New chapter of May Our Village be Happy is out (1/2 chapters)

 

 

Trump Card

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When February arrived, the work of tilling the farmland for spring sowing began, just as it had the previous year.

Mika used magic to draw the plow while the villagers worked by hand in great numbers, steadily cultivating the wide fields. Toward the end of February, when the work was nearing completion, the traveling merchant Ernest arrived for his first visit of the year, much earlier than Mika had expected.

“It must have been difficult to travel before winter has fully ended. Thank you for your effort.” (Mika)

“I am honored. It is true that the cold still lingers, and this is not a season suited for travel, but I wished to deliver this to you as soon as possible.” (Ernest)

In the forecourt of the manor, Ernest stood beside the wagon that had been parked there. As he lifted the cloth covering the wagon bed, he spoke. From beneath the cloth emerged the ballista Mika had ordered from the workshop in Eltpoli.

“A ballista! So, it was completed safely during the winter!” (Mika)

Seeing it, Mika’s eyes shone with excitement as he exclaimed.

The ballista, a weapon that could be called a gigantic crossbow, looked almost like a cannon. Since it had been made for Mika to control with magic, this ballista had neither the transport frame nor the mounting base usually used for ground installation. Only the main body, from which the bolts were launched, was placed upon a simple stand.

“His Excellency seemed to be eagerly awaiting the completion of the ballista, so after receiving it from the workshop four days ago, I prepared for the journey and came here without delay. Please inspect the goods.” (Ernest)

“Thank you. Then I shall test-fire it immediately.” (Mika)

As he spoke, Mika activated his magic. The ballista would have required great effort to unload manually, but with psychokinesis magic, the process was far easier. Even so, the weapon was large and heavy. Although within the range Mika could manage, he could clearly feel its weight.

A weapon of that size could not be tested within the manor grounds. Keeping the ballista floating, Mika moved north of the village to the open land where the castle foundation was under construction. Dimitri followed by his side, while Ernest and his men accompanied them. Ayla, curious to see how the ballista fired since she had heard that one was also mounted on the walls of Eltpoli Castle, joined them as well.

While the targets were being set up, some of the villagers who had heard that a great weapon had arrived and that a grand test-firing would take place came to watch out of curiosity. Amid the lively atmosphere, Mika continued preparing the ballista for its trial.

The ballista launched bolts by the tension of its string, similar to a crossbow, but its internal structure was different, using a torsion spring to create the tension. Each bolt was longer than Mika’s height, more akin to a spear than an arrow.

“Mika. The target is ready.” (Dimitri)

“Thank you, Dimitri. Everyone, we will now begin the test shot.” (Mika)

Announcing this to the onlookers, Mika used his magic hand to rotate the handle at the rear of the ballista, winding the rope connected to it and drawing back the string. After loading a bolt, he aimed at the target placed about ten meters away.

When he pulled the trigger, a deep heavy sound split the air as the bolt was launched at high speed. The sturdy target, a sack filled with sand, was easily pierced. The wooden stand supporting it was blown backward, and the bolt, having skewered the target, buried itself deeply into the ground.

“Ohh…” (Villagers)

A murmur of awe rose from the crowd who had witnessed the ballista’s power. Even Mika, who had fired it, felt a chill at the force he had unleashed.

Turning to his side, he saw Dimitri staring in astonishment at the shattered target. Ernest and his men were frozen as well, apparently seeing the weapon fire for the first time.

“When I saw it at Eltpoli Castle, I thought it was an enormous weapon, but to think it had such unbelievable power. It is amazing.” (Ayla)

Ayla’s eyes widened as she looked at the bolt embedded in the earth. The stuffed toy Amber, held tightly in her arms, leaned forward as if gazing at the bolt in wonder.

“Yes, it is incredible. I had heard of a ballista’s power before, but seeing it in person is still astonishing.” (Mika)

Responding to his fiancée, Mika loaded the next bolt.

Even with his magic hand, it was not easy to draw the powerful string of such a large weapon. Bringing the ballista closer, Mika, assisted by Dimitri, attached the loading hook to the string and used his magic hand to wind the rope far faster than human hands could manage.

After loading the bolt, he aimed at the next target placed about fifty meters away.

For long-range targets, it was common to take an upward angle and shoot in an arc. Mika, however, could float the ballista itself several meters into the air within his control range. Raising it above his own height, he aimed the loaded bolt and pulled the trigger with his magic hand.

The bolt flew forth again with a sharp sound that cut through the air. As it traveled 50 meters, gravity pulled it slightly downward, and it struck just below Mika’s intended mark.

The large target, two meters square, made by joining long wooden boards, had been used for crossbow practice and stone-throwing drills. The area struck by the bolt shattered and the impact sent the target toppling backward.

“The target broke again.” (Villager)

“That is one terrifying bow, just as big and frightening as it looks.” (Villager)

“To think it can smash through wooden boards from this distance. If that were fired at a person, I shudder to imagine the result.” (Villager)

“No shield or armor would help. It would pierce two or three men straight through.” (Villager)

Listening to the voices of the astonished villagers, Mika began the loading process again.

Now he aimed for the final target. The wooden board, placed two hundred meters away, looked small to the eye. He did not expect a direct hit, yet he aimed carefully and, using what he had learned from the first two shots, adjusted the angle slightly upward before pulling the trigger.

As expected, the bolt missed the target. It struck the ground more than ten meters to the right and several meters beyond it. Seeing this, Mika did not feel disappointment but smiled faintly.

This ballista could send a massive, lethal bolt flying 200 meters. When the castle was completed, firing from its walls or from a hilltop on the battlefield would likely extend its range to three hundred meters or more.

Such a weapon, with range and destructive power yet cumbersome to transport or aim, could now be freely carried, aimed, and fired by him alone. What normally required a crew of several could be done by one person with the help of a single assistant, at many times the usual speed. It was an extraordinary advantage.

At several hundred meters, targeting a specific person would be nearly impossible, but sending bolts into a general area would still be feasible with practice. If fired toward a mass of advancing enemies, at least one would surely be struck. Even if no one were hit, the mere sight of spear-sized bolts flying from hundreds of meters away would terrify not only conscripts but also professional soldiers.

Under certain circumstances, he could even aim directly at the enemy’s headquarters. Even if the chance of a direct hit was low, knowing that a massive fatal bolt was being launched toward them would disrupt any commander’s composure. Normally, the opportunity to attack the enemy’s main camp with a ballista was rare, but with his powerful psychokinesis magic, it would become far more attainable.

From the enemy’s perspective, a ballista that should have been stationary would instead roam the battlefield, appear unexpectedly from behind a hill or forest, take aim in an instant, and fire a devastating bolt. Such an enemy would be extremely difficult to fight.

In the wars of this world, which were small in scale by the standards of Mika’s former life, a ballista controlled by psychokinesis magic could become a decisive trump card.

Though expensive and difficult to handle, requiring multiple units and many hands to use effectively, ballistae were valued only by great lords. Yet even possessing one would greatly strengthen the defense of the Valentine Household.

“Ernest, its performance is exactly as I had hoped. Please tell the craftsmen at the workshop that I am deeply satisfied as the client.” (Mika)

“I am most pleased to hear that. I shall convey your words without fail.” (Ernest)

After speaking with Ernest, Mika turned again to the ballista, the proud trump card of the Valentine Household.

Combined with psychokinesis magic, it possessed overwhelming power, range, and maneuverability. Together with his personal crossbow, which could deliver powerful strikes in rapid succession, and the addition of his traditional log weapon, his means of combat as a psychokinesis magic user had expanded greatly. He could now choose among various forms of attack according to the situation.

From now on, he would generally fight using the crossbow or the ballista, keeping distance from the enemy, while in sieges or against massed militia, he could use the heavy logs as effective mass weapons.

Only one problem remained, the number of bolts. The crossbow now had only several dozen, and the ballista possessed only two iron-tipped bolts. During this test, the third shot had reused the first bolt that Dimitri had retrieved. For now, they had no choice but to commission more from distant workshops, which required extra effort, time, and money.

He would indeed need to build a workshop within his own domain and employ craftsmen. This year he planned to purchase farm horses to strengthen agricultural production, and if he could begin recruiting settlers by the next year, it would be best to bring artisans as well.

“By the way, Ernest, I have something to ask. If I remember correctly, there is a village in the Yutilainen territory whose main industry is horse breeding, is there not?” (Mika)

Lowering the ballista to the ground and releasing his psychokinesis magic, Mika turned to address Ernest.

 

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