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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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In 1520, the Spanish conquistadors invaded the Aztec Empire. A few dozen men massacred hundreds of thousands of Aztec warriors.
In 1524, the Habsburg Empire achieved a stunning victory against France.
And in the Sengoku period, Oda Nobunaga unified Japan with the power of firearms.
The gun had changed the paradigm of warfare. Even the primitive matchlock rifle had been a game-changer, and the gap between the Empire, with its breech-loading automatic rifles, and the Kingdom was as vast as the gap between the Stone Age and the Middle Ages.
“Hold the line—!”
A large hole appeared in the head of the commanding officer. A sniper, hundreds of meters away, had found his mark.
The Imperial and Kingdom soldiers, having witnessed countless such deaths, were no longer surprised.
“Archers! Ready!”
The Kingdom’s only advantage was its archers, capable of indirect fire.
Unlike bullets, arrows could be fired from behind cover. If not for the fact that peeking over the wall to confirm a hit meant getting your head blown off, this would have been a viable strategy.
“Catapults! Bring up the catapults!”
As the commander called for the catapults, the soldiers saw a pair of long, pointed ears peeking over the wall.
Then a head.
“A-ah—!”
The Imperial dolls aimed their rifles at the soldiers. No one was foolish enough to charge the divine weapons that had been effortlessly slaughtering them from a distance.
The Imperial army, having passed through a dozen castles, quickly advanced to the capital—to the place where the demon dragon was sealed.
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While the Imperial army marched into the Kingdom’s capital (unopposed, from the Empire’s perspective), Johan was teaching a science class to the witches.
His shallow knowledge wasn’t particularly helpful, but the witches didn’t complain.
Even a superficial understanding of these concepts was a glimpse into a future they couldn’t even imagine.
“So… this planet… is just a speck of dust in the universe?”
“Exactly. Actually, less than a speck of dust. The sun alone accounts for over 99% of the solar system’s mass, and even the sun is just one of billions of stars in the galaxy.”
“…And even the galaxy is just a tiny part of the universe?”
Hecaterina, experiencing a wave of cosmic horror, looked at Johan with wide eyes. Marguerite chuckled, incredulous.
“Even I, the Witch of Space, can’t perceive that. How do you know?”
“There are limits to what can be understood through intuition alone. My knowledge comes from the accumulated insights and research of countless scientists.”
Johan himself didn’t know how scientists had calculated the age and size of the universe, or if their calculations were even accurate.
Even in the 21st century, with all its information, there were still people who believed the moon landing was a hoax, that the Earth was flat.
He didn’t expect the people of this world, two centuries behind, to readily accept his words. In fact, if they had, he would have been deeply disappointed.
“But… but… the universe is billions of years old, the Earth is billions of years old… how can you know that without having experienced it!?”
“…There are records. The oldest written records of intelligent life are only a few tens of thousands of years old. A far cry from the billions of years you’re talking about.”
Regina added to Marguerite’s point, and Johan just shrugged. It was possible that this planet, and humanity itself, wasn’t that old. He couldn’t prove his claims, his knowledge being purely theoretical.
The only evidence he had was his memory, his conviction. He couldn’t force them to believe.
But—
“You don’t have to believe me.”
He hadn’t started this discussion to convince them. His limited knowledge was, from the perspective of this world’s intellectuals, practically a cult.
He wasn’t trying to gain their trust. They already trusted him implicitly.
He was more likely to lose their trust by making such outrageous claims. Even Marguerite seemed skeptical.
“I just wanted to… broaden your horizons. Master, Marguerite, Beatrice, Hecaterina…”
And his shallow knowledge had brought about a significant change.
Evangeline, the Witch of Love, who had previously only wielded her magic in obvious ways, had learned about atoms and achieved nuclear fusion.
Proof that his knowledge, though superficial, was not entirely wrong.
“It’s strange.”
Marguerite tilted her head, considering Johan’s words. The knowledge he shared was undoubtedly valuable.
Priceless, even.
But what did he gain from it?
“You don’t seem to be getting anything out of this.”
“What do you mean?”
Johan chuckled. Not everything of value was tangible.
The most valuable things were often invisible. Trust, faith, and—
“If you all become stronger… Master, Marguerite, my friends… then that’s good for me.”
The witches’ strength.
Johan had a hunch.
The more they learned about science, the stronger they would become. And the stronger they became, the more valuable he, the one they loved, would be.
He had nothing to lose and everything to gain from their growth.
“That’s enough for me.”
Becoming more valuable without lifting a finger.
That was all he wanted.
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Beatrice’s dolls were superhumanly strong.
They felt no pain, possessed superior eyesight and reflexes, and could hit a 1cm target with a steady hand, even in the freezing cold.
They followed orders without complaint, felt no fear, and would willingly sacrifice themselves.
Even if they were shot or dismembered, they could be easily repaired. They were dolls, after all.
“…You will explain the meaning of this.”
“Pardon me. I am Lieutenant General Belskroll of the 1st Corps of the Imperial Army, and also the Count of Nenova.”
The Imperial army, having entered the capital, calmly stated their purpose.
“We’ve received intelligence that a monster is sealed within your kingdom, our ally and neighbor.”
“Yes, that is correct. A monster that we, with the help of the Church, have managed to seal.”
“We’ve come to subjugate it.”
“…What did you say?”
To march an army into their capital and declare their intention to subjugate a sealed monster? Anyone with a lick of sense would be suspicious.
And there had been some friction between the Empire and the Kingdom lately. Tariff disputes, religious persecution…
Was this retaliation? The chancellor chuckled, not having expected the Empire to be so brazen.
“And you thought we would allow this?”
“We’re not asking for permission. We’re informing you.”
“…This is an act of interference in our internal affairs.”
“Interference? The Empire has determined that the revival of this monster would pose a significant threat to our territory.”
Interference? What are you going to do about it?
The general’s gaze was a clear challenge.
“You should have dealt with it properly instead of just sealing it.”
The chancellor could only bite his lip. In the face of overwhelming power, logic was meaningless.
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The Imperial army stood before the Black Dragon, also known as the Demon Dragon. With their mortars and rifles, they prepared to unleash a barrage of fire upon the sealed creature.
“All units—fire!”
A triumphant cry, and a hail of shells and bullets struck the dragon’s scales.
—…
The dragon’s eyes slowly opened.
The seal was broken.
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