The workshop of Riverpark Stronghold had grown louder and busier with each passing week. Smoke from the blast furnace hung thick in the air as Ric stood over a wide table covered with sketches and clay models. The next step in their survival and strength had to be something the empire could never ignore.His eyes began to glow when he thought about something more bizarre and more intimidating. A cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.“We need more than crossbows and flintlocks,” Ric said, tapping the crude diagram. “We need something that can break a cavalry charge from hundreds of paces away. Primitive cannons with cast iron barrels that can fire heavy shot or explosive charges.”His thoughts flashed past his previous life when he thought about those rockets, launchers, missiles and even hand grenades.Morgana leaned over the table, her powerful arms braced on the wood. “Cannons? Like the old siege engines, but better?” Her amber eyes lit up with fierce interest. “I like it.

The next day was the day for the tenth and final testing. Everyone's morale was high, this was something they all built themselves, this was something to be proud of!After gathering all the black powder and making everything firm for testing.The tenth cannon stood proudly on the testing field, its thick iron barrel gleaming dully under the summer sun. Riverpark Stronghold had poured weeks of sweat, failed casts, and careful adjustments into this moment. Ric stood with his wives a safe distance away as Morgana prepared the final test firing.“Load it properly,” Morgana ordered her artillery crew. “Slow and steady. No mistakes.”She was very careful with every detail. She knew this wasn't a tool to joke with and this needed a careful supervision.The men moved with practiced care. Black powder was packed, the heavy iron ball seated, and the fuse set. Morgana stepped back, lit the slow match, and shouted, “Fire!”The cannon roared with a deep, earth-shaking boom. Smoke billowed outwar

The next day after a night of intimacy, the mass production for the cannons finally began.The first battery of cannons stood ready on the northern wall of Riverpark Stronghold. Ten thick iron barrels, mounted on sturdy wooden carriages, pointed out toward the open fields and distant ridges. Months of trial, failure, and careful refinement had led to this moment. Ric stood with his wives on the wall walk, watching as Morgana drilled the new artillery crews one final time.“Load! Aim! Fire!” Morgana’s voice cracked like a whip.Her voice was intimidating and commanding as her voluptuous body was roaring in the field!The cannons roared in sequence. The ground trembled under their feet as heavy iron balls tore across the testing range, smashing into earthen berms and splintering wooden targets. Smoke rolled thick and heavy in the morning air. The sound echoed across the valley like the voice of a new god.Morgana turned toward them, her face streaked with powder, a wild grin splitting

It was a beautiful day for Riverpark Stronghold as Morgana stood in the central square at first light, her breath visible in the cool morning air. Eighty of her best fighters waited in disciplined ranks, veterans of the bandit battle and eager new recruits hardened by weeks of relentless training. Their armor was a mix of captured pieces and freshly forged iron from the blast furnace. Crossbows and pikes gleamed in the rising sun.“Today we stop hiding behind walls,” Morgana announced, her voice carrying easily across the square. “The roads belong to us now. We hunt the remaining bandit scum and make it clear that Riverpark Stronghold owns these lands. No mercy for those who prey on our people.”She was so excited, like it was what she had always wanted to lead her team and dismantle any enemies that pose a threat to them!Ric stood on the platform with Lady Yan and Kahleen, watching as the force prepared. He had approved the operation after multiple trader reports of ambushes on the

The following day came with the normal routine, as parole kept moving up and down to secure the perimeter!Riverpark Stronghold continued its steady transformation. What had once been a half-ruined border village was now a bustling center of activity. New wooden and stone buildings spread outward from the original walls. The market square buzzed with traders from the three secured routes, their wagons loaded with wool, salt, timber, and ore. Children ran between stalls while craftsmen hammered away in the expanded workshops.Ric stood on the northern wall with his wives, looking out over the growing domain. The ten cannons were now permanently mounted at key defensive points, their crews training daily under Morgana’s watchful eye. Trade caravans moved more freely, and new settlers arrived almost every week.“The population has just passed twelve hundred,” Yan reported, closing her ledger with a soft snap. “Food stores are stable. The new trade agreements are bringing in more than we