Konbini Ossan Volume 4 Chapter 20 — Arms Negotiations
After finishing my discussion with Shuri-kun and Yuuki, I headed to see Marceline.
Since I had the chance to meet her, I wanted to discuss what I planned to produce in my factory — and how I would distribute it.
“…So, that’s why I’ve come to consult with you.”
“You’re as sudden as ever, Otsugi-dono.”
Marceline sighed from her seat in her office.
“So, what is it you want to consult about?”
“Yes. I’ve been considering what sort of items I should manufacture at my factory.”
“Isn’t that something you should decide for yourself, Otsugi-dono?”
Marceline frowned. Well, that reaction made sense — she wasn’t directly involved with the factory, after all.
“Even so, since the weapons will ultimately be supplied to the army, I thought it’d be more efficient to make things the military actually needs.”
“Hmm. You have a point there.”
Marceline leaned back slightly, looking thoughtful.
“Still, it’s hard to answer on the spot. We don’t even know what kind of quality you’re capable of producing. Without that, I can’t say much.”
“I thought you might say that, so I brought a few samples.”
With that, I took several magic tools out of my storage pouch.
“First, this sword.”
“Hmm, looks like an ordinary sword to me.”
“Yes. But when I channel mana into it—”
Upon infusing the sword with magic, the blade began to tremble with a fine, rapid vibration.
“As you can see, it vibrates at high frequency.”
“And what good does that do?”
“Allow me to show you.”
I pricked my finger lightly and used «Iron Blood» to form a small ingot of steel from the wound.
Tossing it into the air, I positioned the vibrating blade beneath its falling path.
The moment the ingot touched the sword, it sliced cleanly in two — as if through tofu.
“I see. I don’t quite get the mechanism, but it’s got impressive sharpness.”
Marceline seemed to understand the point.
This sword was imbued with my skill «Leg Jitter». Thanks to its effect, the ultra-high-frequency vibrations gave the blade exceptional cutting power.
“However, the knight order won’t be able to adopt it.”
The moment she said that, Marceline vanished — or so it seemed.
Her movement was so fast and precise that she appeared to teleport, suddenly standing before me.
She tapped the vibrating sword lightly at its base. Instantly, it snapped with a sharp crack.
“It lacks durability. A knight’s sword that breaks this easily would quite literally be a disgrace to the name.”
I nodded at her remark.
“You’re right. It’s not suitable for the knights. That’s why I was thinking this sword would be better issued to soldiers instead.”
Knights and soldiers — both serve the nation’s military, but they’re quite different.
Knights form the standing army, while soldiers are more like militia — ordinary citizens who live normal lives until they’re conscripted when the kingdom calls.
Naturally, knights are stronger and stationed in key locations like the royal capital and major cities.
Their equipment is also superior — armor and swords alike are of higher quality and performance.
Because of that, their weapons must meet every standard at a high level. A high-frequency sword passes in sharpness, yes, but its durability is an issue.
A blade that breaks after limited use simply can’t endure in battle.
Reinforcing the blade could improve durability, but increasing size and mass would make it too unwieldy.
Enhancing the metal quality would fix it, but then the cost would skyrocket — making mass production impossible for the entire knight order.
“What are you saying? If even the knights can’t use it, there’s no way the soldiers could.”
“Not necessarily.”
I said that as I took out another magic tool.
“To explain that, I’ve prepared this prototype.”
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E/N:
Skill conditions went to vacation with this one. And the leg jitter still makes my stomach hurt 🤣 🤣! Stay tuned!
(2/2 chapter)
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