The Steam Age: Gears and Bones

Chapter 21

The first small boat was lowered into the morning light, and the oarsmen plunged their oars into the icy seawater.

The first shipment included the flag bearer and four knights, along with several veterans of Ross brought by Cherzov.

They were the first to land on the scree beach, spreading out in a fan shape to establish a temporary landing zone.

Perfitter stood on the gunwale watching the first small boat approach the pebble beach. The flag captain was the first to jump out, his boots making a soft crunching sound as they stepped on the gravel.

He crouched down, quickly scanned his surroundings, and then raised a fist—safe, he could continue logging in.

The second small boat carried Ludwig and his Romulus knights.

Their dark gray armor reflected a dull metallic luster in the morning light. After landing, the knights immediately took up the high ground on both sides of the pebble beach, with their swords at their waists and one hand on the hilt, setting up observation posts facing the swamp.

Ludwig stood on the beach, scanned the swamp with his binoculars, then turned to the cruiser on the sea and gave Perfit a "safe" signal.

The third small boat was filled with supply boxes, tents, portable experimental equipment, and medical supplies, which Belfast personally escorted from the stern.

After the small boat docked, she bent down and picked up the two heaviest wooden crates, one in each hand, and walked directly from the boat onto the pebble beach, her steps as steady as if she were carrying two empty baskets.

The Romulus knights standing in formation nearby couldn't help but take another look at her – those wooden crates had taken two sailors to lift onto the ship, yet this seemingly quiet head maid carried them without batting an eye.

Perfitt saw this scene from a distance on the ship's side, his lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing.

The fourth and final trip in the small boat carried Perfit, Chernzov, and Sabel, along with several Knights of the Sword and Rose responsible for bringing up the rear.

Perfit sat at the stern of the boat, watching the coastline gradually expand and become clearer in his field of vision.

The salty, astringent smell unique to saline-alkali land, mixed with the fishy smell of seawater, filled her nostrils, while the cold wind carried the rotting scent of reeds drifting from the direction of the swamp.

It's not the cloying, rotten smell of a port, but rather a colder, drier smell, closer to the raw, primal peat smell of thawing permafrost.

She stood up the moment the small boat touched the pebble beach.

The moment my boots touched the gravel, they sank slightly, but were quickly caught by the firm, frozen ground. Unlike the muddy swamps in the heart of a marshland where you could swallow your whole foot.

The surface of the gravel beach was frozen hard, and when you stepped on it, you could feel the solidity of the frozen soil deep inside.

"Everyone, check your equipment according to your previous groups." Perfitt walked to the beach and turned to the assembled expedition team. "The reconnaissance team will go ahead to scout out the military post road that the lieutenant general mentioned. The main force will wait for the signal on the beach."

If the post road is usable, we will proceed along it; if the post road is destroyed, we will cross directly through the swamp—note that when crossing the swamp, everyone must stay close to the person in front, maintaining a sufficient distance in all directions so that the latter can see the former's backpack, and no one is allowed to deviate from the route without authorization.

Everyone conducted a final equipment check on the scree beach.

The flag captain divided the expedition into three groups: the reconnaissance group, led by himself and eight knights, the medical group, led by Sabel and the medic, and the rearguard, led by Ludwig's knight Romulus. Cherksov and his Ross veterans were scattered between the middle and rearguard, responsible for identifying the terrain and any swamps or mud pits that might be lurking under the snow.

Chertzov raised his hand and pointed in a certain direction deep in the swamp: "The military post road should be behind that reed patch, about two hours from here."

Pflick looked in the direction he was pointing, and all he could see in the telescope were frozen reeds and a thin white mist rising from the distant swamp.

The fog was very thin, unlike the thick smoke of the harbor; it was just the cold air from the water vapor on the swamp surface being evaporated by the morning light. Even so, the visibility was still reduced to less than a kilometer.

The reconnaissance team has already set off.

Eight fully armed knights formed a skirmish line and advanced toward the reeds.

Their swords were drawn from their sheaths, their blades gleaming with a pale blue light in the cold air. Occasionally, the tips of their swords would touch the frozen reeds as they moved, making a soft cracking sound, which was then drowned out by the sound of their boots crushing the frozen ground.

The flag captain walked at the front, one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other gesturing behind him—follow up, keep your distance, and watch your step.

Perfit readjusted his breathing mask to make sure it was sealed properly, then stepped onto the frozen ground and followed.

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About an hour after the reconnaissance squad set off, the flag captain sent a knight back with news.

When the knight emerged from the reeds, a thin layer of frost covered his breathing mask, but he moved quickly, clearly with good news.

He strode up to Perfit, gave a brief salute, and reported in a low voice, "The post road has been found. The road surface is still there, frozen solid, and walkable. The flag captain explored along the post road for about half a mile and found an abandoned wagon by the roadside."

"A carriage?" Perfit frowned slightly. "What's its condition?"

"The frame is intact, all four wheels are there, and the axles are not broken. The cargo has been removed, and only a few bundles of rotten straw rope remain in the wagon. The horse is gone—it may have been ridden away, or it may have broken free and run away."

The flag captain told me to come back and ask whether we should bring the wagons back to load supplies.

Perfit glanced back at the boxes piled up on the beach.

There were more than a dozen items of various sizes, including tents, food, medical supplies, and portable alchemy lab kits.

If everyone had to carry everything on their backs, each person would have to carry at least 20 to 30 kilograms more than their weapons and equipment, and no one could endure walking in the swamp for a whole day.

"Pull it back." She made her decision, then turned to Chernzov. "Lieutenant General, is the road wide enough for a carriage to pass?"

"That's enough," Chertzov nodded. "That post road was built a long time ago as a military road. The roadbed has been raised, and the road surface is wide enough for at least two carriages to drive side by side. The drainage ditches on both sides may have silted up over the years, but the road surface itself should be fine."

Perfico nodded, signaling the knight to go back and relay the message.

Less than half an hour later, the flag captain personally led several knights to push the carriage back from the post road.

The wheels left two shallow ruts on the frozen gravel, and the axle made a dry creaking sound, but apart from that, the vehicle was indeed in perfect condition, just as the knight had said.

The carriage was made of wooden planks, and in some places the paint had peeled off, revealing the grayish-white wood underneath, but the floorboards were not rotten and the side panels were not cracked.

Perfit walked around the carriage, bending down to inspect the axles and wheels.

The iron bushings were rusted, but not deeply, and the lubricating oil remaining in the bearings hadn't completely dried. The car wouldn't have been abandoned here for long, at most two or three weeks.

"Load the supplies onto the truck." She straightened up, patted the rust off her hands, and said, "Put all the heavy items in the truck bed, and keep personal equipment and weapons with you. Have two people on each side of the wheels to hold them, and give them a push when you encounter uphill sections or uneven roads."

From now on, this vehicle will be our only means of transportation; no one is allowed to damage it.