"Fuck!"
Mulan couldn't help swearing in the language of his previous life, with an authentic pronunciation no one in Dierjia could possibly understand. Never mind that he was now a Dierjian-even if he weren't, seeing an airship drop bombs on ordinary city residents would have filled him with rage.
Clearly, the airship's bombing wasn't very accurate. Mulan could tell they were aiming for the Square Corner Tower, but not a single bomb had hit it. Instead, the surrounding streets and houses had suffered.
The city was in chaos. People were fighting fires or fleeing everywhere. The stricken neighborhoods were in turmoil, and those untouched by the bombs were just as panicked. Many people ran home, many ran aimlessly, and others followed the crowds in search of shelter. Some thought the war had begun again, and that the fighting had reached their city.
Panic seemed contagious. Everyone in the streets had lost their composure.
Aboard the airship, the man who had been watching through binoculars looked frustrated.
"Ugh, what kind of aim was that? Not one hit. Do we have any left? Load them up and drop another round!"
"That's not easy. We still have over twenty large wooden barrels, but these aren't proper bombs. Securing them is a real hassle, and it takes ages. Besides..."
"All right, all right. We shouldn't expect accuracy from ammunition that wasn't made for this. We fitted the bombsight ourselves, too, and calibrating it is still a problem. Since we can't hit it, we'll have to move straight to step two."
The people aboard the airship spoke casually. The man holding the binoculars stood at the observation window, looking down at the city as though searching for something among the chaotic crowds.
"Where's that powerful Dierjian? Surely he won't just stand by?"
"He may be