Chapter 88: Chapter 87: New Unit
"Ding! A Tier Three Novice Magic Crystal Cannon Team has joined your forces."
The Magic Crossbows, of course, were handed directly over to the Tier Five Frankish Elite Shooters.
Although they were crossbows, the general principles were similar, and Tier Five soldiers were proficient with more than just one type of weapon.
Once the Frankish Elite Shooters practiced for a bit and familiarized themselves with the Magic Crossbows’ bolt trajectory, they would become an absolutely lethal weapon on the battlefield.
The Magic Crossbows could fire ten bolts at once. In terms of both power and range, they were far beyond what an ordinary bow could achieve.
Their range was double that of a normal crossbow, and they could pierce through anything short of iron armor.
But what truly made Robson happy were these three Magic Crystal Cannon Teams.
Robson had only requested the Magic Crystal Cannons on a whim, so he was thrilled that Valentino had not only delivered the cannons themselves, but had even provided the crews to man them.
This batch of Magic Crystal Cannons delivered by Valentino was different from the Fortress Cannons at Qimo Fortress.
The Fortress Cannons were incredibly cumbersome. The last time Robson had to move one, it took more than a dozen Extraordinary Lords and still required a tremendous amount of effort.
Moreover, the Fortress Cannons had strict emplacement requirements. If not for the newly constructed walls, which Delhi and the others had reinforced with solidification spells, those locations might not have been able to support the Magic Crystal Cannons at all.
This batch of Magic Crystal Cannons from the Count was a more popular model from the Southern Kingdom. They were smaller, could be mounted directly on carriages, and had far less stringent emplacement requirements.
Of course, their firepower couldn’t match the Fortress Cannons, but they were significantly more mobile.
Most importantly, Valentino had also provided the Magic Crystal Cannon Teams!
Magic Crystal Cannons weren’t something just anyone could operate. While they didn’t require the operator to have the significant magical affinity of a Mage, they couldn’t be handled by just anybody either.
First, the operator had to be literate, a requirement that immediately disqualified ninety-nine percent of the world’s population.
Second, even if they didn’t have a natural affinity for Magic, they needed a decent sensitivity to it. This eliminated yet another portion of the remaining one percent.
Furthermore, operating a Magic Crystal Cannon was extremely complex. Many cannon teams were wiped out having only just figured out how to aim properly—especially the Beastmen...
Oftentimes, when a Beastman Magic Crystal Cannon fired, the last person who needed to worry was the one it was aimed at.
These various drawbacks meant that Magic Crystal Cannons were not a particularly popular type of weapon in this world.
’But in Robson’s eyes, these were all minor issues.’
’At least for him, with his Mount & Blade system, the accuracy of his Magic Crystal Cannon Teams was not a concern.’
As the Magic Crystal Gunners killed more enemies and accumulated experience, they would naturally become a qualified, elite force.
This was the front line between the Frank Kingdom and the Beastman Empire. If there was one thing they didn’t lack, it was war. After just a few battles, they would naturally be forged into elites.
’In his past life, Robson had a considerable understanding of artillery.’
’He knew from memory just how much devastating power could be unleashed when these cannons were used in concert.’
"What’s your name?" Robson asked, looking with keen interest at the leader of the Magic Crystal Cannon Team.
Although these men wore no expensive clothes, they were clean and tidy from head to toe, and often had smiles on their faces.
This was a stark contrast to the commoners Robson had seen in the past.
Of course, Robson’s own troops were starting to show similar signs. After all, the good food and treatment he provided had been consistent for a long time. While he didn’t indoctrinate them with lectures on gratitude, he at least made them understand that there was a future for them under Lord Robson’s command.
"Sos, my lord. Gunner Sos. I’m from the Southern Tilia Kingdom. In fact, most of us are," Sos said, his tone somewhat ingratiating.
’He never expected a nobleman to take the initiative to speak to a common soldier like him, even if he was a skilled technician.’
’Whether in the south or the north, that was simply unheard of.’
"I see." Robson nodded.
’The Tilia Kingdom, this world’s Magic Technology Kingdom, set the technological trends for the entire world.’
’The Holy Light Empire was right next to Tilia. The Pope Country bordering the Magic Technology Kingdom was one of the world’s unique little ironies.’
"I hear the Tilia Kingdom is known for its skilled gunners?" Robson asked.
"You can rest assured of our skills, my lord. We are all graduates of professional academies," Sos said with a smile.
Robson nodded without saying more and turned back to attend to Emil. After all, this was still a world dominated by Knights.
’While the class hierarchy of this world didn’t mean much to Robson, he couldn’t neglect his priorities or slight a guest.’
....
Although resources were tight throughout the fortress, Robson still held a welcoming banquet for the newcomers.
Sos hadn’t expected to be invited to such a gathering. He and his comrades drank until they were slightly tipsy, and he had to be helped back to the artillerymen’s quarters that night.
"Sos, don’t you think our new commander is a little... different?"
Although they had been drinking, none of them were truly drunk.
This was the front line, after all. No commander would allow his soldiers to be muddle-headed on the battlefield, even if the enemy was still some distance away.
Lying in their beds, they couldn’t help but think back on the day’s events.
They were originally the children of Free People from the Tilian countryside—tenant farmers, in other words.
Tilia was different from the Frank Kingdom. Many of the nobles there were Mages, and since the gunners had shown magical talent from a young age, they were recruited by the local Baron to become Mage Apprentices.
Their families had paid a steep price for their training, but when they failed to achieve much, they set out for the north to pay off the debt.
Every one of them could feel that Robson’s attitude toward them was distinctly different from that of other nobles.
Although being a Magic Crystal Gunner was a skilled profession, in a society that placed so much emphasis on one’s birth, that didn’t count for much.
In this world with its rigid class structure, winning respect wasn’t about what you did, but where you came from.
Even for a Magic Crystal Gunner, the best one could hope for was a full belly.
"He is a bit different. And his soldiers... they feel different, too. I can’t quite put my finger on it, though."
"But it’s just a strange feeling. They don’t seem like a lord’s soldiers. They’re all so..."
"Unusually brawny?"
"Yes! That’s it. And their equipment... if I hadn’t asked, I would never have believed they were a unit composed of peasants..."
"It’s truly incredible. I’d say they’re already on par with Lord Roswell’s Personal Guard."
Sos lay on his cot, listening to his comrades’ animated discussion as he stared at the ceiling.
He remembered that during the banquet, the noble lord had mentioned wanting to discuss gunnery with him.
Sos was troubled. This lord might seem different, but a noble was still a noble. He certainly wouldn’t tolerate being contradicted, especially not by a commoner like him.
’His mind was now consumed with how to handle the lord’s request tomorrow.’
The enemy was expected to arrive tomorrow morning, and from what the lord had said, they would be engaging the enemy by tomorrow night.
’And the lord had said he would teach *him* how to fire a Magic Crystal Cannon...’
’Wasn’t that just absurd? He’d never heard of a nobleman who knew how to fire a cannon.’
’How could he possibly accomplish the mission without making the nobleman lose face?’
Sos was deeply troubled.
