Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 136 The Fireball in Sarajevo
"Remove the magic!"

The magic guard's mind went blank for a moment.

If a level 3 [Dispel Magic] spell can nullify a level 4 [Stone Skin] spell, there are only two possibilities.

Either the other person's luck is incredibly good.
Or it could be an even more complicated situation.

The opponent used a higher-level spell slot to cast this [Dispel Magic] spell!
Either way, it means that the other party's spellcasting level is definitely not lower than yours!

The crowd was now in disarray. The guards tried to rush forward, but they were held back by the panicked crowd and could not get close at all.

Just then, the magic guard in the rear carriage finally rushed up to them.

"Cover His Highness!"

The two exchanged a glance and immediately reached a consensus.

They simultaneously began channeling magic, preparing to activate [Mage Armor] and [Shield], using their own bodies as shields to stand in front of the Grand Duke.

But at that very moment, in another corner that none of them noticed, a middle-aged man who looked terrified suddenly frowned.

He hadn't originally planned to make a move.

According to the plan, one person should be able to achieve the goal.

But these two troublesome royal magic guards were more troublesome than he had anticipated.
The opportunity was fleeting, and he couldn't wait any longer.

The middle-aged man immediately stopped and uttered a difficult-to-understand word.

At the same time, he made a loose grasping motion with his right hand towards the location of the bus.

"."

Everyone within a seven-meter radius of the convertible suddenly found themselves unable to make a sound.

At the same time, they could not hear any sound outside this area; the whole world seemed to have been muted.

The spell being cast by the two magic guards was interrupted once again due to this sudden turn of events.

They exchanged a horrified glance, their eyes filled with incomprehensible horror.

The Art of Silence

This is a level 2 spell, but its effect is absolutely deadly at this moment!
It’s over.

These were the thoughts that flashed through the minds of the two magic guards simultaneously.

Immediately afterwards, a fireball the size of a basketball appeared out of thin air in front of the man who had initially launched the attack.

The fireball, carrying scorching heat and blinding light, hurtled towards the black convertible in which the Grand Duke was riding.

boom!
A deafening roar finally shattered the silence of the [Silence Spell].

The blazing flames instantly engulfed the entire car, as well as several guards who were too close to escape.

The massive shockwave sent vehicle parts and debris flying everywhere, and the entire street was enveloped in the terrifying sound of the explosion.

It all happened so fast. From the moment the magic guards discovered the anomaly and confronted the assassins, to the fireball explosion, the entire process took only a dozen seconds.
The crowd on the street fell into a moment of deathly silence, then erupted into earth-shattering screams and cries.

People scattered and fled like headless flies, and the scene was completely out of control.

The Governor-General of Bosnia, Oscar Bodiorek, was standing not far from the blast site when the massive shockwave knocked him to the ground.

Ignoring the blood covering his head and the buzzing in his ears, he struggled to lift his head, staring in disbelief at the still-burning flames and the scattered car wreckage.

"Your Highness. Your Highness!"

He muttered to himself, his eyes vacant, completely dumbfounded.

He had just assured the Crown Prince that Sarajevo would be safe.
But now the crown prince was right in front of him, blasted to obliterate his body by a fireball spell.

The training commando battalion's base outside Dresden.

Morin had just finished his morning training and was walking with Kleist and Manstein toward the mess hall at the base.

"Sir, I have arranged for all the newly arrived MG14s to be inspected and put into storage."

"We can organize the third batch of machine gunners for live-fire training this afternoon."

Kleist reported as he walked.

"Well, you and Manstein can handle the arrangements."

Morin nodded, then reminded her:

"Remember, safety must be emphasized."

"Understood, sir."

Manstein nodded in agreement.

"I have already had the sergeants in each company study the operation manual in advance. They will give a demonstration this afternoon, and then the soldiers will get to use it."

Molin was reassured by their arrangements and was about to say something more when the system notification suddenly rang out in his mind without warning.

He paused, then habitually opened the system panel.

On the 【Intelligence】 tab, a red exclamation mark is flashing wildly.

Morin's heart skipped a beat; she had a bad feeling.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed instantly in Sarajevo after being attacked by a fireball.

Upon seeing this brief but information-packed intelligence report, Morin stood frozen in place.

Although he had long known that the wheels of history would eventually roll forward, and although he had been mentally prepared, he still felt a strong shock when the moment actually arrived.

History, in the end, was not changed by Princip's arrest.

The spark that ignited the entire European powder keg was ignited in a different way, but it was still ignited.

Moreover, this time the method was more direct and more violent.
Using fireballs to assassinate the crown prince of an empire in the street?

This is no longer an extreme act by a nationalist. What nationalist would hire a sorcerer to carry out an assassination?

"Sir? What's wrong?" Kleist and Manstein asked with concern when they saw Morin suddenly stop and his expression turn strange.

"Uh, it's nothing."

Morin snapped out of his reverie, slowly shook his head, and his eyes became incredibly deep.

He looked up at the azure sky of Dresden, with only one thought in his mind.

What was bound to happen, happened.
The news of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination in the street could not be suppressed.

Not to mention the fireball spell, which had amazing special effects. Everyone on the street, including some reporters, witnessed the terrifying explosion.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching the entire continent of Europe by telegram on the same day.

Vienna, Hofburg Palace.

When Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary received the urgent telegram from Sarajevo from his attendant and quickly glanced at it...

The 84-year-old emperor swayed suddenly and almost fell backward.

"His Majesty!"

The servants exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly helped him up.

The old emperor's face was as pale as paper, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

He experienced too many tragedies in his life.
His only son committed suicide with his lover, and his wife (Empress Sisi) was stabbed to death with an awl on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Now, even his designated successor has been blown up in the street.

The old emperor remained silent for a long time, his eyes filled with endless weariness and sorrow.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that he and this declining empire seemed to have no other choice.
At the same time, the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army.

When Chief of the General Staff Conrad heard the news, he was completely stunned.

He sat blankly in the chair, without saying a word.

The atmosphere in the office was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

He consistently viewed Archduke Ferdinand as the biggest obstacle to his military reforms and hardline foreign policy, and the two argued and clashed on numerous occasions.

But upon hearing the news of the Grand Duke's death, Conrad felt no joy whatsoever.

He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the Vienna sky, and sighed deeply.

"The empire has lost the person it needed most."

Conrad knew better than anyone that Archduke Ferdinand's very existence served as a deterrent and balancing force against the restless nationalist movements within the empire.

Although the Grand Duke opposed his war proposals, his political vision was maintaining this vast yet fragile empire from another perspective.

But now, that guarantee is gone.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was left with only one choice.

Conrad turned around, the sadness on his face gone, replaced by a steely coldness and resolve.

Saxon Empire, a royal cruise ship cruising on the Baltic Sea.

Emperor Albert II is enjoying a rare holiday.

When the attendant handed him the urgent telegram, the smile on his face froze instantly.

He stared silently at the contents of the telegram for a long time before finally turning his gaze toward the Balkans and muttering to himself:

"A war in the Balkans is inevitable."

He put down the telegram and said to his aide-de-camp:
"Inform the Prime Minister and the Army Ministry to prepare for a Royal Conference. Also, end your leave and return to Port William immediately."

Paris, Galloland.

When President Puengale received the news, he was discussing the escalating worker strikes with several cabinet ministers.

"What? Ferdinand was assassinated? By fireball?"

Puengall snatched the telegram from his secretary, read it several times, and his expression was incredibly complex.

"The Austrians are probably going crazy this time."

An official said with deep concern:

"They won't just let this go; there's a high probability they'll take military action against the Kingdom of Serbia."

"If that's the case, then this is our opportunity!"

Another hawkish official slammed his fist on the table.
"As long as Vienna dares to make a move, the Saxons will definitely honor their alliance. Then we can take the opportunity to reclaim Alsace and Lorraine!"

Puengale didn't speak; he just frowned, his mind racing as he considered something.

Holy Britannian Empire, London.

The message was also sent to Buckingham Palace as quickly as possible.

Imperial Chancellor Herbert Henry Asquith and Foreign Secretary Edward Gray arrived at Buckingham Palace immediately to report the matter to Victoria.

"Assassinated by a mage? That's truly unheard of."

Queen Victoria, the "Eternal Queen," showed a solemn expression after hearing the report.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Minister Gray's expression was very serious.

"According to information relayed from our embassy in Vienna, the Austro-Hungarian side has preliminarily confirmed that the assassin was a spellcaster. This makes the nature of the entire incident exceptionally complex and dangerous."

"Closely monitor developments in Vienna and Belgrade."

After a moment's thought, the 'Eternal Queen' issued the order.

"I have a feeling that this summer may not be peaceful."

(End of this chapter)