Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 15: Parade

Auckland city is dozens of miles east.

There are two low hills rising and falling, separated by a large iron gate in the middle. After crossing the iron gate, there is an empty square with the eagle flag of the Habsburg Empire flying.

There are also neatly built houses, a huge racecourse, rows of stables, a well-equipped shooting range, and black magic cannons.

This is where the Seventh Mixed Corps of the Habsburg Empire is stationed. It is also the most powerful iron fist against enemies in the northeast of the empire.

Under normal circumstances, this place is naturally a military stronghold and no outsiders are allowed to enter.

But today, the big iron gate was wide open, with guards of honor lined up on both sides, and even a military band ready on the side.

It was not until the sun was almost at its zenith that carriages began to arrive.

Although the styles are different, all of these carriages can be described as "luxurious", with some having strange shapes, some decorated with gold, some inlaid with gems, or made of special materials...

There are even some that are engraved with magical inscriptions. When they run, they emit light and are supported by a green breeze, running fast and steadily.

It can be said that every carriage here is a work of art.

There is almost always a team of elite guards in front and behind the carriages, most of whom are wearing leather armor, holding long swords in their hands, looking around with alert expressions.

Some even had fully armed knights leading the way, wearing heavy plate armor, full-face helmets, flexibly bendable iron gloves, and large swords at hand.

In the past battlefields, they were the undisputed kings.

Although there are already signs of decline, who dares to underestimate them?
Amid the sound of exciting drums and music, horse-drawn carriages entered the military camp one after another and stopped in the square.

Then, one by one, the great men, some noble and some respected, came down. Although they had different appearances, they all had extraordinary bearing.

Some people even have eyes as sharp as a lion, and their steps seem to be patrolling their territory.

Even though the Habsburg Empire is not their home ground, their momentum is indeed not weak at all.

Until the end, what appeared was actually a rare magic car.

The blade-like design, the jet-black steel, the four wheels passing by, smoke and dust rising, and magic energy flowing, as if there was a flash of light.

Every time it accelerates, there is a low roar, like the roar of a giant beast.

It galloped into the square at a speed far exceeding that of a carriage, and then braked and stopped in front of everyone amid exclamations.

When the car door opened, it turned out to be a scissor door, like open wings.

A pair of military boots stepped on the ground, polished to a shine, and the straight military pants and slim-fitting military uniform set off the tall and mighty figure of the man.

The man had short golden hair that was neatly trimmed and combed back. He had a pair of gray-brown eyes that were like the abyss, cold and indifferent, and his thin cheeks made his features even more angular.

He just stood there, and the sense of oppression was as real as if it was rushing towards him, with the iron-blooded smell of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, filling the mouth and nose of every important figure.

This man is undoubtedly a cold-blooded warrior on the battlefield and the most ruthless general.

He looked around, without even saying hello to anyone, and simply said, "Since everyone is here, let's start the military parade!"

With just one sentence, a horn sounded, and out of nowhere, there was a murderous aura, and a slight tremor could be heard from the ground.

It was faint at first, but then it grew louder and louder until the whole earth was shaking and the sound of horses’ hooves was like a tide.

It turned out that there were teams of cavalry riding towards us!

Unlike traditional heavy cavalry, they did not wear heavy armor, but neat military uniforms; they did not use lances, but long swords with slightly curved edges, and some were directly rapiers.

As for the formation, it was not compact at all, at least it was not a mass charge of heavy cavalry.

Instead, they dispersed their formation and galloped wildly on horseback, carried by the autumn wind and like a great tide, with long swords waving as they swept past.

The knife flashed as bright as snow, and it harvested heads just like cutting wheat.

Of course, they were just appetizers, the last cavalry to kill the enemy, and the next to appear were the magic gunners armed with magic rifles.

They formed a tight formation and marched forward, seemingly fearless and unstoppable.

In fact, they were unstoppable, because when the magic rifles were raised and held horizontally, the magic power was activated, and the smoke of gunpowder could be heard.

Clap clap clap!

There were bursts of gunfire like popping beans, and a hundred steps away, the targets that had been set up exploded one after another.

Please note that these targets are not the inferior ones used by the Philante School of Magic, but real human-shaped targets made of iron and wood, covered with metal plate armor.

They simulated real knights, but under the muzzle of the magic rifle, they also suffered wounds of varying sizes.

But this is not the end. As the team moved forward, they took turns shooting. In just a hundred steps, there were ten rounds of volleys.

And then, nothing happened. The targets were shattered into pieces and scattered everywhere, and even the metal plate armor was scattered here and there.

Just this has made all the bigwigs present pale, some of them even trembled and could not stand steadily, and some could not suppress their own breath, bursting out with a momentum like a tidal wave. But even so, it was not over yet!

The last to appear were the magic cannon troops. They were the smallest in number, with only nine cannons.

But the dark barrel, the bright silver magic pattern attached to it, the wooden wheel hub, and the shells reflecting the cold light...

Silence is extremely oppressive, like a deadly weapon.

Each cannon is operated by a team of five people. There are two strong and powerful soldiers pushing it, another one to calibrate the direction and make fine adjustments, one to load the shells, and the last one is the team leader.

They are all magic gunners, and at the last moment, they will put their hands on the magic cannon.

Then, magic patterns visible to the naked eye lit up and finally converged on the moonstone magic crystal at the tail of the cannon.

Suddenly, the light became brighter and magical energy surged.

The five-member team took a step back almost in unison, covering their ears and opening their mouths wide.

boom!
There was a loud bang, the earth and the sky roared, and smoke rose. A shell had already flown a thousand meters away and directly blew a deep pit when it landed.

However, this shot was a bit off target, at least, it did not hit the specially set target.

It was a wall made of bricks and stones, several meters thick, and reinforced with steel bars inside.

This simulates a thick city wall, and is even built in the most defensive diamond shape, with a total of nine.

Then, some soldiers calibrated the direction, adjusted the gun head, loaded the shells, and activated the magic...

This time, it was not just one shot, but nine magic cannons fired together, continuously.

Not counting the initial test firing, six subsequent rounds of shooting were carried out, with a total of fifty-four shells fired.

The huge sound of artillery fire made the ears of those present ring and their eyes dizzy, as if the world was spinning. Gunpowder smoke filled the air, and it seemed as if one could smell the scent of iron and blood.

At the target a thousand meters away, huge smoke and dust were already rising, as if it was rushing outwards endlessly.

When everything was settled, there was no longer any building simulating a city wall. Instead, the entire small protruding hill had been razed to the ground.

This is the power of the magic cannon!

This is the power that can change the pattern of war!

In fact, it is more difficult to make magical weapons small and exquisite. On the contrary, these magical cannons are not difficult to cast.

This military parade can actually be viewed in reverse.

First, they used magic cannons to plow the ground. Under such indiscriminate bombardment, half of even the most elite troops would be killed.

The remaining half also had trembling legs and lost the will to fight.

Then it was the infantry's turn to appear, using their magic rifles to sniper the enemy from a hundred meters away. Even if there were still some who could stand, a large number of them would die.

Even if you are really lucky and manage to dodge these two rounds, you still have to face the cavalry's blades.

They were once the absolute main force on the battlefield, but now they rely on their mobility to clean up the battlefield and are also responsible for hunting down the remaining enemies and killing them all.

This is also the reason why the Seventh Legion is called a mixed organization. The combination of magical weapons and cavalry is an effective tactic that has been verified by the Habsburg Empire.

To say that it is 'sharp and unparalleled' is no exaggeration.

The Habsburg Empire has at least a dozen such legions, and may even be able to form more.

And this is the significance of this military parade. The Habsburg Empire is demonstrating its powerful military strength.

Until then, the iron-blooded general finally spoke again. He just glanced at everyone coldly and said, "I have shown you what you should see. As for how to choose?"

"I think you will make the right choice!"

"The military parade ends here. Everyone, please do as you please."

After he finished speaking, he sat in his magic car again. With a wave of magic energy and the roar of the engine, he disappeared from everyone's sight.

One by one, the important figures boarded their carriages and left the military camp.

In one of the carriages, a white-haired old man sitting in it suddenly said, "Oliveira, don't rush back. Let's go to Prosvence Manor."

"Yes!"

The leading guard captain responded, and the carriage immediately changed direction and headed towards Auckland City.

In Oakland City, Roy doesn't know that his life will change because of this person's arrival.

At this time, he was still strolling on Georgia Street, tasting all kinds of strange herbs.

　The competition between countries, the mode of war under the popularization of magic energy, starts from this battle!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)