MMORPG: Rise of the Primordial Godsmith - Chapter 1661 1661: New Discussions, New Agreements (2)
“A snaplock…”
Murmuring the name that left Valyr’s mouth as he watched him wield it, the old man could not help but feel as if the name perfectly suited the new and improved firearm.
Though, before he could dwell on this feeling for much longer, the former went ahead and gave the snaplock to him, giving him the opportunity to examine the differences between it and the arquebus in greater detail.
“The mechanism near the handle is different,” muttered Alvin to himself after looking at it for a bit, quickly noticing that the design around the trigger was starkly different from the arquebuses he had seen.
“That’s the only difference I’ve made to the entire thing, actually,” said Valyr in response, giving the old man an affirmative nod. “Rather than rely on a lit flame to ignite the powder within the barrel, it would be better to rely on the creation of sparks instead.”
“The creation of sparks…?” Faintly wondering what the young man meant by his words, Alvin decided to examine the snaplock a bit more, only to then place his finger on the trigger the moment he confirmed Valyr’s claims.
Fsh!
Unexpectedly, at the very moment he squeezed the trigger, the part covering what he previously knew as the flash pan made way, allowing the hammer connected to the trigger to strike down.
“…Ah.” Seeing that the material at the end of the hammer generated sparks of light after colliding with the surface of the flash pan, the old man finally understood what Valyr was trying to tell him. “I see now.”
“With the omission of having to light a flame, those using the snaplock would only need to carry gunpowder and bullets along with them,” said the young man with a smile. “I don’t know if the need to carry oil affects logistics at the frontlines that much, but I’m sure it would alleviate it a bit.”
“It would definitely free up some of the manpower.” Alvin nodded in agreement. “However, I’d assume that the manpower used to previously carry oil would instead be used to carry more gunpowder and bullets once this is introduced.”
Continuing to look at the snaplock he held with slight wonder, the old man eventually used his identification skill on it, only to be left at a loss for words the moment he saw the stats and skills that came with it.
“This…” Though he had already seen some of the arquebuses Valyr had crafted in the past, the snaplock he currently held had stats that were superior to them by at least an order of magnitude.
Add on the more powerful skills that were attached to the snaplock itself, Alvin could already imagine a situation where their side would turn the tide against the two races in a surprise attack.
“…Wow.” Looking through the snaplock’s description for a bit more, the old man eventually let out a sigh of wonder as he closed the screen he brought up.
Then, shifting his gaze towards Valyr, a slightly wry smile appeared on his face as he said, “If I were to be honest, while we were making our way to your workshop, I assumed that the improvements you made to the arquebus were marginal at best.”
“Yet, now that I’ve seen and held the firearm myself, the power contained within this snaplock exceeds even my wildest expectations,” he continued, causing the young man to slightly grin.
“In just over a year, you were able to improve the arquebus, a weapon that already makes use of highly advanced technology, to this degree.” Alvin let out a slight chuckle. “I suppose it would be safe to assume that this makes use of more advanced technology, no?”
Receiving a nod from the young man in response, the old man faintly nodded in return, the smile on his face becoming genuine.
“Though your sudden message has made me skeptical at first, I do admit that having access to this would indeed increase our side’s chances in the war.”
Taking in a deep breath to sort out his thoughts, he then looked at Valyr with a solemn expression. “As an elder of the Imperial Production Guild’s Ancestral Council, I represent the guild in asking you if it’s possible to come to a new agreement regarding the snaplock.”
Spending a bit of time to go over the words the old man said to him, the young man soon let out a faint exhale as he asked, “Does the new agreement also include re-negotiation of the conditions we’ve agreed upon in the past?”
“…Though I was planning to make an entirely new agreement, it wouldn’t be an issue to rework the conditions we’ve already agreed upon.” Closing his eyes for a bit as he contacted the others back at the Imperial Production Guild, Alvin eventually looked at Valyr and nodded.
“But to think you’d ask for a mile after already giving you an inch…”
“I’ve got to make the most out of it,” said Valyr in response to the old man’s statement, letting out a bit of laughter. “Plus, I have a strong feeling you’re gonna ask me for the blueprints again.”
“You’ve said it yourself.” Alvin let out laughter of his own. “We’ve got to make the most out of it.”
“Now… let’s talk business, shall we?”
…
Whoosh!
Noticing that the soundproof barrier surrounding Valyr’s workshop was finally dispelled, Byron had a look of slight anticipation on his face as he watched the two slowly make their way out of the workshop.
“That was a fruitful discussion,” said Alvin, giving the young man a slight smile. “I’m glad we could come to terms on most of them.”
“Definitely.” Valyr nodded in agreement as he smiled in return. “However, I definitely wasn’t expecting for you to agree with the last condition I’ve given.”
“If it means furthering the prosperity of humanity, the Imperial Production Guild would be the last one to shirk away from it.” The old man slightly grinned. “Then again, with how fast it’s growing, your side might contact one of the guilds in the future anyway.”
“Think of it as the Imperial Production Guild making a move in advance.”
“I’ll have someone deliver the remaining payment for those snaplocks as soon as possible,” said Alvin, waving farewell to both Byron and Valyr. “Keep the conditions we’ve agreed upon in mind, okay?”
“I will.” Valyr let out a chuckle in return, continuing to wave goodbye until the old man disappeared from his field of vision.
“…So, how was it?” Breaking the silence that surrounded them after Alvin’s departure, Byron looked at the young man with curiosity as he asked him a question. “Did you get the money you wanted?”
“A lot more than that,” replied the young man, a wide grin adorning his face. “Not only have I gotten funding for my town, but I’ve also secured a stable source of income for the next couple of years.”
“How much are we talking?” Hearing the last part of Valyr’s statement, the man could not help but ask once more. “A platinum card a month? 10 platinum cards? 100?”
“Far more than that.” The grin on Valyr’s face widened even further, only to then take out an inconspicuous crystal out of his spatial bracelet.
“More like… one mana crystal per order.”
