Chapter 948: Death Launchers
Chapter 948: Death Launchers
Archer watched as the two dwarf women finished off the Slayer Assassins while planning his revenge on the alliance for this attack. While standing there, he watched as Dagny crushed an injured woman who pleaded for mercy.
He smiled when Delleh, known as Delleh, appeared beside him with her Warhammer resting on her shoulder. "I haven't been in a fight for decades, but that felt good my young lover," she said with a big grin.
"We're lovers now? When did this happen?"
Dellah looked at him from the corner of her eye while smiling, "Not yet, but in the future, yes, we need to get to know each other more, and no, I don't mean you exploring my body." she said in a teasing tone.
Archer chuckled, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Well, we could kick off our relationship with some pillow talk," he said with a wink. "I've never tasted dwarf before, and I'm curious to see how you measure up."
The mature woman chuckled softly before replying with a playful glint," That sounds tempting, and I'd certainly enjoy a chance to clear out the cobwebs. However, I'll have to pass on the offer-for now. I want to let our relationship grow naturally."
He nodded in understanding just as the Homeguards rushed down the road and surrounded the dead Slayers, which made him laugh. Archer told him to feed the bodies to the farm animals.
Dagny laughed as the younger dwarf approached and mentioned she needed to return to her work on a project. Just as she turned to leave, Archer surprised her with a sudden hug, bidding her farewell.
To his surprise, she melted into his embrace, a contented smile spreading. Dellah laughed and spoke amusedly, "This is the first time in Ironfoot history that a man has claimed two women."
"Four, I want Solvieg and your daughter Kara as well," Archer answered in a cheeky voice. "And maybe Bruni."
Dellah's jaw dropped open before shaking her head as she teasingly scolded him, "You greedy dragon! You devious little shit! You want six Ironfoot women! That would mean you have most of the single dwarves in our clan!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"So? That means your husband will stay in the family," he answered with a snicker as she smacked his arm.
The leader of the Ironfoot Family grinned as her yellow glinted with greed, "Give us a permanent place at the Draconia Council, name a vessel after me, and make sure you give each of us a baby or two. I'll have the other Ironfoot women only marry you and your offspring if you have any boys."
Archer's eyebrow raised, "How many are there? And why are you selling your women to me?" The questioned.
Dellah laughed softly before sharing her perspective. "We're a banished family, rejected when the Silverbeard Empire exiled us over a single mistake. The imperial family even sent assassins after us, slaughtering most of the men who defended us."
She gazed into the distance, her voice tinged with gratitude. "You and Draconia are the only ones who welcomed us, and for that, I am eternally grateful. If I can get you as a husband for my nieces, daughters, and granddaughters, then I'll know they'll be well cared for."
Archer laughed at her answer, "You want me to have all the Ironfoot women? Do you know how much work that would be?" he asked amusedly.
"Shut up you fool," she suddenly exclaimed. "You have that time spell, and all you'd need to do is keep track of the dates; I'm sure one of the women would do for you."
"I'll think about it, Dellah; now answer the first part," Archer said with a smile.
"There is another woman interested in meeting you, and she is mature, as I know you prefer those types," Dellah revealed with a smile before continuing. "Kelda, who is my older sister."
Archer shook his head, a determined look in his eyes. "I'd like to meet her before making any promises, but first, show me the missile systems. I have the perfect test target in mind." Dellah smiled and nodded, leading him into the bustling workshop. Dwarves were hard at work, immersed in various projects. Archer paid no mind to the curious glances he received as Dellah continued, "We're in the process of preparing the missile shells. By connecting our different factories, we'll amass a stockpile of a million within a few months."
"What about the launchers? Were they hard to create?" he curiously asked.
She shook her head before speaking. "With magic, it was easy to devise a way to propel the shell long distances with enough power to detonate on impact, but we had to have some dwarves teach the Dragonfire Company and Navy how to use the weapons."
Archer's eyes lit up excitedly as they arrived at the water's edge, where a formidable machine awaited. It featured five rows of tubes mounted on the back of a carriage-like vehicle, with sturdy supports on the sides designed to brace it during firing.
The setup reminded him of the artillery he'd seen back on Earth, a potent blend of familiar technology and magic. It was the size of a family car and looked like it could rain death down on the enemy.
He turned to the Ironfoot Matriarch and asked, "How much more gold will you need to build additional units like this?"
Dellah giggled, her smile widening. "Thanks to your company's steady supply of rare metals, minerals, and other necessities, it won't take long at all. Especially if we can enlist some help from the local village."
Archer waved his hand and dropped several chests of gold that shocked the older dwarf, but he spoke confidently, "Use this to buy whatever you need, and I will assign the Imperial Knights to guard the workshops and shipyards."
After sending a message to Aisha instructing her to deploy five thousand knights to the main Ironfoot Mansion and workshops, he received her swift confirmation that they would be dispatched immediately.
Next, he reached out to Elara, commanding her to mobilize ten thousand Drakeguards for the same purpose. Once the arrangements were confirmed, Dellah approached with a spark of excitement in her eyes and asked if he wanted to witness the missile systems' test fire.
Archer's enthusiasm was evident as he eagerly agreed. While waiting, he sensed a familiar presence and turned to see Nyx soaring toward him. His face lit up with a warm smile as she landed gracefully.
"Hello, my chaos dragon. I've missed you," he said, extending a heartfelt welcome.
She beamed before suddenly hugging Archer, which caught him off guard as he returned it with one of his own. Once they split apart, he spoke, "Want to stay with me for a while?"
"Yes. I want to spend some time with you," Nyx replied quietly.
Archer smiled as he introduced the women and turned to the dwarf, "Dellah, this is Nyx Drakebane, my soon-to-be fiance when I get to know her even more."
The mature dwarf bowed toward Nyx, "It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady; I am Dellah Ironfoot, Matriarch of the Ironfoot Family and lead designer, engineer, and builder of
Draconia."
Nyx smiled at the woman before turning to Archer and speaking, "She wants you, Arch; I can smell it on her."'
When the dragon said that, Archer noticed Dellah's cheeks going red as she quickly changed the subject and announced before rushing over to get the workers to hurry up, "The test fire will begin shortly, Your Majesty!"
This made Archer and Nyx laugh at her embarrassed expression, but soon, some dwarves were loading long white missiles at least five feet long and looked deadly, which made him smile.
Dellah directed the workers toward the scorched island a few miles into the bay. As the missile launcher prepared to fire, a crescendo of noise built up, mana propelling the missiles into the
sky.
The missiles soared through the air accurately, striking the target and igniting a series of powerful explosions. The ground shook, and Nyx flinched at the sudden noise. Archer,
witnessing the spectacle, was thrilled.
Archer was exhilarated, recognizing that this firepower would be a game-changer and a significant asset in their ongoing war. His excitement was palpable, and as Dellah approached, he hugged her enthusiastically.
Dellah, initially taken aback, was stunned when Archer leaned down and kissed her. The unexpected gesture sent a jolt through her, and she quickly stepped back, shaking her head in
surprise.
"That is the first test," she said with a smile. "The workers are preparing more shells and bringing another system."
Archer nodded thoughtfully and suggested, "What should we call them? Death Launchers?"
The two women laughed, and he grinned, "It's a fitting name because it will bring death to
our enemies, ladies."
Dellah's eyes sparkling with excitement, responded, "It does have a good ring to it, but just wait until you see the anti-ship, titan, and other shells little Dagny has created."
"Well, those will be very useful for all different situations, including ship-to-ship battles or covering a landing force," Archer mused out loud, causing Dellah and Nyx to nod in agreement. At the same time, the workers loaded the Death Launchers.
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