It has been a couple of days since I proposed my new project to the R&D department, and during that time, all I have done is rest and recuperate.
But every time I close my eyes, all I can think about is the countdown to an impending civil war.
"Will our army attain complete superiority over our enemy?" I ask myself.
The answer is a big "No."
We may have rifles and machine guns, but when faced with castles scattered across the kingdom's landscape, all that direct firepower cannot be properly utilized. It would grind to a halt, turning the campaign into a long, gruesome siege, something I despise for how it slows an army's momentum.
And thus, an idea came into my head.
This time, I must invoke the "God of War" into my army.
------
"What is it this time?" John and Elena asked in unison as I spread my new plan for a new type of weapon to be integrated into the army on the officers' quarters' table.
"Artillery!" I shouted with a proud smile, my voice echoing throughout the officers' quarter of the barracks.
"You mean, a like a trebuchet?" John asked.
I shook my head. "Something lighter" I replied.
"A scorpio?" Elena asked, with her clearly italic accent.
I crossed my arms. "What kind of weapon does our army use?"
"Guns" John and Elena answered in unison.
"Exactly. So from that point of view, what kind of artillery can you think of?"
The two fell into deep thought before answering together once more.
"Even bigger guns"
The sound resonated through the room as I smiled and pointed down at the parchment on the table, where the new company organization plan was laid out.
"Yes, that's right. But I'm not sure how big we should make them or how we should organize them within the army. That's why I'm here to discuss it with you two and figure out the best approach."
I then began explaining different designs one by one.
After an hour of heated discussion, the candidates were narrowed down to just two:
1. 7.5 cm Light Field Gun (Designed stolen from "Canon de 75 modèle 1897")
2. 7.5 cm Infantry Support Howitzer (Designed stolen from "7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18")
They shared one important characteristic, as both were light enough to be pulled by horses.
It pained me slightly to see all the larger guns I had designed immediately discarded as logistically unviable for a mobile army I planed to create.
In the end, we decided to integrate both types and form an artillery support company.
With our current industrial capabilities, we might be able to produce the guns in sufficient numbers to make a significant impact. Producing different types of shells, however, would require some works.
With that settled, I entrusted the training and preparation of the troops to John, Elena, and the other officers, while I immediately made my way back to the R&D department and the factory to establish new production lines.
No rest for the wicked, It might have seem.
------
After a long week of relentless work, my body was utterly drained of energy once again. The dark circles beneath my eyes had deepen, as if my very soul had been siphoned away in some ritual to summon an otherworldly force.
And now, here I stood in the middle of Farville Village, binoculars in hand.
At the edge of the village, five 7.5 cm Light Field Guns and another five 7.5 cm Infantry Support Howitzers were lined up in disciplined formation. Their crews stood ready, hands steady, awaiting the command to fire a demonstration round.
Beside me stood John, Elena, Serafino, and several military officers.
But the most important guest today was Sigrid, the beastwoman who's now a representative of her tribe.
Every one of us held binoculars, eyes fixed on the distant targets prepared for today's display.
Three snow leopard beastmen who had participated in a raid against my fiefdom. They had been bound to wooden frames in the open field beyond the village.
The air was still and heavy with anticipation.
I lowered my binoculars and stepped forward.
"Battery commanders!" I called out.
The officers straightened immediately.
"Load high explosive! Field guns first, Howitzers follow!"
A ripple of confirmations spread down the line.
John glanced at me briefly with concerns, while Elena remained silent, her expression painted with a faint smile, a while Sigrid stood as still as a statue carved from ice and snow.
"Shell loaded!" loader shouted.
"Range confirmed!" spotter shouted.
"Fire when ready!" gunner shouted.
The world seemed to hold its breath, as I raised my hand.
"Fire!" I shouted in command.
The first field gun roared.
The sound was not merely loud, It was overwhelming, a concussive thunderclap that punched the air itself, smoke burst outward as recoil drove the carriage back violently against its braces.
Then the second.
Then the third
Then another.
And another.
A heartbeat later, distant flashes erupted at the target zone.
The ground itself shook.
Dust surged upward in violent clouds.
Before the echoes faded, the howitzers answered with it's own thunderous roars.
The shells arced high, almost lazily, before descending like a hammer of god.
And as it shell Impact, the earth convulsed again in response.
Through the binoculars, shapes vanished beneath explosions and smoke, as wooden frames of the crucifix splintered, the field churned into torn soil and shattered remains of the execution site.
When the smoke thinned, there was nearly nothing recognizable left standing but a crater and a miniscule speck of flesh and blood.
The silence afterward felt unnatural, as if the land itself were shocked by the power of my guns.
I lowered the binoculars slowly.
The artillery crews stood frozen for a moment before disciplined composure returned. Officers murmured in stunned approval, awhile Elena, John and Serafino nods in content.
Beside me, Sigrid trembled in fear.
Her hands, once folded with dignified composure, now clenched tight, her beastial pupils had narrowed, her sparse fur along her arms seemed slightly raised.
It's like she had just witnessed power of a god, first handed.
"Artillery, The God of War" is exactly what she just witness.
I stepped closer to Sigrid.
Close enough that only she could hear me.
"Be a wise leader for your people," I whispered. "don't be a bad kitten like them, because sometimes our enemy will simply… cease to be."
Her throat moved slightly as she swallowed a while her fluffy ears flattened in fear.
I then stepped back and raised my voice once more, addressing the officers.
"Goodwork Everyone! Let's go drink some ale!"