Mage? Magic Engineer!

Chapter 406: Chapter 403: Behind Us is Valuva

On the Valois side, some Mages concealed their identities and were integrated into the army, while others operated openly, treated as honored guests by their commanders.

In the command post on the high ground, a general and his subordinates eagerly awaited the return of a Mage from the sky. The Mage removed his grayish-blue concealment robes and reported what he had seen, correcting the enemy’s deployment on the map. Scouts were familiar with battle formations but had limited ability to probe the rear lines. Mages, on the other hand, lacked a thorough grasp of military matters but could fly and observe from a commanding height. The two complemented each other.

But the Mage frowned. "I encountered Mages from the Empire in the sky. I had to retreat."

There were still areas that hadn’t been clearly scouted. The general asked tentatively, "Could I trouble you to take another look, Master?"

But the Mage refused. Firstly, the enemy had more Mages, and he didn’t want to take the risk. Secondly, the Empire possessed Forbidden Magic Weapons, and he was unwilling to venture out again.

"There’s no need to worry, General. We have another powerful weapon that we will be testing on the battlefield."

As if to prove the Mage’s words, a tremor suddenly ran through the hillside behind the battlefield. The earth shook, mountains trembled, and rocks and soil crumbled away. Amidst the billowing dust and smoke, a massive humanoid figure appeared, slowly and heavily rising to its feet.

"What is that?!" Both sides were stunned by the behemoth that had suddenly joined the battle.

Eighteen meters—the height of a five- or six-story building. Yet when such a tall, humanoid machine appeared on the battlefield, the intimidating effect on the enemy and the morale boost for its allies were both significant.p>This giant Alchemical Armor Warrior, compared to the first-generation one Rorschach had seen, was far more practical for combat. It no longer had ornate decorations or a design mimicking classical armor. Instead, it sported a simple, rugged, and durable form. For instance, its head now resembled an inverted bucket, and the armor in front of its chest Power Furnace had been reinforced.

It crouched to build power, then took a great leap, soaring directly over its own triple battle lines to land in the middle of the battlefield. The heavy, grinding sound of machinery mingled with the cheers from the Valois side.

"Stop that monster! All cannons, take aim!" Instantly, the Giant drew all their fire. The Empire Army’s artillery swiveled their muzzles to bombard it.

Richard observed the situation with a telescope. He saw the giant Mechanical Body deploy a Shield of Magic Concentration, and it lasted for a very long time.

Normally, Shields have limits. An individual Caster facing such concentrated fire should have their shield shatter in an instant. Even a group casting couldn’t possibly endure a barrage like this Mechanical Body.

’Is this the Valois Mages’ ace in the hole?’ His colleagues in the Caster unit were also observing the "big surprise" sent over by the Kingdom’s Mages.

The Giant advanced under a hail of cannonfire, its shadow falling over the Empire Army’s frontline infantry. Its powerful footsteps alone caused immense panic. Even the well-trained Warhorses were startled, neighing and bucking wildly.

At this point, the Empire had no choice but to reveal its Forbidden Magic Weapon. The thick clouds parted, and five Airships appeared out of nowhere above the battlefield!

The Valois Mage in the command post stared, his eyes wide. He hadn’t detected these sky-faring Giant Beasts in the clouds just moments before. That meant there were only two possibilities:

Either the Empire’s Airships had taken the immense risk of shutting down all their onboard Magic Power devices while on standby, or there was a Mage on board with an extremely high level of Illusion Technique.

In truth, it was both. Among the squadron of Empire Airships, only one carried the Forbidden Magic Device. The other four were bombers loaded with massive amounts of ammunition. From the moment they appeared, they flew directly toward the enemy lines. Even if they detonated in mid-air, crashing down upon the Valois Army would cause immense damage.

As for the "Forbidden Magic Device ship" that remained behind, it required constant recharging. Thus, a group of Casters performed a collective casting to suppress the device’s leaking Magic Aura and commanded the clouds to conceal the Airship.

When the scouting Valois Mage had drawn near, the Empire’s Casters had driven him off in the nick of time.

Now, to deal with the Giant Mechanical Body, they activated the Forbidden Magic Weapon.

A thick pillar of light descended, and a Magic Tsunami swept across the battlefield. The Mechanical Body’s Shield was visibly washed away by invisible waves, but the machine only paused for a moment. Vents all over its body began to spew steam as it resumed its advance, stomping toward the Empire’s lines.

In the Valois National Guard command post, the Mage observed the unfolding situation, physically sensing the discomfort caused by the Forbidden Magic Tsunami. Just then, a member of the Tower of Stars’ Alchemy Department appeared. He said to the commander, "General, give the order to charge! It’s time to counterattack!"

The Mage from the Alchemy Department explained that the eighteen-meter-tall humanoid Mechanical Body was merely a decoy; the Alchemy Department had not yet figured out how to unlock its full value in warfare.

"But it’s flashy enough to strike fear deep into the enemy’s heart. They’ll be forced to activate their Forbidden Magic Weapon, handing control of the battlefield over to ordinary men—to you. According to data from the Battle of Andorrella, no Magic can be used on this battlefield for the next six minutes."

The Mechanical Body could still move because its internal Steam Engine had activated. Now, it could only press forward, rampaging blindly. However, having lost the protection of its Shield, cannonballs began to shred its armor and joints.

Its internal Transmutation Dust Extractor began to fail, and the Giant collapsed!

The Valois Army, however, was not discouraged. Every soldier gripped their weapon, awaiting the command. A frontline commander drew his sword, flicked his hat into the air with its tip, and roared, "Long live the nation! Long live Valois! Behind us lies Valuva!"

The cry spread from one battalion to the next until it thundered across the battlefield. The sans-culottes charged, weathering the cannonfire and bombardment of the continent’s strongest army.

The Giant that appeared at the start had played one more crucial role. In the initial moments, it had drawn all the fire from the Empire Army’s artillery positions. Now, facing the ferocious charge, the Empire’s cannons were a fatal beat too slow to traverse and reload.

The infantry on the Empire’s front line raised their rifles and opened fire. Under the combined assault of bullets and the Airships’ bombardment, the charging Valois National Guard instinctively formed looser columns. When an enemy round felled a soldier at the front, another, fearless and unhesitating, would instantly take their place. They pressed on until they were upon the astonished and terrified Empireists, firing a fatal shot at a range where aim was irrelevant.

The Empire’s cavalry also charged, attempting to strike the Valois infantry from the flank. But they were met with a ferocious barrage from the Valois artillery. The Kingdom’s last remaining advantage from the era of the Sun King was now on full display—its artillery! Coupled with the fact that the defenders’ artillery positions occupied the high ground, they dealt a devastating blow to the Empire’s cavalry.

"Reload! Keep up!" Pascal was still dizzy from the Magic Tsunami, but Paul’s eyes were bloodshot with excitement. It was clearly his first battle, yet after the initial ranging shot, every single one of his rounds found its mark.

Suddenly, Paul stopped firing. Just as Pascal was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Paul grabbed a telescope and shouted, "Everyone, adjust your traverse! Follow my lead!"

Pascal and the others had no idea what had gotten into the rookie.

Paul shouted frantically, "There’s a well-equipped cavalry reserve behind the northeastern line! They have to be elites! Everyone, give ’em hell!"

Paul had spotted a cavalry unit on standby. They were all dressed in white robes, and each one looked young and distinguished. ’There’s no mistaking it,’ he thought.

In truth, Knights were not the only ones with horses in the Empire Army. What he had seen was Richard’s Mage Corps.