Vol 4 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Volume 4 Chapter 2, “What the Human World Hates Most is a Cowardly Hero”
———- The Portal, the Construction Site, One of the Bridges
Boom! Boom!
Middle Aged Merchant: “Any time now!”
Disciple Engineer: “Ohh Middle Aged Merchant! It’s done! It’s finally finished!!”
Middle Aged Merchant: “I dropped by at the doro”
Disciple Engineer: “Really? And is everybody happy there?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Yes, everybody is over the ht will be a banquet, I may assume?”
Disciple Engineer: “Yes, we’ve got to celebrate after all!”
Boom! Boom!
Middle Aged Merchant: “Finally”
Disciple Engineer: “Yes A lot of incidents occurred, but we’ve inally expected, and the safety is assured”
Middle Aged Merchant: “I’ve already received soes Everyone is very grateful Because of these bridges and the lifts to change the elevation, goods can be shi+pped across easily What fantastic work”
Disciple Engineer: “No, no! I was glad to be of service I only did what I could as a craftsman”
Middle Aged Merchant: “No… These bridges o down in history froe in forineer”
Disciple Engineer: “…No, umm, hahaha! When you put it that way, I really have no way to reply!”
Middle Aged Merchant: “In that case, I’ll be relying on you for the next eight years of stone bridges”
Disciple Engineer: “—So, you procured the funding?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “No, but leave it to me If it comes to, I have my ways I know some people…”
Disciple Engineer: “Shall we discuss so else?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Yes” Smiles
Boom! Boom!
Disciple Engineer: “Don’t tell me, that’s… a fort?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Why do you think that way?”
Disciple Engineer: “Actually, it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the temples around the City of the Gate”
Middle Aged Merchant: “That’s—”
Disciple Engineer: “This city used to be a great battleground It’s an ancient city with a heart of steel If anything were to happen, these defences can be deployed to ensure the protection of the people for years”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Is that so?”
Disciple Engineer: “…”
Middle Aged Merchant: “I see Then perhaps I should take a look around?”
Disciple Engineer: “So you have thought of it?”
Middle Aged Merchant: “We may be in the middle of a ceasefire, but I do not knoill happen It seems that the City will prosper best if we can maintain its security That would allow us merchants to travel safely without fear”
Disciple Engineer: “Indeed…”
Boom! Boom!
Fiend Labourer: “Let’s eat well later!”
Labourer: “Let’s have a ht!”
Giant Craftsman: “I’ll look…forward to…that!”
Middle Aged Merchant: “…”
Disciple Engineer: “Oh right Now that the work is complete, it’s definitely time to pay their salary”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Yes Indeed—Well then! Shall we go? To the City of the Gate?”
Disciple Engineer: “Sure Let’s paint the town red tonight, tomorroell”
Middle Aged Merchant: “According to the reports we’ve received, it see a battleground is not low”
Disciple Engineer nods
Middle Aged Merchant: “Could I count on you for one ? This time it doesn’t come from the Union In other words, it’s not an official request from the City of the Gate Rather, it’s a request from me personally, and all the people of the City of the Gate who hope for its independence I sincerely apologise, but you probably won’t be paid sufficiently for it as well”
Disciple Engineer: “Sure, I’ll do it”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Really? — Without hesitation?”
Disciple Engineer: “Yeah Nofor My greatest hope is to welcoe”
Middle Aged Merchant: “Is that so…”
Disciple Engineer: “So, I suppose you want me to build fortifications Let me show you the skills I have been bestowed upon by my teacher, is that acceptable?”
———– The Village of Wintering, the Headquarters of the Holy Order of the Lake, the Private Quarters of the Grandmaster
The Female Paladin: “Hmm…”
The Dehtened War is unavoidable”
The Chief Maid: “You’ve become a very splendid person” Smiles
The Female Paladin: “So, what do you intend to do?”
The De: “I have absolutely no idea”
The Female Paladin: “…Hey, hey”
The De: “No, you’ll find that the members of my Tribe are very removed from subject matters outside of our specific areas of expertise I’ical advancey, but other areas of expertise are out of my reach Especially the field of military studies”
The Feht you would have been an expert of such things since you’re the De”
The Dereat”
The Fedom of Metal as blueprints for production by their craftsmen your idea?”
The De: “Yes, I did not expect the blueprints to be leaked and transferred to the Central Continent Not without my capture, at least What’s scary is that one of these craftsht on to the Holy Church”
The Chief Maid: “…Yeah”
The Female Paladin: “This?” Clunk
The Chief Maid: “Oh, you got your hands on it?”
The Female Paladin: “We found quite a fee searched the battlefield But I suppose I still don’t understand Would you care to explain?”
Click click
The Dehter than I expected This … To explain it, well… basically, this musket is a metal tube Inside the tube, there is a round unpowder”
The Fey?”
The Deunpowder is basically a substance capable of rapid co one end of the tube, the explosive force can be concentrated to propel the bullet at high speeds from the open end of the tube In essence, that’s basically how the mechanism works”
The Female Paladin: “It sounds like a very simple weapon”
The De: “It’s simple in a way, but wouldn’t you say it’sa sword or a spear around?”
The Female Paladin: “That’s true… Then, how do you feel about the performance of the weapon?”
The De it, so I don’t know But even though the basic mechanism which I talked about earlier is sireatly affect its performance”
The Female Paladin: “…Really?”
The De: “However, as I’e of about 100 steps, and its penetrating power is insufficient to pierce through plate armour from a distance”
The Female Paladin: “It’s still impressive, better than crossbows at any rate”
The Dees fro on the skill of the firer Its accuracy is also dependent on the skill of the firer”
The Female Paladin: “Mmhmm”
The De ejected froe line and, due to its size and speed, is much less affected by wind than arrows Used by aher accuracy as well”
The Female Paladin: “…”
The Deue idea of this as well, but the power of the bow and the flight speed of the arrows are largely decided by the size of the bow and the strength of material In other words, elasticity is directly proportional to force generated A crossbow has the saears to replace the sheer pulling force of the arm In contrast, the musket’s force is directly proportional to the explosive force of the gunpowder A stronger person using a er, but on the other hand, a weaker person using a enerated any weaker either Even a weak, thin, young man has the power to penetrate a full suit of plate armour in his hands”
The Female Paladin: “I sort of understand”
The De: “Mmm”
The Female Paladin: “The weapon itself is not the problem”
The De: “Really?”
The Female Paladin: “It’s a troublesome weapon, but in the end, it’s just a weapon With appropriate strategy, victory is possible It can fire up to one hundred paces, but it’s not reliable at that range At anything more than 50 paces, it can’t stop an armoured enemy Moreover, its accuracy is inconsistent If for instance, you wanted to ai an experienced archer”
The De: “Is that so?”
The Female Paladin: “But this is in a situation of equal numbers The reason why these weapons are troublesome… No, rather, the reason why the Holy Crusaders are so troublesome is the method in which they employ these weapons — In other words, it’s the fact that they are all willing to borrow the invention of their ‘huhts on the battlefield, it is likely the ten knights would win easily However, if we changed that to thirty peasant musketeers, the situation is now different It’s a weapon which is capable of overturning the power held by cavalry and heavy infantry”
The De: “…”
The Chief Maid: “…”
The Fe these weapons is for a pitched battle on an open plain, with infantry firing in a closely compacted formation”
The De: “Hmm”
The Female Paladin: “…Then”
The De: “What?”
The Female Paladin: “What do you think the weakness of this weapon is?”
The De: “Well Simply put, this is a fireare, so it’s not a very reliable weapon In other words, there may be misfires Moreover, you also lose the freedom of position If it’s fired in a level manner, it still functions, but when the aim is adjusted upwards or doards, the efficiency is reducedAnd because it needs to be lit, hureatest enemy would be rain There’s also the issue of the difficulty of lighting the fuse in a compact formation”
The Female Paladin: “…And is there a way to remedy these issues?”
The De about is a flintlock, which is basically the next stage of evolution By using a struck flint to produce sparks to light the gunpowder, es can be overturned The compactness of the formation can also be improved”
The Female Paladin: “No What are the chances those will be leaked as well?”
The De: “I can’t deny it But there’s also the issue of production If they succeed in the production of the new design, they would still be laden with n”
The Female Paladin: “That’s true…”
The Deunpowder, it’s just a useless tube Unlike arrows, gunpowder isn’t so you can make in the field”
The Fee scale production of muskets for the Southern Alliance”
The De: “Really”
The Feood intentions or anything However, the specialty of the muskets is that they can replace combat skill with numbers In other words, with the say, it is the side with y, a smaller force can still achieve victory, but nu combat skill with numbers is not suited for a professional arular soldiers with poor and short-ter That is the precise aiht on the terdoht a battle of numbers is simply suicide We may be fools, but this is common sense on the battlefield”
The De”
The Feistical victory That would allow us to win even without fighting, regardless of the size of the enemy”
The De closer to my expertise Seems like we can cooperate on this”
The Female Paladin: “But noe have to fear their desperation too The desperate, last-ditch attack of twenty thousand starving soldiers would be enough to break any army”
The De: “Yeah”
The Fes could occur on the battlefield That is soh price to learn this time It would be too naïve to think ould win instantly with a logistical victory”
The De: “Yeah…”
The Female Paladin: “…”
The Chief Maid: “…”
The Fe, if one were to try to increase the force—would that be a unpowder?”
The Deunpowder, you’ll also need the tube to be able to withstand the impact If you increase the size of the bullet, then of course the force increases as well”
The Female Paladin: “If you increase the force, could you extend the range as well?”
The De: “Of course Basically, if you don’t increase the weight of the bullet, then by doubling the ae”
The Fee?”
The Dee…”
The Feht on the sa so? Isn’t that right? With enough range, it e of the enemy”
The Dee of the enemy…”
———- The New Territories of White Night, the Barracks Headquarters
Crown Prince Marshal: “What do you think? Would you like to try leading that army?”
Green Ash King: “Doesn’t sound bad”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Heh”
Green Ash King: “It’s true that they’re a ragtag, ill-disciplined bunch of peasants, but unlike the private arood or bad, they’re at least simple”
Crown Prince Marshal: “And what of the muskets?”
Green Ash King: “At present, they’re very powerful, but they have sos This is what I feel Have you read the paper I submitted?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “I’ it”
Green Ash King: “In it I wrote that there was a state in which due to the huhting in, the gunpowder got wet and could no longer fire There were also instances of chamber explosions They accounted for relatively few of the casualties, but there were still soes inflicted by our own muskets”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Hmm”
Green Ash King: “There’s so”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Interesting…?”
Green Ash King: “In previous battles fought with nobleetherness and commitment of the noblemen to the battle But in this battle, this weakness has been amplified To put it simply, these are all serfs who do not understand war, they’re conorant peasants It is natural for the”
Crown Prince Marshal: “What problems do we have now?”
Green Ash King: “Data, please”
Secretary: “Yes”
Green Ash King: “May I assu Officer?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “By all means”
Green Ash King: “First is theof substantial force froth of the battlefront to a specific point It could be for a long period of tile instance Either way, this has to be accomplished”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Hmm”
Green Ash King: “In the past, with regards to thisthe quality of the soldiers In other words, the increase of the standards of individual soldiers’ equipment and weaponry, or the reform of commanders However, this time, your Majesty’s soldiers, the Holy Crusaders, are not heavily equipped enough for this Is that not correct?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Hahahaha”
Green Ash King: “Then, in that case, we i penetrative poe need to improve the weapon… In other words, I hope we can modify the weapon itself”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Hmm”
Green Ash King: “What about it?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “The new n will soon be unveiled However, because of some issues with production quality, it will take a while for all the numbers to be there”
Green Ash King: “I don’t mind In any case, before we start to deploy the The other issue is with defensive ability”
Crown Prince Marshal: “That was touched on in the reports as well”
Green Ash King: “Yeah, it is regrettable thatone volley at a time Of course, it just means that the weapons need to be reloaded, but that’s an additional gesture which has no place on the chaotic battlefield Moreover, i, the musketman is left completely exposed”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Mmm”
Green Ash King: “With regards to this, I have taken the steps suggested by Your Majesty by attaching spearmen units to the musketmen and solved the issue”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Very good Anything else?”
Green Ash King: “Nothing specifically with the y with the nobility participating in the Crusade Especially some measure of scorn and discord between the nobles and the musketmen This is a problem”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Well, they are noblemen”
Green Ash King: “Yeah that’s right However, the musketeers, who fory, are ultimately a division of serfs They definitely did not receive any specialist h speed military manoeuvres, we still undoubtedly need to rely on the heavy cavalry power of the nobility For this reason, we still need to ood relationshi+p with them and the nobility Muskets aren’t invincible soldiers after all”
Crown Prince Marshal: “With regards to that, do you have anything planned out?”
Green Ash King: “Well, I was thinking of what sort of country your Majesty would be trying to create”
Crown Prince Marshal: “…”
Green Ash King: “With the maintenance of the present system, the nobility and the royalty can cooperate to save each other The system is such that there is a feudal lord on top of the people, such that the royalty can control the people directly as it is in an Absolute Monarchy”
Crown Prince Marshal: “…”
Green Ash King: “At present, the countries of the Central Continent function in anarchy, but in reality, the Church is like a very large ring, within which the countries are like trapped wild horses Within this group of horses, the Holy Empire is like an older brother whose influence cannot be underestimated”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Haha, please don’t exaggerate The Holy Empire is no more than a country, like any other, which believes in the Holy Spirit These Crusades are also formed from the free hearts of the myriad believers from the many countries to the many nobles…”
Green Ash King: “Hahahahahaha But this freedoed by certain more powerful elements”
Crown Prince Marshal: “—H, but I myself believe that the noblemen are indispensable It’s just that the tied”
Green Ash King: “With regards to that, he who sows the seeds reaps the harvest I believe we can devise strict ulatory stipulations based on those used by the warrior class The nobility and the royalty should take the initiative in acting based on these rules, so that they can set an example for the people to follow Moreover, we must reward those nobility who respond well to the scheme We need to ensure that we take matters into hand and enforce some discipline, so that we can reduce the friction between our forces We are all part of the effort against the Demon Race after all
“It in with, mercenaries have always been supplementary soldiers in time when manpower is short In this war, the nobility have their private armies, which are essentially mercenaries; but the Holy Crusaders lack mercenary forces of our own So it should not be a problem to hire some Those noblemen who have a problem with it… Well, we can just declare them heretics” Chuckles
Crown Prince Marshal: “I suppose this is what is meant by a capable commander”
Green Ash King: “In that case, I will begin the disciplinary reforms”
Crown Prince Marshal: “I await your success”
Green Ash King: “Thanks to your instructions, the range of thebetween shots, and the fuses have been i the direction of fire next time”
Crown Prince Marshal: “I expectof the Mist”
Green Ash King: “Haha”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————-————————-
Explanation
Absolute Monarchy: This refers to a systeiven absolute authority over his subjects There are noblemen, but they receive their positions and responsibilities directly froovernment has limited powers In Europe, froan to evolve towards an absolute monarchy The powers of the nobility went dohile due to the establish went up As a result, this forained momentum However, a truly absolute monarchy with authority vested co has never existed in history Even though one s have always had to consider the intentions of the nobility and the overnment and politics However, in co power, and his individual will held much more sway over national decisions
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——- The New Territories of White Night, the Halls of the Palace
Strategist: “What is this?”
Holy Imperial Soldier: “Well, umm… Uhh”
Holy Imperial Cavalry: “We don’t have the expected upon amount of saltpetre?”
Strategist: “We don’t? Stop fooling around Did you scour the palace and confirm it!”
Holy Imperial Cavalry: “Yes, of course we’ve confirmed it There should be 64 wooden chests, but…”
Strategist: “So was there anything else in those wooden chests in the warehouse?”
Holy Imperial Soldier: “They were empty”
Holy Imperial Cavalry: “It seems that only the wooden chests near the entrance of the warehouse were filled with saltpetre, all the others were empty”
Strategist: “…”
Holy Imperial Cavalry: “What should we do?”
Strategist: “And what of the other things?”
Holy I and cold weather apparel With the present nuhly another month”
Strategist: “…”
Holy Imperial Soldier: “Moreover, we are in theshi+ps, but we severely lack tar and equipment”
Strategist: “Firstly, we can try to collect taxes froht We can probably cover the costs of providing for the necessary tools and cold weather apparel”
Holy I to our reports, the Kingdoht is an extremely poor country Moreover, e ees”
Strategist: “…To the impoverished countries of the South?”
Holy I I’ve heard, but, it appears that the royalty and nobility of many countries have already joined hands with the oods fro thenificant levels of inflation are being felt, particularly for these ioods”
Strategist: “…Mmm, how arbitrary”
Holy Imperial Soldier: “…”
Strategist: “I got it If it’s about prices, we can try to take appropriate action in collaboration with the Church and the other countries We can streamline the i for essential goods”
Holy Imperial Soldier: “Yes”
Strategist: “With regards to saltpetre, ill still need to investigate in with, it was difficult for us to predict fro half the agreed amount of saltpetre with them I fear somebody else is now in possession of the saltpetre Convoys formed frouise Try to check with the refugees if they have information”
Holy Imperial Cavalry: “Yes! Understood!”
——– The Kingdom of the Lake, the Capital, the Headquarters of the Merchant’s Union
Female Union Employee: “The price of charcoal imported from the Central Continent is now 320 co to do with the 70 decrease in quantity sold The quantity sold of ores has also gone up sharply”
Branch Chief: “The reports have come in Even if these are the accounts of secret factories, in order to obtain enough charcoal for their purposes, they needed to put up a significant portion of their ore supply on the market”
Young Merchant: “Please purchase what you can”
Branch Chief: “Sih this information comes from our brothel networks, it seedom of Copper are also concerned about the lack of charcoal We have unconfir at only half the efficiency”
Feoes to sho interconnected everything is”
Young Merchant: “Moreover… Our opponents are the Holy Empire and the Church behind theons If we do not exercise prudence, ill be crushed”
Branch Chief: “We will need to expand our net?”
Young Merchant: “Yes”
Door opens
Union Edoold pieces”
Young Merchant: “…The Kingdom of the Lake? Good, let’s rely on reinforcements now”
Branch Chief: “Reinforcements? You mean the Southern Alliance?”
Young Merchant: “Yeah, the Southern Alliance seeotten a hitherto unknown— This letter goes to the Disciple Merchant in the Kingdom of Winter”
Female Union Employee: “Understood I’ll send it as soon as possible”
Young Merchant: “Of course”
Branch Chief: “Then our net of encirclement is almost complete”
Young Merchant: “Indeed The Kingdodom of the Lake are now members of the Southern Alliance There is no place for countries like the Kingdom of Copper to carry out their orders The secret factories of the Kingdodom of the Lake to idom of the Lake has tariffs imposed on the y to protect the Kingdodoms of the Central Continent are too used to peace, they have proble such intense issues”
Branch Chief nods
Young Merchant: “For the tiold pieces per caravan of charcoal”
Union Employee: “Sixty?! That’s more expensive than the charcoal itself!”
Young Merchant: “The thing about tariffs is that there is an option to sioods It is coh In this e can suppress the quantity of the good demanded”
Union Employee: “Un, understood”
Cough, cough
Young Merchant: “…Not yet”
Branch Chief: “Has anything happened?”
Young Merchant: “I was just thinking it’s not enough”
Branch Chief: (I just saw hiot an evil feel)
Young Merchant: “With the chains we have created, we don’t even have enough to restrain one-tenth of the ferocious dragon At this rate, on’t be able to stop the war”
Branch Chief: “Councillor, do you intend to stop the war?”
Young Merchant: “Youarmies We still have much else we need to do… It would be really troubleso we have worked towards”
Branch Chief: “But this Holy Crusades is supported in full by the Primarch hi”
Young Merchant: “Yes, indeed That is why they can act so crazily — What an insane affair”
Branch Chief: “…”
Young Merchant: “Their a inferno”
Branch Chief: “Indeed It’s an inferno fuelled by the perranted by the Church, to fulfil the wishes of the nobility greedy to gain new lands in the Demon World “
Young Merchant: “It’s a snatch and grab Well, to anyone else, it would be a condemnable act; but this ti it Of course, that is our way of life — But there must be limits”
Branch Chief: “Eh…?”
Young Merchant: “Greed is a facet of huain riches However, that is if you have the discipline to ereed… What awaits is destruction As merchants, we know this very well”
Branch Chief: “Definitely”
Young Merchant: “…Well, then Even though the border situation of the Kingdom of Metal has entered a lull, the economic battle of us merchants has only just entered the Ashura Shake off everything we can’t deal with That’s the way to deal with things, isn’t it, Mister Disciple?”
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Explanation
Ashura: One of the six realms of Buddhism (Deva, Human, Ashura, Animal, Preta and Naraka) It refers to world of endless ithout peace
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——— The Village of Wintering, the Manor of the De, the Kitchen
Blub, blub, blub
The De, Hero”
The Hero: “Put in a pinch of salt”
The De: “Like this?”
The Hero: “That’s a handful”
The De?”
The Hero: “It’s the same, isn’t it? Salt is salt”
Blub, blub, blub
The Deuess”
The Hero: “Let’s add these sausages”
Glub, glub, glub
The De: “And?”
The Hero: “Next, add sliced cabbages”
The De, eh?”
The Hero: “Let !
Plop!
The De: “Perfect!”
The Hero: “Ahh, I almost scared myself”
The Deht? Can we eat already?”
The Hero: “No, wait Let it heat up first Let’s give it another 5 minutes for the mushrooms”
The De: “5 minutes?”
The Hero: “Yes, 5 minutes In other words, three hundred seconds”
The De: “Isn’t it ready?”
The Hero: “How can it be so fast!”
The De time”
The Hero: “No choice then… One, two, three, four…”
The De: “…”
The Hero: “Twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven…”
Blub, blub, blub
The Deive it a try”
The Hero: “Thirty four, thirty five, thirty six…”
The Dereat”
The Hero: “Fifty two, fifty three, fifty four…”