Choking Them Off

"Splash!"

A stone fell from the ship into the water. Someone shouted, "Oh no! My gun fell into the water!"

Bellberk was annoyed. She'd lost the bet.

The ship soon docked at a port in the Piaster Kingdom. The horses and carriages were hoisted onto the pier, and Frederick waved goodbye to everyone aboard.

There was an interesting tavern here. The upper floor was laid out in a square, with a corridor that overlooked the drinkers on the first floor through an atrium. Yet a huge rooftop covered the entire building.

Frederick studied the simple rooms, with their narrow windows and small doorways, and wondered if the place had some military use.

Bellberk sat on the bed, carefully examining the gun Frederick had just bought.

"It looks like a bundle of sausages."

Bellberk had finally found something to compare the gun to.

The gun had nineteen jet cans for revolver pistols, each paired with a long barrel. It was also foldable: the whole assembly could be folded down to load the bullets.

The gun's shortcomings were obvious. It was heavy, and loading it was extremely complicated.

But it had its advantages, too. It could fire a lot of bullets in a very short time, delivering impressive firepower in an instant.

"Could this be a trick?" Bellberk asked. "Maybe they sold it to you so easily to make outsiders underestimate it."

At first, she hadn't believed Frederick could buy standard-issue equipment from the Piast Army. But after spending two nights at a beer hall, he'd actually managed to get some.

She'd even made a bet with him over it. If she lost, she'd have to do those weird things he wanted.

Frederick smiled. "This weapon is a compromise forced by the limits of their manufacturing. They may have better designs, but