African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 139: Chapter 130: Conquering Kayanja_2

”I feel they are in cahoots with those southern barbarians (Eastern Bantu people), and they’re definitely not good guys. We just dealt with the southern barbarians, and they immediately followed. It’s obvious they’re not here for peace,” Wulu responded.

”But they obviously don’t look like the southern barbarians! And their fabric is of very high quality. The southern barbarians are extremely poor, always trying to take everything from us, yet this group outside the city is much richer than us. Back in our place, only the chief’s family could afford so much fabric, but on the other side, everyone is dressed like that. They must be very wealthy,” Mop pointed to the Prussian uniforms, two pieces each held by the East Africans, and said.

”Anyway, Abula Priest just said that the other side is not to be trifled with, especially that stick which looks harmless but is said to be enchanted with magic. Once it makes a loud noise, it will capture a person’s soul, so you’d better stay away from the city wall. If they capture your soul, you’re as good as dead,” Wulu said.

”I don’t believe that. Our tribe’s Yaha Priest has already given us the secret Holy Water to drink. Yaha Priest told me that if we see the others rushing over, just shoot them with arrows, and they won’t harm us in the least,” Mop said proudly.

It was as if the two were comparing whose priest was more powerful, and clearly, Mop’s priest had the upper hand. Not only could they break the Germans’ Evil Technique, but they could also retaliate, whereas Wulu Tribe’s priest was helpless. This made Mop feel quite proud in front of his newfound friend.

Wulu and Mop were people from two different tribes in Burundi. Last time, due to the invasion of the Eastern Bantu people, they were brought to Kayanja by their leaders, and because the two tribes were stationed near the same defensive line, Wulu got to know Mop.

”I think these people must be cursed by the kingdom’s priests, which makes them afraid to advance. It’s been two days, and they haven’t attacked, instead, they’re digging a pit over there! I really don’t understand, what use is that pit? Maybe they’ve gone mad due to a curse. What do you think, Wulu?” Mop said to Wulu.

”I don’t know about anything else, but I know that luckily it hasn’t rained these few days, or else that pit on the other side would have become a pool,” Wulu lazily leaned back against the city wall, chewing on a piece of grass, and said.

”Look! What is that thing, Wulu?” Mop suddenly shouted to Wulu.

”What thing?” Wulu slowly got up, stretched lazily, and turned to see what Mop was talking about.

Many sharp-eyed natives also noticed the movements on the East African army’s position.

For the past two days, natives have been very curious about the East African army outside the city, but the kingdom’s generals and their own tribal chiefs ordered the gates closed and forbade any proactive attacks.

The natives on the city wall could only watch to see what the East African army was up to. Apart from digging a pit, they didn’t seem to have made any significant moves.

Today, suddenly there was something new that the natives hadn’t seen before. The natives on the city wall stretched their necks to look at the new contraption being pushed to the front by the East African army in the open space.

It was a strange object, entirely black, with a black hole as wide as a bowl’s mouth, and big round circles like the sun on both sides.

...

”Raoul, is your workmanship still good? You won’t miss, right? We only have three shells, so use them sparingly,” Arman said.

”Don’t worry! Arman, I used to be an artilleryman, how can I not handle something I used to earn my meals with? Besides, the other side has no capability to interfere with us, so there’s plenty of time to adjust. Just wait for me to blast the city gate open!” Raoul said.

The novel contraption Mop saw was a cannon, newly arrived in the East African colony this month, and Arman had it transferred from the port.

After all, the natives’ bows and arrows are not to be underestimated, and coupled with the cover of their city walls, Arman was worried the rifles would have little effect on the natives.

In fact, they could have used local timber to build a large siege vehicle, moved it under the city, and planted explosives. This would defend against the enemy’s arrows and falling rocks.

However, Arman just wanted to play with a cannon, so he applied to the East African colony. Given the scarcity of cannons in East Africa now, only one was approved for transport.

”Alright, it’s aimed now. Once fired, it will surely give those natives a shock,” Raoul said to Arman.

”Okay, everyone listen up, cover your ears, we’re about to fire!” Arman said to his men.

Once everyone was ready, Arman drew his saber, pointed towards Kayanja’s city gate, and shouted, ”Ready!...”

...

Wulu stood at the city head, saying to Mop: ”You see there’s someone standing next to that black object, pointing a knife at us.”

”He must be the priest on the other side! Can he cast spells from such a long distance?” Mop wondered.

...

”Fire,” Arman ordered.

Everyone on the East African position covered their ears, and Raoul lit the fuse.

BOOM...

Wulu and Mop only heard a colossal roar from the black object, and a flash of white fire at the mouth of the hole.

BANG...

Kayanja’s city shook, and the previously intact city gate, along with bricks and stones, was blasted open into a large gap, collapsing halfway, and the unlucky ones on the gate were buried in the rubble.

”Celestial God’s wrath, the Celestial God is furious...”

The terrified natives shouted everywhere. Wulu and Mop, being very close to the city gate, did not become the unfortunate ones sacrificed with the gate, but now they heard nothing but ringing in their ears.

The two were stunned by the blast, and it took them quite a while to recover. Speechless from fear, they lay on the ground to atone to the Celestial God.

The East African army had already left their trenches, rushing towards the collapsed part of the city wall, while aiming their guns at the natives still standing on the walls.

BANG... BANG... BANG...

The sporadic gunfire awakened the natives still praying to the Celestial God. Now they cared for nothing else and rushed down the city, all squeezing together at the passage, the terrified native soldiers running and screaming, ”The devil is coming, the Celestial God sent a devil to punish the Kingdom of Burundi, everybody run!”

The streets were in chaos, and after living in fear for several months, the civilians couldn’t handle this. Since even the kingdom’s army had collapsed, it must surely be something terrible.

The more foresighted natives had already packed their belongings and fled. Every person in the entire city was fleeing north towards Rwanda amidst rumors and panic.

In the temporary palace in Kayanja, the king and the nobles, upon hearing the massive cannon noise, sensed something was wrong. Coupled with the gunshots from the East African army and the screams of the city’s populace, they didn’t hesitate, deciding to flee immediately.

The ordinary people of Burundi may not recognize the thing in the Germans’ hands, but the most knowledgeable people in the Kingdom of Burundi knew. In any case, if you ask the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Burundi, they don’t believe warriors can beat firearms, especially since they’ve already witnessed this with the Arab slave traders.

Having learned from the last escape, the residents of Kayanja city in the Kingdom of Burundi were well-practiced this time.

Adults, children, the king, nobles, chiefs, priests, civilians, slaves...

It was as if the scene of the Eastern Bantu people’s invasion was replaying, but this time, behind the Burundi people, there were no hordes of Eastern Bantu people, but bursts of gunfire.

For the Burundi people, who are keen on ”superstition,” this was a hundred times more terrifying than the Eastern Bantu people, especially since there had been priests claiming the Germans held a Soul-Catching Weapon.

So every Burundi person (except nobles) firmly believed that the ear-piercing bang piercing through the sky was the shrill roar of a devil. Anyone caught by the devil was doomed to eternal damnation.

Within the city of Kayanja, there was severe chaos, with frequent stampedes and looting, but nobody cared about those details, as everyone scrambled north towards Rwanda. If it were possible, the Burundi people wished they could grow an extra pair of legs to escape this perilous place.