The chief’s gaze was fixed on the contents of the chest.
Tears were streaming from his eyes.
“A silver-shining barrel, a body made of wood. Is this the cursed weapon that killed nearly a thousand of our warriors?”
Instead of answering his question with words, I nodded my head.
The chief signaled for the warriors, including the war chief, to gather around.
They too shed tears as they looked over the guns in the chest.
Some of the more sensitive ones wept like big men.
When I casually asked Abdulla what they were saying, he replied,
“I can’t quite make it out because so many people are talking at once, but from what I gathered, they are saying that this dreadful weapon that killed our comrades has fallen into their hands. Some are sad, while others are happy, claiming they won’t just suffer anymore.”
In truth, in a survival situation like this, bows and arrows are far more useful than muskets.
They barely make a sound, and the time it takes to shoot is much shorter.
The range is over three times different.
However, the reason muskets changed history is, to put it mildly, because anyone can use them, and each shot packs a tremendous punch.
‘Unless it’s armor made of steel, it’ll go through in one shot.’
Also, armor made of steel costs more than enough to sustain twenty peasant families for a year.
Thus, it became the ‘Asset No. 1’ that is passed down through generations in lower-ranking noble families.
Once the excitement of the chief and the others settled down, we could continue our conversation.
“You’ve shown a pitiful side.”
“No, it’s an honor that you’re so pleased.”
If they liked it this much, it allows me to inflate my price a bit more.
There’s a sense of accomplishment in reaching this point with all the hardship.
“Let me ask one more thing. With this, can we penetrate that armor?”
When the chief signaled, the armor, likely worn by the governor’s guards, was brought out.
Typical plated armor from the Sultanate, made of chains and steel plates.
“They used soldiers dressed in such iron armor to kill us, pillage, and enslave our people. We try to fight back, but… our arrows can’t pierce their armor.”
One of the common misconceptions we have is that crossbow bolts can penetrate plate armor.
In reality, they struggle to even leave a scratch.
Let alone with bows that have weaker draw strength than crossbows.
‘Unless the arrow actually slips through the gaps in the armor.’
That’s why knights in armor ruled the battlefield before gunpowder appeared.
But what if the heavy ‘lead pellets’ are combined with the tremendous kinetic energy generated from a gunpowder explosion?
Most armors would probably get punctured for sure.
“I’ll show you the power directly.”
When selling items, it’s customary to let the buyer try them out.
Only when you put in that level of effort will the customer buy the item; customer satisfaction services aren’t just for show.
Even if we’re a bit primitive here as nomads, it’s etiquette to present our guests so well that they might faint out of being impressed.
“Gather all the tribe people. I will show you personally.”
“Then I will pierce that armor in one shot.”
As soon as I finished speaking, all the tribal warriors’ gazes fixed on me.
It’s a bit of a burden, but I’ll think of it as being on stage.
First, I load the gun with gunpowder, then paper, followed by the bullet, shoving it down with the iron rod.
After that, I sprinkle gunpowder on the pan for a complete readiness to fire.
“It’ll make a loud sound, so please cover your ears, Chief.”
As I said that, I fired the gun at the armor.
The armor couldn’t withstand the physical force of the lead pellet and was pierced.
The tribespeople stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the armor without a word.
“Chief, what do you think now?”
Upon hearing my words, the chief nodded vigorously.
“100, no, it must be 500 pieces! What price should I give you? Ivory? Lion skin, or would gold be better?”
Ivory or lion skin would be fine.
I can’t take all the payment in those things, but if I take some, selling them to the nobles will bring in loads of money.
‘Especially the lion skin, it’d be crazy.’
It would probably become a decorative item symbolizing power, and without a doubt, I could sell it for about the same price as ‘silver’ with the right amount of quantity control.
“For a single musket, including 20 shots, it would be 25 grams of gold, and if you give me ivory, I’ll give you five muskets for one piece, and two for a lion skin.”
Completely inflating the price compared to what I would sell to the governor.
But I should charge a shipping fee for bringing these items all the way here, right?
Of course, even though it’s a bit inconvenient to bring them here, the selling price might only go up by 10%…
It’s common sense that when the price of flour increases by 100 won, the price of Jajangmyeon goes up by 500 won.
The chief’s face twisted.
“Isn’t that a bit too expensive? In the nearby market…”
In a traditional market, the person who lives there may have the upper hand, but I’m the only one selling items here.
So, whatever I sell, it’s all according to my will.
“Well, if you don’t want to buy, that’s fine. But I worry you might not find it in the market later.”
If muskets and gunpowder were sold in the market, these folks would have done everything possible to get them.
Therefore, they must have a few in stock and wouldn’t have been so shocked.
‘That’s why having a poker face is crucial during negotiations.’
If they reveal their cards, then I could have all the fun tormenting them.
These friends only have tribes around them to negotiate with, so they’re lacking in negotiation skills.
I’ll have to take it upon myself to give them a little lesson with only an appropriate fee.
“Pack up, everyone. We’re going somewhere else.”
As I said that and we started packing, the chief grabbed my hand.
“Alright, 500 muskets! Let’s make it so you get the price you ask for.”
500 muskets don’t weigh more than about 10 kilograms.
Of course, the value of gold is extraordinarily high on our Albanian continent…
‘I didn’t come all this way just for this small amount.’
“Well, but we might be able to give you a special discount.”
“How can you offer a discount?”
“If you let other tribes know that we’re selling muskets, we’ll sell them for about 18 grams of gold. Furthermore, for every musket sold from another tribe introduced by you, we’ll give you an extra 2 grams.”
The sales structure I’ve created is called multi-level in professional jargon.
It’s a bit unfamiliar on the Albanian continent, or rather in this world.
But the effect is perfect, no, it’s off the charts.
Just by introducing others, they could get a 10% discount on the ‘muskets’ and bullets, which are a solid measure of power.
On top of that, they would earn a 10% incentive—how could they resist that?
“But if we hand over muskets to another tribe, they will grow stronger. What if they grow in power and turn their blades toward us?”
What’s the issue? Endless state of conflict, or in polite terms, a state of struggle against all mankind (nature).
But aren’t you in a position where you shouldn’t be leisurely pondering what will happen in the future?
“Though I’m just an outsider saying this, can you truly defeat those wicked Nodarians in this state? They are desperately trying to kill Chief Motswani and enslave our tribespeople. That’s why you’ve already lost so much livestock and are gradually being pushed out of your land.”
Of course, I bear some responsibility for how things turned out.
If I hadn’t sold the weapons, the people of the Botswana tribe wouldn’t have been dying.
I didn’t directly shoot them, after all.
“If you make one more step back, you’ll surely face death. Other tribes will likely be in a similar situation.”
The Nodarian region, or rather the Nodarian governor, is essentially like the ‘king of an independent nation.’
That means he possesses power, wealth, and military strength comparable to that.
The strength of a single tribe cannot withstand it.
“No matter how strong a lion is, if a herd of buffaloes comes together, it can’t charge in recklessly. It’ll end up getting trampled to death.”
In Africa, herbivores don’t form huge herds for no reason.
If you stray from the herd, you die, but if you stay together, you live.
“And Chief Botswana. If you manage to rally everyone and successfully defend against the Nodarians, how do you think the other tribes will view you?”
All tribes, cities, and nations basically share the same principle of generation.
I serve not because I wish to serve but because I pay taxes and serve to avoid immediate danger.
“As long as the Nodarians exist, they will want to lean on ‘Chief Botswana.’”
“Is that akin to being treated as a chief by all?”
Truly, he’s astute, fitting for someone of his status.
“I am merely the chief of a very small tribe, which we call a baron. The grand chieftain of the Granadan Kingdom is a chief of many smaller chieftains.”
“The grand chieftain, no, king… I’m a king…”
“I’ll help you, Chief.”
Instead of responding to my words, the chief fervently nodded his head.
“So how long will it take to consult with the other tribes?”
“A week will suffice. Just wait a while in the meantime.”
And with that, the chief left with some warriors.
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