The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#Chapter 162 Suspect Isaac (6) - Basic Qualifications of an Assistant "Gunpowder weapons have a surprisingly long history. The world's first gunpowder weapons are probably older than the history of most prestigious noble families." The Crown Prince began his explanation while leisurely enjoying tea. "The oldest recorded in imperial history books dates back about 700 years. It began when a feudal lord who was constantly getting beaten in territorial wars with neighboring territories that had bad relations ordered his alchemists to develop weapons to replace knights and mages." Was it luck, or was the feudal lord's resentment that deep? They developed 'weapons that explode after lighting a fuse and throwing them' and also created 'personal firearms that shoot projectiles using gunpowder.' The feudal lord, who burned off his beloved mustache during the research process, is said to have burned with fighting spirit, saying he could finally grasp victory this time. "But the result was a crushing defeat." The gunpowder weapons they created were overwhelmingly powerful against ordinary soldiers. However, they had little effectiveness against knights, who were the enemy's main force. "4th rank practitioners, those who can strengthen matter with mana, reinforced their armor and deflected bullets head-on. 3rd rank physical enhancement users, while unable to deflect or dodge bullets themselves, could easily move frantically to prevent enemies from aiming at them and disrupt firing lines." "Hmm. Still, isn't it good that you can gain an advantage against small fry?" "That's right. Indeed, there were quite a few who took notice of this and tried to make gunpowder weapons their main armament. The problem was that gunpowder was fundamentally a 'consumable' - expensive and difficult to manage." In fact, knights and mages are expensive in terms of training costs and wages too, but at least material procurement for demonstrating their power isn't difficult. Once you feed them well and let them sleep well, mana recovers indefinitely without needing to invest additional resources. But gunpowder requires the separate process of procuring and processing materials, and in many regions, material procurement isn't possible at all. Craftsmen can even die during the manufacturing process, and without delicate management, it gets wet from moisture and becomes unusable. "But even this is far from the decisive reason why gunpowder weapons couldn't become mainstream. Do you know the real reason?" To the Crown Prince's question, Lucidra answered as if it wasn't particularly difficult. Though she didn't know much about human world technology, she was well-versed in human desires. "Well, if related technology develops too much, it would be difficult to maintain the privileged class." The history of nobles is the history of mana. Not all nobles are knights or mages, but it's not uncommon for their founders to have been knights or mages. Nobles teach mana cultivation methods and secret spells only to their family or close associates to build power, and gain 'specialness' based on that power. Of course, there are quite a few in the world who lost the power their ancestors possessed and just act like nobles relying on bloodline alone, but their power is extremely unstable. If an outsider with superhuman strength or a clever person who awakened power on their own rises in rebellion, overthrow is entirely possible. And gunpowder weapons pose the risk of greatly narrowing the boundary between nobles and commoners. True superhumans who surpass 5th rank remain unharmed even if a grenade explodes in front of them, but there are far more mediocre nobles in the world who fall short of that level. No, even before that, instilling the perception in commoners that 'if they try to fight, they can fight nobles too' is itself dangerous. Therefore, many nobles have turned away from or even oppressed gunpowder weapons despite recognizing their usefulness, and only the republic, which was anti-noble from its birth, adopted them as main armaments. "In other words, gunpowder weapons are by their very nature like spears pointed at those in power and oppressors. Truly worthy of being called friends of ordinary people, aren't they?" "……." Lucidra did not answer. Because her other gaze was watching a certain terrorist across the continent who was intimidating someone by saying 'I have a bomb in my hand right now!' The Crown Prince was definitely crazy. *** "Dear workers and factory owners. Please listen carefully to what I have to say. This is neither false words nor exaggeration. I have a bomb in my hand right now." It was truly a hellish space. The evil capitalist who viewed human lives as resources, the thugs who were sucking up the sweet honey under that capitalist, and incidentally, the detective with super disguise abilities hiding among them. Not a single one could easily open their mouth or move their body. "I wish to have a conversation with all of you. Because we are from the same humanity, and I believe we can understand each other through dialogue. So please, please listen to what I have to say." The evil capitalist Gaston was a veteran who had been rolling around in this business for decades. He had seen many villains so far, and having climbed up desperately by backstabbing them, he was quite confident in his discernment. And now, his experience and intuition were fiercely warning him. 'Th-that bastard is real. He's really crazy...!' If Isaac's eyes had contained even a little bit of excitement or enjoyment, Gaston wouldn't have been this frightened. In that case, Isaac's talk about wanting dialogue would all be mere deception, just wanting to mock the other party and enjoy being in a superior position. Complete trash, but understandable trash - meaning trash that could be reasoned or negotiated with. But there was no excitement or joy whatsoever in Isaac's eyes right now. All that existed was a sense of mission so pure it was unsettling. That fact filled Gaston with endless fear. It was the same principle as a grenade in the hands of a child who couldn't even speak being more terrifying than a sword held by a mercenary who had killed dozens of people. "What's this bastard's deal again? Where is he pulling this nonsense─" "W-wait! Don't move!" So Gaston quickly stopped the guard who tried to step forward without reading the atmosphere. There was nothing more dangerous than provoking a madman. He opened his mouth slowly and very carefully, as if defusing a bomb. "D-did you say you demand dialogue? What is it? What are you trying to demand?" "Demand? I simply wish to persuade all of you." Then put down that bomb first, you madman. Gaston forcibly suppressed the words that rose to his throat. "Y-yes. Let's hear it." "First, I must discuss the working environment of this coal mine. I saw a suspiciously large number of children - could I hear an explanation?" "Coal mines are naturally like that. Children have advantages over adults. There's nothing wrong with hiring and using superior talent, is there?" "Hiring? You didn't force them here?" "Haha, how could that be? I'm a rational businessman. I wouldn't do something that would give the government cause to find fault with me." Of course, it was complete nonsense. While documents existed for emergencies, they were actually forgeries riddled with legal problems. However, Gaston kept a straight face. He was planning to subdue that madman the moment he looked away to check the documents. "Come now, if you can't believe it, check for yourself." Gaston waved a bundle of papers he pulled from his filing cabinet. "Indeed, I see. I believe you." "Yes, you can't believe it. So directly─ What did you say?" "It seems I made a great mistake. I read unvarnished truth in your words and eyes. Ah, what should I do about this situation!" Gaston opened his mouth in a daze. Having heard countless times in his life that he seemed suspicious or like a swindler, but never once that he seemed trustworthy, the shock was even greater. 'N-no, wait. Anyway, isn't this a good thing?' Gaston quickly came to his senses and said with a forced smile. "Y-yes. It's fortunate that the misunderstanding has been cleared up. Then, shall we first put down that bomb..." "Therefore! I will blow up this entire mine!!" "...What the hell is wrong with this crazy bastard!!" To Gaston who finally exploded, Isaac spoke with crystal clear eyes without a trace of cloudiness. "Think about it - if word spreads that an environment where so many children voluntarily throw away their lives actually exists. Won't other children outside think 'It's okay to do that, I should do that too'? To prevent such a great tragedy, this mine's existence must disappear!" "Don't be ridiculous!! You're saying you'll massacre everyone here just because it doesn't meet your standards?" "This is inevitable sacrifice for the greater good!" "What do you think human lives are?!" (E/N: Are you or is he the child trafficker???) Isadora's lips trembled as she watched the scene unfolding before her eyes. She was someone who possessed both guts and composure enough to infiltrate crime scenes swarming with enemies without hesitation, but even she felt like she might lose her mind in front of this chaos. What on earth was this? Why was the human who was supposed to be her assistant struggling frantically while holding a bomb, saying he would massacre everyone? And why was the evil businessman who had been illegally employing child labor passionately arguing about the preciousness of life? The guards seemed equally stunned by this situation, all just standing there with their mouths agape and unfocused eyes. "Ah, no! I must press it!!" "Stop, I said stop! Everyone will die!!" Either way, it was certain that everything would be finished if things were left as they were. Isadora began to act as if driven by something - whether survival instinct or sense of duty, she couldn't tell. Thwack! Thud! After instantly knocking out the guards who were completely off-guard and then smoothly subduing Gaston as well, she removed her facial disguise and urgently shouted. "Stop right now! Everything this man said is lies! The children here aren't accomplices or anything - they're all victims!!" Isaac and Isadora's gazes met. Just as she tensed her body to subdue Isaac if necessary, Isaac opened his mouth. "Phew, thank goodness. Buying time was reaching its limit. Fortunately, you noticed my strategy and played along. You truly are a detective." "……. ……. ……?" It was a statement that made even the great Isadora unconsciously buffer. After showing countless emotions on her face in that brief moment, Isadora asked as if confirming some possibility that arose in her mind. "Was it acting? From the beginning, all of it?" "Ahaha. Why say that when you already knew everything? Didn't we size each other up the moment our eyes met? I distract, you subdue." When did you and I build such a deep bond that we could devise strategies with just eye contact? More importantly, I was disguised, yet you recognized me immediately? Countless words swirled in her mouth, but the question Isadora voiced was different. "Then, the bomb?" "Think logically - how could I prepare a bomb capable of blowing up this entire coal mine? I just held some junk in my hand and pretended." When Isaac opened his palm, metallic junk fell to the floor with a clunk. ...Thinking coldly about it, everything was just as he said. A proper grenade was one of the items strictly controlled by the government, unlike crude devices made by stuffing gunpowder and metal fragments into pottery or such. No, even before that, what Isaac had been holding might have been metallic, but it didn't particularly resemble a grenade. That fact left no small wound to Isadora's pride. Hadn't her powers of observation momentarily lost their luster in the face of this man's acting ability? Moreover, her original plan to infiltrate, secure information and evidence, then escape had naturally fallen through. While Isadora was stewing in humiliation, Isaac calmly asked. "So, how about it? Have I fulfilled the minimum role as an assistant with this much?" She couldn't say no. So Isadora gritted her teeth once, then soon smiled like a beast and said. "Yes, very much so." -I'll get you back someday. The blonde hair blue eyes detective vowed.