"The Four Elemental Swordcasters? They're just some low-quality magic swordsmen who rely on their equipment. It's impossible to mass-produce mages that require talent. Even if they rely on their equipment to learn magic, how can they possibly reach that level with their limited talent? How can they possibly understand the true meaning of magic when even their mana source has to rely on their equipment? They're nothing more than rookies who will never be able to advance in power level. Even after spending so many resources, can't we just find a few young mages with outstanding talent and focus on nurturing them? It'll be worth it to produce an archmage. "
After the Four Elemental Swordcasters astonishingly revealed themselves in Red Maple City, praise wasn't the only thing waiting for them. Weaknesses such as poor mana endurance, lack of high-level spells, and difficulty in advancing in power level were all pointed out by others. While the major countries were reassured by this, it also stopped them from trying to introduce this new job class.
The major countries were quite interested in magical engineering's creations, but this new job class was unexpectedly given the cold shoulder.
Most people were skeptical of this new job class. However, if even the archmages of the Cloud Tower had the same opinion, then it was quite obvious that there was a problem. After all, the Cloud Tower's archmages had the highest authority among mages.
Indeed, although this new job class would allow ordinary people to control mana, it would be quite difficult for them to advance further as they lacked magic perception and elemental attraction talents. Not to mention, even ten low-level rookies wouldn't be able to defeat a single high-level mage. It was only natural that a job class with no prospects for development would be doubted.
"… Perhaps Brother Roland was thinking about the strategic importance of the spellcasters' gathering."
Even Renée, who worshipped Roland the most, could only defend herself in such a manner.
"Talent? Is it edible? "
Roland responded to the doubtful gazes. He indeed had the right to be proud of himself. As a student who broke the record for failing magic classes, and as a "magical idiot" who had been denied the path of being a mage by several dozen teachers, he managed to become an archmage of two Truths of Truth one step at a time. It was quite convincing for him to say that talent was useless.
However, exceptions were incredibly difficult to replicate. Even Roland had to admit that it was almost a miracle that he was able to reach his current level. Would there be another Roland among the several hundred Four Elemental Swordcasters? The answer was obviously no.
Actually, only a single digit number of Four Elemental Swordcasters had managed to advance to Silver in the past year or so. The fact that those who advanced to Silver in power level would always have natural talent as mages made most supporters feel discouraged.
East Mist, with its limited resources, had an internal discussion on whether or not to continue expanding the Four Elemental Swordcasters as planned. After all, East Mist wasn't rich yet. It wasn't like a large empire that had money but nowhere to spend it. Investing in a long-term project with no foreseeable future would be quite extravagant.
Faced with so many doubts, Donglan wasn't rich at all. It would be far too wasteful to invest in a long-term with no future. Elemental Swordcasters would 'Swordcasters.
"Swordcasters. Swordcasters are far too Elemental Swordcasters. I'm. is no Swordcasters purely and only power classes work.
Gods. that. power level combat is is is is is as is is. through. war. that. on. war is is. on. power. is. in combat combat..... is.. is......................... S......
That's because war was the best way to test one's abilities. Being able to obtain outstanding combat results on the battlefield would naturally be able to stop all criticism.
The Borealis' engines were fully activated. The gigantic beasts hiding in the clouds began to awaken. Searchlights illuminated the sky, and the next instant, the Borealis' hatch opened. The Aurora Knights rode the light of the Aurora as they tore through the sky, while several hundred Swordcasters descended from the sky. Only when they could see the ground clearly did they activate the light on their backs.
Bright orange flames lit up the sky as streaks of light tore through the sky and flew towards their chosen targets.
These Four Elemental Swordcasters didn't descend by themselves. They were all carrying heavy backpacks. Ordinary flying spells were no longer able to carry them.
Unlike the slow and short flying spells of the past, these mobile backpacks that spat out magical flames were both fast and powerful. But if an ordinary person were to use these backpacks, they would be no different from an unlucky gnome riding on a goblin rocket. They would have to use their lives to think about how to get back down.
However, only the Four Elemental Swordcasters who had gone through magical control training were able to precisely control the intensity of the flames, control the wind, and control their own direction. And in order to better control their backpacks, they were currently inserting their magic swords into the backpacks' control centers to take their place in command.
"The first team will be on the surface and clear out the shoals of fish harassing the airship. The second team will be underwater to snipe down high-threat targets. The third team will patrol in the sky. I'll leave backup and bombing missions to all of you."
After this order was given, each team tore open their large backpacks, revealing all the equipment they had prepared beforehand.
The first team was a small, single-person speedboat called "Dolphin # 1." The metal hull of the speedboat only had a place to stand and an engine. The pilot had to stand on the speedboat that was less than two meters long, but he had to use chains to tie himself to the speedboat. Otherwise, he might be thrown off at any moment.
The powerful engine allowed the speedboat to travel at high speeds on the water. It was even faster than the flying fish! The fourth team swam around the airship, choosing smaller targets to kill.
The weapons they were equipped with were all insanely heavy firepower. Dolphin # 1's firepower platform was actually equipped with a revolving machine gun. The Four Elemental Swordcasters and magic archers needed to insert their magic swords into the speedboat's control center, and then enchant the bullets with armor-piercing, acceleration, explosion, and other support abilities. Finally, all they needed to do was pull the trigger on the target.
At this moment, the speedboat and heavy firepower had both become extensions of the Swordcasters. This new job class that had been deemed to have no future at all showed off its own unique combat style.
Three speedboats whizzed past the Sea Giant like a raging storm. The roaring cannons pierced hundreds of holes in the Sea Giant's body, and the powerful Golden Giant collapsed just like that.
The second team's underwater crew had breathing tanks and diving equipment. The "Sea Otter Prototype", a special backpack that could be used in both water and air, would convert fire magic into water magic once it entered the water, making it even more agile than the Murlocs underwater.
The special harpoon guns they were equipped with were only backup weapons. In the water, even a temporary icicle would be more than enough to kill the unarmored Sea Tribe. The second team's goal was to snipe the mages that were hidden underwater, eliminating any possible threat to the airship.
"Impossible!"
The Sea Tribe members were astonished to discover that there were actually existences that were faster and more agile than they were underwater. Archmage Naga, who had been preparing to cast a spell, was instantly pierced through by a harpoon. Even though she had reached the frightening peak of Legend rank, there was no such thing as an absolutely safe place on the battlefield. Naga, who believed herself to be absolutely safe, actually didn't have any defenses at all. She was pierced through without any resistance, and this allowed the second team to be the first to receive their spoils of war.
The third team was not equipped with any powerful weapons, but in fact, they had the largest number of people. They were all carrying oil barrels filled with explosives …
Alright then, this was a simple remote-controlled deep water bomb. Team 2's underwater operators would provide their teammates with coordinates, call for firepower support, and provide the most suitable time to explode. Every time an oil barrel dived into the water and exploded, there would be a bunch of Seafolk's corpses on the surface of the water … Even if the Seafolk were only knocked unconscious, it would still be the same as a death sentence if they appeared unconscious on the surface of the water.
"Happy frying fish, this is a good harvest. A7, I'm going to the next target. OVER！”
After notifying his underwater companions, the Bombers floated back into the air and went to retrieve a depth charge from the Borealis.
However, what they had to do was not just simple airstrike missions. They had to protect their comrades and provide logistical energy sources.
The Four Elemental Swordcasters and Magic Archers' excellent performance even astonished the Gold-ranked Aurora Knight. Compared to the Four Elemental Swordcasters and Magic Archers, the Four Elemental Swordcasters and Magic Archers were only Bronze-ranked on average. However, their combat results far surpassed the Gold-ranked Frigid Maw Knight.
The Aurora Knight was indeed a powerful troop type that was highly suited for fighting on the surface of the water. They were capable of freezing the surface of ice and running on water. However, their attacking methods were still quite traditional. No matter if it was ice magic or physical attacks, the Seafolk would be able to defend against them.
Although the Seafolk would still be completely suppressed, as long as the Seafolk escaped deep into the ocean, the Four Elemental Swordcasters wouldn't be able to chase after them. How could it be as simple and crude as a single deep water bomb?
And at this moment, the Four Elemental Swordcasters' advantage was fully displayed. They were able to control their own equipment as if they were using their limbs. They were able to choose equipment that suited them to the battlefield. The Four Elemental Swordcasters were equipped with equipment that allowed them to fight on the surface of the water and underwater. They were even more suited to the battlefield than the Seafolk.
Indeed, the Four Elemental Swordcasters were a job class that greatly relied on external items. However, was it really impossible to rely on external items? There was a certain civilization that relied on external items to reach the peak of the world. They invented external items that were capable of single-handedly destroying planets and entire worlds.
High-level magic that couldn't increase one's magic power level? Would the gunmen in that world be able to increase their own power levels, increase the number of bullets, or make their guns spit fire? But actually, an ordinary warrior who had only completed basic training would be completely incomparable to an elite warrior who had experienced hundreds of battles. Just the ability to use weapons and piloting skills alone would be more than enough for the Four Elemental Swordcasters to pursue.
Weak? Lacking mobility? Perhaps it would be enough to equip them with mobile armor and Iron Horses. If they felt that their attack range or firepower wasn't enough, they could simply equip them with enhanced equipment.
Insufficient magic power? Wouldn't it be enough to bring more? Who said that you could only bring one power source? Just look at those speedboat pilots. Just look at how they only brought ten full Olivia's Magic Boxes and three magic swords.
"It's difficult to advance in power level by relying on external items? In that case, it would be enough to increase the level of an external item. This would actually be much easier than raising a high-level mage, and it could even be mass-produced! Are dwarven rifles and dwarven sniper cannons on the same level? The power of cannons combined with engineering will be increased by more than ten times. Can a small tank even compare to a Roland Titan? Besides, I don't believe that it's impossible for the Four Elemental Swordcasters to advance in power level. It's just that they've chosen the wrong direction to advance in power level! "
In the conference room where everyone was arguing, Roland personally showed off his newly invented sword seals and various magical sword techniques. This was a job class that focused on technique over power. Since his magic power source was external, then perhaps researching new and powerful sword seals and creating new magical sword techniques was the correct direction for him to advance in power level. "Swordcasters — they're just people who use swords.
Don't be bound by the past. Why must you view them as mages? Take a look at the true usage of the Four Elemental Swordcasters. The reason why they're called humans is because only humans in this world know how to use tools. This is also the foundational reason why they're able to advance in power level … Alright, I misspoke. Elves, beastmen, and dwarves are all fine, so please get off my back. Harloys, I've been feeling rather anemic recently. "
The Four Elemental Swordcasters were magic users that originated from the field of magical engineering. They were born to be the best companions. They were the children of war, as well as the favorites of the new generation. As magical engineering continued to develop, they would only become stronger.
And, as long as there were enough foundational members, there would always be geniuses among them. Perhaps an ordinary mage would only have a ten percent chance of advancing in power level, while the Four Elemental Swordcasters would only have a thirty percent chance of advancing. However, after lowering the requirements for mages, it would be possible to produce more than a hundred times the number of Four Elemental Swordcasters. As long as there was enough time and enough foundational members, there would naturally be a day when there would be results.
Of course, this power came with a price. Donglan already had more than five thousand Four Elemental Swordcasters, but they only brought two hundred with them. It wasn't that Renée felt that she had too many people, but rather that she only had enough equipment for two hundred people. That was the only number that could be used on the battlefield.
In order to further expand the power of this troop class with limitless potential, not only would they need resources and money, they would also need a country's industrial and educational power. This wasn't a problem that could be solved in a short period of time.
Creating a single piece of engineering equipment only required engineers? Ha! Experts would be needed from the very beginning to design the equipment. The equipment's materials would need the support of the smithing and metallurgy industries. Enchanting and inscription arrays would need archmages skilled in enchanting. Alchemists would need to complete the mana transfer and energy circulation. Any single piece of equipment would require the support of several industries, and at least ten people would need to work together.
And if they wanted to create an assembly line for mass production, then the requirements for industrial standards would be even higher.
Renée was able to understand Roland's strategy even better than the Gold-ranked Swordcasters when she saw the battle situation before her. These Swordcasters, who weren't even Bronze-ranked, had combat results that far surpassed the Gold-ranked Knight Swordcasters. It seemed that from the very start, Roland had already seen a completely different generation from the current battlefield.
Perhaps in future battles, ordinary melee weapon users would be abandoned. Magical swordcasters with special magical swords would replace the most basic warrior job class. The barrier to becoming an elemental user would become incredibly low, and mages would no longer be able to become gods. Magical engineering would replace their status as the kings of the battlefield.
At that time, perhaps countries wouldn't be fighting over territory anymore. Instead, they would be fighting over various natural resources. Countries wouldn't be fighting over how many powerful individuals they had. Instead, they would be fighting over technology and craftsmanship. War would no longer be fought over by top-level combat strength. Naturally powerful dragons and giants would no longer be able to stand above everyone else. Trained mortals would become the main characters of this generation. Master craftsmen and engineers would replace the status of forbidden spell mages.
"… Is this an invention that will change the world?"
Reyne recalled the judgment I made when I first saw Olivia's Magic Box. Why did I decide to suppress all opposition with such an abnormally autocratic attitude? Why did I invest so much resources and manpower into this "Olivia's Magic Box?" (Olivia's Magic Box was maliciously referred to as Olivia's Bottomless Pit)? Perhaps I had anticipated this day from the very start. In fact, I was doing everything in my power to push forward these changes.
Actually, Roland could see it quite clearly. Every industrial revolution was an opportunity for all countries to reshuffle their power. Being one step too slow would mean being one step too slow. There was no need to explain the consequences of falling behind.
"… At the very least, we're now in the lead! And this lead will become our future resources and bargaining chips. "
That's right, Roland and his team were doubtlessly at the top of the world in this regard. Now that they had displayed outstanding combat strength here, Donglan would have even more political, military, and economic chips to play with. With a suitable platform to display their products, they would finally be able to sell their products for a high price.
If I could see the situation of the future, Reyne would be clenching her fists tightly. She could faintly see the possibility of her homeland becoming a mega powerful country. Perhaps this Holy War was also an opportunity for her people who had suffered far too much pain and suffering.
"We shall finally stand at the top of the world."
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