"There were also shells that didn't explode at all," he continued. "They were just solid iron balls, dropping from the sky and smashing into the crowd. As they rolled, they carved a bloody path—horses, shields, and human bodies were all crushed beneath them. MacDonald wrote in his report that a single salvo from the Watchers Legion had caused an entire formation to collapse on the spot, partly out of fear and partly because... they simply couldn't stand their ground."
The hall fell completely silent.
The mages exchanged looks. In their understanding, the Aldo People's methods resembled large-scale high-tier magic, but such spells consumed vast amounts of energy and required incantations, charging time, and the support of magic circuits. Yet the Aldo People's cannons sounded like a kind of... "mortal thunder" that could be mass-produced, issued to troops, and fired without pause day and night.
"In other words," Helga said with difficulty, "they don't need mages or spells. With nothing but iron tubes and black powder, they can achieve an effect close to our high-tier Explosive Magic?"
Doherty nodded lightly.
He closed the battle report in his hand. His tone was calm, yet carried weight. "MacDonald and Siegfried jointly proposed in their letter that we should study these weapons of Aldo's, figure out how they work, and then reproduce them to equip the Imperial Army. They believe that once we succeed, Gabella's combat power will increase dramatically."
The moment he said this, the atmosphere in the Council Hall suddenly grew lively.
"That's a fine idea!" Grim Gavin was the first to nod. "Isn't it just iron tubes and black powder? Take them apart, have a look, and make them the same way."
"Exactly!" Duke Mason chimed in. "If mortals can make them, then we have the Secret Art Society's alchemists and