Chapter 65: Townsman A Overruns the Empire Soldiers

“Well then, I’m heading out!”

I gave a salute to the fort’s garrison commander, who was watching me with a look of utter bewilderment, and taxied the Vytol Custom forward. I didn't opt for a vertical takeoff this time; instead, I used the runway I’d just cleared for a standard departure.

I bet he’s back there shouting, “What?! It—it actually flew?!”

From the corner of my eye, I could see the commander and several of his soldiers collapsing in shock as I took to the skies.

To give some background, the Vytol Custom was the result of the steady, incremental improvements I’d made to the original Vuitol in anticipation of this war.

For starters, the airframe was now a good one—no, two sizes larger than the original. While the pilot still operated it from a prone position, the cockpit was now enclosed by a removable polycarbonate shield covering the front and parts of the sides. This helped with aerodynamics while simultaneously protecting me from the biting chill of the wind. The increased size also meant more cargo space.

Furthermore, I’d modified it into a two-seater with Ana in mind. Once I’ve rescued her, I definitely want us to enjoy a flight together again.

But the real highlight was the modification that allowed it to function as a bomber. I figured it would be best to explain that as I put it into practice.

Currently, I was cruising at a low altitude of about two hundred meters. Usually, I flew at an estimated height of a thousand meters, but I chose this lower altitude so I could use my binoculars to visually confirm whether the soldiers below were friend or foe.

By the way, I’d made the binoculars myself as well. I wasn't an expert, so I couldn’t manage anything high-performance, but the basic mechanism was simple enough that they turned out decent.

They were a bit clunky, though.

As I continued my reconnaissance flight, I spotted an enemy unit up ahead. There were fifty—no, maybe closer to a hundred men. I wasn't familiar with the Est Empire’s specific military structure, but it looked to be about the size of a company.

Whatever they were, they’d be my first targets. This was war; there was no time for hesitation.

I shifted into a glide and performed a Transmutation, switching the Vytol Custom into bombing mode. Dropping the payload required a bit of focus, and I didn’t want to waste a drop of magical power.

Once I was nearly directly above the unit, I commenced the run. The enemy didn't show any sign of noticing me.

A series of round, transparent spheres were produced from the belly of the Vytol Custom’s fuselage, dropping away one after another. These spheres didn't contain a single grain of gunpowder, but they were legitimate bombs nonetheless—and they packed a pretty nasty punch.

The shells were made of ice, but they were hollow. Inside, I’d packed appropriately sharp pebbles, glass shards, and metal fragments, all held under the pressure of compressed air.

I’d engraved magic circles onto the spheres, reinforced specifically to prevent them from bursting outward due to the internal pressure. I hadn't actually measured the PSI, but it’s safe to say it was incredibly high.

When these bombs hit the ground, the impact shattered the ice—which had zero reinforcement against external force. Once the ice broke, the magic circle lost its effect, and the internal pressure released all at once. The result was a violent blast and a shockwave that scattered the sharp, hard fragments in every direction. Essentially, it was a "pseudo-bomb" that required neither gunpowder nor a fuse.

Even without the shrapnel, the localized blast alone was enough to take down an Orc. However, by adding the fragments, I could damage Orc-level targets across a much wider area. It was the same logic as a fragmentation grenade: the goal was to put as many enemies as possible out of commission at once.

Of course, I didn't have access to advanced tech like specialized bombsights or precision guidance, so I had to rely entirely on freefall. I compensated for the lack of accuracy with volume, dropping them in mass quantities under the philosophy that if you throw enough at a target, something is bound to hit.

Initially, I’d considered making conventional bombs, but my lack of knowledge regarding fuses made that difficult, and the manufacturing costs were prohibitively high. This method solved every one of those problems.

The only materials required were low-value, small Magic Stones—like those from Horn Rabbits or Goblins—and whatever sharp junk I could find lying around. One might think there was nothing to work with up in the sky, but as long as there are clouds, there is water vapor. Unless I was in a desert, I’d never lack for water.

Furthermore, since I didn't have to carry them in "bomb" form, there was no risk of an accidental explosion. I’d brought along five small Magic Bags that I’d been steadily buying from the Lulu Store, all filled to the brim with raw materials. They’d been a painful expense, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

As long as I had these materials, I never had to worry about running out of ammo. And, since I was staying at an altitude of two hundred meters, neither the Imperial magic nor their arrows could reach me.

While I was lost in thought, the bombs hit the ground.

A massive BOOM signaled the start. The dozens of bombs I’d released detonated in rapid succession, the roar of the explosions reaching my ears from behind. I banked the Vytol Custom, regaining a bit of lost altitude as I turned to inspect the results.

I checked the area where the dust clouds were billowing. Even through the binoculars, everything looked tiny and hard to distinguish, but I couldn't see anything moving. It looked like a total wipeout.

Oh? Wait. Looking closer at the edge of the blast zone, I saw a few figures moving, but they appeared heavily wounded.

Even though I’m used to dealing with monsters and bandits, staring too long at the carnage I’ve caused feels like a one-way ticket to PTSD. Better to leave it at that. I’d neutralized the combat capability of an entire company; that was enough.

“Mission complete. Right, next.”

I psyched myself up and went in search of the next group of enemies. Whenever I found a unit, I rained bombs down upon them.

I spent the rest of the day in a cycle of searching and bombing. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, I brought the first day of combat to a close and returned to base.

“Allen, back from the mission.”

“A-Ah... Good work. I heard some incredible sounds echoing from the distance multiple times. What on earth was that?”

“That was me. As for today’s results: I wiped out four battalion-scale Imperial units, twelve company-scale ones, and nine platoon-scale ones.”

“Wha—? What did you say? How is that even possible?”

“I bombed them from the sky with magic. They didn't seem to have a clue what was happening, so the tactic should remain effective for a while longer.”

“I... I see.”

The garrison commander looked like he still couldn't wrap his head around what was happening, but that was all he managed to say.