I Pioneered Scientific Magic

Chapter 241: The Musketeers and the Imminent War

Chapter 241: The Musketeers and the Imminent War

Unconsciously, summer arrived, the scorching sun hung high in the sky, roasting the three thousand soldiers standing on the training ground. Beads of sweat dripped incessantly from their foreheads, soaking into their collars, leaving their whole bodies uncomfortably damp, yet no one dared to move.

Old York had been standing on the training ground for a full two hours. Every inch of his body ached, but he gritted his teeth and persevered until the noon bell rang for their break.

But he barely had time to rest. He hurriedly dashed, joining the long queue to collect today's lunch—two pieces of white bread, a small bowl of vegetable soup, along with a palm-sized grilled fish or an equivalent portion of camel meat.

For Old York, this was a luxurious delight. Despite earning a monthly salary of twenty silver coins by joining the Musketeers, they couldn't afford such extravagance on ordinary days.

Only here did they have three meals a day, each with meat. Normally, they'd have only one or even two meals.

"Old York, do you think the Lord suddenly gathering so many for training means we're going to war?" During the break, a burly man tapped his shoulder, unable to hold back his inquiry.

This was the gossip spreading wildly throughout Iyeta Harbor recently. Almost anyone with a bit of intellect could sense an impending war.

After all, Iyeta had previously relied on some security teams for management, but now, the sudden recruitment of three thousand, forming this Musketeer squad, made the intentions pretty clear.

"Probably," Old York muttered while chewing his bread, feeling a bit uneasy himself.

In the wizard's land, they hadn't experienced what could be termed as war. Yet, every Monday, the sailors arriving at Iyeta from the outside world would squander their copper coins in the taverns, lamenting their hardships elsewhere.

In the Sekas Empire, whether farming or laboring, the meager rewards obtained had to be partly surrendered to the local church for repentance for their year-long wrongdoings. Then they had to pay taxes to the so-called nobles, leaving only a small portion truly theirs.

This notion further convinced the residents of the harbor town that the outside world was a barbaric hell. If they lost this war, their families would be cruelly slaughtered, their lands seized, and their properties looted.

Having glimpsed some hope for a better life, Old York was unwilling to toil only to lose everything, so their daily training became especially earnest.

But what puzzled him was the bizarre nature of these exercises.

Their daily routine involved running laps around the city, chanting slogans, or standing in formation under the sun for hours. Additionally, they had to poke a dummy with a pole-axe topped with a long knife for over an hour.

The strangest part was the demand for their beds to be perfectly made and the immediate response to any whistle, assembling at the training ground within a set time without any disorder in the ranks, or else the whole team faced punishment.

These peculiar regulations made Old York and others truly complain; they felt these exercises were utterly useless, purposefully tormenting themselves.

Word had it that in some time, the wizard lords planned to capture several earth giants and challenge them in groups of eight to test their courage and abilities.

"Isn't this torment?" Old York grumbled, taking another bite of his bread.

Once a hunter, he knew how challenging these beasts were. Even with a fully armed squad wielding crossbows, they'd likely suffer significant casualties, with a higher chance of complete annihilation.

After about an hour's break, the shrill whistle sounded again. Old York immediately rose from the ground, taking less than half a minute to find his place in the queue.

Usually, the afternoon was reserved for practicing stabbing, but this time was different. Their Lord, Lynn, the actual ruler of Iyeta, arrived at the training ground.

Suddenly, Old York and the others felt their soreness vanish, standing straighter than before.

Their instructor, Robin, didn't distribute those club-like objects but rather a finely crafted, long staff with a glinting dagger attached to its top.

Was this a spear?

Old York was baffled. Even the wooden target ahead was armored, likely to simulate fully armed adversaries.

Soon, their Lord explained that this thing was called a firearm, the second-generation product from the alchemy workshop, and personally instructed them on how to use this new flintlock gun.

The guards of the Musketeers were thrilled, their hands trembling, yet within a half-hour, they had a rudimentary grasp of how to use it.

"First three hundred, stand forth, load the ammunition, aim at the target ahead, maintain body balance, and pull the trigger!" Robin shouted loudly.

Old York stepped forward, somewhat awkwardly inserting round lead bullets into the gun's barrel. Then, aiming about ten meters away, he followed Robin's instructions and pulled the trigger.

Immediately, a thunderous explosion reverberated, catching Old York completely off guard. His ears buzzed, and due to the powerful recoil, he fell flat on the ground.

"Thunderstorm... Thunderstorm!"

Accompanied by a series of thunderous gunshots, the neat formation of the three hundred on the training ground turned chaotic. Roughly a quarter of them were knocked down due to being unprepared for the recoil, several even startled and dazed by the sudden explosion, repeatedly yelling, "Thunderstorm!"

Robin's expression soured. He blew the whistle, instantly calming the previously chaotic group. Old York and others instinctively jumped up, returning to their positions.

It was only then that Old York noticed the target ahead was shattered, even the sturdy armor pierced through. The incredible power left everyone speechless.

Many now remembered Lynn mentioning earlier that this device was a creation from the alchemy workshop, suggesting it possibly contained the wizards' magic, like concentrating the power of thunder and flames within these firearms, explaining their formidable might!

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