CHAPTER 180: CHAPTER 177: THE PRECIOUS SWORD_1

The words, both explicitly and implicitly, instilled in him the notion that "the higher-ups no longer saw potential in firearms and cannons, considering them utterly useless—even less effective than conventional melee weapons."

Lance noticed that most of his design drawings were for various firearms and cannons. To a researcher who had devoted his life to this field, this was an insult.

"Oh, I really want to kick those guys’ asses with my boots! Have their brains been blasted out by a cannon? Firearms are the future of warfare."

"But isn’t that the truth? The cost to equip a thousand-man firearm unit is enough to equip an ordinary army of five thousand, not to mention the enormous research funds invested. The higher-ups were willing to allocate funds because they wanted to see these thousand men defeat five thousand. But when these units performed worse than an ordinary army against the enemy, why would they continue to fund them?"

Lance spoke very directly, but this was the reality. Even Eugene couldn’t deny the practical problems firearms faced in combat, and his brow furrowed in worry.

"Why did you leave the academy?"

Lance broke the deathly still atmosphere. Eugene, not seeing any reason to hide anything, spoke plainly.

"They stopped the funding, canceled my project, and even disbanded my entire team. I left the academy in protest at the time. Unfortunately, I dragged my students and craftsmen down with me."

"What project were you working on?"

"Research on making cannons lighter. Nowadays, those people believe that lighter cannons are less effective than simply using muskets, so the mainstream trend is to keep increasing the poundage, making cannons bigger, heavier, and more powerful. As a result, my research wasn’t given much attention..."

At this, Eugene looked somewhat disheartened. His research wasn’t recognized; he was even made an example of and dismissed. The academy’s actions had left him feeling quite cold.

Lance understood. When funding was ample, they could explore multiple avenues. Even failures were acceptable risks; success meant a huge return. But now, with new income sources gone, they had to cut costs. Naturally, non-mainstream projects like Eugene’s were the first to be eliminated to save money for research focused on mainstream destructive power. From a managerial perspective, Lance knew the academy’s logic was sound. However, their methods were too crude, which he found somewhat hard to comprehend.

"Come to my side; I will fully support your research."

Lance got straight to the point, extending an olive branch, but this caught Eugene by surprise.

"You want to research cannons too?"

"Is there a problem?" Lance was direct and calm, seeing no issue with his statement.

However, Lance’s fearless attitude made Eugene laugh, and he couldn’t help but press further. "Do you know how much it costs to cast a cannon? Do you know how much the academy invested in our project team last year?"

"How much?" Lance maintained his calm demeanor.

"The smallest six-pounder cannon costs eight hundred to cast, and last year alone, the academy invested sixty thousand in our team." Eugene stood up excitedly, gesturing emphatically as he spoke, "Not copper coins, not silver coins, but Gold Coins! Sixty thousand Gold Coins!"

Regardless, the title of Master was still impressive. Yet, the fact that he was sitting here after leaving the academy spoke volumes. This field wasn’t something just anyone could afford. Even the Nobility couldn’t bear such an astronomical expense. Only this City of Wealth had the resources to spend a million Gold Coins annually on research and development. But now, it was estimated that even their budget had been cut in half.

"I can afford it."

Lance’s calm statement made Eugene falter, his raised hand freezing mid-air.

"Who are you?" Eugene realized something; this young man wasn’t joking.

"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Lance Hamlet, the current Lord of Hamlet." Lance smiled faintly, yet his posture carried a subtle air of pressure.

"Hamlet..." Upon hearing the name, Eugene frowned and slowly sat down. He pondered for a moment before seeming to recall something. "Hamlet indeed once possessed strength that rivaled Totnes, but that was over a decade ago. Now, Hamlet has declined to the point where its name is barely known. So, how could you possess such financial resources?"

Eugene was blunt, not beating around the bush, directly pointing out Hamlet’s current state.

Hearing this, Lance couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. He had intended to display his noble status, only to be immediately exposed.

It’s all that wastrel ancestor’s fault.

"That’s not something you need to concern yourself with. You only need to know that I can provide everything for your research, and in return, you will provide me with more effective cannons," Lance said, his face impassive, showing little reaction as he smoothly changed the subject.

"You yourself are aware of how firearm units perform in actual combat. Sixty thousand Gold Coins is enough to raise a thousand-strong Cavalry unit. Why are you so insistent on these weapons?"

Eugene didn’t understand why such a down-and-out noble would pursue cannons. Logically, nobles preferred traditional soldiers; indeed, most of the army Generals who opposed firearms were from the Nobility.

"Because I see the immense potential in firearms. I believe that in the future, they will absolutely dominate human warfare. I am now the Lord of a domain forgotten by the world, and you are a craftsman ostracized by the academy. Let’s work together. Let’s prove to the higher echelons of Totnes that you aren’t wrong, they are."