"My Lord, look at this fine masterpiece."

Ethan stepped into the forge, the air thick with heat and the faint scent of burning metal. His eyes caught sight of a large object covered in cloth. The surface beneath it shimmered slightly, showing the careful hands of the craftsmen who worked on it.

"My Lord, please unwrap this," the blacksmith Otlo said eagerly, his face shining with pride.

Ethan walked closer, feeling a faint thrill in his chest. Under the curious gaze of Otlo and his workers, he reached out and grabbed the edge of the cloth.

Then with one swift motion, he pulled it off.

SWISH!

The cloth fell away, revealing the weapon beneath.

It was a massive looking crossbow, a ballista unlike anything Ethan had ever seen. Its dark steel frame gleamed under the forge light, each edge sharp and beautifully refined.

The body was crafted with precision, strong yet elegant with intricate engravings running along its length. Golden lines traced patterns of ancient runes, glowing faintly as if alive.

The weapon stood on a heavy metal stand, its frame supported by wheels that could lock into place.

At the front, a long and thick bow arm stretched outward, bound with layered steel and enchanted strings that shimmered faintly with magic. Its trigger mechanism was encased in polished black metal, built to handle the enormous pressure when fired.

Ethan slid his hand slowly across its surface, feeling the smooth coldness of the metal. He could sense the power lying beneath it, silent but deadly.

"It looks masculine," Ethan murmured quietly. That was the only thing he could say after seeing it.

Otlo smiled proudly, wiping his sweat-stained forehead.

Ethan turned toward him. "What about the automatic function?" he asked.

Otlo's smile faded, and his eyes flickered nervously. He lowered his head. "My Lord… that part is difficult to complete. It's not just about skill, but also accuracy. According to the manual, it needs a connection that can identify people who don't belong to the city."

"Huh? Won't that be a problem?" Ethan asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

"It will be, that's why it's set to manual for now," Otlo explained patiently.

"I see. Then how does it tell the difference between enemies and allies in the original design?" Ethan asked curiously.

"There's a magic circle built inside it. It scans badges and tokens of authorized people. That's how it works."

"So for an automatic function we need such tokens and such things can only be made at high level mages."

"Thats sad."Ethan nodded. "So be it. Let's test it."

"Yes, My Lord!" Otlo said loudly, his excitement returning. He quickly gave orders to the workers.

Soon, the huge ballista was moved onto the fortress wall. A boulder was placed a few hundred meters away as the target.

Ethan stood aside, arms crossed, watching closely as Otlo explained the steps to the soldiers. "It can fire ten times in one sequence before needing to be reloaded," he said loudly.

The ammunition looked like a humanoid-shaped spear with a bulging end. It wasn't made for piercing but for blasting through its target with explosive force.

One soldier stepped forward and took position. The end of the ballista resembled a large gun barrel. All he had to do was aim carefully and press the switch.

"FIREEEE!" Otlo shouted.

CRUNNNGGG!

BOOOOOOOM!

A deafening blast echoed through the air. Something streaked across the field so fast that eyes could barely follow it. The next second, the boulder exploded into dust and flying shards.

Everyone froze in shock.

Ethan blinked, his mouth slightly open.

Then he slapped his thigh and laughed.

'Fuckkk…It's like a mini missile…'

"DAMNNN! Now that's some serious

firepower!" His eyes glowed with excitement.

"Too bad Uncle Randall isn't here to see this."

The blacksmiths and soldiers cheered loudly, some even dancing in joy at the successful test.

"This is some fine piece of shit."

"HEY,DONT CALL IT SHIT.."

"Uh..Sorry…I mean a fine piece of art."

Ethan turned toward them with a grin.

"The ammo's a hassle, though," he said thoughtfully. "Isn't there something that can use mana directly to make bombs and fire them?"

Otlo's excitement dimmed a little. His smile turned bitter. "My Lord, what you're talking about is a weapon only the Empire uses. It's forbidden to sell or even make one."

He hesitated before adding, "That weapon is extremely powerful. It can destroy whole squads… even take down upper-rank knights."

Ethan looked at the glowing ballista again, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The sight of destruction from the range reflected in his gaze, a mix of admiration and ambition shining there.

"I am really pleased with your work so today,you all can party hard."

"Drink and eat to your heart's content..Put the tabs on Barony.."

"Oh Yea…"

"Yes.."

"Hahahaha! Don't regret it later, Lord."

As the workers continued their celebrations behind him, Ethan stood quietly, deep in thought, already imagining the battlefield where such a weapon could change the tide of war.

Ethan decided to run a few trials to test the safety of the weapon. Who knew what would happen if it misfired? If something went wrong, it could easily kill his own men. He couldn't take that risk, so he ordered the soldiers to conduct several hard tests before allowing it to be moved.

Just as he was giving instructions, a messenger rushed toward him, breathing heavily.

"Sir, there's a guest from House Fenwick requesting an urgent meeting."

Ethan paused mid-step, and his brows knitting together.

"...House Fenwick?" he asked again, as if he hadn't heard it right.

"You are talking about that House Fenwick?"

The messenger simply scratched his head and asked in innocence,"Are there any other House Fenwick?"

"..."

What…Now you even know to talk back to your Lord Little shit.."

"Ah…My Lord…I made a dead.."The messenger almost jumped to his knees but Ethan grabbed him.

"I was joking..Don't be too stressed."

"Yea..Yes.., my Lord."

"Do you know why he is here?"Ethan asked but the guy shook his head.

Ethan tilted his head slightly, confused. "Ask him to wait a bit. I'll meet him shortly."

The messenger hesitated. "My Lord... it's not just any guest. It's Baron Fenwick himself so Lady Sophia asked you to hurry."

Ethan froze. " Baron Fenwick appeared himself?"

Hearing this a bad premonition welled up in his heart.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.