第７８２堀：なかまがふえた (Part1)
### Chapter 782: New Allies
**Side: Yuki**
"……What are you doing, Agil?"
I asked that question to Agil, who was, for some reason, inside the laboratory.
"Hm? I was investigating those gun-like things for your sake. Here, this is the data."
With a bright smile, she handed me what was essentially a state secret. I was baffled as to why, but seeing Taizo-san and the others behind her nodding, I realized I must have requested their cooperation.
"Sigh. Agil, I’m sure you understand, but..."
"Of course. I won't speak a word of this to anyone. Besides, Enaria isn't stupid enough to send troops into a situation where casualties are expected just out of curiosity. We don't exactly have money to burn, either."
As expected of a general, she had a firm grasp on the balance of power between nations.
"Besides, the fact that these weapons—these 'gun-like' things—are being mass-produced is something I can't overlook personally. It’s possible that people from your homeland are mixed in among them, isn't it?"
"You think so too, Agil?"
"They’re unnecessarily intricate on the inside. Though, the durability is nowhere near enough. Anyway, please read the report—or rather, the documentation—that we stayed up all night to compile."
"Yeah, my apologies."
I took the report on the gun-like weapons from Agil and began to look through it. Milly and the others were handed copies as well, and they began to read along.
"What is this? It’s just a toy that’s all show and no substance."
As Milly said, it was clear that they were nothing more than imitation guns. I was grateful to have the details clarified in just one day. While further investigation would likely reveal more facts, the most important thing was knowing they lacked self-destruct or authentication mechanisms.
This meant they could be captured. If a battle broke out, we could seize them from the Seasifo Kingdom and repurpose them as Haiden weaponry.
"Milly-san, it’s not just a toy. It may not function as a gun, but it functions perfectly well as a staff for firing magic."
As Shera pointed out, while they didn't function as firearms, they weren't devoid of offensive power. They worked perfectly as wands to discharge magic. If there were 3,000 of these, they would possess a considerable amount of firepower.
Furthermore, they had a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. Once empty, one had to replace the magic stone attached in place of a magazine—a rather cumbersome process.
"Huh~. So it actually has the concept of a magazine."
"And you have to swap out the magic stones, huh."
Labyris and Aslin were impressed by this.
"I suppose that’s something to be praised. They really did utilize the structural concepts of a gun. It’s much like how we swap out the magic stones in our magic swords."
"I suppose you're right."
If anything, these gun-like weapons were closer to the magic swords or holy swords that Agil and her peers used, rather than actual guns. However, the magic stones were essentially disposable. They were recharged by pouring magic power into them, but much like a rechargeable battery, the capacity would gradually decrease until the stone eventually vanished.
The reason they vanished was that the magic stone was a pure crystal of magic power. It stood to reason that once the magic was squeezed out, the stone would cease to exist. Magic swords and holy swords avoided this downside by using a Dungeon Core as a reservoir for magic power. Even the holy and magic swords utilized cores.
As I was thinking about this while reading the documents, Firia noticed something.
"Wait? But this is strange. There are no monsters on the New Continent. You shouldn't be able to obtain monster cores—magic stones—so where did they get them?"
"You're right, Firia. Magic stones can't be harvested on the New Continent. Since magic stones are the cores of monsters, and the New Continent is structured so that the concentration of magic power required for monsters to appear doesn't occur, there's no way to obtain them there."
As I repeated Firia’s point, Agil nodded.
"Yes. As expected of Firia, very sharp. It seems mysterious at first glance, but I have a general idea of the answer."
"Why is that?"
"Aslin, it’s because the Seasifo Kingdom is a maritime nation."
"Ah, I see. If they don't have them on the New Continent, they’re just importing them from outside."
"Exactly. You hit the nail on the head, Labyris."
I see. If you don't have something, you just import it from somewhere that does. It was a simple story.
"But why do the magic stones maintain their form on the New Continent... oh, I see. They don't turn into monsters, but the stones themselves can still exist."
"That’s right. So, they import the stones from the outside to use them. Honestly, this simplified loading system is brilliant. It truly inherits the design philosophy of a gun."
"I suppose so. But I didn't know you could replenish magic power into a magic stone."
"No, Yuki, you know that. Magical tools use magic stones to absorb magic power from the air to operate for long periods."
Now that she mentioned it, that was true. Most magical tools were designed for long-term use, and even those meant for combat were often one-off items because they consumed so much magic power. Well, the equipment made by Narjia-san didn't really follow those common rules.
"So, it’s possible to store magic power in them, just like a magic sword?"
"The efficiency is terrible, though. If a magic sword’s replenishment rate is 100, a magic stone’s is about 20."
"That’s inefficient. One-fifth, huh?"
"And since they are repeatedly forced to squeeze out magic and then be replenished, they degrade quickly. It’s a different way of using them compared to standard magical tools."
"So, despite the issues, they function well enough as weapons."
"The weakness you’re looking for, Yuki, lies in the reloading and the supply of magazines. It means they require a massive amount of supplies."
"I see. In that case, can we assume the Seasifo Kingdom really did come to support our reconstruction?"
"Probably. A force of 10,000 soldiers would lack far too many supplies to fight a full-scale war. Well, they might have smuggled some in among the reconstruction supplies, but there’s a limit to that. Plus, it’s impossible to procure these specific magic stones for the guns here. It’s hard to believe the Seasifo Kingdom came here to invade."
It was a relief to know that, given the circumstances, the Seasifo Kingdom couldn't be considered an enemy.
"Agil, Taizo-san and everyone, thank you. With this, I’m going to go catch up with Deryu and the others."
I said that and we moved to leave, but...
"Wait a second. Why don't you take me with you?"
Agil suddenly suggested that.
"Huh? Why? Besides, aren't you a diplomat sent from Enaria to Weed? Is it really okay for you to stick your nose into the problems of the New Continent?"
"Well, actually, it’s not quite like that. In fact..."
"Are you going to say you're going to investigate the situation on the New Continent? Or perhaps 'scout it out'?"
"……Let me finish my sentence."
Agil slumped her shoulders, disappointed by my ability to read ahead.
"The trick I use most often is sophistry, after all. That said, it is a fact that seeing the actual New Continent will lead to future trade. What about permission?"
"Ah, the matter of these gun-like weapons is considered part of technical acquisition, but the paperwork for following you to the New Continent is still..."
"Then, why don't you leave the paperwork to your subordinates and come along?"
"Oh? Unexpected. Is it really okay for me to tag along?"