The cloth covering the upgraded repeating crossbow flared and fell like the fluttering cape of a movie hero, thanks to Dolan’s flawless wrist snap. At the same time, a slanted beam of sunlight slipped through the open window, striking the crossbow like a stage spotlight. In that moment, the crossbow was the star of the stage.

“Dolan!”

Estella’s first exclamation upon seeing the crossbow was the name of the blacksmith who had exceeded all expectations. Like a lover meeting the man she’d yearned for, Estella slowly approached, her face awash in awe as she lovingly stroked the cold steel.

The icy glare that had frozen over after Ciel’s deception was gone. Her eyes sparkled with wonder and reverence like a girl meeting her favorite idol.

What Dolan had created was more than just a weapon. Like a starving predator before the hunt, the crossbow radiated silent intimidation, its overwhelming presence filling the narrow space.

The Nevrion steel frame gleamed bluish in the sun, and its coarsely polished, unrefined surface felt satisfyingly rugged to the touch. At the center of the crossbow was the power source—a core made of Plareon, embedded like a heart. The unfamiliar energy radiating from it suggested that Gerard had imbued it with magic.

Noticing Estella’s gaze lingering on the Plareon core, Gerard seized the moment to boast of his competence.

“I pulled an all-nighter making that. Matching the specs was a bit of a pain, but with pure will and responsibility, I got it done. So? Like it?”

The more he spoke, the more the sheepishness from his earlier confession disappeared. He, too, felt that the value he brought far outweighed the little tool-budget embezzlement. Compared to Ciel, he was a far better man. Who lies about their identity, seriously? Estella must’ve been shocked out of her mind.

“I love it. You’re incredible, as always.”

At Estella’s praise, Gerard puffed up proudly and shot a sidelong glance at Ciel. Ciel just stood there silently, watching them with a conflicted expression.

The schadenfreude was so intense, he didn’t even feel bad. A petty part of him hoped Estella would drop Ciel for good. But… that was too far, and he quickly shook off the thought. He wasn’t that small of a person.

“Can I try firing it?”

Estella looked at Dolan as she asked. As if he’d been waiting, Dolan opened the box beneath the crossbow and pulled out a string of connected crossbow bolts like a Vienna sausage chain. Each set of six bolts was intricately bound, and they draped heavily across his palm. Dolan’s face shone with pride, radiant as the morning sun.

“Of course. First, let’s move it to the top of the wall. The base frame is the same as the old model, so you just swap it in—no need for extra mounts.”

Dolan even had practical sense.

“Good.”

Estella gave the answer, but everyone nearby had eyes glittering with curiosity.

The crossbow was loaded onto a cart and transported to the northern wall.

Though the wall was tall and the ramp fairly steep, Bruno managed to push the cart by himself—the load wasn’t too heavy. It was partly due to his strength, but mostly because Nevrion steel was lighter than traditional iron.

The pathway atop the wall was wide enough for a carriage. Soldiers patrolled at regular intervals, and the guards posted atop the tall watchtowers scanned all directions with sharp vigilance.

The crossbows stationed every ten meters were assigned not to regular soldiers, but to knights. Each one was operated by a team of two knights and four soldiers, split into shifts.

Even those who once viewed using crossbows as beneath a knight’s honor had changed their minds completely after witnessing Estella’s fearless pull of the trigger at the Crimson Eagle.

Now, the repeating crossbow was the strongest weapon wielded by the Black Lily Knights. To be assigned one was proof of skill. Within the mostly noble-born Order, this weapon marked a major shift.

The first to spot Estella climbing the wall was a young rookie guard.

“Uh? Oh!”

Caught off guard by her sudden appearance, he blinked in shock, then quickly corrected his posture. The rest of the soldiers and knights followed suit, snapping to attention and forming ranks. The metallic clank of armor filled the air with a rhythmic tempo.

Soon, the entire wall-top unit stood at perfect attention.

“At ease.”

With just those two words, they all relaxed their stance.

Clank, clank!

The synchronized noise once again filled the wall’s atmosphere with taut tension.

“What’s the situation?”

“We shot down a Crimson Eagle that flew in at dawn using the crossbow.”

“Only one?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“No issues handling the new crossbows?”

“No, ma’am! Everything’s working perfectly!”

Pleased by the response, Estella nodded slowly.

Fweeeeeeeee—

Being on the wall, the wind was strong. Estella untied the ornamental ribbon wrapped around her wrist and pulled her hair back into a single tight bundle. At first, she had trouble tying it neatly, but with practice, she’d become rather proficient.

“Much better.”

With her hair out of her face, Estella sighed in relief. Truthfully, she wanted to cut it all off into a short bob—but considering local sentiment, she was restraining herself. Still, she harbored a secret ambition to chop it all off someday. Ria would faint if she found out.

“Even if no monsters show up, keep practicing with the crossbow.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

During downtime, the knights trained by shooting at birds like hawks or geese. Since they were much smaller than monsters, precise aim and practice were essential. Just that morning, they had fired ten shots to hit only two geese—but their skill was clearly improving.

Meanwhile, the Squirrel Mercenaries and Gerard were secretly stunned by how much Estella’s presence had changed. Dolan, too, looked at her proudly before quickly moving to install the crossbow he’d brought.

Installation didn’t take long.

Lily, who had a knack for projectile weapons, looked like her eyeballs were about to pop out. Sensing her interest, Estella gestured to her.

“Lily, come help me.”

“Eh? Y-Yes, Lady Estella! I never lie!”

Eager to please, Lily stepped forward, utterly trampling Ciel’s already crushed pride.

Estella almost laughed at her antics but kept a stern face. She had to pretend not to notice Ciel glaring daggers at Lily.

Honestly, he looked less like a prince and more like a spoiled kid—worse than Luka, even. Ciel was the type whose insides matched his outside. Maybe that’s why she had trusted him so deeply. And maybe that’s why the disappointment hit so hard.

Technically, Ciel didn’t owe her any explanation about his identity. But still… why did it bother her so much?

Because of that unresolved emotion in her chest, Estella couldn’t bring herself to meet Ciel’s eyes.

Now standing proudly in the front row on behalf of the Squirrels, Lily steadied her breath and focused on Dolan’s explanation. She had a pretty good idea of how it worked just by looking, but with such a powerful weapon, she listened carefully like a rookie.

“See this button under the core?” Dolan asked, pointing with his thick finger to a rough, oddly shaped button beneath the core. Estella and Lily nodded in sync.

“If you press it gently, the bolt cover opens. Press too hard, and it might break. Just enough for a little click sound. If it breaks…”

Just imagining it made Dolan’s thick brows twitch like an earthworm underfoot.

“Anyway, it’s a pain to fix, so handle it carefully. I’ll work on improving it later.”

“Got it.”

“Click! Understood.”

Estella and Lily answered earnestly, and Dolan looked a bit more at ease as he continued.

“Each slot fits one bolt. It’s crucial to insert them correctly. The first bolt fires as soon as you aim.”

He carefully slotted a bolt into place. Each tip was capped with glowing red Plareon.

In the silence, only the click of loading and Dolan’s voice echoed.

“These bolts are magically linked to the Plareon core. Insert them wrong or backward, and the flame won’t fire outward—it’ll explode inside.”

Dolan repeated this warning several times.

“After loading, turn this pressure bar slightly to unlock the rotation mechanism. If you don’t, the bolts won’t rotate and will jam instead.”

While others looked puzzled, Lily and Estella nodded continuously.

“Simple enough.”

Estella stepped up to the new repeating crossbow. Dolan, looking proud, made a suggestion.

“Please give it a name, miss.”

He spoke respectfully, watching Estella gaze at the weapon like it was the most precious gem in the world. To Dolan, Estella wasn’t just a noble patron—she was someone who turned him from a mere blacksmith into someone special. He had no idea how to repay that kindness.

After gazing at the crossbow with loving eyes, Estella opened her mouth.

“Invincible No. 1.”

“…Excuse me?”

Expecting something a bit more refined, Dolan blinked at the blunt and slightly tacky name. He wasn’t the only one who thought it strange—the Squirrels standing like wallpaper behind Ciel exchanged rapid glances, silently pleading someone to say something.

But no one dared criticize Estella’s naming sense right now.

“That’s a fantastic name, Estella. Might be the most memorable weapon name I’ve ever heard.”

Ciel, desperate, showered it with praise.

Not to be outdone, Gerard chimed in.

“Indeed! A weapon name should be memorable. Just what I’d expect from Wintfall’s heir.”

He even gave a bony thumbs-up.

Watching the two men grovel before power, the Squirrels were nearly moved to tears.

Chapter 128

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