The wounded soldier was soon healed by Nana Wa, and she had mastered the art of bone union. After Roland sent the First Army back to camp, only Chief Knight, the Witch, and a few guards remained at the scene.
With a grim expression, he approached the corpse and instructed Carter to make an incision at the bullet wound on the victim's back.
The blood hole was about one and a half fingers deep. After incision, the lead pellet was found to have ruptured, and the trauma was essentially no different from that of an ordinary person.
"What do you think?" he asked Carter.
Carter looked visibly frustrated, probably not expecting a man with no swordsmanship training to land a single move. "He's got strength and speed, but if I hadn't wanted to see his limits, I could've chopped off his head in the first strike." "What if it's a Knight?" "This..." Carter paused. "A Duke's Knight might be manageable, but a Wind Knight or Steelheart Knight from the Royal Knights' squad? That's where I'd be helpless." Roland remained neutral. Since the duel relied solely on skill and swordsmanship, Carter's assessment held true. But with armor and a heavy helmet, wielding a massive two-handed sword, the situation would drastically change. The prisoner wouldn't stand a chance against such a heavy load.
The power upgrade delivers comprehensive enhancements—allowing heavier armor and weapons, faster movement, and extended combat endurance. Roland now recognizes the flaw in his earlier assumptions about the Long Song Fortress. Adrenaline? Not at all. This substance is far more formidable than adrenaline. While hormones merely unlock human potential, the Red Pill has clearly pushed prisoners beyond their limits. Particularly, the speed and explosive power displayed during sprints rival those of heavy cavalry.
The black pill also demonstrated astonishing efficacy, rendering him immobile even after near-fatal rib fractures and close-range gunfire. In contrast, ordinary individuals would have long lost combat capability due to the excruciating pain.
A civilian with uncanny strength who feared no pain was already formidable enough—what about a group of well-trained soldiers? The words of the High Priest made Roland frown.
"Your Highness," the Nightingale murmured, "look at his skin." The prisoner's epidermis, having shed its initial crimson hue, had turned a pale gray with profuse wrinkles—like a snake in the process of molting. Roland prodded with the blade's handle and found no firm muscle beneath, only hollow tissue. Upon dissection, the subcutaneous fat had liquefied into mucus, while the muscles had atrophied.
"This phenomenon mirrors the effects of swallowing God's Stone of Punishment," she observed Prince. "The pill does contain stone components." "But swallowing stones alone doesn't amplify power," Roland mused. "How could they create such an unscientific device?" The pill appeared to have severe side effects—whether permanent or reversible remained unclear, though Roland favored the former. If reversible, this morphine-adrenaline-enhanced drug could be considered a War God drug. Given its recovery timeline, the Church's use of it to unify the world would be no surprise.
Even if it's short-lived and comes with side effects, it's still worth being cautious about, Roland thought. If the Church switches to supporting Tefiko or Garcia, he might end up facing a drug-addicted army.
What troubled him even more was that the Church was willing to sell such items, without considering whether the new King might use the pill to turn against them after Graycastle's unification. Graycastle could mobilize far more cannon fodder for battle than the old or new Holy Cities. In a war of attrition, the Inquisition Army would only be gradually worn down.
Unless... they hold a stronger hand and don't care about such things happening.
Roland sighed at this realization. His original plan was to address the town's population and financial shortages by attacking the Long Song Fortress, then prioritize education, production, and agriculture to rapidly transform Border Town into a city, setting aside weapons research for now. But now it became clear that military development couldn't be neglected either—the First Army needed expansion, flintlock guns still required production, and new weapon research—such as breech-loading guns and fixed-bullet systems, two God devices—must be prioritized.
The mechanical principle of the breech-loading gun is not difficult. The fixed ammunition can be made of paper or repeatedly stamped copper pieces.
Roland still had no clue about the specific propellant used for cartridge ammunition. He only knew it was called mercury tetraacetic acid, which literally required nitric acid and mercury as its base ingredients. Whether additional components were needed was beyond his memory. Moreover, he recalled the substance demanded precise control over humidity and temperature during production, posing significant risks—any mishap could send his fingers flying. After careful consideration, he resolved to invest heavily in recruiting alchemists to return and establish a laboratory in a remote corner of the town, where they could conduct their own experiments.
...
After dinner, Roland called Anna and Shulian into the office.
Now that Border Town's coffers are overflowing, he's about to pour half his assets into compulsory education—a costly and slow-returning endeavor.
The industrial society needs high-quality workers with basic cultural literacy, not illiterate individuals with brute strength. If universal education is not properly implemented, the demographic dividend will only turn into a demographic burden.
In view of this, he intends to allocate some time each evening starting from today to conduct lectures. Once the students have mastered the fundamental knowledge of natural sciences, the town will likely complete the first phase of literacy education.
As a future pioneer in education and a versatile teacher, Roland naturally shared all his life's knowledge with her. Inviting Anna along was simply out of his affection.
Anna didn't have photographic memory, but her thirst for knowledge and proactive learning drive were the strongest among all witches. She often saw her counterpart rummaging through her bookshelf, and within half a year, those few books were likely already completely gone. Moreover, her ability to absorb new ideas and logical thinking were rare traits in this era.
He took the mathematics and physics textbooks that had been transformed from the books, and began to teach today's lesson.
From basic arithmetic to slightly more complex equation calculations, Anna's comprehension clearly outshines Shujuan's. When it comes to physics, Shujuan tends to memorize Roland's explanations verbatim before gradually grasping the concepts. Anna, however, occasionally raises questions to challenge her understanding.
For instance, what do elementary particles look like, and why do all things composed of them appear in such diverse forms...
Some Roland could answer, while others he couldn't figure out himself.
Take Magic Power as an example.
He had no choice but to recount his earlier conjecture, suggesting that Magic Power might be a form of energy akin to electricity or heat, currently accessible only to witches. He noted that it's possible ordinary people might eventually be able to store and utilize Magic Power through some means.
Anna wore a thoughtful, God-like expression.
When instructing women, particularly those of remarkable charm, time always flies by. Unconsciously, the candle has been replaced twice, and the new one is about to burn out.
Suddenly, Roland heard a faint whisper. The nightingale, lying on the sofa, had fallen asleep unnoticed—perhaps the lesson had been like a lullaby to her. The veil lifted, and her not-so-elegant sleeping posture was laid bare before the three of them.
Prince shook his head in a mix of amusement and frustration, deciding to end the lesson there. He took off his coat and gently draped it over her, blew out the candle, and closed the door with Anna and Shukuan, who were still holding back their laughter.