Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 348 - 21: The Well Water Does Not Offend the River Water

Chapter 348: Chapter 21: The Well Water Does Not Offend the River Water

He had died.

Everyone saw it with their own eyes.

This sudden turn of events caught the people of Cold Wind Town off guard.

They had come to kill!

After a brief silence, the people on Cold Wind Town’s side finally reacted.

Some guards trembled all over, some screamed, some cowardly knights fled at the sight, and some knights attacked with furious anger.

Those who resisted were slaughtered as soon as they charged, falling into the muddy earth along with their loyal masters like faithful dogs.

The Vanguard and the auxiliary forces took over the land without any obstruction.

Nathan went straight to the castle of Cold Wind Town, where he had once been imprisoned, remembering the narrow and low castle. It looked insignificant from the outside, but it had dungeons and cellars, which stored a large amount of food.

They spent five days turning the place upside down to ensure nothing was left, then transported the looted food and wealth onto wagons.

This was a forced mass relocation, and everyone, whether young and strong or children and the elderly, was taken away, facing great resistance.

Some old farmers would rather die than leave their land, and no amount of threats from the Vanguard could sway them.

Nathan gathered all those residents who refused to leave even in death and drove them into a forest.

No one knew what happened in the forest, but when the army emerged, the legs of those who were left went weak.

Because the steward appointed by Lord Wende had followed into the forest and all met their untimely deaths. Their bodies were dragged by horses, their flesh blurred from friction, leaving harrowing trails of blood.

The fate of those who never emerged from the forest was clearly ominous.

Those of the lower class who did not resist as intensely complied right away.

Approximately over ten thousand people, considered spoils of war, followed the cavalry detachment back slowly.

This was when the role of the auxiliary army became apparent—they alone could not watch over all the people and wagons.

"The rain is still falling," Luca observed at the misty expanse.

This tall highlander was at the very front of the procession, leading a warhorse loaded with food; it was the same with all the horses in the cavalry detachment, to increase their carrying capacity.

Even so, not all of Cold Wind Town’s supplies could be transported; they had left people behind to guard them, planning to return in a few days to carry away more.

"This is a disaster of rain," Nathan said with a somber expression.

He came from a farming background and deeply detested all disasters.

Nathan enjoyed farming and was capable of plowing by himself.

But some things often went against one’s wishes, and he was appointed as the Chief Captain of the Vanguard.

Cavalry was the best choice for a vanguard unit; not to mention the knights in heavy armor, even the mounted infantry was far more agile than regular foot soldiers.

Roman believed that the vanguard must undertake tasks such as storming the battlefield or capturing flags, tasks which could not be accomplished without exceptional talent. A leader who appeared strong and brave could greatly boost the morale of the troops.

Therefore, Nathan was the Captain of the vanguard, in charge of most of the cavalry forces, but Luca still was the Squad Leader of the cavalry detachment and served as the deputy Chief Captain within the vanguard’s hierarchy.

"Just wondering when this rain will stop," a young cavalryman said.

"Soon," Nathan replied.

He was nearing thirty and had experienced similar disasters in his youth. All he remembered was when the clouds at the edge of the sky shifted, hinting at golden light—that was when the rain would dissipate.

Sure enough, on the third day of their return, the chaotic skies began to clear up.

A ray of golden light burst forth from the depths of the heavy clouds, shining down on the mud-soaked road like a golden sword, in stark contrast to the still dim surroundings.

Below the clouds was a long, dragging caravan, seemingly endless from a distance.

They trudged through mud and pushed wheelbarrows, weary, but as if walking on a path cleaved open by a golden sword.

...

Another day and a bit passed.

The Vanguard finally arrived at Fertile City.

Green personally welcomed the triumphant return of the grand army.

Dividing troops is a major taboo in warfare, and to do so by type of troops is even more unthinkable. Yet, Roman did just that.

The reason was to hone their organizational abilities.

They did not disappoint him, achieving speed of the utmost importance, striking from all sides with unstoppable momentum. They brought back batches of people and supplies in an orderly manner.

Nathan’s force was the second to return.

The special squad led by Green was the first to come back. The Shane Territory was suitable for livestock with a large ranch, but had few people. He had captured over three thousand, drove the freshly wintered cattle and sheep back, a task far more relaxed and simple than that of the vanguard squad.

There was an episode—The lord of Shane Territory, relying on the sentries, discovered Green’s approaching army and made a decisive call to seal the castle.

Green led his special unit and scaled the walls that very night, cracking open the castle like a can.

Coincidentally,

The sniper squad also encountered resistance in Blackbird Forest.

The former only needed a few rounds of long-range shooting to scatter them.

After the transfer, the talents of the Angel Envoys changed as well; the snipers’ eye power and hit rates increased, making them elite marksmen.

Hundreds died in the chaotic volley of arrows, but the nobles’ castle in Blackbird Forest was situated atop a ridge, with high grounds that were easy to defend but hard to attack, making it difficult to conquer with long-range efforts alone.

The sniper squad, lamenting their situation, could only take away a few thousand people and some supplies.

Roman valued the resources highly; this time, they needed not only people but also their reserve food stocks.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to support so many people.

Despite the scavenged food being scarce, only a few million pounds,

It was still enough to stave off immediate consumptions.

After Nathan’s return, Roman received a battle report from Aaron.

The heavy equipment squad had successfully landed in Apple Town. The conscripted soldiers stood no chance against them, and Aaron directly plundered that rather prosperous marketplace.

However, the downside was that their actions were now exposed to the gaze of the external nobility—of course, there was no hiding it.

Roman had divided his forces into five groups to attack simultaneously. This was Origin City’s first large-scale conquest war; previously, they had only engaged in small-scale conflicts or self-defense wars.

Now, it had finally bared its fangs and claws to the many external nobles.

Black Iron Land was among the richest and most powerful kingdoms on land. The Black Iron King, having ennobled many nobles naturally as well.

When Conqueror Ioannos founded the Black Iron Kingdom, he had not only ennobled three grand dukes but had also granted hundreds of earls, barons, and other nobles, massively parcelling out land to consolidate the king’s rule.

Although Origin City was in a remote location, it was surrounded by about a dozen noble ruling classes—Kant Territory alone had not just one earl but also five hereditary barons.

Apple Town, close to the heartland of Black Iron, with convenient transportation and abundant in a variety of fruits and vegetables, was a thriving trading marketplace.

Many nobles relied on that town for profit and they could not sit idly by, no matter what.

It was already outrageous enough that the fringes of the Black Iron heartland were being robbed.

What was even more outrageous was that it wasn’t wealth being taken, but all sorts of professional craftsmen and artisans.

It was one thing to take people, but to completely uproot, bringing entire families of craftsmen with them?

Was this the act of humans?

There’s a saying "the well water should not offend the river water", but how come this well water is overflowing now?

The nobles, after conferring,

Could no longer tolerate it.

Attack them!

But could they win?

No one was sure.

Yet, with the situation as urgent as fire burning one’s eyebrows, they were pressed for action.

They desperately needed to drive out these bandits and thus sought aid from other nobles.