[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-392":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162158,1504,"Chapter 392: The Arms Dealer","ember-dragon-chapter-392",392,"\u003Cp>Chapter 392: The Arms Dealer\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The envoy delegation slowly recovered from their shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they still had a mission to fulfill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the guidance of the Tiefling Imperial Guard, Saxe Barry and his party boarded a novel steam locomotive, arriving at a clearing on the outskirts of Isthalia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder. There weren’t many structures around, just dozens of humanoid target dummies riddled with bullet holes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had expected to see the Empire’s military putting on an impressive display of armor and weapons, but that wasn’t the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure this is the place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, this is your destination.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, you must be the clients from the Kingdom of Thrace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry turned to see a half-dragon striding toward them, dressed in a strange mix of black and dark green clothing. He waved enthusiastically, carrying several long wooden cases on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, hello!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m the Empire’s arms sales representative. You can call me Battlefield Wheelchair Man.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man beamed brightly and grasped Saxe Barry’s hand firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the odd name and attire, the half-dragon’s enthusiasm made Saxe Barry feel somewhat uneasy, even suspecting a hidden agenda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to maintain the demeanor of Thrace’s Chief Diplomat, Saxe Barry kept a serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should know that the Kingdom of Thrace is currently engaged in a large-scale war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We need to procure a batch of weapons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hope your goods won’t disappoint me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, of course. This way, please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me introduce the Empire’s armaments in detail. The samples are all here, and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man warmly led them to the shooting range, setting down the wooden cases on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are these it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry frowned again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his experience, weapons commonly used by mortal soldiers on large battlefields included spears, bows, and armor. Elite units often had magical runes inscribed on their gear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these wooden cases didn’t look like they could hold such equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man eagerly opened one of the cases, revealing a finely crafted \"long stick,\" which he skillfully held in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry recognized this type of weapon—it was similar to what he had seen the Tiefling Imperial Guards wield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he didn’t know how it was used and felt no magical energy emanating from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could something like this...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Be used to kill enemies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing the doubt in Saxe Barry’s eyes, Battlefield Wheelchair Man patted the gun confidently and explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the Empire’s latest model from our armament research—[Enemy-Breaker Firearm, Model III (Export Version)].\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the pinnacle of the Empire’s gunsmithing, the finest of smoothbore firearms.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Battlefield Wheelchair Man was lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Machine God Cult had already advanced their research to the level of WWII-era weapons, producing replicas of the M1 Garand, Simonov, and Mauser 98K, among others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had even developed a prototype of the Type II submachine gun that Battlefield Wheelchair Man had been longing for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Enemy-Breaker Firearm\" smoothbore musket, however, was an outdated model that the military had completely phased out, generations behind the standard rifles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them were left to gather dust in the armories or used by auxiliary kobold and goblin troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry carefully examined the so-called \"smoothbore firearm,\" trying to find magical circuits on it, but found nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is it used?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry couldn’t help but ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s very simple and intuitive. Let me demonstrate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man replied enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his camouflage uniform, he pulled out a bundle of ammunition wrapped in oilcloth and expertly loaded it into the gun’s muzzle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with practiced ease, he raised the gun, aimed at the target, and quickly pulled the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gun roared, smoke billowed, and lead shot flew from the barrel, riddling the target with holes and knocking it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such power...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is this possible?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry’s expression was one of amazement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed a sudden and intense magical reaction the moment the firearm discharged. The power was comparable to certain third-circle spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the diplomat’s astonishment, Battlefield Wheelchair Man grinned, revealing sharp white teeth, and continued his pitch:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Compared to the previous generation [Enemy-Breaker Firearm, Model II], this model has undergone significant performance upgrades.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The [Enemy-Breaker Firearm, Model III (Export Version)] boasts improved accuracy and range, a drastically reduced chance of misfire, and an extremely elegant design.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the perfect choice for home defense, battlefield dominance, or even highway robbery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Saxe Barry listened to the sales pitch, he lowered his head, deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though powerful, this weapon was nothing remarkable in the days of Holy Fadlan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Empire’s peak, the \"Sunwheel Bows\" of godspawn nobles could fire arrows as powerful as eighth or ninth-circle spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, mortals couldn’t draw the gilded bowstrings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This so-called \"Enemy-Breaker Firearm,\" on the other hand, could be easily wielded by anyone—women, children, or the elderly—provided they had basic intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such magical weapons surely wouldn’t come cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor likely intended to \"sell\" them under the guise of commerce, extorting a significant sum from Thrace while framing it as \"support for the Kingdom of Thrace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry sighed, resigning himself to reporting this to King Wilhelm later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Originally priced at 199 silver coins, now only 99 silver coins!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if you place an order for more than 50,000 units, you’ll enjoy a 15% discount!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man enthusiastically announced the pricing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So...it’s 99 gold...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry sighed at first but then suddenly looked up, his pupils dilating in shock, his mouth agape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you say the price was?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man, slightly confused, repeated, \"Single unit, 99 silver coins. Orders of 50,000 or more qualify for a 15% discount.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This...this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry’s voice trembled as he repeatedly confirmed the price, wondering if he had misheard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because it was too expensive—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because it was too cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So cheap it was unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each \"Enemy-Breaker Firearm\" was priced at only 99 silver coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant they could train ordinary mortals with minimal effort and equip a 100,000-strong infantry army for less than 10,000 gold coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the population and resources of the Kingdom of Thrace, they could easily field an army of hundreds of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the weapon wouldn’t pose a significant threat to legendary forces, it would be more than sufficient against regular armies, slowing the Kingdom of Kassander’s advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This weapon could change the war!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must report to His Majesty immediately!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saxe Barry thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he didn’t realize that what he believed to be a bargain was actually a meticulously laid trap by the Empire, leading the Kingdom of Thrace into a carefully designed pitfall.\u003C\u002Fp>",1116,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.952Z","2026-06-03T12:47:07.061Z",1,"novelbin.me","be71b660240f03c73b063fe5ecfaee7050de705c7f9ee710215392c5a1cac8be","ember-dragon-chapter-393","ember-dragon-chapter-391",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]