Chapitre 231: [FGO]: 231
Previously, aside from the members of the Royal Guard, the military system of Lugunica relied on the outdated model of feudal noble militias. However, the combat effectiveness of these noble militias was dismal. It's no wonder—most of these soldiers were merely farmers conscripted from the nobles' territories. During peacetime, they farmed, but when war broke out, their lords forced them to grab spears and wear crude leather armor (if any at all) and head to the battlefield. These peasant soldiers received no systematic training, and their equipment was abysmal; some nobles, to save costs, wouldn't even provide leather armor, and the spears were often nothing more than wooden sticks. On top of that, these peasant soldiers were coerced into fighting. Winning brought no rewards, and losing could mean death. Who would be willing to risk their lives under such conditions? Naturally, these troops were virtually useless, only capable of winning battles when they had overwhelming advantages. The moment things turned sour, they would flee in chaos. Thus, forming a professional and specialized military force became an urgent necessity. Moreover, Lugunica's population was sparse, and every life was a valuable asset. Ryou could not allow such resources to be wasted. He decided to pursue an elite military strategy: fewer troops, but of unparalleled quality. Fortunately, this world is a magical realm where individual strength can be greatly enhanced, providing fertile ground for Ryou's elite military policy.
However, building a professional military is no easy feat. Although the concept was not new—even the Vollachia Empire, which had lost 25 legions to a single magic cannon strike by Semiramis, had pioneered this system—it was resource-intensive. In this quasi-medieval world, with its limited productivity, even the mighty Vollachia Empire managed to form only five professional legions, with a combined strength of fewer than 30,000. Yet two of their strongest legions were obliterated in one blast from Semiramis's magic cannon, enraging the Emperor to the point where he reportedly coughed blood upon hearing the news.
Returning to the topic, establishing a professional military consumes enormous resources. Did the nobles never consider it? Of course, they did. But their limited resources made it impossible. A professional army means soldiers who are entirely detached from production, becoming pure consumers of resources. A small number might be manageable, but as the force grows, the cost becomes astronomical—even a wealthy noble family like Crusch's Karsten family couldn't sustain it. Only a centralized, powerful state could bear such costs. Thanks to measures like confiscating noble wealth, investing heavily in agriculture, and exporting surplus produce, Lugunica's treasury was now flush with cash, laying a strong foundation for Ryou's military ambitions.
Ryou quickly ruled out heavily armored knights as the strongest close-combat unit. As someone influenced by modern military thought, he knew that the advent of firearms had marked the end of armored cavalry. While this world lacked gunpowder for firearms, Ryou had an alternative: the repeating crossbow. The main weakness of conventional crossbows against heavy cavalry lay in their low rate of fire. Reloading a single bolt took so long that cavalry—mounted on magically enhanced superhorses with incredible speed, endurance, and vitality—could close the distance before a second shot was fired. The Vollachia Empire's elite Knights, for example, wore enchanted armor three times stronger than regular iron yet only half as heavy. Ordinary crossbowmen were no match for such cavalry.
In this world, crossbows were stuck at a stage comparable to medieval Europe's, effective only for massacring poorly trained infantry. Yet Ryou, familiar with weapon development trends, understood that the future lay in long-range combat, ideally beyond visual range. Whether through magic bombardment or missile strikes, the principle remained the same. Given the world's current technological level, a revolutionary leap in crossbow technology seemed unlikely. But with Echidna's vast repository of black-magic knowledge and Ryou's modern scientific insights, they co-developed a new weapon: a magically enhanced repeating crossbow. This weapon boasted power comparable to a sniper rifle, a range exceeding 500 meters, and a 50-bolt magazine.
However, their progress hit a major roadblock—not in the enchantments or craftsmanship, but in basic materials. The bow frame and string materials were woefully inadequate. Just as in modern science, advancements in material technology often underpin breakthroughs in other fields. Without the right materials, they couldn't meet the desired performance standards. The same problem arose with crafting new armor. Ryou's design required high resistance to piercing while maintaining mobility. Ideally, the armor would also be enchanted to enhance speed. Modern soft body armor met these criteria, but again, materials posed a challenge.
Just as Ryou and Echidna were considering lowering their standards, Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory, unexpectedly showed up in Lugunica's capital. She had a reputation as a notorious schemer and was indirectly responsible for numerous calamities, including the Witch of Envy's rampage and Emilia's freezing of the forest. Seizing the opportunity, Ryou used his World Separation ability to neutralize Pandora and press her into service. Pandora's authority allowed her to alter reality itself, which Ryou viewed as a perfect tool for synthesizing rare and advanced materials. With her help, they produced materials for the repeating crossbow that exceeded all expectations. Testing confirmed their suitability, and Ryou couldn't help but think: What a priceless asset I've acquired!
To repay Pandora for her selfless dedication and to extract the maximum value from her, Ryou decided to provide her with three meals a day and a collar, along with nightly affection (correction). However, Ryou was well aware that such training would have limited effectiveness on Pandora. Compared to Echidna and Elsa, who displayed some submissive tendencies, Pandora's actions revealed her to be a deeply calculating, highly resilient woman with a talent for concealment and ruthlessness. If it weren't for Pandora's powers being indispensable to Ryou's agricultural plans, which significantly accelerated his progress, he would have had no hesitation in killing her without mercy.
Though correction might work on her, Ryou estimated that it would take at least a year to see any results—a timeframe far too long for his liking. Keeping Pandora by his side was like carrying a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. Fortunately, through continuous experimentation with Semiramis, Ryou managed to uncover some of the limitations and restrictions of Pandora's reality-altering powers. While these abilities were nearly invincible within this world, they were completely ineffective against anything from other worlds. This meant that Semiramis could use magic from the Type-Moon universe to place numerous curses and restraints on Pandora, effectively limiting her powers.
To counter Pandora's ability to alter even her death, Semiramis crafted curses targeting Pandora's very soul. These curses were created using venom from the demonic serpent Bashmu, a creature from Sumerian mythology said to be one of the eleven monstrous creations of the primordial goddess Tiamat. Bashmu's venom possessed unparalleled corrosive and toxic properties, capable of eroding Pandora's soul in an instant if the curse was triggered. Ryou believed that with her soul corroded, Pandora would be unable to use her reality-altering powers. This soul-targeting curse was the most severe of many Semiramis had placed on Pandora—dozens in total, reflecting Ryou's wariness of her.
Despite this, Pandora's powers were undeniably effective. Issues that current technology couldn't resolve were easily addressed with Pandora's abilities, significantly accelerating the development of new weapons and armor for Ryou's army. Her contributions were so substantial that Ryou couldn't help but view her as both a dangerous liability and an indispensable asset—much like a nuclear reactor.
Pandora, as Ryou had predicted, caused plenty of trouble. Though he was tempted to eliminate her on multiple occasions, he always relented in the end, as her immense utility outweighed the chaos she caused. Moreover, under the strict surveillance of Ryou and Semiramis, Pandora's disruptions were limited to nuisances rather than real harm. During the nightly affection sessions, Ryou noticed that while Pandora's body succumbed to physical desires, her gaze remained calm and clear. Over time, a subtle and delicate relationship formed between them. It became unclear whether Pandora had yielded to her physical urges or if Ryou had inadvertently compromised his stance, but both seemed to tacitly maintain this fragile balance.
With Pandora's assistance and Echidna's knowledge, various breakthroughs in technology and magic drastically transformed Lugunica. Within just a few years, famine became a thing of the past for its people. Even during droughts, floods, or plagues of locusts, Lugunica had ample food reserves to endure. The cultivation of spices caused their prices to plummet, making once-luxurious commodities accessible even to commoners. Improvements in production techniques for essentials like salt and sugar, along with industrialized clothing production, further enhanced the quality of life for Lugnica's residents. Nobility was significantly reduced, and much of their land was nationalized. Ryou implemented systems like contract farming and affordable housing, drawing in a large number of refugees and returning emigrants.
These policies, combined with propaganda, reshaped public perception of Emilia, the Second Witch of Envy, transforming her from a feared figure into a wise and beloved ruler. Over the next ten years, Ryou used Pandora's powers to elevate Emilia's public image, ensuring that Lugunica's citizens not only benefited from her governance but also came to revere her. In the process, he integrated members of the Witch Cult into propaganda roles, utilizing their fanaticism to spread positive narratives about Emilia. This dual approach of material improvements and strategic messaging succeeded in cementing Emilia's place as a respected and admired leader.
Militarily, Lugunica underwent significant modernization under Ryou's leadership. He established a professional army of 10,000 soldiers equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and overseen by Witch Cult members acting as political commissars. These commissars were tasked with ensuring the soldiers' loyalty and indoctrinating them with unwavering devotion to Queen Emilia. As Lugunica flourished, its military readiness grew. When the Vollachia Empire, recovering from a decade of rebuilding, prepared to invade Lugunica again, they unknowingly walked into Ryou's trap—a confrontation he had long anticipated and meticulously planned for.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone