A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 402 Panic and Unity

Fortunately, the incessant chatter at the National Assembly did not deter the nationwide militia from gathering in the capital to defend the country's most important city. Armies raised independently by different regions converged at the semi-permanent camp "Villar Training Ground" and other encampments on the outskirts of the city, where they received reorganization and supplies.

Unlike previous armies, this time the main force, from commanders to soldiers at the grassroots level, consists of farmers, small craftsmen, and others who voluntarily joined the ranks of those defending the country and protecting the great changes. Major cities also spontaneously donated supplies to alleviate the logistical pressure on the newly assembled troops.

In addition, spellcasters joined Valois's army for the first time.

Their lips parted, and Paulina looked at Pascal with concern: "Are you really going to the battlefield?"

"Honestly, everything here makes me tired of it. Except for you, of course." Pascal smoothed his hair sheepishly, unsure how to phrase his words.

"I still prefer to call the Mountain Faction a club, and my role in it is no longer significant. In short, Maxim is surrounded by eloquent people, just as our enemies in the meeting hall are."

"The arguments can't stop even as the imperial army presses in. I think we should try a different approach to salvage our past ideals. I'm sorry, Bao, I..."

Paulina didn't say anything more: "Be careful, the Imperial Army also has mages on duty." After saying that, she put a tricorn hat on Pascal's head, with a tricolor flower badge pinned to it.

Pascal hugged him again: "You too, don't go to unfamiliar neighborhoods lately."

The city was plunged into a new round of chaos. The Tower of Stars closed its entrance once again, and the Magic Guild temporarily closed its headquarters in Valuva after the "wave of withdrawals."

The National Guard has recently been greatly expanded and is about to be deployed to proactively confront the Imperial Army's vanguard. Meanwhile, new rumors have begun to circulate within the city:

Once the guards leave Valuana, the situation in the city will spiral out of control, and all those who oppose the great changes, collude with foreign powers and exiles, and bandits who want to take advantage of the chaos will emerge and cause trouble.

Amid the panic fueled by rumors, the trials of the king's remnants and suspected individuals went off track. In a way, what the royalists feared had come to pass: armed civilians began kicking down the doors of suspected individuals and dragging out potential enemies for public trials that bypassed the law and were based solely on patriotism and moral standards.

In addition, some nobles imprisoned due to their involvement in the king's escape were released—but instead of a pardon, they faced a temporary trial presided over by commoners. Most people were unfamiliar with the complex legal provisions, and once the evidence was accepted by the onlookers, the unfortunate individuals on trial were pushed to the guillotine amidst cheers.

These horrifying instruments of torture have been widely erected in the streets of Valuana and the surrounding countryside, with the guillotine rising and falling in rapid succession.

Maxim was powerless to do anything, having already declined the position of presiding judge of the ad hoc tribunal: "Because most of the defendants are my political enemies, I should not participate in the rulings for the sake of fairness."

However, those suspects did not receive justice in the legal sense, but rather a verdict of public opinion dominated by anger and fear. Moreover, most of the Mountain Faction condoned or even supported the spontaneous, swift trials and executions by the public, viewing them as a manifestation of major reforms being implemented in the judicial field.

In short, Pascal was somewhat disappointed. He no longer wanted to play the role of "Thor" and simply decided to ignore it.

"Brother, it's time to go." Paul, who came from Gascecogne, stopped his horse at the door of the lovers' residence. He also brought another horse for Pascal to ride.

"Take care." After parting ways, Paul and Pascal headed one after the other to the Villar training ground to report for duty. Pascal was a little disappointed because Paul had passed the junior mage exam smoothly after completing his studies, while Philip Ping'e had surprisingly failed in his first year.

The camp is now teeming with people, and chaos is inevitable, as most of the members are essentially a motley crew. Without exception, former National Guard veterans have been made into key personnel, each mentoring three to five new recruits to quickly familiarize themselves with the army's systems and procedures.

Some are still being reported and awaiting inclusion in combat training, while others have already begun drills. It is said that there are at least three other legions from other regions outside the main camp.

Paul and Pascal actually brought their own horses, which would be difficult for ordinary people to afford. Everyone was watching them, making the two mages feel a little uncomfortable.

They simply dismounted and led the horses to the camp gate to register.

The registration information is simple: name, gender, age, and home address—to ensure that good news or heavy news reaches family members.

"Gasikonne? Then you should go and report to the rebels from the west of the city."

Paul insisted on going with his senior: "No need, I've been here much longer than I've been in my hometown, but my whole family is here." Pascal remembered that Paul was born into a poor noble family with a large group of brothers and sisters. In his words, no matter how much money his father made by representing others in court, it would be eaten up by their bottomless mouths.

After the initial registration and physical examination, they were assigned to their respective teams. Officers asked if they had served in the military or received military training, but they didn't answer. They were then asked what their job was.

The two paused for a moment, because Cano had strictly forbidden them from revealing their spellcasting abilities before the battle: "As far as I know, those foolish generals plan to group spellcasters together. Now that the Empire has a way to temporarily disable magic, are you grouping yourselves together so that the cannonballs can take you all with you?"

Suddenly, an officer whom Pascal knew appeared and came to his rescue. Pascal had worked with Instructor Drouot at the Valuvana Normal School when he substituted for Rorschach.

At this critical juncture, the former members of the Artillery Academy suddenly became the backbone of the force, and the artillery units they organized became the most valued asset of the National Assembly. Drouot's status in the army also rose accordingly, and he became a colonel in the expanded rear guard.

During his patrol, he recognized Pascal and, bypassing the assigned officers, took both men away: "You brought horses?"

"Yes."

"Come directly to my camp." Drouo said as he led the two men inside, shouting to the officer in charge of the second registration: "Make it up, two literate and arithmetic experts have joined the Second Artillery Battalion of Drouo's First Valuwana Legion."

The artillery officer, pipe in mouth, gave the two men no chance to speak: "If you understand parabolas, there's no reason you can't learn how to fire a cannon, mil. Hmm, let's divide a circle into 6400 equal parts."

Drouot simply abandoned the patrol and gave the two bewildered individuals a pre-job training session on the way. He finished just as they arrived at the artillery camp: "Understood?"

"Uh, maybe."

"It's alright, you'll understand once you try it. To put it simply, the gunner's job is to adjust the gun to a perfect position, and then 'bang!' make the enemy suffer while you feel good." Drouot made a crude gesture, which made the others in the camp burst into laughter.

The soldiers weren't surprised that the commander was recruiting people directly, because the entire army was expanding rapidly, and most people joined in this way.

Finally, Drouo lowered his voice: "I don't know why you're hiding your identities, but promise me, when it's time to act, don't hold back, okay?"

(End of this chapter)