Chapter 71
We came to Drew's room and somehow cleared enough space among the clutter to sit in chairs.
Drew spent a while rummaging through the piles of junk. He kept saying things like, "Huh...? Where did I put it?" and making me a little uneasy. I just hoped it hadn't broken already.
As I watched Drew turn over the piles of junk, I took a sip of the tea Judiano had brewed while fussing over it.
Maybe the brewing had gone wrong, because the tea didn't taste like tea at all. The other subordinate, Hornet, didn't seem inclined to help either.
After clattering around for a while, Drew suddenly said, "Oh, that's right," and stopped dead before coming over to us. When I wondered what he was up to, he slid under the table with the tea on it and pulled something out. "Found it."
"I'd put it away because it was important." Drew gave an embarrassed little laugh, but first of all, I couldn't understand why anyone would put something important under a table, so I couldn't see what he was embarrassed about.
Anyway, I picked up the finished device.
Nerphia and Sazaby leaned in from behind me to get a look as well.
"......What is that?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I gave the cocking handle attached to the taut string a sharp pull toward me. Yes, it seemed to work without any problems. It took a little strength, but if even I could pull it without trouble, soldiers shouldn't have any difficulty either.
"Did you test-fire it, Drew?"
"Of course. Now, shall we head outside?"
As Sazaby chased after Drew and me, he asked, "Tell me, what is it?"
"You'll understand when you see it," I replied, but he kept pressing. "If I can tell just by looking, couldn't you have told me first?"
"Oh, right. I'd like to hear Wickhart's opinion on this too. Sazaby, sorry, but could you hurry and fetch Wickhart?" When I said that, he pulled a very sour face.
"Wait for me to get back! If you start without me, I'll hold a grudge for the rest of my life!" Sazaby tossed over his shoulder before running off.
Being resented for the rest of someone's life over something this minor would be a problem.
Anyway, we reached the edge of the courtyard and waited for a while. When Sazaby returned, he had brought quite a large group with him.
I could see that Dick and Lufa had come along with Wickhart, but...... Rays-sama, Glantz-sama, Rapiria-sama, Frein, and Ryuzel were there too. Everyone was here.
"Oh dear...... R-Rays-sama......" Judiano began to panic, while Hornet muttered, "Cool."
After looking over everyone who had come to join us,
I asked, "Um...... what's going on?"
"Sazaby told me Roa was going to do something interesting, so I took the opportunity to invite the commanders of Roa Company as well. Was that a problem?" Rays-sama answered for everyone.
"It isn't a problem, but this is still only a prototype, you know? I just wanted to hear Wickhart's opinion......"
"The more advice, the better, wouldn't you say?"
I let out a small sigh. I could see Sazaby looking delighted behind Rays-sama, so I decided I would get my revenge on him later.
"By the way, if you're asking for my opinion, does that mean this is a bow?" Wickhart peered at the object in my hands and tilted his head.
"Yes. It's called a crossbow. Overseas, it's been around as a weapon for quite a long time."
"You put the arrow in that groove?"
"That's right. Originally, I asked Drew to make a weapon that even I, who can use neither a spear nor a sword, could use in an emergency. Anyway, see what it can do."
I fixed an arrow in the groove and aimed it at the target.
When I pulled the trigger, the drawn string was released, propelling the arrow forward. It flew straight and buried itself in the target.
Yes. Not bad.
"What do you think, Wickhart?"
"......May I take a look?" I handed him the crossbow, and after examining it in various ways, Wickhart looked somewhat troubled.
"Rapid fire looks difficult. And I don't think it has as much range as an ordinary bow."
As expected of the Azure Bow, he immediately pinpointed the crossbow's weak points.
"That's right. That's why, even in the country where it was invented, crossbows never became a mainstream weapon. But......"
As I was about to continue, Rays-sama cut in.
"If we could use this with the cavalry, wouldn't even a single shot make a powerful first strike?"
Precisely. Though I had originally considered it a last resort for protecting myself, I had begun wondering whether it would be easy to fire from horseback regardless of one's skill with a bow if it could be carried with an arrow already nocked.
When I explained that, Rays-sama turned his gaze toward Ryuzel.
Ryuzel took the crossbow from Wickhart. He pretended to aim it with one hand and checked its weight before handing it to Frein.
"As Rays-sama says, it might be interesting. From the enemy's perspective, it would be an attack they wouldn't expect. It's also good that almost anyone could use it. We'd still need to think about how to carry it, though."
"No, Ryuzel. Isn't the carrying method already solved? We could adapt the way we transport bottled goods," Frein pointed out. "Ah, true. If we modified that a little, the horses might not even pay much attention to it," Ryuzel replied, and the two began discussing it.
"Drew, can this be mass-produced?" Rays-sama asked Drew.
"If we have enough hands. The construction isn't particularly difficult, you know?"
"I see. Then let's quickly make enough to equip Roa Company. If Roa Company can put it to use in trials, we'll consider deploying it to other units as well. We'll secure the manpower, so get moving on it."
"Aye aye. But I'm busy, so I'll leave it to Judiano and Hornet."
"Judiano, Hornet, can you do it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Eek! Y-yes!"
The replies to Rays-sama's question sounded reassuring enough, but would this really be all right?
"More importantly, Roa! What is it you want to make!?"
As I watched Drew crowd me,
Rapiria-sama looked at me with an exasperated expression and said, "Have you thought up another weird thing?"