup home, he wouldn’t have to toil as a laborer anymore. He could buy a patch of land and work for himself.

Even though Tess didn’t believe in the gold and silver cups, when he charged into Hurd’s camp, he held the deepest and most sincere hope.

But now Tess no longer harbored any hope and just felt a bit silly.

He casually swept his foot through the ashes a few more times, and suddenly, he struck something hard.

Tess’s heart contracted sharply.

As the embers still glowed red, he couldn’t wait and used his bare hands to clear them away, revealing the unique golden luster of a hard object in the firelight.

Tess grabbed the scorching gold bowl, “Sir! I found a gold cup!”

Winters, Xial, Heinrich… everyone heard Tess’s excited shout, and the militia gathered around Tess, holding the gold bowl, and walked him over to Winters.

“Sir, I found this,” Tess carefully presented the gold bowl to the Centurion.

Winters had initially thought his subordinate mistook a copper bowl for gold, but after closer examination, he couldn’t help but gasp, “This seems… to be real gold!”

Tess was so overjoyed he nearly fainted.

“Tess, this gold bowl has to be contributed to the public,” Winters felt a bit apologetic, “but I promise, it will be divided as previously promised. I’ll take only one share, just like everyone else.”