4
Chapter 4
Bang!
The blast of a musket echoed across the open field.
The bullet fired from the muzzle cleanly pierced through a thick steel plate positioned fifty meters away.
'Fifty meters... a few years ago, I would have called it 54.68 yards.'
Originally, the nations of the continent, including the Espada Kingdom, used the imperial system as their standard.
I had been frustrated by that for a while, but eventually, I launched a project to normalize the measurement system.
However, I needed tangible results to convince everyone to change the standard units.
So, I demonstrated my success through inventions, proved my capabilities as a prince, and used every bit of my authority to push the metric system.
'It was my first time abusing my power, but...'
I have no regrets because I wanted it that badly.
Once items produced using metric standards showed clear results, the kingdom had no choice but to officially adopt them.
Bang!
"Another hit."
"It's a direct hit."
We spent a week testing the musket, constantly refining every minor flaw.
We finely adjusted the length and thickness of the barrel based on firing data and tweaked the viscosity of the Slime Buffer Fluid to maximize the weapon's performance.
Testing by day and machining parts by night, the weapon was finally perfected after countless upgrades.
"Phew. An-16. It's complete."
The An-16, the result of fifteen revisions to the An-01 over the course of a week.
I blew away the acrid gunpowder smoke drifting from the muzzle and lowered the barrel.
"Good work."
"You worked hard as well, Master."
Elisha approached and wiped the hot barrel with a cloth she had prepared.
Her eyes looked sunken, a result of pulling all-nighters for an entire week.
My body felt heavy enough to make me want to collapse into a soft bed right then and there, but my sense of achievement far outweighed the exhaustion.
Now that I had finally obtained the desired result, only one thing remained.
"The demonstration is finally today."
"Yes. It is scheduled for noon at the 1st Training Ground."
"Do you know who's attending?"
"I suspect... it might be her."
The person Elisha was referring to was likely...
'That girl.'
Roxanna, my childhood friend who had grown up alongside me.
She was the kingdom's only Sword Master and the Knight Commander guarding the royal castle.
"Roxanna... she'll be perfect."
"Indeed. There is nothing in the kingdom as sturdy as her shield."
After all, it would be hard to find a target as durable as Roxanna anywhere in the kingdom for a musket demonstration.
We hurriedly packed the remaining ammunition and spare parts into a box in case of any malfunctions.
I slung the freshly polished An-16 over my shoulder using its strap.
"Shall we? If we leave now, we'll be right on time."
"Yes, Master."
We left the open field and headed toward the training ground where the demonstration was to take place.
@@@
"...Why are there so many people?"
"It seems the Crown Prince has gathered them here."
Upon arriving at the training ground, I found it packed with the ministers and the leadership of the knights, including my brother Rowen.
It looked like they had only gathered those they could trust for security reasons.
"Father is here too."
My father, who had collapsed from stress-induced gastritis after reading the letters that arrived a week ago, was seated in the place of honor.
He still looked pale, but he had pushed himself to attend.
Come to think of it, the original novel mentioned that the King of the Espada Kingdom had a gaunt appearance....
'He must have been under a lot of stress. Rowen's hair seems to be thinning, too... I hope that doesn't happen to me.'
The scale of the event had grown larger than expected, but I wasn't nervous.
Everyone likely doubted my weapon, but the An-16 would completely shatter those doubts.
My gaze naturally drifted toward the center of the training ground.
There stood Roxanna, pouting with a greatsword and a shield nearly the size of her own torso.
Spotting me, she spoke with a disgruntled expression.
"Ian! What took you so long!"
"There are still five minutes left."
"Ugh... anyway! What are you trying to test this time?"
"Hehe... you'll find out once you're hit."
"Your laugh sounds like a creep."
What.
Just as I was about to refute her unfair assessment...
"Both of you. That's enough."
A voice infused with mana instantly silenced the training ground.
It was my brother Rowen, seated in the place of honor.
He looked back and forth between Roxanna and me, then spoke again in a dignified voice, reinforced by mana.
"We will now begin the demonstration of the new weapon developed by the 3rd Prince, Ian."
At his words, the attention of everyone gathered shifted to the An-16 on my shoulder.
My father, also seated at the top, wiped away his fatigue and looked down at me with a serious gaze.
Once the crowd's attention was fully focused, Rowen gave an order to Roxanna.
"Commander Roxanna. Limit your barrier to the level of aura used by an elite knight. If that weapon cannot pierce such a defense, Ian's plan to face the Imperial Army will be completely scrapped."
"Knight level? What if the attack bounces off my defense and hurts Ian!"
Roxanna asked back with a worried expression.
'As if she needs to worry.'
I lowered the An-16 from my shoulder, gripped it in my hand, and spoke.
"Don't worry. I can definitely pierce through a barrier. And if things get risky, Elisha will protect you."
"Sigh... I'm not taking responsibility if you get hurt. Keep him safe, Elisha."
"Yes. I will."
Roxanna sighed as if she had no other choice and readjusted her grip on her torso-sized shield.
"Hup."
With a short shout, a red aura, matching the color of her hair, blossomed from her body and tightly enveloped the shield's surface.
It was a far weaker energy compared to a Sword Master's full power, but it was still a fortress that ordinary cold weapons couldn't even scratch.
"Impressive."
"As expected of a Sword Master."
"I wonder what he can do with that metal stick..."
"The shield of the kingdom indeed."
"Can the Prince's weapon actually pierce it?"
Voices filled with a mix of admiration and concern erupted from the watching knights and ministers.
Everyone seemed more mesmerized by the intimidating pressure of Roxanna's aura than by my weapon.
'That'll change once they see this.'
Thinking that, I slid a bullet into the chamber and slowly pulled back the charging handle.
Click—
The sound of the action locking echoed through the training ground.
Then, I pressed the stock firmly against my shoulder and sighted the center of Roxanna's shield, where the red aura shimmered.
In the moment everyone held their breath and focused on my fingertip.
"One shot."
After murmuring lowly, I pulled the trigger without a moment's hesitation.
Bang!
With an explosive roar, the muzzle of the An-16 spat out a brilliant red flame.
@@@
'Ugh... why on earth is he doing this?'
Roxanna grumbled to herself as she readjusted her shield.
Her childhood friend, Ian, occasionally made strange gadgets and tested them on her because she was sturdy.
This time, after locking himself in his workshop for several days and nights, he finally showed up with a weird metal stick.
He planned to face the Imperial Army with a hollow tube like that?
'There's no way that's possible...'
It would be a problem if the attack bounced off the shield and injured Ian.
'I'll just pretend to block it and call it a day. Honestly...! He never listens even when people worry about him...'
Just as Roxanna let her guard down and caught her breath.
"One shot."
The moment she saw Ian's lips move.
Bang!
A thunderous roar echoed throughout the training ground.
'Huh?'
Before she could even process the thought, a massive physical shock slammed into the arms holding the shield.
Crack.
The aura enveloping her body shattered, scattering instantly in every direction.
"Two shots."
Ian's voice pierced through the air, hitting the ears of a completely stunned Roxanna.
'What...! Two in a row? Wait.'
Bang!
Without even time to scream, a second roar thundered through the training ground.
Sensing a genuine threat, Roxanna instinctively widened her eyes and surged her mana.
[Scatter]
Swish—
The second bullet, which had flown in with a sharp whistling sound, lost all momentum the moment it hit Roxanna's aura and clattered to the ground.
"..."
Standing behind her shield, Roxanna blinked blankly as she stared at the mangled piece of metal rolling on the floor.
'No matter how surprised I was... did I really use a skill just to block a tiny piece of metal?'
The barrier she had maintained at an elite level had been ripped apart like paper by the first shot.
And upon the second consecutive attack, her body, that of a Sword Master, had judged it a nuisance of a threat and reflexively activated the skill.
'I wouldn't have been seriously hurt even if it hit...'
But if an elite knight, instead of her, had taken the hit head-on...
'If it hit a vital spot, it would be a critical injury.'
The result was obvious.
Moreover, while elite knights might stand a chance, it would be nearly impossible for ordinary soldiers who couldn't use aura, or general knights with only a faint aura, to dodge or block such an attack.
"...!"
"...Gasp."
"...Gulp."
The sound of sharp intakes of breath and dry swallowing filled the training ground.
Breaking the heavy silence, someone spoke in a trembling voice.
"Did... did the Commander just deploy a defensive skill?"
"It seems so. A Sword Master instinctively used a skill against an attack from that thin rod."
"My god..."
The expressions of those who realized the truth shifted instantly.
If the target had been an ordinary knight rather than Roxanna.
If weapons with such firepower were mass-produced by the dozens or hundreds and deployed on the battlefield.
'A war with the Empire. It's doable.'
Ian lowered the muzzle, casually scanned the training ground, and spoke with a smirk.
"Well? Is this enough to take on the Imperial Army?"
Not a single person in the training ground dared to contradict him.