Suleiman wore a strange smile as he toyed with the massive winch crossbow in his hands. This weapon had never been meant for ordinary soldiers to use in one-on-one combat.
They didn't need many. It was no good for ranged suppression, and couldn't compete with a longbow.
Its value lay in ambushes and pitched battles, especially when paired with the poison used by the Red Viper...
Dozens, or even hundreds, of these winch crossbows, hidden in a narrow valley or mounted on a city wall, could fire a volley at charging knights...
Aim for the horse first. The sight would be enough to cripple those arrogant, heavily armored war machines in an instant.
"Lord, would you like me to... demonstrate its power?" Bryn asked tentatively, watching Suleiman's expression.
Suleiman's gaze passed over Bryn's shoulder to Evelyn, who had just entered from the side hall.
She seemed to have just finished overseeing the excavation work inside the Lion's Den. She had heard the commotion and wore a questioning look.
Suleiman said nothing. He merely waved to Evelyn, then lifted the winch crossbow in his hands.
Evelyn understood at once.
Suleiman summoned two sturdy maids and had them set up a special target at the far end of the hall.
It was a straw dummy dressed in a full suit of black chain mail. The armor gleamed black, reflecting the candlelight.
What made it unusual was that Suleiman had ordered someone to cut open a freshly slaughtered pig and stuff the entire carcass—with its bones and thick layer of fat—inside the chain mail.
The atmosphere in the hall grew tense at once.
Evelyn stepped up to the crossbow without hesitation. She bent down, planted a foot firmly on its front end, leaned over, gripped the crank with both hands, and began to