War (2)
"It looks like they've prepared thoroughly for war."
"...Still, things are going smoothly enough. Once we link up with the follow-up legions, we should be able to push forward."
A meeting was in full swing at the Boern Empire's military headquarters.
"But aren't our mages and knights far superior?"
"Investing heavily in training has paid off big time."
The empire's five legions were advancing relatively smoothly, shoving aside the kingdom's border forces. Heyrn Kingdom had put up a fierce resistance, but the empire's knights and mages held the edge.
Unable to withstand the onslaught, the kingdom's legions were yielding the border and retreating one by one. The First Legion's results were especially astonishing.
They'd achieved an overwhelming victory against the kingdom's forces in just half a day of skirmishing and crossed the border.
"I never imagined the firepower of guns and cannons could be this devastating."
"Melee combat's still unavoidable, though. Good thing pairing them with spearmen works so well."
"Even so, this proves it. Let's ramp up production of the guns."
"But the powder and ammo consumption is pretty high. Won't scaling up here strain our supply lines?"
"If money and manpower can't solve it, then we're short on one or the other. The empire has plenty of both."
The First Legion's battle had confirmed that guns and cannons worked in interstate wars too. Not only that—it had shown they could dramatically boost infantry firepower. Now, it was just a matter of supplying the rest of the forces.
"Let's hurry the distribution of firearms."
The military brass made their decision. Firearms and cannons would only grow more crucial on future battlefields.
Meanwhile, unlike the empire, the mood in Heyrn Kingdom was grim.
"Damn it, getting pushed back in just two or three days? Does that even make sense?!"
No one at the meeting dared lift their heads at the king's outburst. One officer finally spoke up haltingly.
"The thing is... the empire's mages and knights outmatch ours..."
"Damn it, we're pathetic! Is this all the kingdom amounts to?!"
Heyrn Kingdom had prepared for war with the empire for years. Yet they'd lost the border in a mere three days. The king couldn't believe it.
"...We're sorry."
The meeting room fell silent again.
"Hah. I lost my temper. Let's continue the meeting. What about their new weapons?"
"Those too..."
It was the worst possible scenario. A full-scale war favored the empire—knights, mages, and now these new weapons. The kingdom's future looked bleak.
"Can we stop them?"
"...We lost the border, but to enter the kingdom proper, the empire's forces have to pass Twingem Fortress."
Twingem Fortress.
It sat at the kingdom's gateway, serving as its shield for ages. It would be a headache for the empire.
Leaving it alone meant exposing their flanks to attacks from inside. Assaulting it would mean heavy losses. And if kingdom reinforcements arrived in the meantime, the empire would face both the fortress and fresh troops—a nightmare.
"...Pull the remaining forces back. While Twingem holds, we'll regroup and hit the empire."
The king issued his orders.
'The empire will never breach the fortress.'
Even in the great war forty-two years ago, the empire hadn't taken it. They'd struck from the sea back then, but that avenue was fortified now too.
The empire wouldn't set foot inside the kingdom. Breaching the fortress would cost them dearly.
Once their advance stalled, the kingdom could mass its forces and crush them in one blow. Then push them back to the border.
Having crossed the border, the empire's legions pressed on into the kingdom—and at last, faced the fortress.
"Just as we heard, this won't be easy."
"It's going to be a tough fight."
The imperial officers began their briefing.
"Can't we just bypass it?"
"Too risky to leave it behind."
"But getting bogged down here isn't ideal either."
"Hmm... A real pain."
A siege looked brutal. Breaching those high walls would mean massive casualties.
They debated options around the fortress, but nothing solid emerged. As they pondered, an officer from the First Legion spoke up.
"There might be a way."
"Speak."
At the commander's prompt, the officer continued.
"What if we shell the walls with cannons?"
"Hmm. Cannons, eh. Can they breach the walls?"
"Even if not, we can draw their attention. Then concentrate our mages' firepower—how's that sound?"
"Hmm. Let's draw up a plan."
After a long meeting, the empire settled on a strategy.
"I wouldn't bet my girl back home that charging straight in isn't suicide."
"She's probably already sampling the local flavors everywhere. Worth betting?"
"Watch your back when you sleep, seriously."
The imperial soldiers chatted as they eyed the distant fortress.
"Word is, we're attacking today."
"Ah."
"Shit."
"Shelling the walls with cannons? Whose brilliant idea?"
"Thinking of deserting."
Griping all the way, they moved to their positions.
Tom was among them.
'Will it work?'
He stared at the cannons, wondering. Their firepower was immense, but would it dent the walls?
Inside the fortress, the kingdom's garrison brimmed with confidence.
"It'll never fall—just stick to your training!"
"Check the ballistae!"
Their mission: pin down the imperials here. No one doubted the fortress would hold. Its long history proved it.
"The imperials are advancing! All hands to stations!"
As the empire approached, they moved like clockwork. Archers nocked arrows atop the walls; ballista crews cranked winches taut.
"Fire!"
Arrows flew from bowstrings. Ballistae hurled massive bolts. Spells arced overhead toward the enemy.
Arrows bounced off shields. Ballistae shredded formations, shields and all. Magic added to the chaos—some blocked by defensive spells, but others pierced through, striking squads. Unlucky ones vanished in magical blasts, shields and all.
The sight boosted the garrison's morale.
The imperials kept coming, but the real fortress battle started up close. Could they scale those walls?
The kingdom troops felt no fear of defeat. The fortress was impregnable. The enemy wouldn't even reach the top.
But the advancing imperials suddenly halted. Retreating? No—they just stood there.
The garrison puzzled over it. The mystery soon cleared.
Shieldbearers parted left and right. Something emerged from the gap.
Flames erupted.
-Boom! Thud!
The walls shuddered. It wasn't just once.
-Bam-bam-boom! Thud! Boom!
Fire belched from multiple spots; the walls shook repeatedly.
They held—for now. But this was a serious threat.
"Cannons! Target the cannons!"
Officers bellowed. Spells flew toward the smoke trails; ballistae loosed bolts at the lingering puffs.
But spells hit defensive barriers. Too many smoke clouds for the wall-mounted ballistae to pinpoint. Arrows couldn't pierce shields.
Shields parted again. Flames roared.
-Thud! Boom!
The walls trembled anew.
"We have to stop them! Focus fire!"
Officers shouted themselves hoarse. But matchlocks spat fire, felling kingdom troops mid-draw. Their arrows failed to breach shields.
As eyes turned to the guns, imperial mages unleashed hell.
The garrison fell into chaos. Magic, cannons, guns.
Everything was going wrong.
"...!"
The wall crumbled. Overwhelmed by cannon and magic blasts, a section collapsed. Imperials poured through the breach.
The fortress had fallen. The kingdom's shield lay broken.
"Twingem Fortress has fallen."
"In this short time? How..."
"Cannons and mages overwhelmed them, apparently."
"That fortress breached. Huh. Live long enough, you see everything."
The news spread like wildfire.
"The cannons pack that much punch?"
"They underestimated them due to lack of intel."
To the empire's military.
"Does that even make sense? The fortress falls after how long?"
"Well..."
"What did it this time?"
"...The cannons exceeded expectations."
"Damn it all!"
To the kingdom's.
One thing was clear: conventional walls couldn't stop cannon fire.