"Three more days," Nightingale suddenly said.
"Yes, three more days." Roland nodded. Based on the current marching speed, the First Army would arrive at the predetermined attack position in three days. It was a raised hillside with the head of the slope facing the outpost. Not only did it have a wide field of vision, but it was also very suitable for setting up fortifications.
Once they gained a firm foothold, it would be difficult for the demons to shake the defense line with guns and cannons.
However, in the next few days, the pressure on the sniper team would increase dramatically.
The prerequisite for them to ensure their silence was to cut off the enemy's line of sight without anyone noticing. On the vast plains, without the ability to transmit information in real time, it was almost impossible to accurately grasp the position of the attacker.
However, as the number of patrols increased, it was possible for the demons to exchange for real-time information with their advantage in numbers. As long as they witnessed the missing person being shot down, their search range would be greatly reduced, and it would be very risky for them to attack again.
The best result was that the demons would notice the sniper team but could not determine their specific position. Then, the sniper team would stop in time and turn around to meet up with the First Army. In this way, they could not only hinder the demons' flying troops, but also buy enough time for the main force.
However, they had to make their own judgment.
Whether it was earlier or later, the attack would be full of uncertainties.
"You should trust them." Nightingale seemed to have seen through Roland's worries. "The Taquila witches have a good sense of risk, and the Magic Ark can avoid most of the demons' pursuit. Even if they encounter a small group of demons, it won't be easy to defeat them."
"You're right." Roland patted his cheeks. After all, Neverwinter was not strong enough, so they had to take this risk. The First Army's speed was severely limited by their walking speed. If they could be equipped with wheeled vehicles, they could launch a blitzkrieg attack on the Great Plains. Even if the army marched under the nose of the Devilbeasts, the demons would not be able to stop them.
Instead of worrying pointlessly, he should focus on the task at hand.
"By the way, Vendy should have mastered the basic principles of flying, right?"
"Probably." Nightingale smiled and threw a piece of dried fish into her mouth. "Last night, when she was asleep, she was still talking in her sleep, saying that the runway had been cleared and the green lights were all on."
"That's good." Roland looked out the window. "The weather seems pretty good today. Looks like we can proceed to the next step of the test."
"Oh? Don't tell me you're planning to test the real thing … "Nightingale's eyes lit up.
"Why, are you interested in it?"
"Who wouldn't be interested?" She said excitedly, "To be able to soar in the sky without wings is freer than a hot air balloon, and anyone can control it. It sounds almost like a miracle. If you succeed, do you know what the subjects will think of you? I'm afraid that even the gods will not be able to shake your prestige. "
When she said that, Nightingale's expression was even brighter than when she received a Chaos Drink. It was as if she was the one who had won the admiration of everyone.
Roland could not help but laugh. "We're still in the exploration stage. There's still a long way to go before we can achieve the step you said."
At least the steam engine could not meet his needs. He needed a more powerful source of power.
"But it will come true eventually, right?" Nightingale walked to the door with her hands clasped behind her back and looked back with a smile.
"Yes," Roland replied without hesitation. "It will."
…
One kilometer to the east of the Shallow Beach Port.
The exposed beach head sank into the sea here, leaving only a section of stone ridge that extended continuously to the southeast. It was this long stone ridge that formed the southern outline of the entire Kingdom of Graycastle.
For the inland people living in the Western Region, the border was just a part of the hilly landscape. When they climbed the gently rising soil slope, they could see the vast and boundless Swirling Sea. But for the merchants on the sea, it was an insurmountable barrier. The average height difference between the sea and the stone ridge was more than 15 meters. It was dangerous to even approach and dock, let alone load and unload goods. Therefore, before the Shallow Beach was opened, one-third of the Western Region's border was adjacent to the sea, but there was no seaport.
It could be said that the overall economic level of the Western Region was not as good as that of the eastern and southern regions. The main reason was the lack of seaport, in addition to the destruction caused by the Months of Demons.
However, such a terrain had now become an excellent flight testing ground.
When Roland and his entourage arrived, the garrison troops stationed in Neverwinter had sealed off the surrounding area of one kilometer.
At one end of the concrete runway, three identical test prototypes were being pushed onto the landing platform by the soldiers.
"Oh! Is this the new machine you were talking about? "Thunder rubbed his chin and commented," Just by looking at its appearance, it indeed reminds me of a seabird, but compared to those powerful steam engines... it seems a little weak. "
As the most reliable overseas allies, the outstanding explorer of the Fjords, Thunder, and the businesswoman Margaery were naturally invited by Roland to watch. Roland was not surprised by the former's comment. He smiled mysteriously and tilted his head to look at Margaery. "What do you think?"
"Your Majesty," Roland said frankly, "to be honest, it's so different from your previous creations that if you hadn't personally invited me, I would have thought that the Society of Wondrous Crafts was using your name to cheat you."
"The Society of Wondrous Crafts?" Roland asked curiously. "What kind of organization is that?"
"It's a guild established by a group of delusional people who are between craftsmen and explorers," Margaery explained. "They're not satisfied with the dull life of craftsmen, but they don't dare to plunge into the moody sea, so they focus their energy on all kinds of weird inventions. Two years ago, someone made something similar — a pair of wooden wings that are said to enable the wearer to fly. "
"Wooden... wings?"
"They're similar to yours, but much smaller, about the length and width of a person."
"Did he fly?" Vendy could not help but ask.
"No." Margaery shook her head. "He put on the wings and jumped from a high tower. The wings quickly turned over and he fell like a stone. He also fell to the ground and died."
Vendy could not help swallowing.
"Before that, the man claimed that he had succeeded several times and attracted the attention of several big Chambers of Commerce. So this scam not only made him a joke, but also made the Society of Wondrous Crafts even more disreputable. "
Hearing this, Roland could not help but feel a little emotional. Using wood to make wings, it was obvious that the key to flying was to have as much lift as possible, and only using a hard frame could support a large enough surface area. At this step, they basically got rid of the simple imitation of birds, and the embryonic form of fixed wings was born.
It could be said that the man could be regarded as a pioneer in the exploration of the sky, at least compared to the artificial wings, flying umbrellas, flying cloaks, and other imaginative ideas that had appeared in history.
It was probably not nonsense when he said that he had succeeded several times, but a short-distance gliding experiment at a low altitude. However, the wind at high altitudes was much stronger, and the wings lacked an operating surface, so it was expected that he would instantly lose control.
It was a pity that the Fjords worshipped explorers who could bring living space to the islanders, but it was difficult to get a fair evaluation of those who did not dare to go to sea.
"He can't be regarded as a liar," Roland said slowly. "It costs a lot to get rid of the shackles of the earth and embrace the sky. If I didn't have the help of the witches, I'm afraid I would also have to go through this process. If that man has a name, write it down. "
Margaery was stunned for a moment, then she lifted the hem of her skirt and said, "As you wish, Your Majesty."
Roland looked at the "Glider Type 1", which was making the final preparations before the test flight. Compared with the steam train and the steel ship, it was indeed very thin and could not even be called a complete plane.
It had no cabin, and its whole body was exposed from head to toe. Except for the long wings, the other parts were not even covered. In order to facilitate escape, the seat was directly installed between the wings, which at first glance looked even simpler than a model.
Different from all the previous machines, Roland could be said to be a blank in the field of flying, and he could not build a real aircraft just by knowing the principle.
Therefore, the first thing he needed to do was to write a "Flight Manual".
These seemingly simple and crude test prototypes already contained the basic control elements needed for an aircraft.
Although it looked like a newborn featherless chick,
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