Chapter 460: The Sequel(7)
Chapter 460: The Sequel(7)
The gun—the true King of All Weapons and widely known as the "Muggle's Wand." Its appearance was powerful enough to flip the very flow of history.
Before the advent of the gun, training a single warrior required an enormous amount of time and capital.
Cavalrymen and knights, in particular, were literal money pits. Losing them was a direct blow to the nation's wealth.
Of course, the investment was made because they were worth it. A knight in full plate armor, which was difficult to pierce with arrows or even spears, was essentially a medieval "Iron Man."
Because of this, the methods for killing a knight were extremely limited: either smash the armor to bits with a mace or stab through the gaps in the joints with a blade.
However, cavalry and knights slowly began to vanish after the invention of the gun. While cavalry still held tactical value during the matchlock era, knights were simply toast.
What was the point of wearing steel when a single pull of a trigger could punch right through it?
While cannons existed among gunpowder weapons, they were reserved for sieges or special circumstances; they were too unwieldy to be used as personal firearms like a gun.
[The essence of science—a wand that effortlessly pierces steel armor.]
Thus, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the appearance of the gun shook the very foundations of history.
It shifted the protagonists of war from knights to commoners and led to the collapse of the ruling class.
But the most important point to focus on is that the gun is a "personal firearm." It makes it possible to convert an entire population into military power.
Furthermore, while it takes time and money to train even a single soldier who knows how to fight—let alone a knight—what about an infantryman with a gun?
There’s none of that. As long as they have basic physical fitness and marksmanship, they’re good to go. There’s no need or reason to even engage in melee combat.
However, comparing them to the knights of this world is a bit tricky. The knights here aren't just human weapons; they are practically living engines of destruction.
It’s a classic case of Science vs. Magic.
[Can a gun really take down a knight?]
[Like a crossbow, no matter how strong it is, it’s meaningless if you can’t hit the target.]
[How many knights in the world could actually dodge that? It would be better to charge head-on like an Ogre.]
[If it can pierce solid steel armor, what knight could possibly withstand it?]
There were many people who shared thoughts similar to mine. For the record, this is how I described the gun:
The essence of science and a miraculous wand that turns everyone into a mage. The bullet fired from the muzzle effortlessly pierces even steel.
The part people were fixating on was the "piercing steel" bit. Steel isn't exactly easy to come by, yet this weapon could punch through it "effortlessly"?
To the people of this world, it sounded utterly unrealistic. How could such a monstrous weapon be created in a world without magic?
And was it certain that this weapon called a "gun" could truly pierce solid steel armor?
While all sorts of arguments were flying back and forth, I hadn't yet mentioned that the gun was a "personal firearm."
They were already struggling to believe its power; if I told them it was a weapon given to every individual soldier, they wouldn't believe me at all.
[If it pierces steel armor, you just need a body tougher than steel.]
In the midst of the debate, one critic made that comment. From an Earthling's perspective, it sounds like absolute nonsense.
But this is a fantasy world. If you utilize mana well, you can make your body tougher than steel.
My father is someone capable of doing exactly that. In fact, there are experts hidden all over the world who can slice through steel like it's soft tofu.
They often have to endure such force with their bodies rather than armor, so their bodies naturally become incredibly durable.
[It’s going to fly in a straight line anyway, so can’t you just dodge the moment the trigger is pulled?]
If nothing else, that is impossible. Unless they've learned Observation Haki like in some pirate manga, there's no way.
By the time they perceive the sound of the gun firing, the bullet would have already punched through their body and then some.
[Then you just need to make armor thicker than standard steel or use a shield.]
At that point, you might as well just invent the tank... I thought, but by this world's standards, it was a somewhat rational suggestion.
Of course, the person wearing that armor would be miserable, but they would, at the very least, be able to push through a hail of bullets.
It seemed to prove the saying that if your head is good, your body is comfortable—but if your body is good, your head can be at ease.
[That’s the most nonsensical thing I’ve ever heard. You’d just become a perfect target for a cannon.]
However, since cannons already exist in this world even without guns, that point was moot.
Any steel thick enough to stop a bullet would surely kill mobility, making the wearer a sitting duck for artillery.
As such, with the appearance of a new weapon—one with power comparable to magic—everyone was busy sharing their opinions.
'Gunpowder seems to have progressed enough, so why hasn't anyone thought of inventing the gun?'
Cannons were, of course, invented by the Dwarves, and there are records of the Human Alliance using them to great effect during the Race War.
Despite that, humans focused only on mana and magic rather than gunpowder.
I'm not sure why they made that choice, but it might be because of the overwhelming individual power of the Elves.
It was likely due to a narrow-minded perspective—the belief that it was better to train one skilled knight or mage than to focus on science.
'It’ll certainly be hard for the power of knights and mages to decline even if the gun is invented.'
Magic is just that indispensable and attractive a power. I have to admit that much.
But science is equally attractive, so there will likely be a movement to embrace both.
While the heated debate of Gun vs. Knight is ongoing, the most important detail—that it's a personal firearm—will be revealed in the main story.
The public's evaluation will flip once again then. For the record, I plan to reveal this in Volume 1.
Since Hitler was a veteran of World War I, it won't be difficult to reveal. He even had the nickname "The Bohemian Corporal."
Instead of starting with the horrific hellscape of trench warfare, I plan to start from the point of his discharge. Falling out of art school will, unfortunately, have to be a flashback.
'That should be enough for now.'
World War II features various war machines besides guns, but I plan to gloss over those for now.
The introduction of the gun alone is already causing a massive impact; if I leak any more information, people might become desensitized.
"Isaac."
"Yeah. Go ahead."
"Is this weapon called a 'gun' really as powerful as magic?"
It seemed our Imperial Princess had more she was curious about. She questioned me with eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Last time, Cecile and Arwen came to find me, and now Lina had suddenly dropped by.
From what I've gathered so far, she seems to think of me as some kind of robotic cat from the future.
'She already knows about the atomic bomb, so...'
She must be dying of curiosity. Currently, no one knows about the existence of the nuclear bomb except for Lina.
She was the first person I told, and after seeing her reaction then, I decided I shouldn't tell anyone else.
Of course, it will appear at the end of World War II, but since it's the highlight, I plan to keep it strictly under wraps.
"I don't know magic that well, but up to a certain level, it's similar. It's easier to think of it as a superior version of a crossbow. Didn't I tell you before?"
"You told me about the nuclear bomb."
I nodded as Lina spoke bluntly. Fortunately, there was no one else around to overhear; it was just the two of us.
I had even sent Adelia, who was always by my side, away for a short break.
By now, she's probably touring the territory with Mari. Since Mari is the future mistress of the house, they need to get close.
"That was an extreme example. I also explained about airplanes that fly in the sky and ships made of iron. With those things existing, the existence of a gun isn't that strange."
"That's true, but... you said your world has no mana or magic, right? With weapons like that, can you even get close to each other?"
That was a very sharp question. In fact, during World War I, a literal hell on earth unfolded because there was no way to break through machine guns and barbed wire.
The only methods were artillery barrages or poison gas, but even those weren't very efficient.
In the end, the decisive reason Germany lost was the entry of the United States. Until then, France and Germany were locked in a peak display of inefficiency.
"You probably saw someone say this in the newspaper: if it pierces steel armor, just wear thicker armor or use a shield."
"...That was Viscount Gilas."
"Viscount Gilas?"
"He's from one of the military families."
So that's why he could make such a semi-sensical comment. However, judging by Lina's expression, he didn't seem to be very well-regarded.
"Anyway, what he suggested is a decent method. It's just that it's a machine, not a person."
"A machine? You mean a hunk of iron that blocks bullets can move?"
"If there are hunks of iron that fly in the sky and swim in the sea, is that so strange?"
"...Now that I think about it, you're right."
How shocked would she be if I told her those hunks of iron were equipped with machine guns and even cannon barrels? I chose not to elaborate.
She'll find out soon enough anyway; there's no fun in telling her now. I have no intention of sacrificing the future for a moment of immediate satisfaction.
Lina pondered for a while, then shook her head and spoke quietly.
"The more I dig into your world, the more bizarre things seem to pop out. From nuclear bombs to guns... who could use these guns?"
"Everyone could use them."
"...Regardless of social status?"
"Yeah."
"..."
Lina's expression now said she didn't even know how to react. She had so much she wanted to say but couldn't figure out where to start.
Eventually, she asked me another question in a tone bordering on desperation.
"Before the nuclear bomb was invented, was it possible to drop Meteors from the sky?"
"It was. Entire cities were turned into seas of fire."
"Then what about striking a city from a long distance?"
"That was possible too."
"Why don't you just go ahead and say individuals could use Explosion like a gun?"
"It was single-shot, but that was possible too."
"What kind of world is that?!"
She must have been truly flabbergasted to raise her voice like that. But since I found our world just as fascinating, I simply shrugged.
Lina seemed to have run out of questions and leaned back in her chair, looking exhausted.
Her beautiful features were clouded with a sense of futility and skepticism.
"...It makes us, who focused only on magic, feel like fools."
"But there's magic that science can't replicate. And now that the steam locomotive has been invented, there's only progress ahead."
"Then I'll ask one last thing. How much money was spent in that war where all those weapons were gathered?"
"Hmm..."
I had to think about this one. I needed to do the conversion in my head.
But the amount was so astronomical that mental math was nearly impossible. I pulled a notebook from my front pocket and scribbled with a magic pen.
Lina waited patiently until I finished the calculation. Looking at her face, I could see a strange tension.
Once the calculation was complete, I spoke cautiously.
"Roughly 120..."
"1.2 million gold? Well, I suppose with all those war machines gathered, you'd have to spend a lot."
1.2 million gold is roughly 120 billion won. Lina brushed it off as if she had expected as much.
But I couldn't help but feel awkward, my eyes darting around. I wasn't sure if I should tell her or not.
Noticing my reaction, Lina sensed something was wrong and spoke in a shrinking voice.
"...Is that not it?"
"You need to add 'billion' to the end, not 'million'..."
In reality, the money spent on World War II alone reached 1 trillion dollars—roughly 1,200 trillion won.
It was an amount that would bankrupt most countries several times over, enough to make even the United States tremble.
Lina blinked at my words, then let out a hollow laugh. She closed her eyes and calmly sipped her tea.
"Isaac."
"Yeah?"
"I think it's a real blessing."
"What is?"
Lina took an elegant sip of her tea and spoke with absolute sincerity.
"That you were the only one who came over here."
"...?"
"If your entire country had come over, we would have all become slaves."
I felt like I had seen something similar in my past life.
Anyway, a few days passed after that...
[Xenon's New Work! Volume 1 of World War II is here!]
The long-awaited Volume 1 had finally arrived.