Chương 9: The Big Weapon
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
After dismissing the servant Ron, Paul happily inspected the "goods" on the ground once again.
"Haha, how can we, as transmigrators, not have some big weapons?"
Indeed, the items on the ground were sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter—the raw materials for making black powder. Speaking of black powder, it's truly indispensable for both domestic use and robbing homes.
What shattered the sturdy armor of Western feudal knights? Gunpowder. What aided Pizarro in conquering the vast Inca Empire? Gunpowder.
"And this time, gunpowder will help me, Paul Grayman, 'civilize' this alternate world."
Originally, he had wanted to mass-produce matchlock or flintlock guns. He had Philip summon a large group of blacksmiths. However, due to the approaching spring planting season, when farmers were busy repairing agricultural tools, the steward vehemently opposed the plan, and it was shelved.
Until he could prove the "epoch-making significance" of his invention, he decided to start with a couple of blacksmiths to experimentally craft a few guns for the indigenous people of this world. As for the collected gunpowder materials, he intended to make some "cannons" first and arm a batch of grenadiers.
He immediately went to the adjacent tent where the newly arrived servants were.
"I assume Ron has already briefed you. Nothing that happens here is to be leaked outside, or else..." He gestured with a slash across his neck.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Alright, everyone, gather around. I'm going to manufacture a secret weapon, a talisman of our triumph over enemies. If you do well, I'll reward you handsomely."
He pointed to a familiar servant, "Kelly, these people will be under your charge from now on."
Then, taking out the brought-over gunpowder materials, he said, "These are what you've transported here: saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. To ordinary people, these are just common materials. But by mixing them in certain proportions, I accidentally discovered that they can create a combustible mixture."
He shamelessly took credit for the discovery.
Following this, he mixed the three powdered materials in a ratio of one part saltpeter to two parts sulfur to three parts charcoal. He instructed everyone to keep their distance, took out a long match cord, lit it with a fire tube (a tool similar to a match holder used to preserve fire), and cautiously touched the mixture from afar.
"Ah!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
The small pile of powder suddenly erupted in a dazzling blaze, followed by a thick cloud of smoke rising up. As the smoke spread, it filled the tent with an indescribable smell.
"See that? It burns fiercely, almost consuming everything in an instant."
Indeed, the previous mixture had now turned into a pile of ash.
"Lord, are you planning to use this to create weapons?" A clever person had already grasped his intention.
"Yes, I call this mixture gunpowder. It will become our weapon against pirates. However, mere combustion won't suffice to threaten pirates substantively, so I plan to seal it in containers that can create strong explosions during combustion, thus causing harm to enemies."
"This is just a rough concept of mine. This weapon is still in the conceptual stage. We need everyone's input on the optimal gunpowder formula, production process, container shape, and size."
"I hereby announce that in the realm of weapon manufacturing, every good idea approved by me will earn at least a silver coin in reward. The greater the value, the greater the reward."
Hearing the promise of money, everyone's eyes lit up, and they pledged to not disappoint the lord.
"However, as you saw from the experiment just now, this stuff is extremely dangerous. Improper handling can not only harm yourself but also endanger others. So, be careful. Later, I'll write a safety regulation, and each of you must memorize it word for word. I'll conduct random inspections. Anyone who can't recall it will be immediately dismissed. Hmph... to prevent leaks, those who leave here might find it difficult to live a normal life."
The group was both encouraged and intimidated, swearing to fulfill the lord's tasks.
Paul summoned an internal affairs soldier and instructed him to familiarize these people with the camp environment. He specifically kept several blacksmiths behind.
Addressing one of the older individuals, he said, "I remember your name is Herman, right? You're the castle's blacksmith."
"Yes, my lord. My family has served the Earl's household for generations. I crafted the old Earl's armor."
"Good. You witnessed the power of gunpowder just now. What do you think?"
"My lord, you are truly a genius. If I hadn't seen the raw materials and the manufacturing process with my own eyes, I would have suspected it was a mythical magic."
"Hmm..." He nodded proudly. The admiration of the indigenous people boosted his vanity to the max.
"Haha, in fact, the weapon concept I mentioned earlier is just a crude way to use gunpowder. There are other more ingenious and fantastic uses."
"Oh? Is that why you kept us here, my lord? Please explain."
Paul pulled out a parchment and slowly unfolded it. "Look at this parchment. It's like this—I need you to forge a tubular weapon according to the drawing on it..."
...
From then on, not far from the training camp, there was an area forbidden to ordinary soldiers, patrolled day and night by internal affairs soldiers. Strange explosions often emanated from within, tempting some curious souls to investigate. However, these people were invariably invited for a "tea session" by the newly established "disciplinary squad."
Yet, making explosive gadgets and small iron pipes alone couldn't satisfy the count. He urgently needed something "bigger, rougher, and longer." Thus, he wrote to the steward and Bryce, urging them to accelerate the search for skilled metal casters, preferably those experienced in bell casting, along with a large quantity of bronze.
Besides the disciplinary squad, another group was selected shortly afterward. Each member was robust and brawny.
Markalov was among them. In addition to their regular training exercises, they were allotted special time each day for another kind of training: throwing a pile of slightly polished stones into pre-drawn circles on the ground.
The new team was named: grenadiers.
Many people muttered to themselves: It seems that the lord's recent expenditures on training have made him too poor to afford bows and arrows anymore. But why not use slingshots that can throw stones farther? Although they can't throw very large stones, they can reach quite a distance. Using arms to throw these large, round stones at close range several times over would exhaust the arms.
(End of this chapter)
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