When Iron Axe walked into the messy Valencia, he was surprised by the destructive effect of the new firearm, although he was expressionless.
Although he had participated in the testing of this weapon, which was called a mortar by His Majesty, he knew that putting it into practice and testing it were two different things.
Each team consisted of five people, and each of them carried two shells. It was truly shocking that they were able to fire such a powerful shot without the support of backup ammunition.
He knew that the rate of fire of the mortar was much higher than that of the field cannons, and he had imagined the scene of dozens of teams firing at the same time. However, when he saw it for the first time, he found that he still underestimated this firearm.
The mortar was not as powerful as the Longsong Cannons, but it was light and easy to use. It could move with the army without the help of witches, and it could also cross the city wall to attack the target hiding behind it. When there was enough ammunition, the attack on the enemy was almost destructive. If it were the First Army, he was not sure that they could withstand such a firepower attack.
No... it was normal that they could not withstand it. In the face of the overwhelming fire rain, it was good enough that they did not collapse on the spot.
Iron Axe finally understood why His Majesty had confidently thrown all the seemingly sophisticated field cannons back to the Furnace Area. In front of the mortars, there was indeed no need to equip the solid core projectiles that they had previously used.
But then again, in the whole Graycastle, only His Majesty could afford such a firearm.
It was said that the cost of a shell was about three or four Golden Dragon, which meant that more than 300 shells had been fired in an instant. And the shell used in the Longsong Cannons was several times more expensive. If they fought against the demons in the future, could the Golden Dragon stored in the warehouse really last Neverwinter until the end of the Battle of Divine Will?
Fortunately, he was not the one worrying about this problem.
Let Barov worry about it. After all, the army only had one mission, and that was to win.
Iron Axe and his men walked through the long street filled with the smell of gunpowder and came to the center of the city square.
This place had been surrounded by the First Army, and all the surviving nobles had been brought here to be punished after they surrendered.
He glanced at the disheveled crowd. Before he could speak, a noble stood up. "I'm Count Kasin, the Lord of the Bay of Ships. May I ask where His Majesty is?"
There were many rivers around Valencia, and most of its territories were named after bays or beaches. Iron Axe vaguely remembered that Ship Bay was a large fief sandwiched between Valencia and Seawindshire. An aristocratic family that could occupy such a territory must have enjoyed the respect and fear of its subjects. But at a time like this, the other party's deliberately raised chin and pretended politeness seemed a little ridiculous. "His Majesty doesn't have time to take care of the affairs of the Eastern Region. I'm in charge here."
"You —?" Count Kasin furrowed his brows.
"Is this guy joking? He doesn't look like someone from Graycastle, does he?"
"Will Roland Wimbledon allow a Sand Nation to manage the army?"
"How could I not attend such an important expedition personally? Isn't he afraid that the army will scatter? "
Not only the Lord of the Bay of Ships, but also the crowd was skeptical.
"The commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front Army is indeed Sir Iron Axe. We can all testify to that," the adjutant Bearpaw could not help but shout.
"Eastern Front Army? What's that? "Kasin asked.
"The army that will recover the Eastern Region, of course —"
"Bearpaw!" Iron Axe sharply interrupted the adjutant. The latter also realized that he had made a slip of the tongue and hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand.
Miss Edith was right. Even though His Majesty had decided to withdraw the feudal power and completely overthrow the traditional nobles, these people still had influence. Bearpaw, who was born in a family of hunters, obviously cared about the title even though he was not servile in front of them. Otherwise, he would not have made such a low-level mistake.
Only he could do that.
Thinking of this, Iron Axe said in a low voice, "Whether you believe it or not, the facts will not change. And why are you the one asking questions? Where's the Duke of Valencia? Isn't he the ruler of the Eastern Region? "
"His Excellency the Duke died in the battle." Kasin shook his head and showed a sad expression. "He insisted on leading the Knight Regiment to launch a frontal assault. We couldn't stop him."
So the man who was shot into a sieve on the horse was the Duke? Iron Axe raised his eyebrows. As a soldier, he was qualified. "But my soldiers reported that there were only two attackers. Where's the so-called Knight Regiment?" He looked at the nobles in the crowd who had not yet taken off their armors. "Is it possible that the dignified Guardian of the Eastern Region only has one Knight under his command?"
"Uh, this..." Kasin was speechless for a moment.
"Don't mention that nonsense. Since you're the person in charge of the army, we'll tell you our request directly." Another noble stepped out and said, "We can surrender and let everyone work for Roland Wimbledon, but he must meet us. If His Majesty doesn't have time to come to the Eastern Region, we can also send an envoy. "
"Who are you?"
"Viscount Alibok," the other said impatiently. "Before that, we hope to be treated in accordance with our status. If you need ransom or compensation for our crimes, just tell us the amount."
"But you're guilty of treason," Iron Axe said expressionlessly. "Even a noble can't let you escape trial."
"First of all, the conspirator is Duke Wilion Borg, and he has paid the price. We're only staying here because we have no choice. According to the law, we should be punished. "
"Yes, we're not his vassals. We're just under his jurisdiction." At this time, Kasin also came to his senses. "Secondly, no matter what the sentence is, it's up to His Majesty. Do you want to put us on trial? "
Iron Axe quickly understood why these nobles were still putting on airs even though they were obviously defeated. When they found that Roland Wimbledon did not come in person with his army, they lost interest in talking. Obviously, according to common sense, how to deal with the defeated could only be known after the king met them. What followed was not so much a trial, but an exchange of interests. Those who could not pay up would be eliminated, while those who could reach an agreement could keep their place. Generally speaking, this was the case.
It was not the first time they had faced such a defeat, and they believed that they could offer something that would impress the king.
Unfortunately, the king he was loyal to was not a noble in the ordinary sense.
Iron Axe shrugged. "I don't have the power to do that, but at the same time, before His Majesty makes a decision, you're still conspirators. So I can only put you in the dungeon until His Majesty is willing to see you."
"How long will that take?" The Earl of Bay said discontentedly. "And as I said before, according to the kingdom's law, we can't be counted as treason unless you can find conclusive evidence!"
"According to the messenger's speed, at most a month." Iron Axe gave a rare smile and directly ignored the second half of the Earl's sentence. "Please rest assured, I'll provide your daily necessities and food according to the standards of the nobles."
…
Late at night two days later, Bearpaw rushed into Iron Axe's tent in a panic.
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