Chapter 567

Second lecture. I started the story while puffing on a cigarette, dressed no differently than the day before.

“Today, we’ll be lecturing on Dwarves and Beastmen.”

As soon as the word “Dwarves” was mentioned, the room erupted into murmurs.

“Silence. I know exactly what you’re thinking without all the noise. Beastmen are one thing, but why should we consider Dwarves as enemies?”

On the first day of lectures, I did mention that Dwarves would also be considered enemies, but perhaps they didn’t believe I was serious.

After all, Dwarves have been steadfast allies of humanity for centuries, so the idea of them becoming enemies was unthinkable.

“Complacent.”

I chuckled softly as I scanned the room.

Eyes filled with doubt. Eyes filled with naivety. They were too complacent, to the point of being laughable.

“Dwarves aren’t enemies? That’s as naive as a child’s thinking. Remember this: there are no eternal alliances in this world. The Dwarves of Himell maintain their alliance with the Empire because it benefits them.”

It was the unvarnished truth. They submit because they can’t win, and they cooperate because it’s advantageous. The alliance between humans and Dwarves is a relationship built entirely on profit and loss.

“If the situation were reversed… the Dwarves would have no hesitation in turning against humanity. That’s why you must learn how to fight them. Understood?”

If the balance of power shifts, and it becomes more advantageous for the Dwarves to oppose humanity rather than ally with them… their guns will be aimed at us. That’s just who they are.

—

Satisfied with the now-quiet students, I began the lecture on Dwarves.

Dwarves.

Stubborn, skilled craftsmen, boasting a technological civilization so advanced it’s almost embarrassing.

Unlike other races that can enhance their individual abilities through blessings or mana, Dwarves, who cannot wield mana and have clear physical limitations, have instead focused on improving the performance of their equipment.

The result was the creation of gunpowder-based firearms and mechanical armor.

“The average firepower isn’t much different from that of a master-level knight or a high-level magician… but it varies by weapon type. Personal firearms can be dealt with, but if war machines appear, you’ll have no choice but to surround and overwhelm them like you would a large monster.”

I picked up a piece of chalk and drew a simple diagram on the board.

Firearms, drone weapons, powered armor, tanks, and even hovering land battleships. These were the armored weapons of the Dwarves, as described by Asha and Leopold.

Perhaps because I was drawing familiar shapes, the drawings turned out much better than yesterday, and I felt a sense of pride.

I briefly summarized the appearance, purpose, and key points to watch out for with each weapon. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go into too much detail.

After all, just lecturing on Fairies had already spawned rumors that I bathed in Fairy blood or that Fairies lived in the east. If I were to reveal the specifications and weaknesses of the Dwarves’ top-secret ancient weapons…

It would be too unbelievable, and I’d inevitably be questioned about the source of my knowledge.

So, I had to stick to general information to avoid suspicion.

—

“Combat with Dwarves will be completely different from what you’ve learned so far. Charging in blindly is suicide. Forming a defensive formation will get you wiped out instantly, and even if you scatter and charge, the Dwarves will turn their guns on you much faster than you can close the distance.”

I felt a bit sorry for the students who were expecting some ingenious solution like yesterday, but facing properly armed Dwarves as squires or knights was nearly impossible.

The trajectory of bullets is nearly straight, so you might be able to dodge by moving out of the line of fire, but only a master-level knight could pull off such a feat in the short time between the trigger being pulled and the bullet hitting.

“However, firearms aren’t invincible. If it were artillery shells, that would be a different story, but regular bullets are just small metal projectiles with high speed and penetration.”

In my original world, that alone would make them the ultimate weapon, but not here.

Frankly, a single spell from a magician is far more powerful than a dozen bullets.

“You can melt the bullets with flame magic, block the impact with a boulder, wear armor several times thicker than usual, or use corpses as shields… in a one-on-one situation, you can close the distance using these methods.”

I turned to the board, took a deep breath, and drew a big “X” over the diagrams I had drawn. As if to say there was no need to remember what I had just explained.

Some students tilted their heads but followed my lead and drew “X”s on their notebooks.

…Really, there was no need to copy me so exactly. Are they stupid or just diligent?

“However, there’s no reason to fight like that. Advancing while blocking attacks is, frankly, a poor strategy. If the enemy brings out stronger weapons, you’ll be crushed immediately.”

Block bullets? Then they’ll just bring out cannons and blow your defenses apart.

It was the same in my original world, and it’s no different here.

“If you want to defeat the Dwarves, it’s more rational to target their weaknesses rather than engage in a head-on battle.”

Their fundamental limitations.

“The Dwarves have two main weaknesses: their reliance on projectile weapons limits their combat endurance, and they themselves aren’t particularly strong.”

Relying on firearms is both their strength and their weakness.

Give them equipment, and even non-combatants can kill masters. But without proper gear, even their strongest warriors can’t defeat a single knight.

Moreover, since their weapons fire physical projectiles, they’re often rendered useless once they run out of ammo.

In large-scale battles with ample supplies, running out of ammo is unlikely, but in small skirmishes, it’s a common occurrence.

“So, the first method is to use cover and defense to wait for them to exhaust their ammo, or to ambush them when they’re unarmed. Any questions?”

“Isn’t ambushing an unarmed opponent against the code of chivalry?”

“What, chivalry…?”

What kind of nonsense question is that?

“Sigh… if you want to become a corpse full of holes, go ahead. What a noble piece of meat you’ll make.”

I blew out a puff of smoke and delivered a scathing retort. The blatant sarcasm made the freshman who asked the question blush and slowly lower his raised hand.

He looked about fifteen… this is why people who’ve never seen war are so naive. Chivalry? Who on earth still clings to such outdated nonsense?

Even Carolus and the Twelve Knights, the epitome of knighthood, didn’t hesitate to use any means necessary for victory.

“If there are no more questions, let’s move on to the second method. The second method is to actively use Mental Suppression Magic. As I mentioned earlier, unlike their weapons, Dwarves themselves are incredibly weak. Even a graduate-level Mental Suppression Magic can easily subdue them.”

That’s why Dwarves stake everything on long-range firepower. If you allow them to get within range of mental magic, they’ll be subdued without being able to resist.

“Even if they have an impenetrable shield, they’re powerless against mental magic that doesn’t even touch the shield. A simple Frenzy Magic can make them go berserk and start shooting at their own kind.”

The problem is that you have to get within range of mental magic while under a hail of bullets, but once you do, it’s the most effective way to subdue Dwarves.

The armor of tanks or powered armor is designed to withstand physical impacts. They can’t block mental magic that directly affects the brain.

—

Unlike yesterday’s lecture, the lecture on how to deal with Dwarves didn’t stir much of a reaction.

Well, even I thought it was a bit lacking compared to the lecture on Fairies. But it couldn’t be helped.

To properly explain how to deal with Dwarves, I’d have to start with the concept of modern warfare.

And even then, it would have to be explained in a way that those who fight with swords, arrows, and magic could understand and adapt to their own situation.

To give such a lecture, I’d need to bring in a military general, not me.

So, all I could teach was how to block bullets or easily subdue individual Dwarves.

—

After a ten-minute break, the second lecture began immediately.

“This time, we’ll be lecturing on how to fight Beastmen. The sworn enemies of humanity.”

The Fairies, at least superficially, maintain peaceful relations. The Dwarves, for their own benefit, submit to the Empire’s order. Even the Dragonkin don’t seek conflict with humans.

Of the non-extinct races, only the Beastmen endlessly oppose humanity. Without even considering profit or loss.

A fight that won’t end until one side is extinct. That’s why they’re called the sworn enemies.

“Not long ago, they led an army to attack the north and brought down the Northern Wall. They’re quiet now, but once they recover from the shock of defeat, they’ll surely form another large army and march south.”

How to deal with Beastmen. In a way, this is my area of expertise. I’ve experienced it firsthand.

I even defeated their king, Ryu-rik, and turned him into armor.

“Before we begin the lecture, let me introduce an assistant who will help with this lecture in every way.”

However, I didn’t plan to rely solely on my own knowledge for this lecture. There’s someone even more skilled at slaughtering Beastmen than me.

“If we’re going to talk about Beastmen, we can’t leave this person out.”

Instead of starting the lecture, I pointed at Freide with a grin. She seemed to have realized what I was up to, as her face showed clear anxiety and confusion.

I just smiled even wider. I had been looking forward to this moment since last night.

“Let me introduce you. The heroine of the Great Invasion defense, the sole princess of the Pailoon Ducal House, the master of the north. ‘The one who skins Beastmen,’ Freide van Pailoon! Let’s give her a round of applause!”

Applause followed.

“W-what…?!”

Freide’s face turned as red as a tomato as she looked around. Her wide eyes were filled with bewilderment.

And then, the merciless verbal assault I had prepared rained down on her.

“When it comes to lecturing on Beastmen, there’s no one more qualified than Princess Pailoon. Her only hobby is dissecting Beastmen’s organs for preservation and taxidermying their skins to decorate her room. She literally knows everything about the inside and outside of Beastmen!”

The public revelation of her secret hobby filled me with endless satisfaction.

The way she bowed her head to hide her reddened face was quite a sight to see.