Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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And so, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord explained the situation north of the great plains to us. Whether because he felt obligated to earn the gold ingots or not, he even mixed in information that only he would know.
"Currently, the Arasa Empire is engaged in powerful conquests centered around a monarch called Ivan IV. They haven't reached this region where we live yet, but they're steadily expanding their forces by unifying the northern tribes year after year. Ivan IV can be called a ferocious conquering lord, known as the Thunder Emperor for his brutality."
"I see."
"And the Arasa Empire has close ties to the western continent, the land called the Western Regions. They often clash with a country called Poland as well... In any case, it's a place with significant differences from the Central Plains'中华 civilization. There wasn't much exchange during the Yuan Empire's time, but as their power grows, we've been hearing news from them more frequently lately. If you intend to head to the North Pole, you'll have to pass through the Arasa Empire's sphere of influence."
I listened up to that point and asked a question.
"By any chance, are there martial artists there as well?"
At my question, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord gave a wry smile.
"Hmm... It's hard to say. Very hard."
"......?"
"Of course, they have beings called knights who can fight using qi. However, unlike martial artists, they pledge absolute loyalty to their lords or monarchs. And in the western kingdoms, the emphasis on such close-quarters melee combat is steadily decreasing."
"You're saying they train a lot of archers?"
"That's not it. Hmm..."
The North Sea Ice Palace Lord pondered for a moment before suddenly heading to his study nearby. He pulled out some strange object from the study and showed it to me.
"What does this look like to you?"
"......? I've never seen it before."
I tilted my head in confusion, but Miho, who was beside me, recognized the item and narrowed her eyes.
"It's a matchlock gun."
Matchlock gun?
At that, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord looked relieved and said,
"So someone here knows about guns. And it seems to be a woman—how did you come to know of them?"
"I've lived in Wa Country before, so I've seen and heard a lot about Hollander contraptions."
"I see... So the Hollander merchants must have traded there."
Not understanding what they were talking about, I blinked in bewilderment, and the North Sea Ice Palace Lord picked up the so-called "matchlock gun" and explained it to me.
"The western kingdoms are shifting the nature of warfare from knightly combat to gun combat. Of course, they still can't easily pierce a knight's sturdy armor, but the era of guns is coming. If you plan to pass through the Arasa Empire, you must know about these 'guns,' or you'll be in big trouble."
"What does this thing do? It just looks like a lump of iron..."
Curious, I peered closely into the long barrel of the matchlock gun, and the North Sea Ice Palace Lord panicked.
"What are you doing?! That's dangerous."
He hurriedly snatched the matchlock gun away from me. As I blinked in confusion, not understanding, he sighed and said,
"A picture is worth a thousand words. Let me show you what this thing does."
He led me and Miho to an empty clearing. He took out the matchlock gun and lit something round and smoky. He loaded the round thing into the gun, then struck something like an oil dish with a tap. After going through a series of fiddly steps, he aimed the matchlock gun at a wooden barrel in front.
Pssht!
Moments later, something shot out from the end of the matchlock gun at tremendous speed. It was as fast as a peak expert's sword strike, startling me for an instant. It was several times faster than an arrow. The projectile embedded itself into the wooden barrel in a flash.
"Th-that's incredibly fast."
When I voiced my honest impression, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord said,
"This is what a gun is, and this is how a matchlock gun works using gunpowder for discharge. The ones that reached Wa Country were probably like this."
"Hmm..."
"As you might guess, reloading is quite difficult, but if a large force lines up and fires these in sequence, it would unleash tremendous power. It's not a weapon to take lightly."
"I see."
Even if this matchlock gun fired at me from close range, I could probably dodge it easily. Not just with a transcendent expert's reflexes, but thanks to the Soul Annihilation Step as well. But that was only because I'm a peak expert. For ordinary people, if these fired simultaneously, it would be nearly impossible to evade. It was undoubtedly superior to a bow.
As the North Sea Ice Palace Lord put the matchlock gun back in his study, he said,
"Moreover, Arasa's gun technology has advanced further, with wheel-lock guns now deployed in actual combat. They're more complex in structure but don't use matches, making them far more portable, and even cavalry can use them."
"Hmm..."
"If I hadn't explained this and you encountered a squad of musketeers without knowing anything, it could be dangerous. Don't you think?"
"You're right."
I honestly acknowledged his words. I could probably dodge bullets, but that's because I have prior knowledge that guns are ranged weapons with incredible straight-line speed. Without any knowledge, I'd just stand there staring blankly, and in that case, even the Soul Annihilation Step might not save me from a sudden attack—I could take a bullet to the body. The information on firearms he shared was truly worth its weight in gold.
Miho, who had been watching from the side, spoke up.
"Aren't you overestimating it? I admit it has the power to fell even martial artists with ordinary folk wielding it, but it won't work on peak experts or ironclad soldiers with steel shields."
Though she added a counterargument to her own words, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord smiled pleasantly as if glad and replied,
"You're right. It can't penetrate knightly plate armor yet, let alone light armor. And it can't keep up with a true expert's movement techniques or physical abilities. But when thousands or tens of thousands of soldiers fight with these, they'll unleash immense power."
"That may be..."
The North Sea Ice Palace Lord sat back down, savoring his pipe again, and said,
"The Ming Empire is currently brimming with arrogance toward中华 civilization, prouder than ever after toppling the Yuan... But in my view, that arrogance will lead to a grave mistake. Even now, the western nations are advancing their warfare through countless local skirmishes, with guns at the forefront. In a few hundred years, the gap in gun technology will be impossible to close."
"......"
He chuckled.
"Well, worrying about it won't change anything... In any case, be wary of Arasa's musketeers. No matter how great an expert you are, a poorly dodged shot will kill you instantly."
"Thank you for the explanation."
"It's a bit strange, though. Arasa wasn't originally such a powerful nation, but it's grown explosively in the last twenty years..."
As the North Sea Ice Palace Lord muttered, I organized the information in my head. Then I asked something truly important.
"You said the North Pole is a continent of ice—can humans not live there?"
"I've heard they can survive to some extent. There are a few tribes living there, but I know nothing of how they manage it. Who would invade such a freezing place for gain? No trade, no war..."
"So people do live there."
"They haven't formed a nation. They're just small-scale tribes, at best."
The North Sea Ice Palace Lord spoke dismissively, but I sensed this information was crucial. Whether humans inhabit a place or not makes a huge difference. Since I could revisit a place I'd been to via dimensional leap, pinpointing one of those tribes' settlements would let me return to the North Pole easily next time.
I pressed on with questions.
"Then, do you know the best route to take to get there?"
"Hm? Never thought about it... But since I've taken your gold, I'll give it some thought."
"Yes."
After pondering, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord said,
"...It might be best to head to the Arasa Empire first and gather knowledge from the locals."
"Isn't the Arasa Empire far to the northwest from here? Wouldn't that mean going way out of our way?"
"They'll have maps and geographic knowledge of the north ready-made. Of course, going straight north from here is the shortest path, but I can say with certainty you'll pass through the world's most perilous wastelands. No matter how great an expert you are, you won't reach the North Pole unprepared."
"Hmm... I see."
"And Arasa's capital isn't as cold as you'd think. Being deep inland, it's livable enough. I went near there in my youth, and it was actually less cold than here, kekeke."
Miho, beside me, asked,
"Do you happen to know the Arasa language?"
"I know basic conversation and grammar. Not just me—everyone in the North Sea Ice Palace's bloodline learns it."
Why on earth? As Miho and I looked at him curiously, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord elaborated.
"The North Sea Ice Palace originated from an Arasa clan that happened to settle near Liaodong and take up martial arts. Our main lineage is in the west... It's only natural."
"Could you teach us the Arasa language?"
"Not difficult. That'll conclude our deal."
"Understood."
Miho and I became guests of the North Sea Ice Palace, learning the basics of the Arasa tongue and script. While staying there, I got a chance to see the palace folk up close. Sure enough, most had pale skin, blond hair, and blue eyes—foreign features. But there were plenty with black hair too, confirming intermingling with Liaodong natives.
'This language relies heavily on intonation and stress.'
Thanks to artifacts that aided language acquisition, Miho and I learned faster than ordinary people. Even so, Arasa was quite difficult, especially the script.
"What are these squiggly letters?"
"They're called Cyrillic script."
"Cyrillic script?"
"It's tough to master, but unavoidable. Even Arasa's clergy struggle with it."
Clergy?
Surprised by the unexpected term, I asked back.
"Are you talking about sorcerers?"
The Cyrillic looked vaguely like demon script, and "clergy" evoked otherworldly faiths, prompting the question. But the North Sea Ice Palace Lord, clueless about other races, tilted his head.
"Hmm... Not sure what you mean, but clergy are clergy. They believe in a monotheistic faith."
"A sole god..."
"Central Plains folk really know nothing about the west."
Grumbling, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord continued.
"It's a completely new world there. Approach with prejudices, and you'll only hurt yourselves."
About three months passed like that. Miho and I had learned enough Arasa from the North Sea Ice Palace Lord to communicate decently with locals. Amazed at our quick progress, he said,
"You learn remarkably fast. Impressive."
"Then we'll be off."
"I hope you find that treasure, in any case."
He wished us well in farewell, but I knew it wasn't sincere. He figured no human could survive properly at the North Pole, so he'd shared knowledge half out of pity. Miho and I left the North Sea Ice Palace, and I said,
"Miho, I've been meaning to ask."
"Yes?"
"So they use those matchlock guns in Dongyoung too?"
"The Hollanders brought them, and a man named Oda Nobunaga improved them into tanegashima matchlocks. They played a big role in ending Dongyoung's Warring States period. The Tokugawa Shogunate still uses matchlock troops as their main force—how could I not know?"
"A nation using matchlocks on a state level...?"
A chill ran down my spine. My martial arts weren't threatened by mere matchlock squads, but I realized their overwhelming power compared to spearmen or infantry in interstate wars. As my expression grew serious, Miho smiled oddly.
"Toyotomi Hideyoshi planned to invade Goryeo but suddenly died, so moderate Ieyasu gave up on war. That's why Goryeo and Ming know little of matchlocks. Of course, I saw plenty during my time in the Imperial Palace."
"I see."
"Ufufu... The North Sea Ice Palace Lord might not be wrong."
"Unpleasant thought..."
I muttered.
And rightly so—'range' was paramount in combat. Spears outdid swords largely by controlling distance, and bows were staples in war for the same reason. Most troop types vied with strengths and weaknesses in their ranges, yielding vastly different results based on commanders' tactics.
But guns were different. With range rivaling bows, a single shot killed foes at speeds even peak experts couldn't dodge. If they formed a barrage, warfare itself would change.
'And if guns advance further...'
The end of martial artists.
I felt stifled but shook it off. Matchlocks reloaded too slowly with high misfire rates; any first-class expert could easily cut down three or four wielders. Current guns were no match for upending the martial world.
"Alright, let's go!"
To the Arasa Empire's capital!
The North Sea Ice Palace Lord's advice was to seek the Orthodox Church, said to hold the most erudite knowledge in Arasa. They might have maps to the North Pole!