Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Spiral Wings and Buzzsaw Chariots
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The spiral wing consisted of a round wooden fuselage, tail fins to balance the fuselage, and auxiliary wings on either side of the fuselage.
At the center of the fuselage was a rubber power unit, and the rubber band of this power unit connected to a wide membrane that formed the central spiral shape, providing lift to the spiral wing.
Below that was the cockpit of the spiral wing. From this cockpit, one could control the auxiliary wings on both sides for turning maneuvers while simultaneously applying friction to the rubber band to gradually stop the rubber power unit for landing. The takeoff and landing controller was located there as well.
According to Baron Basen Rak Orazen of the Oguri and the Fabiran Union, Golt Tebari—the man with "the lightest mouth in the world"—said that the first spiral wing to achieve flight did not have a takeoff and landing controller.
"...Then what happened to the person riding it?"
"You mean Toolbo the Madman, the creator of the spiral wing?"
"Yeah, him."
"He ascended to the heavens."
"...Huh."
Golt was remarkably cooperative.
Basen grew suspicious of him and checked with the other Oguri prisoners to see if they said anything different, but it turned out the other Oguri soldiers were the ones spreading lies to sow confusion.
Golt spoke briefly about the Oguri hero.
"Toolbo spent his whole life obsessed with the duduba tree. Before that, duduba trees were just casually balled up and kicked around for fun or used to patch holes in broken roofs."
"And then Toolbo found a useful way to use them?"
"Yeah. Of course, even Toolbo didn't start out making only useful things."
Basen took interest.
These people had an entirely new history and culture, so listening to their stories would be helpful no matter what.
"For example?"
"Prosthetic phalluses for widows who lost their husbands in war."
"What?"
"They call it something else here? The thing between a man's legs..."
"No, skip that. What next?"
"Next? After that, Toolbo made something for men who lost their wives early..."
"Next."
Golt rattled off a list of madman Toolbo's miscellaneous inventions before saying,
"At that time, everyone called Toolbo a madman, but there was one person who watched over him."
"Who was that?"
"Of course... the 'Wing-Folded Golden Bird'."
From what Basen had heard, that Wing-Folded Golden Bird was the deity of the Fabiran Union.
Madman Toolbo had surpassed all the priests of the Fabiran Union to receive the Wing-Folded Golden Bird's favor and ascend to sainthood.
Not only the priests of the Wing-Folded Golden Bird but even the Triad Council that led the Union had no choice but to acknowledge Toolbo.
Unlike in the past, Toolbo could now receive most financial and manpower support from the Fabiran Union, as long as it was within their support limits.
"In the end, the Wing-Folded Golden Bird was right. That's how we obtained rubber power."
Basen didn't add that the machines using that rubber power would crumble before the Heukrin riflemen.
"We believe that madman Toolbo rode the first spiral wing and reached the Wing-Folded Golden Bird."
He also didn't retort that while Toolbo might have reached the heavens, he probably crashed somewhere eventually.
Golt said,
"Come to think of it, doesn't Heukrin have a hero who ascended to the heavens too? In that sense, our Fabiran Union and the Heukrin Empire have something in common."
"You'd better watch your mouth, duck beak."
"...Huh? Why?"
Golt looked wronged.
─┼
A few days later, in a location two days' travel from the Paenggolian city of Siol.
Over 500 Heukrin riflemen from the combined 1st and 2nd Expeditionary Forces, along with 2,000 Paenggolians, had taken position atop a small rocky hill.
According to Basen's assessment, this nameless little hill was the optimal spot to block the Fabiran Union.
Siol had walls, but they were of little use against spiral wings.
Even if stone-throwing from spiral wings wasn't very effective in battle, it would be different for the city's non-combatant citizens. Moreover, spiral wings themselves served as a means of infiltrating from the rear.
Contrary to Basen's expectations, Golt said the Oguri of the Fabiran Union made good use of such utility.
That was why Basen had positioned the riflemen on a hill where they could shoot down enemies even at the low altitudes spiral wings typically flew.
A soldier who had climbed to the top of the rocky hill with a telescope came running down to Basen.
"Captain, we've confirmed the enemy spiral wings taking off."
"Got it. I'll take a look myself."
Basen grabbed a telescope and ascended to the hilltop.
Just as expected, spiral wings flying at low altitudes entered his view.
Roughly 100 of them.
A considerable number.
Spiral wings weren't particularly fast.
They could fly against headwinds, but they preferred riding air currents, and even then, they weren't as fast as other birds.
'But ignoring terrain is a huge advantage. I laughed at first, but with more research, there must be other uses.'
Of course, not right now.
Basen focused on the battle.
Though not visible to the naked eye yet, the spiral wings were surely moving with ground forces.
That was the typical Oguri combat method, according to Golt.
'They launch a preemptive air strike with spiral wings to sow chaos, then the ground troops follow up as the main force.'
It was a method with some logic.
Normal battles were fought on the ground against enemies from one direction.
But a three-dimensional attack from above—even if crude and unrefined—would be hard to counter without training.
'Plus, if Golt is right, the previous stone-throwing was to capture alive. Depending on the unit, they carry arrows or spearheads. ...Accuracy is low, though.'
In war, weapons were useful even without inflicting actual harm, as long as they posed a threat.
Enemies from the difficult-to-counter sky would panic.
'But for all that to work, they needed an opponent unfamiliar with such new technology.'
Basen added in thought,
'...And if you can instill loyalty in the soldiers, even better.'
As the spiral wings drew sufficiently close, Basen ordered the soldiers to light their matchlocks.
Since it was an ambush, the order was relayed from each soldier to the one beside them in a chain.
Soon, the riflemen's matchlocks would ignite and smoke would rise, but Basen wasn't worried.
'By the time they notice...'
As Basen predicted, the spiral wings veered east around the hill to ride an air current.
Right into the position where Basen's expeditionary forces were lying in wait.
The voice of a soldier aboard a spiral wing passing the hill's side cried out urgently.
Basen stood and shouted,
"...Fire!"
The riflemen waiting in prone positions across the hill unleashed a volley toward the spiral wings.
-Kaboom!
Over twenty spiral wings immediately began plummeting, and another twenty or so descended more gradually.
Some turned sharply or climbed hastily.
In the chaos, spiral wings collided with each other, or fragile frames shattered mid-air, showing signs of crashing. Oguri pilots fell in unknown states of life or death.
Only about twenty survived the first attack and escaped.
'Many aimed at the same targets.'
He had divided them into squads to some extent, but total annihilation in one shot was impossible.
Still, Basen felt no regret.
'Rifle fire has high destruction rates anyway.'
The surviving spiral wings seemed aware of the delay in matchlock fire.
Instead of climbing out of rifle range, they turned to counterattack and return to their main ground force.
The Paenggolian crossbow units hidden in the underbrush behind them loaded and fired.
Arrows rose like rewinding rain, pouring down on the spiral wing formation.
All remaining spiral wings began curving downward.
'There might be surviving Oguri pilots in the forest. And we need to prepare for the next ground force.'
If Golt was correct, spiral wings also served as scouts, so the ground forces weren't far. They would have heard the gunfire.
As the unit finished reorganizing, a scout ran to Basen.
"Enemy ground forces are coming into view!"
Compared to the northern jungle, the forest density was lower, but trees still made spotting enemies difficult.
Yet glimpses of Oguri and their pride-and-joy buzzsaw chariots appeared between branches.
The Fabiran Union was largely divided into three races, and since madman Toolbo—the inventor of rubber power technology—was Oguri, they made the best use of it.
'Not just that reason, of course. Their small stature and light weight make them efficient riders. And that efficiency applies not only to spiral wings but buzzsaw chariots too.'
Basen had never seen a buzzsaw chariot before, but thanks to Golt's explanation, it felt familiar.
This chariot, nearly as tall as a lizardman, advanced solely on its internal rubber power, not pulled by any beast.
Unlike the single rubber power unit lifting a spiral wing, the buzzsaw chariot housed five, giving it a heavier armament distinct from spiral wings.
Its four wheels on each side were wrapped in thick, tough rubber in a Möbius loop, endless and sturdy. At the front was a fiercely rotating spiral pillar.
Made of brass, with each spiral end fitted with small saw blades, it resembled an exotic flower bud.
Smaller spiral horns were also embedded in each wheel's axle, ready to grind infantry attacking from the sides, not just the front.
'Hm, they didn't come unprepared.'
This matched Golt's prediction, but unlike spiral wings, buzzsaw chariots could afford added weight.
The Fabiran Oguri, sensing the need to block external attacks despite not knowing the exact weapons, had plated the fronts and sides with brass sheets—areas that would normally suffice with wooden panels against arrows.
'A heavy chariot not pulled by beasts. In previous wars, it would have been as impactful as cannons.'
Countermeasures would emerge by the second encounter, but in Basen's view, past wars were shaped by novel gunpowder weapons from each battle. This powered chariot would be similar.
'But... timing aside. The terrain isn't favorable, is it?'
Basen had thought the buzzsaw chariots might not appear, but he was wrong. His enemies trusted their weapons more than he assumed.
A soldier shouted,
"The enemy is showing themselves!"
Spotting Basen's expeditionary force arrayed atop the hill and the Paenggolian units lent generously by Mago, the Fabiran Union advanced with buzzsaw chariots to the fore.
Roughly 2,000 in number.
Fewer troops, but ten buzzsaw chariots.
Basen judged that in open flat terrain, without cavalry and with equal weapons, matching numbers would be tough.
"Pass the order: load weapons and hold the line."
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, the buzzsaw chariots advanced.
'The buzzsaw chariot's strength is its massiveness, unstoppable even by mounted cavalry.'
Basen waited.
Emerging from the forest, the chariots charged fiercely at a horse's gallop— not the fastest, but enough to overrun enemy infantry.
'And its weakness...'
But about 100 paces from Basen's lines, the buzzsaw chariots began slowing.
Not reducing speed.
The wheels were spinning idly.
'...That massiveness.'
Soon, the lead buzzsaw chariot's wheels sank deep into the ground.
It was a swamp.
Basen believed that if he could fight on chosen ground, defeat was impossible.