On the morning of June 28, a convoy of Large Cargo Magic Locomotives sped across a plain on the northern border of the Rulson Kingdom, then slowly came to a stop on a patch of level ground outside the valley ahead.
Luo Meng Regel, commander of the Saint Joan Legion, one of the Candel Empire's ten elite legions, jumped down from the front passenger seat of a Large Cargo Magic Locomotive in the middle of the convoy. He rubbed his backside out of habit, only to discover that it did not ache at all. He could not help turning to glance at the soft cotton cushion on the passenger seat and pursing his lips.
"Sure enough, riding in this thing is much more comfortable. Those stubborn old fools won't even admit a fact like that. Pathetic."
After muttering to himself, Regel waved an adjutant over.
"Send scouts to check the valley ahead. Make absolutely sure there's no ambush."
The adjutant went off to carry out his orders. Before long, a squad of scouts galloped ahead on swift horses.
The two crushing defeats in their previous battles against the Rulson Kingdom had prompted the Candel Empire's military to reflect on its failings and begin taking Military Magic Machinery seriously, after most of its members had previously dismissed it. However, the traditional factions within the Candel Empire's Military Department were deeply entrenched, and all military equipment was closely tied to numerous vested interests. Reform faced enormous pressure, so reequipping the army had always been a troublesome matter.
Moreover, the Candel Empire's Military Department commanded over five hundred thousand regular troops alone. Reequipping all of them at once was simply impossible.
On top of that, the Xinfei Merchant Guild's production capacity had remained insufficient, and it had always imposed strict controls on sales