Chapter 95: Dwarven Catapults and Ballistae (Seeking Subscriptions)

In the bustling Dwarven Workshop, a knight of the Kingdom stood beside a bearded dwarf, discussing something with him.
Oh! Laren, the good brother of the dwarf, do you want to assemble an army equipped with dwarf muskets?
The dwarf blacksmith stroked his beard, his expression serious as he said, "The musket is a novelty, with a history of no more than seven hundred years. The overall technology is still too young, I mean, it's not very sturdy and durable, far less reliable than a crossbow. The flames sprayed out of the dark barrel are even more dangerous than the fire in a forge."
"This is the decision we have reached after discussion, Mr. Langley. It is essential to form a musketeer team as our enemies are growing stronger. The effectiveness of bows and crossbows in long-range attacks will be greatly reduced against heavy armor." Lailun explained his thoughts and asked, "Can the current workshop produce a batch of muskets?"
"Hmm.... Dwarves are indeed willing to share their technology with human friends, especially those from the Empire. The ancient and sacred alliance still remains effective, although reluctant to admit it, I still have to provide a disappointing response. Currently, producing a firearm would be very difficult, at least for the dwarven craftsmen here who lack the technology to forge guns."
The progress of firearms cannot be achieved overnight, and the same goes for the affairs concerning cannons.
The sacred pact between the Empire and the Dwarven High King has endured countless ages since its establishment by Emperor Charlemagne, and its effect remains in force as both the Empire and the Dwarves uphold it together. This includes the gift of gunpowder selflessly shared by the Dwarves with the Empire, unveiling a new chapter in the history of warfare. Please note that @ matches are not necessary in the translation, as they are specific to the original Chinese text.
Langni Stonehelm, the bearded dwarf, patted his belly and looked up, crossing his arms: "My clan has been dedicated to the art of forging iron for generations. If you ask about runic craftsmanship, I can certainly provide some help. However, forging firearms is the work of engineers. They possess complete blueprints and the necessary skills. From what I know, there are no more than thirty dwarf engineers within the borders of the human empire."
"Okay, I understand." Laren's expression showed a hint of disappointment. "
However, the gadgets made by you human engineers can still be used, albeit barely. Several decades ago, when I was wandering with my clan siblings in the Wiessen Territory in the southern province of the Empire, I witnessed some finely crafted standard firearms there, with craftmanship sometimes even better than that of Whitewater Pass." The dwarven runic blacksmith looked up and said, "
Nikas Francis suddenly remembered this famous place from the old world and blurted out, "The Nune Gunpowder Factory in Wisenland?"
"Hmm, I think that's what it's called," Lagni nodded.
The Nuen Gun Factory, known as the Empire's gem, is a huge complex consisting of workshops, anvils, and furnaces.
There, seasoned gunsmiths tirelessly manufacture and maintain powerful firearms for the Imperial army, while generals from various provinces constantly send promising recruits to this smoky factory to learn theoretical knowledge such as ballistics. These recruits will be invaluable assets to various legions in the future.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the firearms used by the entire old world empire are dominated by the firearms manufactured by the Nuen Firearms Factory, accounting for seventy percent. The Wiesen territory, with its superior geographical advantage, economic level, and top-notch military technology, is an important region second only to the Rick territory, and sometimes even more important than the latter.
Then... I will have the merchant, Yatrul Ovran, contact the Wilsons in advance to gauge their attitude and intentions." Laren agreed with the dwarf runic blacksmith's suggestion and added, "There's nothing else to discuss. One more thing, please ask Mr. Langney to renovate and repair all the armor of the knights in the territory. I will have them come tomorrow and the expenses will be deducted from the raw material budget. Affairs Officer Pitman will cover these expenses."
"No problem, it's on me!"
Due to the temporary inability to produce black powder weapons, the military in Oakwood Town only has crossbows as long-range weapons. They severely lack weaponry with longer range. To compensate for this shortcoming, Lailin sought assistance from the Dwarven Workshop to produce catapults and ballistas. (Translation of the Chinese sentence while keeping all @ matches)
As one of the oldest weapons among the dwarves, the ballista is still in service in various dwarven fortresses today. This has a lot to do with their ancient design and the traditional belief that reliability is more important than new inventions. It doesn't require much material to manufacture, and even older dwarven blacksmiths can make one. Although its range is not as long as a cannon, it is more than sufficient to hit targets four hundred meters away.
In fact, the crossbow not only has lower construction and maintenance costs compared to its successors, but its direct striking ability and simple mechanical structure also make it more suitable for deployment in underground battlefields, without worrying about filling tunnels and mines with gunpowder smoke.
Engineers today are still making improvements to crossbows in terms of accuracy, loading speed, and range. These ancient war machines have proved in actual combat that with precise aim, they can take down a giant troll or a bipedal dragon with just a few shots from a volley of crossbows.
The dwarf's catapult, also known as the Hatred Catapult, is vastly different from the Knight Kingdom's outdated trebuchet.
Lagni Stonehelm provided some explanations. As the founder of dwarf mechanization, the catapult has protected dwarf fortresses from enemy invasions for thousands of years. Initially, these war machines merely threw stones, but during the Longbeard War, vengeful dwarves engraved the elves' treacherous deeds on giant stones and hurled them at the elven armies and cities. Thus, the moniker "Hatred Catapult" came to be.
And assemble a catapult of hatred, the parts it requires roughly need two trailers, with a series of levers, gears, and torsion arms, the catapult's massive straight arm is slowly pulled down by a gear-driven device, entering the firing position, and the fixed maximum launch obstacle limits the straight arm from smashing to the ground.
Loading ammunition is very simple, such as using large rocks, damaged building debris, diseased animals, or a bound goblin or goblin. Its range is further than a crossbow, with an effective shooting range of about 500 meters, and it has greater power.
"Arrows are useless against castles—you can only use heavy siege equipment to win, which is why dwarves excel in siege warfare. If you are the attacker, you can't reach anything valuable. If you are inside the castle, you might think that arrows shot from the towers would be effective; but would you prefer to be hit by pointed wooden sticks or 30-pound stones?" - Böndert Meltforge, Dwarven Master Engineer
The Giant Rock launched by the Hatred Trebuchet can instantly demolish primitive fortresses and the enemies inside them, even becoming a nightmare for many clusters of green-skinned creatures and beastmen. However, its drawbacks are also quite evident, as its slow movement speed despite being dragged by four round wheels, cumbersome shooting process, and inconvenience in disassembly.
The disadvantages and drawbacks are compensated by the effectiveness and power of these war machines themselves, which is why Lailun still decided to produce them.
The cost of making a catapult is 120 imperial gold coins, while the cost of making a trebuchet is 170 imperial gold coins. These are only direct costs, not including maintenance fees. It takes three months to make them, and the precision and craftsmanship of war machines are closely related. Slow work ensures good results.
The royal knight waved his hand and paid 700 imperial gold coins to have the Dwarven Workshop start manufacturing four Hatred Trebuchets, which form a basic squad size. As for ballistas, their direct firepower can be completely replaced by cannons, as they are considered outdated weapons.
After settling some matters, Lyle and the others left the Dwarven workshop.
Nikas Francis secured a commitment from the Dwarven runic blacksmith, and his long-desired runic longsword would be completed in over a month's time. For this, the Kingdom's knight paid three hundred gold coins. Translated content: "
时间飞速流逝，转眼就到了八月初旬。
橡木领现在可用的军队，大约有近四百人，这其中包含了大量接受训练的征召民兵、游骑兵、游侠骑士以及一百余人的军士，军营的训练教官加文·克林顿，已经将征召民兵们训练得有了一定的战斗力。
By adopting appropriate training methods and ensuring an ample supply of food, the physical fitness of the conscripted militia has significantly improved compared to before. The increased strength of these rural farmers can be effectively utilized in agricultural work, yielding noticeable results.
For a period of time, Knight Nicholas Francis, accompanied by the mounted scouts in his territory and thirteen knight adventurers, continuously patrolled the various roads in Oakwood Domain. They cleared out scattered groups of wild creatures and dismantled small bandit hideouts. Their purposes were both to train their troops and to "supplement their household income." On their furthest expedition, they even came close to the northern bank of the Rik River.
Thanks to the guard stations, lookout towers, and knight patrols, the risks along the commercial routes have been greatly reduced. As a result, there is a constant stream of merchant caravans on the well-connected roads of Oakwood Town. The markets and trading posts within Oakwood Town are also well-stocked with ample supplies of grain, ore, wood, leather, alcohol, and more.
Half of the Dwarf Workshop's production is dedicated to weapons and armor, while the other half is used for everyday goods. The Dwarves' high-quality tools are synonymous with reliability and durability, and everyone loves and enjoys using them. Large orders also keep pouring in.
In the great hall of the lord's mansion, a grinning bear head hung on the wall, with shield and longsword hanging in between.
During the scorching summer days, the heat of the sun made it unbearable for people, so the female sorceress Rosamina reduced her outings and stayed in her tower all day, experimenting with the preparation of new magic potions. As a result, she forcefully took half of the stored supplies from Laren's ice cellar. Fortunately, the lord's mansion had a storeroom filled with solid ice, enough to get through the summer. The long table in the hall and the corners were all equipped with ice buckets, providing a hint of coolness to alleviate the heat.
The expression of the steward Pittman is very gloomy. Since Laren had him take out seven hundred gold coins from the warehouse, the loyal steward's face has deepened with a few wrinkles: "My lord, the territory's accounts are somewhat tight. Excluding the emergency reserve funds, we currently have no more than two hundred gold coins available."
"So there are still two hundred coins left. I always thought we had used them all," Lailun smiled nonchalantly.
"My lord!" Peterman sighed, looking distressed. He continued, furrowing his brow, "With multiple large expenses, we are already spending more than we earn. The construction of the dam alone cost over six hundred coins, not to mention the four trebuchets that added up to a total of over one thousand three hundred coins. The spoils from your bandit suppression are almost depleted!"
"Don't worry, dear steward. Haven't the trade station and inn been profitable all this time? And the lumber yard and dwarven workshop, haven't they brought in over three hundred gold coins in the past six months?" Leren reassured, meticulously accounting for every single entry in the estate's records.
"Yes, the trade station can earn 110 gold coins per month, and the products of the Wood Elves are highly sought-after. The Moonlit Forest Inn's special drinks order has never stopped, and the newly opened inns have also collected corresponding taxes appropriately. The monthly income and expenses range from 70 to 90 gold coins." The steward, seeing his lord's absentminded look, hurriedly emphasized, "After paying the war tax, there is hardly anything left of the territory."
"So... Pitman, I'm leaving the arrangements for tax expenses and other matters to you," Lailen told her administrative officer. "Remember, the autumn harvest is approaching, allocate enough manpower to ensure that every piece of farmland is harvested on time. The grain reserves in the granary are the most important concern."
"In addition, use the remaining two hundred gold coins and reserves to purchase food and fill the granary."
Peterman asked with confusion, "Why, my lord?"
Lyle lay on the seat with his eyes closed, resting. "Just follow what I said, there's nothing else to do, so you can go now."
"Alright, Your Lordship, oh! Here's a letter left for you." The official of Oakwood Town took out a letter from the book and handed it to him. The seal on the envelope was intact: "It was sent from the Sigma Church in Blei Town, the sender is... Luther Huss."
"I understand."
Official Pitman bowed deeply and slowly backed away.
The hall was now empty, with only the Kingdom Knight remaining. He opened his eyes and pulled out a carrier pigeon message delivered earlier by Count Draven. Despite the high summer temperature, the reported contents sent a chilling sensation through one's heart. Translated content:
"The Third Beastman War ended in failure, with the provincial army ambushed by a massive Beastman army in the marshlands, surrounded on all sides. Duke Boris Todbringer, the Elector Count of Middenland, suffered severe injuries, with his right eye gouged out by the Beastlord Kazrak. He has been escorted to Castle Carcassonne for recovery. The left flank of the army was completely destroyed, with only around 18,000 soldiers remaining out of the initial force of 30,000. It is estimated that 4,000 soldiers were killed in action and 7,000 are missing."
Three days later.
The disastrous news spread quickly throughout the entire empire via carrier pigeons, magical transmissions, and other means. The residents of Miden, Hawk's Territory, and West Territory were momentarily unable to face the Draco Walden Forest head-on.
One week later, just as the human army was retreating, the monsters lurking in the dark forest swiftly counterattacked, reclaiming the progressively occupied land and wreaking havoc, regaining control of the outer forest. However, they did not repeat their usual slaughter; instead, the outer forest disappeared completely. Translated content:
According to rumors, the Beastman Warlord Kazak has gathered his forces and attacked the northern Loran Forest, after which there has been no news.
It turns out that Laren's pre-purchase of food was correct, as the price of grain led by Midden skyrocketed, causing panic and unease in villages and towns outside the forest, and everything is spreading toward tragedy.
Cholera always comes in groups. A message transmitted from the Imperial stronghold on the northern coast of the Claw Sea has once again raised tension in the northern part of the empire. Countless pairs of eyes are vigilantly keeping watch on the coastline.
The North Car People are coming!
...
Seeking tickets and subscriptions!
One more update at midnight.