Chapter Twenty-Four: Gaul City (Part One)

The region of Gaul was once under the dominion of the Old Tienlun Dynasty and, by rights, should have been inherited by the Landia Republic. In reality, however, the Comminesson Revolutionary Group controlled the western triangle of the plain and had established ties with the orc tribes, leaving the Landia Republic without true authority over the entire Gaul Plain. Instead, both the Tienlun Dynasty and the Landia Republic had, on several occasions, attempted to eliminate the Comminesson Revolutionary Group to prevent any threat. Yet this band remained remarkably united, receiving support from some local inhabitants and maintaining connections with orc tribes in the southern Ctexibius Mountains, always evading eradication.

Whenever the army approached, the revolutionaries would swiftly retreat into the orc territories, forcing the military to hesitate, unwilling to risk a full-scale war with the orcs. As soon as the army withdrew, the revolutionaries would reemerge, recruiting new followers, especially those destitute tenant farmers and peasants whose homes had been lost to disasters. Twice, Warrenheit launched heavy assaults, destroying Comminesson’s fixed bases, but their leader, Grant, always eluded capture.

From a bird’s-eye view, a peculiar group was advancing toward Gaul City. It was composed of a handful of humans and dozens of Bearfolk.

After crossing the Negro River, Wei Wujie questioned Zhukovsky once more, convinced that the greatest likelihood was that Cecily had been taken to Gaul City.

The Bearfolk still followed them, though Wei Wujie would have preferred not to lead this band of brigands any further. However, Layard persuaded him; even aside from any need to rescue Cecily, recruiting the Bearfolk could serve the Hegel couple well.

Layard, along the journey, explained in detail to the Bearfolk why they remained hungry and poorly clad despite their banditry—they were an oppressed class, once subjugated by human armies and driven to banditry, then oppressed again by foreign Wildfolk. As Gamio put it, Layard had enlightened them, igniting the dormant spirit of progress within their hearts.

Layard’s arguments convinced the Bearfolk. By his theory of class division, these pitiable jungle bandits were poor peasants, their questionable deeds notwithstanding, and thus could be won over.

The dozens of Bearfolk, after being recruited, were immediately incorporated into Layard’s own force, declared as the Third Battalion, Fourth Company of the Comminesson Revolutionary Group. Zhukovsky, the bandit chief, was appointed company commander, thus ending their days as outlaws.

Gamio was entrusted to temporarily lead this Bearfolk company and protect the Hegel couple, while Wei Wujie and Layard proceeded toward Gaul City to search for Cecily.

Gaul City, the central metropolis of western Landia and the frontline command center against the orcs of the southern Ctexibius region, had become almost a fortress. Its strong walls were fitted with cannons; each gate was guarded by two bronze and four cast-iron cannons. Unfortunately, these powerful weapons were ill-suited for field combat, which was precisely why Landia valued Hegel so highly—his improvements would allow such cannons to be deployed with the army on the move.

Wei Wujie and Layard queued with the influx of people entering the city. The soldiers guarding the gates were conducting strict inspections, as if this were a time of great unrest.

Listening to the murmurs around them, they learned that the Comminesson Revolutionary Group had been active again recently. Their presence was spotted in the countryside near Gaul City, and several wealthy landlords had been raided, declared as oppressors, and their wealth and land redistributed.

Layard revealed more about the region. For years, the Comminesson Revolutionary Group had played a cat-and-mouse game with the city’s two military units. Gaul City housed two distinct forces: the original garrison, composed of locals and still operating under the old system, consisting of five companies mainly tasked with auxiliary defense; and the Landia Second Army, First Division, which included a cavalry regiment, four infantry regiments, an artillery battalion, and several special or auxiliary units unique to the new military structure—such as a reconnaissance company, engineering teams for construction and emergency response, and logistical support.

Of note, the First Division of the Second Army—also known as Division B—was not as advanced as the two divisions of the First Army, most of whom were equipped with modified or flintlock rifles. Among the four infantry regiments, two had firearms. The garrison’s main roles were threefold: previously, it was to guard against the orcs of the Ctexibius Mountains and neighboring countries, such as the powerful northern Lot Empire. But since the emergence and escalation of the Comminesson Revolutionary Group about ten years ago, Division B had taken on a new mission: to eradicate the troublesome revolutionaries.

This third mission proved difficult. Division B spearheaded every campaign against the Comminesson Group—four infantry regiments often mobilized en masse, with the remaining forces and the five old companies defending Gaul City. But the revolutionaries, whenever beset by the military, would retreat into the southern Ctexibius Mountains, the domain of the orcs, causing Division B to hesitate. The last large-scale human-orc conflict in the region was in the Tienlun Dynasty era; since the Republic’s founding, Warrenheit had no wish for renewed hostilities.

Yet as the revolutionaries grew bolder and drew Warrenheit’s attention, particularly after failed attempts to negotiate with them, Warrenheit ordered both of Division B’s regiments to be rearmed ahead of schedule—originally, the plan was to fully equip the First Army’s two divisions before upgrading Division B. Warrenheit’s focus didn’t stop there. After the upgrades, the Prime Minister personally sent generous gifts in Landia’s name to three orc clans in the area, requesting permission for human troops to enter the Ctexibius Mountains to hunt the rebels.

The orc clans nearest Gaul were the Monk, the Biel, and the infamous, ruthless Cadille.

The outcome of the crackdown deeply disappointed the Prime Minister. While the Comminesson Group’s fixed bases were destroyed, the revolutionaries who fled into the orc-controlled regions used the opportunity to forge alliances with the orcs. The Biel and Monk clans, despite accepting gifts from humans, grew increasingly friendly with Grant and secretly aided him, thus foiling Division B’s two large-scale offensives. Only the Cadille tribe’s crocodile-men remained aloof, indifferent as Landia’s troops and the revolutionaries battled each other.