In Graycastle, City of Neverwinter.
Due to the inconvenience of transporting Longsong Cannons, the Gun Battalion was sent to the Kingdom of Wolfheart and the Kingdom of Everwinter to carry out His Majesty's population migration plan, while the Artillery Battalion was free. In addition to daily training and helping with the autumn harvest, the soldiers who were not on duty could go home and spend their precious leisure time with their families.
Van'er was no exception. Now that he was a battalion commander, it was difficult for him to apply for a vacation, so he naturally cherished this opportunity. In addition to spending time with family and visiting neighbors, it was also an essential activity for him to have a party with old friends. After all, alcohol was not allowed in the army. If he wanted to have a good drink, he could only do it during his vacation.
After years of development, the commercial prosperity of City of Neverwinter had long surpassed that of the old king's city. The commercial street plan advocated by His Majesty at the beginning, that was, every house facing the street would be built into a two-story shop for rent. Now, it had become a hot spot. Many merchants from other places had moved in. Some of them were selling special goods transported from various places, while others were renovated into hotels, restaurants, and taverns. If the Convenience Market provided daily necessities, then these shops provided a rich supplement.
Walking on the crowded street, Van'er could not help but feel impressed by His Majesty's foresight. Even though the peddlers were hawking their wares one after another, the urban road was not congested at all. The peddlers did not pile up their shops all over the street. Everyone shuttled back and forth on the special stone-paved walkway, while the carriages ran on the black road. Everything seemed to be in order.
He remembered that when the construction team first laid the line and built the road, many people did not understand why the street was so wide, especially the separation of people and carriages, which seemed superfluous and unnecessary. Now it seemed that the plan was just right, as if His Majesty had foreseen this scene in advance.
After passing through two main roads, Van'er came to the "Lucky Cannonball" tavern, which was also his destination.
As soon as he entered the tavern, a man behind the counter immediately limped out and greeted him, "Sir, you're here!"
"Don't call me sir. That's how people in the army call me. You're no longer in the First Army. Just call me Van'er." He smiled as he hugged the man and patted him hard on the back. "How's business recently? It should be good, right?"
Compared to his name, Van'er was more impressed by his nickname, Iron Crutch. Half a year ago, in the fierce battle on Tower No. 1, in order to recapture the artillery position occupied by the demons, Iron Crutch, who was still serving in the artillery battalion, led a team to charge at the demons. As a result, a javelin pierced through his abdomen to his leg, and he lost consciousness on the spot. Although he was saved by Miss Angel after the incident, there were too many missing parts, so he couldn't fully recover. His entire right leg had to be temporarily replaced by a metal rod, and the nickname "Iron Crutch" was passed down.
After retiring from the army, Iron Crutch received a sum of subsidies, and together with his accumulated salary, he opened the "Lucky Cannonball" tavern in the Eastern District, which could be regarded as a frequent gathering place for the First Army on vacation.
"The rent is reduced during the period of injury, and it's enough to support the family." Iron Crutch rubbed his hands and said, "Of course, it would be better if you could visit us a few more times."
Van'er felt a surge of gratification in his heart. "You'll have to wait until I quit or become like you. By the way, have the Rona brothers arrived? "
"They're all upstairs. Let me take you there."
"No, no, no, it's okay. You go about your own business first. When there are fewer customers, come up and have a few drinks with us."
"Okay, that's a deal," Iron Crutch agreed readily.
Van'er went upstairs and immediately saw his old fellows sitting around a round table. Jop, Cat's Claw, Rodney, Narson … When the Artillery Battalion was first established, they were just a bunch of young lads in the same artillery team. They were the kind that would tremble in fear at the sight of a knight's charge. But now, they had basically become the backbone of the Artillery Battalion, and each of them had their own subordinates. If it were not for such a special holiday, it would have been very difficult for them to gather together like before.
After that, it was a happy time where everyone toasted and drank to their heart's content. There was nothing they wouldn't talk about, but the most common topic was still the army itself and the upcoming Battle of Divine Will.
After all, according to His Majesty, the scale of this war was unprecedented, and the whole continent would be involved in it. It was unknown how many people would be able to sit together and drink after the war ended.
"Actually, we're already considered lucky. At least we don't have to deal with those monsters head-on." Rodney drank a mouthful of ale and let out a long sigh. "If we lose the cannons, it's basically the same as a complete defeat."
"The problem is, who knows what new tricks the demons have up their sleeves... Tower Station No. 1 was caught unprepared, wasn't it?" Cat's Claw shrugged. "I just hope that when the time comes, our soldiers can at least fight back, instead of waiting for the guys from the Firearm Battalion and the Special Tactics Squad to rescue us."
His words resonated with the others. "That's right. It would be great if we also had powerful continuous firing weapons. Revolver rifles can deal with the Knight Charge, but not the demons."
"Save it. I heard that the army plans to replace all bolt-action rifles. Very soon, you won't even see revolvers."
"No way... Battalion Commander, is that true?"
Van'er nodded when he saw everyone looking at him. "In fact, the first and sixth squads have already gotten new weapons. It'll take some time for the other squads to get the new ones because of the production problem."
Jop frowned. "I've also tried the new gun. Its accuracy and power are good, but the speed at which it fires and retracts is not suitable to be used as a melee weapon. Can't the artillery battalion continue to use the original weapons?"
"I'm afraid not. This is the decision of the higher-ups." Van'er pointed to the top of his head. "The revolver uses old-fashioned black powder, and the bullets look the same. It's definitely more cost-effective to save some workers to make new bullets."
"Then... how about asking Sir Iron Axe to design a new weapon for us with His Majesty?"
"Don't even think about it," Nelson snorted. "If there's such a good thing, Brian and the others will have it."
"That's right. The Artillery Battalion only needs cannons," Cat's Claw said, imitating Brian's tone. "Don't you always say that the thicker the pipe, the better? Let the Gun Battalion keep this kind of small pipe. Guys, let's drink! "
Everyone laughed and raised their glasses, but Van'er did not respond. He stared at the wine in his glass motionlessly, as if he was thinking about something.
"Battalion Commander?"
Van'er touched his chin and said slowly, "What if we make it ourselves?"
"Make what? A new flintlock? "Cat's Claw raised his eyebrows." Battalion Commander, are you drunk? "
"Come on! I don't know if you've noticed, but whether it's the shotgun used by the Special Tactics Squad or the Mark I Heavy Machine Gun of the Gun Battalion, they all shoot repeatedly through the same air pipe. " Van'er recalled and said, "I've seen a lot of weapons that were dismantled and recycled. Although the structure is different, the principle is almost the same."
"Uh... really? Why didn't I know that? "
"That's why he's the battalion commander, not you." Rodney curled his lips and said, "But even so, it requires a lot of manpower and materials, and the weapons factory is not under Sir Iron Axe's management."
"No, when I say build, I mean improve on the existing guns." The more Van'er said, the clearer his thinking became. "We don't need to trouble the weapon factory, nor will it increase the burden on the Administrative Office. We only need the assistance of a skilled worker."
The other three looked at Jop at the same time.
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