Steel Eyed Faker

Chapter 10: Save the Twisted Part 3

Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness.

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-The Capital-

(Two years before)

It was a strange sensation for the former Counter Guardian. Experiencing a moment of peace for what felt like the first time in literal ages. The soft sound of the metal chimes ringing near the windows as the gentle wind blew past them, coupled with the slightly cloudy sky of mid-spring which made the temperature neither too hot nor too cold. The manor was located far enough from the center of the Capital that even if he hung out on the balcony, there would be little to no noise unless he Reinforced his ear drums to pick up the sound of birds chirping from across the courtyard. All in all, it was an ideal environment for him to just get lost in his own thoughts and activities. One of which involved gaining knowledge of the world he was living in his adopted family’s massive library. 

"It is strange how despite this being a medieval era, several of its military and cultural aspects resemble those of modern civilization, such as the presence of advanced firearms and manga.” A young Emiya muttered to no one in particular, holding a book that recounted one of the many wars fought by the Empire against the surrounding nations that it had long since annexed. It was from these writings that he discovered an interesting fact.

"Other than Teigus and Shingus, modern firearms have existed in some way for a while now, in all manners of shape or form. Some of them bear a great resemblance to those of my world but with certain characteristics influenced by this world’s culture and history, while others look like something one would see in a museum or a scifi book." he mused, scratching his chin at this mix of technologie. He read a paragraph that described a Teigu capable of firing a highly concentrated beam of energy infused with the life force of the wielder. 

Another chapter mentioned old-fashioned flintlock pistols used by the Empire’s elite soldiers hundreds of years ago. As to why this didn't stick around and evolve into the entire army using mass-produced firearms, that took quite a bit of head-scratching to figure out. 

“Not like they ever stopped producing them; Nagumo has one on his night stand, not that he never bothers to use it even for target practice.”

The writings also mentioned artillery, flying contraptions that resembled something Da Vince would have come up with during one of her benders. There were even, funnily enough, some obscure tomes that alluded to giant machines made in the image of a human, reminding him of those shows featuring giant robots piloted by humans. Apparently, the First Emperor had attempted to have such a thing commissioned as the Empire’s last line of defense, but it was only ever based on baseless rumors, and no one ever actually saw it.

“Great… so the Imperial family is descended from some mecha enthusiasts. Boys and their toys as they say. Hopefully, that project died with him…” But as he was about to turn the page again, his peace was disturbed.

“—!”

The door behind him rattled violently with a heavy impact, its hinges straining against the force but holding firm thanks to his earlier handiwork. Wood chips fell from the door frame and small cracks appeared in the surrounding walls and ceiling, sending dust flying, but he paid it no mind. To him, it was just background noise, something he deliberately ignored for as long as he could before his tranquility was destroyed. 

He had found that it is better to take full advantage of the peace and quiet whenever the opportunity arrives. 

“Maybe the reason that bladed weaponry has continued to remain prominent despite the presence of firearms is due to the presence of Danger Beasts? Hmm, many of the higher-quality blades I have seen appear to utilize some parts of these creatures. Albeit the weaker ones so they can be used for mass production… But then why not just use their bones to make ammunition?”