Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Winters hurriedly shook his head, "No, it didn't move, and your house didn't move either, right?"

"It didn't move either. I'm heading back to work first, and after I get off work this evening, I'll come find you!"

"It's a deal!"

After a brief conversation, the two separated again. Winters had never expected that he would run into an old friend and classmate on the docks just after returning to Sea Blue.

As he was reflecting on the notion that life has encounters everywhere, the four passengers from the Bandit Gull also disembarked and headed toward Winters from the jetty.

As they passed by Winters, one of the passengers adjusted his hat and nodded at Winters with a smile.

Having fought pirates together before, although Winters didn't know who these four passengers were, they shared a camaraderie as comrades-in-arms, prompting him to return the nod with a smile.

Winters watched the four passengers walk off the jetty and head straight through the bustling crowds on the docks towards two black carriages.

He immediately looked at Bard and realized Bard was also watching him; evidently, Bard had noticed the passengers too. They exchanged a grin, surprised that the passengers being picked up by the two black carriages were the four from the Bandit Gull.

Winters' gaze returned to the passengers, but what he saw next made him gasp.

One of the passengers seemed to be embraced by a person in a black cloak, yet Winters clearly saw a blade, covered in blood, piercing through the passenger's back, subtly trembling in the sunlight.

In the next moment, the person in the black cloak began dueling with the passenger. A sharp scream from a woman pierced everyone's ears, and the brutal fight unfolding on the docks was noticed by the pedestrians.

Among the remaining three passengers, one was fighting desperately to prevent the black-cloaked individuals from advancing, while another guarded a more distinguished-looking passenger fleeing back towards the Bandit Gull, who was calling for help repeatedly.

Seeing all of this unfold, Winters subconsciously decided he had to do something because he couldn't stand by and watch these "comrades" get slaughtered in broad daylight.

With no other weapon at hand, he drew his blunt training sword and charged forward.

The incident occurred in the blink of an eye, and the warrant officers were still trying to comprehend what was happening, staring blankly as two black-cloaked individuals chased two passengers with swords drawn.

The passenger who looked like a bodyguard, realizing he couldn't escape, turned around to fight, trying to stop the two black-cloaked individuals.

When that bodyguard stopped, one of the black-cloaked individuals also stopped and pulled out a particularly short musket from within his cloak. Without seeing him laboriously attach a slow match, Winters just saw him point the musket at the bodyguard and fire it directly.

A flash of red light, followed by a puff of white smoke, and the sound of gunfire resounded through the entire dock. If people were still unclear about what was happening, that gunshot plunged all the dock's bystanders into chaos.

Although Winters had no idea how the man in the black cloak fired the musket without lighting it, he knew at such a short distance there was no chance the shot would miss; the bodyguard was undoubtedly doomed.

However, contrary to expectations, the bodyguard who was hit by the musket at close range not only didn't die but thrust his sword towards the black-cloaked individual as if he hadn't been shot at all.

The more distinguished elderly passenger was shouting for help and scrambling towards the Bandit Gull, and Winters brushed past him to meet another black-cloaked individual head-on.

With no time to think, Winters instinctively swung his sword with all his might using the furious style. It was Winters' most powerful strike, and even with a blunt Longsword, he could shatter bones. The opponent would have to dodge if he didn't want to die. Experience tales at мѵʟ

Yet, the other's single-handed sword somehow circumvented the Longsword with agility that was impossible for a Longsword, plunging straight into Winters' chest like a venomous snake.

—————I am the inconveniently carried dividing line—————

Dürer's "Knight, Death, and the Devil" illustrates how soldiers of the era carried their weapons. The Knight in the painting has a two-handed Longsword slung diagonally across his waist. Interested readers may wish to seek it out for appreciation.