A little while later, footsteps came from outside the courtyard.
Miss Crownguard walked in yawning, with two dark circles under her eyes and a face full of sleepiness.
Luke was not surprised.
This girl had updated Moments seven or eight times in one night. She took a picture when she looked at the stars, took another when she ate a late-night snack, and even pretended to be cultured by digging out some literary book from who knew where and posting that to Moments too.
She even paired it with the caption, "Late-night reading time."
In short, the little blonde really knew how to stage a scene.
"Good morning."
Lux lifted her eyelids and lazily greeted Luke, then lay down on the rocking chair, planning to take another nap.
This girl belonged to the type of person who could force herself awake in the middle of sleep just to eat breakfast.
To be fair, Luke still admired her in that respect.
At least he did not have that kind of willpower.
After thinking about it, he said, "Even if you sleep now, you won't get much time. Breakfast is almost ready."
"No choice. A little sleep is still sleep."
Lux adjusted herself into a comfortable position on the rocking chair and yawned again. "I chatted with Kahina and the others until midnight last night."
Luke really wanted to ask what topic could possibly keep them talking that long, but then he remembered that girls seemed able to talk about anything for ages.
When he turned his head, he saw that she had already fallen asleep. Her sleeping posture was like that of a kitten, her body curled up, making the rocking chair seem very large.
But her sleeping face was extremely peaceful. The corners of her lips were slightly raised, as if she were having a pleasant dream, making it hard for anyone to disturb her.
Luke thought about how they had created a little group chat by themselves, then thought about how he had been excluded.
He could not help sighing in his heart. Then he stood up and slowly walked toward the kitchen.
Kahina also had the same dark circles under her eyes and looked equally drowsy.
As for the other girls, Fiora and Sona were already used to staying up late from time to time. As an outstanding ranger prospect, staying up late was also normal for Quinn. Poppy, meanwhile, was a yordle, and even going two nights without sleep would not be a problem.
Even so, everyone was clearly not in their best condition during breakfast.
But despite that, they still firmly carried out the clean-plate policy.
After finishing breakfast, they all took their equipment and prepared to get some more sleep.
This left Luke as the one with nothing to do. Bored, he wandered around the courtyard, taking a post-meal stroll.
The breeze blowing through the courtyard was very comfortable. The weather these past few days had been quite nice, neither cold nor hot, always making people feel especially calm.
For him, going back to sleep for a while would also have been a good choice.
However, he did not do that. Instead, he prepared the carriage and went all the way to the Research Institute's development base.
Recently, the Research Institute had added quite a few new people. They were all clever talents recruited from all over the country. Walking inside, one could always sense a thriving, flourishing atmosphere.
Most importantly, these people truly were diligent and hardworking.
"Your Highness."
Wenward had learned in advance that Luke was coming, so he had been waiting here early.
"Good morning, Director."
Luke greeted him, then the two walked side by side into the Research Institute. He went straight to the point and asked, "What stage are the gunpowder devices at?"
Wenward answered, "They can already be used as weapons."
"Is that so?"
Luke's eyes flickered slightly.
Wenward continued, "I previously had people investigate this, and the results truly startled me. It turns out that in some places, firearms of this kind have already begun to be used."
He did not know about nearby Noxus, but Wenward was certain they must also be secretly researching gunpowder.
In reality, both sides were engaged in a race to catch up with and surpass the other.
If Demacia had been a little slower, then during the last battle at the Gates of Mourning, the one bombarded might have been Demacia.
What was even more shocking was that gunpowder, which even Noxus had not fully mastered, had actually already begun to be used by other people.
Ever since the news that Demacia had lifted the ban on magic spread across Runeterra, many Demacians living abroad had returned.
At the same time, they had also brought back a great deal of information.
For example, there was a pirate island located in the Guardian's Sea called Bilgewater.
There, firearms that used gunpowder as ammunition had already begun to become popular.
As for the famous City of Progress, Piltover, there was even less need to mention it.
This technology had previously been in the hands of a small number of high-end technical talents. The more refined the firearm, the fewer people could make it. Most production was based around small workshops, and firearms were usually obtained through custom orders. One famous example was Miss Fortune's mother, a renowned female gunsmith. She was a legendary figure in the gunmaking industry, and it was precisely because of that that she drew Gangplank's greed, ultimately leading to her death.
Thinking about it this way, Demacia's technology in this field was truly far too backward.
The reason was that they had previously been too closed off, with little communication with the outside world.
If one day they were still immersed in the strength of individual martial force while their enemies attacked with advanced weapons, Wenward would have had no idea how to respond.
Fortunately, they now had the ability to solve this problem.
As they chatted, Wenward led Luke to the workshop where the firearms were stored.
There was a complete set of manufacturing equipment here, all very thoroughly prepared. Luke had instructed Wenward on this matter a long time ago.
Gunpowder was absolutely an excellent weapon type, whether as artillery shells or bullets.
Even in Runeterra, it was still very useful.
Because after all, not everyone possessed ghostly, unfathomable strength. If an ordinary person took a bullet, they would still roll around on the ground in pain.
Wenward opened the warehouse where the firearms were stored, then opened the first box and took out a shotgun with an appearance similar to a double-barreled shotgun.
"This is a short-range combat firearm. Its power is extremely great. Basically, no ordinary armor can withstand it. But its drawback is that it is not suitable for long-range combat."
After briefly introducing it, Wenward opened the second box.
"This is a medium-range combat firearm, a submachine gun made according to Your Highness's idea. Its trajectory is generally stable. Its power is inferior to the shotgun, but it is also suitable for short-range combat. Its rate of fire is fast enough, and the magazine capacity is not small. As a medium-range weapon, it has many advantages that the shotgun does not."
After finishing his introduction, Wenward put down the submachine gun in his hand and opened the third box.
"This is a long-range combat weapon, a rifle. It uses larger bullets and has considerable power. It can easily penetrate ordinary armor, but the recoil is somewhat stronger."
Luke watched him put down a weapon that looked almost identical to the AK-47 in his memory, and could not help sighing inwardly. The Research Institute's progress really was not slow at all.
Once these high-end talents had a clear path ahead of them, what came next became much simpler.
They only had to solve the problems along that path.
Especially since, in reality, this kind of work was perfectly suited to Demacia's expertise.
"We have also improved the cannon tubes. They can now fire farther, and the artillery shells are more powerful as well."
Wenward added, "If these weapons are used properly, it would be equivalent to adding quite a lot of troops out of thin air."
One had to know that extraordinary armor was not something everyone could wear.
Not to mention, not every place was like Demacia, rich in fine armor and weapons.
Most places, even Noxus, basically used armor and weapons made of ordinary materials.
Because Noxus had too many people. They absolutely could not provide all their soldiers with the equipment they needed at the same time.
In other words, these firearms and artillery shells would definitely be effective.
Moreover, in Wenward's view, firearms and artillery shells still had a long road ahead.
If they continued to research and develop them, sooner or later he would be able to create weapons with greater power and longer range.
Luke nodded and asked, "Have the soldiers who will use these weapons been trained?"
Wenward answered, "A batch has already been trained."
"That's good. Notify them to get ready."
Luke nodded again and said.
Wenward's eyes focused, flickering slightly. He did not continue guessing Luke's thoughts and simply replied, "Yes."
Sensing that Luke was about to leave, Wenward remembered something and said, "Your Highness."
Luke stopped and turned around in confusion.
"Last night, I spoke with Frey from the Mage Association for a long time and found many areas where we could communicate well."
Wenward said this with a smile on his face.
Hearing that, Luke could not help giving him a strange look and sizing him up.
You two?
Noticing Luke's gaze, Wenward's old face flushed slightly. "It is not what Your Highness is thinking. We were discussing research. Your Highness was right. If one thinks about it carefully, magic and technology actually have many compatible points."
Luke nodded and continued listening seriously.
"For example, firearms and gunpowder. I was thinking whether we could develop magical bullets. Bullets enhanced with magic would have stronger armor-piercing effects and greater damage."
Wenward spoke his thoughts. "Later, we discovered that this is indeed feasible."
Hearing this, a smile appeared on Luke's face. "That is exactly why I brought you together. The coordination between technology and magic is definitely not as simple as we imagine. Take Piltover as an example. Magic and technology are now developing together there, and it is flourishing. Naturally, we can do the same."
Wenward noticed the words "brought you together" most of all and kept feeling that His Highness's phrasing was strange.
However, what he cared about more right now was this so-called technology and magic.
After the long conversation with Frey last night, he had seen far too many possibilities.
"This will all depend on your imagination. I believe that with the talents of you two, you will not disappoint everyone."
Luke smiled and said, "I still have to make a trip to the palace, so I'll take my leave first."
"Of course. Safe travels, Your Highness."
Wenward nodded and saw Luke off.
After returning to the development base, he indeed began seriously thinking about magic and technology.
He only felt that Demacia's grand future was becoming bigger and bigger. Then he thought of the meaning Luke had faintly revealed just now.
After leaving the Research Institute, Luke headed straight to the palace.
Once he arrived at the palace, he went all the way to Jarvan IV's office.
"Jarvan!"
"Luke?"
Jarvan IV, who had been buried in paperwork, was somewhat surprised when he saw Luke arrive. "You don't visit often."
"It's not that uncommon, is it?"
Luke sat across from the desk.
Jarvan IV said, "That Secret Key of yours is really useful, but it doesn't leave much room for privacy. Last night, I posted in Moments and Father caught me red-handed."
As he spoke, he sighed slightly.
That was indeed a problem.
After slacking off at work, he went back when it was already midnight and secretly posted in Moments.
In less than two minutes, Jarvan III caught him.
Father really was something too. Why was he not sleeping in the middle of the night and instead scrolling through Moments?
Hearing this, Luke smiled. "Another day, I'll think up a function that lets you secretly hide things from certain people."
Jarvan IV's eyes lit up when he heard this. "That function is good. Research it quickly! By the way, what did you come here for today?"
"I wanted to see whether you had any front-line intelligence."
Luke asked casually, "How are things going between Noxus and Ionia right now?"
"Perfect timing. I just received news." Hearing this, Jarvan IV said, "Noxus still refuses to give up. Or maybe they are unwilling to back down. They have continued dispatching troops to Ionia and have also replaced their general with a new one. What was the name again? I forgot."
He thought for a moment but did not remember.
However, the fact that Noxus had continued sending troops to attack Ionia was basically true.
After Luke finished listening, he began to ponder.
Some time ago, Noxus and Ionia had fought a great battle at the Placidium and Noxus had suffered a crushing defeat.
That battle had basically already determined the outcome of this eight-year-long war.
Yet Noxus remained stubbornly obsessed and continued sending troops to reinforce the defeated army, seemingly planning to rally again.
However, judging from the current situation, they still occupied quite a bit of Ionian land, so there was indeed still hope.
And as a traditional invader, not giving up easily was indeed one of Noxus's finer qualities.
After thinking it through, he raised his head and looked at Jarvan IV. "Jarvan, don't you think this is an opportunity for us?"
Hearing his words, Jarvan IV could not help freezing. After he reacted, his expression also became serious. "You mean…"
"That's right."
Luke stood up and paced back and forth two steps. "Last time, when Noxus attacked our border, they came when they wanted and left when they wanted. If we had not reacted quickly enough, our casualties would have been even greater. To be honest, I can't swallow this anger."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jarvan IV slammed his palm heavily onto the desk with a smack.
Instead, it startled Luke.
Jarvan IV also stood up with a furious expression. "To be honest, I can't swallow this anger either!"
He naturally understood that if it had not been for Luke, with him alone, he most likely would have suffered a huge loss.
That was not even mentioning retaking the fallen Gates of Mourning.
Ever since returning, Jarvan IV had been holding this anger in his heart.
However, he soon calmed down again and sat back in his chair. After adjusting his emotions, he slowly said, "I understand what you mean, Luke. But have you thought through the price of doing this? During this period, we may have to bear a lot of pressure. What you carry will definitely not be just a moment of anger."
Luke came back to himself and looked directly at Jarvan IV, his expression equally serious. "I have thought it through. It is precisely because I have thought it through that I came here today."
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