Chapter 23

"Is it time yet?"

"Not yet."

"…Shouldn't it be about time?"

"No, not yet."

Colonel Altsa and I were repeating this conversation on the city wall. The colonel is bold by nature, but this is his first time in actual combat. He doesn't know the tricks of the trade yet. I explained to him:

"Unlike us, the enemy has to shoot upwards. If they fire from their usual effective range, it won't work; they need to get closer."

Since they are firing against gravity, they lose kinetic energy. It's a simple principle.

"On the other hand, we will be shooting down from an angle, so the bullets will fly downwards. The effective range for killing will be narrower than when shooting horizontally."

This gun port is originally designed for arrows, which are fired in a parabolic trajectory. The curvature of the parabola is different for arrows and bullets, making it a bit tricky.

The colonel nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. So, the rules are different from fighting on flat terrain."

"Yes."

Muskets can't fire rapidly, so the first shot is crucial.

"Right now, the enemy is conducting a reconnaissance in force. They are trying to gather information on the accuracy of our artillery, the density of our fire, and the coordination between our artillery and infantry."

The colonel thought for a moment and then replied.

"Then, we should make them bring back information that will make them hesitate to attack Zepher Fortress?"

"Exactly. Therefore, we will inflict significant damage on the reconnaissance force with our first shots."

I feel sorry for the enemy soldiers, but they have to die.

I peered through the telescope and confirmed that the enemy was approaching the marker rock. I had measured the distance beforehand; it was about fifty meters.

I estimated that if they got about ten meters closer, they would start their attack, so I told the colonel.

"Now."

"Alright."

The colonel nodded and ordered the soldiers.

"Prepare for concentrated fire! Each squad, aim at the nearest target! Fire!"

The shots rang out in perfect unison. The line infantry really knew how to time their shots. The garrison soldiers also did a good job. Not bad.

Through the telescope, I saw three Bluejue soldiers fall. It seemed that our first squad and the garrison had each taken out one with concentrated fire.

What was most needed was "definite damage." We had fulfilled one of the conditions necessary for survival.

The enemy immediately fired back, but they were flustered, and none of their bullets hit the gun ports. Of course, they were out of effective range.

The colonel quickly shouted.

"Prepare for the next volley! Fire!"

The shooters had already received their next guns from the loaders, so the second volley was fired immediately. Two more fell.

Another one was taken out with the third volley. In total, we had taken out six.

Muskets have a low hit rate, so this was a good result. There were also some wounded, but the white smoke from the gunpowder made it hard to see clearly.

There were still a considerable number of enemies scattered around, but they weren't foolish enough to engage in a firefight in this situation. They retreated quickly.

All the cover around the fortress had been removed, so there was nowhere to hide within firing range.

Judging from their high level of training and the way they were used as expendable forces, the enemy was probably a punishment unit. How pitiful.

As I sighed, the colonel turned to me.

"What's wrong? Should we keep firing?"

"No, let's conserve ammunition. Now is a good time to clean the barrels."

Muzzle-loading black powder guns accumulate soot and other residues inside the barrel, so regular cleaning is essential. If not cleaned, they can jam and become unusable, and they can also rust.

Let me check the guns.

I secretly checked if the shooters in the first squad had all fired properly.

Surprisingly, many people can't bring themselves to fire when facing the enemy. Hesitating to kill is a natural human reaction. On the contrary, those who can shoot without hesitation are the ones with problems.

Fortunately, our squad seemed to have the latter problem, as they had all fired perfectly. The colonel had chosen well.

The garrison soldiers also seemed to be in high spirits, so they were probably fine too. It's not good to meddle too much in other units' affairs.

I also think the psychological stress of killing the enemy is relatively low because of the volley fire. No one knows if their own bullet hit the target.

However, this needs to be observed over the long term. It's something to watch out for.

Oh, right, I should also check the performance of the rifle carbine in actual combat.

"Ryala, how is the new gun?"

When I asked Ryala, who had been given the rifle carbine, she nodded slightly.

"It's excellent. I fired twice at different targets and took out one."

"One of the fallen enemies was your doing?"

"Yes."

She looks happy...

She only managed to fire twice with the rifle carbine, as we only brought two of them.

The old muskets were fired in three volleys by forty shooters, totaling about 120 shots, and took out five enemies.

On the other hand, the rifle carbine took out one with two shots.

It's too early to draw conclusions due to the small number of trials, but it seems quite powerful.

Ryala, who is usually quiet, spoke up on her own.

"This gun has excellent range. The bullet flies straight without dropping and doesn't waver. It feels like it's being sucked in."

"Uh, yeah."

"With practice, I think I could hit targets at twice the distance. It's really an amazing gun, sir. If we had this at home, Father wouldn't have died..."

This girl becomes incredibly talkative when it comes to guns.

And she casually brought up a heavy topic.

"Do you like it?"

Ryala looked startled and then smiled shyly.

"Yes... very much."

"Then I'll entrust it to you. Don't lose it, okay?"

I smiled at Ryala and then headed to my next task.

...Why is Ryala saluting so seriously? What's with that?

When I returned to the colonel, he was in the middle of encouraging the troops.

"Everyone, well done. You performed like veterans in your first battle. But don't get complacent; the enemy will be back soon."

Well, I'm not so sure...

I subtly conveyed with my eyes that "I don't think they'll come for a while."

Did he get it?

The colonel looked startled and cleared his throat.

"However, rest is also important. After checking and maintaining your guns and ammunition, take turns resting."

I think that's a good idea. I didn't expect him to get it just from my eyes.

The colonel approached me and whispered.

"Why are you so sure they won't come soon?"

"We inflicted significant damage on the reconnaissance force. The enemy will take time to prepare for a full-scale attack. They will likely bring artillery."

We have cannons, so we can fire at the enemy from outside the musket range. Without artillery, the attackers can't fight.

The Bluejue army won't attack here until they have enough infantry and artillery. Probably.

The colonel nodded thoughtfully.

"That makes sense. So, the next one will be the real battle?"

"Exactly. We will likely suffer casualties."

There is a high possibility of casualties from our brigade. There's nothing I can do about it.

"We don't know how the enemy will attack this fortress, but they will likely target the structurally weak points."

"Where?"

"Probably the east side without a defense tower. The attackers will face west, so the attack will likely start early in the morning, with the sun at their backs."

We will be blinded and unable to shoot, but they will have a clear view of us. The attackers have the right to choose the timing, which is a significant advantage.

"As the sun sets, they won't attack today. However, there is a possibility of a surprise attack, so we need to remain vigilant."

"Understood. Lieutenant, you should also rest. You are the lifeline of our brigade."

"It's an honor."

I feel a bit embarrassed. The colonel is good at making people feel important. It's a bit of a problem.

Even in such a terrible situation, I find myself getting motivated.