Chapter 434 - 434: The Broken Balance

Unlike the Kingdom of Norvaegard, which was a kingdom of warriors, the Kingdom of Inevir was a kingdom of mages.

Most of Inevir's oldest noble families traced their bloodlines back to the spellcasters who had served the ancient empire from which the kingdom descended.

Magical talent determined the prestige of a noble house. A family that produced several high-circle mages could rise rapidly through the kingdom's hierarchy, while one whose magical bloodline weakened would gradually lose its influence.

For centuries, this inheritance had allowed Inevir to consider itself superior to its neighbors. Its ancestors had used magic to destroy the empire once inhabited by Norvaegard's ancestors, and the people of Inevir believed that history had proven their right to rule.

They had tried numerous times to take over Norvaegard, but the aura users of Norvaegard were evenly matched with Inevir's high-circle mages.

Despite the greater destructive power of mages compared to aura users, magic possessed weaknesses of its own.

Powerful spells required concentration and time. A high-circle mage could destroy a fortress wall or kill hundreds of ordinary soldiers, but doing so became considerably more difficult while a high-mantle aura user was rushing toward them.

Aura users concentrated their power within their bodies and weapons. They could survive spells that would kill ordinary people, cross the battlefield before another incantation could be completed, and cut through magical barriers once they came within striking distance.

The wars between the two kingdoms had always followed a similar pattern.

Inevir's mages would dominate the beginning of the battle, covering the battlefield with destructive spells and forcing the Norvaegardian army to advance through fire, ice, and lightning.

Then Norvaegard's strongest aura users would reach them.

Once the distance between them disappeared, the advantage shifted. A mage who could destroy an entire formation from afar might not survive several exchanges against a knight whose aura strengthened every movement.

Norvaegard also possessed every advantage enjoyed by a defending kingdom. Its armies fought close to their own fortresses, received supplies through familiar roads, and could choose where to confront the invading forces.

Inevir had to transport food, weapons, medicine, and magical supplies across the border while protecting the wagons carrying them. The farther its army advanced, the longer and more vulnerable those supply lines became.

Every failed invasion cost Inevir enormous amounts of wealth. Ordinary soldiers could eventually be replaced, but the loss of even one high-circle mage could weaken a noble family for generations.

On the other hand, Norvaegard could not invade Inevir because of the constant monster waves, and in the past they also had to deal with barbarian raids.

This created a balance between the two kingdoms. Inevir possessed enough power to invade Norvaegard, but not enough to hold the territory it captured.

Norvaegard could repel those invasions, but it could not pursue the retreating army without abandoning the people it needed to protect.

That balance had lasted for generations. Now it was beginning to change.

Barbarian raids were no longer a problem, as Lucen was able to reach a compromise with the majority of the barbarian clans.

More importantly, the creation of heavy artillery that was placed in fortresses made defending against monster waves easier, and the casualties had decreased significantly.

It took a rather long time for the other kingdoms alongside Inevir to learn of Norvaegard's innovations. When they learned about it, Norvaegard already had trains and airships.

This was due to the constant purge of spies, but, of course, they could not keep the information hidden forever.

Even after the existence of those inventions became known, reliable information remained difficult to obtain.

It took them a while to understand what those new inventions were.

The first reports concerning trains described enormous carriages that moved without horses. Airships were, as the name implies, ships flying in the air.

At first, many Inevirian nobles failed to understand why those inventions were dangerous.

A high-circle mage could destroy a train with a sufficiently powerful spell. An airship could be torn from the sky by wind or lightning. The machines themselves were not stronger than Inevir's greatest spellcasters.

That was until they heard that none of these inventions needed mages to function; any normal person could control them.

Even the newly created weapons called guns were things that normal people without aura or mana could use.

It was at this moment that not only Inevir but also the other kingdoms understood that Norvaegard was becoming dangerous.

If Norvaegard decided to attack Inevir right now, the balance they had over the centuries would be broken.

The normal soldiers of Norvaegard were now capable of killing mages and aura users using their new weapons.

That did not mean a single rifleman could defeat a high-circle mage or high-mantle aura user. Magical barriers could stop bullets, while sufficiently powerful aura users possessed the speed and reflexes to avoid or deflect them.

The danger came from numbers. A formation of riflemen could overwhelm lower-circle mages and less experienced aura users without requiring assistance from one of Norvaegard's strongest warriors.

Concentrated gunfire could also force more powerful opponents to remain on the defensive long enough for an aura user to reach them.

Against soldiers armed with guns, Inevir's ordinary troops would be placed at a severe disadvantage. They could still protect the mages, hold territory, and transport supplies, but they could no longer overwhelm Norvaegard through numbers alone.

This made the agreement Inevir had reached with the Rocton Empire before learning about the new weapons a stroke of extraordinary luck. Without it, Inevir might have been forced to abandon its plans for conquest and hope that Norvaegard remained content within its borders.

Rocton had promised soldiers, weapons, funds, and even magical research. More importantly, the empire possessed enough resources to replenish Inevir's losses throughout a prolonged war.

Inevir just needed to cause as much chaos as possible, and while they were at it, steal those new weapons they had created; better yet, kidnap the one who created them.

Unfortunately, both things proved to be quite a problem. They had stolen a few of the rifles, but it was proving difficult to replicate them, and even if they made a crude version, the real problem was the ammunition.

A small mistake could cause the rifle to jam. A larger one could make it explode in the hands of the soldier using it.

Then there was the idea of kidnapping the creator of the weapons, and that was the heir of the Iron Duke, the ruby-eyed monster Lucen Thornehart.

Some Inevirian nobles initially believed the stories surrounding him had been exaggerated. He was called the Ever-Victorious, the dragon slayer, and the man responsible for weapons capable of changing warfare across the continent.

Their doubts disappeared after Inevir's spies observed him during the monster waves.

Lucen's aura and mana core did not appear particularly impressive compared to those of veteran knights and mages.

However, the power he displayed could not be measured through either of them. He combined firearms, explosives, aura, magic, and an almost unnatural awareness of everything happening around him.

Capturing him would be considerably more difficult than killing him. Most of the time, Lucen was accompanied by Sir Thalos or people from his created unit Thornefang.

***

Within the royal palace of Inevir, one of the stolen rifles rested upon a long stone table. Beside it lay the remains of the kingdom's latest attempt to reproduce its ammunition.

The copied ammunition had fired successfully. The rifle had exploded on the seventh shot. A middle-aged man wearing a magnificent cloak, holding a staff adorned with numerous gems, sat in the center seat.

This was King Aeurion Athavar, the descendant of a true archmage, one who had reached the tenth circle.

Seated around King Aeurion were the heads of Inevir's oldest magical families. None of them spoke as the court artificer responsible for the damaged rifle lowered his head.

"How long will it take to make a replica of this?"

"... I have no concrete idea. The device itself is easy to replicate, but the so-called bullets are another matter. I have failed you, Your Majesty." The artificer lowered his head as he spoke.

Aeurion studied the damaged rifle before returning his attention to the artificer. "I do not need your apology. I need results."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You will receive additional artificers, alchemists, and craftsmen. Whatever materials or equipment you require will be provided. Submit a list before the end of the day."

The artificer hesitated. "Even with more assistance, it may take some time."

"That is why I am giving you more people. I do not expect you to finish tomorrow, but I expect better progress than this. Work as quickly as you can," Aeurion replied.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The artificer bowed and left the chamber.

Aeurion's gaze returned to the shattered rifle. A real war was around the corner; this time, one of them would be devoured.