Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 928 - 25: The Old Man and Dusack_3

Chapter 928: Chapter 25: The Old Man and Dusack_3

Veterans love to grumble, it’s a privilege reserved for the seasoned soldier. They moan about the food, the weather, the idiotic centurions, the ill-fitting boots, as if there’s nothing in this world that could ever satisfy them.

And the Dusack veterans, they are particularly fond of grumbling.

Due to the special system of lifelong service, most of the temporarily conscripted Dusacks were seasoned veterans who had served seven years of active duty, many of whom already had beards aplenty, with some even boasting of grandchildren.

When they were conscripted, it was said they’d go fight the Herd Barbarians; beat the Herd Barbarians back, and they could return home.

So the Dusacks, young and old alike, whether willingly or unwillingly, mounted their warhorses, packed up their rations, and headed to the wilderness camp for assembly.

And the result?

The Herd Barbarians were routed, and now the Dusacks are expected to deal with their own kind? What happened to the promise that “it would be different”?

The Dusacks, who swore loyalty to the Republic of Paratu, had not done any dirty work for many years.

The young generation born in Paratu didn’t even know the true meaning of [the Emperor’s Whip], only the older generation of Dusacks retained the memories of swinging sabres against the “bumpkins.”

As winter approached, there wasn’t even a hint from the military government about revoking the conscription order. The Dusacks brimmed with grievances, feeling both angry and betrayed, and pining for home.

The braver Dusacks deserted, while those who dared not desert could only drown their sorrows in drink every day.

The army didn’t supply alcohol, so the Dusacks bartered with merchants using armlets, belts, silver stirrups, even resorting to robbery at times.

In the taverns, inns, and crossroads of Jiangbei Province, you’d find Dusacks drunk as lords, looking for a fight.

Given these circumstances, Pierre and Vashka’s identities were nearly flawless – because they were truly Dusacks.

After leaving Iron Peak County, Pierre and Vashka took a detour from the uninhabited western region and, with help from the Red River Tribe, crossed the Ashen Stream River. After the crossing, they continued eastward into Jiangbei Province.

The area of Jiangbei Province is nearly as vast as that of the Newly Reclaimed Lands Province, searching for a handful of people in an expanse of more than two hundred thousand square kilometers was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

But Pierre had a method. In every city, every village, Pierre would first hit the taverns to gather information. When encountering Dusacks drinking to ease their woes, he would offer to buy them a drink.

The Dusacks stood out among the Paratu People, their hairstyles, ornaments, and attire all distinct from the latter.

When two Dusacks met, there was a natural affinity. Coupled with the unending rounds of strong liquor, those sitting with Pierre would soon start to shed tears, throw arms around shoulders, treat each other like brothers, eager to spill all they knew to Pierre.

Passing through Oakwood Town, he learned from a Dusack about a “farrier with exceptional culinary skills,” and following the lead, discovered the station of the “farrier” from another Dusack.

Although it turned out not to be Berlion upon meeting, it was serendipitously revealed that the farrier had previously worked with “a young but formidable blacksmith,” and learned his cooking skills from him.

Persistence paid off, and, following the trail from one station to the next, Pierre finally managed to meet with Berlion.

Winters had tasked Pierre only with “finding the person and doing his best,” and even though Berlion wasn’t under tight surveillance, the situation was more than Pierre and Vashka could handle alone.

So, after consulting with each other, Pierre and Vashka decided that Vashka would return to Iron Peak County to send a message, while Pierre stayed in Jiangbei Province awaiting reinforcements.

Actually, Pierre had another idea in mind – he wanted to find Gerard Mitchell.

It was around this time that Pierre was captured and thrown into Shishan Prison.

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The old man chuckled, “I knew you were no ordinary fella.”

“So that’s why you took care of me, right?” said Pierre, with a half-smile.

“That’s right.” The old man admitted bluntly, “From the first glance… I felt you might be the main one sent to rescue me.”

“Anyway, thanks.”

The old man changed the subject, “How did you get caught? You haven’t said! Was there a checkpoint?”

Pierre snorted, “A checkpoint? If we had come across patrolling gendarmes, a flick of our whips would have been enough to shake them off; they couldn’t have caught up if they tried. Probably thought we were just a couple of drunken Dusacks.”

“Then what…”

“Things were going smoothly… I was buying drinks for all the Dusacks in the tavern.” Pierre’s cheeks twitched, “For some reason, more and more people kept showing up. They got drunk, started fighting, dancing, raising all kinds of hell.”

“And then?”

“Then someone suggested setting the tavern on fire.”

“…”

“The tavern owner got scared and locked the place up, and as the gendarmes arrived, they rounded us all up.”