CH 38

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We must not only focus on killing but also on helping people. Indeed, Sylphy is right. Sylphy’s goal is to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom, not to kill all the people in the Holy Kingdom.

Killing is a means but not an end in itself. I think I’ve misunderstood that point somehow.

“However, it is easier to kill than to keep them alive, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is, I guess.”

Sylphy smiled bitterly at my statement. In the end, what is required now is the power to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom from the Holy Kingdom. In other words, destruction, killing, and violence.

“In any case, you have to slap the Holy Kingdom in the face once, maybe two or three times, and make them think that it’s not worth it to mess with the Merinard Kingdom. For now, it’s only after that that we can steer the ship in the direction of keeping them alive.”

“That’s right. First, we have to win.”

The flowery theories that violence does not produce anything or that we will not be invaded if we abandon fighting forces do not work in reality. The reality is that if you don’t have violence and don’t show it, you will be beaten unilaterally.

Trying not to kill the enemy is a luxury that only the absolute winner can afford. At least, it’s not something we can afford at this point. That’s why I’ve decided to reveal to Sylphy the weapons that I have already developed. It’s important to share information.

“Basically, I think we’re going to be fighting a defensive battle holed up in the fort.”

“Yes, we are few in number. It would be reckless to launch a field battle. If we use Kosuke’s ability, we can approach the enemy in the shadows of the night and build up the fort before it gets light.”

“And we’ll strike the enemy with Harpy’s aerial bombardment.”

Sylphy nodded at my words. The weakness of forts and fortifications is that they cannot be moved from the point where they are built. It doesn’t matter how solid and powerful the fortress is from the enemy’s point of view. If it’s not located close to their base or transportation point, it’s not a threat.

The solution to this problem was to use my crafting abilities to create an overnight fort and Harpy to launch aerial bombardment.

We will build our base near the enemy base, and when we are ready to defend it, we will use our harpies to bombard the enemy base. The enemy will be helpless against aerial bombardment from a position where arrows and magic cannot reach. It would be a one-sided, all-out assault. It could even be enough to decide the game.

If the enemy is clever, they will try to destroy our base as soon as possible. But what awaits is more violence.

“What awaited the enemy soldiers was suppressive fire from improved crossbows and bombardment from stick grenades. Of course, there will also be aerial bombardment by Harpies. Also, I’ve made something like this.”

What I pulled out was an object that looked like a stick grenade. The difference between this and the stick grenade is that the handle is not hollow but a stake, and there is a string with a thin metal stake extending from the part of the grenade that connects to the warhead. Also, the warhead is larger and looks thicker.

“It’s called an anti-personnel mine. It’s a trap. You stick this stake in the ground, and then you stick the other stake in the ground as well, with the string stretched tight. Then if someone hooks their foot and pulls the string… bang! The gunpowder in the warhead explodes, and the explosion sends the shattered metal shell flying around.”

“Isn’t that… very dangerous?”

The intelligent Sylphy seemed to recognize the danger of this weapon right away.

“Yes, it’s dangerous. You have to set it up and make sure you retrieve it after the battle is over. If you don’t manage it properly, you’ll be in big trouble. It doesn’t matter if it’s friend or foe; if you get trapped, it will explode.”

“It’s best not to use that weapon if at all possible.”

“Yeah, I agree with you.”

Our numbers are overwhelmingly small. I believe that anti-personnel mines will be a valuable weapon for making up the difference in numbers. They’re also cheap to craft, though.

“Also, here’s something else.”

I set up a building block on the ground, a cubic meter of tightly bound red tubes. On the side is written ‘TNT.’

“What’s that?”

“It’s an explosive block. If you set it on fire, it’ll probably explode.”

“Probably?”

“I made it, but I haven’t detonated it yet.”

“I see. So, what’s the use of this fancy stuff?”

“I’m trying to figure out a way to use it for traps, but I’m stuck.”

In this world, there are no materials that can be used for remote detonation at the moment. I’ve been able to make a fuse, so I can pull the string and blow it up from a distance. I’d like to find a safer and more reliable means of detonation, such as an electric detonator or a Redstone detonator*. I’ll talk to Isla about this when I get back.

[T/n: It’s something from Minecraft, I think?]

“I wish there was a reliable way to detonate the bomb from a distance.”

“From a distance, or if you light it on fire, will it detonate?”

“Yeah, I think it will.”

“If so, you can use fire arrows, fire magic, or magic tools. If you want to be sure, you should use a magic tool. You should talk to Isla about it.”

“Okay. Besides, if we can blow up this thing remotely, I dare say we should let the enemy take the fort and blow up the entire fort and the enemy army.”

“…Kosuke is surprisingly resourceful.”

“Not really.”

I’m also thinking of digging tunnels underneath the fort to blow it up. Bombing and demolition is a man’s dream, isn’t it?

“That’s all I can think of right now. I’ll tell you when I think of more.”

“Fumu… Kosuke, are you going to improve the bolt action rifle?”

As soon as I retrieved the explosive block, Sylphy said that.

“Improve?”

“I think it would be stronger if it could fire more and faster.”

“Oh, that’s great, Sylphy. You’re right; there are weapons like that in my world. Or rather, the bolt-action rifle, which has a small number of bullets and can’t fire in rapid succession, is only used for sniping, and the mainstream is the one that can fire in rapid succession with a large number of bullets, as Sylphy said.”

“Is that so? Why don’t you make one?”

Sylphy tilted her head. It’s so cute.

“The reason is that they consume too much ammunition. A rapid-fire gun is undoubtedly powerful, but it wastes a lot of ammunition. The current situation is that there are multiple rapid-fire guns. At present, it is difficult to produce enough ammunition to operate multiple rapid-fire guns because of the cost. In fact, it is difficult to equip and operate bolt-action rifles for all three hundred people. With the current production capacity, the maximum number of people who can operate it satisfactorily is about ten at most.”

“Is that so? In other words, guns are basically money-grubbing insects, aren’t they?”

“That’s right. Especially the ammunition. As for the maintenance cost of the main unit, crossbows and bolt-action rifles are not so different, but the cost of procuring ammunition is too different.”

If I could get a lot of lead, copper, and gunpowder, it would be a different story.

“I’m already working on another gun, though it’s not a bolt-action rifle. Like this one and this one.”

With that, I took out of my inventory. There are four guns. The first is a pistol with a rotating magazine, a so-called revolver. The second is an automatic pistol with a replaceable magazine. The third was a long gun with two thick barrels lined up vertically. The last one was a gun with a similar design to the second one but with a thicker barrel. It had a single barrel.

“That’s quite a lot, isn’t it?”

“This one is a revolver pistol, this one is an automatic pistol, this one is an up-and-down double-barreled shotgun, and the last one is a development of the second one, a pump-action shotgun.”

“Fumu… What’s the difference between that and a bolt action rifle? This pistol is easy to understand, but can I try to hold it…?”

“It’s fine since it is unloaded.”

After receiving my permission, Sylphy picked up the revolver and took a closer look at it. Oh, a brown elf looks good with a revolver… Sylphy, with a serious expression, looks great because she is a cool beauty. This is good.

“It’s surprisingly heavy, isn’t it?”

“It’s a lump of iron. The pistol is a short-range weapon. That gun has six rounds; this one has up to eight. It fires a lead ball the size of the tip of a finger. At close range, it’s powerful enough to kill a man with one shot.”

By the way, both of these pistols are from the land of hamburgers. Personally, I like the pistol from the land of vodka, though.

“This is for close-range combat?”

“Yes, it is. In my world, close-range combat with swords and spears had already become obsolete, so we basically fought with rifles that could fire repeatedly, and for close-range combat, we used guns like this or submachine guns capable of firing multiple shots in quick succession.”

“But this one can only fire six shots, right? Wouldn’t that be a problem in a melee?”

Yes, it’s a question that is very typical of the inhabitants of a fantasy world that focuses on close combat. As long as the sword or spear doesn’t break, it can be used over and over again.

“In the first place, in my world, such battles themselves rarely occur. Look at it this way, each one of us has a rifle with continuous fire. If you try to start a melee, you’re going to get shot at and riddled with holes. The pistol is often used for self-defense in unexpected encounters where the rifle cannot be used. It’s also a weapon used by cops… or guards, I guess.”

But even in the 21st century, there are still some crazy people who go on bayonet charges. The military in the land of tea is really crazy. (Compliment)

“I see… How about that big gun over here?”

“I can’t say I’ve ever been in a close combat situation, but this is a gun for close combat. Well, it still has a normal effective range of about 50 meters.”

“Well, how is it different from a rifle?”

“Well, it can fire many different kinds of bullets. It can fire multiple bullets simultaneously, just like this pistol, or it can fire countless smaller bullets. You can also fire a single large bullet. Basically, the smaller the bullet, the lower the range.”

“Hmm… what kind of use is that?”

“Urban warfare, or indoor warfare when you go into a building where the enemy is holed up. Also, it’s often used for hunting.”

“I see. Is that it?”

“There’s more. You want to see it?”

“I’d like to see it all first, anyway.”

“All right. Let’s go up to the wall.”

I put the guns in my inventory, and Sylphy and I climbed up the wall. Then I took out a large weapon from my inventory and set it up. This is an installed object, you know.

“That’s a pretty big crossbow.”

“It’s called a ballista. It flies an arrow as thick as a spear. We both have to turn this lever and squeeze the string. Let’s try it.”

“Umu.”

The two of us worked together to turn the lever at the ballista’s back and pull the string. It takes a lot of strength, this thing.

“So, what now?”

“These are the ballista arrows.”

“…It’s almost like a spear.”

“I know, right?”

I set the ballista with the special arrows and move the pedestal to set the sights.

“To fire it, you have to pull this lever. Try to aim far and wide.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Sylphy aimed at a rock in the distance with the ballista and pulled the firing lever. Bang! The string popped with a loud noise, and the arrow shot out with tremendous force. The arrow, like a spear in flight, hit the rock with great accuracy, and the rock shattered as the arrow pierced deep into it.

“That’s a lot of power.”

“It flies farther than a crossbow, so it can attack enemies at a greater distance. I think it can destroy a fortress from a distance. This one is next.”

I put the ballista in my inventory, and now I take out the iron cannon and place it on the parapet. The cannon is not that big. The barrel length is about one meter. The diameter is less than 5cm.

“What is this…? Is it a gun?”

“Close one. It’s not a gun. It’s called a swivel cannon. It’s a weapon that shoots bigger bullets farther than a gun. It’s more powerful than the ballista, but it’s more expensive to manufacture… As you can see, it uses a lot of iron, and the gunpowder and shells are very expensive. The power is great, though.”

“So it’s not suitable for mass production?”

“At least, not yet. I think that will change when we take back the Merinard Kingdom and acquire the mines.”

Even so, I don’t think there are many situations where we need firearms. As far as I have heard from Danan and Sir Leonard, a ballista seems to be sufficient.

The weapons of this world, especially projectile weapons, are underdeveloped. The best weapons in this world are bows and arrows, throwing spears, and slingshots with poles, and weapons with mechanical structures such as stone-throwers, ballista, and crossbows are not well developed at all.

I can only speculate, but I think the reason for this is magic.

A skilled magician can unleash a powerful attack on an enemy from a farther distance than a bow and arrow. Naturally, the status of magicians becomes higher, and they turn to the side of the rulers. In essence, they are nobles and royalty.

For them, as rulers, projectile weapons that could kill them from a distance are a threat. So the development of these weapons would not be a happy event for them. I suspect that the development of mechanical technology is being hindered by the magicians’ hands, the nobles and royalty who have gained power.

It may just be that it is not considered necessary because of magic and is not being developed. I really think this is the case when I see the elders bickering about natural disasters.

“Let’s give this a try. I said earlier that it shoots big bullets, but this one is actually designed to shoot differently.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Hold on a second.”

I select the special ammunition from my inventory and load it with a command action. It’s more reliable than loading it on my own! I don’t have the knowledge to load a front-loading cannon, after all. When I’ve finished loading, I aim the swivel cannon.

“Let’s shoot.”

“Yeah.”

Boom! The sound of the cannon was far more powerful than the sound of a bolt-action rifle, and the wilderness was filled with countless small plumes of dust.

“Wow, that was amazing. Did it send a lot of small bullets?”

“Yeah, they’re called canister ammunition. Canister ammunition is the big kind of ammunition shot by the shotgun I just showed you. They’re used to overwhelm enemy troops coming into the fort.”

If ten of these were installed on the fort’s walls, the infantry would have no choice but to flee. It’s impossible to deploy them with the current production capacity, though. In addition, the training is… honestly speaking, the only way to learn it is to watch me load it with command actions. I don’t have the knowledge, after all.

“I don’t know when you started making these things…”

“I’ve been working on it during the renovation of the village wall.”

All of them took a long time to make, and it was hard work. After all this work, the one that was officially adopted was the bolt action rifle after considering power, operability, ammunition consumption, and many other factors.

The weapons I’ve just shown are all prototypes, except for the ballista, which is almost done.

“Well, the ballista is the only one I’ve shown you that can be officially adopted or mass-produced. In a sense, it’s an extension of the crossbow, and it’s relatively easy to learn.”

A person of this world, if it is a subhuman who is proud of their power, might be able to roll it up by themselves, like Shumer. It might be interesting to try and make a large crossbow for Shumer.

Also, I think I should mass produce some anti-personnel mines. There is no other weapon that is as effective as the anti-personnel mines in closing the numbers gap.

“I see… but, how about that pistol? It’s kind of a beautiful thing, isn’t it?”

“Oh, do you like it? I can make one for you if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ll make one.”

Sylphy, who was not very interested in bolt-action rifles, was interested in the revolver, which suits her… Isn’t it sexy when she has a Pale Moon in one hand and a revolver in the other? I think I’ll get her a cowboy hat or something.

The silver-haired cowboy dark elf is too much of an attribute, yes. But I want to see it, don’t you want to? I’d really love to see it.

As for ammunition, I’ve made enough for my own use, and I can share it with Sylphy. I’ll have to teach her how to use it. I don’t want her to get injured or die from the gun going off.

While I was thinking about this, I made an appointment to craft a revolver for Sylphy on the improved workbench when Sir Leonard and the others returned. They seem to be in a hurry.

“Welcome back. What’s the matter, you’re in such a hurry?”

“I heard a great noise, so I came back in a hurry. What was that noise just now?”

Oh, it was because of the swivel gun, wasn’t it? To be honest, I’m really sorry.