"Captain, there’s sothing under this vehicle!" reported a soldier checking the goods to Blanca.
"What is it?"
"It’s packed in wooden crates, looks like the kind used specifically for military supplies."
Blanca approached and said to Romon, "Since you’ve been captured, don’t play tricks. Tell us everything you know. I won’t allow this to happen a second ti."
Seeing this, Romon had no choice but to say, "Indeed, so of the supplies here are military. They’re all being transported from Bultfontein to Bosschhoff, but don’t think too much of it, our route is just a small branch line, so there’s not much important cargo."
Blanca, having no patience for Romon’s explanation, instructed his subordinates to pry open the wooden crates, from which he took out a Volend gun.
"This gun looks brand new, hasn’t been used at all, and is incredibly well-maintained. You managed to get your hands on such goods!"
"With money, nothing is a problem. Likewise, we can buy British rifles, also from the mine owners in Kimberley." At this, Romon smirked smugly.
"Hmph, let’s not talk about the British. These weapons clearly co from East Africa, given that you ca from Bultfontein, which is under our control, and yet you march through so brazenly?"
"Heh, marching isn’t what I’d call it, but the officers at Bultfontein are easier to deal with than you. As I’ve said, there’s nothing money can’t solve. Honestly, seeing soone like you in the Transvaal Rebel Army is truly rare." Romon retorted sarcastically, though his target was the Transvaal Rebel Army, not Blanca personally.
"I’ll take that as a complint!" Blanca replied irritably.
Interrupted by Romon, Blanca felt as if he’d boarded a pirate ship. Although he knew the Transvaal Rebel Army had poor discipline before, this personal experience opened his eyes to how this era’s armies operated.
But such betrayals of national interests, providing convenience to an "insider" enemy, was an eye-opener for Blanca, casting a pessimistic shadow over his expectations for this war.
For if the Transvaal Rebel Army cannot entirely block the connections between the Orange and East African forces, even if all Transvaal people, n, won, and children engage, it’s improbable. More worrying is the ergence of traitors within their ranks, and even the most significant patron, the British, prove unreliable.
The Orange Free State, bordered on three sides by East Africa, opens up possibilities for intervention from the north and west. However, the west, especially the northwest, remains firmly under Orange control, which ans if East Africa wholeheartedly supports the Orange resistance, Transvaal might be left defenseless.
Southwest stronghold Kimberley, where British power surpasses that of Transvaal, ironically sees mine owners and rchants aligning with profit.
Noticing Blanca’s somber expression, Romon laughed, "Regreting now, aren’t you! You should’ve pretended not to see us. The final outco of this war will certainly be our victory."
"Hmph, I admit the Transvaal Rebel Army has its share of scoundrels, but your Orange people aren’t much better, clearly shown by the way the frontlines shift. Everyone’s as flawed as one another." Blanca countered.
Despite feeling embarrassed by the performance of the Transvaal Rebel Army and the British, Blanca was now part of it, so he had to stand by them.
And Blanca was right; both the Transvaal Rebel Army and the Orange Free Resistance Army perford equally poorly, both sides lacking upper hand.
Corruption was rampant within the Transvaal Rebel Army, while the Orange Free Resistance Army, lacking a coherent structure, seed even more dangerous to Blanca, more susceptible to being crushed individually.
Bored with bantering with Romon, Blanca ordered, "Pack the bodies and take them back for burial. Reload the food and arms onto the trucks, and let’s head back."
On their way, Blanco’s group encountered Valshano and another who had stayed put, and it was clear to Di Kevin who had leaked the information.
"Valshano, you bastard, I have no quarrel with you! Why would you harm ?"
"Di Kevin, it’s aningless to say that. How am I harming you? Weren’t you the one conspiring with the White Bandits? Isn’t that a fact? Yet, you dare question !"
"Hmph, I never thought the village harbored such a scoundrel. I’ll take my loss this ti."
"No need to make it sound so harsh. Our relations have never been good, and soone as arrogant as you looks down on . So don’t assu everyone will accommodate you like your father and brothers. Now, with your unnecessary military ddling, you suffer the consequences!"
"You..." Di Kevin hadn’t expected such words from Valshano, more painful than death itself.
"What? Now let’s see how you tidily resolve this. You being caught conspiring with bandits is undeniable. We’ll see how you face your father now, and if your family gets implicated, the village will be in for a laugh!"
"Hmph, do you think the village folk are as disreputable as you? Generally, everyone’s always been kind."
"Ha, that’s because your father is the village head. Had I a village head for a father, they’d speak kindly to too!"
"Would you believe that? With your personality and deeds."
"Believe it or not, I can handle the gossip behind my back. But you, I wonder if you’ll survive. If not, you’ll miss seeing the villagers’ true colors."
Their argunt went back and forth.
Blanca had to intervene, "Enough! You can argue as much as you like back ho. However, this is a serious matter. Di Kevin, put your youthful pride aside and cooperate, you might get a reduced sentence."
"Thank you, but I’m just a small fry. It’s difficult to access much military intelligence. If you expect useful information from , it’s unlikely." Di Kevin could only answer truthfully to Blanca’s kind advice.
"You’re not even a small fry, soone like fits that bill." Romon quipped from the side.
In the following days, Blanca sent a ssage back to Bloemfontein, and the Bloemfontein side sent individuals to Florisbad village to confirm the situation.
Blanca and his company were credited with great rit, and Valshano was appointed by the Transvaal people as the new village head of Florisbad, fulfilling his wish. Di Kevin’s father, after paying a hefty price, managed to save his son’s life, and Romon was taken back to Bloemfontein.
This ti, Bloemfontein planned to deeply investigate Romon’s lead, scrutinize the extent of armant transactions between the Orange Free Resistance Army and East Africa, for their next strategic move.
Although Romon was just a small fry, his five-month involvent ant he handled abundant supplies and traversed wide areas, interacting with nurous personnel, allowing Transvaal to retrieve substantial quality intelligence for Bloemfontein’s Transvaal Court to consider.
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