Deterrence

The shock delivered by the Small War Puppet had only just subsided when a hundred giant catapults arrived behind it. To enable the catapults to advance, Abel had specially invited Dwarf masters to modify them.

Originally fixed to the ground, the catapults had been fitted with iron wheels beneath them. Given their enormous weight, only wheels made entirely of iron could bear the load.

Five bison pulled each catapult from the front. Even so, the catapults advanced at an extremely slow pace.

In wartime, such speed would contribute little to a battle, but it was more than sufficient for a parade.

These hundred giant catapults had also been captured and modified by Abel on the battlefield. Although most of the people along Victory Avenue had seen such catapults from atop the city walls, the sight of these enormous machines moving slowly was even more shocking than that of the Small War Puppet.

A giant catapult stood more than a dozen meters tall. As it was pulled along, it made people feel as though the entire ground were trembling with the rolling of its iron wheels.

Each catapult had an operating crew. All of them were specially trained professionals, and they now gazed reverently at their emperor.

"Long live His Majesty Emperor Abel!" Because there were so few of them, their voices did not carry loudly between Victory Avenue and the viewing platform. They merely drowned out the sound of the iron wheels, but the citizens still responded with a wave of cheers.

"Whew!" Duke Chesterton, prime minister of the Kingdom of Saint Port, let out a long breath and quietly asked Emperor Alders of the Kingdom of Saint Alvo beside him, "This parade should be over, right?"

"Yes. This display of military strength is truly chilling!" Emperor Alders replied without