*Clang!*
Another crisp metallic ring sounded.
Zhandi Lunyiren patted the cannon resting on the ogre's shoulder and said enthusiastically, "And then there's this one: our Claubau Group's blockbuster release, the Thunder Hammer Model IV!"
Navin's pupils shrank once again.
It was the very weapon they called a "cannon"! Such armaments had played an immense role during the Sixteenth Holy City War, even maiming and killing several Titan godbloods!
And now, as long as they paid enough gold coins, Cassander could possess such weapons too! They could use them to bring down the enemy's angelic godbloods!
Stroking the barrel affectionately, Zhandi Lunyiren continued, "The barrel of this smoothbore cannon is cast from a specialized alloy that cools efficiently and prevents bore breaches.
"And this new type of shell is even more extraordinary. These are explosive 'flowering shells' meticulously developed by the Imperial Ordnance Institute. Packed with gunpowder inside the projectile, they detonate upon impact to inflict maximum carnage upon the enemy.
"Come on, give our client a demonstration."
Only after pocketing Zhandi Lunyiren's silver coin did the ogre artilleryman lower the cannon to the ground, deftly calculating the angle before loading a shell.
*Boom!*
The shell carved a graceful arc through the sky.
Hundreds of meters away, it burst apart, shrapnel showering in every direction like blossoming flower petals—truly living up to the name "flowering shell."
Navin looked into the distance, an expression of shock on his face.
In terms of sheer destructive power alone, this was already no less potent than a third-circle Fireball, and in range and area of effect, it was a total rout.
Noticing his reaction, Zhandi Lunyiren knew the deal was in the bag.
Planting his hands on his hips, he declared smugly, "This is the hammer of the empire, an absolute lethal weapon on the battlefield, the undisputed premier choice for waging large-scale war!"
Unable to contain himself, Navin asked, "These rifles... and the cannons... how many gold coins will they cost?"
Instead of answering right away, Zhandi Lunyiren played coy, asking with a smile, "Do you know how much the Kingdom of Thrace spent on the batch of arms they purchased?"
Navin shook his head.
"They paid ninety-nine silver coins per rifle, and thirty gold coins per cannon."
Navin's eyes went wide.
*That cheap?*
A cannon didn't even cost as much as a single Fireball scroll.
"Precisely. Products from our Claubau Group have always been of excellent quality and reasonable price, striving to deliver the finest experience to our esteemed customers."
Zhandi Lunyiren continued:
"And the two models I've shown you are far superior to the batch sold to Thrace in both performance and craftsmanship. So our raising the price by just a slight margin—surely that isn't asking too much, is it?"
"Of course not," Navin nodded, having already prepared himself to be gouged.
"However, out of the friendship between His Majesty Cassius and His Majesty Otis, we can offer you a special friendship discount...
"Each Wyvern's Flame Model I will be 128 silver coins, and each Thunder Hammer Model IV will be 39 gold coins."
Clutching his chest, Zhandi Lunyiren put on an agonizing show of parting with treasures at great personal loss.
"This is practically at cost, the absolute bottom line we can accept. What do you think... how does that sound?"
Before Navin could even reply, Zhandi Lunyiren let out another heavy sigh.
"*Sigh*—
"In this war, though His Majesty Cassius remains neutral, he looks very favorably upon the Kingdom of Cassander and has always considered His Majesty Otis to be the true, legitimate successor of Fadlan.
"Since that's the case, for His Majesty Otis's sake, we might as well take a loss and give you an unprecedented bargain!
"As long as you place an order of over sixty thousand rifles and over seven thousand cannons at once, we'll give you a twenty-percent discount!"
Watching Zhandi Lunyiren's melodramatic performance, Navin's mouth twitched slightly.
Yet joy welled up within him all the same. He could finally make a greater contribution to the Kingdom of Cassander!
"Very well. I will return at once to confer with Lord Otis and give you an exact figure as soon as possible."
"Wonderful!"
Zhandi Lunyiren beamed from ear to ear.
After a moment's thought, however, he pulled out an exquisitely engraved gold coin. On its obverse was a lifelike, majestic dragon's head, and on its reverse was the Cinder insignia of a slit pupil and flames.
This was the newest gold coin issued by the Imperial Bank, already widely circulating throughout the empire. Officially called the gold dinar, its distinctive appearance had also led people to call it the "Golden Dragonhead" or the "Emperor's Coin."
"Lord Navin, I forgot to mention just now: our Claubau Group accepts settlements exclusively in gold dinars. You'll need to purchase an equivalent amount of gold dinars from the Imperial Bank before carrying out the transaction."
"Understood. Thank you for the reminder; I will keep it in mind."
Navin nodded, not overly concerned.
He had examined the coin closely; its weight was not appreciably reduced. In his eyes, this was merely the empire's way of turning a profit through minting.
Zhandi Lunyiren then produced an exquisite wooden box and leaned in closer.
"By the way, would you be interested in taking a look at this collector's edition pistol?...
"This is a prized piece carried by quite a few imperial generals on their persons. Even Marshal Duoluo can't bear to part with his..."
And so, amid an atmosphere of cordial goodwill, Zhandi Lunyiren smoothly completed his sales pitch once again.
Several days later, the Cassandrian diplomatic mission traveled north once more.
And the Claubau Group received a massive order from the Kingdom of Cassander that dwarfed the previous one from Thrace, once again igniting a frenzy across the nation.
Four hundred thousand Wyvern's Flame Model I rifles, thirty-six thousand Thunder Hammer Model IV cannons.
Ammunition and artillery shells beyond count.
Totalling over two million gold coins.
Zhandi Lunyiren once again became the top salesperson of the month, basking in immense glory.
Yet there were also whispers questioning whether he had only managed to secure such prized opportunities thanks to his special relationship with Gangtie Kuangchao.
Meanwhile, across the vast Fadlan region to the south, the war between Cassander and Thrace escalated further.
Because the Cinder Empire sold armaments to both belligerents, Cassander and Thrace both conscripted vast numbers of commoners into their armies, putting them through swift, rudimentary training and equipping them with the firearms and ammunition purchased from the empire.
The flames of war spread from the Holy City region to every inch of border between the two realms.
Across the sprawling domain of Holy Fadlan, gunpowder smoke hung thick amid the roar of rifles and cannons. People who had once stood proud for the very same empire were now slaughtering each other.
With the Cinder Empire fanning the flames from behind the scenes, this brutal game of war seemed to have found a new way to be played.
A new era was arriving.
...
"Those firearms and cannons were the wellspring of catastrophe. We continually purchased ever more lethal, ever more expensive armaments, only to find the land beneath our feet reduced to utter devastation.
"The people of Fadlan slaughtered one another, yet none emerged victorious. Instead, their blood nourished the monster in the north, making it grow ever mightier until—its wings cast a shadow across the entire continent."
—Navin Bessarius, Epilogue
Chapter 422