Chapter 477: The Golden Goblin(5)
Chapter 477: The Golden Goblin(5)
Viscount Kalas—that is, Marshall—certainly looked like an extraordinary individual at first glance.
His thick lips were striking, but it was his blue eyes, burning with a passion so intense they seemed ready to catch fire, that truly stood out.
They say the eyes are the window to the soul, don't they? Thinking of Cherry’s dark, hollow eyes, I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly.
However, I had no idea where Marshall’s passion was directed. Perhaps he was just a naturally energetic person.
"Artillery? Did you just say artillery?"
Well, not anymore. I think I have a rough idea of what he wants.
I had merely muttered something about artillery shells in passing, but Marshall’s eyes began to sparkle even more brilliantly than before.
As I stood there with a bewildered expression, unable to grasp the situation, Marquis Mathews hurriedly stepped in to restrain him.
"Viscount Kalas. Compose yourself. Do you realize where we are?"
"But the young master of the Maishal family clearly said 'artillery'!"
"You must have misheard. You're the only one thinking that."
While frantically trying to stop him, Marquis Mathews shot me a look. It was a silent plea for me to excuse myself.
But I had no intention of doing so. The word 'artillery' that Marshall had mentioned kept weighing on my mind.
I figured it wouldn't hurt to listen. I was curious as to why he even knew the term.
"Marquis Mathews? My apologies, but would it be alright if I spoke with Viscount Kalas for a moment?"
"But..."
"I’ll be fine. I think this might turn into a rather interesting conversation."
"Sigh..."
Faced with a mounting headache, Marquis Mathews let out a long sigh and squeezed his eyes shut.
Then, he slowly withdrew the hand he had used to hold the Viscount back. There was no longer anything stopping him.
He must care for him quite a bit.
Bringing him to an event like this and then frantically trying to restrain him after he’d been rude suggested they shared a special bond.
Military families are, by nature, sensitive to rank. Seeing him act this way meant Viscount Kalas was talented enough to bridge that gap.
I was curious why such a man was so obsessed with artillery. In this world, it was only natural to show more interest in magic than gunpowder.
"Thank you so much for your consideration!"
"No need for thanks. Anyway, about this 'artillery'—could you explain it to me?"
"Yes. Phew..."
Marshall took a deep breath, looking nervous at the prospect of explaining it to me. Meanwhile, Marquis Mathews looked like he had partially lost his soul.
The others weren't much different. Count Götz let out a hollow laugh, and Kay wore a bitter smile.
Every single one of them seemed to regard Marshall as a total 'eccentric.'
"To go back to the beginning, what do you think of cannons, Young Master Maishal?"
"They are weapons of great power. But we have magic, don't we? Just the manufacturing process for a cannon requires an enormous amount of effort. They have the advantage of being usable by those who cannot use mana, but they come with a massive price tag."
Cannons in this world were barely at the level of muzzle-loaders. Since gunpowder weapons hadn't been developed, high-explosive shells were a pipe dream.
The prevailing logic was that it was better to train a mage to spam spells than to bother inventing better cannons.
But honestly, even reaching the muzzle-loader stage was an impressive feat. Let’s look back at the Race War, a major turning point in history.
Before the Race War, 'magic' was something humans couldn't even dream of—a privilege reserved only for the chosen few.
Because of that, cannon development had been active until the Race War, but once humans gained access to magic, they distanced themselves from such technology.
Magic contributed to greater progress, but it also gave birth to a peculiar imbalance.
"Yes. Exactly. Just as you said, the manufacturing process alone requires a fortune. The same goes for the shells. Most people probably think it's more efficient to use that money to train mages."
Marshall didn't deny that cannons were expensive. Honestly, considering the existence of Dwarves, they weren't even that expensive.
Since Dwarves were known as a race of blacksmiths, their 'metallurgy' was already at a level comparable to the Industrial Revolution.
Therefore, the supply of iron—the most vital component for a cannon—was easy to secure as long as one had the money. And yet, the costs remained astronomical.
"But if you think about it carefully, they aren't actually that expensive. Do you know how much it costs to train a single mage?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure."
"It varies per person, but it takes about 10,000 gold. And even then, it's uncertain if they'll actually succeed."
Ten thousand gold, converted to Korean won, is about one billion. It’s roughly the same as the cost of training a fighter pilot.
The bigger problem here is that while a pilot just needs 'education,' mages have a massive variance in 'talent.'
Just learning to handle mana freely is a chore, but magic itself is strictly the realm of talent.
Furthermore, mages don't necessarily join the military. There’s a reason for the saying: Not all scholars are mages, but all mages are scholars.
Rather than enlisting in the army to chant incantations for weapons of mass destruction, they’d much rather spend their time peacefully conducting research.
"But cannons are different. The more you develop them, the more powerful they become; they never get weaker. Their greatest advantage is that they can be 'mass-produced.'"
"Mass-produced, huh..."
"Just imagine it! Multiple cannons firing at once, obliterating the enemy camp! While a mage is busy chanting a spell, a cannon just needs to be loaded. Firepower! Artillery will become the heart of firepower!"
So, here was a firepower geek in a world of magic geeks. I chuckled as I watched Marshall spout his praise for cannons.
Marquis Mathews, perhaps interpreting my chuckle differently, covered his face with his hand.
The reactions of the others were similar. They looked at him as if he were a true madman.
Even Adelia, meeting him for the first time, had a look on her face that said, What kind of nonsense is this?
Count Götz had the best reaction. He actually nodded as if agreeing with Marshall’s opinion.
If magic didn't exist, this would be the natural progression.
In truth, Marshall was a tragic firepower geek born into a fantasy world. On Earth, cannons—artillery—accounted for the vast majority of firepower.
Infantry might occupy the land, but it’s the artillery that grinds that infantry into dust.
In this world's terms, it would have the same effect as firing off massive-scale destruction magic over and over again.
"What do you think? Doesn't it pique your interest?"
"That... Viscount Kalas. If you're finished, let's be on our way."
As Marshall’s eyes sparkled while asking for my opinion, Marquis Mathews hurriedly began to drag him away.
Marshall, seemingly satisfied that he’d said his piece, didn't resist and let himself be dragged along.
If left like this, it would just end as the antics of an eccentric, but I wasn't about to let that happen. I smiled and spoke up.
"Viscount Kalas? I’d like to ask a few questions, if I may."
"Pardon?"
"Eh?"
At my call, not only Marquis Mathews but even Marshall himself looked surprised.
It seemed Marshall had half-given up, realizing his words sounded like nonsense.
I looked at them as they stood there with wide eyes and posed my questions.
"Certainly, if cannons are developed, they could achieve power rivaling magic. But instead of focusing only on firepower, why not focus on other aspects as well?"
"Other aspects...?"
"Range, for example. No matter how great the firepower is, if the range is short, the enemy will be prepared."
One of the reasons muzzle-loading cannons were phased out in this world was their range. Who would just stand there and get hit when there's a cannon right in front of them?
Of course, given the sheer power of a cannon, being prepared might not save you, but you should make it so they can't even prepare.
"Adjusting the angle based on the terrain would also be essential. Beyond that, loading speed, the functionality of the shells, and so on. There’s a lot to consider. As you said, the greatest advantage of artillery is 'firepower,' but to fully unleash that firepower, much development is needed."
"..."
"The most important thing here would be the angle. The way a cannon is used will change depending on the angle. I hope you'll consider other factors instead of just shouting about firepower."
As the Grand Marshal of Steel once said, artillery is the god of war.
However, I wasn't an artilleryman; I was just a grunt who spent his time rolling around on the front lines. Naturally, my knowledge was almost non-existent.
I did, however, know that the use of artillery varied by angle. History taught me that much.
"Also, consider a method where you load from the back instead of the front. Understood? I’d like to say more, but it’s related to my work, so it’s difficult to speak further."
"...Young Master Maishal."
"Yes?"
It wasn't Marshall, who was stunned by my explanation, but Marquis Mathews who called out to me in a shaky voice.
His face was no longer buried in embarrassment; instead, his eyes were wide with genuine shock.
"Do you... truly believe that cannons can replace magic?"
"No. Cannons will never be able to replace magic."
No matter how many times humans are born and die, they can never beat Elves or Demons with magic. The racial gap is simply insurmountable from the start.
However, they can match the destructive power magic produces. Science would need to advance further for that, but I am someone who has seen the future of 'firepower.'
Like the saying all paths eventually lead to the same destination, even if there are many streams, they all eventually flow into the sea.
If you look at firepower alone, rather than some mysterious power like magic, it is far better to develop cannons.
"But I can say that their destructive power will be comparable to magic. After all, what are cannons used for? War. It’s absurd to expect magical effects in a war."
"..."
"Of course, the process will be difficult. I won't deny that there are things only mages can do. Just keep in mind that the 'artillery' Viscount Kalas mentioned is an attack purely for the sake of firepower."
As science advanced, military branches became more diverse. The only branch that truly disappeared was the 'cavalry.'
Even then, they only vanished because other branches could replace them; generally, a branch never truly disappears.
Therefore, artillery will simply be added to the military branches; mages won't disappear.
"Well then. That’s all I have to say. Do you have any more questions?"
"I—may I ask just one more thing!"
Marshall asked me in an urgent voice. His eyes, which always shone brightly, were now etched with bewilderment.
He looked like someone who had never even imagined that anyone would respond to his dream—or rather, his delusion.
I raised a hand, signaling it was fine. Marshall then spoke, stuttering slightly.
"H-how did you come up with such thoughts, Young Master Maishal?"
Because I was part of the 'Artillery Ministry.' Even if I was just a grunt.
The words reached the tip of my tongue, but I barely managed to suppress them. I was deeply curious about what would have happened if this man had been born in South Korea.
A country with unusually strong firepower compared to others. It was fascinating, considering it was once the weakest nation, struggling during the Korean War because it didn't have a single tank.
Perhaps that trauma had left a deep scar. I replied with a gentle smile.
"I just thought of it while listening to you. I only thought about how nice it would be if such things existed."
"Hmm..."
It was an answer that was obviously a lie. Marshall seemed to realize that further questions would be useless after hearing my nonchalant response.
Now it was my turn to ask. Listening to him had made me curious about something.
Why was Marshall so obsessed with firepower? Even with the existence of such a brilliant thing as magic.
"Now I’ll ask a question. Viscount Kalas, why have you lost your heart to cannons? Even when there is such an outstanding thing as magic?"
"Ah. That's..."
Unlike his earlier energetic self, the Viscount hesitated to answer. I watched him with a puzzled expression.
He glanced at me tentatively, then let out a sheepish laugh and scratched the back of his head.
"My mother told me. She said my conception dream was related to it."
"A conception dream?"
"Yes."
To anyone else, it would sound like nonsense. But in this world, where the existence of gods is clear, even a conception dream cannot be easily dismissed.
Don't they say the conception dreams of heroes are often extraordinary? It might be a superstition, but in a fantasy world, it carries weight.
"What kind of dream was it? The artillery fire you mentioned earlier?"
"No. It was a dream where an entire city was annihilated by a single shell."
"...Pardon?"
Wait a minute.
"She said the power was so great that a mushroom-shaped cloud rose into the sky. Since that’s something even magic can't achieve, I decided to focus on firepower."
"..."
This is getting very dangerous.
Just in case, I ran to the temple and asked Luminous.
'There aren't any other reincarnators besides me, right?'
[There are none.]
'Then why did Viscount Kalas’s mother have a dream like that?'
[It was a coincidence. Truly. I can stake my divinity on it.]
Thanks to that, I had the rare experience of seeing a god feel victimized.
Anyway, a few days passed since that strange encounter.
[Blood and Iron Vol. 6 Released! Hitler Seizes Power!]
The story of Hitler taking over the Weimar Republic through the Enabling Act appeared.
[America’s New President, Franklin D. Roosevelt? Who is this man?]
The strongest player in the world setting also made his appearance.
[The Empire of the East, Japan. Invades Manchuria.]
The existence of the hegemon (idiot) of East Asia was also mentioned.