“Deployment!”

The Crimson Dragon Legion began its march, accompanied by a massive supply convoy trailing behind.

“Finally, we get to use them.”
“Just one big bang, and they’ll all run away, won’t they?”
“Exactly. Those guys probably haven’t even seen weapons like these before.”

Having undergone months of firearm training, the soldiers had come to fully appreciate the destructive power of their newly issued weapons.

Veterans, already accustomed to war, felt no fear as they marched toward the battlefield. Instead, they were eager to see the might of their new weapons in action. Even the less experienced soldiers found solace in the fact that, unlike spear-wielders, musketeers faced lower casualty rates in combat. The ability to fight from a distance offered them a measure of reassurance.

“...I wonder how General Volker Rommel will respond.”
“Hah... He’s not exactly the easiest person to work with. Every time he insists on his stubborn tactics or makes unpredictable moves, it’s a headache.”
“Well, I don’t know much about it, but Commander Victor will probably handle him somehow, right?”
“...Hmm. Honestly, do we even need them?”
“Hahaha! You’re not wrong!”

The officers, too, brimmed with confidence. They discussed the notoriously obstinate General Volker Rommel of the Fifth Legion more than their immediate adversary, the Kingdom of Esperia.

Exchanging hopeful remarks, they marched toward Manzheim, the western stronghold where the Fifth Legion was stationed.

“...The Crimson Dragon Legion has begun their movement,” reported a messenger in the Fifth Legion’s war room.

The atmosphere in the room was anything but optimistic.

“Her Majesty has ordered an offensive, hasn’t she?”
“Yes, sir.”
“With 10,000 troops armed entirely with these so-called new weapons, that should be enough to break the Kingdom of Esperia’s will...”
“New weapons?”

Count Volker Rommel, drumming his fingers on the table with a displeased expression, turned his sharp gaze to the messenger.

Technically a noble aligned with the Emperor’s faction, Volker was not the type to blindly accept every imperial order.

“Are you telling me they’ve brought a ‘new weapon’ that burns through expensive gunpowder just to launch a small metal ball? And they’ve armed the entire legion with this?”
“Yes, sir. They collaborated with the craftsmen of the Kingdom of Anchester to...”
“Hah...”

Volker cut the messenger off with a long sigh, clearly dissatisfied with how the Crimson Dragon Legion was being touted as a formidable force. Shaking his head, he glanced at the similarly skeptical officers around him.

“What do you all think?”

The officers hesitated, glancing at one another before cautiously voicing their doubts.

“...A sustained offensive will likely be difficult.”
“The firepower is impressive, but the limitations of the weapon are equally clear. While their cannons will undoubtedly be useful for sieges, the muskets...”
“We’ve seen mercenary bands rely on firearms before, and they’re all buried somewhere on those plains by now.”

Volker nodded in approval as his officers voiced their reservations.

“A musket is ultimately just another ranged weapon, like a bow or a crossbow. It doesn’t kill dozens with a single shot. You still need soldiers to deal with the enemy at close range. And yet they’ve sent an entire 10,000-man legion armed with these things...”
“That’s enough.”

Satisfied with their responses, Volker nodded, and the officers quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Baron Kai Schur put it well—muskets aren’t some miraculous new weapon. They’re just one of many tools whose limitations have already been proven in countless battles. Musketeer units couldn’t even hold their ground against cavalry charges. And if we consider their utility, they’re merely a support weapon. No one builds an army entirely of archers or crossbowmen, do they? Any seasoned commander knows better.”

“...”

Drawing strength from his officers’ agreement, Volker continued.

“Even if we set that aside, muskets are inherently limited to a supplementary role. Her Majesty’s command is clear, but I struggle to see the logic in this offensive order.”

The officers exchanged uneasy glances, alarmed by Volker’s veiled defiance.

“Her Majesty expects us to coordinate with the Crimson Dragon Legion in this campaign against the Kingdom of Esperia. But all I can see is a future where the Crimson Dragon Legion claims the glory while our Fifth Legion bears the brunt of the bloodshed. And that’s assuming we even win. What happens if this half-baked offensive ends in failure?”
“...”
“And this... Victor, was it? The commander leading them? I doubt he’s someone reliable enough to entrust our backs to. If the Grand Marshal himself were leading, maybe. But expecting us to rely on a general who hasn’t even been on the battlefield for ten years?”

Taking a deep breath, Volker concluded,

“...The enemy has about 20,000 troops fortified across multiple strongholds, with the potential to recruit another 20,000 mercenaries—or more. Instead of recklessly attacking, we should let them come to us.”
“But, sir, if we don’t act, the Kingdoms of Paris and San Bastian may capitalize on the situation and make the first move,” one of the strategists bravely countered.

“You’re saying we should sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the other imperial forces?” Volker retorted coldly.

“...”

The strategist fell silent, unable to refute him. For Volker, ensuring his legion’s safety and accumulating secure, reliable merits outweighed any imperial command.

To him, an offensive was anything but safe.

“The Fifth Legion will not act as a tool for the Crimson Dragon Legion. If they wish to launch an offensive, I won’t stop them. But until they prove their operational capability, the Fifth Legion will not move.”

Volker always preferred defense to offense, attacking only when he was certain the enemy was vulnerable.

“Commander...”
“That’s right. They should fight alongside us instead of just watching from behind!”

Having experienced failures in previous assaults on Esperian strongholds, the officers found Volker’s cautious approach reassuring.

“Well, if the Crimson Dragon Legion truly demonstrates the power Her Majesty claims, then perhaps we could support them. If they prove it.”
“Indeed.”
“The mercenary recruitment and deployment are still incomplete. If the Crimson Dragon Legion is truly as formidable as they say, this could be an opportunity to deal a decisive blow to the Kingdom of Esperia.”

Though Volker subtly prepared to adapt if the situation changed, he remained determined to let the Crimson Dragon Legion take the lead.

“Keep increasing reconnaissance efforts. Don’t let any enemy movements escape our notice.”
“Yes, sir!”

Unbeknownst to his subordinates, Volker had no intention of sharing any gathered intelligence with the Crimson Dragon Legion. Confident that Esperia posed no significant threat, he was already preparing measures to constrain the legion before it even arrived.

On the same day the Crimson Dragon Legion began their march, five nobles of the Kingdom of Esperia convened in a secret meeting.

Their shared status as powerful and wealthy high-ranking nobles wasn’t the sole reason for their gathering.

“...You received one as well?”
“I did.”

Each noble produced an identical envelope from their person.

Of the six letters Theodore had sent, five had reached their intended recipients.

The crude stationery and envelope, starkly different from the refined correspondence they were accustomed to, had piqued their interest in these turbulent times of war preparation.

“Suspicious as it seemed, I burned mine after reading it. But if you all received the same letter...”
“...Then there must be something to it.”

Two of the nobles had reviewed the contents of the letter and urgently summoned others who had also received it.

“...It’s strange that Count Sancho Gonzales isn’t here.”
“I tried to broach the subject, but he didn’t react. It seems he didn’t receive one.”

While one noble expressed curiosity about Count Gonzales’ absence, the urgency of the situation quickly shifted the focus back to the letters.

“What do you make of this? The sender is anonymous, and the content is... dubious.”

Francisco Casas, the Duke and most powerful noble of the Kingdom of Esperia, broke the silence.

“Hmm. It’s hard to believe such claims. Ten thousand troops armed entirely with muskets marching against us?”
“There were rumors about a deal with the Kingdom of Anchester, so it could be true...”

As seasoned leaders, the nobles exchanged information to assess the letter’s credibility.

“...At the very least, it warrants consideration.”

They eventually agreed that much of the letter’s contents could be accurate.

“Muskets, huh.”
“A fine weapon, but raising an entire legion of musketeers seems excessive.”
“They’ll likely merge with the border troops for the campaign.”
“I’m not sure what they’re planning. Are muskets really so extraordinary that they render spears, swords, and bows obsolete?”
“The letter doesn’t go into detail about that...”

While the discussion turned toward countermeasures, Theodore’s vague letter offered little more than confirmation of an impending attack and speculation about its direction.

“Should we acquire muskets ourselves?”
“That’s difficult. The Kingdom of Anchester has drastically reduced exports, and prices have skyrocketed.”
“Even higher than the original price? Hah...”

The Empire’s trade with Anchester had severely curtailed the availability of muskets.

“Muskets take a long time to reload. If we exploit that gap...”
“There must be a reason they’re bringing so many muskets!”
“Archers and crossbowmen have never been able to pierce shields and armor. Surely, a musket’s small metal shot won’t fare much better against heavily armored infantry.”

The lack of reliable data on muskets left the nobles with little they could do.

“...We’ll need to deliberate further on detailed strategies, but on open battlefields, cavalry mobility and flanking maneuvers will remain critical.”
“Sticking to tried-and-true tactics is all we can do for now.”
“For the time being, we should fortify our defenses until the mercenaries are fully mobilized.”
“That seems the most practical option. ...Hmm. Do you think our fortresses can withstand their siege cannons?”

Lacking the resources or knowledge to transform their forces like Victor had with the Crimson Dragon Legion, the nobles could only reinforce existing tactics like ambushes, baiting, and flanking.

“When mercenaries used them, muskets didn’t seem all that impressive.”
“They’re still humans holding those muskets. They’ll fall to arrows and spears like anyone else.”
“...Yes, that’s true.”

Ultimately, the emergency meeting concluded with little to show for it.

They dismissed their unease by reminding themselves that muskets had yet to prove decisively effective in warfare.