Chapter 82 Flintlock Mechanism

Riz opened his eyes abruptly.

"Haa...Haa...Haa..."

His body was sweating profusely while his mouth was gasping for some air.

The fear is still lingering in his heart. It probably will not go away in the near future. Never has he experienced this level of scariness. Those eyes see him as nothing but an insignificant bug.

After a long time, he was once again reminded of the fact that he is in a fantasy world. Humans have never been at the top of the food chain like on Earth. They were merely allowed to be.

He scrutinizes his surrounding. It takes him several minutes to calm down after he recognises a familiar ceiling and furniture around him.

It is his bedroom.

Around him are familiar faces of Theodora, Charlotte, Edward and Arden. Except for pale-looking Arden, everyone else wears a worried expression on their faces.

"How long have I passed out?" ask Riz.

"Two days."

"I see. I had to admit, eating expired food is not a good idea."

"Riz, you know how worried we are? What if something happened to you?" said Theodora. She keeps questioning the reckless behaviour of her fiance.

Edward said with a concerned voice, "Your Majesty, you should act more cautiously in the future. You're a king now."

"Yes, milord. The kingdom needs you to be healthy." Charlotte added.

Seeing their worried faces, Riz sits on his bed quietly. All of these concerns and worries make him very uncomfortable. He never experiences this genuine concern in his life.

When was the last time someone ever showed concern for his well-being?

The last time someone showered him with concern is due to the potential they saw in him. Nothing more than that.

Ignoring their nagging, his eyes shift to Arden who is standing a little bit too far from the rest. Their eyes meet each other.

"Y-Your Majesty..." Arden stutteringly calls him. His face was still bloodless with sweat beads trickling down his forehead.

"Relax, Arden. I am not going to blame you for anything as I eat it voluntarily."

His conversation was interrupted by Theodora's voice who still hasn't satisfied with Riz's lack of response.

"Riz...Riz...Did you hear what we are saying?"

"Yes, I heard you. Don't worry, I won't do it again. Now, please leave me alone as I need some rest."

Riz chased everyone out of the room. He spent the remaining day staring at the ceiling. His mind is recalling all the knowledge he has absorbed with precision.

Gradually a smile appears on his face.

He mutters under his breath, "So this is how it feels to have a photographic memory."

It must have something to do with the pain he experienced at that time. Riz can feel a difference in his mental capabilities. His mind becomes clearer and his thought process becomes smoother.

"If only I knew that pill can grant me this knowledge, I would have consumed it a long time ago. I feel like an idiot for pulling an all-nighter since coming here. But..."

He realizes the knowledge he has is incomplete. All of them are related to engineering knowledge. As for other fields, it remains the same as it was with no change.

....

The next day, he entered the office like normal. Despite their opposition, he stubbornly does so.

He doesn't need a break or a day off. Many people meet him on a daily basis to discuss important matters. Delaying their affairs is like delaying the development of his kingdom.

Riz checks his notebook, "Let's see who I have an appointment with today...Oh! It's Goban."

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Come in."

Goban entered his office. His mouth is wide open when he sees the interior of the office. It's even more extravagant and luxurious than the mansion's office he visited before.

Riz chose a combination of black and red as the theme of his office. His desk itself was made of this world version of African Blackwood.

"Your Majesty, it's been a long time since we saw each other." Goban greets him warmly.

After the war ended, Riz recruited Goban to be his chief researcher in his weapon company. He needed someone capable to take his place and invented a new weapon as he is getting busier with the kingdom's affairs.

Furthermore, Goban knows too much about his technology which he simply can't ignore.

Friend or not doesn't matter if the enemy offered you enough wealth. Riz is not an idiot to let Goban stay unaffiliated forever.

His first task is to have Goban improve the arquebus. Goban doesn't need to worry about funds, materials, place or manpower.

"Yeah...Since the war ended, we have been too busy and rarely interact with each other. I assume you come here with good news in hand."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Please wait for a moment."

Goban took out an elongated wooden box and put it on his desk which made Riz curious about the content.

He opened up the cover and presented it to his king an arquebus.

"This is a better version of the arquebus. I have been researching a way to get rid of those slow-burning ropes. After months of researching, I finally created a new mechanism for the arquebus." Goban proudly said.

Riz lifts up the weapon and inspects every inch of it. The mechanism Goban is talking about is the flintlock mechanism. Compared to matchlock, flint is used as a trigger to create sparks in an iron pan filled with powder.

"Have you tested it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. With this mechanism, it provides instant ignition that can fire off the bullet without delay. Did your majesty know what that mean? It means an increase in the output of shots. This mechanism also shortens the reloading time, solving the misfires that often occur and most importantly the weather won't affect its performance."

"What is this weapon called?"

"It has no name. I give you the honour to name it, Your Majesty."

"You actually can't think of a suitable name for it, aren't you?"

"..."

"Sigh...Let's call it the flintlock mechanism since it uses flint as an ignition source. As for the weapon, it should be called a flintlock musket to differentiate it from the previous matchlock arquebus."

"Flintlock musket...I think it's a suitable name, Your Majesty."

Goban nods his head. The name sounds perfectly fit for the new weapon.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, my next question is can it be mass-produced?"

"There are no major changes in design so we can use the already built assembly line in your weapon factory. It just needs some tweaks here and there."

"Then get it done as soon as possible. As I mentioned before, our weapon technology needs to stay ahead of other nations."

Except for Count Naharog, he doesn't know who else is currently researching firearms in the dark.

Equipping this musket to all of his soldiers will increase his nation's military strength by several folds and provide sufficient technological superiority over the enemies.

Another storm is coming to the mid-mainland of Jozia and he is probably playing some part in making it happen.