Chapter 376: If It Doesn’t Exist Yet, Make It (3)
“What’s wrong with that thing?”
At Ghislain’s remark, everyone turned their gaze toward the tilting trebuchet.
If it remained in that state, it would be troublesome. It wouldn’t hit the intended targets properly.
Even Galbarik and the dwarves began sweating profusely.
“Why… why is it like that?”
Their design had been flawless. They couldn’t believe that a defect had occurred.
Claude glanced at the dwarves, then smirked and shouted.
“Just fire it!”
Paang! Paang! Paang! Paang!
Rocks launched from the four trebuchets struck the fortress walls with precision. However, the rock from the defective trebuchet was a different story.
Piiik!
The stone from the tilted trebuchet flew off in an unintended direction, failing even to trace a proper arc, as if it was plunging straight to the ground.
Tung! Thung! Tung!
The rock bounced a few times along the ground before rolling to a stop. It was no surprise since the tilted frame couldn’t achieve the proper angle. Such a trebuchet wasn’t worth keeping.
“…”
The crowd fell silent. Even though some trebuchets had performed correctly, it didn’t feel like a success.
The lightweight construction using galvaniium shafts was designed for mobility. However, this approach made it hard to identify which units were defective once operational.
If defects arose at a crucial moment, it could severely disrupt the operation.
Sensing the cold stares of the onlookers, Galbarik shouted.
“W-Wait a moment! There must be a reason! H-Hold on!”
Galbarik and the dwarves rushed toward the defective trebuchet. They tried to inspect what went wrong, but their tension made it difficult to focus.
Seeing this, Claude turned to Wendy and commented.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t think the dwarves have ever made anything properly. Remember the airship? Or the chicken coop? Isn’t it all just overrated hype? Hey, why are you shoving me?”
With a look that clearly told him to shut his mouth, Wendy pushed Claude aside.
However, Galbarik and the dwarves had already heard his snide remark. Sweat trickled down their faces as tension mounted.
The pressure made it even harder for them to identify the problem. There wasn’t anything visibly broken or cracked either.
As they fumbled in confusion, Ghislain approached them quietly and spoke.
“It’s probably due to differences in the size of the joints or the length of the shafts. Double-check those.”
“Huh!”
Upon inspecting it, Galbarik realized there were indeed subtle differences. Those variations caused the trebuchet to tilt.
Such issues rarely occurred with traditional, robust wooden trebuchets. As long as the measurements were roughly correct, the thick wooden frames provided sufficient support.
However, using thin frames made of galvaniium shafts resulted in defects even from minute discrepancies.
“Ugh… How did the lord figure it out so quickly?”
“Well… it looked tilted, so I guessed.”
Ghislain deflected the question casually. In truth, it was something he had experienced in his past life.
When assembling galvaniium shafts from different regions, slight variations in specifications often caused issues.
Galbarik finally understood what had gone wrong.
“Ugh… I guess we’ll have to recheck the molds used at each forge.”
Although they had standardized the specifications and distributed them to forges, discrepancies inevitably arose due to human error.
Ghislain patted Galbarik on the shoulder and said.
“Please, get it right this time, and do it quickly. Okay?”
“…Fine.”
Even though he was annoyed, Galbarik couldn’t argue because the result had been defective. He and the dwarves resolved to cut back on sleep for the time being.
They would have to personally inspect the molds used by every forge and address any problematic areas.
Ghislain smirked and walked away. Despite the defective trebuchet, he had anticipated such trial-and-error.
‘At least the medium-sized ones are fine.’
The medium trebuchet, constructed by a team of 200, had demonstrated sufficient range and power.
However, the large trebuchet, made up of five medium ones combined, still needed to be tested. That massive weapon was a secret trump card designed to destroy solid castles and fortresses.
As the slightly awkward atmosphere lingered, people began tidying up and leaving the site one by one.
Claude, as usual, left while chatting with Wendy.
“See? I was right, wasn’t I? The dwarves are overhyped! They’ve never succeeded on the first try. It’s just different races hyping themselves up. Hey, stop pushing me! Let’s walk slowly. My legs hurt!”
Wendy forcefully shoved Claude as they exited. Alfoi, who passed by with an armband on, muttered a comment.
“How hard is it to make something like this properly? You’ve all gotten way too lazy. This happens when you don’t study. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
The dwarves, though hearing the insults, couldn’t muster the courage to refute them.
Oddly enough, every time they came to this region and tried to create something new, they always failed at least once or twice.
“Ugh… those bastards from Clpoi are the worst.”
There was some unfairness to it. The large incubator had been rebuilt because the mages kept conducting experiments on it.
But Claude insisted it was a failure simply because money had been spent, with Alfoi shamelessly backing him up.
“Hurry up. If only to shut those bastards up, we’re going to get this right.”
At Galbarik’s words, the dwarves nodded with determined expressions.
This time, they were determined to succeed, to leave everyone stunned. Their pride as dwarves was on the line.
Behind the dejected dwarves, Ghislain caught up with Claude and asked.
“Is everything ready?”
“Of course, it’s ready to go. Let’s check it out right now.”
Claude led Ghislain to a wide open area where a massive stockpile of provisions and armaments was gathered.
“This is the first shipment. We’ve planned up to the third round.”
“The Marquis of Branford will be astonished.”
“Exactly. No one would expect a penny-pincher like you to send such a generous gift—ow!”
Claude yelped as he was smacked and immediately ducked behind Wendy.
These supplies were intended for the Royal Faction. With an abundance of resources at his disposal, Ghislain planned to bolster the Royalist nobles.
The galvaniium armor and weapons in particular would significantly enhance the combat strength of the Royal Faction’s knights.
“With this, they won’t be pushed back so easily.”
While it would still be difficult to contend with the ducal family’s main forces, it would be a considerable advantage against other ducal-aligned nobles.
Rubbing his bruised eye, Claude added.
“With this much, the Royal Faction should be able to hold the ducal forces at bay for quite a while.”
Ghislain replied with a grin.
“Good. That’ll give me the time I need to utterly crush Marquis Roderick.”
Seizing key strategic positions in the west and cutting off the enemy’s supply lines—if successful, the battle between the Royal Faction and the ducal forces would shift to the south and east.
Ghislain planned to exploit that opening to its fullest.
—
Meanwhile, Raul, a key figure in the ducal faction, wore a grim expression as he reviewed a string of reports. The situation was dire.
The most shocking revelation was the true strength of the Count of Fenris.
“That man… has truly reached the level of a master and even killed Delmud?”
He couldn’t believe it, no matter how many times he read the report. He recalled Count Balzac’s assessment of the man during a banquet.
— “His every move and breath are anything but ordinary. Yet, just from appearances, he doesn’t seem particularly strong…”
At the time, it was certain that the Count of Fenris wasn’t a master. Count Balzac’s keen eye couldn’t possibly have been wrong.
That meant the man had risen to the level of a master in just a few years—a truly genius talent.
“We’ve made a grave mistake…”
Raul felt the same regret that both Count Desmond and Delmud had before their deaths. They should have eliminated that Fenris whelp while they had the chance.
Now, it was too late. The Count of Fenris had become an untouchable giant.
“That man… destroyed the Scarlet Tower.”
The ducal faction had invested an immense amount of resources over many years to produce a 7th-circle mage. The Scarlet Tower had been a cornerstone of their plans for the civil war and beyond, and losing it was a devastating blow.
Not only had they lost Count Desmond and Delmud, but now only Amelia remained in the north. And there were problems with her as well.
“Our envoy… has lost contact?”
At Raul’s inquiry, one of his aides replied.
“Yes, it’s confirmed they entered the north, but their whereabouts have become unclear.”
“Disappeared without a trace… that means they’re dead.”
Despite dispatching highly skilled knights and soldiers, the envoy had been eliminated—this implied a force of even greater strength had intervened.
In the north, only Fenris and Raypold had the capability for such action.
But Raypold was officially neutral. As with Count Desmond, the public was unaware of his allegiance to the ducal faction.
Thus, it was unlikely that the Count of Fenris would have known and killed the envoy.
“Amelia, perhaps?”
Raul had long known of Amelia’s ambitious nature. Yet, he found it hard to believe that she would betray them, knowing the power of the ducal faction.
An aide cautiously asked.
“What should we do? Should we send another envoy?”
“No, there’s no time for that now. We’ll monitor Amelia’s actions once the war begins and decide then.”
“Understood.”
There were more pressing matters than the Scarlet Tower and the envoy.
Raul clenched his fists as he suppressed his anger, glaring at the report before him.
“Marquis Roderick…”
The Marquis was one of the most significant and influential nobles within the ducal faction. The course of the war could shift depending on his actions.
And now, just before the outbreak of civil war, he had picked a fight with the Count of Fenris.
“Is he seriously moving his army without orders?”
The pretext was avenging his son, but Raul was not someone who would fail to see through that façade. The Marquis of Roderick was clearly moving to protect his pride and pursue his ambitions.
To make matters worse, he had dared to “notify” the ducal family of his decision, signaling his intention to no longer act in line with their wishes.
“To be held back like this because of one person…”
Raul closed his eyes. At some point, everything had started to unravel, and now the situation was beyond repair.
At the center of it all was none other than Count Fenris.
After a long period of contemplation, Raul nodded several times.
“Indeed, we’ve passed the stage of patching things up. Now, it’s a matter of using force…”
At his words, his strategists swallowed hard, tension thick in the air.
The ducal family hadn’t refrained from exerting force because they lacked the power. They had merely conserved their strength for the sake of a greater ambition.
But as events increasingly spiraled out of control, they realized that continuing in this vein would only serve to empower their adversaries.
Raul opened his eyes and asked his strategists a question.
“Are we prepared?”
“We are ready to deploy at any time. However, considering the movements of the Marquis of Roderick and Amelia, we may need to adjust our strategy.”
“Very well. Summon the forces stationed in various locations and appoint commanders. Conduct a final review to ensure there are no weak points.”
“Understood. What should we do about the Marquis of Roderick?”
The Marquis had declared his intention to split his army in two. Even if told not to, it was certain he would persist stubbornly.
Raul’s gaze turned cold as he spoke.
“Leave him be. Adjust our strategy to account for his actions. That man will be dealt with after the civil war.”
Having resolved to go to war, Raul had no qualms left. Whether friend or foe, those who defied him would be dealt with.
After a brief silence, Raul suddenly asked an unrelated question.
“It’s been some time since we received word. When do you expect him to arrive?”
“About a month from now.”
“Good. Once he arrives, I will immediately report to His Highness. Continue the preparations.”
“Yes, sir.”
The strategists of the ducal family began gathering their forces and performing thorough reviews. They also discreetly reached out to the nobles aligned with the ducal faction.
—
When the awaited individual arrived, Raul went straight to meet Ernhardt.
Ernhardt, as ever, greeted him with a leisurely smile and asked, “So, I hear there have been many troublesome developments. Have you finally made up your mind?”
Raul wiped the cold sweat from his brow. He controlled the flow of information, withholding details not yet formally reported.
Yet, despite never leaving his quarters, Ernhardt seemed to know everything.
Raul bowed even deeper.
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Raul, this is about creating a new world. Do not let yourself be consumed by minor matters.”
“I will bear that in mind.”
“Good. I expect much from you this time. Handle it well.”
When Ernhardt waved his hand dismissively, Raul quickly interjected.
“The one they sent has arrived. He wishes to greet Your Highness.”
Ernhardt nodded.
“Let him in.”
Boom!
The great doors to the audience chamber swung open, and a group entered.
They were knights clad in magnificent silver armor. The advisors of the ducal family were visibly impressed by the man leading them.
“Remarkable…”
“Such a knight exists?”
“Truly extraordinary…”
He was a strikingly handsome man with flowing golden hair, whose radiance blended seamlessly with his resplendent armor, exuding an aura of untouchable nobility.
Even his movements carried an air of sanctity, each step almost divine.
His presence was overwhelming. Even Kaiyen Balzac, the Kingdom’s greatest swordsman standing by Ernhardt’s side, narrowed his eyes as he observed the knight.
With an intrigued expression, Ernhardt addressed him.
“And who are you?”
The man bowed gracefully and spoke.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I have come to aid your grand endeavor…”
As he lifted his head slightly, his gaze revealed a ferocity and cruelty that starkly contrasted his elegant appearance.
“I am Aiden, commander of the Silver Knights.”
He was a man who would later become one of the Seven Strongest on the Continent, known as the “Noble Knight.”
And in his previous life, he had been the very one to sever Ghislain’s neck.