[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system":3,"chapter-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-55":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Exiled Duke's Lottery system",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1366763,1809,"Chapter 55 - 51: Grooves of Steel","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-55",55,"\u003Cp>By the time winter loosened its grip over Elarion, the fortress workshops had become the loudest place in the entire territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day and night the sounds of hammering echoed across the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steel striking steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furnace doors slamming open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers shouting measurements across smoke-filled halls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhere within the chaos—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dwarves insulting human intelligence at least once every few minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flintlock muskets had already proven successful weeks earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But functional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The northern patrols had already begun limited training with them while Lucien carefully restricted production to trusted men only.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weapons were still primitive: slow to reload inaccurate at distance sensitive to moisture\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even with flaws, the muskets changed how the knights viewed warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after armored targets started collapsing under lead rounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, however—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien wanted more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem with smoothbore muskets became obvious during training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At medium distance the projectiles became wildly inconsistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some struck accurately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others curved unpredictably through the air like drunken birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen had summarized the issue best after one demonstration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These weapons fight confidently against walls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not ideal for warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which was why Lucien stood inside the western workshop once again while staring at a partially cut metal barrel resting across the central forge table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around him: dwarven smiths human craftsmen Gandalf Cedric\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And unfortunately—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden dragon currently occupied nearly an entire reinforced upper platform near the ceiling while watching everyone below with visible boredom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have all spent six days discussing holes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dwarf immediately pointed upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grooves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tiny grooves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Important grooves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar closed one eye again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still unimpressive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien ignored the argument and looked toward the lead dwarven smith instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Show me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dwarf nodded before lifting the unfinished barrel carefully beneath the forge lights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance it looked ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until he angled it toward the lantern glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiral lines became visible inside the barrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twisting slowly along the interior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nearby human craftsmen still looked doubtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric crossed his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re telling me scratches inside the barrel improve accuracy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not scratches,\" the dwarf replied irritably. \"Controlled spiral grooves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another dwarf stepped closer before grabbing a metal rod from the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the projectile exits a smooth barrel, it tumbles.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He demonstrated loosely with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unstable flight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he rotated the rod sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But spinning stabilizes movement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One younger smith frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So we’re making the bullet rotate?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sounds ridiculous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dwarf stared at him flatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Most innovation sounds ridiculous before it works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf nodded proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is exactly what I said before the third explosion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The third explosion destroyed a roof!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A temporary structural disagreement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien rubbed his forehead slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workshops had become exhausting lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because progress was slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because every improvement created three new problems afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rifling concept interested him immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If successful, it would solve one of the greatest weaknesses of early firearms: accuracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen stepped closer toward the unfinished rifle barrel afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Can ordinary smiths make these?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dwarf answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not quickly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he pointed toward the interior grooves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every line must remain balanced.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another dwarf muttered bitterly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And humans keep ruining alignment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One human worker immediately protested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said left rotation!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said your other left!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is not a direction!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workshop erupted into arguments again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien quietly stepped away from the forge tables for a moment while observing the workers around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The industrial district had changed enormously in only a few months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original rough furnaces were gone now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their place stood proper coke-fed forge lines capable of maintaining far greater temperatures than traditional charcoal operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steel production increased steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mining output doubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supply routes expanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And perhaps most importantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workers themselves were changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People moved with purpose now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the blacksmith apprentices no longer looked like starving frontier survivors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked like craftsmen building something important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That realization mattered more than the weapons themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud metallic clang suddenly echoed from the testing corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien turned immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the newer rifled barrels had split during pressure testing, sending fragments across the stone floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully nobody stood too close this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dwarf responsible stared at the ruined weapon in complete silence before slowly turning toward Gandalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is your powder mixture.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old mage frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It burned efficiently.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It attempted murder efficiently!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar lifted his head slightly from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I warned you all that tiny thunder tubes remain unreliable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you even here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon blinked lazily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Entertainment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is not comforting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your species rarely is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the setback, work resumed almost immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was another thing Lucien noticed about dwarves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They complained constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aggressively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they never stopped working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By late afternoon the newest prototype finally reached testing stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the earlier smoothbore muskets, this weapon looked slightly longer and heavier, with more carefully balanced internal shaping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ammunition itself had also changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smaller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tighter fitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dwarf held the rifle carefully while checking the interior grooves beneath lantern light one final time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked toward Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Testing moved outside the fortress walls shortly afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The northern snowfields stretched across the valley beneath pale evening light while soldiers gathered carefully around the reinforced firing range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Word had spread quickly through Elarion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone wanted to see the \"new thunder weapon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar landed atop a nearby stone watchtower while folding his wings dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I remain convinced humans are reinventing inferior dragons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One nearby guard whispered quietly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I think he’s jealous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon immediately looked downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard looked terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar looked pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The firing target stood nearly three hundred meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far beyond normal musket accuracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several knights exchanged doubtful looks immediately after seeing the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s impossible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing hits accurately from there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric loaded the rifle carefully before handing it toward Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment the entire range became quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold wind rolled across the snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien raised the rifle slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adjusted stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breathed once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound cracked across the valley like thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke burst outward from the barrel while several nearby horses panicked instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far in the distance—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The metal target rang violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Direct hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nobody moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One knight blinked slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rifle was reloaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slower than a bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slower than magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Lucien fired again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second shot struck even closer to the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time nobody spoke at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen walked toward the damaged target personally afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he returned several minutes later, he carried the shattered steel plate in one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The round had punched directly through reinforced armor plating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several knights stared at the hole silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they understood immediately what that meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distance no longer guaranteed safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Armor no longer guaranteed survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar watched the reaction from atop the tower before finally speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Interesting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone startled Lucien slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon almost never praised human creations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dwarf crossed his arms proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not bad for tiny thunder tubes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar snorted smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not become arrogant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then after a pause:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Though the spinning projectile concept is clever.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dwarves immediately looked victorious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf meanwhile looked emotional for entirely different reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We changed warfare.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas had arrived midway through testing and now stood silently near the rear of the crowd staring at the damaged armor plate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the soldiers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was thinking politically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien recognized that expression immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the administrator understood the same truth he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If weapons like this spread beyond Elarion—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The balance between nobles and common soldiers would begin changing forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And kingdoms rarely welcomed change they could not control.\u003C\u002Fp>",1268,"2026-06-05T21:32:57.730Z",1,"novelbin.me","7264f73712ef034cb6ea5cfa957c78114e25025e65bca37a074f521926625d48","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-56","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-54",144,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-cover.jpg"]