Chapter 425: The Arms Race (Part 1)
Cassius, in his human form, casually waved his hand.
With the fluctuation of the magic web, the stable space that even Kassande's legendary mage struggled to breach was torn open, revealing a portal.
Cassius, seated on his throne, smiled and said:
"Send my regards to King Otis. Although the empire will remain neutral during the war, I support him as the rightful heir of Fadlan."
"Go ahead. As long as you pay enough gold, you'll get what you want."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Navin, visibly excited, bowed repeatedly in gratitude before stepping into the portal.
This emperor has a favorable view of Kassande!
He personally expressed his support!
Delighted by the emperor's greeting, Navin Besalius thought to himself, though he was unaware that Cassius's favor was primarily directed toward Kassande's abundant treasury and inherited Fadlan assets.
Outside the portal, Battlefield Wheelchair had been waiting for quite some time. Upon seeing Navin, he beamed, offering a proper Fadlan-style bow before warmly welcoming him.
"You must be Lord Navin. I've heard so much about you."
"I'm Battlefield Wheelchair, your product advisor for this transaction. Please, follow me."
"Thank you."
"Oh, it's my pleasure! At Klauberwu Corporation, we always treat our customers as—uh, VIPs."
Battlefield Wheelchair's mouth twitched slightly.
The enthusiasm of the man before him made Navin a bit uncomfortable, but he nodded politely nonetheless.
Battlefield Wheelchair had received intel days earlier, identifying this plainly dressed man as the secret envoy of Kassande, Navin Besalius.
This was a rare and lucrative opportunity!
No, a major client!
After successfully selling to Thrace and earning a hefty commission, he felt like he had unlocked the doors to a new world, and from there, his career took off.
He had since become the star product advisor of the Klauberwu Arms Corporation, with record-breaking sales, consistently ranking as the top salesperson, and was now aiming for the position of sales manager.
"Erezaghe" was such a rich and immersive experience.
Combat and adventure weren't the only ways to play—every player could find a role that suited them.
For Battlefield Wheelchair, since he lacked the aptitude for battlefields, he set his sights on the corporate world!
"Boom! Boom!"
Explosions echoed in the distance, but the locals were already accustomed to it. Battlefield Wheelchair led the way without batting an eye, while Navin looked around curiously.
They were on the outskirts of Isthalia, with the Great Altar towering on the cliff in the distance.
The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder. In a wide open field, rows of humanoid targets and bullseyes stood neatly arranged, while the ground further ahead was littered with craters from artillery shells.
On the wide road, squads of hobgoblins marched with rifles in hand.
Battlefield Wheelchair introduced, "This is the Imperial Army's shooting range. It's not just a training ground for infantry but also the Klauberwu Group's testing site for new products."
"Follow me. I'll take you to the specialized testing grounds."
"Alright."
Navin observed the hobgoblins training in the distance, lost in thought.
The weapons they held seemed significantly different from those used by Thrace soldiers.
However, he didn't dwell on it, instead following Battlefield Wheelchair down a side path to another area.
"Here we are."
"Clap! Clap!"
Battlefield Wheelchair clapped his hands.
"Show our new client what our group has to offer!"
Upon hearing this, a team of hobgoblins carrying wooden crates stepped forward, followed by a few ogres hauling cannons.
Turning toward Navin, Battlefield Wheelchair's eyes sparkled. "Lord Navin, having traveled such a long way, what kind of products are you looking to acquire?"
"Rest assured, Klauberwu's product quality is unmatched across the entire Fianso continent. We will meet all your needs."
Navin pondered for a moment before responding, "I trust the quality of your weapons."
"After all… the ones you sold to Thrace have already caused us considerable trouble."
"I need weapons capable of equipping ordinary soldiers, at least enough for them to match Thrace's army. Can you provide that?"
"Ah!"
Battlefield Wheelchair clapped his hands dramatically.
"You've come at just the right time!"
He signaled to the hobgoblins, who opened the wooden crates to reveal rifles coated in protective oil.
Navin immediately leaned in for a closer look.
Seizing the opportunity, Battlefield Wheelchair continued, "What you might not know is that the firearms Thrace received were the outdated Firebrand III Series. Our military has already phased them out, and production lines for that obsolete model are being shut down."
"To put it bluntly, they were just surplus junk gathering dust in our warehouses."
"But what you're seeing here is different."
Leaning in conspiratorially, Battlefield Wheelchair whispered, "This is our latest development—Wyvern's Flame I Series, the king of the modern battlefield!"
He pulled out one of the rifles from the crate, skillfully loaded it, and took aim at a distant target.
"Bang!"
The gunshot echoed, and a bullet hole appeared squarely between the target's eyes.
Without even looking at the target, Battlefield Wheelchair stylishly spun around, patted the rifle, and enthusiastically began his pitch.
"This is the cutting-edge infantry weapon of the empire, representing a new series—the Wyvern's Flame I Series."
"Compared to the previous series, this model innovatively uses smokeless ammunition, offering significant improvements in range, accuracy, and power. It has earned high praise within the Imperial Army."
"Even Field Marshal Dolo himself had this to say: 'A soldier without a Wyvern's Flame I rifle is not a qualified imperial warrior.'"
"This… This is…"
Hearing this, Navin's heart first sank with shock before surging with overwhelming joy.
So, the weapons Thrace had received were nothing but outdated, inferior models!
And now, he had the chance to bring Kassande the most advanced and highly regarded equipment the Ember Empire had to offer, potentially giving them a decisive edge over Thrace.
Currently, Kassande's military was evenly matched with the joint forces of Thrace and Seleucis, making any shift in power highly consequential.
This could even turn the tide of the war!
As Battlefield Wheelchair continued his sales pitch, Navin suppressed his excitement and paid close attention to every word—even though much of it was just unnecessary fluff.