I Pioneered Scientific Magic

"I've double-checked, Lord Edweil, the secret passage remains accessible," the elderly Suth exclaimed excitedly.

"Once we've captured the capital, I'll speak of your accomplishments to His Holiness," Edweil nodded, proceeding to explain to the puzzled bishops.

Few knew that Prince Harold had dug a hidden passage in the capital to avoid a fatal end in the struggle for the throne.

The entrance hid within the depths of the city's slums, while the exit lay concealed within the dense forest by the west gate.

Only Prince Harold and a few trusted confidants were privy to this knowledge.

Unfortunately, the cultists' assault on the capital caught Prince Harold off guard. Blocked by musketeers on his way to the passage, he and his guards fell amidst the chaotic gunfire.

Only Suth, instructed to guard the exit, narrowly escaped the ordeal.

With this revelation, the attending bishops finally understood that Edweil had premeditated strategies. Today's seemingly fierce noon attack was merely a probe to gauge the cultists' formidable tactics.

"Pearson, lead a unit of guards into the capital, await my orders!" Edweil commanded once more.

"Yes, I shall follow the Lord's will!" Pearson respectfully replied, dispelling any doubts about Edweil's command.

The guards were a specially trained covert force within the clergy, not as renowned as the Punishment Legion or the Griffin Knights, yet equally capable—masters of espionage and assassination.

Though some within the clergy deemed the guards' existence tarnished the sanctity of their faith, Pearson, not averse to conservative opinions, understood that combating cunning, sorcery-wielding cultists sometimes necessitated unconventional methods.

"The strongest fortresses are often breached from within!" After finalizing the plan to take the capital, the bishops deliberated on countering the wizards' array of new weapons to minimize casualties.

"While their weapons hold significant power, they require time to operate. I've observed that handheld firearms have about a minute interval between shots, firing in multiple stages to create continuous assaults. The more potent cannons have intervals of roughly thirty seconds..." Analyzing the situation, a cardinal bishop's expression grew grave.

Such extended intervals presented a considerable vulnerability. Without the city walls, with aegis-enforced protection, a few thousand cavalrymen could potentially secure victory against tens of thousands of musketeers.

Moreover, judging by their weapons' style, these musketeers likely lacked prowess in close combat. Some bishops were even arrogant enough to believe that eight hundred Punishment Legionnaires could vanquish the myriad musketeers on the walls.

"Their broad daylight advantage allows them to maximize these weapons' efficacy. Perhaps a night skirmish could render these new weapons useless, as even powerful armaments become futile if they can't aim accurately," proposed a cardinal bishop.

Undoubtedly, this was another advantage they possessed.

Both the Punishment Legion and the Griffin Knights, aided by their bestowed divine arts, could function in darkness just as proficiently as in daylight.

However, the same couldn't be said for their adversaries!

"An excellent strategy!" Edweil commended.

In such a short time, finding a way to counteract them wasn’t practical. Nonetheless, exploiting the enemy's strengths and weaknesses was well within their capabilities.

"Then, let's set the time for five days from now!" Edweil made the decisive call.

Five days? Pearson pondered; that should align with the reinforcements' arrival.

...

Over the following days, the clergy's massive army remained besieged outside the city. Apart from periodic aerial raids by the Griffin Knights over the capital, there was little activity.

As Lynn busied themselves with developing new firearms, they didn’t neglect intelligence gathering. Lynn deployed a sizable contingent of musketeers equipped with telescopes to monitor the enemy's every move. Additionally, some psychic wizards attempted to infiltrate the enemy’s camp using inconspicuous creatures, yet their adversaries' magical barriers thwarted these efforts. Even the burrowing moles controlled by Lynn were unearthed, their sensing capabilities deemed astonishing. Forced to retreat, they supported the musketeers from a distance.

"Isn't magic the same as sorcery? How can they easily discern between the two?" Lynn was perplexed. Ever since learning of the Holy Church's origins, this question lingered incessantly.

"I'm not well-versed in that aspect; perhaps only the council members hold that knowledge," Raphael hesitated, shaking his head before returning to peruse the intelligence reports.

Reports from both the telescopic observations of the musketeers and the manipulated creatures by the psychic wizards provided consistent information.

In these days, the Church's punitive force busily felled trees in the forest surrounding the city, crafting new siege engines. They seemed too preoccupied to plan an immediate attack.

"It appears we'll have some time to rest," Raphael sighed with relief, indicating that their previous skirmish had indeed dealt a significant blow to the punitive force, establishing a deterrence against hasty actions.

Yet, it was also plausible that Edweil perceived them as a formidable force, thus choosing to await reinforcements.

"Maintaining vigilance might be wise," Lynn disagreed with Raphael's assessment, knowing that tranquility often masked underlying turmoil.

"By the way, could we establish a magical barrier covering the entire city like theirs?" Lynn suddenly inquired, recognizing its effectiveness as a defense mechanism, potentially saving them considerable trouble.

"That... might not be easy," Raphael shrugged helplessly. The city was vast, much larger than the punitive force's encampment. The magical energy expenditure would be astronomical; even with the combined efforts of these adept wizards, they might not sustain it for long.

Relying on magic stones wasn't a viable long-term solution.

Wizards weren't like priests or bishops who could obtain aid from the false deity by merely singing praises.

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