Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 96 Your Magic Crystal Cannon is very good.
The observation balloon quickly descended to the ground, and the Crown Prince and General Mackensen also left the basket.

The two chatted for a few more minutes. The Crown Prince was full of praise for the young officer, Morin, while General Mackensen, though pleased, maintained a serious demeanor.

Crown Prince Georg couldn't help but laugh at the old general's hypocritical expression.

"General, please don't be modest! We have all seen Lieutenant Morin's performance. If his tactics can be implemented throughout the army, it will definitely be a good thing for the Imperial Army."

General Mackensen nodded, but he wasn't as optimistic as the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness is right. However, there is a crucial point in Lieutenant Morin’s tactics, and that is himself.”

The old general's gaze was fixed on the distant town, seemingly spanning several kilometers, and focused on the descendant of his old friend.

"He is a spellcaster, capable of using magic to protect himself and of rapid battlefield maneuvering, a skill that no other commander can replicate."

Therefore, the extent of the universality of his tactics still needs further evaluation and verification.

"We cannot blindly assume that this tactic can solve all problems just because of one victory."

Mackensen's calmness and rationality also calmed Georg down.

Indeed, Morin's individual abilities played a crucial role in this battle.

Without his quick breakthrough using the "Mysterious Step" smoke grenade, the 1st Company's attack would never have been so successful.

"So, General, what do you mean?" Georg asked.

“What I mean is, we need more battle examples. Your Highness is also aware of the situation domestically; lower-level spellcasters clearly prefer to stay in research institutions at the rear.”

Mackensen continued:

"So we need to see if his company, or other units that have learned his tactics, can achieve the same results without him personally leading the charge."

Georg pondered for a moment, then offered a suggestion:
"How about we just transfer Lieutenant Morin back to the country? Let him be in charge of building and training a new unit, a 'shock force' built entirely according to his tactical ideas."

"In this way, we can verify his theories more quickly and cultivate a group of talents for the Empire to master new tactics."

The offer was very tempting, but General Mackensen shook his head without hesitation.

“Your Highness, this is indeed a good idea, but if I may be so bold, now is not the time.”

"why?"

The crown prince was somewhat puzzled. He felt that the general beside him seemed to be suppressing Morin.
"Because this battlefield is the best training ground."

Mackensen's gaze once again fell upon the distant, smoke-filled town.

"For Lieutenant Morin himself, and for all of our Saxon troops involved in the war, every battle here has been a valuable opportunity to gain practical experience."

“If we send him back to China and lock him in a training ground, what can he learn? Just empty talk. Only in real blood and fire can the most elite soldiers and the most effective tactics be forged.”

The old general paused, his tone becoming even more earnest.

"Moreover, this kid Morin is at the age when he is most prone to arrogance and complacency. He has made some contributions on the front line, and he is easily unaware of his own limitations! By keeping him under my watchful eye, I can keep a close eye on him and temper his temperament at all times."

"When his tactics have been fully validated on the battlefield and he has truly grown into a mature and steady commander, then we can consider setting up a training camp to promote them. I believe that by then, we will encounter much less resistance."

After hearing General Mackensen's words, Crown Prince Georg understood completely.

This old general wasn't suppressing Morin at all; he was clearly using the strictest methods to protect and nurture this promising junior.

At that moment, even the Crown Prince, who was usually uninterested in such gossip, couldn't help but have a guess pop into his mind.
But he quickly dismissed the inappropriate thought, and with a polite smile, said:
"General, you really are a stern elder."

After handling the tasks of guarding prisoners and counting spoils in the town, Morin, driven by intense curiosity, went with Klaus to the magic crystal cannon position that had been established in the northwest of the town.

He had only caught a glimpse of it from afar atop the castle, and what he had seen before on the high ground outside Seville was also the destroyed magic crystal cannon.

Now that he's closer, he truly feels the oppressive presence of this thing.

It was less a cannon and more a huge, fallen chimney.

The muzzle was dark and gaping. Morin estimated that the caliber was probably close to 900 millimeters.

The cannon's body has a rough, dark cyan color, covered with intricate magical patterns that gleam faintly in the sunlight.

The entire cannon was supported by a huge gun carriage, beneath which was a heavy base, deeply embedded in the soil.

"This thing is too bulky." Morin walked around one of the cannons and couldn't help but shake his head.

He finally understood why the Britannians hadn't used this in urban warfare in Seville.

With that size, let alone entering the city, it would be difficult for it to even move around in the wild.

A captured member of the magic crystal cannon crew, a middle-aged man who looked somewhat dull, was squatting next to the cannon with vacant eyes.

Morin walked over and asked fluently in Aragon, "How heavy is this?"

The artillery crew member was startled. Looking up and seeing the rank insignia on Morin's shoulder, he quickly stood up and stammered, "..."
"Sir, the total weight is approximately forty-two tons!"

Morin's eyes widened immediately: "Forty-two tons??? How did you manage to transport it up here?"

"Sir, it needs to be disassembled into nine parts for transport!"

Forty-two tons disassembled into nine parts
Morin's lips twitched; this was more troublesome than any of the train cannons he knew about before he transmigrated.

No wonder that in the previous battles, once this thing was locked onto by our artillery, it was like a sitting duck, unable to escape. Just as he was thinking that this thing didn't seem very reliable, the familiar system notification sounded in his mind without warning.

Special magical equipment detected: Brittany 'Griffin' Type IV 'Siege Crystal Cannon'

This equipment possesses the capability to guide attacks.

[The caster's ability has been verified; they can guide attacks against this type of magic crystal cannon.]

A series of prompts left Morin completely confused.

Guided attack? Me?

Even more outrageous things were yet to come.

He subconsciously reached out and touched the cold magical patterns on the cannon, wanting to examine its structure more closely.

The moment his fingertips touched the cannon, the system notification sounded again, and Morin opened the interface.

Then he noticed a red dot in the "Technology" tab.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients can't resist clicking, so without saying a word, he opened the tab and saw a brand new branch quietly appear.

Military-grade magic technology

Below the branch, there is only a lone icon, which is a thumbnail of the Magic Crystal Cannon.

Below the icon, there is also a progress bar.

[Griffin IV Siege Crystal Cannon Technology Unlocked: 0%]

Morin was stunned for what felt like the umpteenth time; he felt like his mouth had been open the whole time.

"Are you crazy? Using siege cannons in field battles?"

He tentatively shifted his gaze from the magical patterns on the gun barrel to the elevation mechanism of the gun carriage.

Then they discovered that this structure was somewhat similar to the gear assembly of some old-fashioned naval guns.

When he roughly understood how the component worked, the progress bar in front of him jumped forward a little more.

[Griffin IV Siege Crystal Cannon Technology Unlocked: 10%]

"What the hell?"

Morin's eyes lit up, as if he had discovered a new continent.

He immediately devoted himself to studying the giant cannon.

The structure of the gun barrel, the principle of the gun carriage, and the design of the base.
Although it is a magic crystal cannon, the Britannians clearly still used a traditional mechanical structure in its construction.

Each time he understands a part of the structure, the progress bar steadily moves forward.

However, he soon encountered a bottleneck.

The breech section had a locking mechanism-like structure, which was completely different from any artillery he knew.

Several thick, cable-like, semi-transparent magic conduit wires were also connected to it.

"What's this for?" Morin asked the captured artillery crew member, pointing to the structure.

The gun crew member clearly hadn't expected this Saxon to be so interested in artillery construction. After hesitating for a moment, he finally began to explain:

"Sir, that's the access port and activation device for the magic crystal energy core. The firing of the shell is achieved by using the activation device to instantly channel the magic power from the energy core into the cannon barrel."

With the other party's explanation, Morin suddenly understood, and the progress bar in front of him shot forward a lot.

[Griffin IV Siege Crystal Cannon Technology Unlocked: 55%]

That's it!

This thing doesn't have any propellant; it's entirely powered by magic!
Once you understand the core principles, the rest becomes much simpler.

In a sense, this thing is very similar to the mortars he saw in his history books before he traveled through time, as well as the infamous 'heartless cannon'.

Both utilize a high-angle curved trajectory and relatively low chamber pressure to deliver large-charge ammunition.

However, the magic crystal cannon greatly improved its range and accuracy through magic technology.

The specially made magic crystal ammunition is the source of its terrifying power.

"Airburst anti-infantry effects are indeed top-notch; a single cannon can suppress an entire battalion. The other type of ammunition used during sieges also has good destructive effects."

Morin stroked his chin, silently assessing the situation.

"But it's still too wasteful of the tonnage and caliber to make such a big plate of dumplings just for this little bit of vinegar."

Just as Morin was watching the progress bar soar to 90%, almost completing the task, a messenger from the 1st Company rushed over from the outskirts of the town.

"Company commander! The sentry troops report enemy activity!"

(End of this chapter)