Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 182

William gripped his gun tighter. If he could take down a few more high-ranking mages this time, he, as the captain, would receive a significant share of the collective merit, enough for a promotion. Moreover, these merits could be used to offset part of the loan. With that, plus his past savings, buying a house in the capital with a loan and marrying the jewelry merchant's daughter would no longer be a dream.

Soon it was lunchtime.

They ate a dry baguette dipped in vegetable and meat broth to finish their meal, and then fed the horse with egg and bean cakes.

Captain William began his address.

"There's not much more to say, brothers, get ready, kill the mage, and pay off the loan!"

"Kill the mage, pay off the loan!"

"Kill the mage, pay off the loan!"

In an instant, the Black Dragon Cavalry responded enthusiastically.

At this moment, even the squad leader, who had been full of doubts, was completely immersed in the fervent atmosphere and had long since put those previous thoughts behind him. No matter how many thoughts he had, they were ultimately no match for the loan repayment.

The magician on the other side must die today; he said even God the Father couldn't stop him.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, as the sunlight began to soften, Ronan and Ambrina were enjoying afternoon tea in the royal palace of the distant capital, while on the banks of the Moselle River, a tributary of the Rhine, the Black Dragon Cavalry were about to begin their first battle on the stage of history.

Chapter 415 A dull war, not romantic at all, strange military orders

The battle ended faster than William had imagined. As a captain, he couldn't afford such an expensive item as a pocket watch, so he wasn't sure exactly how long it lasted, but he knew the battle had started around three o'clock.

Although this side consisted of the national regular army, while the other side was composed of troops from several feudal lords, the structures on both sides were similar: artillery in the rear, infantry squares in the front, mages around the squares, and dragoons on the flanks. The difference lay in the fact that the Kingdom of Phos had more field artillery, more musketeers in the squares, and the square formations looked more orderly. They also had a slightly larger number of dragoons, and their horses were of better quality—all tall, black horses—but they had fewer mages.

The allied forces composed of several lords from the Rhine region of the Will Empire were clearly inferior in terms of training and equipment, but they had more mages on the opposing side.

At the beginning, the infantry formations on both sides advanced towards each other under the bombardment of field artillery from both sides.

The cavalry of both sides were on standby on the flanks.

Just as the phalanxes were about to engage in battle, William received orders to lead his troops in a charge.

Just as he and his men were about to reach the front lines, the enemy's primary mage began casting spells. It was the same old routine: a commoner elemental mage used elemental magic to disrupt the soldiers' advance and inflict area damage, while a noble summoning mage manipulated different summoned creatures to directly attack the outer line of spearmen, intending to break in and kill the musketeers.

Because their number of active mages was less than the opponent's, their formation was quickly disrupted, creating an opening. The musketeers in their formation could only fire when they were still too close to the enemy.

Meanwhile, the enemy's mage musketeers, under the cover of spearmen and magic, charged forward. A burst of musket fire at close range shattered the spearmen formation at the front of one of their own squares, creating an opening. They then began their charge, and men began to die.

War is just that kind of dull and tedious.

The passionate romance of blood and fire exists in the writings of poets and playwrights, in the mouths of officers seducing noblewomen, and in the reports officials submit to the king—but not in reality.

Real-world wars are sometimes rigid, formulaic, bizarre, and even occasionally absurd, as well as inevitably cold and cruel.

Just as the battle was about to begin, William and his Black Dragon Cavalry arrived. The magic revolvers had poor range and accuracy; they couldn't hit anyone beyond thirty meters, and their power was greatly reduced beyond fifty meters. But now the two sides were already engaged in close combat, and the enemy's mage musketeers had already charged into the formation. The regular mages no longer had as many front-line meat shields.

Seeing the dragon riders of the Kingdom of Phos enter the battlefield, the high-ranking mages in the allied forces were not worried, because ordinary muskets would have difficulty hitting them, and even if they did, they were not afraid at all due to their superhuman physique and armor; at most, they would only bleed a little.

But what they didn't expect was that suddenly there was a series of red lights, followed by a dense barrage of red bullets.

Then they fell.

The mage musketeers who were at the forefront of breaking through the formation were also hit by the magic bullet, and their combat power was greatly reduced instantly. Then they were counterattacked by the mage musketeers of the Kingdom of Fas.

The situation is reversed.

Suddenly, the tide turned from victory to defeat. Several high-ranking mages were killed, and the musketeers were wiped out, instantly shattering the morale of the first phalanx of the allied forces composed of several lords from the Upper and Lower Rhine regions.

After that, they used the same tactics and destroyed two more of the opponent's formations.

Then, the other side retreated.

Then came capturing prisoners and cleaning up the battlefield.

With everything completed, William glanced at the sky. The sun had just set, and it wasn't even dark yet; it was probably around six o'clock.

The entire battle lasted three hours.

Aside from the initial surge of excitement during the first charge, William didn't feel anything particularly special afterward; it was just a matter of fighting and the enemy collapsing.

The next day, William received new military orders and learned the results of the previous day's battle.

One of our main rank mages died, while the others were unharmed. Over fifty mage musketeers died, including a dozen or so black dragon cavalry, mostly killed in the first charge. About twenty were wounded, but given the physical constitution of novice mages, they likely survived. Over three hundred ordinary soldiers died, mostly spearmen used as cannon fodder. Over one hundred were wounded, primarily from musket fire, and most of these were unlikely to survive.

None of the enemy's main mages died, but seventeen were captured. The enemy's mage musketeers suffered heavy casualties, with over 150 dead, about 50 wounded, and nearly 100 captured. Essentially, the Rhine region's resources were wiped out in this wave. Over 500 ordinary soldiers were killed; these ordinary wounded soldiers, who couldn't be ransomed, were not to be expected to receive aid and were simply given a quick death on the spot. That's how this era was; humanitarianism applied to "human beings," and ordinary people weren't considered "human beings." In addition, over 400 ordinary soldiers were captured; these people would likely become laborers or serfs.

"What? We're not attacking this side anymore, we're heading north?" The squad leader was quite surprised by the new order.

"Just carry out the orders from above," William said. In any case, the enemy's field combat capabilities had been basically destroyed in this battle, so there was no need to worry about encounters during the march.

"That's a good thing, actually." The squad leader sighed as he recalled the situation. "It's always a good thing that we don't have to tackle tough challenges."

“Indeed,” William replied. In siege warfare, even these dragoons had to dismount and pick up their guns to fight. Just looking at that bastion would make their legs tremble.

Three days later, the army stopped marching and set up camp.

Now, William was completely baffled. The place where they were stationed was neither particularly dangerous nor a transportation hub that could cut off the other side's trade and supply routes.

If I had to say what's important about this place, it would be that there's coal nearby, lots of coal.

Two days later, William received orders to reorganize the troops and maintain the highest level of vigilance, as a high-ranking official was coming to the front lines.

Three more days have passed in the blink of an eye.

William was summoned to a baron's manor that had been temporarily requisitioned as a front-line command post.

He didn't meet the important person immediately, but sat in the living room for more than two hours before finally meeting him.

There are not one, but two important figures.

He looked younger than him, appearing to be in his early twenties, with thick, short black hair. He wasn't wearing a wig, was extremely handsome, had a fit physique, a gentle smile on his face, and walked with a casual yet confident gait.

The other man appeared to be middle-aged, dressed in very ornate robes. He wore a long, dark brown wig that looked almost real, and his beard was neatly trimmed. His face was slightly haggard, like the complexion of someone who had eaten too many oysters and had diarrhea for a long time. Even so, his every move exuded an extraordinary air about him, yet he didn't even look at him directly. Needless to say, he was a very particular nobleman.

The young man spoke first and extended his hand to him, "Hello, Captain, I am Ronan Artes. On behalf of the King, I thank you for your contributions to the country."

Chapter 416 Relationships, Background, Everyone Has Something to Offer

William now realized that the man who looked younger than him was the Queen's husband, Ronan Artes, nicknamed "Vice-King".

Shaking his head, William shook hands with Ronan and stammered as he gave his name, "William Walter Aquitaine."

Upon hearing William's full name, Foreign Minister Philip, who had been brought along by Ronan, finally raised his eyelids slightly to look over. After all, the Aquitaine surname was once quite illustrious.

At that moment, William realized he should salute, but he didn't. He didn't even give a military salute. "Sorry, I..." he said, about to salute.

Ronan waved his hand, "No need, we have other things to do, so we won't bother you any longer. Let's go, Minister, those feudal lords are still waiting for us."

Philip glared at Ronan, only refraining from reacting in front of others. Ronan had flown him over, making him vomit and his face look like he'd been sprayed with vomit. He hadn't even recovered yet and now he had to fly again? He should at least have a couple of cups of honey water before leaving.

Then, Ronan and Philip left the camp.

Philip was really overthinking it. Ronan didn't take him flying again. Instead, he rested for a while, then rode in a carriage, escorted by a squad of dragoons, to negotiate with the opposing lords.

Unfortunately, William, who had made significant contributions in the previous battle, was not able to get the respectable job of escorting.

Such an easy, safe, and rewarding opportunity only falls into the hands of privileged, well-mannered, and influential second-generation military officers.

It doesn't matter if we say it's this time and space, this era; it would be the same in any other time and space, any other era.

At this time, the officer in charge of escorting Ronan and Philip was named Leon. He was Karl's cousin. Although he was also the son of a nobleman without inheritance rights, his connections were much stronger than William's, and he naturally got the job of escorting the important figures.

Soon, Ronan and Philip arrived at the estate of a prince, where two other princes were also present.

It's a manor, not a castle. It's no longer the era when lords lived in castles. Castles were mainly used as military fortresses, no longer centers of economic activity. Besides, lords themselves didn't like dark, damp castles.

Ronan and Philip received a very warm welcome. Although the three lords had suffered a defeat and their strength had plummeted, and they had to spend a large sum of money to redeem the mages, musketeers, and sorcerers, they were still all smiles.

The smile had an element of affectation, but it wasn't entirely fake.

The presence of Ronan and Philippe was a great honor.

Although Ronan's title of Marquis of the Rhine is nominal, he does bear the surname Artes, a once illustrious name, though it has declined. But that depends on who uses it; besides, he is still the consort of a king.

Needless to say, Philip is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which is a high-ranking position, and he is of royal lineage, with the surname Freigo, which is quite advantageous in the Empire of Will.

Because the Freigo family was originally the number one lord in the Hessen region of the Will Empire, and later took over the Kingdom of Phos. In the eyes of the people of the Will Empire, without our people, the effeminate men of the Kingdom of Phos will always be effeminate men. We did not lose to the Phos people, but to our own people.

Ronan and Philip were family, as were the officer Leon who came to escort them, since Karl's family also originated from the Empire of Will, so his cousin was naturally one as well.

At the banquet, the three princes praised Ronan for his unparalleled strategy and ability to win battles from afar, while also praising Leon for his bravery in battle.

It makes it seem like Ronan is micromanaging the battle, while Leon is leading the charge.

In reality, Ronan, a military idiot, didn't participate in this battle at all. At most, he arranged some logistical work, but he wasn't the one who actually carried out the logistical tasks.

Leon, on the other hand, was in the reserve and didn't fire a single shot, only pulling on the reins a few times.

Fortunately, Ronan was a thick-skinned bureaucrat and Leon was a sociable nobleman, otherwise they would have been put in an awkward position.

As for Philip, he lectured the three bumpkins the entire time with his aristocratic dining etiquette, while subtly criticizing the poor quality of the banquet dishes with his eyes.

This made the three feudal lords very happy.

That’s right, I’m happy.

The French have such a cool attitude that it's so comforting; most people wouldn't even have the chance to be given that attitude.

After the banquet, Ronan got down to business.

First of all, let me state that the claim that the Marquis of Rhine is coming here to occupy land is pure fabrication. It is a malicious attack and slander by Villa and the Netherlands against the Kingdom of Fass and against him personally.

This conflict was entirely a misunderstanding; as for what kind of misunderstanding, well, it was a misunderstanding nonetheless.

The three feudal lords are beyond help, so what are you doing here?

Ronan then outlined the conditions for withdrawing the troops: a coal supply agreement to be signed. The three lords would commit to selling large quantities of coal to the Kingdom of Phos at half the current market price for five years, with annual price fluctuations not exceeding three percent and annual supply fluctuations not exceeding five percent.

As for the specific quantity, price, delivery time, location, and method, a dedicated team will come to discuss those later.

At this moment, they have only confirmed an intention.

The three feudal lords agreed immediately, not because they were intimidated by military force, but because they were short of money.

Don't you need money for ransom? So many people and so many muskets and cannons lost—doesn't it cost money to recover them? How can I continue being a lord if I don't recover them?

As for selling it to the Kingdom of Phos for half the price, which is a huge loss, what can be done? The workers can only suffer.

After things were settled, Ronan and Philip left.

Originally, Ronan planned to fly back home with Philip, but Philip refused to ride in Ronan's levitation shield and preferred to travel by carriage and boat, enduring a bumpy and swaying journey back home.

So Ronan flew back to his country alone.

Ronan returned to the capital in just one day.

He then reported the results to Ambrina, who in turn had someone bring Ronan a battle report.

It wasn't a battle report from the Kingdom and the Empire of Will, but rather a battle report from the Kingdom and the Empire of Will.

Villa won, but he also lost.

The reason they won was that they initially dominated Wieland, practically crushing him. But then a strong wind picked up, putting them at a disadvantage, forcing them to retreat, which ultimately led to their defeat.

However, this result was neither what Ronan cared about, nor what Ambrina was eager to show him.

"Good heavens, both Willand and Villa have something."

Ronan was shocked, astonished by the weapons on both sides.

The warships of the Weyland were equipped with a large number of iron cannons. At that time, the quality of iron cannons was not as good as that of bronze cannons, they were just cheaper. However, the Weyland's iron cannons had a long range and great power. This was obviously a major technological breakthrough. In addition, Weyland itself had coal and iron mines, and its colonies were in northern North America, where there were a lot of cold-weather trees that could be used to build ships. After this battle, its naval power would definitely expand.

Villa's technology was even more "advanced," with single-person flying vehicles for mages, large ships for take-off and landing, escort gunboats, mage bombers, and a whole carrier battle group. If the flying vehicles weren't still not wind-resistant enough, Weyland would have been utterly defeated.

Ronan was unaware that others, upon reading the battle reports from the Kingdom of Phos and the Lords of Will, were also exclaiming, "Damn, they've got something!"

Chapter 417 Spy Diplomat, I Call This Caution, Vice King

When the diplomat from Bilia learned from well-informed merchants why the war in the Kingdom of Phos had ended so quickly, he was stunned and felt a chill run down his spine. When he turned around, he realized that he was covered in a cold sweat.

He never expected that the Kingdom of Fas would actually develop a weapon targeting novice mages and even low-ranking orthodox mages—a rapid-fire pistol that could cause magical chaos.

Although intelligence suggests that this pistol cannot be used continuously, at least not enough for a novice mage to use more than a couple of shots, one or two bursts of power are sufficient.

This is enough to make first and second-tier orthodox mages no longer a force that can attack or defend, advance or retreat at will on the battlefield, and it is even enough to change the war pattern of the entire Western Continent.

In comparison, the short-range single-person mage flying machine developed by the Kingdom of Bilia, which still had significant flaws in its flight capabilities, could only be said to have added a slight aerial threat to naval warfare.

"We must find a way to replicate the magic pistol from the Kingdom of Phos and the cannon from Weyland. Our technology must be kept secret."

That's what Villa's diplomats thought.

At the same time, Wieland's diplomats in the Kingdom of Phos thought the same thing after obtaining the intelligence.

We must acquire Villari's flying machines, otherwise, during naval battles, if our ships are bombarded from the sky by magic, we can only watch helplessly without being able to retaliate.