Chapter 278: Inspiration from Solderin

Kamil looked somewhat surprised as he stared at the fragment of bone that Tyr had handed him, remaining silent for a long moment. Seeing this, Tyr gave a slight smile and waved her hand casually. “No need to thank me. Honestly, I’m not interested in your fleeting empires and kingdoms. Helping you was just a small favor.”

Kamil blinked. “Wait, do you normally just keep things inside your stomach like that?”

Tyr shrugged. “…Yeah, is that a problem?”

“No… no problem. I guess I’m just narrow-minded,” Kamil said, tucking away the bone fragment with a look worth about 140 lumens. “Still, I really appreciate your help, Miss Tyr. But why did you pick up a piece of bone like this in the first place?”

“Well, I originally wanted to try tasting it, but then I thought—eating a humanoid creature is a bit too extreme. So I just grabbed a bone as a souvenir. But I didn’t expect it to decompose so quickly—even inside my stomach, it kept breaking down,” Tyr wagged the tip of her tail. “I was about to find a deserted spot to spit it out, but since you might find it useful, here you go.”

Kamil’s expression darkened—literally. Suddenly, he wasn’t so eager to keep the sample anymore. Although Tyr said she intended it as a keepsake, the way she described it sounded more like something halfway digested…

And yet, he still had to thank her for it.

The sea witch, oblivious to Kamil’s thoughts, simply felt relieved that the troublesome business was finally over. After a big yawn, the sea caterpillar stretched and waddled out of the council chamber.

Gawain returned to his study, unsurprised to find Solderin waiting inside, with Betty standing nearby holding a large teapot, clearly having been there for some time.

“We’ve been discussing postwar production,” Gawain said as he entered, casually ruffling Betty’s hair before sending the little maid to rest next door. Then he sat behind his desk. “I actually wanted to call you over for this.”

Solderin shook his head calmly. “No, thanks. I’m still not officially a vassal of Cecil. For now, I’m just a Typhon commander and a prisoner of war. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to attend your meetings.”

“You always stick too rigidly to principles on matters that don’t affect the big picture,” Gawain said with a hint of helplessness. “Even I, as your lord, said it was fine. Why are you so stubborn?”

“Most elves are like that. We’re naturally a race that takes things seriously,” Solderin smiled. “After dealing with elves so much, you should be used to our sense of principle by now.”

Hearing this, Gawain couldn’t help but think of a certain reckless, rule-breaking pointy-eared girl. “…Not all elves are like that. Take Amber, for example. I’m pretty sure her elven bloodline is fake.”

Solderin sighed at the mention of Amber. That half-elf troublemaker was always running around the territory causing chaos, clearly leaving a strong impression on the high-ranking ranger. “Miss Amber… she does have half Silver Elf blood, but her behavior makes you wonder how much of that blood actually influences her. Maybe it’s the other half of her heritage.”

“So basically, all the good stuff comes from the Silver Elf side, and any bad habits are blamed on the mixed blood,” Gawain teased, glancing at Solderin. But he didn’t press the matter, quickly moving on. “Anyway, enough about that. What do you think of the recent battle?”

“About your army, or the monsters?”

“Both,” Gawain tapped the desk lightly.

Solderin chuckled. “Honestly, your army surprised me. I’d noticed their unusual equipment and training before, but I never imagined their combat abilities and tactics would be like this. Is this the result of your seven-hundred-year ‘soul journey’? Some kind of knowledge from… lost dimensions or alien civilizations?”

“Something like that,” Gawain replied casually. “Besides, the unit isn’t fully formed yet. In terms of weapons and training, they’re still quite far from my goals.”

“It shows. Like those crystal bombs launched by catapults,” Solderin said, his keen eyes—honed by experience crossing the Gondor wastelands seven centuries ago—immediately spotting the flaws in Cecil’s defensive battle. “Such powerful explosives, but with obvious weaknesses. Using primitive catapults to throw bombs is a compromise, isn’t it?”

Gawain smiled wryly, admitting the truth. “Exactly. We even discussed how to fix this today. Honestly, I urgently need a long-range weapon that’s powerful, accurate, easy to deploy, and mobile. Humans are at a physical disadvantage against the mutants; we have to rely on superior equipment.”

“Powerful, accurate, long-range, and easy to move? That’s quite a list,” Solderin scratched his wig. “Honestly, when I saw you launching those so-called ‘crystal bombs’ with catapults, I felt terrible. Such potent magical devices mostly exploded in open fields—wasteful. I really wish I could bless each bomb with a wind enchantment and fire them from elven crossbows or something more precise. At least it wouldn’t be such a waste…”

Solderin’s comment was offhand, but Gawain’s mind suddenly sparked. Enchanting the shells themselves?! Why hadn’t he thought of that before?

The limits of his thinking—he’d been so focused on the “launch mechanism” like Earth’s cannons that he overlooked the fact that in this magical world, the projectiles themselves could be enchanted…

He slapped his forehead. Even if not stuck on the launch mechanism, he should have drawn inspiration from other examples. After all, Earth’s missiles are self-propelled weapons. Why hadn’t he considered incorporating similar ideas when designing otherworldly artillery? Even if the shells couldn’t fly on their own, reducing their weight or adding wind runes could solve problems like insufficient repulsion arrays or overly long acceleration tracks.

He pondered what had constrained his thinking and gradually realized the issue: the so-called “technological development sequence.”

Though he’d often marveled at how magic made many things easier here—achieving what on Earth would be sci-fi—he still instinctively applied his past life’s experience to the present. Deep down, he thought missiles were more advanced than cannons, appearing only after them. So before solving cannon problems, he never considered skipping ahead to missile concepts…

It’s like expecting someone to learn to walk before swimming—but try telling that to a sea witch.

Some sea witches are tens of thousands of years old and still can’t stand upright. On land, they just crawl—but in water, a single flick of their koi-like tail can reach speeds of 60 knots. How do you argue with that?

Similarly, in this magical world, rocket shells are simpler than cannonballs—just like how Cecil’s engineers used laser welding before electric soldering irons were even invented.

While Gawain’s mind churned with self-reflection and flashes of inspiration, Solderin sat across from him, utterly baffled. Seeing Gawain suddenly pounding his head, he couldn’t help but say, “I was just making a casual comment. No need to get so worked up…”

“No, it’s not your fault. I just had some ideas,” Gawain said awkwardly, clearing his throat to steer the conversation back. “Anyway, back to the main topic. What do you think about the new types of enemies we faced?”

“There were mutated individuals we hadn’t seen seven hundred years ago, and some showed intelligence. That’s quite surprising,” Solderin nodded. “Back when we crossed the Gondor wastelands, we spent over a year fighting countless mutants but never found any subspecies. But given the harsh environment, it’s natural that these creatures would have mutated over seven centuries. What worries me more is how far their ‘intelligence awakening’ has progressed—how many have mutated, how many possess higher intellect, and how organized they are…”

The high-ranking ranger frowned. “Chaotic, mindless monsters, no matter how strong, are easier to deal with. But smart monsters… I fear they pose a real threat to the Grant Wall.”

Gawain’s expression grew serious. “You think they’re the ones damaging the Grant Wall?”

“Once they gain intelligence, they can’t ignore the Grant Wall. It’s a barrier imprisoning them, and breaking free is instinct for all intelligent beings,” Solderin said firmly. “They naturally harness the chaotic magical energy of the Gondor wastelands. If they learn to concentrate that energy and target the Sentinel Towers, the Grant Wall will be in real danger. The towers are sturdy and heavily fortified, designed to resist energy damage and mindless monsters. But against organized, coordinated attacks, they’ll have serious problems.”

Gawain nodded slowly, then looked at Solderin. “I understand. Then you should take your leave.”

“Exactly,” Solderin stood. “We have much to discuss, but the threat to the Grant Wall can’t wait. I must warn my people and investigate the barrier’s condition. Now that the territory is secure, it’s time for me to go.”

Gawain didn’t try to keep the high-ranking ranger longer. After all, Solderin had planned to leave before the sudden monster attack forced him to stay a few extra days. And he wasn’t gone for good. Still, before Solderin left, Gawain couldn’t resist asking, “You’re confident, but how do you plan to get past the Typhon border blockade?”

“A good ranger is usually a skilled infiltrator,” Solderin smiled confidently. “Have you forgotten how I slipped through the barbarian defenses and burned half their camp to the ground?”

Gawain thought carefully, horrified. “You’re going to cross dressed again?”

“I don’t get why you’re always so shocked…”

Gawain: “…Honestly, I think you’d be less recognizable if you just took off the wig than if you became Solderin. Even I might not recognize you.”

“No!!”

(End of chapter)