Release That Witch

The production of cannon was steadily progressing. The second cannon was undergoing a period of chamber expansion, while the third cannon was stockpiling the materials.     

They would have four twelve-pound cannons a month later if they were lucky enough. It was without question that they held an unprecedented superiority in firepower. But, what Roland concerned about that was how to ensure that the advantage would turn into a victory.     

As a mechanical engineer, before finding himself in this era, his understandings of war, like most people, was from history, movies, and games. If it was just hand-to-hand combat, he would give Carter and Iron Axe free reign to command. However, this was a totally different war and none were more familiar than him with the combat mode of the hot weapon war.     

In this case, all he could do was to use all of his knowledge to make a detailed plan of action.     

In order to ensure that his forces would be winning the war, Roland ordered Lightning to shuttle between Longsong Stronghold and Border Town every day. Her purpose was to observe the road situation and calculate the accurate distance. As for Roland, he firmly believed that the prerequisites for winning the war were plenty of calculations and reconnaissance. No matter whether tactical decision or game deduction, both were heavily dependent on these two points.     

Using the size he had set when casting the cannon last time, several sticks of gavelocks and poles of hemp ropes were made, which were one meter and one hundred meters long respectively. Then, about one-thousand-meter long runway was marked out on the cannon test field in the west of Border Town according to the shadows of the hemp ropes and gavelocks. Lightning, at the same time, was herself practicing on controlling the consumption of magic power so as to pass through this 1,000-meter distance between Longsong Stronghold and Border Town at a fixed speed.     

After she had a good command of magic power output on such a level, Roland set about measuring the distance between Longsong Stronghold and the small town. He figured out that the distance between the two places was approximate 54 kilometers by using a sundial to calculate the round-trip duration.     

Of course, that was only in a straight-line distance. In reality, they would need to pass through two sharp bends to avoid the stretched foothill from the Impassable Mountain Range. Anyhow, it would take at least three days to arrive at Border Town if the duke chose a land march.     

The strategic location and the tactical operations of the enemy would be clearly assessed by Roland when Lightning acted as an investigator.     

The signifiers with distance marks were bestrewed everywhere within two kilometers in the west of the small town. As long as the enemies came into sight, the Artillery Squad could quickly adjust the corresponding angle of the muzzle.     

He was now concerned about what to do if the enemies did not come.     

Right at this moment, he heard someone knocking on the bedroom door.     

Nightingale, who was lying on the sofa chair and eating dried fish, went invisible instantly. Roland coughed twice and said, "Come in."     

It was Assistant Minister Barov, who opened the door and said, "Your Highness, a noble from Longsong Stronghold wants to meet you."     

"Who? Did they send a messenger again?" Roland asked, seeming a little confused.     

"No, not a messenger. It's Baron Cornelius who left before the Months of Demons and has come back now," Barov shook his head and answered.     

Roland remembered after a moment that there were indeed some nobles of Longsong Stronghold who lived in Border Town. "Did they dare to come back? It was just the beginning of the spring. Didn't they experience the strong hand of the royal dictatorship?" Roland thought. "Why does he want to meet me?" he asked.     

"His house, which hindered the defending of the city wall, was demolished. If you're reluctant to meet him, I shall let him go," The assistant minister threw up his hands and said.     

"Usher him into the reception room," Roland said, who would have wanted to reject him but suddenly changed his mind.     

"It was possible to put some pressures on Longsong Stronghold through him," the prince thought.     

Roland came to the reception room after a moment of delay, while the man with a chubby belly was walking back and forth impatiently by the long table, and the flesh on his face was trembling with his steps. Seeing Roland walk in, the baron stopped to reluctantly give a bow toward Roland.     

"Sit down," Roland said, and then went to the seat of honor. Usually, even though it was not the time for a meal, he would let the cooks offer some dessert. But not even a cup of tea was prepared today.     

"Respectful Highness," Baron Cornelius said hurriedly without sitting on the table. "How could you let those foolish stonemasons tear my house apart? It was a superior residence with the brickwork parapet wall as the foundation. The beam column and the roof were built in logs of the best quality. I remembered it took me 100... Oh no, 150 gold royals when I built it!" he said and gesticulated with fingers.     

"150 gold royals! When Roland first got to Border Town, he probably would have believed these words if he was reliant on the prince's memory. So..." Roland thought and smiled. "You mean the residence in the westernmost part of town?" he asked.     

Cornelius nodded and said, "Yes! Yes! It was that house which was only inferior to the residence of Baron Simon."     

"What a pity! The house was too close to the city wall and was in the way of my soldiers. "But City Hall has made compensation to it," Roland paused a moment and said.     

"So... how much?" Cornelius asked.     

"20 gold royals," Roland said and gestured with two fingers.     

Your Highness... It's too little!" Cornelius opened his mouth and seemed to say something, but nothing came out. He took his handkerchief out, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then said, "Okay, 20 is okay! Where should I go to get the money?"     

"Get the money? The money had been granted to the owner of the house long ago," Roland said, pretending to be confused by the baron's words.     

"What? Wai-wait... I'm the owner of the house!"     

"No! It's not you! The owner of the house is Brian, the Captain of the Second Militia Squadron."     

"Who's he? Your Highness, you've got it wrong! I'm the owner of that house!" The Baron yelled.     

"Uh? But I didn't see you in the winter. How could you say that house was yours?" Roland frowned and asked.     

"I most certainly went to Longsong Stronghold. Who would stay in this damnable place? It was possible to be killed by the demonic beasts at any time?" said the baron.     

"Idoit!" Roland thought, but he still said calmly, "So, what you want to say was that you were frightened by the demonic beasts and left your lord to escape by yourself, right?"     

"Uh, I..." The baron was speechless suddenly.     

"Come in, guards," Roland clapped his hands and said. Two guards came in immediately from the outside of the reception room and caught Cornelius in the center.     

"Your High-High-High-Highness, what... does that mean?"     

"It's easy. Now you have two choices. The first one is that you admit that you got it wrong and the house was not yours. I could just take it as a joke and let you go. The second one is that you admit that you betrayed your lord and left your domain to flee to Longsong Stronghold without permission. I would put you in jail and you'd be sentenced to the crime of defection, to be hanged," said Roland, who stood up and looked at the baron contemptuously.     

The sweat dripped continuously from Cornelius's forehead, he swallowed and said after a moment of hesitation, "Your Highness, I, I got confused. It's not my house."     

"So, you mean it's a misunderstanding. Send the baron out." Roland shrugged his shoulders and instructed the guards.     

The prince called Cornelius out when he walked to the door and then said, "Oh, yes, I have a message for you to take with you when you return to Longsong Stronghold by boat, tell those... eh, those nobles who have the same misunderstandings as you, that if they won't admit that they've betrayed their lord and fled to other places without permission, they don't have to come back here again. It's a waste of time."     

"As... you wish," Cornelius said, smiling reluctantly. But having turned back, Roland saw Cornelius gnashing his teeth.     

"By delivering my message... The chaos, presumably, would be inevitable in Longsong Stronghold," he thought.