The Lord: In Another World, I Have a Summoning Card !-Chapter 48 : On the Path

It was an obvious lie to anyone with even the slightest bit of knowledge.

The Werner family, though located in a region far from the main battlefronts, remained a mid-level noble house with a respectable amount of influence.

They still maintained an indirect network of communication thanks to the extensive web of kinship ties among the kingdom’s nobility.

But it was clear that Hartz Alone—the consul—had caught the real, underlying message hidden in Arthur’s words.

He understood well that Arthur was attempting to establish a line of communication, possibly laying the groundwork for future cooperation.

After all, nothing strengthens ties between nobles more than mutual interests and well-timed favors... just like marriages, such gestures forge bonds that are not easily forgotten.

More importantly, Hartz wasn’t just any consul; he belonged to the royal family itself.

His presence in the north was no coincidence, but part of a covert mission to push the nobles into contributing more to the military effort. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

As such, his network of connections wasn’t just vast—it was sometimes more efficient and faster than the royal channels themselves, especially when dealing with delicate matters that required direct involvement.

The consul gazed at Arthur for a long moment, as if assessing the young man with eyes that saw far beyond the surface, before finally extending his hand and accepting the box offered to him.

Then he spoke in an understanding tone:

"Integration... Yes, that’s not a problem. I know a few commanders on the front lines. If your goal is merely to ease your soldiers’ assimilation, you won’t face any real obstacles. The key is that the war in the north offers many opportunities... but only for those who know how to reach out at the right time."

Arthur felt a wave of satisfaction as he realized that Hartz had understood his intention and accepted his approach—an implicit show of approval.

After their discussion about the support troops came to an end, Arthur and Hartz continued their conversation—first about the orc invasion and the battles in the north, then gradually shifting to internal matters concerning the kingdom’s nobility.

As time passed, they arrived at the outer gate of the fortress, where the carriages waited quietly and the horses had already been prepared.

The accompanying soldiers stood silently, their eyes scanning the surroundings.

"I appreciate your company, Baron, despite your many responsibilities," said Hartz in a calm tone, though it carried genuine respect.

Arthur offered a composed smile and replied,

"The honor is mine, Consul. A man of your stature shouldn’t leave without a proper send-off. I apologize for not preparing something more befitting your rank."

The consul extended his hand to Arthur, shaking it with a measured warmth, and said,

"I wish you success. And rest assured—we will be in touch, very soon."

Arthur responded in a firm tone,

"Gladly, Consul. I look forward to it as well."

Then Hartz turned toward his horse, mounted it with practiced ease, and gave the signal for the convoy to move.

The carriages and soldiers passed through the gate in orderly fashion, a quiet scene yet filled with unspoken meanings.

Arthur remained standing, watching them until they disappeared beyond the winding stone road, then muttered under his breath, barely audible:

"Seems I really am just an ordinary coward... not fit to be the hero of a story."

The decision to send his troops was not a random one; it was a carefully considered choice made over the past few months after he had received the 500 knights card from Harper.

After all, there was no way he could utilize all the military forces granted to him by the card under the current circumstances.

While it was true that he no longer faced a significant issue with food supplies for his forces at present, he could not guarantee a similar level in the future.

These food supplies were not from a stable or reliable source; they were a random outcome of the card. It would not be wise to depend on this method for stockpiling military provisions.

As for leaving all the troops inside the card in a virtual state, that was not only impossible due to their uncertain need in the face of constant attacks from small orc units seeking revenge, but it was also an inefficient way to extract resources properly, meaning missed opportunities for military achievements.

Thus, unless he decided to take these soldiers and participate in a larger army, the dilemma would remain unsolved. This option, however, was one that Arthur had firmly rejected due to its risks.

He then looked at his assistant, who had been with him throughout the discussion and meeting but had remained silent for most of the time.

"What do you think, Gabriel?"

Gabriel smiled calmly, his eyes reflecting a deep understanding:

"It’s not necessary for things to go the way they do in fairy tales, my lord. Sometimes, those who don’t appear remarkable at first are the ones who bring about the greatest changes in the end. Your decision to avoid rushing shows your high level of self-control, which is rare, especially when the immediate rewards are so tempting. This is a trait that ordinary people do not possess."

Arthur knew that his assistant’s words were meant to comfort and uplift his spirits, but despite that, he couldn’t ignore the underlying sincerity in them.

Perhaps it wasn’t fair to compare himself to others... After all, who possesses such an exceptional ability as the cheat in his hands, only to squander it by blindly imitating others’ methods?

What he truly needed was to find his own path, an approach that aligns with his unique capabilities and current circumstances, rather than merely copying what had been tried before.

Especially considering that real life and its details don’t unfold the way others narrate them. Only by experiencing and going through every step can one truly understand that sometimes, others’ words are nothing but nonsense if followed blindly.

Thus, there was no point in feeling discouraged or sinking into doubt. He had to look forward, focusing on how to harness what was at his disposal in a thoughtful and effective manner.

With a noticeable shift in his mood, he turned back toward the castle, walking alongside his assistant to resume the daily tasks that had been temporarily interrupted due to the consul’s visit...............

However, his destination was not the meeting hall or the administration offices.

He moved with steady steps toward a narrow stone corridor on the western side of the castle, barely visible behind a curtain of old barrels and worn-out supply crates.

This forgotten corridor, unknown to most of the current inhabitants of the castle, led to a rusty iron door, extremely heavy, emitting a melancholy creak every time it was opened.

Arthur had not discovered this place himself. He had obtained the information from Baron Edric, the former commander of the fortress.

According to his words, he had stumbled upon the room by accident while inspecting the lower walls of the fortress years ago, and had kept it secret—perhaps to preserve it as an emergency escape route or a potential treasure.

After leaving his post, he sold this information to Arthur for a generous sum.

But for Arthur, it was worth the price paid.

He slowly opened the heavy iron door and entered a spacious room with a low ceiling and rough stone floors. The lighting was dim, coming from torches fixed to the walls, their flames dancing as if reflecting the tension that filled the air.

The room resembled a primitive workshop... no, it was more like the early caves of discovery, where humans first attempted to create sparks from two stones.

Inside, ten large men stood, their features rough and their simple clothes stained with soot and oil. They were all soldiers summoned by the magic card.

They had no certificates, no knowledge of science, and they were almost illiterate—probably even a child in the first year of school from his previous life would be better than them in terms of reading and writing.

But they had something more important than that, something most people in this world lacked: obedience, patience, and determination.

They were not scientists, but they learned through repetition, mistakes, and the terrifying sound of a failed explosion.

They learned from the burns that scorched their hands, the black smoke that nearly suffocated them, and the shrapnel from the pipes that pierced the walls.

On a rough wooden table, twisted iron pipes, handmade valves, and small boxes filled with a mixture of coal, sulfur, and rock salt were scattered.

This was their attempt to replicate what Arthur called "gunpowder," relying only on primitive drawings and auditory explanations gleaned from Arthur’s tired and muddled memory after his transition to this world.

The project was secret, known to no one, even those closest to Arthur. Its goal was simple on the surface, yet dangerous in depth: to reinvent the firearm.

As someone from the modern era, how could Arthur not think about developing advanced weapons after traveling to another world?

After they reached the fortress and destroyed Gerom’s forces, he began selecting potential individuals to create a military research and development lab, not just to be an additional asset, but to assist him in his future ambitions.

The problem, due to the fortress’s distance from cities and centers, as well as his current identity and circumstances, was that resources were limited to the extreme, slowing down development.

There were no skilled blacksmiths to forge the complex pieces, no mines to provide stable ores, and no books to guide them in chemical processes.

They were like those trying to build a complicated machine using stone tools.

However, the attempts were not without fruit.

A week ago, the first experimental device exploded, emitting a deafening boom that shook the entire cellar. It wasn’t accurate, and flames poured out more than projectiles, but it proved one thing: it was possible.

At that moment, one of the soldiers shouted from the corner of the workshop, waving a metal pipe:"Sir! I think we’re getting close... the last experiment didn’t result in pipe explosions! If we get the right amount of components, we can adjust the mixture and move on to the next stage!"