Chapter 97

◆4-09 Remrest Tourism

The Kingdom of Remrest. In terms of land area, population, and other factors, it is said to be about one-eighth the size of the Kingdom of Balshain. It is a small country with a limited coastline, surrounded by three other countries.

The three countries that surround it are the Kingdom of Balshain, and the other two are also powerful nations on par with Balshain.

The fact that Remrest has managed to survive, surrounded by these superior countries, can largely be attributed to luck.

If any of the major powers, including Balshain, were to make a move on Remrest, the other major powers would not stand idly by. By serving as a buffer zone between the major powers, Remrest has managed to avoid invasion up to this point.

This is the situation in terms of military power.

However, this country is quite economically robust. While it certainly cannot match the surrounding major powers, when considering factors such as population, it can be said to be the most advanced country.

Remrest's magical artifacts are famous throughout the continent. The lighting in my home is made in Remrest, and I believe a significant portion of other items are also from there.

Not only are magical artifacts widely available, but research and development are also quite advanced. Some rare magical artifacts produced from dungeons have been studied and brought to production.

When I was in school, I did a bit of research and found out that the study of monster-summoning flutes had not progressed, which led me to lose interest.

So, I've arrived in this technologically advanced country.

Carriages move automatically, there are train-like vehicles traveling through mysterious transparent tubes, and small airplanes are zipping around. There are also people dressed in colorful full-body suits...

...but they weren't there. Honestly, if I hadn't been told it was a foreign country, I wouldn't have known. The architectural style, the clothing of the people on the streets, and the language used are all the same.

It's disappointing. As disappointing as when I visited the academic city in my previous life.

There was no futuristic city as I had imagined; only a nature-filled residential area and research facilities with unnecessarily large grounds. The research facilities looked like ordinary university facilities.

However, the particle accelerator I was allowed to tour was impressive. It had a doughnut-shaped tube underground and large observation equipment. It accelerates small particles and observes even smaller elementary particles.

...And that's how disappointing the town was. It is more prosperous than my Dorkness territory, but it falls far short of the capital of Balshain.

I was excited about visiting a foreign country, but since I didn't take a plane and the language is the same, there was no sense of being in a foreign country.

If I consider it as an illegal entry without a passport, my mood might rise a little... but only a little. There are no passports in this world.

Since I've come to a technologically advanced country, I want to see a magical artifact store. It's a shame I don't have any money. I'll give up on souvenirs and enjoy window shopping.

Magical artifacts require maintenance, so there are specialized stores. Large trading companies often have experts, but generally, there are stores that deal exclusively with magical artifacts.

Remrest is no exception, and I didn't have any trouble finding a magical artifact store.

The store with a sign that reads "Magical Artifact Store" has a note on the door that says, "We accept lighting repairs." Since they went to the trouble of posting it, the demand for lighting repairs must be the highest. As expected of a country that produces magical artifacts, it seems that magical lighting is quite widespread.

However, it's a small store. It feels like a neighborhood electronics shop. I want to see a large electronics store...

I might need to go to a large trading company that mainly deals with magical artifacts. But such places often check your identity at the entrance. To avoid being recognized, I'll have to settle for this small store.

I enter the store, thinking of how rude I might be to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was an old lady. Her hair was completely white, but she sat straight in her chair and looked youthful.

She glanced at me over her thick glasses while working at a desk in the back.

"Welcome."

"Hello."

The old lady immediately put her glasses back on and returned to her work. She was disassembling a magical artifact, examining small parts with her hands.

I looked around the store, where magical artifacts were haphazardly placed. There were no price tags or product descriptions, so many of the artifacts were of unknown use. It's definitely a personal store that relies on face-to-face sales, not suitable for window shopping.

"If you're just browsing, please leave."

"I'm sorry for the disturbance."

The shopkeeper scolded me without taking her eyes off her work.

Yeah, I'll leave. I don't have anything to buy, and I probably won't have the opportunity to buy anything here in the future. It would be a bother to have non-customers around.

I bowed my head to leave, but something caught my eye and I stopped.

"What is it? If you have something to say, say it quickly."

"Can I pick this up?"

"...It's heavy, so be careful."

The old lady confirmed the item I pointed to and gave me permission to touch it.

The item that caught my attention was a metal tube leaning against the wall in the corner. It had a familiar shape.

A long metal tube with a circular hole on one side, a wooden handle-like part, and a trigger-like metal mechanism.

This is definitely a gun. My mood is rising. Visually, it looks most like a musket. However, it's quite thick, and the barrel is about the size of a gold coin. It's not quite a cannon, but a normal person would likely get hurt from the recoil.

I grabbed the handle with my right hand and supported the barrel with my left, placing the stock against my shoulder in a shooting stance.

"Bang."

I have some knowledge of handling guns. I once completed a special operation with a major, and I parachuted onto an uninhabited island and fought until I was the last person standing. Of course, this is a game story.

"Rat-tat-tat... It can't be fully automatic. I'm not good with single-shot guns."

The only single-shot gun I can tolerate is a shotgun.

Moreover, since there is no magazine or loading mechanism, it appears to be a muzzle-loading gun. Each time it is fired, gunpowder and a bullet must be loaded from the front.

Hmm, I think bolt-action guns, where you pull a lever, look cool, but loading the gun like a matchlock is not so great.

If it can only be fired once, it would be practical to use it as a sniper.

I firmly fixed the gun and pressed my cheek against the barrel to aim.

"Distance 900 meters, no wind... Fire."

One shot, one kill. ...What am I doing at my age?

This musket-like thing would be much stronger if used as a metal club... Ah, I should consider close combat from the start. It would look cool with a bayonet attached.

I briefly regained my composure, remembering my age, but my enthusiasm for the bayonet won out.

"All units, ready... Charge!"

Firing a volley at the approaching enemies and then engaging in close combat with the bayonet. It's an exciting scenario.

It's not a good idea to say that a proper sword should be carried separately or that different skills are required, so the military branches should be separated.

I also like guns that transform into swords, but I love the sleek and straight form of a gun that is disrupted by a sword at the tip. Bayonets are great.

"Like this... Bang! Stab and shoot, it's a fine thing."

Actually moving my body to do this was interesting and different from swordsmanship.

I muttered to myself and played around for a while.

But, this isn't really a gun, is it? In this world, where magic exists, gunpowder technology hasn't developed much. Gunpowder does exist, and there are simple bombs like the tetsuhau from the Mongol invasion, but they haven't spread widely. Considering the cost of producing gunpowder, it seems better to cultivate mages.