"Report."
After tallying the battle losses, Femi returned to Annan's side.
"Hellfire lost twenty-three people, and ninety-eight are unable to fight."
Annan frowned. "How did we lose anyone...?"
The Ratfolk had never made it halfway up the concrete hill. Thanks to Blackwatch, the worst they had faced was a mixed Rat Tide of Brute Rats, ordinary rats, and Elite Rats. The handful of Ratfolk Sorcerers had been picked off by the Mage Corps and Rangers as soon as they began casting.
"The Magic Muskets burst..." Femi's voice was low. He couldn't accept that such fine Warriors had died in an accident.
Annan's first suspicion was the quality of the Magic Muskets, but Copperbeard would never make shoddy weapons.
To reduce their weight, the Magic Muskets had only a thin layer of tempered steel lining their barrels. With the Ratfolk just a hundred meters away, there had been no time to clean them. After dozens, even hundreds, of shots in quick succession, the barrels had burst.
"What about their Plate Armor?"
"They were all wearing it, but some were unlucky. The bursts struck them in the head..."
"Collect their bodies and bury them in the Cemetery. Send compensation and honors to their families, and tell them what they fought for."
The Soldier's death was painful, but by the measure of casualties inflicted against casualties suffered, this battle had been a great victory.
From before dawn until noon, hundreds of thousands of Ratfolk had died at the foot of the Camp, and countless Recruits had undergone Metamorphosis, becoming veterans.
Just then, through the curtain of rain outside the Camp, Sven and Broken Fang arrived with a bedraggled Ratfolk in their grasp.
"Reporting! We—"
"Shh..."
Annan pointed at the sleeping Cavalry and motioned for him to keep his voice down.
Sven lowered his