Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 364: Chapter 31 Horse Palm Ivan_2

“`

By contrast, the Dusacks were indeed fierce, with no Dusack dead, only six wounded.

All the manors in Wolf Town pooled a sum of money together, for funeral expenses and compensation for the injured and the deceased.

Only when the lieutenant brought the captured bandits and the bodies of the dead to the county garrison did he learn: on the heads of many in the band of thieves who ambushed the Wolf Town convoy hung bounties.

Especially the bandit chief with an oval-shaped scar on his face — the bastard was tough, surviving a stab in the back — was a notorious villain known by the nickname “Horse Palm Ivan.”

“Horse Palm Ivan’s gang roamed and committed crimes throughout the Newly Reclaimed Land; of the eight counties in the province, bounties hung on his head in six counties.

…

“Horse Palm Ivan was originally one of the Dusacks,” Major Ronald told Winters.

He was kicked in the face by a warhorse, leaving an oval-shaped horseshoe mark, and hence acquired the nickname “Horse Palm.”

Afterward, he accidentally killed someone in a drunken brawl, fled in fear of punishment, and simply took to a life of robbery and murder.

With his exceptional strength and military experience, Horse Palm quickly gathered a mob of thugs around him.

The man was well-versed in military discipline and clearly understood the intricacies between the legion and local authorities.

In the Newly Reclaimed Lands Province, only the legionary gendarmerie had the power to pursue criminals across counties, but catching thieves was the responsibility of local jurisdictions.

Hence, Horse Palm only robbed civilians and never touched the military; when one county became too hot for him, he jumped to another, causing headaches for the governments of each.

Horse Palm’s crimes multiplied, his notoriety spread, and his nickname evolved from “Horse Palm” to “Horse Palm Ivan.”

“The infamous Horse Palm Ivan,” Major Ronald patted Winters on the shoulder, praising him joyfully, “finally fell into the hands of Lieutenant Montaigne, and he was captured alive. Well done!”

That Horse Palm Ivan was caught in Iron Peak County also gave Major Ronald quite a bit of face.

Especially since it was a live capture, which implied a “grand” public execution — Winters did not yet understand.

In fact, it wasn’t just Horse Palm Ivan alone; several other notorious thieves who had joined forces for the raid also died by the sword.

However, compared to the infamy of Horse Palm Ivan, the other bandits were barely worth mentioning.

“It is mainly due to the credit of Town Chief Mitchell and the Dusacks of Wolfton,” Winters sighed, “Only now do I understand why mere robbers were able to choose such an opportune moment for their ambush.”

Scouting beforehand, repeated reconnaissance, attacking mid-crossing, seizing the moment when the convoy’s guard was spread thin…

If Winters hadn’t reinforced in time, and the lieutenant hadn’t happened to be a Spellcaster, it’s very likely that Horse Palm Ivan would have succeeded this time.

Major Ronald paused momentarily, then said with emotion, “Rebels are always more dangerous than bandits.”

Those with military skills, once they turn to evil, cause harm far beyond what desperate farmers could muster.

In the Imperial Era, the most destructive thieves were often bankrupt nobles and destitute knights.

…

Major Ronald kept Horse Palm Ivan behind while instructing Winters to take the remaining seven bandits back to Wolf Town.

“The men were captured by you; by law, they are yours to judge. I’ll keep Horse Palm while you take the others back to Wolf Town to kill,” Major Ronald specifically entrusted, “Not only to quell the anger of the victims’ families but also to set an example. Once things are settled here, I’ll send the executioner to your place.”

Having the power to judge life and death of a person, a privilege unthinkable for an officer of a small township in the Vineta Republic, was granted here.

It was no exaggeration that the Parlatu Army in the Newly Reclaimed Lands wielded a status similar to feudal lords.@@novelbin@@

The bodies of the bandits were exchanged for silver coins in Revodan, and the bounty on Horse Palm Ivan’s head posted by Iron Peak County was collected directly at the Revodan garrison.

Major Ronald also generously paid Winters the bounties on Horse Palm Ivan from the other five counties, based on their posted reward proclamations.

With bounties in hand and seven bandits in tow, Winters returned to Wolfton.

Before this, no one had realized that the newly constructed jail at the security station would be put to use so soon.

The old blacksmith Misha and his assistant Berlion had no choice but to forge shackles throughout the night.

Winters had intended to leave the seven bandits for Major Ronald to judge, but he realized he had no right to rob the victims’ families of their chance at revenge.

…

The conscription work in Wolf Town was progressing smoothly.

When Winters brought back the good news that “time served in the militia could count towards a period of service obligation,” the Dusans were very pleased.

Gerard did not agree with “gaming the system” from the bottom of his heart, but he did not openly oppose it, leaving the choice to each Dusan family.

In the end, 32 underage Dusacks voluntarily enlisted, all between the ages of 15 and 20.

With a quota of 80 for the century, the remaining 48 unlucky ones would be decided by lottery.

Among the list of voluntary Dusack enlistees was the name of Pierre.

While Mr. Michel fiercely opposed, the real decision-maker in the Mitchell family was not him, but Mrs. Mitchell.

In the end, Pierre still ended up telling his mother about the beating from his father — he could not conceal the bruises on his face.

Contrary to Pierre’s expectations, his usually indulgent mother, after learning the cause, not only supported his father but also gave Pierre another lesson.

When it came to deciding whether to join the auxiliary militia, Pierre and Gerard found themselves on the same side again.

Gerard loathed acts that broke sworn vows, while Pierre would rather die than be a conscripted civilian.

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