Yard and Sest, though visibly reluctant, begrudgingly agreed with His Majesty’s words.
Afterwards, since Yard and Sest planned to tour Seat Village, two members of the Seat Knight Corps were assigned to accompany them. His Majesty wished to inspect the village further, so they would go separately from Yard and Sest.
By the way, their accommodations had already been prepared, so there was no issue. I had expected my father to arrive first, so I had arranged a fine room, but it could not be helped. After all, it would be fun to have them stay in a luxurious lodging and see their surprise.
With such thoughts in mind, I climbed the castle wall and looked down at Seat Village. His Majesty spoke.
“Every time I visit, there seems to be something new in the baron’s territory. I assume you already have plans for what comes next?”
I turned my gaze toward the village road. Drawn along by my motion, everyone present followed my eyes.
Below the wall, a moat carried river water, which flowed into the lake at the back of Seat Village. From there, the water continued to the river downstream, taking a slightly longer route but eventually returning to the original river course.
I traced the river’s flow with my finger and indicated it.
“I have several ideas. One is to improve logistics using this river. However, it’s too narrow to serve as a full canal, so we could connect several smaller boats to carry heavier cargo at once. Also, since we now have dwarven craftsmen residing in the village, it would be great if they could produce more than just weapons—items like corrective glasses for the visually impaired, highly reflective mirrors, or even musical instruments. A town filled with lively music would be very attractive.”
I spoke about logistics, living conditions, and entertainment, painting a vision of Ceat Village’s future. Some people looked stunned—perhaps my vision seemed impossible. But dreaming big is worth it; no one’s complaints can deter me. I am determined to make it a reality.
As I contemplated this, Panamera pointed with a daring smile to the ballista atop the castle wall.
“Haven’t you developed any new weapons?”
I folded my arms and pondered aloud.
“Hmm… I’ve been thinking about it, but we lack the necessary materials. If we manage to create what I have in mind, it could be ten times more powerful than this ballista.”
His Majesty’s eyes widened, and after blinking in astonishment, he burst into laughter.
“Ha! Ha ha ha! Incredible! How can one think of so many things at once?”
Other nobles cast wary glances at me, likely sensing that His Majesty favored me. Why would they worry about such an innocent-looking boy?
“No, the weapons a boy like this can create are terrifyingly effective. I, too, am eager to see the results. But for now, we must focus on the invasion of the Yerinetta Kingdom. Supply as many weapons as possible, even if it’s existing equipment.”
Panamera said this, and His Majesty nodded, glancing toward the Wolfsburg Mountains.
“…Indeed. We must proceed quickly. Although we currently have the advantage, the enemy wields dragons and a powerful new weapon called the Black Orb. We cannot be careless.”
His Majesty’s sharp eyes scanned the distance. The other nobles, hearing this, furrowed their brows in concern, glancing at me.
“Baron Van… Rumor says the Yerinetta Kingdom has deployed a new weapon surpassing the Black Orb. What exactly is it? I read the report, but it is difficult to imagine.”
All eyes turned to me. They were curious about the primitive-looking cannon. Though primitive, its power and impact were undeniably threatening.
The accuracy, however, is low. Firing at a massive wall, perhaps only one shot hits after several attempts. Yet, the sound and impact would surely break soldiers’ morale, and horses, being skittish, would panic.
Especially, mages would find it threatening. Depending on its use, it could negate the advantage of powerful mages.
Before overthinking, I needed to answer His Majesty’s question. I nodded slightly and began.
“Yes. The weapon I’m considering uses a similar principle, but first, I will explain the new weapon of the Yerinetta Kingdom.”
I then created a wooden model in front of His Majesty, shaped exactly like the Yerinetta cannon. The sudden model caused murmurs of surprise behind him.
“Hmm… It’s smaller than I expected.”
His Majesty observed the wooden cannon calmly. I nodded and pointed toward the ballista.
“The ballista relies on string length and material. Similarly, catapults must be large to gain acceleration. But this new weapon is different. It stores multiple Black Orbs inside a barrel, then places iron balls or other projectiles. Detonating the orbs launches the projectiles at terrifying speed and force. So, even a small version works if it is durable enough.”
I briefly explained the cannon’s principle. His Majesty, clearly intrigued, peered into the barrel.
“So the projectile matches the barrel’s diameter. That would be quite powerful. However, compared to your ballista, it seems less threatening.”
I was genuinely pleased. My ballista being evaluated as superior to a cannon was gratifying.
Yet reality was more complicated.
“Honestly, at this moment, my ballista would outperform Yerinetta’s new weapon in many ways. But the new weapon has room to evolve. My ballista can only scale in number or size.”
His Majesty examined the wooden cannon with a serious gaze.
“…This weapon can evolve further, then? You believe it may eventually surpass Baron Van’s ballista?”
He grasped both the explanation and its threat immediately. Impressive. Normally, seeing an unfamiliar weapon and hearing about its potential future would overwhelm anyone.
I nodded and then constructed a test model of my imagined “Van’s Ultra Ultimate Romantic Cannon.” Made of wood, it wasn’t ready for immediate use, but as a clay-like model, it was quite effective.
The wood quickly formed into blocks, creating the base. I added a swivel mechanism for horizontal rotation, gears for vertical adjustment, and a long barrel over three meters to improve accuracy. Spiral grooves inside allowed the projectile to spin during flight.
Suddenly, the gigantic “Van’s Ultra Ultimate Romantic Cannon” appeared, leaving everyone staring in astonishment.
“I created this as a test. With proper gunpowder, it could fire very far with high accuracy—essentially, a long-range attack even mages cannot block.”
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