Railgun. Also known as “a certain whatever electromagnetic cannon,” it’s something that shouldn’t exist in this world.
When it was fired right in front of me, I was blown away. I saw a red flash before my eyes, and then an almost painful gust of wind hit me.
When Sophia unleashed her maximum Platinum Laser nearby, there was an impact wave, but it was mostly heat. I thought I was going to get burned, but the railgun is something else entirely.
Orietta’s armored suit rose from the swirling sand. She approached me as I stood there dumbfounded.
“How was it~?”
“It’s amazing. It’s a weapon with a very strong presence. Once you fire it, your sniping location is completely exposed. You’ll be under concentrated fire if you don’t shoot from further away than your opponent.”
“Amazing… Such tremendous power, I’m astonished.”
“It’s amazing~. The range is about five kilometers, and I think its power can pierce through a Sand Dragon~.”
That’s amazing, but the surrounding damage is also immense. My ears are still ringing. My head is spinning like I’m drunk.
“This railgun~… [omitted]”
“I see.”
“So, the principle is~… [omitted]”
“Oh, is that so?”
“A little more~… [omitted]”
“That’s nice.”
She explained the railgun to me, but it was all technical jargon about magic and alchemy, so I had no idea what she was saying. In terms of shape, it’s a bolt-action rifle for sniping, and it holds five bullets in its magazine. The only thing that bothered me was the price of the bullets:
“Five hundred gold per shot!?”
“Yes~, the warhead is coated with mithril to increase its penetrative power~.”
I could buy a carriage with that. Not just any carriage, but a lavish one for nobles. I could buy one with that money. You shot that just now!? Did a carriage worth of gold just fly away?
The power is undeniable, and its range probably surpasses the magic ore of a Sand Dragon, but five hundred gold per shot… Five hundred gold!?
“Orietta, how many shots does this railgun have?”
“We manufactured a hundred~.”
A hundred!? That’s a total of fifty thousand gold! Where did that money come from!? Orietta has funds from the corps allocated for research and development, but I don’t remember allocating that much.
And I don’t even want to know the price of the railgun itself; it must be incredibly expensive. I don’t want to know, but as captain, I have to ask.
“Orietta, what happened to all the money spent on this railgun? The funds I’ve given you wouldn’t be enough, right?”
Please! Just say you won the lottery.
“Melissa-chan gave it to me~.”
Who? I’ve never heard that name. Is she related to Orietta? I hope she’s not too troublesome.
“Who is this Melissa-san? Is she an acquaintance of Orietta’s?”
“The captain knows her too~. It’s Melissa Fiona Mallory-chan~. Did you forget~?”
Who? I really don’t remember her. I can tell she’s a woman from her name, but… Melissa isn’t a name…
“Could it be… could it be… you don’t mean…”
I started hyperventilating. I remembered someone so dangerous that I had to hyperventilate. Viscountess Melissa Fiona Mallory. I met her at a conferment ceremony party in the Imperial Capital. Her father is a Duke, a brother or relative of His Majesty the Emperor.
“Are you okay, Captain~?”
“Haa, haa, haa, wa-wait a minute.”
If she’s the Melissa with the same name that I’m thinking of, this is serious. After all, I… I molested Lady Melissa’s breasts, took her to a private room, knocked her out with a Buster Sword, and ran away… Just hearing that makes me sound like a terrible person.
“Um, the Empire’s… Viscountess… Is it Lady Mallory?”
“Yes~. Melissa-chan and I met in the Imperial Capital, and when she found out I was from the White Lily Corps, we became friends~.”
No, I don’t think so. She must be furious. We were arguing at the end, and I wasn’t even using honorifics. And the Buster Sword… It’s bad. I ended up knocking her out with the Buster Sword, wasn’t I…
“What did Lady Mallory say…”
“Melissa-chan seems to like the captain~. When I told her I’d pledge the captain as collateral, she readily gave me fifty thousand gold~.”
“Fifty thousand gold!”
A castle could be built with that! A small castle, definitely! How am I going to pay that back? The White Lily Corps doesn’t have that much in savings!
Wait? Collateral? I’m the collateral? How?
“Setting the money aside, am I the collateral? I don’t have anything to offer as collateral…”
“Ori-chan also doesn’t understand~. At first, she said she’d give me twenty thousand gold~. But when I told her I’d give you, Captain, she made it fifty thousand gold~. Melissa-chan is so kind~.”
Huh? Did she just sell me off?! Did she engage in human trafficking without my consent?! What am I going to do? I can’t possibly default on a debt with an Imperial Duke.
“Orietta, did you read any contracts?”
“It was just a verbal agreement~.”
Let’s default. Contracts are the most effective in this world. If there isn’t one, let’s default.
No, am I an idiot?! If it were an individual, maybe, but a Viscountess, whose father is a Duke and part of the Emperor’s family. If I default on fifty thousand gold against the Empire, I’ll be chased for the rest of my life.
What should I do? The White Lily Corps’ savings are probably around seventy to eighty thousand gold. It’s our hard-earned retirement fund, saved by enduring hardship, except for one person.
“Captain~, about the money, it’s okay~. We’ve been able to repay it~.”
This is the best news of the day. Fifty thousand is too much. Not just difficult, but impossible. It exceeds the White Lily Corps’ income and expenses.
“The ultra-vibration device we made before is selling well~. It’s now being used in swords, armor, and even armor for horses~.”
“Where did it sell!?”
It’s good news, but the buyer is the problem. If it sells to the wrong people, mass production of magic sword-level sharpness could occur.
“The Ashtal Empire bought it exclusively~. They told us not to sell it to anyone else, so we sold it for a slightly higher price~.”
Excellent! Well done, Orietta! You’re a shrewd businesswoman! It’s great for the Empire to become stronger. If the Empire gets stronger and joins the war, we might be able to win.
“Will Lady Mallory be the point of contact for the Empire?”
“Yes~. Melissa-chan said she’d handle it well~.”
Lady Mallory being the point of contact is a bit of a problem. From what Orietta said, she seems to want me, and if she knows I can pay back the money, she might push for a loan and try to take me as collateral.
“By the way, how much is left?”
“I think we’ve sold enough for twenty thousand gold~.”
Thirty thousand left. If we work hard, we might be able to pay it off, and if Orietta’s new product becomes a hit, we might even manage a comeback.
Should I make underwear? For some reason, I can see the future. There’s a glimmer of hope. I’ll earn money in this war, pay off the debt, and also earn my retirement fund.
Demon Lord, come at me. Become the rust on my magnificent future’s sword. I vowed this to the sinking sun.
“Captain~, I want a reward for the railgun~.”
Demon Lord, wait a moment. I’m too busy with a magnificent “present.” I’ll make you rust eventually. I vowed this to the shining starry sky “a little later.”
