Book 6: Chapter 2


    Im actually quite fearful of getting involved with a military. While Im aware that having military power also means having political power, the problem lies in empowering one with military power the right to speak.


    I grew up at my Moms side, and my city was given to me by them. Will my moms feel a little threatened if I have the right to speak? Not to mention, the army I intend to build consists of humans and elves


    On the elven side, Ive always considered making a unit that rode Earth Dragons. If I could create such a unit, my vanguard would virtually be unstoppable. Ive witnessed the destructive potential of Earth Dragons charging at the enemy before. If I were to give them armour which could guard against piercing attacks, then they could run wild in the enemy camp and stomp them.


    As for humanity, they still use a linear formation even though they have guns. The most powerful types of soldiers in this era are artillerymen. Napoleon started as an artilleryman. Cannons are the most effective weapon against enemies utilising a linear formation.


    However, were in a different era right now and a different world. Not only are there humans in this world, there are also elves. Im not sure if there are other races out there. If I utilise humans versus humans methods here, Ill easily get caught in a passive position since cannons arent much of a threat to races which split their forces up to do battle. Plus, cannons are easily disabled.


    Consequently, I need a highly mobile unit. While infantry are the mainstream choice, I need a unit that can attack, which means I need cavalrymen. Now, if I were to fuse human cavalrymen with guns, then they would be the verymon but have the infamous chunnibyou title, Dragoon.


    Of course, theyre not just infantrymen on horses.


    Dragons exist in this world, a fact I know since my father died trying to y the dragons up north


    Actually, we dont know if he actually died or not. He might just have fallen in love with a dragon mistress up there. But if my moms were to find out that was true, theyd raise an army to go and destroy the two of them but back on topic. It looks like the dragons in this world are scary and rare. Since the Earth Dragons are low-end creatures, they cant be called proper dragons.


    I guess Ill be forming a human cavalry unit out of cavalrymen with guns, then. However, I wont be using the current weapons of this era.


    Single-shot rifles just wont work with cavalrymen riding Earth Dragons, because theyre not troops that would ride their steeds to their location and then dismount. What I want is a powerful, elite unit like the Guan Ning Cavalry. Therefore, I need to give the riders the best weapon I can think of.


    The Spencer M 1865. Ah, you dont really need to know the specifics of the gun. You just need to know that it can fire consecutive shots and that the Dragoons aplished a lot with it during the American Civil War.


    I remember it very well because it was the first rifle that could fire consecutive shots. However, it needs its own specific ammunition, a type of metal bullet Ive always wanted to make. I just didnt make them previously because I considered it to be a pain. My handgun doesnt require metal bullets either.


    But I can now start manufacturing them.


    And so, I went back to the red-haireddys shop


    You humans winters could really kill me


    She had returned, except she wrapped herself in a tight nket and drank a distilled beverage facing the fire.


    I shook out my cape, looked at her and said, Ah its alright Its just that elves cant really handle it, I guess Wont you be fine if you just return to the elves, then?


    The elves dont wee me. And I havent been back in so long. If that girl Vyvyan found out I had returned, she would never let mee back here. I cant bear to part with these things. Theyre my blood, sweat and tears. Thedy with red hair looked at the blueprints on the wall as she cherished them.


    She had a drink, then narrowed her eyes to look at me and Nier before saying, It looks like your rtionship is different now. What happened between you two, while I went to the desert?


    Nier wrapped her arm around mine, looked at her and replied, Umm were going to get married, I guess.


    How nice. Congrattions. Your father created a massive tragedy by falling in love with a human chick, and what do you know? You fell in love with a human, too. She giggled and thenzily raised up her bottle and said, I wont be attending your wedding. I dont have any right to attend the wedding of royalty, anyway. Do you have any other business?


    Yes.


    I looked at her and sternly continued, I just received a domain from Mom. I hope you can help me out by helping me manufacturing guns.


    Oh, really? Thats great. But I dare not.


    She answered me simply with just eight words. I smiled helplessly and said, Come on didnt you help my mother back then? Its not too much to ask you to help me now is it?


    Back then I came here because the elven king ordered me to. But, are you ordering me as the elven prince, now, or the human prince? Unfortunately, Im an elf here in humanity. Im not willing to kiss up to either side. She rolled her eyes and continued, The weather is so cold and you want me, a poor elf, to work? You dont have a conscience.


    I yed my cards, The workce is the elven border And if you ept it, we can try a repeated-firing rifle.


    Repeated-firing rifle?


    The red-haireddyughed and replied, While that sounds interesting, why should I go somewhere so far? If were talking about repeated-firing rifles, I have some clues on my own already. Your Majesty, isnt making these things just for fun to us? If its just for fun, I can make you one.


    No. I dont just want one or two, but hundreds and an entire factory.


    I looked at the red-haireddy and continued in a serious tone, The manufacturing process I have in mind for the factory is but childs y to me. If you can help me, I will give you an entire factory. Your current ce restricts you from carrying out some of your ideas, doesnt it? If you are willing to helping me, however, I shall give you the entire factory with all the required equipment ready. You can use the factory for your own research and experiments.


    Factory? She didnt seem to know what sort of ce it was.


    I pointed to her workshop and said, It could fit roughly an entire street of cksmiths and could produce the same amount of guns as a street of cksmiths could, in a single day. It has thetest production materials and production equipment, money, ns and tools. I can get you anything you want.


    She looked at me with puzzlement. I imagine she couldnt imagine what it looked like. But a momentter, she then squinted a little and said, Your Majesty, though I dont know what a factory is, Im willing to trust you for once. If you really have such arge ce I might be willing to stay there.


    Thank you so much, then!


    Good grief. I had to help that old geezer look after his two kids, then I had to help that elven king wipe his own ass, and now I need to work for his son. Ive been destined to meet my doom at the hands of you Gdriels, this lifetime.


    She smiled helplessly and then took in a deep breath. She stretched her back out and then softly said in a voice with anticipation, If the ce you spoke of truly exists I think humans will be able to conquer the continent even without magic Humanitys technology is just miraculous.


    <strong>Glossary</strong>


    *Chuunibyou is a derogatory colloquial term in the Japanesenguage used to describe a person which manifests delusional behaviour, thinking that one has special powers that no other person has.


    **I dont know if Dragoon sounds Chuuni in English speaking culture, but in Chinese culture, the Chinese term for it does sound try-hard and Chuuni


    ***Before someone calls it out, dragons per Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean culture are mythical flying creatures, thats why lots of their idioms that refer to flight reference dragons. But somebody isnt going to read and say something about dragons not strictly having to fly whilepletely ignoring this cultural difference


    **** Guan Ning Cavalry was a cavalry unit formed inter years of the Ming Dynasty. It was ruled by famous military general Yuan Chonghuan (1584-1630). It was considered a formidable unit even though it was small rtively speaking.