Chapter 25 The Elves are Marksmen
"Well, let's put away this compound hunting bow and take it to the inner vault of the castle."
Feeling helpless, Henry realized that every treasure had to be hidden, and something too advanced might not always be suitable.
"Henry, the main issue is that we can't unleash the full power of this compound hunting bow. For us, it's just a waste. It's more practical to use a recurve bow," Mila shook her head gently, speaking softly.
"Indeed, this compound hunting bow requires a marksman of extraordinary skill to unleash its maximum power," Wyatt nodded in agreement.
"A marksman? What does it take to be considered a marksman?" Henry was now quite curious.
Mila's gaze sharpened, speaking seriously, "The elves, they are natural marksmen. With a regular longbow, they can hit targets from about 30 feet away. If paired with this compound hunting bow, they could probably hit targets from over 650 feet away."
"Have you ever seen the elves?" Henry was astonished. They seemed more formidable than some handguns, indicating he shouldn't underestimate the people of this world.
"We've encountered them a few times in the Azure Peak Range," Mila nodded.
A hint of melancholy passed through Wyatt's eyes as he said, "I saw them by chance in the capital."
Henry furrowed his brow, thinking that the Elves were indeed remarkable if they earned such admiration from his companions. He was now curious if they had pointed ears.
Given the opportunity, he definitely wanted to... enlist a few elves to serve him, forming a team of elven marksmen. Perhaps this could be the fantasy version of a sniper squad.
"Henry, while the recurve bow is excellent, teaching those soldiers to use it will take several months," Wyatt calmed down and got to the crucial point.
A smile played on Henry's lips as he had already considered this question long ago, asking, "How many of them can master the recurve bow within ten days?"
Wyatt pulled out a parchment from his pocket and read, "Twenty of them have a background in hunting and are accustomed to using bows and arrows. Mastering the recurve bow shouldn't be difficult for them."
"Excellent, more than I had imagined. Then let's entrust the recurve bows to them."
Moving to another box, Henry retrieved a crossbow, his true weapon.
"Henry, is this also a type of bow? It seems a bit small." Mila inquired curiously.
"Watch me handle it," Henry quickly loaded a long arrow, aimed at the target, and released the trigger.
The arrow immediately struck the bullseye, causing both Mila and Wyatt's eyes to light up.
"Let me try," Wyatt stepped forward, taking the crossbow and shooting several arrows in succession.
Mila also joined in the fun.
"How about that? With this crossbow, even those unfamiliar with bows can learn to hit targets within a dozen days, right?" Henry chuckled.
"No problem, it's relatively simpler. It just requires developing arm strength," Wyatt exclaimed excitedly.
"Alright, I'll leave these matters to you. I need at least fifty archers. Feel free to manage the rest on your own." Henry said.
With fifty archers under his command in this era of military inferiority, Henry was practically invincible as long as the enemy numbers didn't exceed his by too much.
His plan also included heavy cavalry, heavy infantry, and other plans. Once he increased steel production, Henry would truly become unstoppable.
Thinking about steel, Henry felt excited. He hadn't expected to find iron and coal mines not far from Eldoria.
However, iron smelting techniques in this era were primitive, with annual iron production being abysmally low.
After introducing the Bessemer process, the ironworkers were ecstatic and obediently began producing steel for Henry.
Under Henry's directives, steel production increased daily, with multiple furnaces running simultaneously.
The discovery of coal left Henry somewhat bemused. People in this era seemed unaware that coal could be burned, relying mostly on wood and charcoal.
The discovery of coal was serendipitous for Henry. Observing a group of children playing with coal on the roadside, he initially mistook it for gemstones. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was coal.
After some inquiries, he learned that there was a natural coal mine about 6 mile away from Eldoria.
With coal, iron smelting became much easier, and Henry had several plans that required coals. Sometimes, the energy represented civilization.
"Let's go! Let's see if the artisans have produced what I requested," Henry said, leading Mila out of the warehouse and leaving Wyatt to handle everything.
As they left the military camp, they headed towards the back mountain of the castle, where several hidden workshops were located. In Earth terms, these were laboratories.
Apart from the military camp, Henry had invested the most gold coins in these workshops. Perhaps in the future, his investments would only increase because this was the different version of a research institute. Of course, it was currently very rudimentary, consisting of only a few wooden buildings and a small number of people.
Upon arriving, Henry saw several individuals shouting and holding stones while Zachary stood guard with a long sword, blocking their way.
"Move away! I need to report to Lord Henry. We've succeeded, truly succeeded..."
Zachary remained unmoved, stating coldly, "If you have some questions, just tell me. I'll pass it on. Without Lord Henry's orders, none of you can leave."
