Volume 1 - CH 171

Chapter 0171 Secret Weapon

Translator: Jay_Forestieri

Editor: Tseirp

“Captain, the enemy is on the move.”

After the Green Storm beam, Deputy Captain Meredith came running to report to Garrison Commander Nigel, who was receiving a report on why the magic defense mechanism at the castle gate was not working.

They immediately climbed to the top of a nearby rampart.

From there, they saw.

“What is that ……”

Meredith, the second-in-command, muttered to himself.

But Commander Nigel knew what it was.

Or, more precisely, he thought that was probably ‘it’.

“It must be the newly developed artificial golem.”

As a Garrison Commander of the Duchy, he is also privy to some highly classified information.

Among them, the most important information to pay attention to in the defense of the capital this time was the artificial golem, which he was briefed by the Intelligence Bureau Secretary Salieri.

Perhaps that thing approaching slowly was the golem in question.

“Let’s hurry back to the central command post.”

Nigel, the garrison commander, said and ran down the rampart with Meredith in tow.

There was no way to stop that thing except with Green Storm.

And it couldn’t be the diffusion-type beam like the previous one.

However, one thing in particular was bugging Nigel.

The fact that only one artificial golem was approaching.

“Testing the waters huh?”

Even if that was the case, if they managed to destroy that thing completely, the opponent would be at a disadvantage..

Nigel made up his mind.

“Aim and shoot with the convergence-type beam.”

The marksman nodded to the garrison commander Nigel’s instructions.

From the central command post, which was set up at a high altitude, one could see directly over the city walls.

From beyond the northern wall, the artificial golem was slowly making its way toward the capital.

(From the way that light reflects off of it, the exterior is metal…probably steel. Basically, the green storm diffusion-type beam, which is meant for anti-personnel use, would not be able to penetrate it. However, if it’s concentrated, it can easily pierce even steel. Even steel would be nothing but paper when hit with such power.)

Nigel was thinking that in his mind to reassure himself.

Even if you are told ‘it’s okay’ and ‘you’ve got this’, and you also think so yourself, truth is, you will never know unless you actually try…especially when it comes to latest technologies.

“Enemy golem in range in ten seconds.”

The report from the observer snapped him back to reality.

And

“Three, two, one, in range, sir.”

“Fire!”

With that command, the green light shot out from the spire again.

But this time, instead of reaping the whole area, a single green light, as thick as a man’s arm, flew in a straight line into the artificial golem’s chest…and pierced it.

The piercing light eventually diffused and disappeared.

What was left of the artificial golem, fell backwards slowly.

“Enemy destroyed.”

“Woooooooow! ”

The cheers echoed through the command center, even louder than when the initial attack had succeeded.

Even the enemy’s secret weapon was useless in front of it.

Moreover, it shot through perfectly.

They might actually have a winning chance….

Even those who remained thought that victory was hopeless due to the difference in strength.

So it was natural for them to feel a surge of hope.

This time, however, the cheers did not last long.

“Incoming, enemy artificial golem reinforcements!”

The observer’s voice drowned out the cheers in the command center.

“How many?”

Nigel, the garrison commander, was the first to calm down and asked.

“Enemy count…approximately twenty.”

“Same as in the briefing uh.”

According to the information Nigel had gotten from the Intelligence Secretary Salieri, about twenty artificial golems were confirmed to exist.

Those were it.

But then came the million-dollar question.

(Why send more out when I just demonstrated a perfectly executed shot? It’s their top secret weapon, isn’t it? It was a single focused shot, so maybe they thought they could get through with numbers? The adversary is the infamous General Aubrey, I can’t imagine him coming up with such a halfwit tactic…this is driving me crazy.)

Nevertheless, there was no other option but to fire the green storm.

“Intercept them using convergence mode. Fire as soon as they are in range. After that, you may fire continuously as soon as you are ready.”

“Roger that!”

It was better to allow the gunner fire continuously than to have Nigel give instructions every time.

In fact, those twenty units were a threat.

Although they seemed to be moving slowly, it was quite possible for them to seize control of the castle gates.

The artificial golems of the Union were approaching in a four-row formation, that was, four in the front row, four in the second row, and so on.

(That’s…when the green storm pierces the first row, depending on the power output, it might be able to take down the golems in the second row of as well.)

Nigel, the garrison commander, thought so.

“Enemy golem in range in ten seconds.”

The observer announced, following the same reporting procedure as before.

“What about the situation besides the north side?”

Nigel asked the observers regarding the other defenses.

“No movement on the east side.”

“South side, no movement.”

“West side, no movement.”

Nigel felt that something was amiss, so he asked the observers, but nothing came up.

(I have a bad feeling about this…)

A hunch, a feeling of discomfort, or simply premonitions…they can be said to be conclusions made unconsciously by the brain based on a person’s previous experience and knowledge.

As a veteran on the battlefield, Nigel could not ignore them.

It was only natural that he had been saved by such premonitions in the past.

That being said, he had no other choice but to fire Green Storm for the time being.

“In range in, three, two, one, fire!”

To Nigel, it looked as if the front of the enemy golem’s chest was glowing white at the moment Green Storm was fired.

Then Green Storm reached the golems in the center, and…thought he saw some white spherical light, and the beam flew off in the wrong direction.

“What the hell?”

“Shot…failed.”

Nigel’s outburst and the observer’s report brought a heavy silence in the command center.

However, this was interrupted by a report that followed.

“Enemy golems, movement speed has increased. They’re running! ”

“Ughh. Gunner, fire as soon as you’re ready!　Prepare the flag signals, inform the ramparts to take defensive actions. Hurry up! ”

The central command post suddenly plunged in a flurry of activity.

After giving his instructions, the garrison commander, Nigel, called his second-in-command, Meredith, to a corner of the command post.

“Meredith, this doesn’t look good. So as planned, I’ll leave the magic stones to you.”

“But commander!”

Nigel’s order made Meredith let out a small cry.

“Meredith, that’s an order! Go get ready. And soon as you confirm the capture of the city walls, execute your duty as swiftly as possible. Got it? The very survival of the Duchy rests on your shoulders.”

The last bit, commander Nigel said it more softly.

“Commander…”

“My fate is tied to the Duchy’s. I am trusting you with it.”

With that, Captain Nigel sent his second-in-command, Meredith, out of the command center.

Three shots had been fired since the Green Storm was initially repelled, and all three of which were also repelled.

After the white light was generated in front of the golem’s chest, Green Storm was repelled by something invisible and disappeared.

The artificial golems seized the city gate and began to strike, causing the gate to fly open without much resistance.

The main Union forces, having confirmed this, launched their remaining cavalry and invaded the capital at once.

While opening the city gates in each direction, they occupied the central command post and secured the spire.

It did not take long for the entire Duchy to fall into the hands of the Union forces.

When the capital fell, Meredith, the garrison deputy commander, was already riding his horse south of the capital and heading further south.

“Commander…I’ll be sure to deliver this.”

He muttered, holding down his bag with something in it carefully.