Chapter 20
Episode 20
A month and a half after pressuring the old dwarf, Hamar finished the work two weeks ahead of schedule—even producing an extra hundred crossbows as surplus. He promptly collapsed and declared a strike, which Logan accepted with satisfaction.
The very next day, Logan immediately sought out the mercenary band.
At first, the mercenaries couldn't hide their bewilderment at the small crossbows—but after witnessing Logan's demonstration, their jaws dropped in unison.
"Whoa, this is amazing!"
"It flies pretty far."
"It even rapid-fires. What a strange crossbow."
Most of their reactions were merely lukewarm.
But there was one who grasped its true value at a glance.
"Huuuuh...?"
Kai shuddered as he imagined his 300-man cavalry unit armed with these rapid-fire crossbows.
'They could devastate an entire battlefield.'
This was a weapon that could endanger even knight-class warriors if they weren't prepared.
The realization made him break into spontaneous applause.
"Brilliant. This must be why you insisted on mounted crossbow cavalry."
The dissonance he had felt—Logan demanding mounted crossbowmen despite their apparent inefficiency while emphasizing rigorous training—was now perfectly resolved.
"Also, tell them not to even think about forcibly dismantling the cartridge or magazine. It's designed to break completely if tampered with."
"...Naturally. A weapon with such power must have a complex structure."
In truth, it was the opposite. The simplicity made additional security measures necessary.
'It'll inevitably spread someday, but I can't allow leaks yet.'
At the very least, security had to be maintained until they overcame the impending territorial war and expanded their forces.
That's why the craftsmen hired to assist Hamar were each assigned to produce only specific components in separate workshops. Logan had no intention of manufacturing more than the mercenaries' reserve stock.
'The mercenary band alone is enough to overcome the territorial war.'
Even if he were to supply more, it would only be to the knight order.
'Though I doubt the knights would even want to use crossbows.'
Logan chuckled wryly as he finalized the distribution list for the new weapons.
Supplying every common soldier with these weapons was impossible due to time and financial constraints—but even if it weren't, the risk of leaks was too great.
'So once the mercenaries' training is complete...'
Material preparations for the territorial war were practically finished.
'Yes, practically...'
Only one final step remained.
"We need to test them."
"Huh?"
"Equip all mercenaries with crossbows and prepare to march. We're sweeping every monster along the southern mountain range outside the territory."
"Huh? But that's—"
"After seeing this, do you still think it's impossible?"
"Hmm..."
Most of the monsters pushed down from the mountains were low-tier anyway.
"...It might be possible."
"Not 'might.' It has to be. Otherwise, there's no point."
"...Huh?"
Kai frowned, unable to grasp Logan's meaning, but Logan didn't bother explaining.
And soon after—
"Move out!"
Hiiiiigh!
The mercenary band, armed with their new weapons, rode out the gates to test their firepower.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
As the mercenaries galloped across the plains, a swarm of a hundred Crawls spotted them and scrambled to flee.
Just a few months ago, exterminating such a horde of low-tier monsters would've taken ages.
Kai's eyes gleamed as he spotted the swarm.
He raised a fist skyward, then abruptly splayed his fingers wide.
At the signal, the mercenaries—riding in three staggered columns—instantly fanned out horizontally.
"Take aim—fire!"
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Before long, the arrows loosed by the mercenaries—now arranged in two staggered rows—rained down on the fleeing Crawls with far quieter twangs than their old crossbows.
Screeeeech!
A single volley wiped out most of the hundred-strong swarm.
The few lucky survivors were promptly turned into pincushions by the second barrage.
Even though only a third of the mercenary band had fired, the entire monster horde was annihilated in barely ten seconds.
Even if knights had engaged them, it would've taken longer.
Logan, riding at the rear, visibly brightened at the encouraging results.
But no one was more stunned than the mercenaries themselves.
"The recoil's almost nonexistent!"
"The range is way farther than I expected!"
"Mine pierced through one and lodged in a second one's head!"
Yet their achievements didn't end there.
Under their employer's relentless urging, the mercenaries swept through every monster horde they encountered as they charged southward.
The plains echoed with successive shrieks of monsters, until eventually, the creatures began retreating like waves to avoid the mercenaries' path.
The "reverse" monster wave created by the 300-strong mercenary band shook the wastelands of MacLaine's southern territory.
"It's the Grand Prince's mercenaries! Open the gates!"
"What the hell are they doing out this late?"
"No idea. There aren't even any frontier villages south because of the monsters."
"Shh. The Grand Prince's with them."
By the time dusk fell, the soldiers manning MacLaine's outer walls grumbled as they reluctantly turned the gate winch for the returning mercenaries.
Of course, with the territory's Grand Prince at the forefront, they couldn't complain openly—but the mercenaries weren't oblivious to their displeasure.
Yet the mercenaries couldn't care less.
"Hah... this thing..."
"You're my treasure now, Number One."
"Break it, and the captain breaks us. Handle it carefully!"
"I am being careful!"
Without exception, they all stroked their crossbows with dazed expressions.
The hunt had lasted barely half a day, and most of the prey had been low-tier monsters, yielding little of value.
But they had returned after unilaterally slaughtering over a thousand monsters—more than triple their number.
For ordinary C-rank mercenaries, gaining such overwhelming force was beyond their wildest dreams. It was only natural they were elated.
"So the Grand Prince made this?"
"Idiot. A dwarf made it."
"That dwarf's the Grand Prince's slave."
"I heard he designed it himself."
"Nah, no way."
Thanks to this, their employer—a wealthy, bloodthirsty eccentric with a dubious reputation—was now being reevaluated endlessly upward.
At the forefront of the mercenaries, their middle-aged leader smiled proudly and addressed his employer beside him.
"Are you satisfied?"
"Somewhat."
"Huh?"
Kai, who had been thoroughly pleased, blinked in confusion at Logan's lukewarm response.
"They're still stuck in old crossbow tactics. Why switch lines after every shot? And reload speed could be faster."
Kai's face stiffened at the immediate barrage of demands.
'He's still not satisfied with this firepower? What the hell is he planning?'
The notion that this was just some rich noble's eccentric hobby had long vanished—but Logan's insatiable greed now made Kai suspicious.
Of course, he didn't voice those thoughts.
"...I'll retrain them for the new weapons."
"Good. I'll check again soon."
Though he had listed complaints, Logan was actually quite satisfied.
Dwarf Hamar's crossbows exceeded his expectations, and the mercenaries' firepower had already far surpassed his initial benchmarks.
Aside from magazines, producing more crossbows was pointless for now.
No matter how powerful rapid-fire crossbows were, war was imminent—and trying to train regular soldiers with these new weapons would only get him labeled a madman.
'For now, focus on my own growth.'
If he could win over the knight order—the family's main force—in the process, all the better.
Though everything was progressing smoothly, Logan steeled his resolve, refusing to grow complacent.
The frigid winter ended, and warm breezes heralded the arrival of spring.
The tales of the "mad Grand Prince" and the "genius engineer" that had enlivened the family all winter gradually faded as the former stopped stirring up new scandals.
But that didn't mean Logan's reputation had improved.
Rumors—no one knew their origin—spread openly that the genius engineer would inherit the family instead.
Except in one place.
The knight order told a slightly different story.
"Damn, his stamina's insane."
"Seriously. That monstrous physique has to be hereditary."
"If he'd inherited the family head's swordsmanship along with that freakish endurance..."
"But look at Dominen's case..."
"That's not a fair comparison. That old man's skill..."
"Still..."
"Arthur. He lost to the engineer before his awakening. You saw it too."
"That's true... cough. It's just bizarre. How can someone have only stamina like that?"
"If he'd spent half that time training swordsmanship instead of raising hell..."
Though not all opinions were positive, no one in the knight order had called the Grand Prince "mad" in a long time.
The months Logan had spent training alongside them had shown nothing but relentless consistency.
Moreover, the grueling "Endurance Horseback Riding" drill—originally devised to drive him out—had become the knight order's new hallmark.
At first, they had continued it purely out of knightly pride, but they soon discovered an unexpected benefit beyond motivating their complacent junior knights.
Clip-clop.
"There, there. Just a bit longer, Ray. Almost done."
Knight Henderson gently patted his beloved steed, slung over his shoulders, before carefully transferring it.
Similar scenes unfolded everywhere.
Initially, the horses—drugged into sleep—had woken mid-drill, causing chaos. But as they grew accustomed to the training, they bonded more closely with their riders.
A knight was, after all, a horse warrior.
The horse was another weapon enhancing a knight's combat prowess.
The more time knights spent communicating with their steeds, the stronger they became—and not just psychologically.
Intermediate knights and above used Force to enhance their horses, boosting speed and stamina with mounted skills.
The closer the bond with their steed, the more efficiently these skills worked.
Even junior knights, after the endurance drills, unconsciously mimicked the technique through their deep emotional connection with their horses.
It had naturally elevated their training to new heights.
'Not all of this is the Grand Prince's doing, but...'
Heinkel now gazed at Logan with warmth entirely unlike his initial hostility—as if staring at an unexpected windfall.
It wasn't the recognition Logan had hoped for, but it was undeniably a positive change.
'This time, it might work.'
Under the bright moonlight, Logan sat cross-legged on his bed, faint anticipation in his eyes.
The grueling knight order training and the meditative exercises stimulating his inner awareness had synergized, yielding clear progress.
Each time he observed his inner consciousness, he could sense his Force Core growing.
Moreover, for some time now, whenever his Force Core stirred, he had glimpsed signs of impending change.
Logan steadied his mind, recalling the knowledge etched in his mental tome.
'The closer you are, the more patience you need. Don't rush. Stay calm...'
But the prospect of breaking through made it impossible to suppress his excitement.
In a way, it was only natural.
Given his goals, increasing his personal combat prowess was just as crucial as strengthening the family.
If all went well, his martial power would become the greatest variable in altering the most perilous future.
'Those monsters...'
Logan recalled the transcendent beings he had witnessed in his past life—Aura Masters and Archmages who could single-handedly shift the tides of war.
Among his ultimate foes were such freaks of nature.
'I must grow as strong as my talent and effort allow—no, even beyond that.'
Fortunately, he knew the Divine Sword's secret arts and still had time.
'Advancing just one stage will change the odds in the territorial war.'
It was critical for the imminent crisis.
Ironically, contemplating future perils instantly calmed him.
Reciting the now-familiar meditation chant, Logan focused his consciousness on the core nestled near his heart.
Vrrrm.
Though invisible to the naked eye, in his mind's eye, the Force Core loomed larger than his own body.
Today, especially so.
Instinctively, Logan knew the time had come.
Flash!
The moment his consciousness concentrated, a brilliant light erupted near his heart.
Then, the golden Force Core spat out a tiny secondary core.