Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
The group waited for a sound, but there was none. They stared at the target in confusion, until they realized there had been no gunshot.
“Ah, sorry, I forgot to load it. Let me try again.” Isaac chuckled, quickly reloading the matchlock with swift efficiency. He aimed again. Bang!
A cloud of smoke puffed up from the barrel, quickly dissipating into the air.
Dylan took off running, first checking the 100-foot target, then the 200-foot one, and finally the 300-foot target. When he saw the hole in the 300-foot target, he could hardly believe it. en
“My god, that’s 300 feet!”
Isaac watched as everyone’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads in shock. To him, it was no big deal.
After all, he had seen plenty of these things in Meadow Ridge, and they had been broken more times than he cared to count. So, when Adrian said this would be useful to Rafael and Sophie, Isaac didn’t give it much thought. He just figured if it could keep them safe, it was worth bringing over. Rafael wanted to give it a try himself, and Isaac was more than happy to teach him.
This time, instead of aiming at the target, Rafael aimed at a rock that was at least 200 feet beyond the 300-foot mark. The sight wasn’t necessary-Rafael had perfect vision, and his archery skills were good. He decided not to use the sight and just fired the matchlock directly.
Under everyone’s watch, he missed, and the shot landed on the grass about 10 feet from the large rock.
But that didn’t dampen Rafael’s excitement-because this was 500 feet!
500 feet!
That meant if an enemy commander was over 500 feet away, Rafael could take him out in one shot to the head.
After the excitement wore off, he realized there was a problem-once the gunpowder pellets ran out, what was he supposed to do?
Isaac, ever perceptive, pulled out a small book. “Everything you need is in here. Just follow the instructions, and you can make more yourself.”
Rafael took the book eagerly and flipped through it. It wasn’t much help at first, the symbols and instructions nearly impossible to decipher. But he didn’t mind. The Ministry of Defense had plenty of weapon smiths who could help. He planned to take the six-barrel matchlock to Davis and let that old guy see what it could do.
Without so much as a word, Rafael mounted his horse and galloped off, leaving the others behind.
Jacob knew where Rafael was headed, so he didn’t chase after the latter or ask questions. Instead, he went with Isaac to the grass, where they found the scorched reeds. It was incredible, and he couldn’t help but marvel at it.
–
At the Ministry of Defense, Rafael arrived like a whirlwind. He appeared in front of Davis so quickly that the older man nearly stumbled, unsure of what was happening.
Davis hadn’t even realized it was the Hell Monarch grabbing him. For a split second, he thought he was being kidnapped. Before he could get his bearings, Rafael dragged him into the back courtyard, practically radiating excitement. “Look at this, Mr. Lloyd! Take a look at this!”
Davis was yanked around so violently that he was still disoriented. Just as he was trying to steady himself, a metal rod was pressed against his chest, nearly cracking his ribs.
He quickly took a few deep breaths and said, “Calm down, Your Highness! What’s going on?”
When he finally got a good look at the matchlock in his hands, he was puzzled for a moment, but then his eyes lit up. In no time, he disassembled it with quick, efficient movements. After all, that was how he became the Minister of Defense he was well-versed in matters regarding armory.
As he fumbled with the matchlock, confusion overtook him. He held it in his hands, inspecting every part with growing bewilderment.
“What is this? What’s this here? Why are there three gunpowder pellets inside? Does it use gunpowder? No steel pellets? This is a matchlock, right? But it doesn’t look like one How far can it shoot? Who made this? Is this a three-barrel matchlock? Oh my god, ano three-barrel matchlock has been made?”
Davis was overcome by disbelief. He jumped to his feet, one hand over his mouth, eyes wide and gleaming with unshed tears. He looked at Rafael as though seeing a ghost. “The three-barrel matchlock is real? Who made it? Tell me quickly-bring them to the ministry! Money is no object-bring them here!”
Now, it was Rafael’s turn to stay calm and correct him. “First of all, this isn’t a three-barrel matchlock. It’s a six-barrel matchlock. And. secondly, you can’t hire this person. He won’t come to the capital unless there’s something serious.
“Six-barrel…?” Davis froze, his excitement turning to pure disbelief.
He crouched down, covering his face with his hands. He let out a low, mournful cry. “Is this a dream? If it is, I’ll wake up and kill myself.”
Rafael’s own eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He nodded slowly, his voice low but sure as he confirmed, “It’s not a dream. It’s real. I’ve tested it myself. It can shoot as far as 500 feet. Yes, 500!”
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Davis gasped, his reaction somewhere between a snort and a squeal, then slapped his legs in triumph. He sprang up, his hands gripping Rafael’s shoulders, his face contorted with excitement. “Your Highness, do you know what this means? Do you understand?!”
Rafael smiled. “I know.”
It meant that with this weapon, the soldiers could be spared unnecessary deaths if war came the matchlock itself could become the key to victory.
It took Davis nearly an hour to regain his composure. Finally, he looked up and said, “We’re going to the palace. Immediately! We need to see His Majesty!”
Davis also thought of a problem-he couldn’t openly announce it yet, because the six-barrel matchlock hadn’t been tested enough. Although Rafael said it had been tested, one test wasn’t enough to confirm its reliability. Multiple tests were needed to ensure the risk of the Davis stood there, almost as though in a dream. He carefully examined the matchlock, feeling it over and over again.
barrel exploding was low before it could be used in the military.
“No need for a matchstick to light it… The convenience is incredible. With this, we can establish an elite shooting unit and even an ambush unit. With such a godly weapon in hand, what can we possibly fear?”
He held the matchlock and hugged it, laughing and crying all at once.
“To put it bluntly, the one at home would be considered a concubine next to this! Why not take a concubine? Do you think I’m afraid of the one at home? No, I always have a special place in my heart reserved for my true first wife-this six-barrel matchlock!” Rafael laughed. “The six-barrel matchlock is your one true wife? Then, what about the ten-barrel matchlock? The cannon?”
“W-What?” Davis stammered, his lips trembling. “What cannon are you talking about? Is it the kind from Nerathia?”
Rafael took out the notebook slowly, just like Isaac had, and handed it to Davis. “Everything’s in here. Have a look for yourself.”
Davis nearly snatched the notebook from Rafael’s hands, greedily flipping through the pages. He turned page after page until he reached the end, but found no blueprints. He was slightly disappointed, though only a little, for the formula for its creation was there he could still study it and work through it.
“By the heavens… By the heavens, this is a gift from the gods!” Davis clutched the book to his chest, overcome with emotion. He suddenly threw his arms around Rafael, tears streaming down his face. “Peace is no longer a mere dream! Without war, how could our great kingdom not thrive?”
Rafael understood exactly how Davis felt. When the six-barrel matchlock had fired 500 feet, he had nearly jumped out of his skin with excitement.
Of course, if they could manage to build the cannon carriage, nothing could stand in their way.
Rafael recalled a remark from Everett, who had said that Adrian’s experiments with gunpowder and fireworks had once blown up his courtyard. It was likely that, in attempting to create the six-barrel matchlock, Adrian had also dabbled in crafting a cannon carriage. The notebook did contain some blueprints for the cannon, but they were not fully developed, suggesting that Adrian was still in the process of refining the design. Still, the six-barrel matchlock, for now, was already a tremendous advancement.
“We must keep this secret,” Davis said, wiping his tears, his gaze now hardening with determination. “Until we’ve tested it thoroughly and begun mass production, no one can know about this, especially not with those treacherous minds lurking about.” Rafael remembered Isaac had fired a shot when Yuvan had captured Violet. He wondered if they had seen the six-barrel matchlock in Isaac’s hands.
If they hadn’t, that would be fortunate-they might have just thought it was a simple matchlock. He would need to ask Isaac how far the shot had been. If it was at a short range, perhaps Wayne wouldn’t have noticed. But if the shot had been fired over several dozen feet… That might reveal too much.
Rafael and Davis entered the palace together to meet the king.
Salvador was overwhelmed with excitement and found himself speechless. When he finally regained his composure, the first person he looked at was Rafael, his eyes filled with a mix of complexity and excitement.
Perhaps, deep down, he still held some wariness toward his younger brother. One thing was certain-up to this point, Rafael had no ambition to rebel. Otherwise, Rafael never would have handed over the six-barrel matchlock to the