Chapter 257
Furrowing his brow, Wolfgang said,
“Isn’t this the magic gun I gave you?”
Zeke had brought back the exact same magic gun he had received from Wolfgang.
He didn’t answer Wolfgang’s question, but instead raised the magic gun and stood at a spot fifty paces from the armor.
Then, he immediately shouldered the gun, aimed the muzzle, and pulled the trigger.
Thwack!
Surprisingly, no gunshot sound came from the magic gun Zeke fired.
In fact, the sound of the bullet piercing the armor was louder.
“Ha! How can this be!”
Seeing the improved magic gun, which had less noise and greater accuracy than the original, Wolfgang couldn't help but be surprised.
Just then, something even more surprising happened.
Click!
Without reloading, Zeke immediately pulled the trigger again.
He had modified the gun by applying the principles of Bastian’s magic gun to enable rapid fire.
Thwack!
Click!
Thwack!
Click!
Zeke fired, paused for a moment, and then pulled the trigger again, demonstrating its rapid-fire capability.
Only after firing several times did Zeke lower the muzzle, and Wolfgang hurriedly gestured for an attendant to bring the armor.
Two attendants came, grunting as they carried the heavy armor.
Wolfgang examined the shot grouping on the armor.
“Hah.”
Amazingly, the three marks were left precisely on the heart area.
It was proof that, unlike before, the power was focused while also increasing accuracy.
Zeke had fixed a weapon that the Vardec clan, who specialized in weaponry, couldn't improve despite clinging to it for years, into a perfect form in just half a month.
He stood up from his spot and said, looking at Zeke,
“Truly astonishing! I never imagined you would improve the magic gun so perfectly.”
Zeke said with a calm expression,
“Would you like to try firing it yourself, Lord Vardec?”
At Zeke’s words, Wolfgang gladly accepted the gun.
After setting up a new suit of armor as a target, Wolfgang raised the gun he received from Zeke.
He aimed carefully and then pulled the trigger.
Twang!
The bullet hit exactly where Wolfgang wanted it to.
Just as Zeke had done, he fired again without additional loading.
Twang!
This time, too, the bullet flew exactly in the direction he intended.
Furthermore, unlike before, there was no phenomenon of the body heating up, and when he held it, it was so much lighter than the previous magic gun that even ordinary soldiers could easily carry it.
He looked at Zeke and said,
“Truly… astonishing. I mean it. Sir Zeke, what kind of magic did you perform?”
Zeke said to Wolfgang,
“Have I sufficiently met the conditions for passing?”
Wolfgang burst out laughing and said,
“Hahaha! Yes, it wouldn't be right to say no when you've brought something like this.”
He approached Zeke and grabbed his shoulder.
“Tell me, how on earth did you do it.”
Zeke looked at Wolfgang and said,
“Before that, I would like you to write the confirmation letter.”
At Zeke’s words, Wolfgang’s face hardened.
Until now, there had been almost no one who had presumptuously demanded something from him first, the head of the Vardec clan.
However, Wolfgang was in a state where he was unbearably curious about how Zeke had made this magic gun.
In any transaction, the more desperate person is always at a disadvantage.
Wolfgang hid his displeasure and gestured for an attendant to bring a pen and paper.
He quickly wrote a confirmation letter stating that Zeke Draker had passed the test and received his acknowledgment.
“Here you are.”
Zeke carefully checked the confirmation letter Wolfgang had written, then pretended to put it in his pocket while immediately placing it in his inventory.
With a stiff expression, Wolfgang said to Zeke,
“Now, speak. Tell me how you made this.”
In response, Zeke silently took out a single sheet of paper from his coat.
Then, he handed it to Wolfgang.
“What is this?”
“It’s a Technology Transfer Agreement.”
“What?”
Wolfgang quickly scanned the agreement. It listed the contractual conditions for the trade of the improved magic gun’s technology.
With a dumbfounded expression, Wolfgang glared at Zeke.
“Are you messing with me right now?”
Without backing down, Zeke looked straight at Wolfgang and spoke.
“The test you gave me, Lord Vardec, was to improve the magic gun. As you asked, I improved the magic gun and received your acknowledgement. With that, the test is over. Therefore, transferring the technology for this improved magic gun is a different matter.”
Wolfgang’s jaw dropped at Zeke’s words.
He had given the test thinking Zeke would never be able to solve it, so he had never really thought about what he would do if he actually brought back an answer.
Zeke had hit the very core of the issue.
Wolfgang gritted his teeth and shot a threatening glare at Zeke.
“Zeke Draker! How dare you insult me, Wolfgang Vardec, in my own domain!”
As the clan Lord raised his voice threateningly, the surrounding knights and soldiers gripped their weapons and blocked the exit.
Although the atmosphere turned hostile, Zeke remained completely unfazed and said to Wolfgang,
“The agreement I gave you was created by referencing the technology transfer agreements between the Vardec and Draker clans. I am aware that Vardec imposed these same conditions when transferring technology to Draker, so how can you say this is an insult to you, my lord?”
It was Zeke, not backing down an inch despite being alone in Vardec territory.
Wolfgang realized that Zeke was not an opponent who would be easily pushed over by threats.
‘As expected of Arthur’s son, he sure has a silver tongue.’
He ground his teeth and once again carefully examined the technology transfer agreement.
It was indeed identical to the contract conditions that the Vardec clan had presented to Draker.
He barely suppressed his anger and said to Zeke,
“Are you saying you will transfer the technology if we sign the contract?”
“I will hand over the improved magic gun along with its blueprint.”
Wolfgang was already captivated by the function of the new, rapid-fire capable magic gun.
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Fine. Let’s sign the contract.”
It was annoying, but if he could mass-produce the magic gun with this technology, his current feelings were nothing. It was because he could even envision a future where, in a few years, the Vardec clan might surpass Draker.
‘That boy, born a knight, has no idea of this weapon's true value. If I can get the technology and then secretly dispose of him, it’s only a matter of time before the Vardec clan becomes the ruler of the continent.’
He signed the contract Zeke presented.
After confirming the contract, Zeke handed the blueprint for the magic gun to Wolfgang.
After checking the blueprint, Wolfgang’s expression turned to one of dismay.
‘Huh? It’s not magic, but a structure that strikes the bullet directly with a firing pin?’
The reason the magic gun hadn’t functioned properly until now was that it was difficult to adjust the power of the explosion magic.
But Zeke had completely eliminated the magical element and presented a new design where a firing pin struck the back of the bullet, causing an internal explosion that launched the projectile.
He had broken the fixed idea that a bullet must be fired solely with magic and had shifted the perspective.
On top of that, this magic gun could hold up to six bullets in a revolving cylinder, making rapid fire possible.
Zeke took the signed agreement and said to Wolfgang,
“Now that the technology transfer is complete, I will be on my way. I must head straight to Atlas to report the results to the clan Lord.”
At Zeke’s words, Wolfgang, unlike before, put on a good-natured smile and said,
“Haha, yes. I shouldn’t keep a busy man for too long. I’ll provide you with the finest carriage we recently had made, so travel in comfort. The knights of the clan will provide you with an escort.”
Though he called it an escort, it was no different from keeping Zeke under surveillance. However, as if he were completely unaware, Zeke politely bowed at Wolfgang’s words.
“I gratefully accept your kind favor, Lord Vardec.”
Bowing his waist, Zeke immediately followed an attendant to board the carriage.
Wolfgang immediately clutched the blueprint and headed for the research workshop.
He spread the blueprint and the magic gun before the head artisan of the research workshop and said,
“Make this right now. Right now!”
At the sudden roar from the clan head who had stormed in, the head artisan was flustered and fumbled to examine the blueprint.
The artisan looked over the newly modified magic gun from various angles and expressed his admiration.
“Lord Vardec, where did you get this?”
“That’s not what’s important right now. Once this is complete, the Vardec clan can soar higher than ever before!”
The artisan nodded, and while looking over the magic gun, he opened the cylinder.
Zeke had used three shots, and Wolfgang had used two, leaving just one bullet.
The artisan slowly examined the bullet.
Wolfgang watched the artisan and urged him on once more.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and try to make a gun according to this blueprint. I need to confirm that this works properly.”
Then the artisan put down the bullet, looked at Wolfgang, and said,
“The gun will work properly according to this blueprint. It’s a very detailed and well-made design.”
“Is that really so?”
Wolfgang inwardly smiled at Zeke Draker’s naivete and foolishness.
‘Perhaps because he’s still young, he doesn’t know the true value of technology.’
As Wolfgang was stroking the magic gun with a satisfied expression, the artisan spoke.
“But Lord Vardec, where is the blueprint for this bullet?”
At the artisan’s words, Wolfgang looked at him with a what-are-you-talking-about expression.
“What do you mean, a blueprint for the bullet? We already have bullets we’ve made, why would we need something like that.”
But the artisan shook his head.
“I’m talking about this bullet. It’s different from the ones we make.”
At the artisan’s words, Wolfgang finally snatched the bullet and examined it.
Looking closely, it was certainly different in shape and weight from the bullet he had given him.
Wolfgang looked at the artisan and said,
“What’s so important about the bullet? They probably made it similar to ours anyway.”
Then the artisan, flustered, said,
“W-Well… in my opinion, the core of this technology seems to lie not in the gun, but in the bullet.”
“What? What does that mean!”
“The technology in the gun itself is just loading, rotating the cylinder, and the firing pin striking when the trigger is pulled. This much is certainly possible with the technology of our workshop. It doesn't have a major effect on the attack. But… I can’t for the life of me figure out how this bullet was made.”
Wolfgang urgently examined the technology transfer agreement he had signed.
“That damn bastard…”
The contract stated precisely that the technology for the ‘magic gun’ would be transferred, so contractually, there was no issue.
Wolfgang’s expression, which had been trembling, changed in an instant. He gave a triumphant smile and said,
“The fool must not have known there was one bullet left and just handed over the gun.”
He spoke to the artisan.
“Analyze this bullet at once. Since we have a sample, it should be possible to replicate it.”
The artisan, pouring with cold sweat, said,
“B-But that will take some time.”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as we uncover the secret of this bullet, it is my victory. That sly snake… The moment I unravel all the secrets of this bullet, I’ll send assassins to put him to sleep forever.”
***
Zeke was traveling very comfortably toward Atlas in the private carriage Wolfgang had provided, along with Paynun and Golin.
“By now, he’s probably grinding his teeth, vowing to uncover the secret of the bullet.”
Leaving one bullet in the cylinder was, in fact, part of Zeke’s ploy.
If Wolfgang realized he had been tricked after checking the contract, he would have tried to chase him down at once. But if a bullet remained, he would surely try to analyze it first. And since it would take time to properly analyze the bullet, Zeke would have already arrived at location by then.
Paynun shook his head as he looked at Zeke.
“To deceive the head of the Vardec clan in the middle of Vardec territory… I don’t know the limits of your audacity, Master.”
“They were the ones who started playing tricks first, so I just paid them back.”
Just then, Golin asked Zeke,
“But my lord. How did you really make that bullet?”
At Golin’s words, Zeke took a bullet out of his pocket.
“You mean this?”
Zeke flicked the bullet with his finger, and it landed with a soft thud in the palm of Golin’s hand.
He grinned and said,
“Well, I’d have to say it’s my own unique technology.”
What was inside the bullet was none other than ‘compressed air.’
He had come up with the idea after hearing from Paynun that the substance inside the Dark Elf’s spearhead was compressed air.
The principle was that when an impact was applied with the firing pin, the compressed air would explode, causing the bullet to fly out.
Even if they were to uncover the bullet’s identity, it was impossible to stabilize the compressed air inside it with any existing technology.
In other words, it was a technique only possible for Zeke, who could handle the four great elements with his Elemental Sword.
‘With this, there’s no worry about the technology leaking to Siemens.’
Zeke stretched out his legs, feeling the plush cushions of the high-end carriage.
The carriage, stable yet fast, rushed toward Atlas, escorted by the Vardec knights.