Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

In the morning light, a beautiful three-masted ship appeared on the sea. Hanging from the ship's mainmast was the flag that represented the emperor of the Muruo Empire, and on the second tallest mast hung the unfamiliar noble emblem of some noble that Winters did not recognize.

Although also with three masts, this ship was certainly not a small vessel like the Bandit Gull. The ship before him was an imposing warship, with three-story high aft and fore castles that stood like dual humps on the deck.

The Bandit Gull, being a smaller vessel, was like a dwarf before a giant, easily crushed with a mere flick of the finger.

"Finally, they've arrived. They really made us wait," Andre complained under his breath to Winters.

Winters yawned, "All mysterious, yet we don't know which big shot it is."

As temporary members of the Honor Guard, Winters and Andre had been waiting on the naval dock outside Sea Blue City since before dawn, and now they were dead tired.

Bard, being slightly shorter, was lucky to miss out. Winters, Andre, and the other eighteen apprentice officers were not so fortunate, currently holding long halberds and clad in armor, they served as the Honor Guard for the Vineta Army to present a splendid front.

Once the investigation shifted toward the interior of the Vineta Army, Winters found himself with quite a bit of free time. As all the official officers ranked higher than him, an apprentice officer was not qualified to question any official officer.

Although, in theory, the military police were a tool the army used against their own, the military police department overseen by Field was different.

The essence of the Army Headquarters Military Police was akin to a gatekeeper, with the boundary of their jurisdiction being the surrounding wall of the headquarters. The "military police" were only responsible for standing guard at the gates on ordinary days, having never arrested anyone.

So, Winters spent most of his time recently on office duty, doing menial tasks like handling documents and scheduling duties for the gate guards, chatting with the copier Morlock over tea to pass time when idle. He also had lots of time to attend to his personal matters, such as ordering steel spikes, making scabbards for Elizabeth, and requesting designs from Giovanni.

Meanwhile, two staff officers were out working hard on the investigation.

There weren't many army officers who matched the conditions of being proficient with firearms, skilled in Swift Sword, having an injury on the chin, and lacking an alibi on the day of the assassination.

Most army officers were merely competent in using firearms; they were the commanders of the musketeers, not musketeers themselves. And as Instructor Nar had said, many officers dropped swordsmanship after leaving the military academy because they hardly used it. For example, Warrant Officer Montaigne had not practiced swordsmanship since he sailed home; he only managed to win against Major Moritz by relying on his past experience.

A hundred years back, even kings and dukes had to be in armor, riding warhorses, and charging into the front lines.

However, with the change in military philosophy and the growing scale of armies, being an officer became a technical profession. Although the northern Empire already had a tradition of military nobility, in recent years, they have also started establishing military academies, following the example of the southern Alliance.

Personal bravery was no longer the main criterion for evaluating a commander, so only those who were genuinely passionate about swordsmanship and shooting would continue to practice these skills.

Major Moritz, who had always shunned duty, could no longer feign ignorance, as the description Winters gave reminded him of a small group—the Duel Club.

The Duel Club was a small association within the Army, primarily composed of army officers who enjoyed combat techniques with melee and ranged weapons. They would meet and compete regularly. It wasn't a secret society; any army officer with an interest could join.

Moritz thought they ought to start the investigation with the Duel Club's members and, rarely volunteering, took on the task of obtaining the Duel Club's membership list—since the major himself was also a member.

But after only two days of leisure, another task came his way. The headquarters had picked twenty of the tallest apprentice officers of the year. Winters was informed that he had honorably made it into this year's Venetian Army officer Honor Guard.

Only then did Winters learn that every year, twenty tall apprentice officers were selected to form the so-called "officer Honor Guard." Simply put, they were to dress impressively and then serve as decorations during various important Army events.

Because virtually no significant or minor event would go by without being called to stand as human statues, the official officers hated this duty. In the end, they had to choose from among the apprentice officers, replacing them yearly.

Andre and Winters were both unlucky enough to be selected, so they had been standing dumbly at the dock since early morning, their armor frosted with dew, unsure who they were even there to welcome.

As they passed the outer circle of naval artillery fortifications, the guns and gun ports on the approaching vessel's gun deck and stern castle opened one after another, the dark muzzles poking out.

From Winters and Andre's vantage, the warship's hull emitted puffs of blue smoke, which were quickly followed by rolls of thunder over the sea.

The warship was firing a salute.

Gun loading took time, and for short-barreled thirty-two pounders used at close quarters to destroy enemy ships, sailors even had to be hoisted outside the hull to load the guns. When warships entered a foreign port, firing blanks was a way to show lack of hostile intent, and over time, it evolved into a special gesture of etiquette.

The naval artillery fortresses also fired salutes in response.

Only when the ship got closer did Winters notice that its hull was lavishly decorated with paint, wood carvings, and gilding. These extravagant decorations served no purpose in combat and were purely to showcase royal grandeur and majesty, eliciting a deep disdain in Winters for the ostentatious style of the northern Empire, which he considered all flash and no substance.

Guided by the pilot boat, the magnificent and mighty warship slowly retracted its sails and deftly docked at the navy's pier.

"First gun crew! Ignite!"

At the command, the army's cannons were also fired.

For more than two decades, the Venetian Army and Navy had given no quarter, contesting everything from military budgets to the seats in the Council of Thirteen to the pettiest of trifles. Any contestable matter was an excuse for struggle. Explore more stories at empire

The gun salute from the bastion was a gesture from the Navy, and with the Army present, of course, they couldn't let the Navy exclusively represent Vineta. Consequently, the Army brought over a dozen large cannons for a saluting ceremony.

The passengers had yet to disembark when two figures circling in the sky started to loom larger. These figures, initially the size of seagulls, were actually much larger but appeared small because of their height. As they approached the ground, everyone on the dock realized these were two monstrous creatures.

The two birds resembled eagles, but ordinary eagles would never be this large. The wingspan of these giant eagles was wider than the warship, casting shadows like dark clouds as they soared above. The two behemoths dove down, scattering the terrified gunners, who couldn't be called back even by officers shouting themselves hoarse.

The two giant eagles gracefully landed on the dock, stretching their wings as if to show off, letting out a sharp screech and surveilling their surroundings with indifferent yellow eyes. Winters estimated the wingspan of the giant eagles to be at least ten meters long, standing taller than a single-story building, appearing like two high walls on the dock.

Winters, of course, didn't run like the gunners. The officer Honor Guard remained still, knowing what these creatures were. However, had Winters not seen the giant eagles with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed such beings could truly exist.

"[An expletive under breath]" Winters exclaimed in a low voice, "The Pretender Emperor actually has such giant eagles; I thought it was just a bunch of bullsh*t in the war history."

But Andre didn't respond, his legs trembling uncontrollably, and his teeth chattered involuntarily.

One couldn't blame Andre; the fear instilled by these beasts was overpowering, as if legendary monsters had ripped through the pages of a book and emerged into reality. That Andre didn't flee with the gunners was bravery enough.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Winters jabbed Andre, whispering, "As long as it's alive, it's afraid of cannons. They are just oversized turkeys. The Pretender Emperor can only scare people with such impractical things."

"I'll be damned if I'm scared," retorted Andre angrily, though his body language suggested otherwise.

Two not-so-tall figures dismounted from the eagles, causing another stir among the soldiers. These two giant eagle riders were not in armor, but clad in black soft leather suits.

One of them stood in front of both the Army and Navy officer Honor Guards and declared loudly, "On behalf of the supreme Muruo Emperor, Full Minister with the Seal, Earl Narzia, offers greetings to all!"

The man was not tall, but his voice was incredibly loud, reverberating clearly across the entire navy dock.

"Isn't this just a show of force to intimidate us Venetians? Who do they think they're scaring?" Andre said discontentedly, making out the situation clearly.

Winters snorted coldly, "This inbred bunch of imbeciles loves to engage in such useless pageantry."

Having arrived before dawn to stand by at the navy docks, the two were disgruntled to be subjected to such a display, especially since they were standing at the back of the formation. This left them even more uninhibited to chat idly. A group of soldiers dressed in black half-armors with swords by their sides disembarked first, forming an equidistant line along the entire gangway that extended to the dry shore.

"So this is the infamous Legacy Army of the Oath Breaker?" Winters eyed the black-armored soldiers, "They aren't as formidable as their reputation suggests. Deploying the Legacy Army for protection suggests the Oath Breaker does take this so-called Full Minister with the Seal quite seriously."

The Legacy Army was established by the incumbent Muruo Emperor, Henry III, upon his accession to the throne. As the name implies, this force was recruited solely from the orphans of fallen soldiers and royal officials who died in the line of duty, mainly responsible for guarding the palace and protecting Henry III himself. They were the only troops allowed to bear arms within the palace and were deeply trusted by the Oath Breaker, touted as the Empire's most elite forces.

Andre sarcastically remarked, "The Oath Breaker broke his own vows, so he's particularly worried about others betraying him, resulting in this farce. The father dies, and then the son continues to slog for the Oath Breaker. 'Legacy Army,' more like 'End of Legacy Army'."

The black-armored Legacy Army couldn't hear Andre's mocking tone, but Winters felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Essentially, he too was part of a "Legacy Army," belonging to the Vineta branch.

Many fellow cadets at the Army Officer Academy were like Winters, progeny of fallen officers. As Andre had put it: the father dies, the son continues the toil.

Realizing his faux pas, Andre slapped himself hard on the side of his helmet, "My damn mouth...shit...really is...don't mind me..."

"It's nothing... don't worry about it," Winters reassured Andre with a smile, knowing full well it was just a slip of the tongue.

The task of the Honor Guard was simple, to stand on either side of the road with the Navy officer Honor Guard and stare down each other. Once the VIPs had all ridden away in their carriages, the Honor Guard was dismissed.

Just as Winters, contemplating returning to the Army headquarters, a stranger blocked his way.