Chapter 193

Imagine asking most people to envision a scene of artillery firing in Korea, and they might picture something like this:

When the ignition hole behind the cannon catches fire, a cylindrical iron barrel launches a projectile at an invisible speed. When it reaches the target, it explodes with a bang, tearing everything apart and leaving devastation in its wake.

However, cannons were globally standardized only around 200 years ago, and prior to that, cannons could only hurl massive stone or iron projectiles over distances with limited power.

Although that may sound weak, it is only relatively so. To demonstrate this, 20 cannons fired iron projectiles from the cannon holes drilled into the wooden barriers of the Croilet Marquess, producing a dull smoke and sound.

The iron projectiles flew rapidly toward the enemies at a speed hardly visible to the eye. The sight of them bouncing off the ground resembled flat stones skipping on water.

As the powder ignited and the brief journey toward the enemy—lasting no more than one second—was completed, the soldiers of the Franche Alliance maintained their formation of tightly packed infantry.

When the sound of cannon fire reached the ears of those soldiers who had no knowledge of what a cannon was, some felt the fear of this new weapon. Before they could process it…

Limbs like arms, legs, bodies, and heads were scattered by a 2.5 kg chunk of metal exceeding a speed of 400 meters per second.

While the matchlock rifles would cease functioning after a single penetration, the cannonballs devastated everyone in the same line, from the frontmost soldier to those at the rear.

As a result, those caught in the projectile’s path died instantly, while the survivors were left in a state of shock from the tremendous impact.

All they felt was despair in realizing they would soon die, the pain from their mangled bodies, and moans of loss.

On the other hand, the lucky soldiers nearby who were spared from the cannonball’s impact began to panic at the sight of hot meat rising beside them.

“Croilet, you bastards! Did you even borrow the power of the devil?”

“Watson! Taylor, Captain Hundred! This is insane… To think so many could die from a single shot!!”

“Captain Hundred! In that damned iron ball room, 12… 13 soldiers are severely injured or dead…”

“If we maintain our formation and advance like this, we’ll all die! We need to reach the fortress alive if we’re going to do anything!”

Because the shock from the cannon was so immense, Captain Hundred must have thought about how long it would be until the next attack came, noting that it took about 5 minutes to reload the cannons. After assessing the time it would take for the next enemy attack to arrive, he encouraged everyone to move as quickly as possible to save themselves.

However, no matter how seasoned the veterans of war might be, when faced with fear that surpasses their limits, reason can become paralyzed or lost.

Eventually, some junior commanders, unable to gather their wits due to the impact of the cannon, disobeyed orders and issued commands tailored for survival.

“A matchlock fires dozens at once but only takes down a few; what the hell is this damned iron ball?! Damn it! Scatter the formation! If you don’t want to die!”

If Captain Hundred normally issued such orders while leading peasant infantry, the sergeants under him would have objected.

Because if they scattered the untrained peasantries before the enemy, it would create an overwhelming sense of fear and despair over the prospect of facing such a fearsome enemy that they would try to flee rather than engage.

Furthermore, if they succeeded in fleeing, they wouldn’t have to continue fighting that horrifying war, and due to deficiencies in the administrative system, they’d face no repercussions.

In other words, the odds of failure were high before scattering, making it a gamble that Captain Hundred had openly encouraged.

As a result, when the order to scatter was given, several soldiers under Simon Marquis discarded their weapons and ran in every direction with the intention of escaping this horrific place, not saying a word.

To counter them, the elite troops of the Franche Alliance swung their swords and spears to prevent the desertion.

“Die, you worthless bastards!”

“Just close your eyes and march forward; why can’t you do that without dying?!”

“You bunch of lowly peasants!!”

Simon Marquis also experienced brief confusion due to the fear generated by the cannons, but soon regained his composure and surveyed his surroundings.

The soldiers that had been hit by the iron projectiles were not retreating, likely out of fear of the Franche commander.

However, the tremendous power of the cannon had sapped their momentum, and many in the Captain Hundred’s ranks were violating strict military commands against scattering due to the potential for peasant desertion.

As a result, the advance toward the enemy slowed, and thus, the time exposed to the iron balls launched by Croilet Marquis increased.

“If I retreat here, both I and my family will be politically purged; I cannot withdraw. Yet, if I set a formation that minimizes damage like a scattered line, desertion will increase…”

“To all forces, do not fear mere iron balls and instill a magnificent formation with long spears and march with dignity. Knights, spread out a little and march while holding the flags high. Also, those lagging in the advance or hesitating will face execution by the elite troops, regardless of whether they’re noble or not.”

Upon issuing the command, Simon Marquis immediately raised the flag bearing the emblem of the Franche royal family to urge their advance.

Simultaneously, the elite troops of Franche lashed out with whips against the lagging soldiers, and those who attempted to flee or hesitated were executed by direct decapitation.

Seeing this, the hesitant peasants and junior commanders began to run for their lives, convinced that if they didn’t defeat the enemy, they would be killed by their own forces.

Croilet Marquis was taken aback by the scene.

“Insane! The most efficient way to take less damage from cannon fire is to capture the fortress as quickly as possible, but… Surely they wouldn’t go so far as to use their elite troops to butcher their own comrades.”

Of course, this choice was the most effective strategy for victory in this battle.

However, just as we don’t solely live our lives calculating efficiency, treating soldiers so harshly will lead to a collapse of morale once the war is over.

Then, not only would Simon Marquis’s territory suffer, but lordships under the Marquis’s command would also see increases in banditry and revolts.

Thus, a desperate and indiscriminate assault strategy like this is typically used when there is no longer a retreat option, such as in a defensive battle for a capital.

“If I were Simon Marquis, I would have taken charge at the forefront alongside a guard unit until we reached the walls to boost morale. Then, we wouldn’t have to use the elite troops so ruthlessly…”

However, just as it is said that the reckless actions of the enemy present opportunities for our side in all wars, Croilet Marquis’s soldiers exploited the bold mistakes made by their foes to their fullest.

Especially among the artillerymen handling the cannons, conversations flowed with camaraderie.

“Sergeant Peter, didn’t you say just yesterday that the artillerymen were having a tough time because of me?”

“At that time, I didn’t realize how amazing cannons were. Besides, if I join the artillery, I’ll get 1.5 times more land, and if I apply for a promotion to corporal, I’m nearly guaranteed to get it… It’s paradise.”

“Then after this battle, you must introduce me to your sister.”

Though such chatter could lead to mistakes, the artillerymen had undergone numerous rounds of training, and…

In terms of cannon operation techniques, they had reached a level where, with just the loading tools and the cannon in hand, they could perform straight shots with their eyes closed, without any exaggeration.

Thus, whenever they found a moment, they engaged in small talk while repeating the loading and firing cycles at 1.5 times their usual speed.

While the bloodshed of Franche’s soldiers increased, seeing this performance, the nobles under Croilet Marquis joked among themselves, “Are the artillerymen going to end the whole war at this rate?”

The power of the cannon was so overwhelming, almost like a guardian deity of the battlefield.

However, even if the opponent stood in front of the cannon taunting, “Try to hit me,” it showed that there were limits to the cannon’s reloading speed.

Before long, Simon Marquis’s soldiers had almost reached the barriers constructed by Croilet Marquis.

Although the official siege had not yet begun with the barriers in between…

After suffering greatly from the cannons to reach this point, some soldiers were already cheering.

From a distance, it seemed like a crisis had approached, but…

Croilet Marquis observed the situation from his rear command post and issued a calm command.

“From now on, load grape shot into each cannon.”