Faced with this well-known figure from An Zhu, Herbert felt somewhat intimidated.
Caron didn’t say much either; after all, Herbert’s reaction was quite normal.
A king’s guest must have so many weapons and is still engaging in smuggling and secret trade.
Seeing that Herbert hesitated to step forward, Caron spoke up: “Sir Herbert, don’t overthink it. My purchase of these weapons is merely for my homeland.”
“Perhaps most people don’t know that His Majesty Alberto has already sold weapons to me to support my country.”
With this new information, Herbert immediately perked up, but still appeared a bit fearful as he asked, “I’ve heard that dragons are also your allies. What do you need weapons for?”
“The dragons only intervene when events develop in a way that benefits them. This is no secret.”
Caron shrugged and said, “On the Solun Continent, many areas are affected by disrupted magical environments, making it quite difficult to cast magic there. However, if we can use firearms and cannons that don’t rely on magic power, it would significantly enhance our combat capabilities in those non-magic environments.”
“That is why I sought His Majesty’s approval to trade with the Avar Kingdom for a large number of cannons and firearms.”
As Caron mentioned, due to the supremacy magic brought by the Avar Kingdom, the Solun Continent experienced a lot of magical disturbances, disrupting the magic environment, and even leading to areas where magic power has completely dissipated.
In such regions, Avar could only engage in knife fights with other countries on the Solun Continent, which was extremely unfavorable for the Avar Kingdom. Moreover, several countries on the Solun Continent had already formed a coalition against the Avar Kingdom, making it difficult for Avar to focus on this land without the dragons’ prodding and some contributions from their allies.
However, this situation changed after Caron and the others discovered the firearms on this continent. Firearms could operate normally even in the worst non-magic environments, exhibiting destructive power that was not inferior to typical magic. Troops armed with firearms could rampage through such environments.
The most crucial aspect was that soldiers trained with firearms had nearly no cultivation required.
From the moment this was discovered, Avar’s envoys began smuggling firearms towards their countries.
At first, the scale of this smuggling was quite small, but as the situation on the continent changed, Avar began collaborating with both the Demon Clan and An Zhu’s two major forces, gradually bringing this smuggling out into the open.
Alberto not only tacitly approved of this smuggling but also personally participated, set price tags on the firearms produced in An Zhu, and sold them to Avar. Avar has even gradually established a dedicated trade port with An Zhu.
There was no choice; Alberto felt the pressure was mounting and needed to find ways to generate new revenue. Selling some ordinary firearms to Avar could just clear out some inventory and create a positive cycle for the firearms development.
Furthermore, currently, Avar appeared to be an ally. In order to counter Cape and to research supremacy magic, Alberto was intentionally or unintentionally assisting the Avar Kingdom to establish a foothold on this continent.
Of course, the most expensive and best-performing firearms were still produced in the Northern Border by Cape. For the Avar Kingdom, one firearm produced in the Northern Border could even be equivalent to a large-caliber cannon. There still remained a clear price disparity among the nobles of Avar.
Thus, Caron did not bring Herbert on board to rebel or stab an ally in the back; he only wanted to make some extra profit.
However, such matters were not openly discussed. After all, apart from traditional firearms, Caron was also open to firearms powered by magical stones, as long as they didn’t cross the line too much, An Zhu would still turn a blind eye.
After explaining this in detail, Herbert took out a firearm from his pocket, instantly brightening Caron’s eyes.
This firearm had an ancient yet imposing design, its barrel crafted from black metal, embedded with dark red runes. The runes seemed to glimmer on the barrel, emitting a faint glow, almost as if they were breathing.
These runes worked to reduce recoil and increase stability. Although not complex, they were designed quite ingeniously.
Additionally, there was a crystal specifically for aiding in aiming, making it possible for anyone with no prior experience with firearms to use this exquisite piece perfectly. This was truly a finely crafted toy.
Of course, this firearm was not powered by magical stones and belonged to the flashy kind, making it even harder to use in a non-magic environment.
But it was clear that the primary audience for this firearm was wealthy nobles and merchants, serving not just for self-defense but also as a work of art.
“How much can it sell for?”
“A whole ship!”
Or even more.
Caron couldn’t imagine how valuable this firearm would become once it reached the Avar Kingdom.
Herbert directly pushed this exquisite firearm towards Caron, much to Caron’s delight.
“Lord Caron, I need a big order!”
“That is only natural. I will definitely give you a big order.”
Herbert knew that Altan, who came from the Avar Kingdom, was now thoroughly indulging here, forgetting about his homeland. The expression on Caron’s face was somewhat similar to Altan’s.
After getting closer, Herbert warmly engaged with Caron, eating and drinking while discussing business. Amidst the toasting, Herbert learned some things about the Avar Kingdom through Caron.
Currently, the Avar Kingdom was trying to land on this continent under the influence of the dragons, attempting to reclaim this land while continuing to wage war with other countries on the Solun Continent.
Originally, the Avar Kingdom was declining due to the increasing difficulty of casting supremacy magic in the Solun Continent, but now with the emergence and smuggling of firearms, it began to regain some strength.
Moreover, there were many commodities on this continent that were nonexistent on the Solun Continent, such as spices, inexpensive sugar, and all sorts of peculiar magical artifacts.
As long as they could transport a ship of goods back, they could immediately become rich.
None of this was a secret; one just had to inquire with the growing number of Avar soldiers and merchants to learn about it.
Having gotten a bit tipsy, Caron said after signing a large order with Herbert, “The most troublesome among those countries is still Castile. But now, guess what? Castile is also going to be doomed.”
“Oh? Castile, is that the country you mentioned earlier that is part of the anti-Avar coalition?”
Herbert asked while personally pouring wine for Caron.
“Indeed, currently Castile is embroiled in disputes over the issue of the heir. If the original Castile united with other countries and really developed a trade route we don’t know about, it could indeed become quite troublesome. But now, guess what?”
“Castile actually tossed their youngest lord into the sea. Controlling the route to this continent has turned into a political weapon in their hands, and the first to be eliminated was actually the youngest daughter.”
Hearing this news, Herbert’s eyes shifted, and he said, “Foolish, so foolish. I suppose you have already made thorough preparations to capture that lord from Castile?”
“Ha!”
Caron snorted coldly and replied, “That is only natural. I just hope that little lord doesn’t get swallowed by the Sea of Instability on the way.”
