The Mechanical Era - 179 Interviewing Richard Armstrong (1)

The sun rose once again to the city of Hoverdam. The sunlight rays passed through the glass window and into Kant’s face, fully waking him up. He had a big day today, and he needs to get ready.

Kant goes over his morning routine as usual, brushing his teeth, taking a cold morning shower, and wearing his normal attire consisting of his black suit, pants, shoes, and tie, along with his white shirt, before eating up his breakfast consisting of a balanced diet, as well as his bitter cups of coffee that he drinks into his gullet.

Once he is done, he heads straight to his office, where he crosses out the ’14th’ date of the month with a sharp pencil. He then takes his seat and waits until the interviewee comes along knocking on his door.

From what Kant has been informed, Richard Armstrong entered the city of Hoverdam on the 12th of Folia, just three days ago. He informed him that he wanted to take a tour of the city before heading over to Kant’s office, which Kant respected. He should be heading over here right about now.

As he waited, he took a look at the other files on his desk, starting with the first one. From what it says, the construction of the Hoverdam Institute of Scientific Advancement and Research had just started construction two days ago. All the supplies such as cement, steel, bricks, and glass were being brought over in time.

Knock Knock Knock

Kant can hear heavy arms knocking on the door. After placing any unnecessary files inside the drawer, he permits the man on the other side to enter. The door swings open, and a tall, muscular man walks to enter the room, leaning down a bit.

He had a great bald triangular head, with a black goatee and a pair of square glasses in front of his deep brown eyes.  He came in wearing his knight uniform, which consisted of a long-sleeved silver shirt with brass buttons, pants, and black shoes. On his shoulders were a pair of gold epaulets, integrated into the shirt. As soon as he entered the room, he bows down in front of Kant and greets him good morning.

“Good Morning your majesty. I hope I am not late?” he asks in his deep voice.

“No… you are just in time Knight Richard Armstrong. Please, sit down.” Kant pointed to his seat all while smiling. Armstrong stood up and took his seat.

“I got to admit, your majesty, you got a rather interesting place running here. Never before I have been surprised by such interesting technologies and developments in any other city,”

“Why thank you. I guess you can attribute that to the rapid technological advancement that had been occurring in the city. Now, let’s put that to the side, and begin the interview, shall we?”

“I guess we shall,” Armstrong replied, all while keeping a straight face. Kant picked up the gray file laying on the desktop and opened it up. He read through its pages before asking the first few questions.

“Now, Knight Richard Armstrong, can you describe your previous experience in defense and military strategy?” Kant asked his first question.

“I had started my leadership position in the 4,990s during the succession crisis. At first, I took charge of smaller units, but as I climbed the ranks, I commanded a sizable force myself and even became one of the most trusted strategists among my superiors.

However, I do not think you wish to hear that. You wish to hear more of my present achievements, whether you can see if I have faced or handled the development of the firearm into the continent. So I think it would be best to talk about that.

During the war, I commanded a 47-knight cavalry force, along with 8,600 peasant infantry units. By that point, I have heard of the enemy using these strange weapons they called muskets.

When I first fought off with the weapons, I, unfortunately, made a massive blunder, by using the old techniques on the enemy. As a result, I suffered many casualties and death.

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So, to test this theory, I sent out a limited knight cavalry force at them, one tightly packed, and one spread out. Their orders were to go halfway, and then come back before their shields broke.

From that little trial run, I found out that my assumption was correct, and I had learned some vital information regarding the enemy’s weapons. I set up a strategy to take care of them.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom

While it was made clear that we might not be able to defeat them in their current state, I had planned on slowing them down, and fighting a war of attrition until the demonic wave would have come.

I had split my forces into two units. The first was a cavalry unit. They were two scattered around and attack the marching musketeer soldiers, whilst the peasant infantry set up traps along the road, while also taking away any food and water they could find in the forest.

I had pursued this strategy, all the way until I voluntarily surrendered when I heard the news that the city of Tyrol had fallen. By that point, there was no reason to continue fighting, and I justified to myself that their energies and lives would be better off fighting the demons,” Armstrong answered, while Kant listened in closely.

“Hmm… I see.” Kant wrote down something in the file with his pencil, before moving on to the next question.

“Alright, Knight Armstrong. Next question. How familiar are you with the current political landscape of the continent, especially regarding my kingdom, along with the others.”

“I would like to believe that I have managed to catch on to a few things. From what I see, Rose Valine is increasing her grasp on the continent, by forming the Aceaton Empire and unifying half of the continent, and integrating the northern states using geography and the treaty.

The empire has just started to send musketeer troops to more rural towns within their empire, near the borders to the northern states, to integrate them well into the empire as a whole.

As for the northern states, she tries to integrate the northern city-states, by replacing their older rulers with much more inexperienced and more mild children and being a big market they can sell to.

Things like food, metals, and such had been mined and shipped off to their kingdom, which can be turned into whatever they needed. All except for this kingdom, the kingdom of Hoverdam.

You are starting to become more like the workshop of the continent. On my way to this city, I made several stops in other cities, to look around. There, I started to spot something I found rather peculiar.

Clothes made out of cotton, wool, and canvas, were popular among the locals for their cheap prices. Imported items such as knives, spoons, forks, and peelers, being sold in the market for competitive prices.

I wasn’t sure where these items were coming from until I came here. They were all coming from this very city, being built in those giant workshops, transported cheaply over to the ports with those metal carriages, and shipped across the entire continent to be sold in other markets, in the other northern kingdoms that are distributing manpower to other parts of the economy like agriculture and such.

This kingdom of yours is becoming the continent’s workshop, where people can buy almost anything for cheap. Though it may sound neat, it could mean you might find yourself coming into trouble with other kingdoms, afraid that you may become too powerful, especially the Aceaton Empire itself.”

“Hm… fascinating.” Kant wrote down something in the files again, before moving on.

“Next question. Can you provide an example of a successful military operation that you have led in the past?”

“In 4996 I.C., I was in charge of planning a large operation to take over the city of Tyrol. Back then, the city was under the rule of the brother of the previous king, who claimed he was the legitimate ruler of Tyrol.

Needless to say, my boss back then, the previous King of Tyrol,  had none of it. He gathered his most trusted advisors, myself included, to come up with the plan.

It was there that I proposed to bait the king outside of the security of his castle walls, quickly encircle his forces, and take him down right there. We had to do an extensive disinformation campaign, tons of training among the knights, and equip the peasant infantry with new equipment.

Needless to say, when the operation was conducted, that king was overthrown and executed, allowing for the previous king to rise to the throne until even he got ousted.” Armstrong replied.