Reborn As Noble

”Yes, esteemed Father. But their problem is simple: they have to load everything by hand, gunpowder, mana crystal, the whole lot. Like the oldest field cannons. It’s slow, clumsy, and the aim depends entirely on the gunner’s eyesight and guesswork. If they misjudge the angle or wind, the shot misses.”

Javier exhaled, voice edged with a hint of frustration.

”I really don’t understand why they keep trying to challenge Armand. All we want is stability and peace, but they keep pushing for confrontation.”

Garius let out a soft, dry chuckle.

”That’s just Kimar for you. It’s why I never voted for him to become king, back when we were merely nobles. He was always brash and short-sighted.”

Javier’s gaze turned serious again.

”Even if, by some miracle, they manage to build those cannons in large numbers, it’s pointless. My anti-air mana guns aren’t just for air defense, they’re programmed to target any threat, whether it’s flying or approaching on the ground. The system is fully autonomous. It tracks and shoots down anything hostile within the protected area.”

He rubbed his chin, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

”And with the new mana cannon, there’s no need for reloading. It just compresses mana and fires. There’s no barrel to crack, no powder to ignite. The whole thing is self-sealing, self-cooling, and it’ll keep firing as long as the relay towers are active.”

Garius studied him for a long moment.

”Are you certain they won’t become a threat?”

Javier nodded calmly.

”They are a threat, to peace, and to the safety of our people. But as long as both the Arjam Battlement and the Armand Border Battlement are fully equipped with my systems, I don’t believe they can confront us directly.”

He paused, then added evenly, ”What concerns me more is that they may be building these weapons to challenge other nations, especially our allies. And that’s something we won’t allow.”

Javier rested his hand on the table. ”Every Armand soldier now wears standardized Armand battle gear. Each set is fitted with auto-activating barrier runes. They respond instantly to incoming attacks, elemental, kinetic, physical, or mana-based.”

Cedric’s brow furrowed slightly. ”Auto-activating?”

( End Of Chapter )