If I Disobey the Duke

Unknown Story (4)

Vlad’s gaze was fixed on the soldiers standing with the long guns on their shoulders. Every time his gaze reached the soldiers, the officers standing around Lily and Vlad were more anxious.

“It’s cool.” Lily watched the soldiers preparing to shoot from behind with curious eyes. “I’ve seen jousting matches and swordsmanship training. Gun training… I’ve never seen it before. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a weapon with a tip like that.”

“Unlike arrows, bullets pierce armor and monster skin at once. However, since the reload time is long, it is practical to learn bayonet technique together.”

Lily nodded, listening carefully to his calm explanation. “It would be slower to reload if you wore heavy armor. So, are you all wearing uniforms?”

“That’s right. You’re also very insightful.”

Her face flushed slightly. His compliments were always like this. He didn’t exaggerate, as if he was telling the obvious. Lily raised her head at her sudden question.

“Then why on the first day I came here… Were you wearing armor?”

“Until you discovered the cornerstone ore, we had to conserve ammo as much as possible. We haven’t started mining the mine yet, but things have changed a lot since then.”

It was a low voice, but there was a hint of pride.

The magistrates were preoccupied with the copper veins Lily had discovered, but his interests, which put military power first, were the cornerstones.

Cornerstone, the main ingredient for making gunpowder. To have that material in one’s hand…

“You are changing this place. Lily.”

As Vlad finished speaking, Gallahead shouted. Lily was startled by the roaring cry and looked at the soldiers.

As the commander shouted a second time, more than a dozen soldiers opened fire at the same time.

After a series of huge gunshots rang out, Lily let out a little scream and clung to her husband’s arms. Her body shuddered at the piercing roar in her ears and the pungent smell of gunpowder in her nose.

Although she had prepared her heart, she couldn’t help it.

Hearing dozens of gunshots up close was beyond imagination. It was nothing compared to the one small gun she had shot herself.

Even if the front row fired and then moved back, the back row came forward and fires one after another. The noise seemed endless.

Her heart raced like a rabbit startled by a cat’s yawn. Ironically, she wondered if the firing went well.

Startled, she glanced at the distant target with her round eyes, then looked up at her husband. “Is it alright? This training….” Lily paused. His expression was odd.

He wasn’t even looking at the target. He just looked down at her with a very strange expression.

The corners of his lips seemed to twitch.  What was certain was that he looked good…

“Ah…”

Looking back, she was half-hidden behind his back, hanging down.

As she became aware of their appearance, embarrassment flooded her face. How could the mistress of the Knights Templar, which was famous for handling gunpowder, show such an unsightly appearance.

tl/n : Knights Templar is the one handling gunpowder

Lily, whose cheeks were flushed, avoided his gaze and gently let go of her hand. “I-I made a mistake. I should watch the training…”

“Stay there.”

She was startled. He just glanced at the target board with a natural expression on his face.

“This is the most helpful posture for training. Like this.”

Lily’s fine eyebrows twisted as if puzzled. “Behind you?”

“That’s right.”

It was an answer without even a single hesitation.

No matter how much she thought about it, she didn’t think so. Seeing him answer this confidently, it seemed to be true…

Lily, who had been hesitating, grabbed his arm again and clung to it. With a deep breath, his chest shifted once more.

A high-ranking knight standing nearby muttered something.

Vlad must have heard the murmur, too, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Uhm, Vlad.” Lily looked up at him, clutching his thick forearms. “If I train, will I be able to shoot better?”

“…”

The expression on his face as she asked was not very bright. When she raised the gun in front of Rocus, the heavy metal made her arms tremble. At that time, what would have happened if Vlad had not appeared?

Rocus wasn’t a kid to hurt her, but he was a person who didn’t know how to control his anger.

He felt she had betrayed her family, so he must have threatened her physically. He would have hurt at least as much as the lord of Cadis.

Vlad considered it seriously. He looked at the soldiers forming the line. “The guns we use now… are too heavy for you.”

In a tone that only explained the facts, Lily was a little underwhelmed.

“I have Hans improve on something much smaller than what you used last time. We are working with engineers.”

Lily looked up at him with a softer expression.

“I told him to make it within a month, so let’s see when the results come out.”

Her eyes widened. The reason why Hans was going to work as a Knights Templar for the time being was…

“Are you saying that you’re starting new development again because of that?”

“That’s right.”

“Why so…”

The soldiers seemed to have finished training again. As they formed their ranks, from afar, Captain Lowell entered the training ground.

As he approached, he politely bowed his back.

“Lord, Madam. Luncheon is ready.”

Vlad nodded. The faces of the soldiers brightened as the lord and his wife prepared to leave the training ground.