How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending

If that were possible, we would have purchased them long ago. I shook my head side to side.

“No country leaks such strategic weapons easily. If we make a clumsy attempt, we might even lose the trading rights we fought so hard to secure. And… well, never mind.”

I swallowed the rest of my words, unable to bring myself to utter them aloud, but I felt certain within myself. The improved cannon that appeared in the original story possessed a performance so outstanding it could not even be compared to the cannons of the Sar Empire. If we could manufacture this improved cannon, we would not need to cling to ‘Hezekia’s Fire’ and would be able to possess overwhelming firepower.

While the mobile shipboard cannon that the cannon maker Jason showcased in front of Everett was excellent, what was even more astonishing was the massive cannon to be developed in the future. An ultra-large iron cannon with overwhelming firepower capable of tearing down even castle walls. That was exactly what I truly desired.

“But Chief Butler. This means we will be pouring massive amounts of time and funds into something with no guarantee or promise. Just how long, and how deeply, must we cling to this venture?”

Lord Mildred was still hesitating, expressing his opposing view. At that, Wilhelm quietly turned back to look at me and asked.

“I believe the Grand Consort, Your Highness, has something in mind. You would not have brought it up without a way forward.”

“Mmh.”

Just like when we searched for the new helical chart, the key to this matter lay in finding the crucial person, the cannon maker. However, this time, it would be far easier than when I wandered around searching for the mad hatter… no, the chart maker Matthias. Although Jason creating the ultra-large cannon was an event that would occur well over a decade later, he had already finished developing the mobile cannon that could be loaded onto ships and was currently attempting to promote it.

Even though Jason had a bit of a boastful and self-aggrandizing temperament, he was not out of his mind like Matthias… no, he was not someone who exhibited bizarre behavior, so negotiating with him should not be difficult. After all, he was a man who had been wandering for a long time (or was destined to wander for the next ten years) in search of someone who would recognize his talent and invention.

I chose my words carefully as I replied.

“I have something in mind. When I was staying at the inn in Port Belforte, I heard an intriguing rumor. It seems there is a man going around loudly proclaiming that he will showcase a new iron cannon to His Majesty the Emperor. Although it appeared he was having difficulty even meeting a noble who could arrange an introduction, let alone granting an audience with His Majesty.”

True to the expression that the cannon maker Jason self-aggrandized, there was a reason why the genius who had already created that ‘great invention’ at this point in time only caught Everett’s eye more than a decade later. After all, it made perfect sense that it would not be easy for a mere commoner to meet His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire.

Setting aside commoners, even I, who was the young master of a reasonably wealthy viscount family, had met the Emperor for the first and last time when I married Tristan. Even then, it was not that I had faced him directly, but rather it was during the time when the original body, Ruellin, was active, so I still did not know what the Emperor’s face looked like.

When I mentioned Jason, Sir Johannes, who had been listening silently, seemed to recall something as a look of distaste crossed his face.

“Pardon? If it is that story… Are you speaking of that braggart who goes around taverns trying to meet nobles while carrying around some chunk of scrap metal, calling it a great invention?”

“…Did you say that man carries a cannon around?”

No matter how small a mobile cannon was manufactured to be, was it truly possible to carry around an actual iron cannon? That should not be possible, right?

When I asked back in astonishment, Sir Johannes hurriedly waved his hands.

“No, there is no way he could carry a cannon. What I meant was, well, the cannonball.”

“Is that so? That is equally strange…”

The invention is a cannon, so what does he expect to achieve by carrying a cannonball around? I had hoped he would be a reasonably normal person, but it seemed one should not expect such things from geniuses.

Perhaps because my expression did not look very pleased, Sir Johannes watched my reaction warily as he continued speaking.

“The thing is, it seems he claims to have newly invented the cannonball as well. A cannonball is just a cannonball, so there is no way to know how on earth he modified it.”

“Really? A cannonball?”