--The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are a lot of things that are not so bad.

　Travis and Theodore's plan to explore the deep realm was reconsidered after the threats lurking beneath the ground were greater than we had anticipated, and we have yet to receive word that the plan is back on track.

　On the other hand, my main business, the arms store, is doing very well.

　While there hasn't been any major changes in the situation, there hasn't been any major problems, and I would say that the business is in a stable state of operation.

　When I was working as usual in such a slightly relaxed atmosphere, Alexia spoke to me happily, holding a large package.

''Luke-kun, sorry for the wait. Your order is ready to go.
'Is this the weapon you asked for before?　That's pretty fast.
'Yes. But I just thought it would be a good opportunity to rework something that had been in storage due to a problem, with the help of Noir.

　Alexia unwrapped and placed one crossbow on the counter.

　It looked like a normal crossbow ...... but with the addition of what looked like a rectangular case on top of the body.

'A repeating crossbow. It's what's called a continuous firing system. Originally it wasn't capable of firing continuously in no time, you had to pull the cocking lever for each shot, but that was automated with the introduction of the magic tool.
That's great. How come it's not in the archives?
To tell you the truth, the internal mechanism is extremely fragile. I can't help but laugh at that.

　Right after I sent my honest praise, it was ruined by a nice smile that ruined my admiration.

'At the time of the normal repeating crossbow, it was fragile and not very serviceable, but the automation made it even worse. I'm afraid this one is no longer useful.
It's a good thing that you've got a good idea of what you're talking about now. ...... Oh, I see. Because I don't want to be the one to ask the question.

　When I replied that I was convinced, Alexia nodded with a big smile as if it was my intention.

I tried to see if other people's 【Restoration】 could handle it, but the combination of the lack of skill and the complexity of the mechanism causes distortions to the extent that it causes problems with the auto-loading function. But I'm sure Luke-kun's non-standard 【Restoration】 wouldn't be a problem.

　...... Should we think that this is trustworthy?
　Or should we think that we're being thrown a whole lot of responsibility for dealing with the flaws?

　Maybe it's purely the former, since it's Alexia, but maybe it's also an unconscious mix of the latter battering ram.

''It's a repeating crossbow. ...... Surely this one can be fought regardless of arm strength.

　I pick up the crossbow and look at it from various angles, at the same time activating 【Analysis】 to check the internal mechanism.

Wow, it's really complicated. Moreover, the parts inside are very thin. That's because it would break while firing continuously.
We didn't have a choice. If we wanted to increase the strength of the parts, we had to make them bigger and heavier.

　Alexia put her hand to her forehead and shook her head in an over gesture.

''To be exact, the order is reversed, the large and heavy one is the first version one, and the one that Luke-kun now has is version two, which is a smaller and lighter version at the expense of strength. In the end, both of them were rejected, but I thought if Luke is going to use it, this should be the one he'll use.

　Okay, it's definitely the right decision.

　My muscular strength is just as it appears, and there is no bottoming out due to skill, whether instantaneous or constant.

　It's a good choice for automatic loading rather than manual loading, where muscle power determines the loading speed, and small and light-weight products that can compensate for the failure rate by repairing rather than being large and bulky.

However, it is not without its drawbacks other than the ease of failure. The tension drop due to the limitations of the automatic loading mechanism ...... Well, to put it simply, it's not very physically powerful.
''Your large crossbow (Scorpion) also auto-loads with a lever, isn't it quite powerful?''
That's just a way to increase the power by making it bigger and carry it around [with less weight]. If the size is the same, the style of pulling the strings with all the power of one shot at a time is more powerful. If you can pull it, that is.

　Alexia's story is technical but rather easy to understand.

　Despite the fact that we are dealing with the latest technology called elaboration, a technology that only experts can understand even the basic principles - or maybe that's why she has mastered the technique of explaining it in a way that is easy for ordinary people to understand.

　When my family's village office purchased a rare mechanical clock when I was a child, I had no idea how it worked and was afraid to approach it for fear of breaking it.

　It may be because I have just returned home after fifteen years, but such memories suddenly come back to me.

You'll need to use spell armor to increase its power. One cartridge can hold up to six, so it's best to leave this area to Luke-kun's judgment, as he has one cartridge of ordinary arrow bullets, one cartridge of wind-attribute accelerated bullets and one cartridge of fire-attribute explosive bullets afterwards .......

　Alexia laid three different rectangular cartridges on the table, then placed one additional cartridge on the table, and then another.

'And while we're at it, here's a new type of spell armor that was Noir's idea.

　Smiling as if it were her own affair, Alexia pulled out an arrowhead from the cartridge, which she said was a new type of spell ammunition.

　It did not have an arrowhead on the tip of the arrow, but instead had a paper packet the length and thickness of a thumb attached to it.

'A conventional spell-loaded bullet is a crossbow arrow combined with a spelllock. There is a type that is simply wrapped around it, and another type that was made to not come off easily with Luke-kun's [Fusion], but the performance itself didn't change.
It's a completely different ...... from the way it looks. Are you ...... discarding its original function as an 'arrow' and specializing in 'striking a magical effect when it hits the target' instead of piercing it?
Taisho-kai!

　Alexia points at my chest.

'It's what you call a change of idea. It's a redesign where the idea is not to bulk up the power of an arrow bullet with a spell, but to use an arrow to project the destructive power of ten spells over a distance. It's an idea that could only come from Noir, who isn't a weapons specialist.

　As I listened to the explanation, my conviction that this guy is going to be of use is slowly growing.

　I don't care if it's only a small amount of logistical support - I don't want to be on the other side of being protected while Garnett is fighting, other than when he's healing his wounds - I want to be the force that makes such a bad wish come true. I had a feeling I could do it.

''Due to the increased size, I can only fit three cartridges in the cartridge, but considering the performance, it should be enough. And, you know, I've got a few ideas for new weapons as a byproduct of this ...... child, so can I have the ...... budget, please!

　Alexia lifted the corners of her mouth as she pushed the bundle of papers into my hand.

　Was this guy smiling all the time because he was waiting for the right moment to make this budget request?

...... It's just a matter of time. I'll give you some money for new product development.
Yes!

　Alexia reveals her joy as she gulps down her arms.

　A few days ago I never imagined that I would be in a position to allocate the budget or anything else.

　Is this one of the joys of being a weapons dealer?