Ch.294295. Imperial Front (1)

Eastern Empire of Humanity. Grand Duchy of Folkia.

Here stands a massive wall that, while ostensibly a defense line against the Great Orcs, primarily serves to hold back the Rus.

The Orcs tend to target the Grand Duchy of Bulga further south, so ultimately this wall’s greater purpose is to block the ferocious barbarians of Rus.

Originally, this area was defended by strategically placed fortresses, but as Rus raiding parties kept finding ways around them, tall walls were naturally constructed between each fortress.

Even the lowest sections of the wall stand at least 10 meters high, while the fortresses themselves boast sturdy walls exceeding 20 meters to prepare against their invasions.

Of course, the taxes consumed in maintaining and reinforcing this enormous system of walls and fortresses are substantial, but the wall remains firmly in place thanks to the strong support of most citizens.

When an Orc warlord raids, people would lose at least hundreds of times more than what they pay in taxes, and might even lose their entire livelihood. So while complaining about the wall might make for enjoyable tavern banter, almost no one actually opposes its maintenance.

This support for maintaining the wall directly translates into reinforcement of the walls and fortresses, resulting in various firearms being deployed along the eastern wall, with both the Grand Duke’s elite soldiers and conscripts stationed there.

Although the people of the Grand Duchy had been dissatisfied with this mandatory military service obligation… when the demon invasion actually occurred, they transformed into fervent supporters.

They keenly realized that without those walls, they could never have stopped the demon invasion.

In any case, these well-constructed walls are properly fulfilling their role as the frontline defense during the demon invasion, largely because unlike kingdoms that rely on serf conscripts, the Empire’s soldiers are mostly professionals.

These soldiers, ranked around upper 8th grade, are all proficient with swords (one-handed weapons), shields, spears (polearms), and crossbows, and they necessarily wear light armor—such as helmets, plate breastplates, and gambesons.

Additionally, elite soldiers are often armed with handguns—early muskets—meaning that when fighting along the wall, they can smoothly repel most offensives.

And now, the imperial army defending atop this wall was maintaining high morale as they cut down the enemy demons.

There are various reasons for this frontline situation being different from those frog-like creatures in the west… but first and foremost is the Empire’s superior infantry firepower.

“—Fire!!”

Ratatata—!!!

“Reload, reload!! Crossbowmen forward!! Crossbowmen forward!!”

When heavily armored infantry approach, they’re demolished by volleys of handgun fire that collapse entire formations, while lightly armored infantry or flying demons are turned into honeycombs with crossbow bolts.

Thanks to support from the Dawn Empire, they have more than enough gunpowder, allowing them to load and fire at unprecedented speeds, creating countless holes in the enemy bodies.

Furthermore, the imperial artillery’s fire support plays an enormously important role.

“Fire! Fire! Commence free firing!!”

Boom!

Bang—!!

Small-caliber direct-fire cannons loaded with grapeshot cleanly mow down light infantry, while armor-piercing rounds are used to snipe large enemy targets—one of their core functions.

—BOOOOOM!!!

Particularly, the large-caliber direct-fire cannons mounted on their fortresses can easily shatter siege towers with a single shot, rendering the demons’ siege engines completely ineffective.

“Mortars ready!”

“Heavy mortars also ready!!”

“Good, fire—!!”

—KABOOM!!!!

The supporting mortar fire from the positions behind the wall is also tremendously powerful, with heavy mortars strong enough to instantly kill mid-level demons when they score a lucky hit.

“—Hahaha!! Look! The demons are like garbage!!”

“You shall shine with the light of gunpowder!!”

“Burn! Blaze!! Burn brightly!!”

…These troublemakers—researchers dispatched from the gunpowder laboratory to test new weapons—provide fire support that cannot be ignored.

The most representative weapon they’ve brought is a primitive rocket weapon that uses rocket candy made of sugar and saltpeter as fuel, with warheads packed with gunpowder, fragments, and oil.

In modern terms, it’s something like a rocket with an incendiary warhead, comparable to the Congreve rockets of real history.

When it hits properly, it can incinerate an area and sweep away dozens of demons with its powerful firepower, but being a primitive rocket weapon, its accuracy is abysmal.

Therefore, to use it effectively in battle, large numbers of rockets had to be bundled together like Shinkichon fire carts, and its production required expensive gunpowder, sugar, oil, and saltpeter in large quantities, suggesting that practical deployment would take considerable time…

“Muhahaha!! I truly am a genius! Who would have thought I’d arrive here at such a perfect timing!!!”

BOOOOOM—!!!

Whoosh!!

By quite a coincidence, given the situation, these rocket weapons rained down like a sea of fire upon the enemies’ heads.

And decisively, the Holy Knights of the Golden Hand Order who joined this defense line made an enormous contribution.

“S-Sir Knight… a fireball!!”

“I know, 《Shield of Faith》!!”

The Holy Knights defended against attacks from demon mages—their equivalent of artillery—with divine magic, creating an environment where our side could strike them while they couldn’t strike back.

Perhaps because they couldn’t break through this defense line…

Exactly seven days after the start of the offensive, the demons began employing new methods.

※ ※ ※

Hermann Meyer is a junior officer in the Imperial Army—specifically, the Folkia Grand Ducal Army.

Having been promoted from a common soldier to a junior officer—equivalent to a non-commissioned officer in modern military terms—he was something of a celebrity in the Grand Ducal Army, as Imperial Army officers, though not hereditary, are treated as having a status similar to that of a non-inheritable baronet.

Because of this, Hermann never neglected his personal training, developing skills comparable to a knight-in-training (7th grade), and spent his salary generously on good equipment.

His military sword—an arming sword—is a masterpiece weapon made by dwarves and coated with mythril, and though expensive, he has acquired plate armor parts to protect his entire body.

He even obtained an expensive six-shot cartridge revolver and diligently trained his marksmanship to the point where he could hit targets at 50 meters with a pistol.

Thus, Hermann possesses combat abilities worthy of being called an excellent junior warrior, which is why he was horrified at the sight of the massive “demon” advancing before him.

“W-what… is that?!!”

The demon resembled the swamp hydra he had only heard about in rumors.

A body covered in reptilian scales, a long glossy tail, eight dinosaur-like legs supporting its body, and seven heads extending from its torso.

At first glance, it might be mistaken for a hydra from the demon realm… but to Hermann’s discerning eye, it appeared nothing like that.

‘W-what… is that monster?!’

Spines like red crystals growing along its spine, scales glistening with light reminiscent of the abyss.

Its elephant-like legs bore yellow hooked claws clearly alien to its form, and decisively—each of its heads had a hideous form as if taken directly from various demons.

The goat head of ‘Sloth,’ the crocodile head of ‘Envy,’ the androgynous human head of ‘Lust,’ the most demonic-looking head of ‘Wrath,’ the eagle head of ‘Greed,’ the bull head with fly-like compound eyes of ‘Gluttony,’ and… the most dragon-like head of ‘Pride’ positioned in the center.

Just as Hermann, the veteran soldiers, and the Holy Knights were gulping nervously while glaring at the “demon,” sensing it was no ordinary enemy—at that very moment.

“Everyone, stand back!!!”

With a thunderous shout echoing across the entire wall, a heavily wrapped hippogriff flew in from the high sky, dropping a person onto the ground below—

Clank-clank-clank—!!!

Landing on the ground with chains fluttering from a body completely encased in black armor—this high-ranking knight(?) radiating an overwhelming aura immediately drew his sword and pointed it at the “demon.”