Translator: Pai_

House Parsha had long devoted significant effort to the development of weapons utilizing Spirit of Fire and gunpowder.

Unlike the gods who banned gunpowder weapons through a “treaty” under the pretext of maintaining world order, Turan was in a situation where he had to use any weapon that could be used.

To this end, renowned blacksmiths and scholars from the Gray Zone were mobilized, and even pharmacists were brought in for their ability to mix various components, but the results were far from impressive.

The products created were merely crude attempts based on Turan’s impressions from seeing the steam rifles of the dwarves or Haroon’s gun in the past, and the fragmentary knowledge given by prisoners trapped in the jewel box.

Even the occasional small progress that was made could mostly be attributed to ideas that Turan himself came up with, making the claim that experts had been gathered for weapons development almost meaningless.

It was impossible not to recall the Monarch’s diary, where he once wrote with disgust that the people of this world were abysmally lacking in creativity.

This stagnant situation suddenly improved after Turan used the “key” taken from the Monarch not long ago.

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, just a moment.”

Floating between white objects, Turan let out a groan as a sudden realization struck him.

No, it could hardly be called a realization.

It felt more like an omniscient being had directly poured what it knew into his mind.

‘I see.......’

Just quietly listening to the whisper was enough to understand.

He could grasp what the answers were to the problems he had been pondering, and how to improve them.

Turan, who had stayed at the boundary until just before the time limit to encounter this unknown knowledge, rushed to the weapon developers as soon as he returned and gave them instructions.

Those who were reading through the blueprints burst into exclamations without exception.

“From the metal composition ratio to the structure.......”

“At this level, it’s like he saw a finished product somewhere and copied it?”

The firearm Turan presented was at least several generations ahead of the existing ones.

First, the material was a new alloy composed of several special metals found in the Gray Zone, making it several times more resistant to gunpowder explosions than existing materials.

On top of that, a new metallurgy technique capable of handling this alloy was also introduced, something that could be considered a revolution in material science by itself.

Furthermore, the structure of the firearm was completely different from before.

Unlike the previous type that used gunpowder wrapped in a thin cloth and loaded with bullets, Turan adopted a design where bullets with gunpowder at the rear, like Turan’s metal balls, were fired via a trigger mechanism.

In the process, substances like mercury fulminate mentioned by the half-elves were no longer necessary.

The impact of the complex mechanical structure pressing the bullet as the trigger was pulled was sufficient to ignite the gunpowder.

Thanks to the perfectly provided design, the craftsmen only had to move their hands exactly as instructed.

Moreover, Haram, with his strong body from the Guardian bloodline, directly assisted by shaping the molten metal with his hands, and as a result, the final product was completed just a week after Turan had attained his realization.

If the gods who once struggled to revive scientific civilization had seen this, they would have vomited blood in frustration at the results.

“It’s complete!”

“Ooh.......”

“Finally.”

The newly completed gun was so different that it could barely be considered the same weapon in name only.

There was no need to even mention firepower and reloading speed, and now that it no longer relied on Ignition Magic, it could be used even by non-wizards.

The only drawback that remained unsolved was that wizards could still ignite the gunpowder internally using Ignition Magic.

If the gun wielder was a wizard, they could prevent this by imbuing the ammunition with magic power, but this was impossible for ordinary people.

However, surprisingly, Ashiz came up with a decent idea.

“Let’s enchant all the bullets.”

“Is that even possible? Enchanters are already stretched thin as it is, even if they had two bodies.”

Although several wandering nobles had taken refuge with the House Parsha, none of them belonged to the Enchanter bloodline.

This was because they were talents that every Great Noble House desired to possess even just one more of, and they were akin to children carrying treasures too great to live alone.

In other words, the only Enchanters currently in Parsha were Meisa, the Berk brothers, and two or three of their relatives at most.

It was utterly unrealistic to expect them to individually enchant hundreds or thousands of bullets.

Then who would create the other magical artifacts?

“We’ll just cast durability enhancement magic at a barely noticeable level. Once magic power is infused, it almost completely blocks magic cast from a distance, doesn’t it?”

“Ah-ha.”

“If it’s just to enchant them at that level, we could probably do thousands a day. Normally, it’s meaningless so wer don’t bother, that’s all.”

Enchanting an object with a durability of 100,000 to make it 1 point tougher had virtually no value on its own, but in terms of granting resistance against external magical interference, it was certainly meaningful.

Turan recalled the time long ago when he had tried to cast magic directly on a magical beast and failed.

The principle of plausibility in magic dictated that magic could not be manipulated unilaterally without contact with a magic-infused object.

Of course, this too could be bypassed if one accepted extreme inefficiency, but if a powerful noble were to waste immense energy to detonate a bullet, that alone could be considered a sort of gain.

With such a preventive measure now in place, everything flowed as smoothly as water.

The weapon developers, who had been struggling and trying all kinds of similar tricks to get their minds working again, began producing guns day and night.

Meanwhile, Turan, having resolved one of his tasks and finding himself with some free time, took a break.

He spent the time tending to Meisa, whose delivery date was approaching, and assisting her with work she was still inexperienced with.

While reading through a few documents together, she brought up the topic first.

“So, did you figure out why you suddenly understood how to make guns?”

“Not yet. But I do have a rough idea.”

The white substance that existed on the boundary of the world encompassed every kind of sensory input a human could feel.

In other words, each and every one of them could be called knowledge.

Turan guessed that during his wandering in the boundary, he had drawn out a portion of the knowledge he unconsciously longed for.

“Then maybe you could also find a way to extend the lifespan of the Soul Chain there.”

“I’ve gone back a few more times since then, but nothing’s come to me yet.”

Whether it was because Turan’s desperation was lacking, or for some other reason, he couldn’t say.

Regardless, just the fact that he had learned he could retrieve previously unknown knowledge through exploration of the boundary was already a great achievement.

Not to mention the usefulness of firearms.

“I want to go too.......”

“No one can go there except me and elder Librarian. More than anything, you’re not in a condition to do that.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Naturally, several more attempts had been made since the first visit, but no one other than Turan had been able to enter the boundary of the world.

From a few death row inmates brought in for the first experiment, to Solif, Rida, and even Armania.

As for Meisa, she was being so cautious that she wouldn’t even easily bring out her spirit form, so experimenting was out of the question.

Even Bije, who was considered a part of Turan, could enter with him, but perhaps because the sensory input inside was excessively violent, she couldn’t effectively assist in the exploration.

“But knowing this has made me a little afraid.”

“Of what?”

“If that guy has known about this place for a long time, what did he learn from it.......”

The mere fact that the other side knew more than this one was frightening in itself.

The saying “knowledge is power” existed for good reason.

Of course, if knowledge truly was power, then it also meant that they now had a new opening to gain more power themselves, so it wasn’t something to view entirely negatively.

Turan hoped that this newly developed weapon would become that power, a solution that could overcome their enemies.

And the chance to confirm whether that wish would come true arrived sooner than expected.

When news arrived that Zahar’s scouts were attacking border towns, Turan dispatched troops armed with the newly developed guns and ordered them to defend.

*

“That weapon, could it be...?”

“Yes. The family head granted it to us, Father.”

The lord of Bigen, Alos, looked at his son, who boasted of the item given by the family head, with a proud expression.

“So this is the magical device you mentioned before.”

“To be honest, this only came out recently, but even if it hadn’t, I had confidence we could manage. Now I’m certain.”

Alos couldn’t dismiss his son’s confidence as mere bluff.

Just moments ago, the Zahar wizards who had threatened him and all the wizards of Bigen had been swept away by that very weapon.

Considering that the reinforcements consisted of only his son, one noble from the House Varaha, and fifteen knights, it would ordinarily have been an impossible outcome.

“But what if our enemies steal it and recreate it for themselves?”

“It won’t be easy. The developers of this weapon all said the same thing, that without a genius like the family head, this thing could never have been made.”

Above all, the technology for creating the metal that formed the gun’s body and internal mechanisms wasn’t something one could figure out just by looking at a completed product.

While the lord of Bigen listened to his son boast about his superior, the wizards of Parsha standing behind them chatted quietly amongst themselves.

The topic, of course, was the recent battle and the new weapon they had used.

“I used a gun back during the Ruvan war too, but it’s gotten unbelievably better since then.”

“Yeah. Back then, it was unstable in many ways.”

“How bad was it?”

“Don’t even get me started. We had to use Ignition Magic every time instead of pulling a trigger like now, the power was half what it is now, and it would explode anytime.”

The knight gestured to his left cheek and cheekbone, bragging that if the family head hadn’t healed him, he would have lost a chunk of his flesh right there.

When someone teased that he should’ve died from something like that, he just chuckled and said, “Exactly.”

“Anyway, compared to that, this thing shoots with a single finger click, reloads easily... it’s seriously the best.”

“I found it kind of scary, though.”

“Hm?”

“This is a weapon even commoners can use. Imagine dozens of them carrying it and aiming at you.”

At one knight’s words, everyone let out a low groan.

Nobles might be able to endure bullets without magic power, but a knight’s body wasn’t that tough.

If commoners stabbed with all their might, they could pierce a relatively soft vital spot.

So just like earlier, when they had hunted a single noble, commoners with guns could potentially hunt knights too.

“Well, who cares? We’ve got the world’s strongest wizard above us anyway. To him, these things are just toys.”

“No doubt about that!”

They had all participated in several wars and received medals, so they knew well how powerful their head, Turan Parsha, was.

With such a great wizard ruling, who among the commoners would dare to start a rebellion just because they got their hands on a few guns?

A little later, after taking a short rest, the wizards of Parsha patrolled Bigen City, lighting the darkness with floating orbs of light.

Only after they had recovered a few knights who had signaled the beacon fires and met their end did they report that the Zahar assault unit had either been annihilated or had completely retreated.

Thanks to the well-organized beacon system, this news reached Kalamaf within a few hours.

“Bigen City: all enemies repelled with no casualties. Sagas City: two knights sacrificed, all enemies repelled. Apello City: one knight sacrificed, all enemies repelled.”

“What about enemy losses?”

“It’s an estimate, but four nobles and thirty-two knights, family head.”

In the conference room of the House Parsha, when Ashiz answered Turan’s question, everyone present let out a quiet groan.

The content just mentioned was terrifying enough to warrant such a reaction.

“It’s one-sided......”

“We deployed our forces adequately, and the other side was only probing lightly, so that probably explains it.”

Turan responded to Solif, the family head of Varaha and leader of the reinforcements.

The losses Zahar suffered from this raid were enough that an ordinary wizard family might have been not just demoralized but completely broken.

But they were Zahar.

Alongside Aravion, one of the oldest Great Noble Houses in the world.

Their roots, built over long centuries, were wide and deep, so this level of sacrifice was likely still bearable for them.

“For now, the Enchanters from the Varaha side have agreed to help with firearm production, so if we combine forces, it should improve. And Aravion is......”

“They’re currently organizing a large-scale army, just like they did during the last war. Estimated numbers are around three thousand. The composition of nobles or whether the Aravion family head will join is still unknown.”

Three thousand.

It wasn’t an impossible number if they pulled out not only their main house but also all the knights from their vassal houses, but if they did, the entire Takein Plains would become a playground for Magical Beasts.

“At that size, the forces of the House Nagin are likely included too......”

“There’s a continued possibility that Zahar will keep pressing in, so let’s assign more Varaha nobles and wizards to the border areas. What about Carmine?”

“They’ve reported that several warships left previously in the north of Avacha are now patrolling the coastal areas near Ophen City.”

“Good. That means they’ve at least entered the fray.”

Of course, the risk of betrayal still existed, but for now, they had secured one shield to hold off the Mermaids from pushing inland.

Nodding, Turan looked down at the map and said,

“We’ll have to settle things with Aravion first. Notify the forces stationed in the cities near the desert again. If they begin advancing in earnest, abandon the cities and retreat. That goes for the wizards based in those cities too.”

Considering what the Monarch had done recently, he didn’t want to hand over the cities to them if he could help it, but that didn’t mean he could afford to throw away precious wizard forces either.

Before calculating real profit or loss, the wizards of Parsha were all subjects who followed Turan and disciples he had personally nurtured.

He couldn’t force the sheepdogs to fight a battle they couldn’t win for the sake of the flock.

Better to take the blame for the slaughtered sheep himself, as their shepherd.

While giving those instructions, Turan sensed a presence outside and turned his head.

Bije, confidently opening the window and stepping inside, used one foot to pull a letter from the pouch on her chest and handed it over.

After reading it, Turan nodded and said,

“The situation has changed. No need to give up the cities.”

“What news is it?”

“Reinforcements from Lavitas are coming.”

Though it had been somewhat expected, the delayed response had made everyone uneasy, so the news broke the somber atmosphere with cheers.

At this point, they actually had one more Great Noble House siding with them.

Of course, it was debatable whether the forces of the newly established House Parsha, House Varaha, who had lost many members in multiple wars, and House Carmine, who had lost their capital to the Mermaids, could still be called full Great Noble Houses...

But if that was the standard, then Aravion and Nagin were in the same boat, having also lost more than half of their powerful wizards in repeated clashes with Turan.

Because of that, it was now difficult even for the leaders of each side to clearly assess which faction had the upper hand.

Unless one possessed a magical device like Turan, there was no exact standard by which to measure how strong someone’s magic power was. And when you added in factors like artifacts or magical skills, the number of variables became overwhelming.

When it came to what hidden cards the opponent had, it was close to completely unknown territory.

After reviewing the current troop deployment, Turan gave orders to separate part of the forces and send them additionally to the southeast.

This was to ensure that, when the reinforcements from Lavitas arrived, they could join forces and defend against Zahar’s attack.

“Solif, I’d like you to take charge of this front. Osel-nim is said to be coming, but it’s likely he won’t be able to face the Zahar family head alone.”

“Got it. What about Meisa?”

“She should move with me. If she rides in a carriage or something, she won’t be visible.”

Turan had considered leaving her behind in Kalamaf, but if Phoenix or Badal launched a surprise attack on the capital, now left defenseless, it would be difficult for her to stop them alone.

So instead, it was more reassuring to bring her closer to the battlefield where Turan could protect her himself.

After all, if Turan lost and died there, everything would be over anyway. At the very least, if things became truly urgent, she might be able to provide supporting fire from a distance.

After several more rounds of discussion, Turan finalized the detailed troop distribution and, at the end, reached out his finger and pointed to a spot on the map.

“Once all battle preparations are completed, we’ll intercept Aravion here as they approach.”

That location was near the Dwarves’ Canyon, where years ago Turan had repelled the Dark Elves alongside the wizards of Aravion.

*****

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