Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

TL: Etude

Josh quiveringly loaded his ammunition, intermittently glancing forward to monitor the movements of the enemy forces.

In the fleeting seconds before firing, he experienced the most perilous moment of his life so far. A thrown spear, swift as lightning, flew past and struck directly at a comrade beside him. The poor fellow, like a discarded rag doll, was hurled into the empty space in the middle of the formation. Although he was immediately dragged away by the medics, Josh surmised that his unlucky comrade had little chance of survival, as he distinctly heard the sound of the spear penetrating flesh.

“May God have mercy,” he prayed silently. The knight who had thrown the spear had only slightly misaimed; otherwise, it would have been Josh who was sent flying.

The casualties weren’t limited to a single person. Agonized screams echoed from both sides. Officers shouted “Hold steady! Hold steady!” fearing the formation would break. Fortunately, the enemy’s attack only caused a minor disturbance, quickly quelled by the soldiers’ disciplined training.

Before his enlistment, Josh had no concrete understanding of the knights’ might, only knowing they were formidable. After undergoing some training in assassination, he fancied he could last a few rounds against a knight. Now, he realized how wildly mistaken he was. From the force of the thrown spear, it seemed the knight could easily lift him like a small chicken and toss him away. A direct confrontation would likely result in instant defeat.

Fortunately, he now wielded a musket, as did his comrades beside him.

Upon hearing the command for the third row to fire, Josh immediately pulled the trigger. A burst of crackling sounds followed, and the Kent family knight he aimed at, along with his mount, was engulfed in a mist of blood. The knight’s head jerked back as he fell to the ground, the horse doomed as well.

The first wave of cavalry, having either perished or fled, posed no further threat. The remaining horsemen halted their charge, observing the formation from a distance.

However, the soldiers on the outermost edge of the formation – Sergeant Makarov’s row – remained steadfast, musket butts planted on the ground, bayonets angled skyward. They hadn’t reloaded after firing, prepared to block and delay any reckless enemy charge with their bodies and bayonets.

Gunshots also rang out from the left side of the formation. The Kent family’s cavalry had split into two groups: one attacking the right front of the formation and the other from the left. As the first group faltered under gunfire, the slightly trailing second group immediately reined in their horses. Though they didn’t understand what had happened, the fate of their comrades prompted them to make what they thought was the safest decision.

However, halting a galloping warhorse isn’t instantaneous, and some had already entered the musket range. Joyce, commanding the left side of the formation, ordered the outer two rows to fire simultaneously, bringing down the front riders of this group.

The moment the thudding sounds started, Jace sensed imminent danger and tried to stop his horse. During this, he witnessed the frontline knights of his family falling off their horses one after another.

Fire crossbows! Jace immediately thought of this weapon.

Reportedly, Grayman had effortlessly eliminated the pirates of the Northwest Bay with these weapons. Jace had previously dismissed these as exaggerated tales of the common folk, having been exposed to military affairs since childhood and seen various weapons.

Unexpectedly, this legendary weapon was real, and there were so many of them!

Accompanied by flashes of fire and rising smoke, lethal bullets were shot at an unseeable speed, claiming one life after another.

Rumors described this weapon precisely as Jace witnessed it today.

It was a terrifying weapon indeed, and Jace realized he had underestimated the Grayman family.

However, he wasn’t going to give up just yet. As a noble educated from a young age, Jace’s first response to difficulties was to find solutions, not to flee.

Throughout his life, he had faced many unexpected challenges, all overcome by his tenacious will. He believed this time would be no different.

The Alda army consisted only of infantry and naturally had a disadvantage against cavalry. They had formed a hollow square formation, open in the middle and facing all directions, making it immobile. The initiative was firmly in his hands.

Resolute, Jace blew his horn, and the cavalry roaming around began to gather near him. They maintained what they deemed a safe distance from the Alda army while moving, eventually forming a large group of nearly 200 riders.

Jace led the cavalry at a trot, slowly circling the Alda army’s formation, scrutinizing it for weaknesses.

However, he realized that with the range and power of the “fire crossbows,” this type of formation, facing enemies on all sides, had almost no weaknesses. Even if they tried long-range harassment, they couldn’t get too close. The arrows and spears would become ineffective before they could even reach the enemy, as the “fire crossbows” would strike them down.

Although the outer layers of this hollow formation seemed thin, with only three to four rows of soldiers, Jace could tell that such an arrangement maximized the firepower density of the “fire crossbows” without making the soldiers feel isolated.

“Firepower?” Yes, this term suddenly popped into his mind, perfectly fitting the enemy’s weapons.

If they had formed a solid square formation, each side’s width would be greatly reduced, and the firepower output would diminish significantly. Those in the middle, blocked by the front rows, would be virtually useless.

Cursed! What strategy could he use to break this damned formation? The enemy remained motionless, revealing no flaws. Most armies would have become unsettled by now, seeing cavalry running around them.

As he racked his brains, the Alda army made a move.

Jace was overjoyed, thinking they had finally lost their patience. “Come on, chase us!” he thought.

But they didn’t scatter as he had anticipated. Instead, they opened gaps at the four corners of the formation, and some soldiers struggled to push something out.

Jace’s face turned pale in an instant. He suddenly remembered another powerful weapon from the rumors: if the “fire crossbows” were real, then that other rumored weapon…

He whipped his horse fiercely.

“Scatter! It’s the ‘Thunder Hammer’!”

As soon as his words fell, a thunderous sound erupted, and something seemed to whistle through the air…

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