Chapter 422 - 263 - 267

Research and Improvements

Here's the first regular chapter of the week. There's more stuff planned during this week, so stay tuned!

It was the 18th day of the 5th month. Lorist was at the house's heavily-guarded glass factory at Morgan Hills. He instructed a smith to fit two lenses that had just finished being polishing onto two separate holders. Even though there was already a detailed blueprint, a lot of effort had to be spent modifying the design before Lorist's requirements were met.

Two shiny telescopes, one larger than the other, were finally in Lorist's hands. The old smith, whose face was incredibly wrinkled, was surprised that Lorist didn't allow him to make detailed engravings on the telescopes. He thought that Lorist didn't want to indulge him in showing off his workmanship.

After Lorist messed about with the two for a while, he passed the telescopes to Master Mancheny and said, "Look, this is the telescope I was talking about."

Master Mancheny mimicked Lorist's movements and let out gasps from time to time.

"Do you see it now? That's what I was talking about when I referred to the real use of glass. The telescope is only one of the many possible applications of glass. We can polish oil glass until it becomes a lens. You'll have to hire some people to be put in charge of the polishing and find ways to standardize the process. Even the smallest variations in the production process can result in massive changes to the final product. The magnifying glass I drew on that blueprint there, for example, can help others see small objects. And this one, what I call 'glasses', can help old people, like this fine smith here, who have trouble seeing clearly. With these glasses, they'll be able to see just as good as they could during their prime even with their weakening eyes."

Mancheny bowed respectfully to Lorist and said, "Milord, I am really proud that I can be of service to you. You have expanded my horizons and allowed me to see the greater realm that I could never have to imagined exist..."

Smiling, Lorist replied, "Flattery will get you nowhere. You just need to do your job well. Your next assignment will be rather important. The production of oil and green class right now is enough and there's no need to increase it since we're not going to use it for trade. We only need enough to meet our demand. The important things you have to focus on are the telescope, glasses, and magnifying glass. These products will allow our house to profit infinitely from their trade.

"For now, your most important focus is research into and experimentation with clear glass. You've already seen the glasses I fashioned with clear crystals. Once we finish our research into clear glass, the gold coins will flow to us incessantly. While the transparency of oil glass isn't bad, it's frictionless. It's a bad choice of material for mirrors. That's why I want you to continue experimenting with other combinations of ingredients to come up with the clear glass I mentioned.

"Also, I want you to try and increase the surface area of each glass sheet you make. If it can be achieved, we can use green glass to make greenhouses so that we can eat fresh vegetables during winter. Other than that, play around with making daily cutlery and other products with glass - teapots and cups as well as bowls and plates. All of those will bring profit to the house.

"The main reason I'm leaving the glass factory in your care is so that you have somewhere to put your ideas and creativity on full display. Try your best to reveal the mysteries of this magnificent material. Be it funds or manpower, we'll do our best to meet your demands. Don't worry about whether embarking on a path of research is worth it or not. Even if it fails, we'll learn from the mistakes and change our approach. In that sense, a failure is also beneficial to us, understand?"

Master Mancheny bowed thankfully to Lorist again and said, "Milord, please be assured that I will carry out your will. The experiments will be initiated as soon as possible. I will definitely not disappoint you."

Nodding, Lorist said, "For the next few days, do make me a few of these telescopes. Make sure to number them properly; I'll be distributing them to the forces of the house, especially the Oceanic Legion. In another two days, I'll be going to Ironforge castle, and I'll have to take a few with me. Do send me those when you're finished making them."

"Yes, Milord."

Howard came over with a reported just as Lorist exited the room.

"Milord, Old Man Balk has come to meet you. It seemed incredibly urgent."

While Balk did look impatient, his face was filled with joy.

"Milord, the paper you wanted has finally been made! Take a look and see if this is what you specified."

Balk took out a waterproof canister made of beastskin and copper from his back and took out a piece of paper which he promptly unrolled.

The paper in Lorist's hands greatly resembled the kraft paper in his previous life. It wasn't white, but instead, light-brown in color. It also had a smooth surface that felt a little bit oily.

After feeling the paper for a bit, he had Howard bring over some ink and a feather pen. He scribbled rows of words on the paper and drew a few lines.

"This is rather good. The ink dries fast on it too. The only problem is that this paper isn't white enough. Old Man Balk, tell me how you suddenly managed to come up with this," Lorist said satisfied.

"It was by accident. It was purely due to an accident," Balk said with a grin, "Milord, as we weren't making any progress whatsoever during our experiments, most of the paper produced was used as toilet wipes. The demand for toilet wipes is quite high, so it was the ideal way to make back some of the money we spent on our research.

"At noon a few days ago, one of the workers bought a huge piece of butter. He left it by the stove we used to make the paper to deal with something urgent. The butter melted from the heat and flowed into the stove without anyone noticing. When we used the mixture to make toilet paper, as usual, we realized that the product was not the soft toilet paper we were used to seeing, but rather, this smooth paper with a harder texture.

"After some investigation, we found that it was caused by the addition of butter. So, we ran several other tests with other types of oils and. This is the result. It's also the cheapest of all our products thus far. We estimate 15 pieces of paper like this will cost around only 1 copper, less than 3 coppers if you include manpower costs."

Lorist was jubilant at his streak of luck. They had not only successfully completed the production of the telescope but had also made a magnificent breakthrough in paper-making. Despite the breakthrough, he made yet another request of Balk.

"Howard, write this down for me. As a reward for developing this new type of paper, Old Man Balk will get 100 gold Fordes, everyone else with contributions will be awarded ten gold Fordes each. Balk, I want you to run several more tests with bleaches, whiteners, and even medicinal herbs to try to whiten the paper. Also, try to make the sheets a little thinner. Only then can it be a staple export.

"Also, ensure that the method and ingredients used to make paper remain a secret. Howard, help me pass this order to Potterfang: 'Have all the soldiers of our dominion who retired due to old age form a new police unit that will be put in charge of the defense of the glass factory and the paper factory. Make sure our secret is kept at all costs.'"

"Understood, Milord. I will have the guards pass the order on immediately," replied Howard.

...

On the 21st day of the 5th month, Lorist traveled to the Bladedge Mountains, to a heavily-guarded valley where the gunpowder facility was located. Professor Balbo, whom Lorist had kidnapped was doing his research there.

"Lord Count, I don't really understand why you regard gunpowder so highly. Perhaps, there are some applications for it in the military, but other than that, I really can't see how it can be useful. Even though the dwarves have already had gunpowder for more than a thousand years, they haven't found any other application for it apart from its use in guns," questioned the professor the moment they met.

He handed the recipe he considered the most effective gunpowder mix to date to Lorist.

Lorist laughed but didn't respond to the professor's queries. After taking a look at the recipe, he crossed the egg white off of the list.

"Without egg white, gunpowder won't be able to harden. It'll be less effective that way," the professor objected.

"There's no need for egg white, nor is there a need for hardening. Gunpowder is most effective if it can be made into pellets," said Lorist.

He proceeded to pinch the gunpowder into pellet form in front of the suspicious professor before leaving them out to dry.

After two days, Lorist brought with him two small metal cylinders and packed them with gunpowder pellets. He installed fuses on the cylinders before placing them in a hole drilled into the wall of a nearby cavern. Finally, he lit the fuses.

A few moments later, a loud bang blasted into the air as the surrounding rocky structures shook. One boulder after another was shaken loose and fell off the cliff. When the dust in the distance settled, the facade of the cliff further away had completely changed. Half of it appeared completely shaven off, with much debris to be seen stacked up at its foot like a small hill.

"Look, professor, this is the true feat gunpowder is capable of. We can greatly increase our mining efficacy with gunpowder. The building of roads, bridges, and even houses also improve greatly. They will all require far less manpower and time. As for the military application, you'll get to see that for yourself in another two days. A brand new powerful long-range weapon will finally appear on the face of Grindia," said Lorist gleefully.

"What will it be?" mused the professor curiously.

Lorist merely smiled and left.

...

A citadel was built at the entrance to the valley where the house's refinery was located. It was meant to secure the area and keep the existence of the refinery a secret and to provide a comfortable environment for Grandmaster Sid and his skilled subordinates. Lorist casually named the place Ironforge castle after its completion. On the 23rd day of the 5th month, Lorist paid it a visit.

"Milord, the 17 sets of highly-decorated armor have been shipped to Silowas. I have also drawn a few more designs of various armaments, as per your request. All of them are slightly weaker in defense compared to the Whitelion Legion's equipment, but look incredibly grand. The price ranges from around 80 to 120 gold Fordes," reported Sid the moment he saw Lorist.

"I never have to worry about the things you're working on, Grandmaster. Since you're the most-informed person in this field, I trust that all your decisions are made with the benefits of the house in mind," said Lorist as he nodded to show his praise.

Grandmaster Sid also seemed to be in a good mood as he walked with a slight skip in his step.

"Milord, I have already come up with some preliminary designs for your wheelbarrow ballista. There are 24 prototypes made so far on the other side of this wall."

The 24 different prototypes of wheelbarrow ballistae were arranged neatly in two rows. The steel parts of the ballistae shone brightly under the sun's gaze.

Lorist got closer to take a look and found that the wheelbarrows were made from steel and wood. The sturdiest part seemed to be their axles. He lifted one up by the handles and pushed it around and found that it not only did not take much energy to move around but that it was also easy to control.

Sid began his introduction, "Milord, your wheelbarrow design is truly revolutionary. Never has there been a vehicle that could be moved by a single person. Not only can it carry a lot of weight, it's also convenient and easy to use. In the future, we can even use these for treks over mountains. Milord, should we produce these wheelbarrows by themselves for sale in the future?"

Smiling, Lorist said, "Of course. But you must remember that the wheelbarrows will only sell if they are cheap and can endure extensive use. Are the capabilities of the ballistae affected when installed on the wheelbarrows?"

Shaking his head, Sid replied, "No, there's no effect whatsoever, Milord. Some time ago, Sir Dulles brought a regiment of 500 men to try out the wheelbarrows. They said that firing from the wheelbarrow felt more stable than firing from a carriage, and their movement wasn't restricted by the carriage sides either. In the past, they sometimes had to work together to aim and fire the ballistae properly. But that restriction is no more."

"Then, does Dulles feel that each wheelbarrow ballista requires five people to operate?" asked Lorist.

"He does. One will push from the back and two others will pull from the front. The other two will be in charge of guarding the unit. They can even switch roles if required. Sir Dulles feels that this arrangement is ideal. The only shortcoming of the wheelbarrow is that it has to be held down when firing because it is far too light to endure the recoil," explained Sid.

"Very well. Prepare a division's worth of wheelbarrow ballistae for Dulles. That fellow is getting impatient to be a division commander. Howard, write this down: 'Have Malek arrange for half the troops of the carroballista division to join Dulles's new wheelbarrow-ballista division. Have the new recruits fill up the vacancies.'"

"Yes, milord," said Howard.

Grandmaster Sid stepped in front of Lorist and interjected, "Milord, please wait. Did you not notice anything different about this ballista?"

Huh? Lorist looked at the ballista and thought, it doesn't look that different...

Upon taking a closer look, he suddenly noticed something and said, "Grandmaster, this ballista seems smaller than the original ones... It is, isn't it?"

Chuckling, Sid said, "Milord, that's one part, but there's more. Look at this bolt. Even though it's also made of iron, it's half as light as the old ones we used. As a result, the ballista is far stabler when it fires, and thus more accurate."

"You managed to improve it that much? Then again, would the smaller size effect it's firing range?" asked Lorist hesitantly.

Sid shrugged.

"Milord is mistaken to think the effective firing range is 300 meters. The bolt can indeed fire out to 300 meters, but it is completely useless at that range. It can only reach that far if it's fired in an arc, which makes it impossible to aim it accurately. The important range is the range it can reach when fired in a straight line. After countless experiments we determined that range to be about 80 meters.

"When we first realized this, we were just as surprised. So, we looked to Sir Pete of the mounted archers unit for help. He brought a squad of mounted archers to help us with our experiments. In the end, we also debunked the myth that gold-ranked knights would be threatened by an arrow fired from less than a hundred meters away.

"Naturally, a divine marksman like Josk is an exception to the rule. All the bowmen would acknowledge that even though they can aim properly up to 60 meters away, targets outside the 100-meter range seem smaller than a thumb. So, the bowmen would raise their sights slightly higher before firing. In essence, the projectiles they fired also travel in arcs.

As for the ballista operators, they are unable to even see a target clearly from 300 meters away. The main threat they pose to the enemy is by relying on a dense volley of ballista bolts fired in the enemy's general direction. So, please don't worry, Milord. The reduction in the size of the ballista is due to the better materials we used in its construction. Its power is not affected in the slightest."

"I see. So, who was the one who made the new bow frames?" asked Lorist.

After receiving such a lengthy lecture from the grandmaster, he finally roughly understood how ballistics.

I guess he does have a point. A human 100 meters away looks no bigger than a pea. Be it longbows or ballistae, they are only able to pose a threat to the enemy because of the density of their volleys. While accuracy does play a part, luck is the main factor when it comes to hit rate.

"Milord, did you forget about Old Julian? After he was appointed as the person-in-charge of the steel ballista factory, he has been contemplating how he can make better material for the ballistae. After a few years of trial and error, he finally succeeded. When Grandmaster Fellin and I went to test it out, we found that this new ballista frame is far superior to the ones we were using. So, we submitted a proposal to switch out the old frames for the new ones. We have yet to receive a reply," said Grandmaster Sid.

"Oh, also, you had someone send me a design for a copper barrel called a 'cannon' some time back. I left the task of designing it to old Julian and it's already complete. Do you want to go check it out, milord? I wonder, what could such a heavy barrel be used for? Also, what does the word 'cannon' even refer to?"

Chapter 264 Firearms, War News, and the Nightmare

On the 34th day of the 5th month, thunderous roars resounded at the Professor Balbo's research facility near the Bladedge Mountains. The roars of the cannons continually echoed throughout the valley.

Wearing shocked expressions on their faces, Lorist, the dust-covered Grandmaster Sid, Professor Balbo, Grandmaster Fellin, as well as old Julian, whose status had been elevated to that of a grandmaster's, Howard, and ten other guards who had just emerged from the trenches, approached the cannon that was located about 20 meters away carefully.

Lorist realized that he had underestimated the production standards of this alternate world. About ten days earlier, he had just visited Julian with Grandmaster Sid to check out the cannon barrel designed based on his drawings. He found that Julian had fashioned 12 of the barrels for him in less than a month. Grandmaster Sid said that fashioning those barrels was actually one of the crudest tasks available to their craft. It amounted to nothing more than practice exercises. The truly hard part of smithing lay with the use of stainless steel.

Lorist laughed bitterly at the statement. The stainless steel Sid referred to was produced through the hammering of materials nonstop using the water-powered machines. Without a proper heat-resistant furnace, there was no way that those water-powered machines could be used to make those cannon barrels.

In his past life, Lorist had been the manager of a small workshop. He wasn't trained in metallurgy, nor did he know anything about cannons. However, one of his workshop's products was a miniature bronze cannon roughly the size of a palm which he used as a glamorous paperweight in his office. The miniature cannon wasn't cast in a mold but made on a lathe instead.

Back then, Lorist was quite intrigued by the cannon model in his office. He wondered why old bronze cannons didn't use steel as their material instead. After looking up an article on an online encyclopedia, he realized the ingenuity of the ancients. Their reasoning behind the use of bronze for cannons was simple and ingenious: durability and low cost. Naturally, Lorist couldn't recall the specific figures. The only impression left behind in his mind was that at a time when industrial standards were still not set, using bronze was the ideal choice.

Fortunately, given the realism of the cannon model, which had been made to scale, it was rather easy for Lorist to replicate the design. He could even recall the various relative measurements of the little plaything.

With the designs Lorist provided him, Old Julian had fashioned a total of twelve bronze cannons just like that.

Upon closer inspection, however, five of the cannons had eliminated from testing. The surface of the barrel's inside was uneven. Lorist had some workers sand down the remaining seven and prepared proper mounts for them before having some of Professor Balbo's gunpowder brought over from the valley.

That day marked the first firing test. Their target was a cliff roughly 400 meters away. An instant after the guns fired, smoke billowed from the cliffside and rocks, shaken loose from the shockwave in the ground, disappeared into the plumes of smoke.

"Good Lord Singwa... Aren't... aren't these basically magic-crystal cannons?" mused Professor Balbo, shocks as he observed the devastation.

"Magic-crystal cannons?" asked Lorist.

It was the first time he heard of something like that.

"Milord, I've read some records that were made during the time of the magic civilization. In them were mentions of the sky fleets left behind by ancient gnomes that were discovered by the magi. The magi re-engineered and improved on a long-range weapon fueled by magic crystals, hence its name. A single shot was enough to demolish a whole mountain. It's said that the strongest magic-crystal cannons could even strike down the stars. When the war with the gods began, the cannons were transported to the realm of the gods and were initially able to triumph over them. They killed one god after another. However, given the slow reload speed and the limited reaction of the cannons, the magic-crystal cannon troops were wiped out by gods' armies in the end," explained Professor Balbo.

"Oh, is that so? Well, our cannons aren't comparable to those that use magic crystals. The cannons we have rely purely on the explosive force of the gunpowder to propel their projectiles outward. There's no way they can rival those mythical weapons," said Lorist as he thought about how much more impressive those cannons must have been.

"Milord, cannons number one to three have normal temperatures, they are just a little warm to the touch. Their positions haven't changed either. Cannons number five to six are much hotter. Number 6 has the highest temperature and it's shifted roughly 12 centimeters. A small crack has also appeared on cannon number seven and it's much hotter. Even the cannon mount has slanted to the left," reported the guard.

He recorded his observations on a piece of beastskin. Old Julian's face was slightly flushed with embarrassment. The first test fire had revealed many flaws in the cannons he had fashioned.

Lorist said with a smile, "Grandmaster Julian, this is not your fault. We are testing the amount of gunpowder we require. Cannon number seven used almost double the gunpowder of number one. The fact that it only got a crack without blowing up entirely is already a testament to the quality of your work."

Lorist instructed his guards to clean up the cannons and continue the tests. This time, they tested the cannons one by one to find the optimal amount of gunpowder and record the distance and strength of the shots, as well as the time it took the cannons to cool off and their durability when used continuously. They also attempted to find the most number of times a cannon could be used.

After a few more tests, Lorist brought the few grandmasters back to the resting hall and let the guards continue with their tests.

The roar of cannon fire didn't disrupt their conversation whatsoever. Lorist paid attention to the others in the hall. Professor Balbo seemed to have something on his mind, whilst Julian seemed quite excited. He had no idea that something of his making would be so powerful, so his excitement was understandable. Sid, on the other hand, looked quite shocked and jumpy. Perhaps, he thought the cannons to be his new toy with which he could have lots of fun doing researching. Grandmaster Fellin, in contrast to the previous two, had a pale look on his face.

"What',s wrong, Grandmaster Fellin?" asked Lorist concerned.

Fellin replied in a disheartened tone, "Milord, with the existence of cannons, ballistae will no longer be relevant anymore... Be it range or power, cannons far surpass ballistae. The cannons will only improve as time goes on, whereas the development of ballistae is already nearing its apex. I believe that a grandmaster arbalest like me will no longer be needed and cannons replace ballistae entirely... I will no longer be able to contribute to the house..."

Oh, so that's why... realist Lorist.

Lorist consoled patted his shoulder lightly.

"Things aren't that simple, Grandmaster Fellin. Ballistae and catapults are cold arms while cannons are firearms. They are fundamentally different weapons. You're a grandmaster in cold weapons and it is my belief that the ballistae you manufacture are at the apex of ballista technology. There are none who can surpass you. However, when it comes to cannons, everyone here is a beginner. All of us are starting at the same level with the same knowledge. In future research on explosives, we will still require your craftsmanship to make delicate parts. Don't worry, the house is proud to have a grandmaster like you in our service."

Cold arms? Fire arms? Explosives?

With his interest piqued, the grandmaster asked, "Milord, why do you categorize them as such? And what are explosives? Do they refer to the cannons?"

Lorist explained, "Weapons like the steel ballistae and catapults mainly rely on the elasticity of metal plates to launch projectiles. As the mechanism works based on the weapon's construction itself, I categorized them as cold arms.

"On the other hand, we have cannons which use the energy derived from the explosion caused by gunpowder to propel its projectile outward. This bronze cannon directs the energy from the explosion into the projectile within the barrel to shoot it out. The cannon itself doesn't have any firing capability of its own. That's why I consider weapons that use gunpowder explosive weapons, which is a subcategory of firearms. Naturally, that is just a rough grouping I've personally decided to use."

Lorist gestured for them to sit down at the table and said, "I'm sure that all of you have gotten a close look at these cannons firing. However, there is still much testing to be done. I would like to set up a research panel on explosives comprised of those present. First, complete the testing and manufacturing standards of these cannons. Make sure each cannon fires in a predictable and reliable manner. For example, you can install some sights on the cannons to aid with aiming and so on. Make sure to finish this as soon as possible.

"The current situation the house is in is rather dire. Fortunately for us, the Chikdor Merchant Guild changed their minds about taking Silowas because of the war. For now, focus on developing these cannons. As for Grandmaster Julian, arrange for a batch of these cannons to be manufactured. I am going to install them on my warships. Only then can we ensure that the dominion and the seas of our house won't be infringed upon by others."

Lorist clapped his hands to signal Howard to enter. He came into the room with a small box which held a dwarven firearm.

"This is the renowned gun made by the dwarves. It functions more or less the same as our cannons. It also uses gunpowder to propel its projectile, a lead bullet in this case. According to Professor Balbo, the gunpowder the dwarves make is not going to improve anytime soon. The professor's current formula is far better than the dwarves' and also costs quite a lot less to make, much to his credit."

After giving the professor some lip service, he instructed Howard to hang up a few diagrams on the wall and continued.

"These are two gun designs I drew based on the dwarves' gun. This one is a long-barreled rifle and this one a revolving handgun, we'll call it a revolver. I have also detailed the parts and their measurements. However, the measurements are only based on my estimation and may require some testing and fine-tuning."

The two guns Lorist designed were hammer-action flintlocks, but their hammers were not as ridiculous as the one made by the dwarves, namely, it didn't have a winged-dragon on it. The dwarven guns used a winding mechanism which would jam 3 to 4 out of 10 times. The flintlock design Lorist used was based on using flint and metal to strike on the projectile to make it fire. He wasn't sure whether the grandmasters could make them, however.

The main problem that could arise from the production of the revolver was that of the cartridges, the barrel, and the percussion cap's production. While he was confident that his smiths could make the cartridges and barrel with a little more effort, the percussion cap wasn't going to be that easy. So, he left the problem for Professor Balbo to solve.

Professor Balbo was put in charge of researching percussion caps and scattershot ammo for the cannons while he was at it. Grandmasters Sid and Julian would work together to find the ideal material to be used for the construction of the guns as well as think up ways to improve the cannons when they were not focusing on their main task. As for Grandmaster Fellin, whose craftsmanship was top-notch, he was placed in charge of making the individual parts for the guns.

Having finished assigning his tasks, Lorist left the valley in a relaxed mood.

On the 2nd day of the 6th month, Lorist returned to Firmrock castle. Supervisor Spiel hurriedly brought over two large stacks of documents which Lorist had to be informed of or sign. Lorist had no choice but to start taking care of the piled-up paperwork, despite his hefty sighs.

After knocking on the door, Howard entered and said, "Milord, these are some documents we received from Silowas, as well as Knight Lundmorde's first correspondence ever since he moved to Morante. Within is a report on the state of the conflict between as well as the second highness's conquests in the Redlis kingdom."

Energized, Lorist said, "Let me take a look."

Lundmorde had left for Morante in the beginning of the 4th month with his three wives to open a herbalist clinic which treated women and children. His clinic would double as an information gathering center at Morante for the house. It seemed that he had gotten used to life there pretty quickly, given that his report was sent within his first two months there.

In the letter, he described briefly his journey. After the description was an update on the conflict between the two nations: yet another stalemate had begun. This time around, it was between the forces of the seven neighboring nations, who numbered around 100 thousand and were stationed at Feyers, and the 150-thousand-strong Union forces. The Morante Daily reported that the war might not end until Teribo VII's treasury was exhausted.

As for Second Highness Auguslo, he had encountered a huge problem at the Redlis kingdom. The nobles of Anderwoff weren't the least bit intimidated by his 100 thousand soldiers. He was forced to deploy for an attack. He marched on the province only to be fended off by the nobles who used the terrain to their advantage. The second highness had lost one battle after another. Eventually, the two divisions that had surrendered to the second highness revolted. In the end, only 40 thousand soldiers of the second highness' original 100 thousand survived. It was even said that the second highness vomited blood in rage.

Lorist snickered as he read the report. The longer the two wars dragged on, the better it would be for House Norton. He wouldn't mind if they kept on going for another 8 or 10 years.

Putting Lundmorde's letter aside, Lorist began reading one of the letters from Silowas. The letter of more than ten pages had been penned by Charade. He reported everything that happened down to the minutest detail.

The first shipment of fur had already been delivered to the Peterson Merchant Guild. Five hundred thousand of the gold Fordes had been sent to the dominion. The rest was used to pay off the 500 thousand kilograms of food from the guild for use during the development of the island.

Other than that, Charade and the guild had come to an agreement. He provided the samples for the 17 different sets of glamorous armor that were on sale and a catalog to the guild so that they could collect orders for them when they got back to Morante. Naturally, the guild requested a ten percent commission on the sales they made and he had agreed. He stressed that it was a win-win for both parties. The added incentive would only encourage the merchant guild to collect as many orders as possible, while House Norton could hide behind their backs and not become anybody's targets.

The next report was about the foraging for resources at Silowas. Grandmaster Sid's eldest son Delokua had brought a group of people to the volcanic areas of Silowas to survey the land. In the two short months they had been conducting their survey, they already had good results to report. They had discovered seven different mineable resources on the island thus far. Iron and silver deposits were especially prevalent. They also believed that they would discover more resources as their survey progressed. Charade added that he had decided he would use the laborers to extract the resources when the development was complete.

Finally, Charade made a few minor complaints and told Lorist about his father who was making his way to the Northlands at the moment. Charade's father was going to buy a house and start a shop at the new port city and Charade hoped that Lorist would look out for him.

Lorist penned his reply immediately. He asked Charade to pack up and prepared to return. Coincidentally, Lorist was going to head to the shipyard at Bullhorn Bay to check on the construction of their new sail-powered warship and arrange for cannon-operation training for the sailors.

Lorist was busy for the rest of the 6th month.

One day at the end of the 6th month, Howard barged in and exclaimed, "Milord, milord, it's horrible! Silowas had been attacked!"

Chapter 265 Assault from the Hanayabarta Kingdom

On the 33rd day of the 6th month, a damaged ship covered in arrows and ram marks could be seen, at Bullhorn Bay. The battered Flying Fish of Dawn docked at the port and, after the walking plank was lain down, injured people disembarked. Freiyar and Patt were carried by a few injured marines off of the ship.

Lorist stepped forward. He breathed a sigh of relief after taking a closer look. Although the two's injuries were serious, they were not in any mortal danger. Perhaps it was because they had received emergency treatment very quickly after being injured.

Freiyar was injured, a physical shock had caused his internal organs to shift ever so slightly and bleed profusely. According to the marines by their side, he spat out lots of blood and shouldn't recover in less than three months. Patt, on the other hand, had been pierced through his lower abdomen by a sword. It had struck right through him and burst out of his back. Fortunately, his spinal cord wasn't damaged, but he would still be out of commission for half a year.

Captain Wilson stepped off the ship and saluted Lorist. He had also been injured during his trip as was apparent from the turban-like bandage he wore on his head.

With a cold voice, Lorist asked, "Is this the work of the Chikdor Merchant Guild?"

Captain Wilson smiled bitterly and shook his head slowly. "I don't know, Milord. To be honest, I don't have a clear idea who it was that attacked Silowas. But I'm sure they aren't people from the guild. The enemy seemed like pirates of some sort, but I have no idea what kind of pirate force would be as big as they were. They had around three to four hundred ships..."

"That many?"

"That's right, Milord. I also initially thought that we were being attacked by the Chikdor Merchant Guild, since only they could plausibly mobilize so many ships against us. But when we clashed something felt weird. Many of the ships flew different flags, and their sailors and crew were not as well-trained and calm as those of the guild.

"The moment our ships approached theirs, the enemy began to lose control and even broke their own formation. That would never happen to the guild's fleet. Milord, you should wait for a few days. Sir Senbaud's fleet is right behind us and he might've captured a few of the enemy alive," explained Captain Wilson.

Without accepting or rejecting Wilson's suggestion, Lorist said, "Tell me more about the incident. Start at the beginning."

"Yes, milord," Wilson said, before he began his recollection, "At noon on the 21st day of the 6th month, Sir Senbaud's fleet left Silowas on a trip back to the Northlands. I was patrolling around one in the afternoon when I discovered ships silhouettes not far away, so I ordered our men to sail out to see who they were. But halfway there, I realized something odd. More and more ships continued to appear, almost covering the oceans entirely.

"I was incredibly shocked and thought that the Chikdor Merchant Guild had decided to launch their attack. But using the telescope, I discovered that the flags flown by the ships were not uniform, neither was there any sight of the sword-and-barrel flag of the guild. So, I began to wonder where the fleet had come from and continued forward to intercept and question them.

"But before we even had a chance to converse, the ships began launching fireballs at us."

Wilson pointed at the burn marks on the Flying Fish of Dawn.

"Fortunately, our ship was agile and swift, allowing us to evade most of the enemy's attacks and escape. After we determined that they were enemy ships, we quickly returned to Silowas to alert the troops.

"Sir Freiyar suggested that we mount a naval attack against the enemy. That way, we would be able to give the island more time to prepare. He also ordered his men to inform Sir Charade and Sir Patt and his guard brigade, before ordering me to seek out Sir Senbaud, who had just left, and have him come back to reinforce us.

"By the time I reached Sir Senbaud's fleet, it was already midnight. He gave the order to turn back and reinforce Silowas immediately. But the morning of the next day we ran into four ships from Sir Freiyar's fleet that managed to break out of the encirclement. According to the troops on the ship, Sir Freiyar had commanded 30 ships to receive the attack and managed to destroy more than 50 enemy ships, but the four that escaped were the last ones that remained.

"On one of the ships was Sir Freiyar. He had suffered heavy injuries. The marines said that Sir Freiyar had intended to intercept the enemy, but the enemy sent 100 ships to hinder his fleet, allowing the remaining ships to continue sailing to the island.

"Sir Freiyar's fleet used up all their weapons and had to board the enemy ships to fight in close-quarters. At first, they were able to take two ships, but the enemy sent out a blademaster which Sir Freiyar went up to receive. After a few bouts, Sir Freiyar got struck on his chest by the blademaster's sword, causing him to spit out blood and faint.

"The marines said it was Sir Karitoke who had hauled Sir Freiyar back. Sir Karitoke later ordered them to break the encirclement. But right as they were about to leave, Sir Karitoke was struck down by the enemy blademaster...

"Sir Senbaud ordered the four ships that escaped to travel with his fleet. We managed to arrive at Silowas..." Wilson paused as his face turned grim. "Milord, by the time we got there, flames and smoke filled the skies of the island. Cries of pain or grief could be heard all around. From the telescope, I could even see corpses littering the port. Rivers of blood flowed all over... Tho-those pirates... They killed, maimed, and did all manner of terrible things on the island... It's hell... Silowas has become hell...

"The enemy's ships were docked at the southern coasts. Even though we fought with them for the whole afternoon, their numbers just seemed to grow more and more. We managed to burn down more than 20 enemy ships, losing seven of our own in the process. In the end, Sir Senbaud had no choice but to order a retreat. The enemy didn't bother to pursue us either. They were content with us leaving the island.

"Sir Senbaud still had to circle Silowas a few times before we lost the enemy. Only after that could we rest. He said that since Swordfish Ridge still flew our Raging Bear flag, he would sneak into the marine camp near the bay during the night to make his way up to the ridge.

"When midnight came, Sir Senbaud brought us into the small bay and we realized that the fires were still lit at Swordfish Ridge. So, he brought his men up there but left me outside. They returned after a good while and had us hurriedly retreat. According to the marines who went up there, there were lots of enemies waiting there. Given that we only had a thousand or so men with us, we had no choice but to retreat. We could no longer defend Silowas.

"We didn't bring many boats when we entered the bay, so each one we had was packed to the brim with people. By the time we ferried everyone out of the bay, the sky was already brightening and the enemy discovered us. They sent their ships for us, but we sunk the first ten or so that arrived and we even managed to take control of two middle-class armed merchant vessels in the process. The enemy mobilized another hundred or so ships to attack us, however. We were fully laden, so we weren't able to sail quickly enough and were caught once again in the afternoon.

"Fortunately, Divine Marksman Josk was there. He and Sir Senbaud picked ten ships that were still in decent condition and deployed them as our rearguard. They managed to eliminate the five ships right on our tail. As a result, the enemies further back became more cautious. They didn't come closer, but they continued to barrage us with ranged attacks all the all the way into the evening before they retreated. I don't know why that happened, but I was too relieved to be free of pursuers to care at the time.

"The next morning Sir Senbaud ordered me to head back first with the injured. Flying Fish of Dawn is the fastest ship in our arsenal, after all. The rest will catch up and arrive in few more days."

Lorist stretched out his hand and patted Wilson's shoulder.

"You must've had a hard time. Go back and rest for a day or two. Your head injury isn't serious, is it?" said he.

Wilson saluted.

"Milord, I'm fine. My head only brushed against a passing fireball. All I lost was half my hair... I shudder to imagine how my wife will react when I get home..."

Lorist nodded in response.

"Thank goodness you're alright for the most part. First, rest up at the marine camp. I will have herbalists head over and treat the injured. I hope you'll recover soon, I might have to trouble you to go out to sea in a few days,"

"Yes, milord. I will be awaiting your orders," said Wilson while standing as straight as a ramrod.

"Howard, bring some men with you to check on the injured. Console them and ask them their opinion on our enemies. Also, have someone ask around how the enemy's flags look and have a sketch drawn for me.

"Other than that, pass this order on to Potterfang: 'bring a division of heavy-armored troops and standby for deployment'. Also, have Els check on the status of Dulles's new wheelbarrow-ballistae division. Don't forget to reach out to Professor Balbo as well and give me a detailed summary of his experimental progress," instructed Lorist.

"Yes, milord."

...

By the time Potterfang rushed to the port city, it was already afternoon on the next day. Lorist had already ordered some men to set up camp near the coast.

"Milord, our territory, Silowas, was attacked?!" asked Potterfang the moment he barged into the room.

Given how heavily he panted, he must've rushed there the moment he received the order.

"Where are your men?" asked Lorist.

"They will only be able to arrive by tomorrow, Milord. I left early with a few attendants. Milord, who is it that dares to attack our dominion? Is it the Chikdor Merchant Guild or the second highness's men?"

Lorist shook his head.

"It's neither of them. Look at the few sketches of emblems and flags over here on the table. We haven't seen any of them before. I suspect that we've been attacked by pirates of some sort..."

Potterfang held up one of the beastskins on the table and revealed a look of shock. "Milord, the enemy are not pirates. I know these emblems and flags. They're the slave traders and slave owners from the Hanayabarta kingdom..."

"What did you say?! The Hanayabarta kingdom? The island-based kingdom built on slavery?" exclaimed Lorist.

His voice was cold as ice. He had finally found a lead he could follow.

"That's right. Milord, since you've never been to the kingdom before, it's no surprise that you don't know their emblems. Actually, these emblems don't even show up often here on the main continent either. Look, these emblems and flags all have black borders. It marks them as the slaver nobles and slave merchant guilds of the Hanayabarta kingdom. Most of the nations on Grindia don't recognize the legitimacy of the Hanayabarta nobles' claim to peerage. To the royal families and noble houses of Grindia, they are naught but a bunch of lowly pirates and slave traders."

Potterfang had been to the Hanayabarta kingdom twice before. The first was when he went there at the invitation of Loze. Loze had been a bodyguard for a slave trader back then. Potterfang couldn't bear the practice of slavery, he left after a month had passed.

His second trip was when he went to Nupite to purchase slaves to add to the fighting strength of the northbound convoy, as well as to recruit Loze and Malek. After these two experiences, Potterfang was well-acquainted with the flags and emblems of the kingdom.

"You're saying that a bunch of slavers and slave traders attacked and raided Silowas? Why, aren't they rather bold? Aren't they afraid of our retribution?!" growled Lorist angrily.

Shaking his head, Potterfang said, "Milord, the Hanayabarta kingdom was, after all, founded by a bunch of slavers and slave traders. To them, raiding is but a common activity. A century ago, they had been residing at the Golden Coast of the mainland. But as the defenses in that area gradually strengthened, they attacked the Hanayabarta archipelago and formed their slave nation. Those pirate bosses and slave traders became nobles of the kingdom overnight. That is also one of the reasons for the nations' non-recognition of their sovereignty.

"After the founding of the kingdom, they even raided Hidegold Bay, forcing the Union to send out the Invincible Fleet to deal with them. But after that, the old pirate king passed away and the new king announced he would no longer carry out raids at coastal areas. That allowed them to obtain trading permits with some coastal nations. They've become rich off their slave business in the decades since.

"Master, at the end of last year, Count Kenmays, Baron Shazin, and Baron Felim all went to Firmrock Castle to discuss the profits of the salt merchant committee. It was Supervisor Spiel and me who received them. During that time, I overheard that the second highness had suddenly taken a hard stance against the slave traders of the Hanayabarta kingdom. Quite a few slave traders who were buying slaves all the way from the Iblia kingdom to the four central duchies were captured at the borders of the Redlis and Andinaq kingdoms. Second Highness Auguslo ordered for them to be sent to the gallows without a second thought.

"Also, it is said that the Hanayabarta slave traders hate the second highness to the bone. The slave trade at the four duchies and the Iblia kingdom soon became less than ideal and is basically extinct there now. It was such that many nobles even approached the committee and asked us whether we were interested in dealing with slaves. All of them held grudges against the second highness for what they considered personal business, adversely affecting their income in the process.

"That's why, Milord, I think that the Hanayabarta kingdom's slave owners and traders were the ones who attacked Silowas. On the one hand, they intend to capture the tens of thousands of islanders as slaves. On the other hand, they want to exact revenge against the second highness's policies against them. They are not the least bit afraid of the retribution of our house either. It must be known that they are descendants of pirates. Add to that the fact that their nation spans several islands, they can't even wait for us to go there and try to avenge ourselves. They hold great terrain advantage and superiority at their islands, and it will be tough for us to fight against them on foreign ground..."

Bam! Lorist thumped heavily on the table before sitting down slowly, not exchanging any words with Potterfang.

After a long pause, he instructed, "Pog, make some reorganization with your heavy-armored division when your troops arrive tomorrow. After Dulles finishes grouping the three wheelbarrow-ballistae brigades, place him under your command as well. In another two days, the whaling crew will be back and I will have them start preparations to set sail. By the time Senbaud's fleet arrives, you will mobilize your troops and reinforce Silowas.

"If... If it really is as you had described, I suspect that the enemy would've long escaped by the time you arrive. Should that be the case, take care of the aftermath left on the island and await further orders. If there are any enemies left on the island, exterminate them immediately. Other than that, watch out for your safety. Wilson mentioned the presence of a blademaster among the enemy. Don't carelessly get into a fight alone with him, alright? Just order Dulles's wheelbarrow-ballistae brigades to deal with him."

Standing up straight, Potterfang said, "Yes, Milord."

"Come in!" called out Lorist towards the tent's entrance.

Howard walked in and said, "Milord, what is your will?"

He nodded slightly to his father as well.

"Howard, have someone go to Firmrock Castle and get Supervisor Spiel to bring me every map and piece of information he can find on the Hanayabarta kingdom archipelago to me," said Lorist.

The Aftermath and the March into Battle

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Charade, the chief knight of the house, and Jim, the house's silver-ranked knight as well as vice leader of the guards, were missing in action. Kriston, the security officer, Accountant Mike and Secretary Hector were nowhere to be found either.

Other than that, the house's retired soldiers, who were transferred to work at the seven villages on Silowas as garrison captains, had all lost contact with the house. The situation seemed incredibly grim.

Tok, one of marine assault guard's squad leaders had been confirmed captured, along with Mayor Hugo.

Confirmed dead were Victor, the captain of the Whitebird Town garrison and tax collection officer, Hart, who had been killed while defending the townsfolk during the evacuation.

Silver-ranked knight and regiment leader of the third local defense brigade, Joseph and Donowan, had both sacrificed themselves heroically during the reinforcement of Whitebird Town.

Silver-ranked knight and regiment leader of the guards, Mort, managed to break out of Farama Village's encirclement but sacrificed himself voluntarily to protect the regiment of troops on the way to Swordfish Ridge.

Silver-ranked knight and vice leader of the Oceanic Legion, Nors, had died in battle on the ocean as well.

Seventeen silver-ranked knights of the first and second fleets of the Oceanic Legion, Captain Rolin, Bose, Telok, Hwaleit, Moog, and the rest all perished in battle.

Apart from those missing or dead, about 3700 marines were taken captive and 38 ships lost. The Oceanic Legion forces stationed at Silowas, which numbered around 6000 men, had lost more than half of their forces, a staggering loss indeed.

Only 4 of the 500 Whitebird Town garrison soldiers managed to escape alive, the unit was utterly demolished as well. The third local defense brigade that numbered 3000 people only had 400 or so injured soldiers left that boasted little to no battle capability. Only the two guard regiments stationed at Seaview Manor fared slightly better -- 400 of the 1000 soldiers managed to retreat safely.

...

Both of Lorist's hands shuddered as he read the summarized report on the losses Supervisor Hansk handed him. The weight of the incident pressured him so much that he found it hard to breath. Charade and Jim are both missing...

Supporting himself in a forced manner, Lorist gradually took his seat and asked, "Tell me, why were our losses so heavy? Was the enemy that powerful?"

"Milord, it's all because of my ineptness," said Josk as he stepped forward.

Waving his hand, Lorist said, "No, it has nothing to do with you. There are no subordinates in this world that are better than you guys. What I want to know is the reason for the huge loss sustained by our forces during the attack. Was the enemy's strength that incredible?"

Josk shook his head and said, "Milord, the enemy is nothing but a ragtag bunch of ruffians. But... but they brought a few blademasters with them."

"Blademasters? How many were there?" asked Lorist.

"I believe there were seven. However, I've only seen four to five of them personally," recalled Josk, "After receiving Sir Freiyar's message, I stayed by Sir Charade's side. Back then, we were in Whitebird Town. Sir Charade quickly notified the Whitebird Town garrison to make preparations for battle and instructed the third local defense brigade to come over to the town quickly to reinforce us.

"The hundreds of foes who arrived on shore on the first few ships were successfully intercepted by the garrison force, but there were many more ships behind them. More and more enemy troops began to swarm us. I managed to kill two gold ranks and more than ten silver ranks, but then a blademaster appeared all of a sudden. He cut Victor down right away, lopping his head off and causing it to roll to my feet.

"By then, I knew that I was being targeted by the blademaster. I'm a marksman, there's no way I can handle close combat with a blademaster. So, I could only retreat as I continued to fire away. It didn't take long for me to lose contact with Sir Charade and the others. By the time I circled around and managed to lose the blademaster, I realized that Whitebird Town had already been occupied by the enemy. Despite my frustration, I could only retreat to Swordfish Ridge to gather up the marines and set up a defense line. After that, we received the troops of the third local defense brigade that broke out of the encirclement at Farama Village. In the end, we were picked up by Sir Senbaud's ships..."

Josk ended his testimony, allowing Supervisor Hansk to explain the rest.

"After Knight Josk drew the blademaster away, the Whitebird Town garrison crumbled from the overwhelming force of the enemy. At the critical moment, Knight Patt and his third local defense brigade troops arrived and managed to drive the enemy away. Following that, Knight Jim led his regiment of 500 guards to reinforce them, giving us the upper hand in battle.

"Sir Charade was commanding the troops during the battle and thought that the reinforcements we just received would be able to drive the enemy out. He was right, the enemy couldn't resist us for long and were quickly beaten. But just as we saw the enemy retreating from the town, more than a hundred large-class merchant vessels arrived and started unloading their forces.

"This new wave of enemy troops was far stronger than those we had just beaten. They had many silver and gold ranks, as well as two blademasters. The local defense brigade suffered heavy losses right away, up to a thousand died. The first regiment leader of the brigade, Joseph, and the fourth regiment leader Donowan, died during that time.

"Seeing that the situation was turning bad, Sir Charade ordered us to evacuate the citizens of Whitebird Town to Farama Village as soon as possible. Other than that, he gave the order to arm the laborers and send them to fight off those pirates. At that time, we thought that they were merely pirates and didn't think for a second that they were actually the slavers and traders of the Hanayabarta kingdom.

"Sir Charade brought Knight Jim and more than 20 guards to leave in a hurry. We have no clue what happened to them after that. A few soldiers brought the unconscious and injured Knight Patt back from the frontlines soon after. Fortunately, I had a few medicinal concoctions with me, one of which I gave to Patt right away. After that, I prepared a carriage for Knight Patt and us to be brought to Farama Village.

"The troops that escorted us to the village included 300 or more from the third local defense brigade and more than a hundred guards, who were all injured in some way. Coupled with the sixth logistics regiment stationed at Farama Village, we had less than a thousand men defending the place. Also, we managed to evacuate more than 1000 of the Whitebird townsfolk, all women and children. It was from them that we heard about Mayor Hugo's capture.

"The regiment leader of the guards, Knight Mort, who was stationed at Seaview Manor brought a regiment of troops to Farama Village, only for them to encounter the enemy fighters that were making their way to the village for an assault. After driving away the enemy, Knight Mort entered the village and we finally had enough people to defend ourselves.

"But the enemy fighters that came after brought a blademaster along. That blademaster attempted to barge into Farama Village alone. Fortunately, the third local defense brigade had installed more than a hundred steel ballistae on the village walls. The first volley of 40 plus bolts instantly turned the blademaster into a pincushion. The enemy were staggered by their losses and ceased their attack on us temporarily..."

"Are you certain that the one shot dead was a blademaster?" interjected Lorist with his eyes wide open.

Supervisor Hansk scratched his head in recollection before he said, "Milord, I am fairly certain that he was indeed a blademaster. Before the fight broke out, the few enemy fighters that came up to us and requested our surrender were mostly silver ranks, with another gold rank as identified by the gold blade glow on his longsword.

"At that time, the regiment leader of the sixth logistics regiment, Knight Ollison, had intended to fire the ballistae right away, only to be stopped by Knight Mort. Knight Mort said that we should use longbows to drive those fellows away to make them think that we don't have other long range weapons to defend ourselves with so that we can catch them by surprise with our ballistae when they mount a full-scale attack. Only with that can we cause them a huge loss.

"After that, the blademaster arrived on a carriage. Every one of the enemy fighters, including the gold-ranked knight, cheered. The blademaster also seemed incredibly proud and overbearing. After conversing with some of his men, he drew his longsword and dashed towards the walls without hesitating. Even the twenty arrows our longbows shot at him when he was about a hundred meters away didn't faze him.

"Seeing him approach, Knight Mort ordered his men to use the 40 plus ballistae mounted on the wall to fire in two separate volleys when the blademaster was less than 60 meters away. While the blademaster managed to deflect four bolts heading directly for him at first, the second volley pierced through his torso entirely. He was dead on the spot. Knight Mort was afraid that the bolts weren't enough, so he ordered the longbow troops to fire two more volleys at the blademaster. There was hardly anything left but the bolts and arrows when we were done.

"The blademaster's death shocked the enemy greatly. They all stood there without a word. When Knight Mort determined that the enemy fighters were less than 200 meters from the village, he ordered the ballistae to fire again. They didn't expect our balistae to have such a range, they lost around 50 of their men before running off, tails between their legs.

"I finally felt relieved when that happened. I thought we could still use the walls to hold our ground a little longer. But the moment Knight Mort and Knight Ollison heard the report of some guards and soldiers that just came over, they decided that there was no way that they could defend Farama Village. According to the men, the enemy had two more blademasters with them. While that wasn't that huge a threat during daytime, the night would impact the vision of the ballistae operators greatly. The effective range of our ballistae would be greatly reduced. The moment a single blademaster got close, it would be the end of us.

"Knight Mort believed that we should use the opportunity when the enemy fighters were retreating to make our escape. Only by reaching Swordfish Ridge would we be able to defend ourselves until reinforcements arrived from the mainland, given the advantage the elevated terrain afforded us. As long as we defended the routes up the hill with our ballistae, no number of blademasters would be able to break through our ranks.

"Knight Ollison thus ordered the sixth logistics regiment to mount all the steel ballistae onto carriages to serve as escorts on our flanks. The sky was still somewhat lit during our time of departure, but it didn't take an hour for the darkness to blanket us. When the enemy found our tracks, they followed along and called for more reinforcements. This was when Knight Ollison elected to stay back. He took just over a hundred local defense brigade soldiers and guards with him and prepared an ambush for the enemy.

"Not long after we resumed our escape, sounds of fighting broke out in the distance. However, it only lasted half an hour. By the time it quieted down, we had already arrived at the foot of Swordfish Ridge. The way up was not an easy one. Given that the enemy was going to arrive at any moment, we prioritized getting the women and children up the ridge, all the while forming a semi-circular defense line with the carroballistae to defend the route uphill.

"We held our position against the enemy for over an hour, but the ballistae became worn and ineffective from the repeated use. Knight Mort quickly ordered 20 of those ballistae to be brought uphill along with half of the bolts we had left. The rest of the bolts were used by our remaining ballistae. We would destroy the ballista when we ran out of bolts for it and retreat to the ones that still had to make sure they didn't fall into enemy hands.

"By the time I was halfway uphill, I saw Knight Mort cutting the last ballista in half, ignoring the sword swung by the enemy behind him. In the end, he was impaled through the chest by a pike."

Mort... It was as if Lorist could see two beggar-like people waiting for him, grasping on his legs and crying. They were Mort and Ruhr, messengers of the northbound convoy who had traveled far and hard. Of all the people in the group that had set off to find him, only those two had made it, the rest died along the way.

Lorist's eyes began to tear up. Ruhr had already been killed during the night attack he launched on Bread Hills by a ballista bolt. Mort on the other hand had followed him all this time, slowly training and breaking through the silver rank when he was part of Lorist's personal guard squad. Later, he was made a knight of the house and took on the position of the regiment leader of the guard brigade. Now, he was gone. He had died a heroic death and was willing to give his life to protect the secrets of the house's steel ballistae.

Supervisor Hansk continued, "All the guards and local defense brigade soldiers died after a long and gruling battle. Right at the most crucial moment, Knight Josk rushed down from the ridge and began firing, causing the enemy to flee once again. Only then did the remaining people manage to go up to Swordfish Ridge. With 20 ballistae and Sir Josk's marksmanship defending the routes uphill, we felt a lot safer.

"On the next day, the enemy didn't attack Swordfish Ridge. But flames of chaos still burned bright across the island. From the ridge, we were able to see the enemy force the various villagers to move to Whitebird Town. Cries of pain and despair filled the surroundings and from time to time, some older villagers were dragged out of the group and beheaded. Angry as we were, there was nothing we could do about it.

"When midnight came, Sir Senbaud brought his fleet and arrived at the small bay. He got up to Swordfish Ridge and met up with us. After understanding the situation, he asked us to board his ships quickly, saying that the enemy was busy with raiding and wouldn't care about Swordfish Ridge. Swordfish Ridge wasn't built to be a citadel, there was no way we could defend that place in the long run. When the enemy sent another group of fighters to attack us from the bay and the foot of the hill, we would not be able to escape.

"Thus, we began our evacuation immediately, prioritizing the women, children, and the injured soldiers. After that, Knight Josk brought some guards and the 20 ballistae aboard the ships. However, we had delayed for too long and by the time everyone got on board, the sky was already brightening. The enemy realized where we were and instantly signaled the rest with their horn. It didn't take long for the enemy to send a fleet after us.

"Luckily they weren't properly prepared. The first batch of ten or so ships didn't have enough crew members, so they were quickly exterminated. Sir Senbaud and Knight Josk even managed to nab two large-class armed vessels. But 40 more enemy ships were spotted in the distance. Sir Senbaud's fleet had also suffered some casualties from the previous battle, and two of those ships were full of people, causing their speed to be rather low.

"So, Sir Senbaud and Sir Josk decided to pick ten of the armed ships in the best condition to launch a counterattack by mobilizing all the marines, guards, and local defense brigade soldiers from the rear. They managed to wipe out five of the enemy ships closest to our tail and tangled along with the remaining ones until the evening, when the enemy finally retreated.

When Sir Senbaud and Knight Josk finally returned, they questioned one of the captive sailors and found that the ones who had attacked the island were in fact slavers and slave traders from the Hanayabarta kingdom. Those captives said that the operation involved almost all the slaver nobles and slave traders of the kingdom. Their naval force already included more than 400 ships, 30 thousand people, and seven blademasters. This was nothing short of a full-scale invasion."

Supervisor Hansk brought out a thick beastskin document stack and said, "Milord, here are the records of the captive interrogations.

Lorist flipped the records and said, "Heed my orders!"

Howard stepped inside and said, "Milord..."

"Have the guards erect crucifixes on the coastlines and nail the captives to them," said Lorist in a light voice, sealing the tragic fates of the captive sailors of the Hanayabarta kingdom.

"Ugh..." The ones present in the tent gasped with terror. Being hung was a far more pleasant way to die than being nailed to a crucifix. After all, one would only die when all the blood drained from one's body after a long time.

"Milord," mused Hansk in an attempt to advise against that.

"Stop it, my decision is final," Lorist said as he waved his hand, "They are the accomplices of the slavers and slave traders. They are far worse than the likes of pirates! They treat people as commodities and don't value human life at all. My only regret is that there isn't a crueler method I can use to put them to death! Howard, what are you doing still standing there?!"

"Yes, Milord, I will pass the order on now!" said Howard before he hurriedly left.

Standing up once again, Lorist stepped forward to Senbaud and said, "You did well, incredibly well... Far beyond my expectations. Senbaud, let me ask you... Are you willing to become one of the House of the Raging Bear?"

Stunned, Senbaud quickly snapped out of it and kneeled down on one knee, saying, "Milord, it is my pleasure."

"Senbaud, are you willing to heed the tune of the Raging Bear's horne and fight to your death for it?"

"I am willing!"

"Senbaud, are you willing to begin your conquest under the banner of the Raging Bear, never to stop, never to falter, until either you are successful, or all life is drained from your body?"

"I am willing!"

"Senbaud, are you willing to stand proud bearing the crest of the Raging Bear to the end of your life, even in death?"

"I am willing!" shouted Senbaud loudly.

Lorist drew his longsword and patted on both of Senbaud's shoulders.

"Stand tall, my knight. You have won the trust of House Norton with your courage, bravery, and loyalty. I welcome you, my brother."

After Lorist gave Senbaud a tight hug, the other knights in the tent came forward to do the same. The last one to do so was Potterfang.

"I welcome you, my brother," said Potterfang as he pinned the golden badge of the Raging Bear to Senbaud's chest.

"Senbaud, how many ships are left in your fleet?" asked Lorist, having taken his seat after the knighting ceremony.

"Milord, we have eleven ships that are still in good condition. Thirteen others require some repairs. Eight of them are only slightly damaged, but the other five will need more time."

Senbaud's second fleet had 29 ships originally. During the rescue operation, he lost seven ships but managed to take two of the enemy's, making the current count 24.

"Fix them up as soon as possible. In three day, Potterfang will bring his troops to Silowas. We will need some transport ships for them. Also, have your marines rest as soon as possible. The uninjured will have to man the ships when we depart," said Lorist, furrowing his brow.

The Oceanic Legion had suffered heavy losses, more than half of their forces. Currently, the numbers of the marines were incredibly low. He had no choice but to redeploy them in another three days even though they had just survived a grueling battle.

"Milord, I will gladly march into battle!" exclaimed Senbaud as he stood up.

"We will march into battle too, Milord!" cried out the other knights within the tent as they stood in solidarity.

Chapter 267 The Wait Prev ChapterNext Chapter

The ships' sails gradually disappeared beyond the horizons. Not even the slightest trace of them was left behind.

The reinforcements sent to Silowas this time numbered only three brigades, a total of 9 thousand men. There weren't enough functioning ships to send any more. Had it not been for the inclusion of the eight additional ships from the whaling fleet, Senbaud would only have been able to ferry just 4 thousand people, even with the use of the two new large-class long-distance armed ships completed by the shipyards recently.

Lorist had originally intended to lead the reinforcements personally, but Potterfang and the others convinced him to remain on the mainland.

"As your knight, I can't allow you to lead the charge every single time while we, the subjects of the house, sit back and reap the benefits. That would become a mark of shame for we household knights.

"Other than that, given the demeanor of the slavers and slave traders of the Hanayabarta kingdom, they might not stay on Silowas for long. They might be gone by the time we arrive. I can't have milord waste your time on a trip for nothing. It's better if you stay here and wait for our report while you tend to other matters of the house. Leaving the dominion that often will put a lot of delays in our plans."

While Potterfang sounded incredibly troubled when he voiced his concerns, Lorist understood them completely. The dominion would be far more stable with Lorist present. If he left the dominion that frequently, the other three allied families might plot something behind his back. At the end of the previous year, in the annual general meeting, Potterfang and Spiel had taken his place. It would do him no good if he were to miss this year's meeting.

As for Lorist's concern about the threat to the island, Potterfang smiled and said, "There won't be a big deal. The surviving local defense brigade soldiers and guards reported that most of the enemy are but an unruly bunch of fighters. The only thing we have to worry about is their blademasters. We will be bringing two heavy-armored brigades and one wheelbarrow-ballista brigade. Even blademasters wouldn't dare to charge head-on into our formation.

"I think that if not much of the enemy is left on the island, or if all of them have departed, the three brigades will only have to deal with cleaning up the aftermath there. If the enemy is still there, I will set up a stronghold and wait for further reinforcements from the house. Given the speed of the Flying Fish of Dawn, it wouldn't take you more than ten days to travel over here."

Five gold-ranked knights were participating in the reinforcement operation. Apart from Potterfang, Josk and Senbaud, the battle-hungry Loze, and Yuriy, who had just recently broken through to the gold rank, were joining in. Other than that, Tarkel, who was placed in charge of the formation of Furybear, and Els, were sent on a special mission there.

The order Lorist gave Els and Tarkel was to head to Morante if the island was occupied. From there they would disguise themselves as members of the Peterson Merchant Guild and investigate where the captives taken from the island had been taken. Once this was known, they had to find a way to rescue the house's officers and knights. Foremost among the people they had to locate was Charade and his companions. On par with his importance, was the aim of investigating the military might of the kingdom, including the statuses of the slaver nobles and their slave traders.

The ocean breeze carried with it a salty smell. Bullhorn Bay had two curved cliffs that flanked the bay on both sides. As a result, the waters of the bay were calm regardless of how strong the winds outside of the bay were blowing. A lighthouse was going to be constructed at one of those cliffs so that sailors would be able to make their way to the bay without getting lost.

Lorist stood on the cliff to watch over the fleet as they departed. He also wanted to find a suitable spot for the lighthouse's construction. If he could, he wanted to have an artillery emplacement built that could watch over the bay. If this could be achieved, then the city had nothing to fear from the sea, and Bullhorn Bay would be a safe harbor for the dominion.

Once the fleet was out of sight, Lorist walked into the deeper part of the cliff and overlooked the city and the bay.

It was getting busier by the day. Laborers scurried like ants all over the place. The house's defeat at Silowas didn't hamper the city's development. The 700 or so residents of Whitebird Town who had been evacuated were arranged to stay there. For the past two months, Lorist could hear the cries, ringing out like cracked bells, of the refugees as they mourned their loved and lost.

On the other side of the bay, a shipyard was gradually being constructed. From the top of the cliff, five ship keels could be seen laid out on the empty space in the shipyard. Countless laborers swarmed around them like ants around a carcass. In a few more months, those five ships would be completed and added to the house's new naval arsenal.

At the port near the shipyard was a ship similar to the Flying Ship of Dawn, save for her larger size. It was the house's new large-class three-masted warship, the Windstorm. A hundred and twenty-eight of the house's elitist marines were selected and allowed to familiarize themselves with the ship. By the time Senbaud returned from his current voyage, the Windstorm would be mounted with 24 bronze cannons. She would be an invincible warship, raining death and destruction down on her foes much like the disaster she was named after.

"Malek," Lorist said, "This time around, I would like to pick out half of the experienced veterans from your carroballista division and draft them into the wheelbarrow-ballista division to hasten its formation. I would like to station the wheelbarrow-ballista division at Silowas for now."

Malek though in expressionless silence for a while before answering, "Milord, may I suggest something?"

"Go ahead," said Lorist.

He didn't expect the renowned 'Iron-faced' Malek to have anything to say about his decision. "Milord, I know that you are really close to Dulles, but I feel that you have given him too heavy a burden. He follows you around all the time. It isn't good for his training," Malek said with some hesitance, "Dulles has already served as the vice commander of the carroballista division. He was my subordinate for quite some time and I know him quite well. I've even dueled with him before, he's rather talented. He's been at the three-star silver rank for too long now. It's been three years since he's shown any progress with his training. What he needs is time to focus on his training. He won't be able to break through into the gold rank otherwise.

"Milord, I understand your reasoning for expanding the wheelbarrow-ballista division. There is no way that you will let the slavers and traders of the Hanayabarta kingdom off. The day the wheelbarrow-ballista division is completely formed is the day you set out on an expedition to the kingdom. I hope that you will allow me to take Dulles's place as the division's commander.

"I believe this will be a win-win for the both of us. The carrobalista division is primarily responsible for the defense of the dominion. The Northlands have been firmly under our control and that of our allies for several years now. Everything here is peaceful and the division doesn't have much to do. I seriously doubt we'll see any turmoil or conflict for at least the next decade. Let Dulles become the carroballista division's commander so he can use this rare time of peace to raise his personal strength."

"Pffft!"

Lorist had to use all his might to contain his laughter, even so, a giggle or two still escaped.

Malek, aren't you just impatient for some glory? It is true that the carroballista division doesn't get involved in any combat anymore.

Despite his suspicions, Lorist had to admit that Malek's excuse had some sense to it. Dulles did indeed require a good amount of time to break through to the gold rank. If he managed to further his training, nobody would be able to accuse Lorist of favoritism for prioritizing Dulles so frequently.

"Why would you think that I had the intention of going on an expedition against the kingdom?" asked Lorist.

"Milord, we are the Roaring Raging Bear of the Northlands. The house has never had an instance when we stayed quiet and endured a slap in the face by anyone. Given my understanding of your personality, Milord, you're not the type to keep quiet and swallow your anger. You would definitely take your vengeance. And given the way you executed the kingdom's captive sailors, I shudder to imagine how much more cruel your vengeance on the rest of the kingdom will be," replied Malek.

"Ugh..." Even if you put it that way, you're basically calling me ruthless and petty, aren't you?

Lorist furrowed his brow in thought. He decided to ignore the off-handed remark Malek had just made. He understood Malek's demeanor well. The man was incredibly straightforward and would say whatever was on his mind, regardless of the topic or the company.

"Well, Malek, actually, I had my reasons for making you the commander of the carroballista division. The house only has a few gold-ranked knights. Even though recently, Terman, Yuriy, and Senbaud have joined their ranks, I still feel that it's not enough. Making you the commander of the carroballista division was my way of using your reputation as a gold-ranked knight to bolster their morale and warn others not to look down on our forces," explained Lorist.

"Milord, Redriver and Salus are already stationed with Fiercetiger Loze's two spear cavalry divisions. Right behind them is Firmrock Castle, which is defended at the front and back by a regiment of garrison soldiers. Paulobins's first local defense brigade is also garrisoned in the castle. We even have the first police brigade in charge of guarding the warehouses. Coupled with Terman's knight brigade, I doubt there are any that would look down on our forces.

"The carroballista division's existence has also been kept secret from the outside world; only the three allied houses of the Northlands know of them. Milord, if you allow me to switch places with Dulles, that would also provide enough stimulation to him. He would come to understand that if he doesn't advance in his training, he wouldn't be able to be of aid to you nearly as much. It will prompt him to train even harder."

Very well, Malek, since you want to switch so badly that you'd give me such a far-fetched reason, I guess I have no choice but to yield.

Smiling, Lorist said, "Fine, Malek. You have thoroughly convinced me. After the incident on Silowas concludes, I will have Dulles transfer back and you will take his place as the commander of the wheelbarrow-ballista division. Make sure to transfer the veterans of the carroballista division there, but don't make it so that the might of the carroballista division falls drastically as a result."

"Yes, I understand, Milord. Thank you," said Malek as he saluted.

After getting down from the cliff, Lorist brought Howard and a squad of guards to the valley at the blade-edge mountains where Professor Balbo's gunpowder research lab was located. Before they even arrived, they could hear booming sounds in the distance.

Professor Balbo rushed towards Lorist as he entered the valley.

His face flushed, he yelled, "Lord Count, I can't stand this! Either you hold the cannon training somewhere else, or move my lab!"

Ack...

This was one of the things Lorist had overlooked. At first, he thought that testing gunpowder near the lab was a logical arrangement. But the operation training for the cannoneers held there caused the whole valley to be graced with the thunderous sounds all day long.

"Alright! I'll have them move to another place!" yelled Lorist in reply.

Nobody would be able to hear what he said if he spoke normally.

He gestured to Howard to order the cannoneers to stop their training before doing anything else.

After a long while, the booming sounds quelled one after another. All that was left in the air was the pungent smell of gunpowder.

Grandmaster Sid brought Grandmaster Julian with him from the training field. The two of them were wearing masks and earmuffs.

"Milord, you're here," mumbled Sid as he removed his muff, "It's too quiet in here. I'm already used to hearing the booms nonstop."

"The two of you are insane!" yelled Professor Balbo loudly.

"Hahahaha..." laughed both the grandmasters.

"Milord, the 36 cannons completed in the last batch have just passed the tests. We're already letting the newly-recruited cannoneers train with them. Grandmaster Sid has installed sights on the bronze cannons, so the cannoneers are able to learn to use them pretty quickly. They are able to hit six times out of ten now," reported Julian.

"Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen," Lorist thanked, before he asked, "Have you finished the recoil-absorbing mounts I've asked you to make? These cannons will be installed on ships, not land, so we will need something stable to mount them on."

Sid replied, "Milord, we have tried making something like that, but they're not the ones you designed that used steel springs. We tried to make them using springs at first, only to fail a lot of times. In the end, Grandmaster Fellin felt that we could use the super ballista's leather suspender and managed to achieve the same effect with the cannons. We were just testing them now, and the preliminary results seem promising. The cannons don't seem to have moved much from their original position."

"Very well, have 24 of those cannons fitted with the recoil-absorbing mounts for now and ship them to Bullhorn Bay to be installed on the Windstorm. Our cannoneers can train on board over there. Additionally, the other 12 bronze cannons will have to be moved somewhere else so as to not bother Professor Balbo here," said Lorist.

"Oh, and, Milord... There's another issue. While the cannoneers can shoot well on land, the ship motions at sea might render their accuracy useless. By then, they might even hit less than once in ten times. That's why the cannoneers believe that their accuracy training now won't be of any use at sea. Do you have any thoughts on that?" asked Sid.

"Oh? That's simple," said Lorist. He had watched a movie in his past life about the Russian navy during the times of the Tsar. He recalled how the cannoneers were trained in the movie and said, "Choose somewhere near the ocean and set up a few swing-like contraptions near the coast. The platforms of the swings will be where the cannons are mounted, which will also be roughly as large as what a normal cannon station on a ship would be. After that, have a few wooden boxes or small boats drift several hundreds of meters away from the swings on the water. Those will be the targets for the cannons. Before firing the cannons, make sure the swing is swaying so that the ship motions at sea can be more or less simulated. That will solve the uncertainty the cannoneers have and also greatly improve their accuracy."

The next fortnight saw Lorist busy with the cannoneers of the Windstorm's training as well as the other duties he had as the lord of the house. After that, he had to wait impatiently for Potterfang's report on the island.

On the other hand, there was good news from the northlands as well. Old man Balk had buried himself in the paper workshop for a whole month and finally managed to come up with paper that was pure white. Lorist rewarded the ones involved in the research greatly and ordered Balk to streamline the production process. For instance, they could use the waste products of the paper's production to make toilet paper. Additionally, a new paper workshop would be built for the paper to be made into different derivative products, such as folders, notebooks, drawing canvases, and so on, for sale.

Apart from the breakthrough in papermaking techniques, Master Mancheny of the glass production plant also introduced two new products. The first was a gold-framed magnifying glass with a golden handle that was also engraved with intricate patterns. It gave off an air of magnificent luxury. Needless to say, this was the craftsmanship of the old silversmith.

The second product was a transparent tea-set made from oil glass. After rewarding the old master greatly, Lorist made it known that while the transparent wares looked incredibly elegant, the rich and powerful might not necessarily fancy them. But should they be adorned with golden engravings, they would definitely be able to sell for much, much more. Looking inspired, Master Mancheny dashed off to continue his work immediately.

After one week, just as Lorist was about to stare a hole through his telescope, the Flying Fish of Dawn appeared on the horizon as it sailed towards Bullhorn Bay.