The Necromance of Love and Death: Defeated Early in the Game, I Reincarnated as a Tragic Villainous Noble and Rebel Against the Scenario with My Beloved Using My Modern and Game Knowledge - Chapter 47

“I see…”

I was reviewing documents in the conference room.

Seated with me were my chief aide, Daniel, and the other advisors. Sometimes, it was in this very room that the future direction of the Barbasthol territory was decided. It wasn’t a place where one could let their guard down.

“There’s a section here on tactics using the musket…”

“Yes, allow me to explain.”

Chief aide Daniel stood up.

“The musket developed under Lord Clovis’ directive surpasses magic in range, but its effective range is shorter than a bow’s. Its power exceeds that of a bow but still falls short of magic. Even among our strategists, no one has yet settled on a reliable tactic using muskets.”

“I see…”

Even in Japan’s Warring States era, few recognized the value of the matchlock gun. In a world with magic, it’s even harder to notice such potential.

“Unlike bows, muskets can’t fire in an arc. Their accuracy is poor, and many soldiers are skeptical about their usefulness.”

“I understand…”

The musket was a project I had pushed forward. For Daniel to openly point out its flaws… he really is an exemplary retainer.

I’m aware that I’m still lacking as a noble lord.

That’s why it’s so important to have subordinates who don’t just flatter me but speak their minds honestly.

“The musket may be a half-baked weapon in some ways. But it also has advantages unique to it.”

“And what would those be?”

I answered as if I were replying to a test question.

“It’s the ease of use. Magic is powerful, yes—but very few can wield it. Mastering the bow requires years of training and physical strength. But with a musket, even children and the elderly can learn to use it with just a short amount of practice. A random, untrained child on the street could potentially take down a seasoned warrior depending on the situation.”

“…Are you planning to have children fight in war, Lord Clovis?”

“I don’t intend to use them actively. But our frontier territory borders the demon lands. If war breaks out, we may have no choice but to arm children and elders alike. The demons won’t be taking prisoners, after all.”

“…That’s true, but…”

Daniel nodded bitterly.

“Also, the musket might not match magic in firepower—when used singly. But that’s why we’ll use them in numbers. Volley fire. If we line up enough troops, their combined firepower will surpass that of magic. Magic users are few in number. The low accuracy of muskets can also be offset through volley fire. Instead of aiming at a point, we attack an area.”

“However… how should we position our forces in that case? If we fire while the front line is engaged, we’ll hit our own men…”

“How to structure it…”

I dug into memories from my past life.

Tactics for firearms haven’t been established in this world yet. If I can apply my past-life knowledge, maybe I can shorten the trial-and-error phase.

What came to mind was the Battle of Nagashino.

“First, formation. Place the musketeers, infantry, and archers in that order. Put cavalry on both flanks.”

“You would put musketeers in the front?”

“That’s right and divide the musketeers into three units. Their main weakness is long reload time. By rotating three units, we can eliminate that flaw. The first fires, then steps back to reload while the second steps forward. When the second fires, they rotate again. This way, the reloading issue is solved.”

“I see…”

Daniel began taking notes.

“If we set up barricades in front of the musketeers to block cavalry charges, we can handle sudden assaults. Hand-to-hand combat should come only after the musketeers have thinned out the enemy.”

From a hazy memory, something like a war wagon came to mind. I’ll have the Special District build those.

“Therefore, I want to increase musket production and expand training.”

“However, Lord Clovis, many soldiers remain skeptical of firearms. Leaving this unaddressed may lead to problems.”

“If they could just experience its effectiveness once…”

Our nation isn’t currently at war, and any conflict with the demons is still in the future. Training with monsters is also tricky—forests and dungeons make it hard to demonstrate the musket’s full potential.

If only there were a chance to show off what the musket can do somewhere…