OBS Chapter 665 Demonstration
Chapter 665 Demonstration
"First row, let go!"
Before the last syllable of the command had completely faded, the first row of flintlock musketeers, standing in neat rows, simultaneously began to move.
Their flintlock muskets were already loaded, the butts resting firmly against their shoulders, and the muzzles all pointed in the predetermined direction ahead.
As the action ended, dozens of flintlock muskets emitted a muffled and dense roar almost simultaneously. The sound was far superior to the soft thud of a crossbow being fired; it carried the unique impact of burning gunpowder, causing the wooden seats in the distant stands to tremble slightly.
The white smoke billowing from the gun muzzle instantly rose up, puffs of white smoke quickly spreading in front of the soldiers, gathering into a thin smoke screen in just a few seconds, enveloping the figures of the soldiers in the front row.
The smoke drifted slowly on the breeze, carrying with it a pungent smell of sulfur. This unfamiliar odor made several attendants from the Kingdom of Midland in the stands frown and instinctively cover their mouths and noses.
The lead bullets, propelled by gunpowder, had already broken through the smoke barrier, hurtling towards the target a hundred meters away with a faint whooshing sound.
The targets were all made to the size of adult soldiers, and the armor they wore was the finest style currently available in the Kingdom of Midland, with thick plates and edges that had been repeatedly forged and polished.
In the past, such armor was sufficient to withstand the shots of most crossbows on the battlefield. Even the most powerful heavy crossbow could only leave a shallow dent on the armor plates at most, and it was difficult to cause fatal damage to the soldiers inside the armor.
At that moment, the sound of lead bullets colliding with armor came one after another. It wasn't the crisp sound of armor plates being hit, but the dull cracking sound of metal penetrating through it, which was particularly clear in the open space.
This weapons demonstration was initiated by King Midland on the second day after his formal meeting with King John of the Kingdom of Heldland.
John agreed without hesitation, and the test location was finally set at a military camp in Wyndam, where the open space was sufficient to carry out such a shooting demonstration and also convenient for both sides to observe.
The Heldran soldiers in charge of the demonstration were well-trained. After the first volley of fire was completed, they did not pause at all and began to turn around in an orderly manner and retreat to the rear of the formation, while their hands moved quickly to reload.
Their fingers moved in perfect coordination, taking out gunpowder packets from the ammunition pouches at their waists, tearing them open, pouring the gunpowder into the chamber, adding lead bullets, and finally pressing them down with copper strips. The whole process was smooth and fast, clearly the result of hundreds or even thousands of repetitions.
Just as the first rank of soldiers retreated to the rear, the second rank of soldiers stepped forward to fill their positions, their guns also aimed at the armored target a hundred meters away.
"Second row, let go!"
Another command was given, and the second rank of flintlock muskets fired again, the roar mingling with white smoke as even denser bullets flew toward the target than in the first round.
This time, some of the lead bullets hit the spots that had already been hit, while many others landed on other parts of the armor, and the sound of the armor plates cracking became more and more frequent.
King Midland in the stands leaned forward slightly, his hands unconsciously gripping the armrests, his gaze fixed on the targets a hundred meters away, wishing he could rush over and investigate immediately. The military commander beside him also looked solemn, one hand supporting his chin, his brows furrowed into a knot.
The third rank followed closely behind, their movements still perfectly synchronized and their firing deafening.
As the gunfire subsided and the last plume of white smoke slowly dissipated, the entire area finally returned to silence, leaving only the lingering smell of sulfur in the air.
The three rounds of shots, which took only a few minutes, brought about a dramatic change in the expressions of everyone in the stands.
The Heldran soldier in charge of checking the results ran quickly to the targets and nimbly carried the armored targets over one by one, directly to the area below the stands.
The sight before him made King Midland gasp. His once-intact armor was now riddled with jagged bullet holes, some of which had pierced right through it, revealing clear traces of lead bullets on the inside of the armor.
Some had their armor plates shattered, with the cracked metal edges curling up to reveal the wooden target core inside, which also had deep dents.
If these targets were replaced with real people, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The military commander next to him also came over, reaching out to gently touch the broken armor plates. He picked up an armor plate and looked at it, then looked up at the flintlock musketeers lined up and waiting for orders, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The test results were quickly relayed to King Midland by Heldran's officers, who calmly stated the accuracy of the three volleys and the extent of damage to the armor without any embellishment.
Even so, King Midland was genuinely surprised, his heart feeling as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
In the past, the kingdom's army relied mainly on crossbows for ranged attacks, but against heavily armored enemies, the crossbows were far too ineffective.
Often, the arrows that soldiers fired with all their might were either deflected by the armor plates or stuck in the gaps between the plates, failing to cause any real damage to the enemy.
The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. The core advantage of the new army he had built up over nearly two years with a lot of money was that all its soldiers were equipped with such excellent armor. He had thought that this alone would be enough to give them the upper hand in the next border conflict.
But if Yoda's army on the other side were equipped with such flintlock muskets, his new army would probably fall like wheat cut by a sickle as soon as they entered the battlefield.
The gap created by this weaponry cannot be bridged by the courage and training of soldiers alone.
King Midland instinctively turned his head to look at John standing beside him.
John remained calm, his face devoid of any pride or ostentation, as if the impactful demonstration he had just given was nothing more than a trivial matter.
King Midland looked at him, and his assessment of the Kingdom of Heldran's strength increased significantly.
Previously, he only knew that Helderland's national strength had gradually increased in recent years, but he did not expect that the other side had reached such a advanced level in military weaponry.
It now appears that the two neighboring kingdoms of Midland and Hilderland have quietly entered two completely different eras.
After the demonstration, John nodded slightly to King Midland, then turned and withdrew in an orderly fashion with the officers and soldiers of Heldran.
The soldiers marched in perfect unison, their flintlock muskets held firmly in their hands, without the slightest scrambling.
It wasn't until their figures completely disappeared outside the camp gates that King Midland snapped out of his daze and immediately beckoned his military commander to come closer.
He lowered his voice, his tone urgent:
“We must find a way to acquire these flintlock muskets. Put them on your procurement list now, even if you can only get a few at first.”
The military commander nodded hurriedly:
“I’ll make the arrangements right away, but I don’t know if Hilderan is willing to sell it, since it seems to be their core weapon.”
"We'll try, even if it costs us more."
The King of Midland's voice carried a hint of resolve.
"Buy a few first, and let the craftsmen disassemble and study them. Even if we can't replicate them immediately, we can still figure out their principles."
The military commander dared not delay. He immediately took out his pen and paper and hurriedly wrote down the items for purchasing flintlock muskets, carefully marked the priorities, and then arranged for his entourage to contact the relevant personnel in Heldran as soon as possible.