Chapter 36 - The Fruits of Effort
I quietly advanced and arrived at the archery range, located to the side of the courtyard. As expected from a practice range, it was a place designed for shooting practice. The target had been changed; the usual straw targets wouldn't suffice. It was a model of a medium-sized magical beast. I had persuaded Second Brother and obtained a medium-sized magical beast that he had dealt with. The head of the insect-like monster, the one used to make the scouting magitech tool, was also acquired in the same way.
I stood in the position where the archer would stand. When I turned around, I saw everyone there. Old Man, acting as the representative, asked me:
"How far is it? It looks about 100 yalds to me, Young Master."
"Yes, as Old Man said, it’s 100 yalds to the target from here. Is there anyone here who uses a bow?"
At my question, a few of the fifth-year soldiers raised their hands. For them, the archery range was probably familiar ground. They were looking at me, standing at this distance from the target, with a hint of doubt. To me, shooting at a target that was only 100 yalds away felt almost childish when compared to using a gun with a maximum range of 3000 yalds.
However, for an ordinary hunter, trying to hit prey from 100 yalds away was still no small feat.
This came from memories of my early childhood here. Back when I was still young—young enough to be called a child—I used to interact with others my age in the town. During those exchanges, I often heard tales of bravery, where they recounted how their family members hunted their prey and the methods they used to do so.
Even the most skilled hunter would find it incredibly difficult to strike a fatal blow at 100 yalds with a short bow. How much time was spent hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? They had shared with me such efforts and tales of bravery.
That was precisely why I had worked hard to extend the range.
The further the effective range, the more prey one could target. One no longer needed to go through the effort of concealing themselves or their presence. After all, you could aim from outside the range where the opponent could detect you. Reaching a longer distance meant traveling straight and with unwavering power. The bullet's drop would also be reduced, and the angle of compensation could be minimized. Just like with a crossbow, by adjusting the aim with the front sight, the accuracy could be greatly improved. I had already conducted over ten thousand test shots, refining and experimenting repeatedly to bring this gun to its current state.
"Now, I’ll conduct a test shot. The bullet head also has a magical circuit inscribed on it. If it strikes something without mana, the bullet won’t penetrate but will instead self-destruct—that’s how the circuit is designed. I crafted the circuit to ensure it only exhibits lethal force against monsters and magical beasts, which have organs that store mana. If it hits anything else, the bullet will still self-destruct, and even light infantry armor would be enough to block it. However, what happens inside the bullet is a different matter. When it hits the target, the circuit inscribed on the bullet head will activate."
"Young Master, what kind of rune have you placed on the bullet head?"
"Holy Water Summon. Even if a rune is carved onto a small, hard magic stone, it will only gradually emit over time. However, when the circuit is carved onto a bullet head made of magic powder as the mana source, it consumes all the mana stored in the powder in one go. As a result, there’s considerable pressure that bursts the bullet head from the inside, soaking the surroundings in water."
"...Did you consider its use on people?"
One of the fifth-year soldiers muttered this, as if to himself. I had certainly given much thought to that aspect. But there was another consideration as well.
"It's not just that, but it's the main reason. I designed it to avoid harming people, specifically to prevent friendly fire. When I studied war history at the Magic Academy, I found a lot of issues. On the battlefield, when the magic knights of the royal capital use large-scale offensive magic, allies must move out of the range. However, there are times when they don’t have enough time to retreat, leading to the spell being used even at the cost of endangering their comrades. The ones most at risk are the infantry. It's utterly unacceptable. So, I made sure that even if someone accidentally steps into the line of fire, they won't lose their life."
"Will it have any effect on monsters or magical beasts?"
"Well, let’s think about that for a moment. What does Holy Water mean to monsters and magical beasts?"
"Water blessed by God... correct? They despise it. For undead-type monsters, just touching holy water would purify and destroy them. It’s the equivalent to what humans know as lethal poison."
"Half of it is correct. Do you remember? The bullet head is effective on the bodies of monsters and magical beasts. Even if it doesn’t disintegrate, it will pierce through tough flesh and bones, going straight through. The activation time for the Holy Water Summon circuit is very short. In other words, it triggers an explosive rupture inside the body of the monster or magical beast."
"......That's gruesome."
"The holy water and the fragments of the bullet head would scatter from the inside. And there’s a fair amount of holy water, too. What do you think would happen then?"
"The monster or magical beast would be 'slashed' and 'burned' from the inside. Indeed... it seems effective, if what you're saying is true..."
"First, let me show you."
I raised the gun, placed the stock against my shoulder, and aligned the target with the center of the front site. A mere 100 yalds. The bullet's drop was almost negligible, meaning I didn’t need to account for any compensatory angle. In the dim corner of the courtyard, the men held their breath, watching. I focused, pulling the trigger. The latch disengaged, and the firing pin struck the bottom of the bullet casing.
The firing pin's activation magic circle, powered with mana from the magic battery attached to the gun, triggered the rune inscribed on the bullet casing. Mana was rapidly extracted from the magic powder inside the bullet casing, releasing a burst of air corresponding to the amount of mana.
The air rapidly expanded within the narrow space. The compressed air inside the barrel pushed the bullet forward with a sigh-like sound. From the gun's base, where the barrel gradually narrowed, the bullet was expelled from the muzzle a half-yald away. The bullet spun fiercely, taking on an elliptical shape as it was propelled forward.
It went straight... heading toward the intended target, and as expected...
Splash...
The holy water enveloped the corpse of the magical beast serving as the target. The point of impact was the head. Everyone inhaled sharply, speechless. There was no dramatic explosion, no glaring flames. No thunderous crashes or sharp winds, nor any ice that pierced through everything... Only a large amount of holy water soaking the corpse of the magical beast target.
"I believe you now understand how dangerous this is. That’s why I’ve kept it a secret until now. I plan to deploy it only when the time is right and after choosing the right people."
"""......."""
"Y-Young master..."
"Also, what you saw here today is to remain secret. Even to Second Brother and Eldest Brother. Until we’ve confirmed its effectiveness and practicality, this will be classified as a secret of the guerilla unit."
"""".........Understood.""""
The shock was certainly overwhelming. Anyone would have felt the same. However, the image etched in everyone’s minds would be enough to make them think of various strategies for reconnaissance-in-force or hunting missions in the future. That's right. By using this, all traditional strategies would need to be reconsidered.
There are also issues with supplies.
The production volume needs to be considered. Against large monsters, would this be enough? Probably not. So, there's still a long way to go. The plan has been shown. The fifth-year soldiers and Old Man will now be busy. They’ll be forced to revise their old tactics.
And so, I took my first step toward protecting the peace in the domain of my knightly family.
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