Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 82 – The Reason for Confidence
“Oh! I forgot to mention something beforehand.”
Owen raised a hand to his forehead and explained.
“Those lizardmen are our allies. They’ve also been fighting against the undead monsters.”
“Put your swords away! Don’t make such a fuss!”
Bray said sternly.
“Didn’t you see those lizardmen training alongside the soldiers? That clearly shows they pose no threat to humans.”
“Apologies. We overreacted.”
The two Holy Knights sheathed their swords, looking ashamed.
“Marquis Eisen, the fact that you managed to get the lizardmen and humans to fight side by side against the undead and achieve peaceful coexistence between the two races is truly remarkable!”
Bray looked at Owen with newfound admiration.
“May I ask, how did you manage to accomplish this?”
As a staunch supporter of the progressive faction, what Bray witnessed here was the very ideal his faction aspired to. He never expected to see it realized in such a remote town.
“It’s nothing special—just a matter of mutual benefit.”
“Mutual benefit?”
Bray was slightly stunned.
Owen gave a faint smile but didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he gestured toward the training grounds ahead.
“Let’s head over.”
Noticing the arrival of the lord, a knight in charge of training quickly came over to greet them.
When he spotted the three Holy Knights beside Owen, a flicker of excitement crossed his face, though he quickly concealed it.
Stories about the Holy Knights were well-known among knights, and many ordinary knights admired them greatly. Mapel was no exception.
“Marquis.”
The knight gave a proper salute.
“Get back to training the recruits.”
Owen said with a wave.
“We’ll just observe from the side.”
“Yes, sir!”
Returning to the field, the knight seemed more fired up than before and tightened the training standards for the militia.
On the training grounds, a group of neatly lined-up militia members was going through their daily routine—some of them had only just returned from attending a funeral.
“These militia are the main reason we’ve been able to hold off the undead monsters.”
Owen said proudly.
After a short pause, he added.
“As for powerful weapons—we only use those when absolutely necessary.”
“Militia?!”
Bray couldn’t help widening his eyes in disbelief.
“You mean they were originally commoners who didn’t even know how to hold a sword? That’s impossible!”
“I figured you wouldn’t believe it. But it’s the truth.”
Owen said calmly.
“We’ve already successfully repelled two large-scale assaults—without the support of the Holy Knights, and without a single adventurer recruited from Dongsheng Fortress. We’ve done it solely with the strength of Bianshu Town.”
Bray was stunned. Owen had actually sent his own townspeople to the front lines to fight the undead—and they had won. That was what he found hardest to comprehend.
Turning to look at the militia, Bray observed their precise and synchronized spear-thrusting drills. Every one of them looked focused and full of confidence.
These disciplined, responsive militia were nothing like the disorganized civilians he had imagined.
If these were the ones holding off the undead… maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched after all.
As his gaze swept to the back of the group, Bray noticed a small crowd seated on the far end of the training grounds, busily working on something.
“What are they doing?”
Owen, understanding he was referring to the sharpshooters, replied.
“They’re making paper-cartridge bullets.”
After every major battle, supplies of paper cartridges would be nearly depleted. If they didn’t restock quickly, the next fight would require returning to older, inefficient loading methods.
“Paper-cartridge bullets?”
Bray asked, puzzled.
“They’re used with muskets. When combined, they produce immense power. Want to see them in action?”
“What’s a musket?”
Bray was instantly intrigued.
“Let me see for myself.”
They headed to the shooting range, where Owen instructed one of the marksmen to demonstrate the musket’s power to the Holy Knights.
The chosen hunter stepped forward, quickly loaded the musket, raised it, and aimed at a target ten meters ahead.
Even though Owen had warned them in advance, the thunderous gunshot still made Bray and the others flinch.
When they saw the steel plate riddled with a clean hole, all three were visibly stunned.
This musket is terrifying!
Bray had never heard Duke Eddie mention such a weapon, and its destructive force was astonishing—possibly enough to threaten even a Holy Knight.
A chill crept up Bray’s spine at the thought.
“T-This…”
He was momentarily at a loss for words.
“The number of muskets is still limited.”
Owen explained calmly.
“But mass production has already begun. Soon, we’ll be able to form a dedicated musket unit. That’s the real source of my confidence in facing even larger waves of undead.”
A musket unit?!
Bray gasped inwardly and finally understood where Owen’s confidence came from.
“Marquis Eisen, I now fully believe that you can lead Bianshu Town to victory against the undead.”
Afterward, Bray personally inspected the recently repaired breach in the town wall and confirmed its solid construction.
Finally, the group walked along the top of the wall.
Gazing northward—still calm for the moment—Bray felt a faint sense of melancholy.
“Marquis Eisen, seeing the orderly preparations for the next battle here… this is the first time I’ve ever felt like we Holy Knights might not be that essential.”
“Don’t say that. The undead are humanity’s common enemy. The more help we have, the better. If we can gain the support of the Holy Knights, I believe it would greatly boost morale.”
Owen said.
“You’re absolutely right! I need to return to Dongsheng Fortress immediately and bring over all of Team Two to give you our full support.”
As he finished speaking, Bray looked like he was ready to leave that instant, clearly eager to make up for the time he’d already wasted.
“Wait—there’s no need to rush.”
Owen quickly stopped him.
“It’s getting late. You should rest for the night and depart in the morning.”
“You’re right.”
If possible, Owen would have liked to send a ship southward to speed up the Holy Knights’ transfer.
Unfortunately, Bianshu Town didn’t own a single ship under the lord’s control.
The cost of a ship wasn’t just the vessel itself—it also required hiring a captain and crew. The people and ship came as a package deal.
All in all, it was a significant expense.
Bianshu Town didn’t have much revenue. With large annual grain purchases, they simply couldn’t afford to maintain a ship. It was more practical to let merchants bring their cargo ships over to load goods.
After leaving the northern wall, Bray bid farewell to Owen and headed to the church with his two teammates. Bishop Flynn would arrange accommodations for them.
Of course, when Bishop Flynn saw Bray, he didn’t hold back his criticism—scolding him for arriving so late and for foolishly believing Duke Eddie’s lies.