Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 56: Beginning of Winter
On the first day of winter, the weather was definitely cold—but not cold enough for snow just yet. Based on previous years, it usually snows within two weeks of the season’s start.
Of course, that’s just a guideline. Whether it snows or not depends entirely on the heavens.
Standing atop the northern wall, Owen was bundled in a thick fur coat, white vapor steaming from his breath as he gazed northward.
Beyond the wall, numerous guiding barricades had been set up. According to Viscount Jarvis, most undead monsters lack intelligence and simply charge straight ahead. These barricades would funnel them toward the central section of the wall, making it easier to concentrate defenses and annihilate them.
In addition to watching the northern plains, Owen kept a close eye on the wall’s condition itself.
Viru had done a meticulous job—not only had he repaired both breaches in the wall, but he also spent time inspecting the entire length, patching up any damage with cement wherever needed.
Now, the wall’s defensive capabilities were much stronger than they had been the previous winter. A repeat of that tragedy was unlikely.
Bianshu Town had officially shifted from a preparation state to wartime readiness.
Scouts were stationed at regular intervals along the wall, constantly monitoring the north. They rotated every four hours to prevent fatigue and lapses in vigilance.
As early as when the militia was first formed, Owen and Viscount Jarvis had already discussed in detail how to defend the northern wall through the winter. They developed a comprehensive strategy.
In the past, they had always assisted the Holy Knights in battle. But now, they had to rely entirely on their own strength, and couldn’t act the same way as before.
Behind the wall, the militia was conducting light training, more like warm-ups now. Their training load had been significantly reduced.
After all, when hordes of undead came, the militia would have to man the walls with spears in hand. As the core frontline defenders, they needed to preserve their stamina.
The same applied to the lizardmen warriors.
On that note, the lizardmen had a special skill—javelin throwing. When dealing with larger undead monsters, that ability might prove useful.
Then there was the knight squad. These knights had firsthand experience fighting undead and were a critical force.
In addition to their swords, knights also carried crossbows. A qualified knight had to be proficient with various weapons.
When the undead were still far off, the knights would open the attack with crossbows. Once the monsters approached, they’d switch to melee and fight alongside the militia and lizardmen.
Lastly, there was the shooter squad, composed of nine hunters. Their marksmanship far exceeded that of the knights, which is why Owen chose them to train with muskets.
(Don’t ask why there are only nine—one member secretly sold black powder meant for training and was dealt with by Viscount Jarvis.)
The shooter squad’s role was precision elimination—taking down undead that crossbows couldn’t handle, using muskets.
Because of this, they were highly mobile, patrolling the central area of the wall and assisting wherever needed.
At the moment, there were only five muskets, but it wouldn’t be long before everyone in the squad had one.
According to Jita’s report, the steam boring machine used to mass-produce parts for muskets was nearly finished…
Soon, the steam boring machine would be ready to bore musket barrels, marking a major step forward in production.
Viscount Jarvis looked on with great envy at the muskets held by the hunters. If possible, he would have loved to join the shooting squad himself. Unfortunately, his duty was to command on the battlefield—not to fight on the front lines. That was the soldier’s job.
Still, Owen had promised that once muskets could be mass-produced, he would gift one to Viscount Jarvis.
That promise alone reignited his enthusiasm.
You could say Viscount Jarvis was a bit of a firearm enthusiast, as Winston had put it.
There was one more thing worth noting: the paper-making experiment had already succeeded, and suitable materials had been determined.
Combined with Winston’s oiled paper technique, Owen urgently recruited workers to produce a batch of oiled cartridge paper.
These paper cartridges wrapped lead bullets and a pre-measured amount of gunpowder.
When using them, a soldier would bite off the tail end, pour some powder into the primer pan, then load the rest—paper and all—into the muzzle with the lead bullet and remaining powder.
This method greatly improved reloading speed, and helped prevent mistakes under the pressure of battle, such as using too much or too little powder.
As a result, when the shooting squad had downtime, they were often seen sitting and rolling cartridges by hand.
As for explosive charges, each tower along the wall was stocked with a few, but not too many. In case of an accident, a blast could damage the wall more than the undead ever would.
Meanwhile, four catapults had been set up and were ready to go, each operated by a five-man team.
When undead monsters were spotted, the first response would be to launch stones. Explosives would only be used if enemy numbers were overwhelming—and only with Viscount Jarvis’s permission.
“At last,”
Mapel said beside Owen.
“The day has come. But this time, we’re truly prepared. Even without the Holy Knights, we can hold the wall.”
She had stayed close to Owen and witnessed firsthand everything he’d done for Bianshu Town. Her confidence was well-placed.
“That’s right.”
Owen replied.
As he turned to look at her, he noticed that Mapel’s sword had changed.
The hilt was inlaid with a high-grade frost mana stone—a heirloom magic sword from the Jarvis family. Normally, Viscount Jarvis himself carried it. So… he had finally passed it on to his daughter?
“He finally gave you the sword. You must be happy.”
Owen said.
Mapel placed a hand on the hilt, her expression complicated.
“I was… but now it feels like he just tossed me something he didn’t want anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“He said it himself: ‘This is the age of muskets, not swords and magic.’”
Owen nearly burst out laughing.
So Viscount Jarvis had only given up the sword because he thought it was obsolete! And here he hadn’t even gotten the musket he was promised yet!
Owen turned his gaze back to the north, falling into thought. It was easy to imagine how devastating the impact of firearms would be on this world.
[I wonder if we’ll see any undead today.]
Winston’s voice echoed in his mind, full of curiosity.
[Not just yet. Probably a few days more before the first wave arrives.]
Owen replied.
[Aww, and here I was all excited to check in.]
Learning there wouldn’t be any action today, Winston immediately lost interest.
[In that case, I’ll just—]
As Winston prepared to end the connection and return to his research, Irwin suddenly called out.
[Winston.]
[Yeah?]
[Thank you. For all the help. Without it… I wouldn’t have had the confidence to stay and defend Bianshu Town.]
At last, Owen had voiced what he’d been holding in his heart all along.
From the alkali-resistant wheat to the technologies Winston had shared, everything was exactly what Bianshu Town needed.
And for that, Owen was truly grateful.