Castle of Black Iron

In the next ten minutes, with the guidance of the adviser left by Colonel Leibniz, Zhang Tie took a round of the offices of the Headquarters of No. 39 Division. He also filled out some forms so all the staff in the Headquarter’s learned that Colonel Leibniz had recruited a birdie officer today: it was a birdie born and grown in Blackhot City and a lucky dog who was struck by lightning bolts, which resulted in him suffering from Post-Lightning Stroke Savant Syndrome at the age of 15.

Since Blackhot City now belonged to the Norman Empire and Zhang Tie was a citizen of the Norman Empire who was over 15, according to the laws and traditions, Colonel Leibniz had the right to recruit him to the army. Additionally, across the entire Norman Empire, anyone who had formed the Iron-Blood hidden strength would at least gain the rank of second lieutenant if they joined the army. So Zhang Tie became the first birdie soldier that No. 39 Division had recruited in Blackhot City, and the youngest second lieutenant in the entire division.

As was expected, Zhang Tie’s affair became a hot topic for military officers in the Headquarter of No. 39 Division. The thing that he had saved a soldier of the Norman Empire was known by all in here, by which alone many had good impressions of him.

In addition, people who knew Colonel Leibniz’s temperament and habits assumed that the brat Zhang Tie had become a funny ’toy’ to the man. This then could bring the colonel some funny short stories and topics to talk about when he returns, consolidating Colonel Leibniz image of a funny and informed person in the eyes of the noble women in the wine parties and salons held in Nordinburg. Those topics might even bring Colonel Leibniz some good nights. Everything was very simple.

After handling the formalities in the Headquarters, Second Lieutenant Vessie, the adviser of Colonel Leibniz bought a car, stopping it before the gates of the Headquarters’ building and inviting Zhang Tie in.

”Where are we going?” Zhang Tie asked.

”The Logistics Department first. After that, I’ll take you to the Iron-Blood Camp to register...” adviser Vessie answered.

Zhang Tie then sat in the convertible military SUV before it drove away.

The moment they drove outside the gates, Zhang Tie caught sight of several familiar faces out the window.

”Stop!” he hurriedly exclaimed.

With a sound of ’Zhi...”, adviser Vessie parked the car.

”I’m sorry, I just saw some friends and my elder brother. They might still be worried about me and are waiting for me outside the gates of the Headquarters. I’ll go greet them and tell them what is going on!”

While being in the Headquarters, Zhang Tie had learned that a scout of the Norman Empire called Salvey, whom he had saved before, was running around trying to locate him since he was arrested.

Zhang Tie left the car and ran towards the familiar faces. Salvey, Zhang Yang, and some other soldiers were squatting under a tree in a parterre beside the gate, seemingly waiting for Zhang Tie to be released.

Of course, places like the Headquarters would not allow several common soldiers and civilians in for free. Even knowing that Zhang Tie was inside, they could still only wait outside. No matter what, for them, it would okay if Zhang Tie was safe.

They were chatting under the tree, not having the slightest inkling that Zhang Tie might abruptly run at them from another direction.

”Elder brother!” Zhang Tie exclaimed, running towards them.

Zhang Yang’s head swiveled to the side, and he saw his brother running over to him. He immediately jumped up from the ground and strode towards Zhang Tie. Pulling the boy into his hands, Zhang Yang was full of excitement and concern. ”Are you okay?”

”I’m okay, of course I’m okay!”

Zhang Tie smiled and patted his elder brother’s hands so as to comfort him.

Not until then did Zhang Yang’s constricted heart finally relax.

Salvey also walked towards them in an impaired way, followed by Miller, Harley, and two other strange faces.

Letting go of his elder brother’s hands, Zhang Tie gave Salvey an embrace. After that, he lightly punched Salvey’s chest. ”I was cheated by you.”

Salvey smirked. ”If I wore this military uniform, would you have saved me?”

”I would’ve, of course I would’ve saved you! After striking you and making you pass out, I would’ve sent you back to the Wild Wolf Castle. Then I would have become a hero...”

Zhang Tie burst out laughing, then greeted Miller, Harley, and some other people whom he had seen once before. At that time, he had only felt these guys weird, but unexpectedly, they were scouts of the Norman Empire, who were there cleaning path for the army.

In merely one month, Blackhot City had experienced a groundbreaking change. Every resident became the citizen of the Norman Empire. Therefore, their previous estrangement due to different nationalities did not exist anymore, not even considering that Zhang Tie having saved Salvey’s life.

Happy about Zhang Tie’s open character, everybody burst out laughing; they all felt like having had a worthwhile morning.

”Let’s go home, dad and mom will definitely be very happy to know you’re safe...” Zhang Tie’s elder brother said. ”Let’s go back home together, I’ll get bottles of good alcohol, let’s enjoy it tonight!”

”Elder brother, you go back first and tell our parents that I’m safe. Don’t let them worry about me. I’ll come back later!”

”What? What else?”

Zhang Yang was stunned.

”You’ll know about it after I come back...”

Since adviser Vessie had pressed on the signal twice already, Zhang Tie was better off ending his conversation. After bidding a farewell to everyone, he ran over and jumped into the SUV. Soon after, the vehicle left, leaving a curtain of dust rising up from the ground.

Seeing his younger brother, who was taken away by the Military Administration staff outside their home yesterday, sit in the SUV and leave Blackhot City at such speed, Zhang Yang started to feel strange about him. He stayed still for quite a while.

”Your younger brother should have really good luck!” Miller smirked.

...

Zhang Tie truly was going to have good luck.

Adviser Vessie drove him directly to the Logistics Base of the No. 39 Division, which was previously a camp of the City Guard but was expropriated now.

Compared to the Headquarters, there were more people in the Norman Empire’s military uniforms here, causing it to be more lively. The spacious land in the camp was piled with various large and small dark green crates, marked with Norman Empire’s Army’s signal, many of which were covered with water-proof tarpaulin.

Adviser Vessie guided Zhang Tie directly into a room marked as Equipment Management Office and submitted a form to a military officer wearing glasses. After peering over it, the officer immediately picked himself up from behind the table.

”Follow me, please...”

After that, he guided Zhang Tie and adviser Vessie into a warehouse on the other side of the camp. Inside, they saw piles of materials and crates.

”Calvin!” the officer shouted out.

Soon after, a fat and oily guy ran out from behind a pile of crates.

Pointing at Zhang Tie, the officer said, ”Iron-Blood Camp, second lieutenant, he’s been favored by Colonel Leibniz, match him with a suitable set of military uniforms.”

After glancing over Zhang Tie, that fat and oily guy looked slightly amazed before saying a series of data, ”Height, 178; Weight, 73; well-balanced; a bigger head, 61; shoes’ size, 40. Wait a minute please...”

Zhang Tie was dumbfounded. What a pair of sharp eyes! He could figure out the concrete sizes of a person’s body only with one glance. That was really great!

Only after two minutes, that guy called Calvin came back to them with two heavy military cases and several crates in hands. After putting them onto the table, he left for another two minutes before returning with several cases and boxes. He then started to introduce these items to Zhang Tie.

”I could only match you with the summer uniforms, informal clothes, and combat training suits along with leather waistbands. Three suits for each. As to underwear and shirts, you have five for each. Second lieutenant is also provided with a pair of leather boots and three pairs of gaiters for combat training.

”Other living necessities are all standard provisions. Here is a list for you. The winter uniforms will be delivered this October. As to your lieutenant’s full dress, we’re short on it now. You should wait for a couple of days. When it arrives, we’ll deliver it together with the next month’s living necessities. This package includes your epaulets, collar insignia, and the chest card of Iron-Blood Camp. This box includes the lieutenant-level Sharp-Arrow Type-B Light Defense Armor...”

Calvin reported the items in the luggage and various of crates and boxes like recounting a menu.

’Are these items the provisions for a lieutenant?’

Zhang Tie was dumbfounded. He finally understood how expensive it was to keep an army. What a great amount of expenditure it would take to purchase so many items! Additionally, he learned that the treatment for the second lieutenant of the Norman Empire was much better than that of the second lieutenant of Blackhot City.

It even contained informal dresses, full dresses, and combat training suits; three of each. Besides, it included boots.

Zhang Tie realized that soldiers had a pretty high status in the Norman Empire, which could never be matched by the soldiers in the Andaman Alliance. Compared to the soldiers of the Norman Empire, those of the Andaman Alliance were more like a group of bodyguards and courtyard guardians for rich men.

”After a while, we will go to the Iron-Blood Camp. You can put on an set of informal clothes...” adviser Vessie suggested.

”Here?”

”Yes, here!”

”Can I take a bath? You know I stayed in the prison last night. That was a not a clean place!” Zhang Tie explained in an embarrassed way.

Captain Vessie didn’t speak but looked at the officer of the Logistics Base with a pair of inquiring eyes.

”Calvin, take him for a bath...”

Hearing the order, Calvin took Zhang Tie to the bathroom of this Camp, where Zhang Tie took a good bath.

His clothes were were still the same with which he returned from the survival training. So after last night’s experience in the dark ’club’ on the underground floor 3, besides being dirty, they even had numerous fleas, making them not only itchy but also have bad luck of those in the cell.

Zhang Tie of course would not bring these bad items back home.

So he threw that entire set of clothes from top to feet, including a pair of socks with two holes in them along with the pair of heavily worn shoes into the trash bin in the bathroom. After finishing the bath, he put on the new uniform of a soldier of the Norman Empire, which included socks, underwear, vest, informal dress and boots.

...