"High power? How powerful could something steam-driven be? Isn't it just an air rifle? I've seen those things—they're fine for shooting rabbits." Theus muttered quietly, but this was not a good time to talk. Seeing that the battlefield had mostly been cleared, he had Alexei lead the troops back.
Quite a few Fishmen had fled. Ash led the Banshee squad after them to finish them off, but the Fishmen could barely run.
They were nothing more than fish on the chopping block.
Theus specifically instructed them to capture a few alive and send them to Moth Chasing Flame. Interrogating them might yield something.
Alexei led the soldiers back. This battle had shocked him profoundly. He felt as though he had not led his soldiers onto a battlefield, but taken them on an outing.
They had marched to the designated position, loaded, fired, loaded, fired—then won.
Could battle really become something so simple?
Alexei had once admired the captain of knights at Her Majesty the Empress's side above all others. He could lead his men in charging through enemies several times their number, and no one could withstand a single exchange with him.
That knight might be able to drive back a crowd of enemies alone, but could he make a group of recruits win a battle as easily as going on an outing?
Rifled muskets and Minié balls could.
The curved saber Theus had given him still hung at Alexei's waist, but it had never once had the chance to leave its sheath.
Alexei had studied the latest combat tactics at the Royal Army Academy, yet after experiencing his first battle, he felt as though he had already fallen behind.
Technology was advancing faster than he could adapt, leaving him at a loss.
Alexei glanced at the Fishman corpses covering