Chapter 54

"It's been a while, Master. I'm sorry for the sudden visit."

"Oh, if it's Sir Alquvist, you're always welcome anytime."

About two weeks had passed since Bart was involved in an argument between a young blacksmith and his master in Letvik.

While the master was surprised by the visit of not only Bart but also his lord, Noein, he greeted them with a smile.

The meeting was not in the workshop's reception area but in a parlor used for negotiations with nobles and the wealthy.

Noein ordered almost all the farming tools and equipment needed in his territory from this workshop. The amount of business was a significant source of income for the master. It was only natural for the master to be a bit nervous and to do his best to welcome such an important customer.

"So, what brings you here today?"

"Well, I heard from Bart that there's an interesting blacksmith here. I thought I'd like to talk to him. Apparently, he's very enthusiastic about developing new things..."

"Ah, that young fellow!?"

The master knew that Noein hadn't come just to pick up farming tools. However, he hadn't expected that Noein would want to meet that troublesome young man.

"That fellow is just a dreamy young man, not someone worthy of meeting a noble like you, hehe."

"Is that so? Well, since I've come all the way to Letvik, I'd like to talk to him if you don't mind... We might get along, being dreamy young men and all."

Noein's smile made the master's face twitch.

He realized too late that calling someone a "dreamy young man" in front of Noein, who was young and had the ambitious goal of developing the Bazel Great Forest, was a bit shallow. It could be interpreted as looking down on Noein.

"Could I please meet him?"

"Y-Yes! I'll bring him right away, please wait a moment."

Noein smiled again, and the master jumped up from his chair and ran to the workshop.

"...Just so you know, that blacksmith is incredibly eccentric. He might be a match for you, Noein."

"That sounds exciting."

While waiting, Noein exchanged a few words with Bart and smiled.

After receiving a report from Bart that there was a craftsman in Letvik's workshop trying to create something interesting, Noein decided to meet the craftsman in person.

The design drawings that Bart had seen made him feel that it was worth the trip.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, my lord... Hey, get over here quickly!"

"What is this all about... Why do I have to meet a customer?"

"Shut up! A noble wants to meet you!"

The young man who was dragged in from the workshop by the master was in his mid-twenties, exuding a lazy atmosphere. His unkempt hair and beard, and his attitude in front of a noble guest, clearly showed that he was quite an oddball.

Noein addressed the young man, who was forced to sit in a chair by the master.

"Nice to meet you. I am Noein Alquvist, the lord of the Alquvist Manor, which borders the western side of the Konitz Manor. Please be well."

"Hmm, nice to meet you."

"..."

"..."

"Idiot! Introduce yourself too!"

Seeing the conversation stall, the master punched the young man in a panic.

"Ouch... I'm Damian. I'm a blacksmith here, yes."

"Thank you for the introduction, Damian."

Despite Damian's less-than-polite behavior, Noein smiled without showing any displeasure.

"Master, I'm sorry, but could you please step out for a moment? Damian might find it hard to talk in front of his boss."

"O-Of course... But, this guy is a bit of a fool, he might do something rude..."

"I promise not to take issue with his behavior. Please, I'm asking you."

"Alright, I understand."

The master, still looking a bit uneasy, left the room. Once he was gone, Noein turned to Damian again.

"Damian, I'm sorry for the sudden call. I'm very interested in the new weapon you're trying to develop. I hear it's a 'dream-like weapon that anyone can use like a bow'..."

"Y-You're willing to listen!?"

As soon as Noein started talking, Damian jumped up from his chair and leaned forward as if he was about to climb onto the table. His reaction was so dramatic that Matilda, who was standing behind, stepped forward to protect Noein.

Surprised by Damian's enthusiasm, Noein calmed Matilda with a "It's okay" and continued.

"Yes, I'd like to hear more about it. Depending on the details, I might consider inviting you to our manor and providing a budget for development."

"Really! Oh, it's like a dream! Are you a god!?"

"I mean, I'll consider it after hearing the details. Could you tell me more?"

"Of course! Finally, I've found someone who will listen to me properly!"

...

The stars of the battlefield are knights, or rather, cavalry. However, the number of casualties in war is determined by archers.

According to a statistic taken by a scholar, more people are killed on the battlefield by arrows than by swords, spears, or even attack magic, which has fewer users.

Projectile weapons are that powerful. Therefore, having a strong force of elite archers directly correlates to having a strong army.

However, maintaining a unit of excellent archers is not an easy task.

While swords and spears can deal damage by simply swinging and hitting, archery requires the strength to draw the bowstring, the stamina to maintain the posture, the judgment to aim accurately, and the skill to shoot an arrow at the right speed. Handling a bow is a specialized skill.

Thus, it takes a lot of money and time to train archers to a practical level, and maintaining their proficiency is also a challenge.

This is why Noein, upon hearing Bart's report, became interested in the young blacksmith, Damian.

Damian's idea for a "new weapon that anyone can become an archer with" was a bow mounted horizontally on a wooden base. The bowstring is drawn, an arrow is set, and when the trigger is pulled, the string releases, and the arrow flies.

"I call this a 'Crossbow.'"

"Interesting. Is the name derived from the bow user in 'The Alexander Chronicles'?"

"Yes! Impressive, my lord, you know it well!"

"The Alexander Chronicles" is a well-known adventure tale in the southern part of the continent. The name of the weapon comes from Crossbow, the strongest archer and a companion of the protagonist, Alexander.

"Still, this is a brilliant idea... With this, we can create an archery unit much faster than training archers from scratch."

"Exactly! That's right! With a crossbow, you just need to point it at the target and pull the trigger. Some practice is needed, but it's nothing compared to bow training. Even a child could use it if they wanted to!"

A bow that can be fired by just pointing and pulling the trigger. If this were to be put into practical use, it would be a game-changer. It could drastically alter the shape of warfare.

In the extreme case, if everyone in the Alquvist Manor had one, the 150 people could instantly become 150 archers.

Noein thought it was a good decision to come and listen to this. He couldn't let such a talented person, who was developing something this significant, slip away.

Moreover, Damian was a blacksmith. The thought of bringing a blacksmith, of whom there were none in the Alquvist Manor, made him even more desirable.

Resisting the urge to smile sinisterly and lick his lips, Noein decided to invite Damian to the manor.