The Novel’s Extra (Remake) - Chapter 7

TLDR – Passionately explain that guns have a very rich history dating hundreds to a thousand years in the past. And the concept of it being looked down upon for not having the same history as a sword doesn’t line up when Firearms existed in the same space when the Rapier also was adopted.

The rapier I saw in the previous chapter was first estimated to have been really designed in later 1400s but grew in popularity in the 1500-1700s. The first firearm. “Firearm” was devised in the 10th-12th century as the ‘firelance’ which looks to be a short range blunderbuss tied to a spear. “Guns” like muskets and that jazz came around in mass popularity outside of China roughly in early 1500s with the arquebus. By the logic of this story, if you apply the history of all “Firearms” like you would apply the history of all “Swords” to a Rapier. Then a glock in this story would have the backing of almost a thousand years of history too. A rapier would have MUCH longer in this sense too though, in defense of that arguement.

However. If we do not go with that argument and look at it more along the lines as their own thing. A rapier will have, generously, five hundred years to it. But a handgun, if we go off just a semi-auto recoil operated handgun, sure. That had been around for maybe a hundred and fifty years. Not an insignificant amount of time for legends but legend and their weapons just aren’t romanticized like they use to. But off this argument. A rapier is also a horrible chose in comparison to a gladius, Zwei-hander, or an arming sword. They were designed for nobility casual carry and dueling, not war. So they too should be an outcast for that. So we are going with the original idea that it piggy-backs off the foundational myth of the weaponry and not specific designs, that being left up to the user preference or niche differences like a knight’s sword versus a mass produced sword of the same make in legend quality.

Conceding a cannon and fire lance isn’t the same as a handheld firearm leaving that to the Arquebus, that still leaves PLENTY of history behind small arms in warfare. Five hundred years of it. Stand mounted firearms were used at the time of the adoption of rapiers as noble weapons.

Swords shaped civilization but firearms reshaped the very Idea of warfare forever. There is no real myth outside gun fanatics and their “AK-47 is indestructible” and their “It’s a .45 cuz they didn’t need a .46. Two World Wars,” but the sheer destruction the introduction of firearm has allowed humanity to commit has eclipsed anything mankind before had ever seen beforehand. Let alone being the gateway to a weapon that ultimately is capable of cracking the planet.

Just had to get that out since it eventually goes away, but the idea is dumb and a vast oversight by the author for not considering the proportional reaction over this detail in the sense of his story. And if he wanted that kind of reaction, then he should have looked a bit deeper or added the little bit about different weaponry’s view. Like how a a handgun was akin to a dagger, so didn’t get the history of a musket/rifle, like a dagger wouldn’t get the same prestige of a long sword. So it was like picking a chef knife to go have armored sword fight with.

Also while I know it was likely just a reference thing but for fun, him shooting a glock with a bottleneck cartridge means he’s likely shooting a Glock 31-32 .357 SIG round. with 15 round capacity, he reloaded 4 times during bullet time.