Chapter 93 - Chapter 92: Strengthening the Territory ⑥ New Weapon
A flat area slightly removed from the urban center of Noeina, the capital of the Arqvist territory. In this place, where the forest had only just been cleared and there were neither buildings nor farmland, a test firing of a new weapon was about to take place.
Placed there was a single ballista. Attached to the tip of its bolt was a round ceramic pot inscribed with magical patterns.
The one manning the ballista was Rick, who was praised as being particularly skilled with bows and crossbows among the soldiers of the Arqvist territorial army. Standing diagonally behind him as his superior was Pence, and further behind them gathered the lord Noein, Matilda, the Chief Retainer Yuri, the blacksmith Damian, the magic item crafter Daphne, and the soldiers of the territorial army.
Noein and the others were there to witness the test fire and verify the results, but the other soldiers were merely onlookers.
"Alright, the embankment behind the target point is fine, there's nothing flammable in the vicinity, and there are no figures at all in front of the ballista... safety confirmation is complete. Noein-sama, may I fire?"
"Anytime—"
"Then, aim for the target... fire!"
Having received Noein's permission, Deputy Chief Retainer Pence gave a sharp command, and in response, Rick pulled the trigger of the ballista.
A sound of slicing through the air—vwoom—rang out, and a thick bolt flew straight from the ballista fixed to its pedestal toward the target: several scarecrows set up to simulate enemies.
The ballista bolt struck the target point, where a dozen or so scarecrows stood crowded together, without missing its mark. Just as the sound of the pot shattering—clink—was heard, a roar echoed in the next instant, overwriting it, and flames erupted.
"Ooh, how flashy."
"Amazing! It's just like high-level fire magic! Amazing, amazing!"
Seeing the strike of the ballista scatter flames so flamboyantly, Noein let out that impression. Beside him, Damian was making a huge fuss like a child.
Yuri, Daphne, Pence, Rick who had performed the shot, and the onlooker soldiers—everyone present wore an expression of surprise.
What had been newly developed this time was a special offensive magic item to be launched by a ballista. Noein had come up with the idea, Daphne had manufactured it, and Damian had devised the shape so it could be attached to the tip of a bolt and fired from a ballista.
Oil was filled into a ceramic container, and magic patterns were carved into it to create a mechanism where "when the container breaks, 'Fire Magic: Ignition' activates." Finally, a lid was placed on the container, and a magic stone, which serves as the activation source for the magic, was attached to it.
If this is launched by a ballista, the container breaks in the enemy ranks, the fire ignites the oil, and flames are scattered—a simple mechanism.
"When Noein-sama asked if I could make a ceramic magic item that activates ignition upon breaking, I wondered what it would be used for... but I've been made to create something quite atrocious, haven't I?"
Even as she said this, Daphne seemed somewhat amused.
"No, really, it's incredible! I'm shocked that the ballista I made could transform like this! Noein-sama, how did you think of such a thing!"
"In a book I read as a child, there was a description of a weapon where 'a cloth fuse is attached to a ceramic pot filled with oil, ignited, and thrown at the enemy.' I believe it was a record from an eastern country..."
To the still-excited Damian, Noein, the originator of the idea, explained the circumstances of how he thought of this warhead.
"Apparently, that weapon fell out of use because it was thrown by hand, so the range was short, or it would ignite in the user's hand and cause them to burn, making it difficult to use. I thought that if we extended the range with a ballista and used a magic item for the ignition mechanism, it would become practical. It was the right call."
Facing Noein, who spoke while grinning foolishly, Daphne and Damian nodded with equal amusement. Yuri looked at the three of them with a sense of recoil.
"You people... how can you talk so happily about such a merciless and evil weapon. Do you feel no ethical hesitation?"
"Nah... not particularly."
"Damian-san and I are crafters. Personal ethics and curiosity or satisfaction as engineers are separate things."
"This is a considerably nasty piece of work... if you fire something like this into crowded enemies, it'll be terrible. Depending on the wind direction, a hundred-man squad could be burnt to a crisp in one shot."
"It's a disaster for the enemy, isn't it... which is exactly why it's reliable as a weapon for our own self-defense."
As Yuri spoke with trepidation, Noein responded while remaining aloof.
"This goes beyond the level of self-defense, doesn't it?"
"Even if a situation arises where a large battle cannot be avoided, if possible, I don't want a single citizen of my territory to die. Even those in combat professions, like the territorial army soldiers. To achieve that, we need weapons that can overwhelm the enemy. Therefore, this is for self-defense."
Noein was the kind of lord who could calmly discard people outside his territory for the sake of his own citizens. If they were enemies who harmed the territory, he likely wouldn't care what kind of miserable fate befell them.
"...Between this and the 'Angel's Honey' incident, Noein-sama is the same as ever. It's fine because you're an ally, but I wouldn't want to be your enemy even if I died."
"I'm honored by the praise."
Yuri certainly hadn't intended it as praise, but Noein said so happily.
"If it has this much power, this weapon... the Explosive Flame Bolt can be put into actual combat immediately. Damian, Daphne, good work."
"I didn't do much this time!"
"I also find the mechanism of the magic item I made to be quite simple."
From the time Noein devised the Explosive Flame Bolt until today's test fire, barely a month had passed. The reason results came so quickly was, of course, because the mechanism as a weapon was simple, but also because Damian and Daphne were excellent crafters.
"I want to have a certain number of these ready; is it possible to produce them in large quantities in advance and stockpile them?"
"Yes, of course. If we remove the magic stones that serve as the power source, they won't ignite even if they break by accident, so they can be stored safely."
"I see, then it'll be safe during transport too... it seems a war might break out in the not-too-distant future, so for now, could you make 100 of them by the end of the year? I'll arrange the production of the containers on this end, so I'd like you to handle carving the magic patterns."
Magic item crafters almost without exception possess a talent for "Enchantment Magic"—or rather, it would be more accurate to say that people who are granted a talent for enchantment magic become magic item crafters to make use of it. Daphne was one such person.
Crafters draw patterns with magic paint, imbue them with their own magical power, and fix the circuit that allows the magic to operate. This is how magic items are made.
Therefore, while Noein could provide the ceramic containers, the crucial task of carving the patterns had to be done by Daphne herself.
"I have received your request. If I have until the end of the year, it will be more than enough time."
"Great. I'll leave it to you then."
With the addition of the even more powerful option of the Explosive Flame Bolt to the already powerful weapon that was the ballista, the defenses of the Arqvist territory became even more solid. Noein was greatly satisfied with that.