“This is a heavy machine gun, using the same bullets as the bolt-action rifle. You can just take the bullets from the cloth belt and fire them from the new rifle.” His Royal Highness patted the sturdy firearm. “As for its mechanism, it is much more complicated than the rifle. It's pointless to explain, as you wouldn't understand. I've named it the Mark I Heavy Machine Gun, and I'll personally demonstrate it.”

When he sat behind the firearm and pressed down on the trigger at the rear, Iron Axe could hardly believe his eyes!

A continuous stream of fire burst from the muzzle, the ejected air stirred up the fluffy snow, and bullets surged toward the gun body one after another as if drawn by something. At the other end, hot cartridge cases ejected rapidly, dozens of them falling to the ground in the blink of an eye!

Although there was only one firearm firing, the momentum was more astonishing than a firing squad’s volley. The gunshots blended into a string, with no gaps in between. The Prince did not aim at the distant target, but at the snow not far in front. The dense bullets created pillars of snow, and the entire ground seemed to be boiling. Before one snow pillar could fall, another had already risen, as if the bullets were weaving a net of death in that area, anyone who tried to cross it would be shattered.

“This… is too amazing,” muttered the Chief Knight.

Not only Carter, Iron Axe glanced at the others. Except for Nightingale, who was always by Roland's side, the other witches were stunned. Ash, the black-haired woman wielding a giant sword, had an even more complex expression, filled with shock, confusion, and loss.

Iron Axe couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy. He was able to become the chieftain of the Aosha clan because of his bowmanship and swordsmanship, which he had practiced diligently since childhood. Those with exceptional talent, who remained undefeated in the clan's arena fights, were sought after by the clan leaders. But no matter how quick their reactions or how agile their movements, they could not avoid bullets they couldn't even see. Even the need to reload firearms was eliminated by the Mark I. One could imagine that if the First Army was equipped with ten to twenty heavy machine guns, the enemy's skills honed over a decade would become a joke.

This feeling must not be pleasant.

… Fortunately, he had found a new path.

*******************

Yezi moved swiftly through the branches, driving the demonic beasts that had entered the Misty Forest towards the city walls.

Now she controlled an area almost the size of a small town, and these plants were like her eyes and limbs. They not only grew according to her will, but could also form defenses against outsiders. However, His Highness repeatedly emphasized that she didn't need to deal with the enemies herself. If she encountered powerful demonic beasts or devils, she should notify the town's garrison. Especially the latter – if she was discovered, causing the devils to destroy the entire forest would be a greater loss. He would still need her to provide early warnings in the future, and the forest resources that could be adjusted on demand were also a great asset.

To this end, Yezi had cleared a space near the town, planning to start planting a new batch of "Golden Number One" wheat after the Evil Moon ended. With the Heart of the Forest providing her with a source of magic, the wheat ears used for seeding would grow almost inexhaustibly, enough to supply all the farmers in the Western Territory.

Just then, she sensed a group of wolf-like hybrids entering the edge of the forest.

Yezi immediately turned her gaze to these invaders. She saw the robust demonic beasts fleeing deeper into the forest. Just as she was about to use a messenger bird to notify the First Army and drive them back to the city walls, she suddenly noticed something was wrong.

They had completely lost their former ferocity, fleeing in a panic as if driven by something. Even the outstretched branches and vines could not stop their rapid steps.

Could it be… the devils were here again?

Yezi frowned. Just as she was about to expand her scanning range, a warm sensation came from above her head.

She abruptly looked up and saw a few cracks appearing in the cloud-covered sky. Golden light shone through the clouds

and sprinkled down on the white Western Territory—

*******************

“How should this part be handled?” Tilly pointed to a formula on the page.

“Hmm… you should substitute the fourth equation here, combine it into a new equation, then differentiate it to get the formula on the page.” Anna quickly wrote down the derivation process on the draft paper. “It’s roughly like this.”

“I see,” Tilly clapped her hands. “If you take this variable, then its result should approach 1.”

“You’re really amazing, to be able to calculate this result in your head,” Anna praised.

“Hehe,” the Fifth Princess smiled shyly. “This is my ability… you’re the really amazing one, to be able to learn the new teaching materials he wrote so quickly.”

Anna showed a gentle smile – a smile that only appeared when Roland Wimbledon was mentioned.

Whenever this happened, Tilly couldn't help but feel emotional. Regardless of whether Roland was the former Fourth Prince, the fact that the pure and kind Anna liked him so much meant that he couldn't be an evil person. In fact, the more she spent time with him, the more she could feel his unique charm – Roland was different, like a visitor from another world, out of step with all the nobles of this world, but inexplicably reassuring. Looking at the gray sky outside the window, Tilly sometimes couldn't help but wish that the Evil Moon could last forever. When she had learned all of his knowledge, even if Roland kept silent, she would be able to truly understand him, right?

Shaking her head to gather her thoughts, just as she was about to ask the next question, the position of the page her finger was pointing at suddenly became brighter.

The two of them looked out the window at the same time and saw that the sky, which had been scattering with snowflakes, had somehow burst forth with rays of light, gilding the clouds with a golden edge. The people bustling in the town also noticed this change, and more and more people quickly poured into the streets, cheering.

Tilly stared blankly at the horizon, her feelings mixed—

*******************

The gunfire ceased, a pile of cartridge cases lay at His Royal Highness’s feet, and white steam rose from the barrel, with a hint of dark red visible at the front.

The scene was silent, no one offered an opinion, and no evaluation was needed – the shock brought about by this new weapon could be seen in everyone’s expressions.

Iron Axe could no longer suppress his excitement and knelt down in the Sand Folk’s way.

“The world is yours, Your Highness.”

This was the new path he had found – to follow behind His Highness Roland, leading the First Army equipped with the new firearms, and conquering new territories for him.

A hand was extended towards Iron Axe.

After helping him up, His Royal Highness was not as complacent as he had imagined, but looked towards the Impassable Mountain Range and said in a deep voice, “But our real enemy… are the devils.”

Even so, I will fight for you to the end. Before Iron Axe could say it, a dazzling light suddenly pierced the sky and fell straight to the earth. The witches behind him exclaimed, and Roland also looked up, a smile on his face. The light increased, quickly becoming too bright to look at directly. The dark clouds dissipated like ice and snow meeting a raging fire, and the sun reappeared before everyone.

The Month of the Demons is over. (。)