Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Rifled Muskets and Deceptive Letters
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The commotion in the southeastern Elf Kingdoms, the suspicious movements from the western kingdoms, the fact that our weapon system's superiority wouldn't last forever, and more.
There were plenty of reasons to push the expedition forward as quickly as possible.
Volker was known for his pride and stubbornness, so pressuring him with a rapid advance was just a convenient bonus within reasonable limits.
I figured that as a count who had risen to legion commander, he'd need at least one or two more rounds of pressure before showing any weakness.
But Volker revealed a massive gap right away.
"Axel Lübeck, deputy legion commander. We will assault Ceres Pass here. Position the 5th Legion at Al Kante to harass the enemy."
"...Understood."
"We'll conduct joint operations afterward, so it's also necessary to familiarize the 5th Legion soldiers with the sound of gunfire and siege cannons. I'll provide a certain number of rifles and cannons—handle them appropriately."
"...Yes."
Axel, who was commanding the 5th Legion in his stead, let his complex emotions show on his face but complied with my 'request for cooperation' without any greed.
He displayed faint signs of discomfort at my orders.
Especially when I mentioned Volker—he hesitated, as if still pricked by his conscience.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"Haha, isn't it only natural for an Imperial officer to be loyal to His Majesty!"
"Exactly! You ordered the Red Dragon Legion and 5th Legion to cooperate in pressuring the Esperia Kingdom, so of course we follow!"
"..."
Most of the officers, led by Florian, casually threw Volker under the bus.
On a personal level, it was convenient for securing the 5th Legion's cooperation, but from an Imperial officer's perspective, they hardly seemed like reliable allies.
Since promises had to be kept, they wouldn't suffer any backlash for disobedience.
"...Then, let's end the meeting here."
Nor would they get to strut around as the heroes of victory.
If rewards were issued, they ought to go to the soldiers who had endured serving under such officers.
"Best of luck."
"Yes, Legion Commander!"
"...Yes."
Of course, on the surface, I shook their hands brightly without a hint of it.
After sending off the 5th Legion officers, I was reorganizing the troops at Adense Fortress—the only stronghold still intact.
"General. Additional supplies have arrived."
"Got it."
The extra supplies from the capital had arrived.
I inspected them alongside Anna and a few officers.
Most wagons were packed with consumables like food, gunpowder, and earplugs.
"...What's this?"
"Huh..."
One wagon contained ten rifles of a new design, along with a letter from Dominic Smith.
"...He wants us to test the prototype's performance."
The letter, in his straightforward handwriting, requested that we try them out and share feedback, confidently asserting we'd be satisfied.
"Prototype... Is this a gun too?"
"Mm."
Anna fiddled with it cautiously, intrigued by the structure.
Unlike the outwardly simple matchlock muskets, the ones from Dominic featured a powder pan and cover on the right side, plus a hammer for holding the flint.
"Do you know how to use it?"
"Yes. Though... hmm."
Having witnessed the guns' prowess in battle, the officers took an interest.
The wagon held plenty of spare flints, so I picked up one rifle and loaded a flint into the hammer.
"No powder. This part's the hammer—slot the flint here, then cock it. Assuming powder's loaded, close the frizzen cover and pull the trigger..."
I cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger.
-Click!
Sparks flew as the flint struck the frizzen.
"...Oh."
"This way, the flint strikes the frizzen to create sparks, igniting the powder in the pan."
"No need to lug around match cords anymore."
"...Remarkable. Anchester Kingdom's technology truly is impressive."
"May I... handle one too?"
The officers marveled as they each picked one up to examine.
"Loading's the same as the old ones. From the muzzle like so... Hmm?"
Mid-explanation, I noticed something unusual at the muzzle.
Slipping a finger inside the barrel, I felt spiral grooves carved into it.
"...Oh ho."
"What's wrong?"
"It's not just the firing mechanism that's changed. Everyone, take a look here. Anna, could you fetch some powder and balls? Oh, and bring one of the spare old muskets too."
"...? Yes, sir."
Once Anna brought the items, I began the demonstration with both rifles.
"Look inside the prototype's barrel. If you peer closely, you'll see spiral grooves etched in there."
"...I see them."
"I explained last time how the ball uses the explosive force to tightly engage the barrel, delivering its full power."
The officers nodded, puzzled.
"This rifling takes it a step further. I'll show you the difference. Does everyone have their earplugs?"
"Yes."
"We do."
"Then let's head out."
I grabbed both rifles and led the officers to the makeshift firing range.
"These riflings spin the tightly engaged ball, making it fly more stably. Everyone, earplugs in."
Once they were all plugged up, I fired multiple rounds at the distant target, demonstrating the rifled musket's power.
Unlike standard muskets, which couldn't reliably hit beyond 100 meters, the rifled version pierced targets well past that range with ease.
"...The accuracy and power are markedly superior."
"I don't get the principle, but the results speak for themselves..."
"And it gets even better from here..."
The gap widened with every shot, and the officers quickly grasped it.
Rifled muskets' greatest advantage: greater range and accuracy than standard ones.
With dedicated training, we could field about ten snipers.
"Exactly. I plan to form a small specialized unit for these new rifled muskets. Select a few soldiers who excel at marksmanship or have strong stamina."
"Understood."
Even accounting for the enemy bolstering their defenses, it was worth the investment for sniper capability.
As I prepared them,
"Can you analyze it?"
"...Given some time, yes."
"That's sufficient."
In the remaining time, I prepared letters crammed with fake intel on our forces and future strategy, mixed with a tiny bit of real information.
"Sneak into the village and mail these. Do it right, and I'll free you on the spot."
"...Understood."
Just like Theodore had done, I gave the prisoners dozens of cheaply made letters and envelopes scribbled left-handed, instructing them to post from nearby villages.
With soldiers monitoring closely, most should reach Esperia nobles without issue.
It didn't matter if they weren't read, or even if read but dismissed as lies.
But if they read—and believed—
The next battle would end in another resounding victory for us.
I scattered the letters like a farmer sowing seeds.
Meanwhile.
Unlike the triumphant west,
"They're pulling back!"
"Phew... This is tricky. What on earth are they thinking..."
The Dragonia Empire's southeast remained in turmoil.
Este Kingdom troops kept showing their faces at the border, provocatively maneuvering without launching attacks.
The Imperial forces had no choice but to maintain constant vigilance, eyes glued to their movements.
Troops exhausted from repeated emergency scrambles and standby complained of fatigue, but Gerhard was at a loss.
"No reply yet?"
"No, sir. They're so insular, and infiltration's nearly impossible..."
"I'm not blaming you. ...Frustrating."
No responses came to letters inquiring about their intentions, and with elves who scorned even basic exchange, intel sources were scarce.
The staff offered little help, so Gerhard drummed his fingers on the desk in irritation.
"...What's the status with Eckni Kingdom?"
"They've already gone to war with the Lavria Republic and Este Kingdom. High Elves are joining the fray too—heavy casualties reported."
"High Elves as well?"
The Dwarven Eckni Kingdom, bordering the Elven states, was faring even worse.
High Elves were like the Empire's mages—specially treated defenders of key strongholds, with almost no records of them joining offensives.
Their involvement signaled this crisis was gravely serious.
In this opaque, precarious situation, Gerhard recalled Victor, who always brimmed with confidence.
To him, the insightful Victor had ever been an excellent advisor.
"..."
Pondering, Gerhard drafted a letter to resolve his doubts.
Having penned dozens lately, his hand moved swiftly and deftly.
"Deliver this to Eckni Kingdom."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
After handing several to his adjutant,
"Send this one to Legion Commander Victor in the west."
"Legion Commander Victor... Understood."
Clinging to a faint hope, he sent Victor a letter with similar contents, then leaned back in his chair.
For reasons he couldn't pinpoint, Victor struck him as someone who would know the answer.
"Haa..."
Feeling the cushionless hard chair, he closed his eyes briefly to ease his fatigue.