Kingdombuilding: All My Inventions Are Novelty

Commander O’Neill stood atop the walls of Ashenford his gaze fixed on the army gathered outside the city.

At the forefront stood the Red Wolf soldiers, their matchlock muskets resting against their shoulders. Behind them were the Dutch troops—tall men with red hair, blue eyes, and sharp, high-bridged noses that made them immediately distinguishable from the soldiers of the Empire.

The sight of so many firearms made O’Neil’s expression solemn.

Ever since Brambleford had equipped its army with muskets, commanders across the empire had learned just how terrifying these weapons could be. O’Neill had personally fought alongside Brambleford’s troops.

He had witnessed what happened when hundreds of muskets were fired together. That experience had left a lasting impression. And now, four thousand musketeers stood outside Ashenford.

Worse still, six cannons had been brought with them.

Yet O’Neill was not completely without confidence.

Ashenford was no longer the same city it had been two years ago. After Simon selected this region as the location for his shipyard, Brambleford had gradually transported artillery to the city.

Thirty-six cannons now guarded Ashenford. Thirty-six cannons might seem insignificant compared with the enormous length of the city walls, but they represented the strongest firepower Ashenford had ever possessed.

Below the walls, Alonso raised his head and looked toward the city.

At first, he wore a mocking smile.

But the moment he spotted the artillery positioned along the walls, his expression changed.

His eyes narrowed.

"It seems Prince Valeric wasn’t lying."

Rhodes studied the walls carefully.

"This so-called Prince Simon might be really different."

Beside him, Zack seemed far less cautious. He looked toward the walls and grinned.

"Ambassador, this is the perfect opportunity to show these lazy empire soldiers what real military power looks like." He raised his hand, and Several Red Wolf officers immediately stepped forward.

Zack began arranging his troops into three assault formations.

"Wait."

Alonso’s sharp voice stopped him.

Zack froze.

Alonso turned toward him with an irritated expression.

"We are not here to throw away thousands of soldiers."

"But—"

"No."

Alonso’s tone became colder.

"We don’t know the strength of this city yet. We will not attack until we understand what we’re facing."

Both Alonso and Grey had repeatedly insisted on this strategy. Their objective was trade. Not conquest.

The Dutch had sent their fleet across half the world. If they became trapped in an unnecessary war and suffered a major defeat, there would be no nearby reinforcements to rescue them. They would have no choice but to abandon the region.

Zack’s bloodthirsty smile disappeared.

"Ambassador, I thought we came here to conquer Ashenford."

Alonso looked at him.

"No. We came here to negotiate first."

He pointed toward the city.

"If the prince is as weak as Prince Valeric, we may turn Ashenford into another supply station. But if he is stronger than expected, we must proceed carefully."

Zack sneered.

"What’s there to be careful about?"

He glanced at the walls.

"Those people are obviously weak. Our leader, Scott Raymond, could crush this country with ease."

His confidence grew.

"Their soldiers barely understand firearms, while every one of ours carries a matchlock." He paused before adding with obvious pride, "If you gave us flintlock and field-cannon technology, we could destroy them even with our eyes closed."

Alonso slowly turned his head toward him. There was no amusement in his eyes. Instead, there was caution.

The Red Wolf was becoming increasingly difficult to control. Thirty years ago, after acquiring European firearm technology, they had rapidly developed their own matchlock weapons.

Then came the Civil War.

Out of the chaos emerged an ambitious leader— Scott Raymond. Under his rule, the Red Wolf had become increasingly aggressive.

Alonso had already begun to worry that Scott Raymond, would eventually turn his attention beyond his own lands.

The Red Wolves were becoming too powerful, and ambitious. For the Dutch, that created a dangerous problem. They needed the Red Wolf for trade. But they also needed a power capable of restraining them.

"War is the business of your countries, We Dutch came here for trade," Rhodes said coldly as he stared directly at Zack.

"Our purpose is to discover how they obtained matchlock technology. That is your purpose as well."

The accusation was obvious.

Alonso suspected the Red Wolf had somehow allowed firearm technology to leak into the empire.

Zack’s face reddened. His bulbous nose became even more prominent as anger rose within him.

"We are no fools."

He stepped closer.

"Our craftsmen are strictly monitored. There is no possibility of them leaking firearm technology to the empire."

He pointed toward Alonso

"If it was the Dutch who sold matchlocks to Prince Valeric, making our leader extremely dissatisfied with that."

His voice hardened.

"If the Dutch intend to continue trading in these waters, you will follow our rules."

Alonso’s expression darkened.

"Watch your words. Without the Dutch, your Red Wolf would never have prospered to this extent. We brought European science and technology to your lands."

Zack sneered.

He knew the Dutch were no longer the dominant Western power they once claimed to be. But that did not mean the Red Wolf could completely dispense with them. They still needed European goods.

And the Dutch still possessed technologies the Red Wolf desired.

Neither side could afford to sever their relationship.

Zack finally lowered his gaze.

He waved his hand.

"I will follow your lead today."

The Red Wolf soldiers lowered their muskets.

Alonso gave a cold snort before turning toward the city.

This was precisely why he wanted negotiations with Prince Simon. The Red Wolf had become too arrogant, and if another power could rise in, it would give the Dutch greater room to maneuver.

For a time, Alonso had considered Prince Valeric the best candidate. But after dealing with him for so long, Alonso had changed his opinion.

Prince Valeric cared about his throne. Nothing more. But Prince Simon might be different. At the very least, the reports coming from Brambleford suggested that he possessed ambitions far beyond merely ruling his territory.

Alonso stepped forward.

Above him, Commander O’Neill watched every movement.

The artillerymen along the walls had already lit their torches. One wrong move. And the cannons would speak for themselves.

"Identify yourselves!"

O’Neill’s voice thundered across the battlefield.

"And state your purpose!"

Alonso looked up.

"My name is Alonso"

He deliberately spoke clearly.

"I am the ambassador representing the Dutch. We wish to meet with His Royal Highness."

His hands remained visible.

"Please inform His Highness that we have come without hostile intentions.

O’Neill’s expression remained cold. His voice rose.

"But if you want to see His Royal Highness, why have you brought so many soldiers?"

O’Neill pointed toward the army.

"You’ve surrounded our city with thousands of armed men and now claim you mean no offense? clearly intend to invade Ashenford!"

The soldiers behind him tightened their grip on their weapons. Despite the overwhelming force outside the walls, none of them retreated. The provincial armies had undergone years of transformation.

Loyalty had become their greatest pride. For these soldiers, abandoning their post was more shameful than death.

Alonso noticed this.

His eyes narrowed slightly. These were not the frightened soldiers he had expected.

He glanced behind himself.

All of them had been brought here partly to demonstrate strength. They wanted leverage. But the moment he saw the cannons on Ashenford’s walls, Alonso realized that displaying strength could easily become a double-edged sword.

He raised both hands slightly.

"You misunderstand us. These soldiers are here only for our protection."

He paused.

"To demonstrate our sincerity, I am willing to enter the city alone."

The declaration caused several soldiers on the wall to exchange glances.

Alonso continued.

"I will meet with His Royal Highness personally."

His voice remained calm. But beneath that confidence was caution. He had no intention of underestimating the city.

O’Neil’s eyes flickered.

He had already received instructions regarding any foreign fleet that approached Ashenford. not to fight unless necessary, and most importantly—Buy time.

O’Neill looked toward the distant sea with a small smile before returning his gaze to Alonso.

"We can send word to His Royal Highness."

Alonso’s expression relaxed slightly.

Seeing this, O’Neill gives the final blow.

"But, you will have to wait for six days."

Hearing this, Alonso felt like the air in his lungs had been suck out.

"Six days?"

"That’s right."

O’Neill replied with folded arms and a smug smile.

"If you truly came for peace, you can wait."

The battlefield fell silent.

Rhodes stared at him. In six days, he immediately understood what those words meant.

Six days were enough time for reinforcements to arrive. And everything would change completely.

And O’Neill knew it.

The two men stared at each other across the walls.

Neither spoke.

But both understood that the real confrontation was behind these six days.