Chapter 353: A Weapon Beyond Its Time

Aside from a small, unnoticed moment of discord during the wedding, the ceremony left a lasting impression on all who attended.

The grand event showcased Nagrand’s prosperity and strength to the beastmen. Even with their differing backgrounds, living conditions, and beliefs, their appreciation for beauty and grandeur was no different from anyone else’s.

For days after, people continued discussing every detail of the wedding—talking about the strength of the Tecks Clan and, of course, the beauty of the bride.

Wu Qingsong and Nina tried to calm Ram and Daryl’s anger, but to no avail. Daryl, especially, left Nagrand with his Silvermoon retinue, his heart full of resentment.

Yet, no one could say that Xeila had done anything wrong. As a bride, did she not have the right to unveil herself?

However, the way she had walked toward Wu Qingsong and stood by his side, waiting for Nina so they could complete the ceremony together—this had, without a doubt, made Nina seem like a mere afterthought.

That was what they could not accept. No matter what, Xeila should not have stolen the spotlight that rightfully belonged to Nina.

It wasn’t that Nina wasn’t beautiful. It was just that her beauty was different from Xeila’s. 

And when faced with a visage that could be praised even among the elves, who could compare?

Even if her smile was meant for Wu Qingsong alone, it was enough to leave an everlasting impression on all who witnessed it.

But it had been Wu Qingsong who insisted that she take part in the wedding alongside Nina, despite her initial reluctance. Given that, he could only keep apologizing to Nina.

“She did nothing wrong,” Nina shook her head. 

She and Xeila had worked together many times before and had built a strong sense of mutual understanding. She wasn’t petty enough to resent her for something like this.

Xeila was breathtakingly beautiful, but Nina trusted Wu Qingsong. If he were the type to favor one wife over another for such a reason, she wouldn’t have chosen to marry him in the first place.

“But Ram and Daryl…” Wu Qingsong sighed.

“Don’t worry. They’re not small-minded. The misunderstanding will clear up soon.” Nina reassured him.

Yet, Ram refused to speak to Xeila. Even though she had long since put her veil back on, reserving her smile for Wu Qingsong alone.

Naturally, Xeila didn’t speak to Ram either. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

This left Wu Qingsong and Nina in an awkward, frustrating position.

Fortunately, as if to make up for all of this, the skilled jeweler Mahaan Kifus presented a long-awaited gift shortly after the wedding.

A firearm.

The barrel was made from Nagrand’s own wrought iron, carefully folded and hammered around an iron rod, then polished meticulously to ensure a smooth bore. True to Mahaan’s craftsmanship, the stock was adorned with intricate carvings, making it look more like a piece of art than a weapon.

But the touch hole leading to the chamber, the firelock mechanism with its protective cover, and the precisely engineered yet simple-to-produce hammer and trigger assembly—these perfectly matched Wu Qingsong’s expectations and memories of such a weapon.

“Have you tested it?” he asked eagerly.

“As per your instructions, we conducted a few test shots with a reduced powder charge,” Mahan answered cautiously.

Even with half the usual amount of what Wu Qingsong called gunpowder, the power of the weapon had left Mahaan deeply unsettled.

He was in complete awe of Wu Qingsong’s genius design. Though Wu Qingsong always credited him, Mahaan knew the truth. Without Wu Qingsong’s vision, a mere jeweler like himself would never have conceived such a mechanism, let alone built it.

But precisely because of this, he had begun to worry. He had heard the rumors—some elves, to prevent their designs from leaking, would kill every craftsman involved in their creation. Because in the end, the only ones who could truly keep a secret were the dead.

The Lord of Nagrand didn’t seem like that kind of person, but no one understood the terrifying potential of this weapon better than Mahaan.

It could grant a weakling the power to slay a mighty warrior.

Yet its most terrifying aspect was its ease of manufacture. It was even simpler to produce than a quality bow or crossbow.

All it needed was wrought iron and wood. Unlike bows, which required carefully seasoned wood and extensive preparation, this weapon’s materials needed no such treatment.

While Mahaan was drowning in these anxious thoughts, Wu Qingsong had already picked up a pre-packaged powder charge with a lead ball at the tip. Clumsily, he bit open a small hole in the paper cartridge, sprinkled a little powder into the pan and touch hole, then dropped the rest into the barrel, tamping it down with a ramrod.

Xeila, Ling, and Liuli watched curiously as he stepped back a few paces, raised the firearm, aimed at a target twenty meters away, and pulled the trigger.

The explosion rang out right beside his head, startling everyone slightly.

The bullet, however, had completely missed.

“There,” Xeila pointed at the wooden wall behind the target.

Liuli quickly ran over and pried out the round, which had embedded itself deep into the wood.

“Amazing!” she exclaimed.

“This one is much simpler than the previous version,” Xeila noted. “Now that all those cumbersome steps have been removed, it feels completely different.”

“Of course!” Wu Qingsong grinned, handing the firearm to Liuli and guiding her through her first shot.

Even for a complete novice like her, the entire loading process took only two minutes. The recoil caused her shot to miss the target by a wide margin, but Xeila still spotted where it landed—nearly fifty meters away, the bullet had sunk effortlessly into the wooden wall.

“And this is only half the standard powder charge.” Wu Qingsong shook his head in wonder. “Mahaan, do you understand the significance of this weapon?”

The apeman nodded uneasily.

Then he heard Wu Qingsong say, “Record every detail carefully. Gradually increase the powder charge and determine the optimal balance of power and efficiency. Also, stop carving those decorations, it’s too complicated. We only need the essential functions.”

“Yes, my lord,” Mahan responded mechanically.

“Prepare yourself.” Wu Qingsong’s next words made him freeze.

“I am appointing you as a knight—Sir Mahaan Kifus. Congratulations. Today, you have made history. You have created a weapon that transcends eras.”

Even long after Wu Qingsong and the others had left, Mahan’s ears continued to ring with those words.

I am appointing you as a knight… Sir Mahan Kifus…

Had he gone mad? Or had the world gone mad? Was this truly real?