Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

TL: Etude

The Restoration Army—this was the self-styled name of Jars’ rebel forces, originating from a small kingdom that had governed the area before the establishment of the Kingdom of Ordo. Jars’ family could, to an extent, claim kinship with the royal family of this bygone state. However, according to the current propaganda of the “Restoration Army”, this long-forgotten royal line was not simply a local power, as Jars believed his family had a legitimate legal claim to the entire Kingdom of Ordo.

The rebels’ camp was filled with noise and chaos, something common to armies of that era. On the outskirts, traders were vigorously hawking their wares, and heavily made-up prostitutes wandered, soliciting customers.

Fights, gambling, and heavy drinking were commonplace here.

Yet in the central part of the camp, the atmosphere was of strict vigilance and a sobering lethality. Fully armed guards thoroughly checked every individual coming in and out, and anyone caught loitering aimlessly was immediately apprehended.

At the very center stood a wooden fortress, the dwelling place of the rebels’ supreme commander.

At that moment, a banquet was being held inside the wooden fortress.

“Duke Jars has arrived!”

As the servant announced loudly, all conversations in the hall ceased, and everyone stood up in respectful silence.

A man, draped in a scarlet cloak and with a sword hanging from his waist, took his place at the head of the room.

This man was tall with broad shoulders, and his beard, as if chiseled, emanated an air of dignity. Although his hair and beard were speckled with white, his eyes were bright and commanding, and his face wore an expression of authoritative calm.

This was Duke Jars, the instigator of the ongoing years-long rebellion in Ordo, a thorn in the side of the kingdom’s government, known by the moniker ‘The Greedy Wolf.’

Standing before everyone, the Duke slightly raised his hands and said, “Please, be seated!” He then sat himself down as well.

Following his lead, everyone else also took their seats.

Jars lifted a cup of wine and said loudly, with a bold flourish, “Next week will be the day of our decisive battle against the false king’s army. Swords and spears do not discriminate on the battlefield, so I hope all of you will be under the protection of the Lord of Light. After the battle, may we gather here once again! Gentlemen, let’s drink this cup first.”

After finishing his toast, the Duke tilted his head back and drank the entire cup of wine in one go.

A chorus of toasts echoed throughout the hall.

“The Duke’s capacity for wine is truly admirable!”

A sycophantic voice rose among the attendees.

A man dressed differently from the rest stood up. The reason for his distinct appearance was that while others were either in military attire or wearing simple clothes, he alone was dressed in an extravagant noble’s long coat.

He said with full confidence, “Next week we will surely annihilate the false king’s army, and then swiftly march north to seize Crystal Shine in one fell swoop!”

Jars, squinting his eyes and smiling faintly, said, “Haha, Sir Abel, with such confidence, we will definitely take Crystal Shine and gain control over the entire nation… [If only your Viburen family’s troops weren’t so useless].”

If it weren’t for the sake of their alliance, Jars would have really liked to voice that last thought out loud.

According to the original plan, the Restoration Army was to fight from the south to the north, while the Viburen family’s forces were to go from east to west, preventing the royal army from assisting each other. The capture of Crystal Shine Fortress should have been certain.

What they didn’t calculate was just how unreliable the Viburen family’s troops would be. Against the main royal forces that had been redeployed to the south, thus leaving the eastern defenses weak, they were still met with defeat after defeat.

In the end, they even had the audacity to come to Jars’ side, hoping to benefit from his victories —an utterly shameless act!

The man responsible for leading these troops was Viburen’s youngest son, Sir Abel. Jars could tell why Viburen’s forces were so lacking just by looking at Abel. Since his arrival, he behaved nothing like someone preparing for war, but rather looked like he was here for a vacation, spending his days summoning prostitutes and drinking. The troops under his command were even worse; inept at battle yet proficient in harassing the common folk, a disgrace to the warrior class.

Such an “ally” was more trouble than not. In every battle, Jars relegated them to the role of a reserve force, kept far away, as though they were there to cheer rather than fight.

After politely dealing with a few remarks, Jars paid no further attention to Abel, turning to a young man on his right, “Mr. Scott, we will need your assistance more than ever in this upcoming battle!”

Scott rose and bowed respectfully, “Please rest assured, Duke. The Arcane Society’s new batch of aid will arrive shortly, not only including the potions necessary for our undead troops, but also a large supply of armors and exotic machineries. On the day of our decisive battle, the collective strength of our forces will surely climb to a new level.”

The Duke stroked his beard while slightly nodding. Yet, there seemed to be a hint of worry between his brows that never quite eased.

General Samar, who sat on the Duke’s left, noticed his lord’s anxiety and inquired, “Mr. Scott, is it possible for your organization to provide more armaments in these next few days? You’ve seen it yourself, the false king’s army has a much higher rate of armored soldiers compared to ours. Relying solely on our limited number of undead troops, it will be difficult to achieve an absolute advantage!”

“This…” Mage Scott seemed troubled. After pondering for a moment, he could only respond, “I will report this to my superiors.”

Scott, indeed, was feeling bitter. When he first arrived, he had ambitious plans to fulfill the legendary achievements of a wizard—overthrowing a powerful kingdom. However, halfway through the war, the royal army had suddenly increased its power, especially in terms of equipment. Soldiers at the front lines were almost all armored, albeit with generally low-quality iron breastplates. This contrasted starkly with Jars’ side, where only a few elite units were armored, which was significantly weaker by comparison.

When did the Ordo royal house become so extravagantly wealthy? Surely the nobles of Crystal Shine hadn’t decided to generously donate, or had they? And even if the nobles were willing to donate money, how could the kingdom have so much iron available for weaponry? Were all other needs being ignored?

Scott could sense that the Arcane Society’s interest in Jars was waning. It seemed that allowing him to carve out his own territory was their limit, as the Society’s attention had already shifted to the Horn Bay Alliance, gearing up for significant moves there—Nathan had been dispatched for that purpose, infuriating Scott.

Samar noticed Scott’s evasiveness and a look of dissatisfaction appeared on his face.

In an attempt to deflect the awkwardness, Scott quickly changed the subject: “Have you figured out where the false king’s army is getting their armaments?”

Samar frowned deeply and answered, “According to intelligence from the north, it seems to all be purchased from the Gulf of the Northwest Bay.”

Many in the hall showed puzzled faces—the Gulf of the Northwest Bay? Where was that obscure corner? They had not even heard of it.

Samar loudly explained to everyone, “It’s the collective name for the northwestern territories of the kingdom, named after the large bay there. In recent years, it seems that large, high-quality iron mines were discovered, and with the ongoing war in the kingdom, the production of military equipment surged.”

Upon hearing this, one of the commanders slammed his fist on the table, “Cursed fate, why must such a boon occur under the false king’s rule?”

Scott inquired, “Can’t the lord of that territory be persuaded? Maybe through your covert influence…”

He was aware of the Northwest Bay Gulf; a high-ranking member of the Arcane Society had gone there and then vanished without a trace.

An informant, dressed in plain clothes—seemingly responsible for gathering intelligence—shook his head, “Though the lords of the Northwest Bay Gulf have their differences, they are largely loyal to the royal house. Besides, it’s far from the southern border, limiting our influence there.”

While everyone was engaged in heated discussion, Duke Jars waved his hand, commanding silence.

The ‘Greedy Wolf’s’ eyes gleamed with a cold light: “Words are useless now. Focus your hearts and minds on next week’s battle! To those who owe us, to those who have schemed against us, I will settle the scores, one by one!”

“Battle! Battle!”

His commanders responded in unison, shouting loudly enough to shake the entire hall.

Both Abel and Scott were intimidated by the Duke’s gaze, shuddering involuntarily.

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