Chapter 28: Beginning of Mass Production
The official decision to commence the mass production of bronze weapons engraved with sharp magical runes was granted under the permission of King Cholex.
The anticipated enemy was the country of Rocha, a formidable adversary with iron armor for defense and steel weapons for offense.
Against such opponents, it was unreliable to rely on short daggers like the prototypes, as their blades were too small.
To determine what kind of weapons should be made, a discussion was held in the research department, with me included.
"If we had it, bows and arrows would be convenient, but it's impossible to imbue arrows with magic due to insufficient research."
"In that case, it should be spears. The people of Rocha have confidence in their iron armor. Let's thrust at them from a distance."
"That would be great, but we haven't finished investigating the magical pathways engraved on the handles of the empire's spears. How do you intend to manifest magic on the blades?"
"If we can mold the entire structure from blade to handle at once... Wait, but that would make it too heavy."
"What about longswords modeled after the empire's swords? They allow for distance, and if we reuse the techniques used with the short daggers, we can activate magic by gripping the hilt."
"If the blade is long, it will require more magic power absorbed by the weapon. It's not mages who will use them but soldiers. They won't be able to withstand prolonged use."
"In that case, how about axes? A long-handled axe made entirely of bronze. That should pose no problems."
"If you use such an axe, magic wouldn't be necessary, right? Even if someone wears an iron helmet, being struck by its mass would guarantee unconsciousness."
As I listened to the opinions put forth by the members of the research department one after another, I summarized the key points in my mind.
Firstly, a long-handled weapon made entirely of bronze could be used as it is against iron armor, so it was rejected. Secondly, weapons with long blade lengths were also rejected due to magic consumption. However, it would be ideal to have a weapon that could maintain some distance during combat.
Quite troublesome conditions indeed.
While pondering what kind of weapon would be suitable, my eyes fell upon the quill pen held by the scribe, who was jotting down the contents of the discussion.
If we were to create a sword with only the tip bladed, similar to a pen, the magic power consumption through magic runes should be kept to a minimum.
"Hey, I'd like to hear your thoughts for a moment—"
When I shared my idea, everyone understood and agreed.
"Oh yeah, there was a weapon like that, a thin and long stake-like weapon."
"It's not very well-known, right? Wasn't it called a thrusting sword?"
"Yeah, it's like a longsword with the blade extending from the tip to the hilt. Wasn't it designed to pierce through armor? It didn't have a blade other than at the tip, right?"
"I think the blade was positioned sideways as well. It was a merciful sword used to deliver a coup de grâce to helpless soldiers, wasn't it?"
Although there were similar weapons to the one I proposed, it seemed that they were not widely known, and even the knowledgeable members of the research department were uncertain about the names regarding weapons.
"If you don't know the name, how about 'Pen Sword' based on its shape?"
"No, no, Prince Milimos. Rather than a pen, it looks more like a skewer."
"I see, so it's called 'Skewer Sword.'"
The members of the research department agreed on the Skewer Sword, so the name of the weapon I came up with became Skewer Sword.
It's kind of embarrassing.
After going through prototypes, the mass production of Skewer Swords began.
The process involved creating a mold of the Skewer Sword with sand and pouring molten bronze into it using fire magic.
With this method, it was easy to replicate the pattern of the magical pathways in the stem-basket part, making manufacturing easier.
However, the problem was that the casting technique was not advanced enough to perfectly replicate intricate patterns.
"Make five of them, and if we're lucky, we'll get two good ones. Otherwise, it's zero..."
I tried the cooled and solidified Skewer Swords, but there were still many failures.
Even at the best times, a success rate of 40% seems a bit too high for failures, but the opinions of the research and manufacturing departments differed.
"At the beginning, it's always like this. In fact, a 40% success rate means it's relatively easy to make."
"If we keep trying, the chances of success will increase. Eventually, we'll be able to make one out of two, or two out of three."
"Is that how it works?"
Personally, the fact that there are failures makes me uneasy, but considering the technological capabilities of the Kingdom of Nonette, it seems overly perfectionist to expect perfection.
"But using an iron mold instead of a sand mold might allow us to achieve more detailed patterns."
"The Kingdom of Nonette doesn't have the technology to create iron molds. If they had such skill, they would just make iron weapons normally."
I see, that makes sense.
Well, compared to steel, bronze is easier to recycle. I'll try to increase the number of Skewer Swords by increasing the number of attempts without worrying about failures.
I decided to leave the manufacturing to others and try to test the usability of the Skewer Sword myself.
The appearance of the Skewer Sword is similar to a one-meter-long bronze rod with a sharp tip and a handle attached, so it somewhat resembles a barbecue skewer.
When I grasped the handle, a small amount of magical power began to flow into the sword, and a faint magical luminescence appeared at the tip of the Skewer Sword.
"It seems to be working properly."
Next to me, Alekshtem was also examining the light that appeared at the tip.
"It's suitable for use in daylight, but it's a problem for launching a night attack."
"For a night attack, you can cover the tip with a cloth to conceal it after delivering a single blow or when it turns into a melee. When you stab, you can pierce through the opponent along with the cloth. And if you release the handle and grip the blade instead, the luminescence can be stopped."
"Being able to touch the blade because it's only at the tip is a benefit among the defects, so to speak."
Now, the activation of the Sword Spear's magic has been confirmed. Next is the evaluation of its power.
The prepared material is a freshly felled tree, cut into thick slices about the width of a hand.
Originally made of a hard material, it doesn't easily get damaged even without drying. It's so hard that it takes swinging a heavy axe nearly a hundred times to finally fell it.
Indeed, it is the perfect hardness to simulate the use of iron equipment for experimentation.
"If I can pierce through this slice with a single strike, then I should be able to pierce through the iron shields and armor of the Rocha Kingdom and defeat the enemy."
"Well then, let me try it first."
The cross-section is facing Alektem, and the log slice is fixed to the stand.
Alektem grasps the handle of the Sword Spear with both hands and thrusts it forcefully at the target.
"Shi-eiya!"
The Sword Spear thrusts forward and with a thunk, it makes a sound as if an arrow has pierced the wooden board.
As for the result of the attack, the tip of the sword has penetrated deep into the log.
"It's a success, isn't it?"
While I rejoice, Alektem, on the other hand, wears a bitter expression as he pulls out the Sword Spear.
"Lord Milimos, this weapon is undoubtedly powerful, but it's difficult to handle."
"What do you mean by difficult to handle?"
"Since the blade is only at the tip, unless you thrust it straight and accurately, it won't penetrate deep enough."
Since Alektem asked me to try it out, I thrust the Sword Spear into the log slice.
The moment the tip enters the log, the Sword Spear starts to shake in my hand.
I couldn't pierce it successfully to the end, as the angle at which it entered deviated while advancing towards the target.
Even though I have undergone training just like a soldier and have some confidence in my swordsmanship, I still couldn't pierce through the board.
"It requires quite a skill to do this."
"Well, thrusting with a sword is a technique that requires expertise. Even if the accuracy of the thrust is somewhat lacking with a regular sword, the edge that runs sideways would tear and enter the flesh."
"However, since the Kusariken only has a blade at the tip, depending on the skill of the user, it may not penetrate satisfactorily," I thought while looking at the Kusariken, and a sudden idea came to me.
I stood in front of the log again, holding the hilt in my right hand and gripping the middle of the blade with my left hand. Then, following the motion of thrusting a spear, I tried stabbing the tip of the Kusariken.
"Toya!"
As if the previous failure had been a lie, I easily pierced through the board completely.
Alektem watched and nodded, impressed.
"I see. Thrusting with a spear is much easier compared to thrusting with a sword. Just like the spear is the standard weapon given to peasant soldiers."
"Now it's easier to stab with this. The only problem is that the range becomes narrower."
"If we were to remake it as a spear, we would have to make the entire length from the spearhead to the butt end out of bronze, which would make it incredibly heavy."
"When I discussed it with the researchers before, it was determined that in terms of weight, it's only practical up to the length of a sword."
I pulled the Kusariken out of the board and grasped the hilt again, thrusting it as a sword. Once again, the accuracy of penetration fluctuated, and it only went partway in.
"I guess we just have to practice and get used to it."
"That's right. Fortunately, even those with low skill can use it as a short spear. Just by allowing only those skilled enough to use it as a sword to conduct night raids, we can expect sufficient effectiveness."
"That's true. So, when the mass-produced Kusariken is ready, we'll assign them to the people with high sword skills from the beginning and have them train. As for those with low skill, they can use it like a spear and be put on hold for now."
"In that case, Milimos-sama will also be put on hold."
"There's no helping it. Well, I have an Imperial steel sword, so I don't need the Kusariken."
I handed the Kusariken I had to Alektem and said that in a slightly resentful tone. That was all I could say.