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POV of Konstantin von Liebwitz

Nachgeheim 9-20,2491 IC

In the last few days, I have barely been able to sleep since Prince Albrecht spoke to me about the imminent competition. The thought that someone working so closely with the dawi might have developed weapons inspired by their mastery kept me restless. Do not misunderstand me: dwarven creations are masterpieces of craftsmanship, but they are not designed to be mass-produced. If the Count had managed to adapt that knowledge to human scale, what would be presented at the tournament could change the future of the Empire. That secrecy surrounding him only made my sleeplessness grow.

I tried, in vain, to obtain early information. I wanted my men to observe the military camps of the Count of the Westerlands, but they were too heavily guarded to risk an attempt. I cursed myself for wasting energy extending banquets and receptions in honor of foreign embassies, instead of focusing on what truly mattered to me: witnessing firsthand the technological advances that could benefit the Empire.

I had no choice but to wait. Thus, the days passed between preparations for the shooting trials and the selection of shooters. It was vital that those chosen were not hardened veterans in musket handling, for their experience would skew the result. We needed men who knew only the basics, to fairly measure the ease and effectiveness of each weapon presented.

Meanwhile, the absence of the Prince of Marienburg was evident. He was withdrawn with his team, refining every last detail of his armament for the big day, ensuring that nothing was left to chance.

And finally, the day arrived. Despite the lack of sleep, excitement kept me awake and alert as I arrived at the shooting field prepared for the event. Mannequins covered in armor had been placed at different distances to assess both short- and long-range accuracy and impact. Black powder and ammunition, fresh from the forges of Nuln, awaited ready.

Everything seemed to be going perfectly as gunsmiths from all over the Empire began arriving to exhibit their creations. Among them, many engineers had come as observers, eager to witness the novelties. There were also numerous dawi; and while their weapons were, without question, vastly superior to almost everything produced in the Empire, they were impossible to consider at the required scale. Only they could replicate them, and the Empire needed quantity, not just quality. We could not wait weeks or months for each piece, no matter how secure and durable they were.

My duty, however, was different: to ensure that the weapons presented met the Emperor's requirements. They had to be as good as possible in quality, yes, but also easy to mass-produce, viable to manufacture in large numbers… and, of course, affordable. No weapon should exceed fifty crowns if we wanted to equip Imperial regiments with it.

The first trials of the local gunsmiths from Nuln and Hochland had already begun as I conversed with the different embassies about the results obtained so far.

"Don't you think the amount of powder you recommended is a bit excessive for your weapons?" I asked the Princess of Kislev, watching as her muskets were put to the test.

"These are the specifications our gunsmiths recommended," replied one of her guards, while the princess merely observed the shots in silence.

"I see…" I muttered, hoping none of those weapons would explode in the hands of the poor recruits chosen to test them.

Then, the princess spoke in a harsh, heavy Reikspiel "There is something I would like to know, if it is not too much trouble, lord of the city."

"Tell me. If it is within my knowledge, I will be glad to help," I replied, genuinely surprised by her request.

"The Prince of Marienburg… is he a trustworthy man? We are considering purchasing a shipment of weapons, but so far no one really knows who he is, nor if he is someone who will honor such an important responsibility."

"Albrecht," I said, adjusting myself before answering. "He is a recently elevated noble, famous for his military campaigns. In Middenland he is feared for his great purges in the beast-infested forests. Furthermore, his victories against the Bretonnians and in Marienburg have made him well known throughout the Empire."

"I do not mean his military fame, but his honor. We do not want to risk Kislev's scarce resources on weapons that will never arrive, or that fail at the decisive moment," the princess replied coldly.

"I do not know him well personally, but by his actions I believe he is an honorable man. The Ulricans do not usually name a fortress after someone they do not respect… and in the Drakwald there is one that bears his name. That alone is proof enough that he has left his mark," I answered.

"And is he someone prone to changing his mind?" she pressed.

"That… well… that leaves me puzzled," I admitted. "From what I know, he is aggressive, even violent. It is said he enjoys being in the front lines hunting minotaurs without showing the slightest fear. At the last banquet, when he was threatened, I thought it would end in blood and steel. But to my surprise, he showed himself far more calm and calculating than I expected. Of course, the Emperor and I agree he is an intelligent man… though also given to his fists."

"I see. Thank you for the information. Perhaps we will purchase weapons, then. The burning of so many Kislevites in Marienburg made me think the same as you: that he was too violent a man. But perhaps I was mistaken," the princess replied, turning her gaze back to the shooting trials.

I watched the tests closely. The Kislevite weapons had power, yes, but at the cost of too much black powder, which limited their practicality. None of them exploded, fortunately, though their consumption was excessive compared to the others. Ignoring, of course, the dawi weapons, whose accuracy was unmatched, crafted with a care bordering on perfection… but impossible to produce at the scale the Empire required.

Finally, it was the turn of the Prince of Marienburg. He arrived with his retinue of soldiers and gunsmiths, bringing with him a great number of weapons that would be put to the test.

''Welcome, what surprises do you intend to dazzle us with?" I said, clasping my hands as his men prepared the equipment.

"To begin with, this is one of my finest creations. Well… a joint creation with my dawi friends," said Albrecht, showing a paper bag containing something. Immediately, many leaned closer with curiosity.

"What is it?" I asked, bending forward to see the contents.

"Nothing extraordinary… just a powder far stronger than black powder, and which produces no smoke." The Elector Count tore open part of the wrapping, letting fall onto a wooden table a grayish dust, lighter than common gunpowder.

Before I could utter a word, one of his men brought forth a burning torch. The dust ignited instantly… and vanished without leaving almost a trace, no smoke, as if the very air had devoured it.

"What a marvel! What a magnificent creation!… This must be the result of decades of dawi research…" I exclaimed, astonished at the improvement to black powder that so many had sought for generations, and which now, finally, stood before us.

"Indeed," replied Albrecht with a smile brimming with pride. "It is a dawi creation, which they sell only to me due to our great friendship. But I believe I can convince them to sell it to the rest of the Empire for the right price. This powder leaves barely any residue, avoiding tedious cleaning of the barrel, and is also far more powerful. So powerful, in fact, that it requires steel cannons to keep from shattering to pieces."

"May I… see more? Surely you have reserves, don't you?" I asked, resisting the urge to snatch the paper bags hanging from his belt.

"Plenty more," he replied. "My weapons have used smokeless powder for months now. And at last, I intend to sell it to the Empire… for a fair price." He placed several bags upon the table, which I eagerly opened to examine.

"Could you explain its composition? If you allow me to deliver it to the alchemists of Nuln, we could begin mass production after some preliminary testing. You would, of course, receive a commission for your creation."

"That is a secret between the dawi and me," he replied firmly. "I cannot share it. I offer only to sell part of my production intended for the Empire."

"Come now! You cannot do this to me… This breakthrough must be known, written in the books of every university. It cannot remain locked in a family secret," I insisted, nearly begging.

The prince did not reply. Instead, he turned to one of his armorers. "Mathias, please show them your new creation."

The man unwrapped a bundle covered in white cloth and revealed a musket with an ignition system I had never seen before.

"Flintlock mechanism," explained Albrecht. "Far more reliable than the wheel lock. Faster and more precise ignition. With Sigmar's blessing, this shall be the future weapon of our armies." He handed me the musket, already loaded by his men.

I remained silent, studying every detail. Then I passed it to one of the marksmen, who began the test. Shots thundered across multiple ranges, piercing effectively through the armor of the test mannequins. Every gaze was fixed upon the weapon.

But the greatest surprise came afterwards. They brought forth a wheeled weapon, not part of the competition but a demonstration of his personal armorer. It was the multi-barrel cannon I had heard so many rumors about. The prince's men turned a crank, and in a deafening roar it began firing. Multiple projectiles spat out in continuous bursts, tearing apart the mannequins wherever they struck. They reloaded, swapped magazines, and the storm of fire did not cease until four had been consumed.

"I need one of those… I need to study it…" I whispered, hypnotized by the machine.

I turned, searching for the Prince of Marienburg. I found him conversing with Princess Katarin, surrounded by ambassadors from Tilea and Estalia, all trying to negotiate arms purchases.

"So then, Prince of Marienburg, would that musket be the one sold to us?" asked the princess.

"No," replied Albrecht. "That is a new model that must first serve the Empire. Although, if it were rejected, I might offer it to Kislev."

"Then what would you sell us?" pressed the princess.

"An older model, with a wheel lock. More complex, requires greater maintenance, but it was enough to conquer Marienburg."

I could not hold back any longer. "And the cannon? What would you take for that multi-barrel cannon?" I interrupted suddenly.

"Ah… I see you were dazzled by my armorer's creation," the prince replied, calm, almost amused. "It is a secret, and I want it to spread first under my family's control. Only the Emperor could decide otherwise."

"I must understand it…" I murmured, almost pleading.

"Perhaps we can speak further later," he allowed with a cutting smile. Then he turned, ignoring me, to continue speaking with the ambassadors.

I remained there, trembling with anxiety, and the only thought that haunted me as I walked back toward Nuln were his words: 'Family… family…' And my eyes turned toward my daughters.

If not through the beauty of Emmanuelle, then I shall have to resort to Leos. I can no longer serve Emmanuelle's whims unless I manage to bind his advances to the University of Nuln.

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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.

Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

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