Roland had the First Army conduct two weekly training exercises, but never attempted night marches.
Deploying troops at night was perilous—ill-lit roads made them vulnerable to wild beasts and venomous snakes, while disorientation was common. With torches as natural targets, he had no choice but to wait until dawn the next day before setting out with his forces, trailing behind the Duke's allied forces.
To ensure the operation's success, Prince chose to join the First Army's campaign in person. Of course, he opted for the town train instead of the bumpy and grueling horseback ride.
After two weeks of intensive training, the hummingbird had mastered the twelve-pound cannon's lightening process, now maintaining a fixed duration. Given the lengthy spellcasting phase, Roland orchestrated a dawn transformation to maximize the first cannon's lifespan, with subsequent cannons' durations progressively decreasing to ensure all four lightening effects had nearly identical expiration times.
Thanks to the hummingbird's capabilities, the Township can now carry four cannons and their crews in a single voyage. The massive concrete vessel is packed with crew members—alongside the artillery team and Roland, Anna, Nightingale, Nana Wa, Leaf, Echo, the hummingbird, and Tigu Paine board the Township. Wendy provides the power, while Brian steers the ship.
It could be said that, apart from the ill-fated scholars, Soraya, Lily, and Muyue, nearly all of Border Town's witches had been dispatched. Anna was not meant to fight, but her unwavering determination ultimately prevented Roland from making the difficult call.
The First Army's musketeers, led by Chief Knight Carter and Iron Axe, were tasked with tracking Lightning's movements. The group trailed the enemy discreetly, maintaining a distance beyond the scouts 'range. At the first sign of scout activity, the army halted. Along the way, they captured scattered mercenaries and free men, but with no immediate plans for these surrendered foes, they disarmed them and assigned them to the musketeers who hadn't been assigned muskets, escorting them onward.
This was Roland's first time leading the' army 'in a campaign against the enemy. Standing at the bow of the town's warship, he felt the morning breeze blowing in his face, his heart brimming with ambition.
"What are you laughing at?" Anna suddenly appeared beside him and asked.
"Uh..." Roland abruptly stopped his smile. "Nothing." "Really?" She handed him a handkerchief. "Wipe that." "..." Roland suddenly felt a surge of desire to jump into the water. "Thanks." When Lightning reported the enemy's camp, the sun was already setting. Compared to their relentless reconnaissance efforts, the allied forces' morale had plummeted to rock bottom after a crushing defeat. As dusk fell, Knight, the scout, rushed back to camp in a hurry, afraid of missing the night's horse meat.
Roland's forces were stationed on the shore two kilometers from the Duke's army.
Without being detected, the elimination plan was already half accomplished.
All that's left is to wait until dawn breaks and complete the encirclement before the enemy sets out.
This was Roland's first time camping outdoors. Rather than the reptile-infested campsites, he preferred sleeping on the ship. The wooden shed housing the gun carriage was cleared, and the gun crew unloaded the twelve-pound cannon before settling into the camp. The township became Prince's makeshift temporary palace. All the witches except Roland stayed aboard for the night. They spread blankets across the shed and lay down side by side, still in their clothes.
Roland had tried to keep his composure, but the witches proved even more indifferent. Except for Anna, they were all battle-hardened survivors who had endured countless hardships. In their nomadic existence, sleeping outdoors was routine. Soon, everyone fell asleep, except for Roland and Anna. The former, accustomed to the softness of a bed, struggled to adjust to the hard deck bed, while the latter kept her head tilted, gazing at Roland in a daze. Whenever Prince turned his head, Anna would quickly close her eyes, pretending to sleep, though her eyelashes still trembled faintly in the moonlight. If not for the fear of disturbing others, Roland would have pinched her delicate nose, forcing her to open her eyes before embracing her.
As a result, the two of them were almost awake all night.
Before dawn broke, Roland executed his encirclement strategy: 270 musketers were split into two groups. One group, equipped with two cannons, was transported by the town ship to the Duke's rear for deployment one kilometer away. Lightning monitored the Duke's movements, and when the flank group had set up the cannons, the young girl would give the signal. At that moment, Carter's remaining troops would launch a frontal assault.
The standardized transportation of cement ships eliminates the risk of dispersing during transit. The Nightingale's black-and-white vision in the fog can fully function as a night vision device. By having her serve as a navigator, the Township gains the capability for daytime navigation.
This drill had been rehearsed countless times, and everyone knew their role by heart. As Wendy ramped up the wind power, the Township surged forward like a tidal wave, ferrying the troops in waves to the rear. After about an hour, the interception unit led by Iron Axe was in position. Lightning flashed overhead above Carter's camp, its orange flag flashing in the air.
The sky was just breaking at dawn.
The encirclement plan was officially started.
Since the echelon was assigned to the rear, the musketeers tasked with the frontal assault didn't need to move. They simply formed a battle line to protect the two cannons. The twelve-pounders were swiftly positioned and fired at the enemy camp—by then, most of the Duke's troops were still asleep.
Amidst the thunderous cannon fire, solid shells whistled toward the camp. Like a dreamer suddenly awakened, Knight and the mercenaries rushed out of their tents, only to find the First Army already in formation, standing motionless in wait. Having learned from the crushing defeat the day before, none dared to challenge this seemingly fragile line of defense. They could only scatter eastward in a stampede.
The iron axe has been waiting behind for a long time.
When the enemy appeared in the field of vision, the plan of encirclement and annihilation finally came to the time of gathering the noose.
As the echoes of battle music rang out, the 150th Regiment marched in two orderly columns to the enemy—pressuring the Duke's forces, the Iron Axe had to strike first. Had they held their ground, the retreating enemy would likely abandon their horses and flee through the woods.
Duke Lane was utterly distraught, unable to fathom how the intruder had appeared behind them.
To admit defeat and surrender? He had no idea how Roland Wimbledon would punish a duke who dared to challenge the royal authority—imprisonment, exile, or even the gallows. Whatever the punishment, the fortress of Changge would never again be his.
As he saw the advancing troops and the terrifying weapons behind them, emitting occasional thunderous blasts and flashes of fire, he knew that if he didn't charge now, there would be no chance to break through. With only thirty or so men left, this was his last opportunity.
"They can't hold us back with just a handful of men," the Duke roared. "Cross this pike and they won't catch up on foot. We're only half a day's march from Long Song Fortress! Knights, charge with me!" He then urged his steeds to gallop, though not all were willing to fight to the death. Only ten men, including the Imperial Guards, followed him, but he couldn't care less about their numbers now.
The music stopped abruptly.
The other side stopped in unison, forming a wall in front of him.
Then he saw the men raise their short sticks.
When Duke Ryan was only a hundred paces away from the human wall, a series of thudding sounds erupted. He felt a violent jolt in his chest and abdomen, as if struck by a heavy hammer. This was followed by numbness and weakness, causing his body to lean backward and fall from his horse to the ground.
Duke Zhang opened his mouth to speak but could not produce any sound. He coughed twice, only to detect a pungent sweet and fishy odor, with viscous fluid blocking his throat. Soon, darkness enveloped him.