Chapter 109: Pump Action Crossbow
Training Field - Bolton Lands
POV of Doric Bolton
"Is this the new invention you’ve been crowing about since last week?" Karsi asked, looking at the Pump Action Crossbow with feigned disinterest. Still, Doric could see that she was quite curious about the new crossbow because she knew he wouldn’t waste her ti on sothing useless.
"Indeed. This thing here is going to give a huge advantage to our ranged troops." He said before giving the crossbow to Varko.
"A small demonstration." He told his two generals as Varko got his position and pointed the crossbow at the human-shaped wooden target wearing a leather gambeson 50 ters away.
Varko looked at him for permission and as soon as he nodded, Varko took aim and pressed the trigger.
The bolt shot out from the crossbow and hit the wooden target, easily piercing through the leather gambeson and entering the wooden target’s stomach.
Before the bolt could even stop vibrating, Varko made a pump action that reloaded another bolt from the magazine attached to the crossbow.
Then he released the trigger, and the blot flew in the air. Then another pump motion. Another reload and another shot.
This continued until Varko fired a total of six bolts at the target before he turned to look at him.
"Now watch this." He told both his generals who were looking rather impressed by the speed with which Varko was firing the crossbow. "Change the magazine." He told Varko and Varko removed the wooden magazine, took another magazine filled with crossbow bolts, and attached it to the top of the crossbow.
Then Varko continued and fired another 6 bolts within 12 seconds.
"Continue," he told Varko. Varko added another magazine and fired all the bolts into the wooden target. Then another magazine, then another until he had fired a total of ten magazines and filled the wooden target with bolts.
"That’s enough." He told Varko and the man stopped and lowered his hands, a slight sheen of sweat covering his forehead.
He would not say it out loud be he was rather proud of his sworn shield’s stamina.
He then turned to his two generals and asked "So... How was it?"
"Complicated," Bronn replied instantly.
Doric raised an eyebrow and Bronn explained.
"The thing is too bloody complicated. Sure, it might look fancy and yes, it can shoot faster than even a damn bow. But how much ti did it take for your n to make it? And how many of these things can those n make within a year? Not enough I reckon." Bronn said as he took the crossbow from Varko and gave it a closer look.
"Maintaining a crossbow like this is going to be a pain as well. Not to ntion that right now, it might work well enough, but will all the crossbows made by your people be of the sa quality?"
"A single mistake. One mistake and the thing will jam itself. Then it’s no use to anybody. Now I’m not saying that it is completely useless. If your people can make... say 25 by the end of the year. Then you can give it to your personal guards, and they can use it against any idiot trying to murder you."
After that Bronn gave the Pump action crossbow back to him and sat down on a tree stump.
He looked at Karsi for her own review on this matter and she remained silent for a mont with a contemplative expression on her face before she said.
"Bronn is not wrong. This thing definitely looks very complicated and would take a long ti to make for any wood craftsman. But... despite your young age, you are no fool. You must already know these things. So, have you found a way to mass produce these... Pump Action Crossbow?"
"Indeed. Do you rember how the ship factory works?" he asked.
Both Karsi and Bronn nodded at him.
"This crossbow will be built just like that." He told them. "I’ve already created the design of the workshop and have begun its construction. By the ti the workshop is ready, every worker will have to focus on a single part of the crossbow and at the end of the workshop, a few workers will fit the whole thing together. This way, we won’t have to rely on experienced wood craftsn who are only able to build on crossbow in a month or so and would be able to produce 2 or even 3 Pump action crossbows on a daily basis."
"You are planning to build another regint of ranged troops who’ll be using these pump-action crossbows of yours, aren’t you?" Karsi pointed out and he nodded in response.
"Definitely. I also plan on creating one more workshop so that I would be able to provide every mber of the garrison with a pump action crossbow of their own."
He looked at Bronn for any other criticism, but the man simply shrugged. "If you can create a lot of them then that’s alright. The n could be taught how to take proper care of them. Otherwise, it’s definitely much better than a bow and a simple crossbow so I don’t have any problem with it."
"Very well then. I want you to recruit 1000 more n to create this new crossbow regint." He told them. "Make sure that all of them already have so experience with a bow or crossbow. I think there are a lot of the n among the free folk who lived as hunters, right?"
"Yes." Karsi nodded. "A lot of them have already joined the archer regint."
"Good. See if any more of them are interested in joining the army. I want them ready at the end of the third month. We should have about 200 PA Crossbow ready by then." He told her and both generals gave him a half-hearted salute before leaving.
As they left, he turned to hand over the crossbow to his sworn shield but noticed that he was distracted by the firm posterior of his second general.
"Ahem..." he coughed and Varko jolted and then gave him an embarrassed look. Huh... he didn’t even know that Varko could look embarrassed.
"You interested in her?" he asked Varko who looked indecisive for a mont before his expression beca firm and nodded.
"She’s a... strong woman. And after I..." Varko hesitated a little but continued. "I want a family of my own as well."
"Well. If you want to pursue her, then I suggest you learn a bit about the traditions of the free folk. I think Ygritte will be willing to help you with that. With how strong you are, I doubt you would have any problem with stealing Karsi away." He said with a smile. "Aside from that, you have my blessing for this union. I think both of you are good for each other."
Varko looked at him with an indescribable emotion for a mont before he simply bowed to him.
"Thank you, my lord. For all that you’ve done for . I doubt I’ll be able to pay you back for all that I owe you, but I’ll certainly try till the end of my life."
At first, he thought about waving his gratitude away but then realized that doing so would hurt Varko’s pride. So, he just smiled in return. "You’re welco. And you’ve been an excellent subordinate, a ntor, and a friend so far. Thank you for your commitnt as well. Now let’s go back to the castle. I need to hold another eting with the Head of Infrastructure and Roads."
With that, they turned and left the training field.
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Ch.110: Library of Alexandria
Ch.111: Teenage Hormones
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