Goddess Kaleidoscope

The Kingdom of Duran was a typical feudal system. The lords in various regions were loyal to the king and had the obligation to lead their troops to the king's aid when war broke out. However, these lords' private armies were not subject to orders, and the king had very limited control over them and could not effectively command and direct them.

On the other hand, the empire, immediately upon achieving centralized power, established a state army that was completely independent and loyal only to the emperor.

If the traditional model is followed, the Kingdom's army will likely suffer a devastating defeat at the hands of the Empire after a formal declaration of war. While the two sides may seem relatively evenly matched, and previous small-scale border conflicts have been manageable, the generational gap will become apparent in a large-scale national war.

Therefore, the most effective countermeasure at present is to emulate the neighboring empire and establish a national army before the war officially begins. Although this is a last-minute effort, it is at least better than doing nothing.

The Kingdom of Duran is not a small country after all; it has a certain size. As long as it can weather this storm and doesn't lose too badly, it will still have a chance to turn the tide in the future.

It is worth mentioning that during the previous visit of the King's Censor, the Marquis of Lane had privately met with Rudd, saying that King Durand had long admired the virtuous reputation of Saint Rudd and knew him to be a man of great talent and ability, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Therefore, he wished to invite him to the capital. The King was willing to grant him a piece of land to build a temple for his missionary work, and at the same time, to appoint him as a royal advisor, to advise the King and directly enter the political core of the kingdom.

However, after careful consideration, Ludwig declined the invitation.

It wasn't that Lud didn't want to help; he simply didn't want to see the Kingdom of Duran defeated by the Empire, never to recover and eventually be devoured.

But the capital is the political and religious center of the country, where various forces are deeply entrenched. If Rudd were to go there, he would definitely have to spend a lot of time and energy scheming against these people. So, the waters there are too deep, and Rudd fears he might not be able to handle it.

In contrast, the situation in the North is much better. Lud has his own foundation and connections there, and his relationship with several powerful lords is also very harmonious. Therefore, Lud is confident that he can persuade them to support his seemingly bold but feasible plan.

Due to climate differences between the north and south of the Kingdom of Duran, the northern region, although vast in area, has a relatively small population, accounting for only about a quarter of the country's total population. Consequently, the number of troops that can be recruited is limited.

Among the powerful lords, the Duke of Gamelin was the strongest, capable of fielding 5,000 troops, followed by Earl of Ramley with 4,000. Next were Earl of Steelwhip and Viscount Mape, both contributing 2,500 men each; the former primarily consisted of dwarven heavy infantry, while the latter was mainly naval. These four lords, plus Baron Cork's 1,000 men, brought their total strength to 15,000, with a certain level of training and equipment.

The other twenty-odd lords who could send troops could, together, muster an army of thirty to forty thousand, but the quality of their soldiers was somewhat worrying.

Moreover, bringing these small and medium-sized lords into the alliance would inevitably involve them in decision-making, which could cause unnecessary interference or even the infiltration of traitors who could leak information. Therefore, it would be more reliable for these powerful lords to form a strong alliance.

Incidentally, each lord's private army consisted of regular troops, primarily composed of the "old three": cavalry, archers, and infantry. As for siege engines like large catapults and heavy ballistae, these were "national treasures" reserved for the king's personal guard. If ordinary nobles built them privately, they would be considered guilty of treason and punished accordingly.

Throughout the entire Kingdom of Duran, Duke Kruder, who was directly facing the military pressure of the Empire on the southern border, had the special permission from the royal family to manufacture these big things within his own territory.

The other four families present agreed with Ludwig's proposal. It was not uncommon for local lords to form cliques. Although King Durand would not like to see it, he was limited by the inherent drawbacks of the feudal system. The king's power was not unlimited, so he could only turn a blind eye to this situation.

Fortunately, although the lords present were not entirely on good terms with each other, they were all staunch royalists and very concerned about the upcoming war. King Duran trusted them and only needed to inform them in advance.

This proves the old saying true.

Brothers may quarrel within the walls, but they unite against external threats!

However, at this moment, the dwarf chieftain Gulig suddenly asked a very crucial question: since a military alliance is to be formed, there must be a "leader," right? Moreover, this person not only needs to be able to command respect, but also needs to have a status commensurate with that.

Of everyone present, Ludwig was indeed someone who could obey, but there was a slight issue with his status. After all, he was a religious figure, and even as the head of a religion with the title of "saint," he still couldn't lead an army. This involved a matter of principle, and he absolutely couldn't set that precedent!

Lud himself had no intention of vying for the empty title of "leader of the alliance." He saw himself as a strategist, or chief of staff. He knew what these lords were wary of, so he wouldn't deliberately provoke them.

In fact, as soon as the representatives from all sides arrived, Lud had already decided in his mind who to recommend as the leader of the coalition.

"Gentlemen! Since we are to elect a leader, I choose Knight Rodriguez. I wonder who agrees and who disagrees?"

As soon as Ludger spoke, the three lords present immediately turned their gazes to Rodriguez. The young knight had not expected Ludger to recommend him and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Master, this...this isn't appropriate, is it? I..."

"I have no objection."

Before Rodriguez could finish speaking, Earl Ramley was the first to raise his hand in support, giving Rodriguez a friendly smile. With him taking the lead, Viscount Mape and Chieftain Gulig, after a moment's consideration, also felt that Rodriguez was a good candidate.

The Righteous Knight of the Ganmolin family is recognized as the number one noble young master in the entire Northern Region. His martial arts, talent, and character are all highly praised. His lifestyle is completely different from his father, the "otherworldly Duan Zhengchun." Everyone can accept him as the leader of this allied forces.

Moreover, Ludwig's alliance plan clearly states that the main purpose of forming a coalition is to unite the forces and fight against one another. Each party will form a joint command to brainstorm and discuss how to deploy troops.

So the choice of leader was made. Rodriguez wanted to decline, but Ludwig patted him on the shoulder and said that the "organization" had already decided that he would be the leader.

Next, the group discussed how to integrate the troops. The lords were all knowledgeable about military affairs and were able to understand many of Lud's ideas.

In fact, what Ludwig described wasn't anything unprecedented; it was similar to the legion system currently in use by the Canary Empire, or even a simplified version. The aim was to make it easier for the various lords and their standing armies to understand, allowing for the fastest possible reorganization.

Lude did want to train the new army according to modern standards, but the problem was that it was a long shot and couldn't solve the immediate problem.

In Lud's original plan, the new army would not officially begin training until at least the first class of students from his own military academy graduated. Without a sufficient number of junior officers, even if Lud could use his divine power, he couldn't simply turn a group of farmers into disciplined professional soldiers on a whim.

Therefore, the most urgent task at present is to first establish a foothold in the existing conditions, integrate the standing armies under the various lords, and then add their own "secret weapons" to get through this battle before planning for future development.

It's like someone has the blueprints for an atomic bomb, but the war is about to break out the next day. Instead of fantasizing about building an atomic bomb overnight, it's better to polish the spear in your hand first.

Because there were few attendees and everyone was communicating face-to-face, the communication and discussion were very efficient. In just a few hours, a more detailed and feasible implementation plan was developed based on Lud's proposal.

At this moment, Lude gave Gulig a meaningful look and suggested that everyone go outside for some fresh air and watch a live-fire demonstration of the new weapon.

The other three lords had already learned from Rudd's hints in his letter that Rudd had collaborated with the dwarves to develop a new type of weapon with considerable power before they even arrived. Therefore, upon hearing this, they all perked up immediately.

The group left the conference room. It had just snowed lightly outside, and the sky had cleared up after a long time, making the visibility excellent.

On the way to the firing range, Gulig praised the new weapon. They manufactured a small batch for testing according to the design blueprints provided by Lud. The actual power exceeded the expectations of the dwarven engineers, especially in terms of range, which far surpassed traditional catapults and heavy ballistae.

"Ordinary large catapults have a maximum range of only 200 meters. The ones we dwarves build can go further, up to 250 meters. Having mages imbue special ammunition with wind magic could greatly increase the range, but the cost is too high, and mages' magic power is not unlimited. But the weapon designed by Master Lud is different. It can easily launch 10-kilogram spherical metal projectiles more than 1,000 meters away, and its destructive effect on city walls is even greater than that of catapults."

"Is it really that powerful?" Viscount Map asked doubtfully.

"Seeing is believing! I'll have the guys do a few rounds right here, and you'll see how amazing that big thing is."

Soon, the group saw the rumored "secret weapon" at the dwarves' shooting range: a row of huge, deep red metal tubes.

The three lords looked at it from left to right, unsure how to use it, while Lud couldn't help but sigh inwardly. More than five years had passed since he transmigrated, and he had finally managed to tinker with the cannon. Although it was only a "red-coated cannon" of 17th-century standards, it was still a groundbreaking product here.

When Pine Tree Village was attacked by bandits, Lu De, in a moment of crisis, led the villagers to hastily make a batch of extremely rudimentary pine cannons as a temporary measure. However, the actual combat effectiveness of those things was only so-so. The first shot did have a considerable deterrent effect, making the bandits think that there were mages on the other side, but they soon discovered that the large, flaming pine cannons couldn't even break through their makeshift wooden shields.

After the bandit incident, as the economic level of Pine Tree Town improved, Lu De tried to organize the village blacksmiths to forge cannons, but several attempts ended in failure. The cannon barrels cast by the blacksmiths using adobe bricks were full of bubbles and cracks. Using these defective products to fire cannons was tantamount to deliberately asking for trouble!

Thus, the cannon-casting plan was temporarily shelved by Lud, until the arrival of the Steel Whip Clan and the birth of the three sisters, at which point Lud put it back on the agenda.

In fact, in the temple's basement, the three sisters' "Goddess Heavy Industries" is already capable of producing modern firearms equivalent to those of the late 19th century, such as breech-loading cannons, bolt-action rifles, revolvers, and even hand-cranked Gatling guns—all of which have been successfully replicated by the three sisters. However, without exception, these firearms are all "divine weapons" in the literal sense, and only the three sisters can manufacture them.

In the early days after these modern firearms were manufactured, Lud was indeed overjoyed. He would test-fire these treasures to his heart's content. With each roar of the guns and cannons, Lud's expression would gradually reveal a hearty smile, as if he were being bombarded by firepower. It was a kind of joy that all men understand.

However, after the incessant passion subsided, Lud, entering a period of clarity, couldn't help but ponder a question: should he have allowed these revolutionary weapons of mass destruction to appear in this world too early, especially in this feudal era where wisdom was still elusive?

This is no different from handing an AK47 to a monkey.

Having regained his composure, Lud decided to temporarily shelve these weapons, preventing the three sisters from sharing them with the dwarves. It wasn't until the recent military threat from the Empire that Lud revealed several rudimentary firearms technologies, including the Red Cannon, to the dwarves for production.

In fact, at the beginning, Lud wanted to build an armory in Pine Town. Given his relationship with the Steelwhip Clan, hiring some dwarven craftsmen would not have been difficult.

The problem is that there isn't enough time. Pine Town lacks the necessary industrial base, especially heavy industries like metallurgy and forging, which is incomparable to the dwarves' underground city. Everything in Pine Town has to start from scratch, while the dwarves have everything readily available. As long as they get the blueprints, they can start production quickly.

From the time Lud provided the blueprints to the completion of the first prototype cannon, the dwarves only took eleven days. Their efficiency is unparalleled.

As the race most skilled in blacksmithing in the world, the dwarves' metallurgical techniques and forging craftsmanship are unparalleled. Because many of their techniques involve magic and require the craftsman to have a certain affinity for elements, ordinary human blacksmiths, even if they wanted to learn, did not have the talent.

After receiving the design blueprints from Lud, the artisans of the Steel Whip Clan spent three days in meetings to study and determine the production technology to be used before they began trial production.

Unlike the casting method used by human blacksmiths, dwarven craftsmen directly upgraded their techniques, adopting a more advanced but also more difficult forging and core-digging method. First, they cast an extremely thick iron bar, then used the dwarves' own "giant drop hammer" to hammer it repeatedly, and finally cut and dug holes to make the cannon body.

The strength of cannon barrels manufactured in this way is naturally much higher than that of cannons cast by casting. Moreover, the dwarves are very particular about the materials they use. After hearing Lud say that cannons cast with copper would perform better than those cast with iron, they immediately took out a special alloy called "red gold iron". This material is a "copper substitute" developed by the dwarves. It is similar to copper in texture, but much cheaper.

After the cannon was cast, the dwarves, with their exceptional craftsmanship, took it upon themselves to create a custom-made towable gun carriage without Lud's instructions. This carriage included a plow to counteract recoil and a hand crank to adjust the cannon's firing angle.

In addition, they improved the propellant of the artillery, further increasing the range and power of the artillery. All aspects were carefully considered!

Without exaggeration, this collaboration left Lud with many feelings. He witnessed the technological prowess of the dwarves, a first since his transmigration. He failed to put on a show in front of the natives of this other world, and was even outmaneuvered by the dwarves. The experience wasn't bad, but it was certainly somewhat unsettling.

Gulig had previously told Rudd that the dwarves, having lost their homeland, had been in continuous decline for the past three hundred years. The decline in population was merely a minor, insignificant problem; the truly devastating issue was the loss of technology. Many ancient skills had been lost without anyone noticing, forcing contemporary dwarves to dig up their own ancestral graves like the Protoss, relying on archaeology to search for advanced technology.

For this reason, the Steelwhip Clan dwarves were very grateful to Rudd, because he was the one who found this lost dungeon, drove away the lizardman tribe that had taken over the place and that terrifying lord-level monster, and later introduced them to a god more suitable for the dwarves to worship.

In fact, if Lud hadn't been so adamant in his disagreement, Gulig had originally planned to erect a life-size bronze statue of Lud at the entrance to the dungeon.

Over the past two months, the dwarves have manufactured a small batch of fifty cannons of three calibers and test-fired over a thousand shells in order to compile the firing tables required by Lud.

The group spent a long time at the firing range observing several test-fired cannons of different calibers. The lords quickly understood the attack methods and principles of these weapons, but they remained cautiously skeptical of the "great power" claimed by the dwarves.

After all, the dwarves have a renowned reputation. These guys are first-rate in both craftsmanship and boasting skills. The things they make are indeed good, but they often exaggerate their performance to a certain extent.

Gulig knew that words were not enough, so after his technicians finished explaining what needed to be done, he signaled to the artillery to prepare for the actual demonstration.

"Tiezhu, aim well. If you can hit the target on the first shot, I'll reward you with a bottle of my treasured Tielu Shao."

"Just you wait and see, Chieftain!"

The dwarf gunner, nicknamed "Iron Pillar," grinned sheepishly and turned to lead his men in a skillful demonstration of the standard firing procedure. The entire group of eight dwarves performed their duties with swift, fluid movements, completing the loading in less than half a minute.

The lords present all craned their necks to watch, while Lud and Kanna in her human form silently took out the fluffy earmuffs they had prepared beforehand and quietly took a half step back in perfect unison.

"Ready, fire!"

With a roar from the dwarven gunner, the gunner yanked the rope, and the magic stone igniter instantly ignited the propellant in the cannon barrel. Immediately afterward, a deafening roar was heard, and the 150mm caliber heavy cannon spewed orange-red flames from its muzzle. The surging air wave instantly blew away the surrounding snowflakes.

None of the lords present expected such a loud commotion from its launch, and they were caught off guard and startled. Lud and Gulig exchanged a knowing, comical glance.

Before the demonstration began, Gulig secretly spoke with Lude, and the two of them felt that they should start by firing the largest caliber heavy cannon, just to create that shocking effect!

Fortunately, Rodriguez and the other two lords were not cowards. Although they were startled by the loud noise, they were not too embarrassed.

"Gentlemen! Is this funny?"

"Do you want to hear me say it's boring, or the truth?"

"You son of a bitch..."

Count Ramley looked speechless as he watched the dwarfs' "wicked scheme" succeed. Fortunately, the mischievous prank didn't really anger the group. They looked towards the target a kilometer away, where a large crater had just been blasted, standing out starkly against the snow.

"Incredible! The range really is a thousand meters! And those shells seem to explode!"

“That’s right, we just used the large-caliber Storm Destruction shell… Okay! Master Lud, as the designer, named this shell a high-explosive shell, but I still think the Storm Destruction shell is more imposing, don’t you think?”

The group didn't dwell too much on the name, but instead asked many questions about its practical application, including the cost of the cannon, its rate of fire, and whether it would be affected by weather. Viscount Maup, in particular, being the only one of the five families with a navy, immediately thought of mounting this long-range weapon on his own warships.

In their view, the artillery had a greater range and power than traditional catapults and ballistae, and was also more mobile, able to be towed by horses, and could be deployed at a faster speed. It was an unprecedented new type of siege weapon, and even had the potential to change the mode of warfare.

The dwarves have currently manufactured three calibers, categorized into light, medium, and heavy models based on weight and caliber.

The light 50mm infantry gun is small in size and can be carried around by only four or five strong human soldiers or two adult dwarves. Although it is very light and compact, its power and range are weak, and it is not suitable for attacking strong fortifications such as city walls.

The medium-sized artillery has a caliber of 75 mm, while the heavy-duty version has just been test-fired at 150 mm. Both types have sufficient range and power to cause significant damage to ordinary city walls, and using grenades against infantry is also a good option.

It's worth mentioning that these cannons forged by the dwarves bear four different divine emblems: the emblem of the three craftswomen, and the emblem of the yet-to-be-born "Goddess of War, Sura." The divine emblems are spiral patterns, mirroring the rifling inside the cannon barrels.

Cannons blessed by the God of War can fire more accurately!

This is how Rudd explained it to the dwarf craftsman in a very serious manner.

In front of several lords, the three types of cannons were test-fired in turn. Rodriguez even personally took charge and, under the guidance of the dwarven artillerymen, fired two shots on the spot, using solid shot to break a pine tree 800 meters away in half.

Rodriguez estimated that such a large iron ball flying at such a high speed would be impossible for an ordinary knight to withstand. Even his family's top-grade enchanted plate armor could only withstand one hit of the 75mm, and a larger 150mm would not be enough.