Ravenna, Hughes, and John arrived at the bcksmith's workshop, a hive of activity where steam engines hissed and groairelessly ing out steel arrow pos. Bcksmiths moved with practiced precision, assembling rapid-fire crossbows using the parts produced by the meized fes. The air was heavy with the st of molteal and soot, the g of hammers on steel blending with the rhythmic hum of maery.

  However, their purpose here wasn’t solely to oversee the produ of crossbows. In the ter of the workshop, five smaller and intricately designed ballistas stood out, gleaming with fresh metal. These were no ordinary siege ons—they were something new, something revolutionary.

  he chief bcksmith, noticed their arrival and quickly stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Yhness! I didn’t realize you had arrived."

  Ravenna nodded, her expression calm but focused. She gestured towards the ballistas. "We’ve just arrived. But I want you to brief the knight captain and vice-captain about these immediately."

  Nille followed her gaze and motiooward the ons. "These are spring-powered ballistas," he began, his toinged with pride. "They operate on the same principles as the rapid-fire crossbows but on a much rger scale."

  He stepped up to one of the maes aured for a knight to assist him. The knight carefully loaded a cloth-covered steel javelin into the on's chamber as Nille tinued his expnation.

  "With the help of the steam engine, we’ve mao produce five of these so far. Unfortunately, even with the engines speeding up produ, assembling these ons is a bor-intensive process. The bcksmiths are exhausted, and I estimate we might only be able to produore before the attack."

  Ravenna aowledged his report with a slight nod, her sharp eyes scrutinizing the ballistas. Meanwhile, Hughes and John stepped closer, iing the meisms with curiosity and awe.

  Hughes, his voice tinged with a mix of nervousness aement, asked, "Does that mean... does that mean these also rapid-fire, like the crossbows? Powered by the spring meism?"

  Nille smiled faintly. "In theory, yes. Not only that, but their range and accuracy should be more thaimes that of standard ballistas. The meism has beeed extensively, but we haven’t yet had the ce to test their ability to fire multiple steel javelins in rapid succession. We simply don’t have the time."

  John frowned. "We ’t risk deploying these ued in a real battle. If they fail, it could cost us dearly."

  Hughes nodded. "Agreed. A full test might not be feasible, but we o duct at least a basic trial to gauge their capabilities before including them in our strategy."

  Ravenna’s gaze remaieady as she sidered their words. "The’s not dey. We’ll test them on the beach immediately."

  The team moved swiftly to the beach, apanied by a small group of knights and priests ag as engineers. The spring-powered ballistas were loaded onto carts and transported carefully, each oed like a precious artifact. On the open sands, the ons were set up fag the o, where their performance could be assessed without risk to anyone nearby.

  Nille began overseeing the preparations. "We’ll start with a single javelin shot to test range and accuracy. Then, we’ll attempt a rapid-fire sequeo see how well the meism handles repeated use."

  The first ballista was loaded with a steel javelin, its spring meism wound tightly. A knight stepped back after seg the on, while another mahe trigger.

  "Ready!" Nille called.

  "Fire!" Hughes ordered.

  The ballista released the javelin with a sharp thwang, the sound of the spring reverberating through the air. The projectile shot forward with tremendous speed, slig through the air before nding far out in the waves, kig up a spray of water.

  One of the priests, watg with a spygss, whistled in amazement. "Nearly a kilometer! And dead-on accurate!"

  Ravenna’s expression remained posed, though her torayed a hint of satisfa. "Good. Let’s see if it handle rapid-fire."

  Nille nodded and directed the knights to load three javelins into the ballista. The on’s spring was adjusted to ensure tinuous tension, and the firing meism was set for sequential release.

  "Ready for rapid-fire testing!" Nille announced.

  "Proceed," Ravenna anded.

  The trigger ulled, and the ballista unleashed its first shot, quickly followed by a sed and third in rapid succession. Each javelin soared through the air, maintaining a sistent trajectory. However, after the third shot, the meism emitted a faint grinding noise, and Nille sigo stop.

  "Three secutive shots," he reported, examining the ballista. "The meism is intact, but it’s clear that sustained rapid-fire will cause strain. With some adjustments, it could handle more, but for now, three shots in quick successioo be the limit."

  Hughes crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Three shots is still very impressive; this literally ge our deferategy’s oute."

  Ravenna turo Nille. "Ehe bcksmiths focus on refining the meism of the existing ballistas. Even if we ’t produce more, improving their performance will be vital."

  Nille bowed. "Uood, Yhness."

  As the team packed up the ballistas, the knights were abuzz with excitement. Though the ons were far from perfect, they represented a signifit tactical advantage—a glimmer of hope against the ing assault. For now, Ravenna, Hughes, and Joh a small measure of relief.

  In this world, ballistas, trebuchets, and catapults reigned supreme as the primary tools e-scale warfare, alongside the ever-present influenages. The existenages had signifitly staghe practical evolution of industries. Where people oh might have pursued stifiovation to address plex challehis world had leaned heavily on the venienagic.

  For instance, medical advas often relied on healing magic, while the creation of snow or refrigeration was effortlessly achieved by mages using a few ented flowers. This heavy relianagic stuhe development of many teologies that might have otherwise emerged, such as steam engines, advanced metallurgy, or the widespread use of chemical propelnts.

  Oriking example was the absence of ons, a staple of medieval deferategies oh. While certain regions had experimented with magical versions of on-like ons, the cept of a gunpowder-powered on was still far from realization. The ck ency to innovate in this dire stemmed from the ease with which mages could substitute magical solutions for traditional engineering.

  For Ravenna, the prospect of developing a on was entirely out of reach giveime straints. However, after the success of spring-powered crossbows, the idea of sg up the same principles for ballistas seemed feasible. This was why she had prioritized their creatinizing their immediate practicality.

  Ba the study, Ravenna, Hughes, and John gathered to discuss the day’s progress. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of nterns casting long shadows over the sprawling map oable.

  “Now we have a way to ehe ships don’t retreat,” Ravenna said, her tone firm and resolute. Her pierg gaze sed the map, which dispyed key locations of strategic importance.

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