NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: The Ultimate Weapon
TL: Etude
After sending away his servant Ron, Paul happily checked the “goods” on the ground once again.
“Haha, how can I live up to my identity as a transmigrator without creating some ultimate weapons?”
Indeed, the items on the ground were sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, the ingredients for making black powder. Speaking of black powder, it’s truly an essential for home travel and for plundering.
What broke the sturdy armor of the Western feudal knights? It was gunpowder. What helped Pizarro conquer the vast Inca Empire? It was gunpowder.
“And this time, gunpowder will help me, Paul Grayman, to ‘civilize’ this other world.”
Originally, he had wanted to mass-produce matchlock or flintlock guns, so he asked Philip to gather a bunch of blacksmiths. However, since it was close to the spring plowing season, a time when farmers were busy making and repairing agricultural tools, the plan was shelved due to strong opposition from the steward.
Before he could prove the “great significance” of his “trans-era invention,” he had to start by making a couple of guns as an experiment to open the eyes of these otherworldly natives. As for the collected gunpowder ingredients, he decided to make some “big firecrackers” first and arm a group of grenadiers.
He immediately went to the adjacent tent to meet the servant who had just arrived.
“I suppose Ron has already told you, anything that happens here must not be leaked outside, not a single word, or else…” He made a slicing gesture across his neck.
Everyone agreed in unison.
“Good, I called you all here to make a secret weapon. It will be our key to victory over the enemy. If you do well, I will reward you handsomely.”
He pointed to one of the familiar-looking servants, “Kelly, from now on, these people are under your management.”
Then he took out the gunpowder ingredients he had brought: “This is what you’ve transported here, saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. In the eyes of the world, these are nothing more than ordinary items, but I have accidentally discovered that mixing them in a certain proportion can create a mixture that burns fiercely.”
He shamelessly took all the credit for himself.
Next, he mixed the three ingredients, which had already been ground into powder, in the proportion of one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, and three parts charcoal. He asked everyone to step back, took out a long fuse, lit it with a fire tube (a tool similar to a lighter used for preserving a fire source), and gently touched the mixture from a distance.
“Ah!” Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
They saw the small pile of powder suddenly burst into a dazzling flame, followed by a cloud of thick smoke rising up. As the smoke spread, the tent was filled with an indescribable odor.
“See? The burning is very intense, almost instantaneous.”
Indeed, the previous mixture had now turned into a pile of residue.
“Lord, do you intend to use this to make weapons?” Some clever ones had already understood his intention.
“Yes, I call this mixture gunpowder, and it will become our weapon to fight against pirates. But mere burning is not enough; it won’t pose any substantial threat to pirates. So, I plan to pack it into a sealable container. In this way, it can produce a powerful explosion when it burns, thereby injuring the enemy.”
“This is just a rough idea of mine. This weapon is still in the conceptual stage. The specific optimal gunpowder formula, the manufacturing process, and the size and shape of the container still need everyone’s collective wisdom.”
“I announce here that in the future, in weapon manufacturing, every good idea approved by me will be rewarded with at least one silver coin. The greater the value, the larger the reward.”
Upon hearing about the monetary reward, everyone’s eyes lit up, and they assured him, beating their chests, that they would not disappoint their lord.
“But, as you saw in the experiment just now, this stuff is very dangerous. A single mishandling can not only harm oneself but also endanger others. So, you must be careful. I will write a safety regulation shortly, and each of you must memorize it without missing a single word. I will conduct random checks in the future, and anyone who can’t remember will be immediately dismissed. Hmph… To prevent leaks, those leaving here probably won’t be able to lead a normal life anymore.”
Everyone was coaxed and threatened into swearing oaths to complete their lord’s task.
Paul summoned an internal affairs soldier and instructed him to familiarize these people with the camp environment, leaving behind a few of the blacksmiths.
He spoke to one of the older ones, “Your name is Herman, right? The blacksmith from the castle.”
“Yes, my lord. My family has served the Count for generations. I crafted the old Count’s armor.”
“Good. You also saw the power of the gunpowder just now. What do you think?”
“The Count is truly a genius. If I hadn’t seen its ingredients and production method with my own eyes, I would have thought it was magic from the legends.”
Paul nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with the native’s admiration.
“Haha, actually, the weapon concept I mentioned earlier is just a crude way to use gunpowder. There are other more sophisticated and fantastic ways to use it.”
“Oh? Is that why you kept us here? Please enlighten us, my lord.”
Paul pulled out a piece of sheepskin paper and slowly unrolled it: “Look at this paper. I need you to craft a tube-shaped weapon like the one drawn here…”
…
From then on, there was an area near the training camp where ordinary soldiers were forbidden to enter, guarded day and night by internal affairs soldiers. However, strange explosion sounds often came from inside, attracting the curiosity of some. Invariably, these people were invited by the newly formed “Inspection Team” for a “chat.”
But merely making some explosive gadgets and small iron tubes wasn’t enough to satisfy the Count. He urgently needed something “bigger, thicker, longer,” so he wrote to his steward and Bryce, urging them to find talent skilled in metal casting, preferably with experience in bell casting, and to acquire a large amount of bronze.
In addition to the Inspection Team, another squad was selected not long after. Each member was a robust, muscular man.
Makarov was also among them. In addition to regular training, they were also arranged to train in another way: throwing a bunch of slightly polished stones into circles drawn on the ground.
The new team was named: Grenadiers.
Many wondered in their hearts: it seemed that the lord had spent so much on training recently that he could no longer afford bows and arrows. But if they were to use stones against the enemy, why not use a sling for greater throwing distance?
Though they couldn’t throw very large stones, the distance was significant. Throwing these large, round stones with arms was not only limited in distance, but it also drained their strength after a few throws.
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