Graycastle, City of Neverwinter.
Roland could not help but clench his fists after reading the report sent back from the frontline.
"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Nightingale, who was beside him, noticed his unusual behavior.
"No... nothing." He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. "Everyone's performance exceeded my expectations. I'm just happy."
"Really?" Nightingale was startled and then smiled. "It seems that they're all working hard."
"That's right." Roland got up, poured two cups of Chaos Drinks, and handed one cup to Nightingale. "They're really working hard..."
This was not a casual remark, but his true thoughts at the moment. If he had not been here in person, it would have been difficult for him to connect the current First Army with the frontier guards who used to hold wooden spears.
The eight days of high-intensity combat, the strategic retreat that still maintained the formation, the cover and cooperation of the air and ground combat, and the determination to actively seek the key to victory on the battlefield all proved how amazing the army's growth was. In addition, the strong cooperation of the Kingdom of Dawn and the willingness of the migrants to stay behind to help the army logistics also showed him the overall transformation of the human race.
And what surprised Roland the most was Edith.
Although many of her previous actions had already shown that she was extraordinary, this surprise could be said to be more than all the previous ones combined.
Using the powerful carrying capacity of the steam-powered trucks, they carried out mobile warfare in the territory of the Kingdom of Wolfheart, and fully exerted the long-range and powerful characteristics of the Fortress Cannons, which vaguely resembled the style of the Battle of Lightning.
Not to mention the initiative to evacuate the city, causing the enemy's stretched defense line to be full of loopholes, and then the high-mobility troops to attack the enemy's weak points.
The First Army could eliminate a large number of effective forces of the demons with such a small cost and stop their advance 200 to 300 kilometers outside the Red Mist area. The contribution of the Chief of Staff was undoubtedly the most remarkable one.
Although Roland had talked with the Pearl of the Northern Region about their views on the future form of war and the evolution of the war situation with mechanical equipment, they did not talk about the specific types of equipment. The "armored vehicles" that he had high hopes for were still in the factory in the form of tractors. The fact that Edith was able to link it to a truck meant that her foresight was definitely ahead of the times.
It was the combination of individual and collective strength that gave them this hard-won victory.
The demons' actions were now firmly restrained, while the First Army's new soldiers and supplies were continuously being transported to the front line through the main artery. The strength of the two sides had become one of them losing, while the other gaining.
When the accumulation reached its peak, the real counterattack would begin.
Roland and Nightingale clinked their glasses lightly.
At this moment, the power of humans seemed to be shining brightly.
…
After finishing his drink, he returned to his desk.
According to the usual practice of the First Army, the good news was followed by all kinds of problems.
These were problems that only he could solve.
For example, along with high-intensity maneuvers came heart-wrenching losses.
The report placed this point at the top of the list. Due to the uncertainty of the battlefield, the longer the crew stayed around the faulty vehicle, the greater the risk. In a situation where they lacked tools and a repair environment, the two of them could at most deal with simple faults such as flat tires and water leaks. When it came to the suspension and transmission system, which were relatively easy to have problems, they were almost helpless. Therefore, after most of the steam-powered trucks broke down, they could only unload the Rubik's Cube and leave.
Since the demons launched an all-out attack, the frontline had lost as many as 15 trucks. If it was not for the need to maintain the operation of the north-south artery, Roland suspected that Edith would transfer all the vehicles to the Kingdom of Wolfheart.
To improve this situation, the First Army not only needed a specialized support unit, but also needed to establish relevant repair and maintenance sites, just like the Air Knight. Field repair vehicles and trailers were undoubtedly also necessities to be included in the production schedule.
Once again, he clearly felt that if he wanted to use these large machines on the battlefield, it was not as simple as just building them. The resources and money they consumed were simply not something a vassal kingdom could afford.
In addition to applying for more steam-powered trucks, the higher-ups of the army also expressed a strong desire for 75mm field cannons and general-purpose machine guns. Various statistics showed that their addition would greatly improve the firepower of the First Army. If it was not for the large consumption of ammunition, they would almost be a perfect weapon.
Roland was extremely moved by this conclusion of "seemingly flattering but actually demanding money". He then approved the army's application.
At the end of the report, there was a handwritten letter from Tilly.
He guessed that the contents were similar to the military's, either pressing for a special plane or requesting for more 'Fire of Heaven'.
[Brother, long time no see. ]
[You haven't forgotten what you promised me, have you? ]
[Now that the demons' offensive is gradually weakening, we should be able to get through this year's Months of Demons safely. I will take some time to return to Neverwinter and hope to see its true form. ]
As expected, Roland could not help but hold his forehead. He knew it would be like this.
Fortunately, the overall structure of the special plane was already in place, and he indeed needed Tilly to verify the feasibility of the new body.
However, what she said next was very different from what he had expected.
Tilly used a large amount of space to describe in detail the shortcomings of the 'Fire of Heaven' in actual combat. She even suggested that the production of the 'Fire of Heaven' should be temporarily stopped until improvements were completed. The biggest problem lay in the twin seats.
After summarizing all the available Knight's summary and battle results, she found that out of the sixty-five Devilbeasts that could be confirmed to have been shot down, only one came from the backseat shooter.
The reason was also very obvious. In close combat, the enemy did not need to bite the tail for a long time like the biplane. The Mad Demon's spear throwing was equivalent to a ballista with an elevation angle of -90 to 90 degrees, covering 270 degrees in front of it. As long as the distance was sufficient, it could completely attack from the top and belly of the 'Fire of Heaven'. In fact, they often drilled into these blind spots, leaving the backseat shooter helpless.
Even if the enemy was within the firing range of the machine gun, it was difficult for the shooter to determine the relative distance of the target in the air without any reference. In addition, it was impossible to predict the flight path of the plane, so the hit rate beyond a hundred meters was pitifully low. Most of the time, the shooter would return after firing all the bullets without hitting a single enemy.
Similarly, when the 'Fire of Heaven' strafed targets on the ground, the backseat could only find a small window of opportunity to shoot when it was pulled up.
However, the weight of the passengers, weapons, ammunition and cockpit protection was real. At the same time, in order to adapt to flying, the two people in the front and back had to complete a full set of piloting training. This also made the backseat machine gun an extremely cheap decoration. Tilly bluntly mentioned in the letter that it was more like a design error. If the rear cockpit was removed, not only would the number of Knight Knight immediately double, the weight saved could also be used in other areas.
For example, more fuel.
For example, a small bomb.
In short, even if there was no way to immediately produce the improved 'Fire of Heaven', they had to at least cover the backseat with a skin.
Roland could not help but smile bitterly after closing the letter. He could completely imagine Tilly's appearance when she complained. Although he felt helpless at the wantonly criticism of his design, compared to the reference materials in the Dream World, the former's actual combat summary was obviously more worthy of being treated.
Just as he was about to dig out the previous blueprints of the 'Fire of Heaven' to make changes, the phone with the Administrative Office label rang.
Roland picked up the receiver, and Barov's excited voice came from the other side.
"Your Majesty, your iron tower project is completed."
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