Chapter 25: The Hero of France

Roland adjusted the cannon's aim, pointing it directly at the Holy Roman Army below.

"3... 2... 1... Fire." After a brief countdown, Roland ignited the cannon's fuse with his torch.

Boom!

Instantly, a deafening roar erupted as the cannon belched out a ferocious flame. With the explosive force of the gunpowder, a cannonball was propelled out of the barrel, hurtling fiercely towards the command center of the Holy Roman Army.

Bang!

The cannonball landed not far from the command center, sending several nearby Holy Roman soldiers flying through the air.

"Oh no, it's a cannon!"

"Damn it, how could these French have a cannon? Their combat strength is so formidable, and they have cannons too. Who said they were just students?"

Although Roland's cannon shot didn't directly hit the enemy command center, it still instilled tremendous psychological panic among the enemy troops.

"Damn it, we missed." Seeing the cannonball deviate from its target, Roland couldn't help but sigh.

"Again, this time we'll hit for sure." After a brief moment of disappointment, Roland once again manned the cannon. This time, he adjusted the aim, locking the cannon firmly onto the enemy command center.

"Marlin, load the gunpowder!" Roland shouted at Marlin.

Marlin acted swiftly, stuffing the gunpowder into the barrel and loading the cannonball.

"Please, let this one hit." With everything set, Roland prayed silently before igniting the cannon once more.

Bang!

With a familiar thunderous blast, another cannonball shot out, hurtling towards the Holy Roman camp.

"My lord Duke, be careful!" Seeing the incoming cannonball, the guards around Charles also sensed the danger. They rushed to shield Charles with their bodies, but unfortunately, the cannonball's power was too great to be stopped by mere flesh.

With one shot, Roland obliterated the enemy command center into a cloud of dust.

"We did it! Direct hit! Incredible!" Seeing the destruction of the enemy command center, Roland jumped for joy. Happiness came so suddenly and unexpectedly.

Roland felt like the luckiest person alive, but in the world, there are many instances where joy can quickly turn to sorrow.

Just as Roland was ecstatic about successfully destroying the enemy command center, suddenly, a soldier below fired a shot. The soldier's aim was precise, and the bullet struck Roland with deadly accuracy. 

Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, Roland found himself bleeding profusely, and a sense of weakness overwhelmed him.

"Roland!"

"Roland! Are you okay?"

"Don't scare me!"

Seeing Roland lose consciousness, Marlin and the others panicked. They rushed to Roland's side, anxiously checking his condition.

"Oh no! Roland's been shot." Jobes nervously exclaimed as he saw the blood oozing from Roland's chest.

"No kidding! Hurry, let's bandage his wound." Marlin tore his sleeve and used it to staunch Roland's bleeding.

...

"Where... where am I?" After what seemed like an eternity, Roland slowly opened his eyes, looking around in confusion.

He remembered being in battle with the Holy Roman Army and getting shot by an enemy rifle. After that, he lost consciousness, and now he found himself in this place.

"Where am I? What happened to me?" Roland turned to see Jobes, who looked deeply concerned, and asked.

"Roland, you're finally awake! Do you know how worried we were while you were unconscious?" Jobes exclaimed excitedly, rushing to Roland's side.

"Roland, you're awake. You were shot in the chest, but luckily, it wasn't fatal." Marlin also approached Roland, speaking softly.

"Nurse, nurse, Roland's awake. Come and check on him." Marlin anxiously called out to the nurse outside the room.

As the nurse hurried in, Roland's eyes met hers.

"Roland!" She called out his name.

"Yes, it's me. What's wrong, nurse? Is there something unusual?" Roland asked curiously.

"Nothing... nothing at all. Your injuries aren't severe. Just rest and recover." Seeing Roland's puzzled look, the nurse blushed and hurriedly left.

"What's... what's wrong with her?" Roland scratched his head, feeling confused by the nurse's odd behavior.

"Hahaha, Roland, didn't you notice? The nurse just peeked at you." Jobs couldn't help but laugh, looking at Roland with a puzzled expression.

"Peeked at me? What's so interesting about me?" Roland asked, puzzled.

"Of course, she was checking out our big hero. Roland, do you know? After the battle of Marcoine Village, you've become the hero of the entire Turin battlefield. Now the whole of France knows your name." Jobs explained, watching Roland still looking puzzled.

"I've become a hero? When did this happen? Why didn't I know?" Roland felt confused.

"Do you really not know, or are you pretending? You've made a great achievement! The cannon at Marcoine Village, remember?" Jobs reminded him.

"The cannon? I remember firing a shot and hitting the target. Then I was hit by a bullet and lost consciousness. I don't remember anything after that." Roland recalled, shaking his head, not clear about the details.

"Roland, are you really unaware, or just pretending? You've made a huge contribution! The cannon at Marcoine Village blew up none other than the highest commander of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke Charles. And he's also the commander of the anti-French alliance." Jobs said excitedly, hugging Roland and spinning him around.

"Duke Charles? How is that possible? He's a senior enemy commander, how could he be in that small village of Marcoine?" Roland couldn't believe the news of him blowing up Duke Charles with a cannon shot.