I Pioneered Scientific Magic - Chapter 340 (Patreon)

Chapter 340: The Siege and the Impenetrable Firearms

Under the relentless pressure in Edweil, Hebrew and Baro exchanged a glance, filled with deep regret. If their army were to perish, their mere title as a duke would be inadequate against the onslaught of the remaining nobles.

If only they had heeded Hatar's command and entered the capital...

But regrets at this point were futile. Despite Hebrew and Baro's reluctance, they found themselves helpless.

It was at this moment that Edweil's indifferent voice resonated among them.

"Among all of you, whoever can seize the capital or perform the most outstanding deeds shall be the next King of Hadralata!"

Edweil's words were like a boulder dropped into a tranquil lake, causing every noble present to brim with fervor.

Hebrew and Baro were no exceptions. This was the chance to rule an entire kingdom! Perhaps the only chance! As nobles of the kingdom, they could battle, pillage territories, employ various clandestine means, but there was one line they couldn't cross: seizing the throne without the Church's recognition, donning the crown under the divine witness and blessing!

Over a hundred years ago, the Bazael family's predecessor ascended the throne this way!

Becoming a king would mean eternal succession under the divine protection, as long as they didn't rebel against the Church.

With the demise of the Bazael King, and Edweil's assurance, a new succession to the throne became possible!

The nobles of the kingdom were elated at the Church's support. Even a minor baron could ascend, aided by the Church, to the position of a king!

Hebrew immediately sprang into action, galloping to the soldiers, delivering an impassioned speech.

"Believers of the divine, the heretic worshippers lurk within this very capital, seeking to unleash hell's gates, annihilate the kingdom, allowing devils, calamities, and plagues to rampage across the world... 

We cannot tolerate such abominations! These evildoers, these heretics, must pay for their sins in blood!"

"For every enemy slain before you, an Imperial gold coin shall be yours. Kill a wizard and be knighted, the first to ascend the city walls rewarded with riches and an earldom!"

Hebrew's words echoed like a thunderous bell across the wilderness. Under the lure of grand rewards, the morale of tens of thousands of soldiers surged.

"In the name of the divine!" Hebrew fervently shouted.

"In the name of the divine!"

The morale of the tens of thousands of soldiers soared, their thunderous roars echoing through the skies.

Soon, dozens of nobles led their private armies, charging towards the capital...

Drums resounded louder, joined by the devout hymns of priests and bishops.

"O great lords of the stars, goddess of the moon, creators of all things, we beseech your grace, grant us light, hope, and strength..."

Amidst the ethereal hymns, the nobles' soldiers shimmered with the radiance of divine magic, courage and strength surging within them.

"They're coming, they're here!" The intimidating force of tens of thousands charging made even the prepared Old York and others tense. Nevertheless, they readied their firearms, waiting silently for the enemy to come within shooting range.

The optimal environment for firearms was when both sides were on the same plane, firing in rows. But the advantage of higher ground provided a broader view. Moreover, with this many enemies, hitting them wasn't an issue at all.

Ten thousand gunners stationed on the city walls, divided into arrays, unleashed a continuous barrage of fire upon the charging soldiers. Rows fell, roughly estimated to be over a thousand casualties, a spectacular yet fleeting sight. However, within seconds, almost seventy percent of the fallen rose again, fervently chanting 'for the divine' as they charged the walls.

The wizards observing the battle atop the walls bore solemn expressions.

Lynn could tell these soldiers were shielded by divine magic.

When facing the kingdom's army previously, he'd seen similar things. However, back then, their opponents were only a few bishops and dozens of priests, releasing limited divine magic that boosted courage but couldn't withstand gunfire.

This time, it was different. Several tens of thousands were shielded with actual divine magic, akin to a first-tier defensive spell. It couldn't withstand gunfire but significantly weakened its impact.

If aimed at tougher armor, it might even fail to breach, only staggering the target due to the impact.

If the defenders had used crossbows instead of firearms, it would've been even harder to breach!

"Fortunately, these shields are one-time use..." Raphael sighed as he saw most of the soldiers who rose fall again under the second volley of gunfire, relieved yet realizing each soldier essentially gained an extra life.

Thinking this, Raphael glanced at Lynn, deeply admiring the magic prodigy's foresight.

A few days prior, while discussing how to wage this war, they proposed an offensive strategy, leveraging their equipment's advantage to crush this Church legion on the plains, perhaps even penetrating into the Empire's borders.

After all, their previous victories were too effortless. The firearms unit annihilated opponents several times their number with minimal casualties. Their foes couldn't mount an effective resistance, leading to an easy conquest.

Only Lynn insisted on defending the city, avoiding open field combat until they understood the enemy better.

It favored the firearms unit, true, but it also suited large-scale troop engagements and cavalry charges!

Now, with these colossal protective divine spells, firearms couldn't unleash their full potential. Battling on the plains, their formations could potentially collapse under such conditions...

At this moment, the members of the firearms unit also recognized their formidable opponents. They could endure a shot from a firearm without falling and continued advancing while carrying ladders. The arrogance they held before dissipated instantly.

York was in the third wave of shooters. Using a spyglass earned through merit, he carefully observed the enemy's movements.

He swiftly noticed that those who fell in the first round were struck in the weaker sections of their armor or, by misfortune, directly in the face.

Hence, it wasn't that their firearms couldn't penetrate but, after the divine magic and armor weakened the impact, the bullets failed to cause fatal injuries...

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