Chapter 98

"Comrades in arms, our headquarters is in Charleston. There, you can obtain supplies and ammunition, and also recruit soldiers. Good luck."

"Thank you." Lin Yifan didn’t say much to the Steel Front officer, just nodded in gratitude.

The officer tipped his hat to Lin Yifan and then rode away.

Not long after the Steel Front member left, Lin Yifan saw Tokishima Sae, covered in blood, holding the Muramasa demon sword.

Sae, mounted on a horse, wore a fluffy black cavalry hat, a red coat with a green collar, and her ample chest strained against the white shirt underneath, which was already soaked with blood.

With her boots in the stirrups, Sae easily dismounted and sheathed the demon sword in her hand.

"It’s good to see you safe..." Sae placed her hand on Lin Yifan’s shoulder. Unlike a typical woman, she didn’t scream or shout; a single glance conveyed a myriad of emotions.

Lin Yifan reached out to wipe the blood from Sae’s face, his thumbs gently brushing her pale cheeks. "Where are Saya and Minami?"

"They are with me at the rear. As soon as we entered, the system placed us at the back."

Sae’s words puzzled Lin Yifan. "The rear?"

"Yes, these cavalrymen are assigned by the system. I was placed at the rear as soon as I entered. Saya is with Minami now."

Hearing that they were assigned by the system, Lin Yifan suddenly remembered that when he entered, he was also standing among a group of soldiers. However, the system’s timing was poor, placing him directly on the front lines.

Judging from the retreating infantry, they were likely not led by a cycle player. They were sent to the front to draw the enemy and lure the Continental Army back.

While Lin Yifan was thinking, the music began to play, gathering the bloodthirsty soldiers.

The Steel Front wasn’t foolish; they didn’t let the soldiers continue the endless pursuit. Otherwise, a counterattack from the other side would only result in a chaotic mess of redcoats being slaughtered.

Seeing the troops reassemble, Lin Yifan said, "Let’s go. We’ll head into the city and regroup."

He glanced back at the disheveled soldiers. These nearly three hundred infantry and cavalrymen were likely his troops, at least for now, under his command.

Sae mounted her horse and extended her hand. "Get on."

Holding Sae’s hand, Lin Yifan sat behind her.

The horse slowly moved toward Charleston, followed by the infantry and cavalry in three rows.

Though the number of commanders was small, that battle had given Lin Yifan a taste of command.

If it were an ancient army or a modern unit, the significance of command would differ from the 18th century.

Ancient armies relied on strategy and courage, planning and surprise attacks. Modern units sent people into urban warfare, dispersing and fighting in the streets.

But the 18th-century infantry followed orders from their officers, advancing and retreating, firing and bayoneting, all under command.

Unless morale collapsed, the infantry could stand or sit, facing enemy bullets, as long as their morale held.

Commanding a few hundred troops felt different across different eras.

Lin Yifan bet that anyone commanding such a disciplined line infantry would fall in love with the feeling.

Riding together on one horse, unfortunately, both were covered in blood, and the only scent was that of blood and gunpowder.

But seeing Sae in the cavalry uniform, especially the black tight pants that accentuated her beautiful legs, made him want to touch them.

At that moment, Sae turned her head and smiled seductively. "Have you had enough? If you want me, defeat me in kendo."

"I will."

Lin Yifan smiled.

Sae was a principled woman, with her own dignity. Lin Yifan remembered his initial promise: to defeat her and make her his.

Well, thinking about it now, that promise was a bit embarrassing. But Lin Yifan had a thick skin, and at the time, it was purely to win Sae over. If he had known her better now, he might not have been so bold.

Fortunately, the words were already spoken, and Sae was waiting for him to defeat her in kendo.

Withdrawing from the battlefield, Lin Yifan and his small army followed the muddy country road toward Charleston.

As they approached the road, they saw a group of people standing not far away. Minami waved her hand at Lin Yifan, dressed in a splendid artillery uniform.

Beside Minami stood a short officer, the proud Saya, in a British officer’s uniform, standing at 1.55 meters tall.

Sae rode over, and Lin Yifan, sitting behind her, asked, "What’s going on?"

"It rained this morning, and our cannon got stuck halfway."

Minami pointed to the six-pound cannon and the accompanying personnel and wagons carrying ammunition and gunpowder.

Lin Yifan pulled out his monocular and looked at the battlefield. "Let’s head back to headquarters. The battle is almost over."

Minami raised her saber and directed the dozen or so artillerymen. They used horses and manpower to pull the cannon out of the mud.

At that moment, Saya and Minami whistled, and two horses quickly appeared in their line of sight. These were the horses they had bought from the black market.

Saya, holding the reins, glared at Lin Yifan and pouted. "Don’t you have a horse?"

"Oh... I forgot." Riding with Sae, Lin Yifan scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.

As he mounted, he noticed Saya still looking at him and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"What’s wrong?" Saya, standing beside the horse, bit her lip. It was so obvious, how could this blockhead not understand?

Lin Yifan didn’t get it at first, but when he saw that Saya was almost as tall as the horse, he couldn’t help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at! I clearly chose a small horse, but you just dragged me away!" Saya, stomping in the mud, looked even smaller next to the tall horse.

Especially in her splendid officer’s uniform, she looked quite cute and endearing.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Yifan reached out and lifted Saya by the waist.

"Ah!?"

Saya’s face turned red with shock as Lin Yifan lifted her like a child, which was incredibly embarrassing!

"Let go! You’re supposed to help me up, not carry me!" Saya struggled to maintain her dignity.

Sae, standing nearby, covered her mouth and laughed, which made Saya huff, "Hmph, it’s just getting on a horse!"

She lifted her leg, but the proud and petite girl struggled to get on the horse.

Just as Lin Yifan was about to help her, there was a tearing sound. Saya’s body froze, and the tight pants around her small buttocks ripped, revealing green and white striped underwear.

Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Lin Yifan easily lifted the frozen Saya onto the horse.

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