The production of artillery is also progressing steadily, the second embryo has entered the chambering stage, while the third is still in the stockpile of materials.

With any luck, in a month's time, he will have a gorgeous lineup of four twelve-pounder guns. There is no doubt about the advantage of firepower, but how to turn the advantage into a victory is a problem that Roland has been considering.

He was just a mechanical dog before the time crossing, and like most people, his understanding of war comes from history, movies, and games. If it was a complete cold weapon war, he would let Carter and the Iron Axe take command. But this battle is not the same, and no one knows better than himself how hot weapons are fought.

In this case, he can only combine all the knowledge he knows and make every step of the plan with a vision higher than this era.

In order to ensure victory, Roland had Lightning travel back and forth between the fortress and the border town every day, observing the road surface and accurately calculating the distance. Roland believed that victory in war was based on a great deal of reconnaissance and calculation. Whether it is the formulation of tactics or the deduction of the battle situation, these two points are inseparable.

He used the dimensions set when casting the cannon last time, made several one-meter iron rods and 100-meter hemp rope, and then drew a flight runway about one kilometer long according to the projection of hemp rope and wooden poles at the artillery test firing range west of the border town. Lightning, on the other hand, practices controlling the mana drain and traversing the kilometer repeatedly at a fixed speed.

Once she had mastered the mana output, Roland began to measure the distance from the fortress to the town. Using the time it took to make a round trip from the sundial, he calculated that the distance between the two places was about fifty-four kilometers.

Of course, this is only a straight line, in fact, there are two major bends on land to avoid the foothills of the Desperate Mountains. In any case, if the Duke chooses to march by land, it will take at least three days to reach the border town.

With lightning as a scout, Roland knew exactly where the enemy was and what to do.

Within two kilometers of the town's west, he was already filled with signals to mark the distance, and as soon as the enemy entered this range, the artillery team could quickly adjust the corresponding muzzle angle without the need for a firing meter.

Now he was starting to worry a little about what if the other party didn't come.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

The nightingale, who had been lying on the sofa chair chewing dried fish slices, disappeared instantly, and Roland coughed twice and said, "Come in." ”

Pushing open the door was Assistant to the Minister Barov, "Your Highness, there is a nobleman from the Changge Fortress who wants to see you. ”

"Who?" Roland didn't react for a moment, "they've sent an ambassador again?"

"No, not the Ambassador," Barov shook his head, "Baron Koris, who left before the Hive Moon and is now back. ”

Roland thought for a moment before remembering that the border town was indeed inhabited by fortress nobles before. But they still dare to come back? And they just ran over at the beginning of spring, haven't they seen the iron fist of the royal dictatorship?" "What does he want to see me do?"

"His house was demolished because he obstructed the defense of the city walls," said the assistant minister, "and if you don't want to receive it, I can help you refuse." ”

Roland wanted to agree, but changed his mind in a flash, "Let the baron wait for me in the drawing room." ”

Maybe we can pass him and put a little pressure on the Changge Fortress, the prince thought.

After a quarter of an hour, Roland came to the living room slowly, and on the side of the long table, a man with a round belly was already waiting a little impatiently. He walked back and forth, the flesh on his face trembling with his steps. Seeing His Highness appear, the baron stopped and reluctantly bent down to salute.

"Sit down," Roland said back to his seat. According to his usual habits, he would have made a dessert in the kitchen even if it wasn't dinner time, but today he didn't even let tea be prepared.

"Your Royal Highness," said Baron Koris hurriedly before he could sit down, "how can you let those foolish stonemasons tear down my house......! No, one hundred and fifty golden dragons!" he gestured with his finger.

One hundred and fifty, Roland sneered twice in his heart, if he had just worn to the border town, based on the prince's memory alone, maybe he would have really believed it. But now...... "Do you mean the westernmost house in town?"

Curris nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes, it's the one." It is the second largest house in the town after Baron Simon's residence. ”

"That's a pity, it's too close to the walls and obstructs the passage of my men. Roland paused for a moment, "But the town hall has already made amends. ”

"Multi-...... How much?"

Roland stretched out two fingers, "Twenty golden dragons." ”

"That's too little!" ...... Your Highness," Curris opened his mouth, as if he wanted to argue something, but finally endured. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, "Okay, twenty is twenty, where do I go to get this money?"

"Pick-up?" Roland pretended to be puzzled, "this money has already been distributed to the owner of the house." ”

"Wait, wait...... I'm the master of the house!"

"It's not you, it's Blair, the captain of my militia team two. ”

"Who is that?" cried the baron, "Your Highness, you are mistaken! I am the owner of the house!"

"But I didn't see you in winter," Roland raised an eyebrow, "how can that house be yours?"

"Of course I'm going back to Changge Fortress. Who wants to stay in this hellish place, if you're not careful, you'll have to feed the evil beast!"

Fool, Roland commented in his heart, still maintaining a flat tone between his words, "So you want to say that you abandoned your lord and fled because you were afraid of the evil beast, right?"

"Uh, I ......," the baron was stunned.

"Guards," Roland clapped his hands, and two guards immediately walked outside the hall door, sandwiching Corris in between.

"Your Highness, what do you mean!?"

"It's very simple, now you have two choices," Roland stood up from his seat and looked at the other party contemptuously, "One is that you admit that you were wrong, that house doesn't belong to you at all, I can treat it as a farce, and let you go now." The second is that during the Demon Moon, you betrayed your lord, left the territory without permission, and shamefully fled to the fortress of Changge. I will throw you in prison and hang you for defection. Which one do you choose?"

Sweat uncontrollably appeared on Koris's forehead, he swallowed his saliva, hesitated for a while before he trembled, "Your Highness, I ...... I'm mistaken, that's not my house. ”

"So it's a misunderstanding," Roland said with a shrug and toward the guard, "to get Monsieur Baron out of here." ”

When Corris reached the door, the prince stopped him: "By the way, when you return to the fortress by boat, you can bring me a letter and tell the ...... Well, the nobles who will have the same misunderstanding with you. If you don't plan to choose the second option, you don't have to waste time making a trip to town. ”

"Such as ...... Whatever you wish, Your Highness. Curris said with a forced smile, but the moment he turned around, Roland saw the other party's gritted teeth.

In that case, there must be an uproar over the fortress, right?, he thought.