It was eight in the morning when Levi woke up. After doing his morning routine, he went to his working table and looked at his drafts.
There are still many plans that were not done yet because of some problems. The steam engine was on its way. Jacob said that they will start gathering the materials today. Garde said that the gun will be finished today. So now, Levi was pondering what will he do next.
“Hmmm… What should I do next? Cars? Nah, it is not yet possible.”
Then, he looked at his severed left arm, and a thought comes up to his mind.
“My left arm! Maybe I can make an artificial arm! Yes, that’s right. I will draft a plan for my artificial arm.” Life seems more challenging for him because he is not used to having only an arm. He was being limited to do many things he wanted.
Levi started to draw his plan. He focused on details and making sure that it will be functional and it would feel natural like an actual arm while being used. But, a particular problem has interrupted him. How can he connect the artificial arm to his body? Even on Earth, with modern technology, it was hard to do. Scientists were only able to connect it using programs. Some invented an artificial arm, but it was not fully functional!
After thinking through these things, Levi felt like he stumbled, yet he decided to finish his draft.
Two hours later, a detailed draft for his artificial arm was finished. Then, he decided to go to Garde’s workshop and ask him if he could make this. Although Levi feels that he was abusing Garde’s kindness, he needed these things, and Garde seems to enjoy doing something new. Besides, the gun that he made him do was primarily for these people in times of impending war. Those guns will surely help them.
On Garde’s workshop,
Everyone was resting and asleep everywhere. There are dwarfs fast asleep on the tables. Some are on the ground, and others were seated and reclining against the wall. They were all exhausted and fell asleep anywhere in the building.
Levi arrived in front of Garde’s workshop and knocked on the front door, but nobody answered. He knocked on the door again, but after three more tries of knocking, still, nobody answered. So he decided to help himself and open the door. He twisted the knob, and surprisingly, it opened. It was not locked. He slowly pushed the door until it opened to fit himself, and then he goes inside.
It was quiet. There’s no sound of pounding of metals or cutting of woods. There are also no footsteps to be heard.
Levi couldn’t help but ask, “What happened here! It is very silent.” He looked to his left and right but doesn’t see anyone. He only heard the wind whooshing from the window to inside.
Then, he walked towards the working area, and there he saw the answers to his question. Everyone was asleep. Some are snoring, and others are even talking to their sleep.
In the middle, there was a table, and you will see Garde asleep beside it. On the table, something was placed there that was very familiar to Levi. A gun!
The bolt-action style carbine rifle was done. Besides it, there were two magazines of cartridges. Each magazine has five bullets, so Levi has ten bullets in total. Cartridges and magazines were also included in the draft of the rifle given to Garde.
Levi picked up the rifle and examined it. It was nicely done, the wooden body was smooth, and the wood itself was hard enough, precisely what it was needed to contain the gun’s power when being shot. The rear sight and the forward sight were aligned and placed precisely in the right place. All in all, the rifle was good. Levi didn’t expect that these dwarves could make it right as this exceeded his imagination. He only imagined the finished product as too crude but functional.
Suddenly, he heard sudden footsteps outside the door of the working area.
“Whos there?” Levi asked, but nobody answered, yet the sound footsteps are still present.
Levi felt something was off so, he picked up a magazine and loaded the gun with bullets. He had a hard time loading it because he only has an arm, but still, he managed.
He aimed for the door. His right hand was on the trigger while the gun’s fore stock was on the upper part of what was left in his left arm.
The sound of footsteps indicated that it was closing in.
“Reveal yourself, or else I’ll shoot,” Levi said in a panic. He knew that there are no other persons here right now because everyone was asleep.
Without nobody answering, Levi pulled the trigger, and with a loud sound of a gunshot, everyone woke up panicking.
Bang!
“Wait, wait, wait! This is me!” said the man on the other side of the door. He slowly revealed himself. It was Jeff
“Jeff! It was you? Why didn’t you said so?” Levi asked in a high tone.
“Hehe, I was planning to surprise Garde. I knew he was sleeping again,” Jeff said, slightly ashamed of his childish trick.
“What was that?!” Garde said as he slowly opened his eyes.
“Nothing, It was a false alarm, I almost hit Jeff with this gun?” said Levi.
“That was so loud and powerful. Is it really from that gun?” Garde asked.
“Yes, it is,” Levi replied.
Then, they talked about the gun as Garde, and his apprentices were in awe again now that they knew that what they’ve created was something like that.
Levi remembered that there is a limited amount of gunpowder here, so he imparted them the ingredients. Sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. These three are the main ingredients of gunpowder. These people managed to get their hands on it because they get it beside the volcano near the ocean where these three ingredients are present.
“Jeff,” Levi called the dwarf.
“Come with me. We’ll test this gun in the deep forest. We will hunt for our lunch.” Levi invited Jeff.
But before they leave, Levi remembered something important, which is the reason he goes out here. To present the draft of the artificial arm to Garde. Now that he ascertained that these dwarves can make something that is of quality, he gambled and asked them to make an artificial arm.
After giving it to Garde and explaining the crucial things, he immediately left with Jeff and formally tested his new gun.
Author’s Note:
Reference for bolt-action style rifle.
https://www.hunter-ed.com/washington/studyGuide/Bolt-Action-Rifles/20105002_700175502/
Reference for gunpowder.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder
