The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations

Chapter 386

For Galbaric, it didn’t matter that Vanessa had reached the 7th circle or that Alfoy had ascended to the 5th.

His mind was focused on one thing: this time, he would restore the pride of the dwarves.

The large catapults, capable of holding up to a thousand spear shafts, required far more precision than their medium-sized counterparts.

Galbaric personally visited every forge in the domain, crafting prototypes by hand to standardize the specifications.

“Hurry up! Test it already! Quickly!”

Unable to suppress his excitement, Galbaric pushed Ghislain and his entourage to prepare the demonstration.

The soldiers who had previously trained with the equipment were gathered again at an abandoned fortress. With practiced hands, they assembled five medium-sized catapults using Galvaniium spear shafts.

Claude, looking thoroughly unenthused, shouted, “Fire!”

Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom!

Boom!

All five catapults hurled their projectiles with precision, striking their intended targets. Part of the fortress wall crumbled under the impact, a testament to their destructive power.

The onlookers, initially skeptical, began to show their admiration.

“Wow! It’s accurate this time!”

“The power is impressive as well.”

“Equipping a thousand soldiers with five medium-sized catapults like these would grant immense mobility on the battlefield.”

The crowd broke into applause. Even at this level, the achievement was impressive.

The Real Test: The Large Catapult

However, the real test was yet to come. Sturdy and massive fortress walls couldn’t be breached with medium-sized catapults alone. A large-scale catapult was essential for such a task.

“Assemble it!”

This time, Claude looked slightly less annoyed as he gave the order. The soldiers quickly disassembled the five medium-sized catapults, gathering all the spear shafts into one place.

Given the size of the large catapult, it was crucial to properly connect its supports. The soldiers, working in teams, carefully constructed each part before combining them.

Thanks to their training, the process didn’t take long. The medium-sized catapults were dismantled, and a large catapult took shape in their place.

Onlookers couldn’t hide their amazement.

“Wow... they actually managed to build it...”

“The way it can be taken apart and reassembled is incredible!”

“But it’s so big... Can it withstand the impact?”

While the structure was impressive, it looked somewhat fragile with only the Galvaniium spear shafts forming its frame.

Could such a skeletal-looking catapult endure the weight of massive stones and still fire accurately?

The Shot

“Fire!”

At Claude’s signal, the large catapult released its payload.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the projectile flew with incredible speed, striking its target with pinpoint accuracy.

Kaboom!

The impact obliterated a section of the fortress in an instant. Despite the fortress being a small one, the destructive power was astonishing.

“Whoa!”

“That’s insane!”

“With that kind of power, we could break through Cardenia!”

The crowd erupted in cheers, convinced that even the strongest fortresses would crumble if they had just ten of these large catapults.

Having succeeded in both the medium and large catapult demonstrations, it was clear these weapons would perform well on the battlefield.

Celebration

Galbaric and the dwarves clenched their fists in triumph, their past frustrations washed away in a wave of elation.

“Yaaahhhh!”

Galbaric, overcome with excitement, ran straight to Claude.

“Did you see that? We did it! Did you see it, huh? Did you?”

“Yes, yes,” Claude replied half-heartedly, nodding along.

Spittle flying, Galbaric shouted, “Do you know how much I’ve suffered because of you? How much I worried it might fail again? It felt like my life was draining away in real time!”

“Life always drains away in real time.”

“...What?”

Galbaric blinked, realizing that arguing with Claude was a futile endeavor.

“The ducal house has been officially declared in league with a heretical cult? And the four major churches have verified this?!”

Rodrik’s face grew pale. Somehow, the pro-royalist faction had gained the backing of all four major churches.

This wasn’t merely a declaration of treason against the ducal house—it was a devastating blow to anyone remotely connected to them.

If Rodrik himself were accused of heresy, it would be the end.

“What is the meaning of this?! Explain it clearly!”

The steward relayed all the information gathered through the marquisate’s intelligence network.

As the report continued, the faces of Rodrik and his retainers grew darker.

Tenant was the first to break the silence.

“This is grave news. Fighting the royalists is one thing, but turning all four churches against us... Even if we win the civil war, it would be a disaster.”

The four major churches were the spiritual pillars of the kingdom. While their clergy were often criticized, no one doubted the authority of the goddesses they worshipped.

If declared heretics by all four churches, even a victory in the civil war would mean losing legitimacy. The kingdom’s people would never accept such a regime.

Forcing compliance through power would only invite neighboring kingdoms to invade under the pretext of a holy war.

In short, the kingdom would face utter ruin.

“What in the world has the ducal house done?!”

Rodrik muttered in frustration.

The existence of monsters tied to the ducal house was news to him. He had suspected something was amiss with Duke Delphine’s prolonged absence, but he hadn’t imagined such madness behind the scenes.

The steward hesitantly spoke again.

“Lord Branford has demanded all noble houses prove their innocence within a month. If not...”

Rodrik didn’t need to hear the rest. The message was clear: failure to comply meant being branded heretical by the churches.

Grinding his teeth, Rodrik crumpled the letter in his fist.

“That bastard... using the churches as pawns in his schemes...”

The demand for proof of innocence was a thinly veiled ultimatum to abandon the ducal faction.

Rodrik’s pride bristled at the thought, but he knew there was no other choice.

‘If we joined forces with the ducal house, we could crush the royalists. We could even sweep aside the churches themselves.’

But what then? The kingdom would be left in ruins, a wasteland ravaged by holy war.

As much as Rodrik hated to admit it, Branford had outmaneuvered him. The marquis found himself trapped with no good options.

After a long, brooding silence, Rodrik suddenly let out a sinister chuckle.

“Hah... Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.”

While the situation was dire, it was equally perilous for other nobles in the ducal faction. Rodrik realized he could exploit this opportunity.

“We will publicly denounce the ducal house for their alliance with heretics. Announce that we are formally withdrawing from their faction.”

“My lord, does this mean...?”

“Yes, this is our chance to bring down the ducal house and seize their position for ourselves.”

The ducal house was undoubtedly the strongest single faction in the kingdom. But could they truly stand against the combined might of the kingdom and its four churches?

Rodrik was certain they couldn’t.

And if the ducal house fell?

He would become the most powerful noble in the kingdom.

“Ahahaha! This couldn’t have worked out better! Redirect our forces to target the ducal house. I will personally sever the head of that arrogant Viscount Josef!”

If the ducal house was to be eliminated, Rodrik needed to act decisively. Hesitation could result in a counterattack.

‘The heavens themselves are aiding me!’

For years, Rodrik had suppressed his ambitions under the ducal house’s shadow. Now, with their fall imminent, his ambitions burned brightly once more.

‘I will become king of this kingdom.’

He hadn’t spoken his dream aloud, but the fire in his eyes made his intent unmistakable.

Even Tenant nodded in agreement. From every angle, Rodrik’s decision seemed sound.

Still, there was one matter that needed clarification.

“What about the second division, my lord? Should they still target Fenris as planned?”

“Of course. This is even better. Once I withdraw from the ducal faction, the royalists will have no reason to back that bastard Ghislain. They won’t waste resources defending Fenris.”

“You are correct. The royalists will focus solely on the ducal house. If they fight us, it will only weaken their position further.”

“Exactly. And now that I’m free from the ducal house’s burden, I can act without hesitation.”

Both the ducal house and the royalists were now powerless to oppose him. Rodrik could focus entirely on annihilating Fenris.

“Hurry and finish suppressing the bandits. Prepare for departure. I will personally march on Fenris and burn it to the ground.”

A cruel smile spread across Rodrik’s face, full of unbridled ambition.