Chapter 359 - Episode 351: Jet-Black Armor
After successfully navigating Eleos's engagement party in the royal capital and reaching a tentative agreement with the Rhodeberg royal family regarding the handling of attack magic magic tools, Noein returned home and decided to put his full effort into another discovery from the ruins—the jet-black steel.
First, he received a report from Damian, the honorary knight bachelor and head blacksmith who served as the practical person in charge of this matter.
Since Damian had requested to "report something urgently" shortly after Noein's return, Noein visited the Grand Duchy's direct-managed workshop as a top priority. The reason Noein went to the workshop himself was that Damian had said he wanted to demonstrate a prototype at the testing grounds.
Once Noein entered the workshop's office, Damian began speaking excitedly, barely pausing for greetings.
"This jet-black steel is amazing! While Noein-sama was in Lichthagen, I tried forging it by mixing the materials written in the documents in various ratios, and it's just incredible! To think I could create an alloy with this kind of strength, it's too interesting! I'm just like, why on earth was this unknown until now?!"
"Ahaha, I'm glad you're having fun."
Seeing Damian in such a high state of excitement for the first time in a while, Noein laughed, feeling a bit of nostalgia. He had become quite well-behaved recently, but Noein thought that he really had to be like this.
"Honestly, that's not a report, is it? My apologies, Noein-sama. Regarding the mixing ratios of the materials, I have summarized them in this table for now."
The one who handed over the documents while saying this was Christy, the workshop head, who was present because reporting would likely be hindered if left solely to her husband, whose excitement had not yet cooled.
"Thank you... Huh, so the weight and strength of the jet-black steel change depending on the mixing ratio of lapis lazuli and garnet."
"Yes! That's right! If you use more lapis lazuli powder, it becomes lighter, but the strength drops in exchange! Conversely, if you mix in more crushed garnet, the strength increases, but the weight also increases! It's mysterious how magic metals work, since the weight changes from the sum of all the original materials! Moreover, if you change the mixing ratio significantly, the color even turns bluish or reddish!"
"In my opinion, in terms of the balance between weight and strength, the easiest to handle is likely the one made by mixing the two in almost equal amounts, with slightly more lapis lazuli. In this case, the color becomes almost completely black, so I believe the name 'jet-black steel' in the documents assumes this kind of distribution. After that, I thought it would be best to decide on a standard mixing ratio while incorporating the opinions of the soldiers who will actually use the armaments. Based on that standard, we can lighten it or increase the strength depending on the intended use."
Between Damian's energetic explanation and Christy's orderly explanation, Noein understood the general properties of the jet-black steel.
"I see. Then, assuming we move toward practical application in the direction Christy mentioned..."
"...Before that, we must confirm the actual strength and weight. There's no way to judge if it's sufficient for practical application otherwise."
Yuri, who was present since the discussion concerned military matters, spoke up following Noein.
"True. Damian, you said we could see a prototype today."
"Yes! You'll definitely be surprised! Let's move to the testing grounds!"
Prompted by Damian, Noein and the others moved to the testing grounds next to the workshop, used for things like test-firing weapons.
Placed there was a pitch-black breastplate, made in the same shape as the leather armor that was the standard equipment of the Grand Duchy's army. It was covered over a sandbag and fixed to a target stand.
"This is the prototype! Since it's armor made of jet-black steel, I'm calling it jet-black armor for now!"
"Huh, this is... Just as the documents said, it really is light."
"It's almost the same as our standard leather armor, or perhaps slightly heavier. For metal armor, this lightness is impossible."
Noein and Yuri, who observed the jet-black armor up close and actually lifted it, shared those impressions.
"These small dents on the surface... did you test the strength?"
"Marks from being thrust with a spear...?"
"Hehehe, I'll show you the truth behind those dents now!"
To Noein, who tilted his head, and Yuri, who looked suspicious, Damian gave a fearless smile.
"Now, Yuri-sama! Please try shooting this jet-black armor with this crossbow! From a distance of about fifteen meters!"
"...From fifteen meters? Is that alright?"
Yuri, handed the crossbow, looked even more suspicious. If one were to fire a crossbow bolt from a short distance of fifteen meters, the power would not attenuate at all. It would likely penetrate even expensive, high-performance full plate mail.
"Just try shooting it!"
"Yes. I don't mind."
"...Surely not."
Damian stated with absolute confidence, and Christy nodded. While Yuri still had a doubtful look on his face, he drew the crossbow string from a position fifteen meters from the jet-black armor, loaded a bolt, confirmed that no one was around or behind the target, and took aim.
Then, he pulled the trigger and released the bolt.
The bolt flew straight into the center of the jet-black armor—and was deflected.
"Eh."
"What."
Noein and Yuri, who had vaguely predicted this result from Damian's demeanor, still cried out at the shocking sight.
"It withstands a direct hit from a crossbow at this distance..."
"...This is an outrageous piece of work."
To the stunned Yuri, Noein replied with a strained smile.
"By the way, Yuri-sama! We also have the composite bow captured from Betumia! Please try this one too!"
When a cheerful Damian offered the composite bow, Yuri received it with a complex expression, drew the string, and fired another arrow.
With his usual skill, the arrow hit the jet-black armor directly, but it was deflected again. That was only natural. While the composite bow has a long effective range, its power is slightly inferior to a crossbow at short to medium distances. There was no way it could penetrate the jet-black armor that a crossbow could not.
"How is it?! How is it?!"
"...I can only say it's amazing."
"Yeah, honestly, I'm genuinely surprised. It's groundbreaking."
To Damian, who asked excitedly, Noein and the others answered thus. They had no other choice but to answer that way.
"I wonder, conversely, how much attack power would be needed to break this."
"I tried shooting another prototype with a ballista, and it penetrated right through along with the sandbag!"
"Well, that makes sense."
"It would be scary if it withstood a ballista... That said, it means it can't be broken unless you do something like that. Amazing."
Unless a ballista or attack magic of equivalent power was used, the jet-black armor could not be penetrated. Portable weapons like crossbows and bows were almost useless. As for melee weapons like swords, spears, and axes, the wearer might be injured depending on the strength of the impact, but they would receive no damage from the blades themselves.
Next, group charges by cavalry were also scary, but regarding the Grand Duchy's army, golems basically stood in the front line, so they didn't have to worry much about infantry stopping cavalry.
"If we equip all the soldiers with this, the attrition rate of the Arqvist Grand Duchy army will drop dramatically."
"Yeah. If they wear a helmet, breastplate, and arm and thigh guards, the weak points will be significantly reduced. Furthermore, if we make and equip shields of jet-black steel, the survival rate of the soldiers will increase even more... Depending on training and tactics, an almost immortal army will be completed."
"It's almost laughable. It's like a dream."
To Noein, the soldiers were also beloved subjects. The jet-black steel, which could drastically reduce the danger of their deaths, could be called an unprecedented great discovery.
"Yuri, we can decide on practical application, right?"
"Of course. There's no reason not to introduce this to the army."
"Alright, then it's decided. Please have the national army cooperate fully regarding the fine adjustments. I'll consult with Anna about the production budget for the armor and armaments... but unless it's an amount that goes way over the limit, don't worry about it. We have money to spare. I'll leave the subsequent practical matters basically to you all."
.....
May arrived, and the various matters accompanying the discovery in the ruins and the engagement party had settled down, returning them to a peaceful daily life.
Regarding the jet-black steel, Noein was now receiving a report from his wife, Clara. The location was his own office.
"—No matter which past documents I reviewed in my laboratory, there were absolutely no descriptions regarding jet-black steel. I also found no records of soldiers equipped with armor of abnormally high defensive power. That not a single thing is mentioned about such a technology is normally unthinkable."
Clara had her own laboratory at the Grand Duchy's Noeina High School and collected a wide range of historically valuable documents. Regarding historical materials of the ancient great nation, she had ordered everything that could be bought with money.
"Which means, the production method of jet-black steel wasn't a widespread technology even at the end of the West Zeetsgard Empire..."
"Yes. It was likely a cutting-edge invention of the time that was carefully kept secret. The fact that the production method remained suggests it may have been considered less important than the magic tools for attack magic... either way, it probably had hardly been deployed in actual combat yet, right?"
"And just like that, the workshops, the production method, and the people who knew it vanished into history... For the Arqvist Grand Duchy to have obtained it, I can only say we were truly lucky."
To obtain an entire piece of lost cutting-edge technology from an ancient great nation in an almost perfect form. Thinking about how much luck that entailed, Noein and Clara sighed together.
"Well, if there are no records left in history, it's convenient. If other countries find out about the jet-black steel someday, it'll be easier to insist, 'It's an alloy newly developed in our country.' Thank you for looking into various things, Clara."
"No. I am very happy to be able to contribute to you and the Grand Duchy with my knowledge."
Thereafter, armor using jet-black steel began to gradually replace leather armor as the official equipment of the Arqvist Grand Duchy army.