Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Flintlock Prototype
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Dominic watched Victor sketch with a touch of unease.
The Dragonia Empire did operate a few cannons, but they had no real familiarity with guns.
To Dominic, the idea of someone from that empire suddenly sketching out a new gun design sounded utterly absurd.
He was watching quietly only because he thought well of Victor, all the while pondering how to break the news gently without disappointing him too much.
"...Huh."
However.
As Victor's drawing began to take shape, Dominic's gaze filled with growing bewilderment.
"The key is this hammer and the powder pan's cover. The hammer's structure... like this, so the flint can be replaced."
Having devoted his life to firearms research, Dominic could grasp the operating principle and structure just from the near-blueprint sketch Victor had drawn.
"When you pull the trigger, the hammer strikes here, opening the powder pan's cover and creating sparks. Those sparks ignite the powder in the pan."
"..."
"For that, the hammer needs strong tension, and the powder pan's cover must be crafted with precision. A single flaw could lead to a misfire."
The intent to generate sparks by scraping with a spring was similar to Dominic's own designs, but the method was different.
"This approach has a relatively simple structure, but it requires precise machining, which made it hard to realize. Still, seeing your work, Sir Dominic, I believe you could pull it off."
"...Hmm."
Dominic hated to admit it, but Victor's gun design was intuitive and straightforward enough that he could immediately envision how to engineer the internals.
Looking at the drawing now, he felt foolish for not having conceived such a structure himself.
"...If we build it this way, it should work. I've named this firing mechanism 'flintlock.' What do you think?"
"May I see it for a moment?"
"Of course."
Once Victor finished explaining, Dominic—unaware of the sharp edge in his own tone—demanded the drawing.
Victor handed it over and watched Dominic scrutinize every detail with a smile, as if searching for holes in it.
A moment later.
"Ah, time's gotten away from us... I've kept a weary traveler from a long journey here too long. Why don't you rest at your lodgings today, and we discuss the details tomorrow?"
Dominic issued what was essentially a dismissal, his eyes still glued to the sketch.
"Very well. I'll see you tomorrow, then."
Instead of reacting to the rudeness, Victor bowed and excused himself.
"Phew..."
The moment Victor left, Dominic fetched his tools and parts, spreading them across the workbench.
-Clang! Clang!
"If I just adjust the hammer's tension and the cover's angle..."
He disassembled the wheel-lock musket he'd been working on and began reassembling it based on Victor's sketch.
"..."
Dominic had been preparing for mass production of the far more complex wheel-lock firearm.
Thanks to Victor's detailed explanation of the principles and parts, he managed to produce a functioning prototype replicating the mechanism in just two hours.
"There."
He cocked the prototype's hammer and pulled the trigger.
-Click. Snap!
"Hmm."
Without flint fitted and with only enough tension for basic operation, no sparks flew, but the mechanism itself worked flawlessly and easily.
His eyes lit with fervor as he dove into serious work.
-Clang!
"...Too strong."
-Clang!
"The cover shattered. Damn... need to re-temper it."
He experimented relentlessly, tweaking the spring tension, powder pan cover angle and material, hammer shape, and more, attempting to perfect the flintlock mechanism.
Utterly immersed, his hands grew ever more precise through trial and error.
About six hours later.
He held a fully operational flintlock prototype.
Dominic loaded a small amount of powder into the barrel to prepare a test fire.
He wrapped the flint in leather, secured it to the hammer, added powder to the pan, closed the cover, and fully cocked the hammer.
"Whew..."
He raised the gun, aimed at open air, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.
-Boom!
"...Oh."
The powder ignited successfully.
"Oh..."
Dominic marveled, simultaneously recalling Victor, who had shared this mechanism with him.
As someone who'd been researching spring- and wheel-based systems, he knew it would have taken him ages to independently conceive of striking a cover with flint.
Showing this near-revolutionary weapon to others was out of the question, but he felt compelled to demonstrate it to Victor, who'd handed him the design outright.
He refined it toward perfection until dawn broke.
"..."
He wiped the grime from his hands and headed to Victor's lodgings.
---
The morning after visiting Dominic's workshop.
"General, did you sleep well?"
As I rose from bed, Anna's steady voice greeted me.
She was already dressed in her uniform, standing by the bedside.
"You could've slept in..."
"I woke up on my own. It's become a habit, probably."
Before I could fully open my eyes, she offered a basin of warm water.
"...?"
A bit flustered, I glanced at her, and she smiled faintly.
"You seemed exhausted, so I prepared it."
"...Anna. I appreciate it, but you don't need to do this."
Undeterred by my refusal, she set the basin down and handed me a towel.
"You'll be meeting Anchester Kingdom officials again today. Better to make a neat impression, no?"
"...Right. Thanks, Anna."
I'd never summoned a valet, nor tasked my adjutant with such things, so it caught me off guard. But I couldn't just toss aside what she'd prepared.
"I'll wait in the next room. Ready to head out now?"
"Planning to move once I'm set, but not sure about Erika or Moritz. We'll check when we go."
"Understood."
I finished washing up, and Anna took the used basin and towel as she left my bedroom.
As I changed into the uniform laid out nearby and prepared to exit,
-Knock knock.
"Come in."
-Swish.
"General, Dominic Smith is here to see you."
"Really?"
Anna delivered the best possible news.
"He asked if you could come to his workshop with him."
"Yeah, let's go right now."
"Understood."
I left the room with Anna.
"Oh, Sir Victor. Sorry if I woke you. I have something I absolutely must show you—got a bit eager."
"Haha, no problem. If you're out this early, Sir Dominic, it must be something impressive."
Dominic stood waiting outside the room.
His attire looked like the same from yesterday, stained with sweat and oil everywhere, his face still smudged with metal shavings and grease he hadn't fully cleaned.
His hair wasn't mussed at all, and a hint of fatigue in his eyes suggested he'd pulled an all-nighter.
"Impressive item... Better to say impressive design. I built a prototype based exactly on the sketch you showed me yesterday. Since it's from your concept, I figured you should see it first."
His far more proactive attitude than I'd expected brought a genuine smile to my face.
He'd surely recognized the value of the design I'd provided.
"You made that overnight... Glad I showed it to you, Sir Dominic. You called it a design, but I just described my idea. Your skill in actually building it is what's impressive."
"...Thanks, but let's save the talk for the workshop. Let's hurry."
"Ahem, ahem. Got it."
We followed Dominic, who half-jogged ahead, back to his workshop.
"This is my prototype. Tested it with just powder—no ball—and it fired normally."
"..."
He picked up the musket from the workbench and showed it to me.
For something made from a simple sketch, it was a remarkably finished flintlock musket.
I carefully took it in hand.
"It took a while working alone, but... once production starts properly, it'll be far faster than anything I'd been researching."
"Mind if I try firing it?"
"Go ahead. I've cleaned the powder thoroughly—no risk of anything shooting out."
I cocked the hammer, aimed at the air, and pulled the trigger.
-Snap!
"...So this is how the finished product feels."
"Not fully refined yet, but just needs process optimizations... The final version won't be much different."
Once I confirmed it worked, he took the musket back.
Fiddling with it briefly, he said,
"...Sir Victor."
"Yes."
"May I ask why you shared this with me?"
He looked up at me.
"Anchester Kingdom is an ally of the Dragonia Empire, but this isn't something you'd casually reveal on a whim. It's more weather-resistant than matchlocks, and you don't even need to carry live embers."
"..."
"You said your tech lags, but the Empire has more craftsmen and capital. Rather than handing it to me, it'd make more sense to invest time and money developing it yourselves—at least for weaponry."
The question came more from Prince Dominic Smith than the dwarf craftsman.
"What do you think?"
This was the question I'd been waiting for,
"Technology, huh..."
So I smiled faintly and began.
"What I provided was just a sketch and some explanation—not the technology itself."
"...?"
"Ultimately, you developed this firing mechanism, Sir Dominic. Isn't that right?"
He gave me a look like I'd said something bizarre, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward.
"This was only possible because you, Sir Dominic—one of the few dwarves with deep firearms knowledge—saw it."
"...What are you getting at?"
"I'm not demanding anything special. But if my idea proved helpful and you'd like to return the 'favor,' there is something I'd ask."
He sat down, head bowed, mulling my words.
I sat quietly opposite, awaiting his response.
"...What is this request? If it's to produce these new guns for you, that's impossible."
He spoke after a few minutes.
His voice carried tension, as if burdened.
"I want the Empire to produce matchlocks domestically. Call it technology sharing."
"Matchlock tech...?"
"Not all the foundational tech—just sharing the trial-and-error knowledge from decades of making and using them."
As I elaborated, his expression eased.
"Hmm... Is that really all?"
"Inviting your dwarf craftsmen to the Empire would be ideal, but that's hardly practical."
"..."
He drummed his fingers on the desk, pondering,
"Your contribution is far from insignificant, Sir Victor. I'll think it over and get back to you."
"Understood."
With that promise to consider, we wrapped up.
I had no doubts, trusting dwarf pride.
And hours later, in negotiations,
"We'll dispatch our craftsmen to the Dragonia Empire to share firearms technology."
"...Dominic?"
"...!"
He stunned everyone with the bold proposal.