Mage? Magic Engineer!

The five models were each different. The "Heavy Cannon Shooter" halted midway, before it had even reached the enemy’s position.

Soon, its actions lived up to its name:

The "Heavy Cannon Shooter" grabbed a special, round shell from a horse-drawn cart advancing alongside it. The shell was so large that only a naval cannon could have fired it from a barrel. But now, holding the massive projectile in its hand, its entire body leaned back into a classic throwing stance.

A sound like a steam whistle shrieked from its Mechanical Body. As a massive amount of high-pressure steam vented, it finished powering up. It lifted a leg, drew back its arm, then stomped down hard, twisted at the waist, and hurled the projectile.

The entire motion started slow and accelerated rapidly. Finally, its arm shot out, imparting astonishing kinetic energy to the shell. The projectile’s shadow streaked over trench after trench, and thanks to the Giant’s superior vantage point, it precisely targeted a camp in the Empire Army’s rear.

A second shell followed, then a third. After destroying an enemy artillery position and a building suspected of being a command post, the "Heavy Cannon Shooter" resumed its advance, catching up to the other four units.

The other units had their own methods of attack; some swung chain flails, while others simply used their reinforced hands to pummel the enemy relentlessly. Each of these machines was as tall as a small building, and as soon as they stepped into the trenches, the Empire Army’s defenses seemed to crumble like paper. The National Guard swarmed in behind them, following the paths they trampled, and easily broke through three defensive lines.

Among the Empire Army, the Military Mages, dressed identically to the other officers, finally stepped forward. However, they still didn’t act directly, instead directing the remaining operational cannons to finish reloading as quickly as possible.

There were actually still quite a few surviving cannons; besides those on the main front, many more were dispersed behind the three trench lines.

The Empire Army Mages communicated among themselves using [Radio Communication Skill]. After confirming the Forbidden Magic Device couldn’t reach the battlefield in time, they quickly took control of the cannons near them.

In an instant, dozens of cannons roared in unison. They not only fired at the exact same moment, but every single one was locked onto the same target, aimed at the exact same impact point.

The unit charging at the very front, named "Dragon Horn Helmet," suffered a devastating blow. Although the cannons had fired simultaneously, their calibers and distances to the target varied. As a result, solid shot and exploding shells slammed into its chest plate one after another, like a relentless series of hammer blows.

The concentrated attack from the first few shells pushed the Shield’s damage absorption to its limit, causing it to shatter. Shells began to embed themselves in the "Dragon Horn Helmet’s" chest plate, quickly followed by a second, and a third. The precise, focused fire produced a remarkable effect. After a shell struck the power source in its chest cavity, energy began to leak. Steam jetted erratically from every seam on its body as it lost all balance and mobility before crashing to the ground.

After falling, it finished venting steam and began to spew tongues of fire, looking as if it was about to explode.

Soft mud splattered from the impact. The Empire Army soldiers let out a collective sigh of relief. At least these steel giants weren’t invincible.

Witnessing the Empire’s counterattack, the other Giant Machinery Assaulters stopped charging recklessly and instead began to consciously prioritize targets like pillboxes and artillery. Soon, the Empire Army’s second volley arrived. They used the same trick again—overwhelming Magic with brute force—expending dozens of shells to take out a second unit.

These assaulters had limited operational endurance. By now, they had nearly burned through their reserves of Flammable Element and Transmuting Dust. The "Heavy Cannon Shooter" ground to a halt between the first and second trench lines, dropping to one knee.

Fortunately, their mission was complete. The National Guard was now unstoppable.

The Empire Army command issued the order to retreat, and the troops began a fighting withdrawal. Setting aside the impact of the Giant Machinery Assaulters, their firepower was still superior to the National Guard’s. In particular, each company possessed around five of the new-model repeating rifles, which deterred the enemy from a rash pursuit.

"Retreat. Fall back to the Alpha Defense Line." The public channel of the [Radio Communication Skill] now carried only the retreat order. A Military Mage swung himself onto his horse.

The Mages in the Empire Army had all been integrated. They no longer wore special uniforms, blending in with the other officers. Only an inconspicuous mark on their name tags distinguished them, at least ensuring the Valois people couldn’t identify the Casters from their artillery positions.

One of the Military Mages, before spurring his horse to retreat, glanced back at the ravaged battlefield:

Damaged and deactivated Giants smoldered or vented steam on the horizon. On the field, gray and blue-and-white uniforms were tangled together where Imperial troops were still locked in melee, either unaware that the main force had begun to pull back or unable to disengage. Small units of the National Guard had broken through, but they couldn’t catch the retreating enemy under the Empire Army’s covering fire...

More thick smoke rose into the air as the retreating Empire Army put the torch to everything they couldn’t carry—gunpowder and grain plundered from the locals.

The Military Mage looked at the surrounding soldiers and officers, who seemed unconcerned by the day’s defeat. ’True, all that was lost was the Valois people’s homeland,’ he thought. ’The grain we burned was also stolen from the Valois people. And most importantly, behind us is a safe zone protected by an even stronger line of defense...’

The Military Mage felt a flicker of doubt. ’Is this fortified defense line a good thing, or a bad thing?’

...

Druao and the Mage beside him took in the entire battlefield. The Mage remarked, "Not bad. I’d guess that was [Guided Shooting]."

The Major General didn’t recognize it as a Magic spell. "Hmm?"

"It’s just a First Ring Magic! But they’ve found some clever applications for it. They can not only cast it on multiple cannons at once, but their control over the impact points is nearly perfect," the Mage explained to Druao.

"Although the Shield equipped on a Giant Mechanical Body can withstand at least two Third Ring Magic spells, the Casters in the Empire Army didn’t engage directly. Instead, they used the cannons to retaliate, concentrating their fire to break through both the magical and steel-plated defenses."

"Could you... use that [Guided Shooting] on our cannons as well?"

"Apologies, but I’ve never heard of any of our Mages learning that spell. Even for something like hunting, a [Magic Missile] that can turn and track is a better choice. Our school of thought is different from those Empireist academics." The Mage’s reply left Druao a little disappointed.

Throughout the battle, the Mages on both sides had refrained from direct engagement, tacitly agreeing to provide support from the rear. Druao wanted to replicate Paul’s glorious feat of killing several Empire Casters with a single cannon blast, but unfortunately, he hadn’t seen a single confirmed Empire Caster appear during the entire engagement.

But they were there, and they had played a crucial role in destroying two of the Giant Machinery Assaulters. The cost to manufacture a single one of those units was equivalent to outfitting an entire infantry division, a thought that made Druao feel both heartache and relief. At least his own force’s "Heavy Cannon Shooter" had only run out of power and hadn’t sustained any major damage.

The Mage beside him was completely unconcerned, his expression almost relaxed. Druao hated Casters like that. He felt as if a power struggle was being waged behind the scenes. Whether it was the Guard fighting to defend their homeland or the Empire Army fighting for glory, both had become mere pawns for the Casters. ’They no longer enter the fray to kill one another; they decide victory and defeat with a game of chess.’

And while those pawns truly bled and died, judging by the expression on the Mage beside him, the man didn’t feel the slightest bit of compassion.

Druao found himself missing his two Caster subordinates, Paul and Pascal. At least they had been proper soldiers—patriots of flesh and blood.

Just as the two men were lost in their own thoughts in the command post, a soldier came to report: "Among the captured Imperial soldiers, there is one who wishes to see the commander."

"Oh? Is he a Great Noble?" Druao’s interest was piqued. Valois was short on funds, and the National Salvation Committee encouraged the army to squeeze what it could from any "fat fish" among the prisoners.

"No, he claims to be the younger brother of a Mage... That Caster is from the Tower of Stars."

Hmm?

Druao and the Mage beside him looked at the soldier at the same time. "Did he give any names?"

"His own name is Franz. He says he has a brother named Rorschach, who, according to Franz, is an extremely powerful Caster."