"Since the alliance between the snakemen and the frogmen a few years ago, the offensives they launched have become stronger each time. I have issued relevant warning messages more than once." Archmage Qidaluoq looked around at the crowd, and his tone gradually became colder:
"I guess many of you are questioning me as to why I support Nelem in taking back Fire Dance City. It's very simple. Before that, Nelem was able to provide me with supplies steadily."
Nelum puffed up his chest when he heard this. The weight of what Archmage Qidarok said was different, but he was immediately scolded by the other party:
"Nelum, don't be too proud! You destroyed one of the two Blade Golems. Be prepared to get enough magic items to make up for the loss! This time I only need to make the scrolls and wands, not the unprocessed ones.
gems and raw materials. I’ll have the list sent to you later!”
Nelem's head shrank, like a student facing a teacher's scolding, and he obeyed obediently. However, with the approval of the Archmage Qidaluok, he was still snickering in his heart.
At this time, someone said: "Arch Mage Qi Darok, does the support you mentioned include providing war supplies?"
Nelem looked over and saw that the speaker was an old mage with auxiliary lenses. He was strong and energetic, with a silvery beard on his temples. He had a bald head with burn scars and was dressed like a blacksmith to prevent molten iron.
The splashing protective apron looks more like an old craftsman in a workshop than a distinguished high mage.
"It's Master Duncan." Qi Darok smiled politely: "Could it be that Master Duncan has developed some novel construct and can you provide it to me?"
Master Duncan said seriously: "A giant incantation cannon that can fire various types of shells and does not require advanced spell-casting skills to operate. Even soldiers who have undergone rigorous training can participate."
Archmage Zidarok sighed: "Master Duncan, do you want to test your unstable... artillery on the battlefield? I heard that there was a previous test on the island, and you accidentally put the Imperial Legion's
A fortress was blown to the sky?"
Master Duncan immediately struggled with the other party's wording and took the trouble to explain: "That is due to the subtle impact of magic fluctuations on the detonating gunpowder, coupled with the improper operation of those clumsy soldiers. And after my improvements, the detonating gunpowder has become much more stable.
, the gun barrel has also been tested hundreds of times to ensure that it will not injure the operator."
Nelum secretly glanced at Master Duncan, who was about the same age as him. Although he was also a high mage, he was focused on the specious construct technique.
This Master Duncan is more focused on how to use explosive alchemical products to create long-range constructs that can propel projectiles into launch, rather than the offensive and defensive collisions of weapons and armor, and the surge of magical power. According to him, these
Firearms called guns have a longer range and greater power than the expensive city-breaking heavy crossbows.
Unfortunately, repeated accidental explosions and casualties, as well as the large consumption of research on artillery and gunpowder, led to him being heavily in debt. He could only rely on making alchemical grenades to fill the holes. He even assisted Forsman in fighting the indigenous people.
Perhaps Master Duncan, who loved artillery, was not used to being ordered around by his juniors at will, so he eventually returned to his laboratory, causing big explosions from time to time, so that his apprentices did not dare to approach.
Nelum was glad that Forsman was cooperating with Diant instead of inviting Master Duncan, who had a hot temper and even more violent methods. Otherwise, Huowu City would really have been tormented by these two people who were playing with fire.
Listening to Master Duncan's words that were like a barrage of cannonballs, Archmage Qi Darok really couldn't bear to listen anymore, so he had to say: "Master Duncan, these are the results of the test field and have not been tested on the battlefield.
Well, if you can provide a sufficient number of alchemical grenades and let your group of trained riflemen assist, you can let your artillery come to me for testing."
"No problem, I will immediately organize people to rush to the Everglades Province!" Master Duncan laughed heartily. His temperament was not like a mage at all, but more like a vulgar butcher in the market: "You all should stop arguing.
! Back then, my artillery was tested on the island to deal with the pirates and monsters that appeared and harassed the coast. The effect was so good that I don’t know where it is! Haven’t there been fishmen in Sail Leaf Province recently? Let me deal with it! "
Most of the people present showed a trace of reluctance, feeling that the opportunity to make a fortune in the future was taken away by this straight and stupid old guy, and in their hearts they hoped that he would be blown up by his own gunpowder experiment.
On the other hand, Nelem has experienced the war in Fire Dance City and has become more alert. He heard some different meanings in the words of Master Qi Darok and Duncan.
"Could it be that these two have already discussed it in private? Are they just performing this at the meeting?" Nelum secretly speculated.
"Let's talk about Dr. Oranso." Archmage Qidaluok looked at Nelem and said: "We currently feel that it is not appropriate for Dr. Oranso to stay in Fire Dance City. After all, you are the chief mage there.
Advisor. If you hadn't announced in time that this war was Fusman's independent action, Marshal Cavendish might have led an army to your Fire Dance City for a 'military parade'!"
Only now did Nelem feel faintly afraid, but he said bravely: "What kind of truth is this? Their imperial army is messing around and they want me to pay the price? Now that I have retaken Fire Dance City, it seems that I still did something wrong?
"
"The calmness of the 'Fire Demon' is the greatest truth."
Zidarok countered Nelem's attitude with a simple sentence, which was not a harsh rebuke, and made the entire communication room silent.
"Perhaps you think that Doctor Oranso can withstand the legendary spell of the Balrog and become your most powerful ally outside the Pentagram Tower, but I still want to advise you, this is already Sidens
Your Excellency has maintained the utmost restraint." Qi Darok's words did not contain any hint of sarcasm or rebuke, he just said in a straightforward manner:
"Rather than killing the Oranso doctor, the Balrog still regards the survival of the Pentagram Tower as his own career. He did not continue the attack because he was dissuaded and intervened by the Queen. We have observed
The next move of the Aboriginal Alliance, a spellcaster powerful enough to resist legendary spells, will serve as a buffer in Woodpile Town, which will be beneficial to our Pentagram Tower's career in the New World, especially Fire Dance City, which has just experienced war."
Nelem frowned and asked: "Does the Aboriginal Alliance also want to expand its territory? In the direction of Firepile Town?"
"This is also the sincerity we have shown to Dr. Olenso. If he feels that he cannot hold on to Firewood Town, he can leave on his own. The Pentagram Tower will also provide shelter when the time is right," Zidarok said.
…
"Ha! Your Pentagram Tower is really generous!" Xuan Weizi did not hide the sarcasm in his smile after listening to Nelem's narration of part of the meeting.
Nelum looked embarrassed and could only say: "I originally wanted to apply for the ally status of the Emerald Star Emblem for you, the doctor, but that old ghost Qidaluoq pushed me away, saying that I need to get the approval of the 'Missile Queen' before I can apply to you.
Granted. Alas!”
Xuan Weizi didn't say anything. As the highest-level ally of the Pentagram Tower, the Emerald Star Emblem originally required the permission of the "Missile Queen". Nelem used this to talk about it, just to show off in front of Xuan Weizi.
It seems that this ninth-level mage's mind is not entirely occupied with women's affairs.
"After all, he is still a high-level mage. He may be blind because of his thoughts, but he will not be ignorant and stupid." Xuan Weizi thought to himself.
"By the way, if our Pentagram Tower really invites you, Doctor Olanso, to be the chief advisor of Sail Leaf Province, will you agree?" Nelum asked.
Xuan Weizi simply refused: "Don't come to me for this kind of thing. If I go, the situation will be a hundred times more dangerous than killing Fusman! You just mentioned that Fanye Province is the southern route across the sea.
The end point? This kind of place is simply a crucial place where you can fight to the death and get bloodshed.
Let me tell you, that 'missile queen' is actually deliberately using this to put pressure on you. As the saying goes, 'If you want to open the windows, say you want to tear down the roof.' In this way, the situation is in her hands.
"
Nelum said: "That's the 'Missile Queen' Mephisetis, a legendary mage. Are you going to play this trick with us?"
Xuan Weizi thought: "If everything is based on who has the final say with the biggest fist, and any decision must be implemented through a violent mechanism, then an organization will inevitably have serious internal friction, and a lot of energy and resources will be consumed in internal decision-making and affairs.
In terms of promotion, it will completely bring down the organization itself.
By doing this, the 'Missile Queen' easily resolved a crisis that may have been caused by excessive competition, which is quite skillful... No, maybe Master Duncan is actually the candidate for the 'Missile Queen', and they had already discussed it privately.
It’s done properly.”
Thinking of this, Xuan Weizi asked: "I heard that Master Duncan is good at making guns and firearms?"
"Ah, yes, a construct that doesn't work very well... I suspect that thing isn't a serious construct, it's more like an old-style crossbow. It just replaces the contraction and rebound of the bow string with the explosive propulsion of alchemy.
, replace the arrows with projectiles." Nelem seemed to be gossiping behind others:
"Actually, I estimate that Master Duncan may have had his brain blown up by an alchemical substance when he was young. His research on alchemical explosives can be traced back to a sect in the Old World called the 'Artisan's Heart'."
"Oh? Are you a member of a sect who studies guns and firearms?" Xuan Weizi asked. He was a little surprised at first, but when he thought about it, the first people on earth to discover gunpowder and explosive effects were also Taoist alchemists.
Is it? It's just that the Taoist Waidan family focused on how to control the heat and cook the magical elixir bait.
"That sect is called 'Artisan's Heart', and it is not a branch of the Holy Lord Church. They are proper pagans who believe in a god of machines and golems called Abaidon." Nelum said:
"It is said that the original members were a group of stonemasons who built palaces and castles for princes and nobles, plus some painters and craftsmen who painted murals and made statues. Later, they also included blacksmiths, shoemakers, carpenters, and some alchemists. In order to exchange craftsmanship and technology,
I don’t know why they got together and created a sect. It’s more normal than a craftsmen’s guild!”
Xuan Weizi made some deductions and asked: "Wait a minute, the work of these craftsmen you mentioned requires a lot of geometric calculations and rigorous logic. They should be more like mages, right?"
"So this is the reason for absorbing them into the Tower of Pentagram." Nelum said: "But no one has ever stipulated that mages are not allowed to believe in religion, except for those old stubborns in the Eye of Mystery... As for the 'Artisan's Heart'
, although they are completely pagan compared to the Holy Church, but because they are good at making all kinds of exquisite artifacts and magnificent palaces, many princes and nobles have been protecting them."
Xuan Weizi asked: "Then Master Duncan was the first person to develop guns and firearms?"
"It wasn't him himself, it was probably his grandfather's generation who had already come up with a similar gadget. They called it a flintlock gun." Nelum said with a smile: "It turned out that the gadget couldn't even hit a bird, and
It was too troublesome to refill it. It had to be filled with detonating powder and lead bullets. His grandfather took a flintlock gun to duel with a low-level mage, but was sent to see that man by a 'magic missile' from the opposite side.
The god of machines and golems."
Xuan Weizi looked thoughtful. He was not very surprised that this world could develop gun technology on its own. To put it bluntly, it was the basic structure of a pipe and explosives pushing projectiles. Although this world does not have black weapons in the traditional sense,
Gunpowder, but there are also alchemical items that can produce explosive effects. Nowadays, alchemical grenades are even more common.
However, guns, artillery and firearms have become somewhat useless due to the rapid advancement of arcane magic. Unless there is any rapid advancement in production technology, early firearms may not necessarily be able to replace cold weapons, especially the cold weapons of this world with the blessing of magic.
It's not "cold" at all.
Coupled with the protective spells of mages, once the offensive and defensive capabilities exceed those of early firearms, guns and firearms will indeed have few prospects. And from a historical perspective, throughout the ages, different civilizations, and even different worlds, have had development potential and value in the past.
There are many of them, but they may not all be developed and perfected. There are many that are simply annihilated and no longer exist in the changes of history.
But no matter what Master Duncan said, he had sneaked into the upper echelons of the Pentagram Tower and combined guns and arcane arts. Xuan Weizi was also happy to see what kind of results this would produce.
Of course, the premise is that the muzzle of the gun is not pointed at yourself.
"Your Excellency Nelem, if there is a way to get Master Duncan's works for me, I would like to observe and study them," Xuan Weizi said.
Nelum didn't really want to understand why this psychic, who was not even afraid of the legendary magic "Fire Supernova", would be interested in guns full of the unpleasant smell of gunpowder?
"Okay, let me find out for you." These things are not difficult for Nelem.
Xuan Weizi nodded in thanks and said: "Okay, it's time for me to pack my things. After returning to Chaidui Town, I will pay close attention to the movements of the Aboriginal Alliance and contact you if I have anything."
Nelum quickly took out a magical object similar to a pocket watch and said: "Last time I heard that you destroyed the communication gem. This time I rushed to make a 'miniature star tracker', which can guarantee the use of this object for communication.
It won’t be monitored...even a legendary mage wouldn’t be able to do it easily!”