They were such magnificent weapons.

While the duke at first thought they were scrap metal when they were first given to him, he was now seeing what they could actually do, and it was better than he could have expected.

The darkly clad underlings were giving a rather comprehensive overview of their weapons, and the assault rifle being demonstrated now was a complete marvel. Even if it was the one that looked the worst.

It was put together from various bits of bare and unpolished metal with bits of wood to furnish it. Overall giving it a rough appearance that suggested it was cobbled together without much understanding on how one was supposed to work.

Though it was appearing that they did have that knowledge as they showed the ability to switch between single shots and “full auto” as they sprayed to archery targets in the courtyard. Each spray punching several holes straight through them.

Across the gravel courtyard there were several more weapons. A “heavy machine gun”, the promised howitzer and on the table were some other handguns including a pistol and a “light machine gun” which seemed to just be a cross of the rifle and the heavy machine gun. All looked equally as scrappy as the assault rifle, but they had been promised that these were just the first versions.

Though there did seem to be another thing on the table cloaked in a cloth that had not yet been removed. It was a little hard not to wonder what they may be hiding under there…

The underling known as Alpha put the rifle down, placing it on the table with the other things, motioning to tell everyone to uncover their ears.

“I presume that this weapon will be satisfactory for you?” It rasped, its dark eyeglasses looking into the duke’s eyes.

“More than. How many of these can you make then and how quickly?”

“It depends on how many of the other weapons you want oh duke.” It said, a sort of disapproval seeming to manifest in its voice as it spoke, “We only have so much production capacity and we will need to send some of our own people to teach your soldiers how to use these weapons. Which will slow us a little.”

The duke waved his hand dismissively, “Yes, I know about that. How many of these do you have already then before I decide.”

The thing made something that seemed like a sigh, “We have twenty four light machine guns, seventeen heavy machine guns, five howitzers, eleven pistols, six older style rifles and thirty eight of these new assault rifles. All designated mark 1 of their type.”

“Older rifles? Are those the ones that are under that cloth?”

Alpha turned it’s head, “No, that is a different weapon I wanted to show later. The older rifles are very much obsolete when compared to the assault rifles in every aspect other than cost. But our hands and minds are experts at the process of manufacturing so it shall be no issue.”

“Show me what’s under there then.”

“N-“

“Show me.”

It nodded it’s head and uncovered the cloth to reveal and metal tube with a bulbous thing wedged into the front. There was nothing else on it other than a trigger of sorts if you could call it that and some form of sight.

Yet again another crude weapon but one Nathaniel had no idea of what it could do.

Though Alpha was quick to explain, “It is a weapon for use against their vehicles. I’m afraid it won’t do anything against their tanks but against their lighter ones, we believe it could hurt them-”

“Well then, how many do you have?”

“Eleven.”

“Including this?”

It nodded.

“How easy are they to make?”

“They are on the easier end-“

“So, let’s have a demonstration then. Give us a little taste on what it could do. I’m sure we have a metal sheet around here to show what it could do.”

The assembled nobles all looked around, the servants quickly hurrying off to grab the required materials.

Throughout the entire time Nathaniel and Alpha kept their eyes locked with each other.

It was hard to judge what the thing’s expression was given it’s concealment but he could tell it was another person who seemed to resent talking with him.

And this one would have to be kept alive unfortunately and kept pleased, despite how annoying it would be to do so.

But soon the discomfort was over as large plate of iron was hauled out and put against one of the archery targets.

“I will need you all to remove yourself from the area behind me. It will be dangerous to stand there while I am firing this weapon.”

The duke kept his eyes locked for a few more moments before he moved away with the rest of the audience. Standing with his arms cross as he watched Alpha haul the thing onto their shoulder, hands wrapped around the tube.

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It squeezed the trigger with a click following.

For a millisecond nothing happened, before an ear splitting bang echoed across the courtyard, gasses exploding out of the rear of the tube as the bulbous projectile was lobbed like a rock from the device.

It then slammed against the iron, exploding against it in a large cloud of acrid smoke.

As the smoke cleared however, the damaged was made clear.

A hole was blasted straight through the iron plate and beyond with little fractures snaking across the metal. An impressive feat given it’s thickness.

Though the moment of great success was permeated somewhat by the extreme pain in his ringing ears, only barely protected by his hands. Most of the audience wasn’t smart enough to do so before Alpha fired, leaving them doubled over in pain.

Nathaniel was barely standing up himself however, as the ringing felt more like an elongated scream. Clawing at his eardrums and refusing to let up.

But as what felt like minutes passed it started to fade with Alpha completely unphased. Looking at the group with hidden eyes as they recovered.

The thing must have not given the advice to stuff their ears with wool to get back at them in a little way. What a sneaky fack.

Nathaniel would get back at the thing in time, but it would have to wait…

“Duke, are you satisfied with the weapon? We call it the RPC-32. Which stands for Rocket Propelled Charge thirty-two yards.”

Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed, “Is that all the range it has?”

“It’s all this model has yes. But it will be perfectly sufficient for your needs. It does have issues inside of buildings but firing it from the alleyways is perfectly fine.”

“And why can’t it be fired from inside? Cannons can be easily.”

“You saw it right there duke. The blast of gas can be deadly to those who are not careful. Especially in confined spaces where the fast and hot ejection has nowhere to go. And those affected by it will not be praising the new morning.” Its head had still not moved as it explained this, it’s body almost motionless in the evening light.

“I understand you. And I think I have my requests for weapons orders?”

“And what will thee ask for?”

“I want as many of these rifles and RPCs as you can get followed by heavy machine guns and howitzers. Oh-! And do you have any thrown explosives you can make?”

“We do.”

“I’d want some of them made as well. Only after all of this and you have some time left over you can make the lighter machine guns and the pistols.”

“We will see it done as long as the supplies keep following. We will also deliver what we have to give with our trainers with them. I hope thee can be satisfied with this.”

“Oh, I most certainly am so far, so please, continue with the demonstrations and I will tell you if I need to change the order.”

“I think thee will continue to be satisfied with our work.”

But as Alpha turned and moved to the heavy machine gun sat on it’s mount, a weird sound started to fill the air.

A distant howling that Nathaniel slowly started to recognise.

It wasn’t like the metal birds or the transports, but that sound suggested something linked to it.

Had they decided to come on some sort of flying transport then? To destroy them just before he finally got his hands on some real weapons? Just typical for this war.

Though it could also be those crafts that bombed the gunpowder manufacture here to blow their walls and the palace apart… Also typical for this.

He watched the horizon to the south, waiting to see the little dots in the distance to come close enough to be seen. The faint, almost silent howl growing louder and clearer as time passed.

The growing dots did seem a little closer to the ground that that shuttle was on that day and were moving a bit faster…

No… There was a swarm of them all of different sizes and at slightly different altitudes…

It would be smart for him to get inside like some of the panicking nobles, but something told him that this wasn’t a raid or an attack. It seemed more like some sort of intimidation tactic given how brazen they were being with this.

Closer and closer they came as that dreadful howl started to completely fill the air, bells ringing in the city as alarms were sounded. But now it was clear this wasn’t any of their transports that were coming.

A loose chevron of three small craft screamed over the city, flying close and low to the ground as parchment fluttered to the ground from pods hung from them. Those three aircraft practically covering the city with the paper that slowly drifted down.

Soon after a larger chevron of six larger crafts flew overhead, dropping nothing as they sailed across the sky.

Then three even larger craft came, flying higher than the rest and despite that, they were far louder, their arrowhead like shapes casting shadows across the city as they crossed.

And then, nothing.

The aircraft flew off into the distance, slowly leaving only the chaos it spurred behind and the falling paper.

One of those papers drifted infront of the duke, his hand stanching it.

Both sides were covered in text and pictures and neither side had any good news on it.

One side was covered in blocky text, and an image of arrows closing in on all sides to the city.

“ATTENTION ALL RESIDENTS OF PROPHET’S FOUNDING. YOUR CITY WILL BE UNDER ATTACK IN THREE DAYS. YOU CAN STILL ESCAPE, AND YOU WILL NOT BE UNDER THREAT FROM OUR FORCES. WE DO NOT KILL NON-COMBATANTS. HOWEVER, IF YOU STAY IN THE CITY, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY AND YOU MAY BE KILLED IN THE COMING BATTLE. OUR WEAPONS CAN LEVEL NEIGHBOURHOODS AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT BUILDINGS YOU MAY BE HIDING IN. FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, PLEASE RUN AWAY.”

Nathaniel grimaced as he read it. It seemed like they were diverging from their regular rules. So, he couldn’t make as much use of his new tactic…

He supposed that meant they understood what sort of threat he could pose. Though hopefully they were still in the dark about his new weapons…

But they were out in the open. Maybe they saw them.

His fists tightened around the paper, but he still turned it around to read the other side. And it was worse.

“ATTENTION ALL SOLDIERS OF THE ARMY OF THE FIRST KINGDOM OF AVIRIA. YOU ARE UNDER THE COMMAND OF OUR ENEMY AND ARE HENCEFORTH CONSIDERED HOSTILE. HOWEVER, YOU CAN SURRENDER AND THIS PAPER WILL GIVE YOU SAFE PASSAGE AND WILL ALLOW YOU TO SURRENDER IF YOU SHOW THIS TO OUR TROOPS. IT IS SIGNED BY OUR COMMANDER AND HE GIVES HIS WORD THAT ALL WHO WANT TO SURRENDER WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY IF THEY LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS.”

And bellow that was sure enough, a seal and a signed name.

There was no way that he was going to have any desertions from his army.

These messages needed to be destroyed.

He finally looked up and saw that the only ones still standing was Alpha, reading another copy of the leaflet, and the king’s marshal, who he had been given authority over.

“Marshal…”

“Yes lord?”

“I need you to gather every single one of these papers you can and burn them all. Insubordination is not to be tolerated at all and I will need a meeting with Heigfal to organise some affirmation of the soul to all soldiers and guards.”

“Yes sir…”

“And do it. Now.”

They nodded, quickly hurrying off into the palace as Nathaniel turned to Alpha, who was still reading the leaflet.

But as the Marshall left, it lifted it’s head up, staring at the duke again.

“I presume you would want mountings for the machine guns to defend yourself from these aircraft? We can make a few if needed.”

“That would be nice… And I hope you can work overtime to make the weapons needed as you won’t be “praising the morning” if we are overrun.”

Alpha started to walk, but got one more thing in before it left, “We have places to hide, I suggest you find a place to hide as well.”