Chapter 8 - II -

 

“For your weapon, I think a simple sword will do.” William handed out a sword to me while we’re at the manor’s armory choosing my equipment, “Do you think you can wear a heavy plate armor?”

 

“Nope.  I haven’t tried one before, so I doubt I could move well while wearing that on the battlefield.”

 

“True enough.  So, I guess, a leather one would suit you?”

 

“It’s better than nothing…” I replied.

 

So, William gave me a leather armor as a sort of protection.  It was heavy and stuffy the moment I put it on.  I also fixed the sword on my waist and tried walking around with it.  The sheer weight of the armor and the sword were enough to make me stumble.  Good thing the noble boy was quick to support me.

 

“I can’t fight in this.”

 

“Then what are you going to do?  Run around like a monkey and beat your armored opponents to a pulp?” William didn’t hide his sarcasm, “You can’t enter the competition with no equipment.”

 

“I guess you’ll have to keep your movement to a minimum.” Sophia suggested, “Well, it doesn’t matter if you move or not anyway, you won’t be fighting your rivals, anyway.”

 

“I s-see…” I nervously laughed.

 

But the Rubinforth siblings paid no attention to my words and went on rummaging through the various equipment and weapons in the room.  I could hear them arguing about whether I should bring a shield to combat.  William said I should; Sophia argued otherwise because I used nothing like it before…

 

Hmm…they do both have points.  But I guess I need to have a shield with me…

 

“!!!”

 

When I looked around, I noticed something peculiar in that armory.  It’s a weapon that was much more familiar to me than the shield and sword.  Well, it still had its blade attached at the offensive end; but I guess I could use this one instead of the sword that was given to me.

 

“Oh!  You’re interested in that demon weapon?”  It was William who had seen me while looking at this strange armament.

 

“Demon weapon?”

 

“Yes, it’s a common weapon for the demon race.  I hear that demons rarely use it on single combat, and rightly so since it’s pretty weak.”

 

“Can I take this one?”

 

“Huh?  Well, why not, if you know how to use it?    It’s so weak though; I don’t have an idea why the demons invented such arms.”

 

Well, of course, you didn’t.  But I did.  This weapon was indeed ‘weak’ when its operator was fighting alone in close quarters against a sword-armed or dagger-armed opponent…

 

“…”

 

However, if you multiply this and gave it on the hands of well-trained operators, firing it in volleys could decimate a charging regiment of armored cavalrymen from a considerable distance.  Plus, that blade attached on the end was for melee encounters as well.

 

The Battle of Nagashino between Oda Nobunaga and the Takeda clan illustrates my point.

 

I guess this world hadn’t learned the devastating firepower of a matchlock gun just yet.

 

 

Good thing that—out of curiosity, I watched Y**tube videos and read books on how to operate early guns, so I had an idea on how to use this weapon in combat.  Well, compared to those that I saw online, this matchlock gun made by demons was quite easy to carry.  It’s still pretty cumbersome, but the stand that was supposed to go along with it was missing, or rather, there’s nothing like of that sort, according to William.

 

If you asked me, it’s relatively different from the matchlock guns that could be found in my old world.  For one, there’s a ‘socket’ bayonet attached around its barrel end, whereas the bayonet of Earth was said to be first used by the Chinese during the 16^th century in its ‘plug’ form—which was inserted directly into the open end of the gun barrel.  Plus, it’s shorter than the matchlock guns I knew, meaning that the maker of these arms had considered the user’s ease of transport of the weapon.

 

But yeah, I still could tell it’s a matchlock.  Here’s the trigger—which was long compared to its Earth counterpart, and the slow match was still attached to it.

 

I asked Sophia and William about the powder and bullets that were needed to operate this thing, however; they told me they had none.  This gun, they explained, was gained by their father when some traveling merchants came selling their wares from all around this world.  

 

And since it came from merchants and not the oh-so-reliable blacksmiths, the Rubinforth siblings were laughing their hearts out about my ‘weird demon weapon’.  They even questioned me whether I would have the armor and sword they gave me earlier.  Considering that I already had this heavy gun with me, I opted to get a dagger instead—for an ancillary weapon, just in case the need for it arises.

 

I could tell that they exchanged dubious and concerned looks because of my answer.  But I didn’t need their approval; it’s my fight, so I get to choose how to defend myself.

 

The next thing that I did was to find the gunpowder and bullets for this thing.  If this gun ended up falling in the hands of humans, of course, there’s a big possibility that someone’s been selling its implements.  When I had the opportunity, I requested a bit of money from William and slipped from the tourney field, and went to the town of Fen to check.

 

“Hmm?” a merchant cast a weird look towards me, “You’re looking for ‘gunpowder’?  What’s that?”

 

“It’s a powder that burns when it comes into contact with fire.  Do you have it?”

 

“Oh?  You mean the demon powder?”

 

“Demon powder?  Yeah, I guess so?  Do you have something like that?”

 

The merchant then leaned close to me and whispered, “Hey kid, let me ask you something?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“What’s the name of the powder you’re searching for again?”

 

“Uh, gunpowder?  Or demon powder, as you have said?”

 

“Where do you think that thing comes from?”

 

“Well, as the name implies, it must’ve come from the demon race?”

 

“Precisely.  Now tell me, where is this place?”

 

“Chersea?  The human continent.”

 

The merchant smiled sardonically, “There you have it.  This is the land of humans; do you think your demon powder is sold here?  You must be out of your mind!”

 

Well, for starters, you could’ve just told me straight that you didn’t have it, asshole.

 

 

Okay, so my search failed.  I tried other shops, thinking that there must be a place in here where that precious stuff was sold, but after a few more attempts I eventually gave up.  It seemed that the humans of Chersea liked to keep to themselves; they’re not that open for trade to other races…

 

“Damn it, I never thought that demon powder is rare around these parts…”

 

Well, so much for the grandstanding.  I took my matchlock gun and stared at it, trying to work effectively around my handicap for the upcoming fight.  Since the bayonet was still attached, I could use it as a pike and the obvious long-reach of this weapon was still my advantage against a sword-wielder.

 

But hey, why do I keep on thinking about combat?  Didn’t the Rubinforth siblings tell me they’d make sure I will win without a fight?

 

Maybe I was just excited to come across a familiar weapon from my world, however, I couldn’t shake off my anxiety.  It’s like I’m having a foreboding feeling of something dreadful…

 

I guess this is what they call a ‘flag’.

 

“Hey, mister!”

 

“!!!”

 

I was disturbed by the hoarse whisper coming from behind me.  As I was sitting on a bench in the busy town square, it’s a given that it could be someone else they’re calling to, so I didn’t pay it any heed.

 

“Hey!  Don’t be cold like that, you’re looking for demon powder, right?”

 

Ah yes, the voice was referring to me.  I turned and saw a man standing behind my bench.  He had a rather clean appearance; his clothes were something like that of the aristocrats, but what was most striking about him was his pale skin and golden hair.

 

He looks a ‘bishie’ to me.  And you know I’m not that good with such types.

 

“Do you have it, the demon powder?”

 

“Well, I could sell some to you.” he said, in a very low voice, “And would you also like some bullets to go along with that thing you hold?”

 

“Perfect!  That’s exactly what I need.”

 

“But where will you use it?”

 

I immediately fell silent.  I thought I should keep silent about our plan for me to join the Tri-Skill Tournament.  You’d never know, this guy could be a spy from the Duke himself.  So, I just spun a lie to convince him to sell the matchlock gun’s implements to me.

 

“Oh, so you’re on a quest?” the man nodded as if he understood what I meant, “Well, good luck!  Here’s your merchandise.”

 

“Thanks!  This will be a big help!”

 

“No problem!” then he offered his hand for a shake, “My name’s Devras.  I’m a traveling merchant from the continent of Cherflammen, you know, the land of the demons.”

 

“Ah!  So that’s why you’ve got this stuff!” I couldn’t keep my excitement from meeting someone of another race, “Nice timing you got here, Mister Devras!  I’m Kuro, by the way.”

 

Devras then gave me a long stare, “Hmm, you’re the only human I’ve met that isn’t that awkward or scared when it comes to my race.  For most of the time, when they learn that I’m a demon, they give me the ‘suspicious’ stare.”

 

“Haha…well, I’m not racist…”  Honestly though, when I got a good look at Devras, he seemed to be a normal human to me, save for his pale complexion.  For someone like a demon, he’s got no evil-looking horns on his head, and a nasty tail on his back.  His face was gentler than the demons I knew from literature and legends…

 

“A what?”

 

“Oh, nothing.  Just some assholes back in my world…”

 

“Your…world?”

 

“My country, I mean.  Hahaha…” Man, I have to be careful with my speech.

 

“Ah, thanks for that.  You know, it’s been long since you humans, the elves, the dwarves, and the Beastmen have faced our kind in an actual war.  Nowadays, we only strive to live in peace.” Devras showed me the rest of his merchandise, “See?  I’m just selling my wares, and coincidentally, I heard the rumors about the great tourney that is about to take place here at Fen, so I traveled here.”

 

“Oh, so you came here thinking the combatants might become interested in your weapons?”

 

“You catch on quick, Mister Kuro.”

 

“I think it’s one of my strengths.”

 

Well, for someone whom I met for the first time, talking with this demon guy, Devras, was truly enjoyable.  We conversed on a lot of things related to the matchlock gun, including on how to operate it.  I only held back my knowledge on how to use fully its potential on the battlefield, since I needed to be careful of my ‘trade secret’.  I believed it would be my trump card for the upcoming battle.

 

Heh, it’s kind of strange that the first person who I truly had fun talking to in this world is a demon…