"The era has changed, my lord."

When the gunpowder workshop within Laine Territory was finally completed, the Count held a long-barreled fire cannon produced there, touching its dark barrel and wooden stock, Laine remarked, "The era of firearms is inevitable. We need to form a new unit; firearms are the weapon against Beastmen and Green Skins."

His steward Kasenberg, tax director Gaspardon, Baron Devon Hex, Ugoer Bow Cavalry Captain Mikhail Ivanovich Gavorov, and the female sorcerer Teresa stood by his side.

The Dwarf Gunpowder Workshop was completely built, and in Laine’s hands was indeed the most standard long-barreled fire cannon.

The making of this fire cannon is very simple, consisting of an ignition device, fuse, barrel, and stock. The long-barreled fire cannon is powerful, easy to use, simple, rough, and effective.

This will be the standard equipment for Laine’s future musket team.

"My Count, are you planning to form a musket team?" Baron Devon Hex wore an armet, and the scars on his face looked very fierce.

"Why not?" Laine skillfully operated the long-barreled fire cannon, cleaning, loading, igniting, and then pulling the trigger.

"Boom!" The long-barreled fire cannon fired a lead bullet into the dirt pile three meters away from the target.

"Pfft~" The female sorcerer couldn’t help but laugh, covering her mouth.

Laine’s old face was a bit red. He acted as if nothing happened and awkwardly shifted the topic: "You know, I’m not very good at using it... Ivan, has the compensation been fully delivered?"

"It’s all been paid out, my Count," the burly Ugoer Captain said loudly, "Thank you for your generosity, Count."

"You fight, we pay. It’s just business. You help me fight against enemies, and I pay a fair reward and compensation. It’s fair." Laine smoothly changed the subject, "By the way, I’ve heard that you Kislev people have fully equipped with firearms?"

"That’s right, in order to fully equip our army with firearms, the Tsar Family nearly went bankrupt." Ivan replied with a bitter smile, "To import firearms from the Empire and recruit engineers, the previous His Majesty the Tsar almost emptied the entire treasury. Several great families paid an unimaginably heavy price, but now the southern Kislev Army is indeed extensively equipped with firearms, their effectiveness against Green Skins and Chaos Evil Objects is immense, at least much better than bows and arrows. In exchange, the Tsar Family still owes the Imperial Royal Family a huge debt, which will take about eighty more years to repay."

"See, since even the Kislev people chose to empty every Gold Coin from their treasury, why can’t we form a musket team?" Laine said with a smile, holding the musket.

Hex, who had studied at the Imperial Academy for a time, knew well the power of firearms. Seeing Laine’s determined attitude, he nodded gloomily, "Of course, I know how powerful gunpowder is, Count, but I’m worried you’ll face severe opposition by doing so."

"There’s never been such precedent, Count." Steward Kasenberg also voiced his opposition, "Giving firearms to peasants? That’s too crazy."

Opposition was within Laine’s expectation; the Count himself signaled everyone to move outside the gunpowder workshop. He played with the long-barreled fire cannon in his hands, his expression very resolute, speaking to Kasenberg, "But I feel now is the best time."

"The best time?" Kasenberg asked in confusion.

Laine started to explain his ideas to everyone.

At first, Laine did not have the conditions to spend thousands of golden crowns to establish a gunpowder workshop. The cost per musket was eight gold crowns, so forming a musket team with one hundred muskets would require about a thousand gold crowns (not all will be finished products in production), plus training ammunition and considering barrel explosion and scrapping, he would need to prepare at least thirteen hundred gold crowns.

Furthermore, as Kasenberg worried, due to the rebellion of northern peasants, it was difficult for nobles to hand such lethal weapons to peasants. If Laine dared to risk forming a peasant musket team amidst ongoing peasant riots, he would face denunciation from the great nobles of the entire Kingdom.

That wasn’t the right timing either.

But after the Montefel siege, Black Stone Stronghold battle, and La-Mesnil Abbey battle, Laine believed the timing was now mature to form a musket team.

After several wars, at least the knights of the Kingdom’s south had fully witnessed the power of firearms. The master knights are not truly foolish, after witnessing firsthand, the opposing voices will undoubtedly weaken, at least no longer opposing for the sake of opposition.

Regarding the fiercest opposition from Knight King Richard, Duke of Montfort Fulcard, and Duke of Paragon Casvan, their stance of opposition was lost. Richard had already delegated military and political power to Duke of Connet Lorne; after Laine and Francois formed the Knightly Army and once and for all resolved Kemler’s threat, if Richard came to oppose again, it would likely incite the collective counterattack of all affected Dukes.

Laine saved Fulcard’s life and collaborated with him at the trade station, so he didn’t have the grounds to oppose, and he himself temporarily hired numerous Imperial Free People’s Legion to protect his castle.

Casvan must also thank Laine’s contribution; if it wasn’t for him blocking Kemler, Paragon Duchy might have faced the Undead Legion’s edge directly.