May 34th, Bladefang Mountains—the same valley where Professor Bob had conducted his gunpowder experiments.
Thunderous booms rang out one after another, the cannon fire deafening as it echoed through the valley...
Lorist realized he had somewhat underestimated the casting capabilities of this other world. Ten-odd days ago, under Master Hede's guidance, he had gone to inspect the bronze cannon barrels that old Julin had cast according to his design drawings, only to discover that in less than a month, the old man had managed to cast all twelve bronze cannons for him. Master Hede had scoffed dismissively, saying that bronze casting was actually the most basic apprentice-level blacksmithing skill—merely practice work. The true pinnacle of casting, he insisted, was the refined steel he was currently forging.
Lorist could only smile bitterly. The so-called refined steel that Master Hede boasted about was produced only through constant hammering on the water-powered trip hammer. Without refractory bricks to build a new smelting furnace, they couldn't produce molten steel at high enough temperatures, which meant it couldn't be used to cast cannons.
In his previous life, Lorist had been merely the manager of a small handicraft factory. He knew nothing about steelmaking or cannon casting. However, one of his factory's products had been a bronze cannon model—palm-sized, a rather fine ornament for an office desk that could also double as a paperweight. Of course, these small bronze cannons weren't cast; they were turned on a lathe.
Lorist recalled that he had once taken a great interest in these small bronze cannon models, finding it curious why the ancients had used bronze to cast cannons rather than refined iron. He had gone online and read articles about bronze cannon casting, only to discover that the ancients had truly been clever—bronze cannons offered far better versatility and cost-effectiveness than refined iron. Of course, Lorist couldn't remember all those messy figures, but the impression left in his mind was clear: without a certain industrial foundation to develop the steel industry, bronze was the best material for casting cannons.
Thanks to the fact that the small bronze cannon model had been manufactured as a scaled-down replica of a real cannon, Lorist was able to reverse-engineer it easily, with all the data clearly marked on the design drawings. And old Julin had cast all twelve bronze cannons in one go based on those same plans.
However, after careful inspection, five of the cannons were rejected due to sand holes in the barrel walls or inner barrels that weren't straight. Of the remaining seven bronze cannons, Lorist instructed the workers to polish the inner barrels smooth, fitted them with proper carriages, and then transported them to the valley where Professor Bob was testing the gunpowder.
Today was the first live-fire test. The seven bronze cannons were aimed at a cliff four hundred meters away. After firing, the cannon positions were shrouded in smoke, and the targeted cliff face was cascading with falling rocks and rubble...
"By Sigwa—isn't this—isn't this a magic crystal cannon?" Professor Bob exclaimed in wonder as he gazed at the devastated cliff in the distance.
"A magic crystal cannon?" Lorist was somewhat baffled. What on earth was that?
"My lord, I've read some records about the age of magical civilization. They mention that mages excavated the ruins of the gnomish Sky Fleet and improved upon them, inventing a long-range, high-powered weapon fueled by magic crystals. It was called a magic crystal cannon—a single shot could shatter a mountain. They say the largest magic crystal cannons had the power to shoot down stars. Later, during the war against the gods, all the magic crystal cannons were transported to the divine realm. At first, they proved devastatingly effective, slaying several deities. But later, because of their slow recharge rates and sluggish response times, they were caught off guard by a divine army assault, and the entire magic crystal cannon corps was annihilated..." Professor Bob explained.
"Oh, so that's how it is. But what we have here are cannons—completely incomparable to magic crystal cannons. They simply use the explosive force of gunpowder to launch projectiles. Their power is nowhere near that of a magic crystal cannon." Lorist felt that compared to the legendary magic crystal cannons, his bronze cannons were laughably weak.
"Lord, Cannons One through Three are at normal temperature—their surfaces are slightly warm, and the carriages haven't shifted. Cannons Four through Six are somewhat hot, with Cannon Six being the hottest. Its shift is also the most severe—nearly twelve centimeters off. Additionally, Cannon Seven has developed a small crack along its body. The entire barrel is red-hot, and even its carriage has tilted to the left, moving from its original position..."
The guard who had inspected the seven bronze cannons approached Lorist holding a folder of animal-hide parchment that recorded the inspection results. Old Julin stood off to the side, his face flushing red. One test volley and a cannon was already written off—for the man who had cast these bronze cannons, it was deeply embarrassing.
Lorist laughed and said, "Master Julin, this is no fault of yours. We were testing the maximum gunpowder load for these cannons. Cannon Seven was loaded with nearly seven times the charge of Cannon One. The fact that it didn't blow apart on the spot but only developed a small crack goes to show that the quality of the bronze cannons you cast is truly exceptional."
He then instructed the guards to clean the barrels, reload, and continue testing—but now they would test one cannon at a time to determine the optimal charge, as well as range, power, firing intervals, the cooling recovery speed of the cannons, and the durability of the bronze barrels—how many consecutive shots they could sustain before reaching their maximum service life.
After several more rounds of testing, Lorist finally returned to the quarters with the masters, while the guards in the valley continued the cannon tests. Professor Bob had stayed behind—perhaps in his heart, cannons were a fascinating novelty well worth studying thoroughly. Looking dejected, on the other hand, was Master Farin—pale-faced, as though his soul had departed.
"Master Farin, whatever is the matter?" Lorist asked with concern.
Master Farin replied with a sense of loss, "My lord, now that we have cannons, crossbow siege engines and steel crossbows will be useless in the future. In terms of both range and power, cannons far surpass steel crossbows. And cannons can still be developed further, whereas steel crossbows and crossbow siege engines are approaching the limits of their potential. I imagine that once cannons replace steel crossbows, a crossbow-making master like myself will have no more use—I won't be able to serve the family anymore."
So that was it. Lorist understood the source of Master Farin's low spirits. He gently patted the master on the shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Master Farin, things aren't quite as you see them. I classify steel crossbows and catapults as cold-weapon ranged weapons, while cannons and such fall under hot weapons—they're two entirely different categories. You are a genuine master when it comes to cold weapons. The steel crossbows you've crafted, I believe, have already reached the pinnacle—there's no one in the realm of cold weapons who can surpass you. As for cannons, in the domain of hot weapons, we're all beginners. Everyone starts at the same level. In the firearms research ahead, I still need your skilled hands to craft some intricate components. Don't worry—the family has always been proud to have a master like you..."
Cold weapons? Hot weapons? And firearms?
Master Hede's interest was piqued. "My lord, why the classification? And what exactly are firearms? Are those the cannons?"
Lorist explained, "Items like steel crossbows and catapults primarily use the elasticity and tension of steel plates to launch projectiles—they rely on their own mechanical energy. That's why I classify them as cold weapons.
Cannons, on the other hand, use the explosive force and shockwave of gunpowder to launch projectiles. The bronze barrel serves as a conduit that contains the explosive force and channels it into a directed shockwave aimed at the target—it has no ability to launch projectiles on its own. Therefore, I classify all ranged weapons that rely on the explosive power of gunpowder as firearms, which fall under the category of hot weapons. Of course, my classification system is still quite rudimentary—it's just a rough division."
Lorist gestured for everyone to sit around the table. "You've all witnessed the firing of these bronze cannons, but there's still much testing to be done. I'd like those of us here to establish a firearms research group. First, we'll complete the testing standards for the bronze cannons and establish a comprehensive firing protocol—things like installing aiming devices on the cannons, calculating approximate firing angles based on target distance, and so on. I want this done as quickly as possible.
The family faces a dire situation. Not long ago, Silowas Island was targeted by the Chikde Trading Company of the Forde Commercial Alliance. Fortunately, the Alliance's war with the Trinber Kingdom prevented our family's territory from being seized. Once you've finished testing these bronze cannons, Master Julin must immediately arrange for a batch of cannons of the same specifications to be cast. I intend to arm our warships with these cannons. Only with gun-armed ships can we defend our family's territory and maritime interests from encroachment."
Lorist clapped his hands, and Schwade brought in a case. Opening it revealed the dwarf gunlock inside.
"This is the famous dwarf gunlock. Its principle is much the same as our bronze cannons—it also uses gunpowder to fire lead shot. However, thanks to Professor Bob, their gunpowder now appears utterly worthless by comparison. The gunpowder developed by Professor Bob is far more powerful than what the dwarves have used for thousands of years, with a more optimal ratio and lower production costs. That's all thanks to Professor Bob."
After praising Professor Bob at some length, Lorist instructed Schwade to hang several sheets of drawing paper on the wall. "These are two types of firearms I've designed based on the dwarf gunlock. One is a long-barreled flintlock musket, the other a revolving pistol. I've marked all the components and specifications on these drawings, but these are based on my estimates and calculations—adjustments will need to be made during actual manufacturing based on real-world conditions."
The long-barreled firearm Lorist designed was a flintlock smoothbore musket. The firing mechanism was far less extravagant than the dwarves' version, which had featured a carved flying dragon. The dwarves' gunlock used a spring mechanism, and misfires on three or four out of ten shots were considered normal. Lorist's flintlock design employed the mature flint-and-steel ignition system from his previous life, though he wasn't sure whether these masters could actually manufacture it.
The short-barreled revolving pistol was essentially a revolver from his previous life. The greatest challenges in Lorist's revolver design lay in the cartridge cases, percussion caps, and rifled barrel. The cylinder, revolving chamber, and striker-type firing mechanism were things he was confident these skilled artisans could produce by hand. Cartridge cases and rifled barrels would require some effort but were achievable. Percussion caps, however, were another matter entirely—but Lorist planned to dump that problem onto Professor Bob's research. He had no intention of giving himself a headache over it.
Lorist assigned tasks to his group of masters and professors. Professor Bob, needless to say, would be responsible for researching percussion caps, and while at it, developing explosive shells for the bronze cannons. Master Hede and Master Julin would collaborate on developing the long and short barrels as well as selecting appropriate barrel materials; in their spare time, they were also to research improvements to the bronze cannons. As for Master Farin—he had the steadiest hands of them all—all the firing mechanisms and ignition devices would be manufactured by him...
With the tasks of testing the bronze cannons and developing the two types of firearms all delegated to these men, Lorist dusted off his hands and left the valley feeling light and free...
...reported to him. Lorist sighed wearily and resigned himself to diving into the tedious affairs.
Schwade knocked and entered. "My lord, these are letters that just arrived from Silowas Island, along with Knight Lumod's first report from
Lorist perked up. "Let me see."
Lumod had departed in early April with his three wives for Morant City, intending to set up a pediatric and gynecological apothecary clinic there—a front for the
In his letter, Lumod first described their arrival and settlement in Morant City, then proceeded to report on the war between the Commercial Alliance and the Trinber Kingdom. The second sitting war had begun. This time, however, nearly a hundred thousand troops from seven nations were locked in a standoff outside the Trinber capital of Feias against a hundred and fifty thousand Commercial Alliance troops. The Morant Daily had it that the war wouldn't end until Trinber VII's treasury had been bled dry.
Next came troubling news about the Second Prince's military expedition in the Redelis Kingdom. The territorial lords of Andewolfe Province in Redelis hadn't been intimidated by the Second Prince's army of several hundred thousand—they simply refused to acknowledge his authority. The Second Prince dispatched a hundred thousand troops to sweep through the region, only to suffer defeat after defeat at the hands of those lords who exploited their home-field advantage despite being vastly outnumbered. To make matters worse, two regiments composed of captured Redelis soldiers mutinied on the spot, further emboldening the rebellious lords. In the end, only forty-odd thousand of the hundred thousand troops made it back. Rumor had it that the Second Prince had been so furious he spat blood.
Reading this, Lorist grinned from ear to ear. The longer these two wars dragged on, the better it was for the family's position. He wished they would fight each other for a decade or two.
Setting aside Lumod's report, Lorist picked up the letter from Silowas Island. Sure enough,
First, the initial batch of fur trade with the Peterson Trading Company had been completed. Of the five hundred-odd thousand gold Fordes received, five hundred thousand had been shipped back to the family's territory aboard this round of cargo vessels. The remaining gold coins, along with the one million catties of grain brought by the Peterson Trading Company, were stored on Silowas Island as development reserves.
Second, Fatty Shi had reached an agreement with the Peterson Trading Company. He had provided seventeen sets of refined iron standard equipment samples along with a catalog featuring dozens of sets of ornate armor and equipment for the Peterson Trading Company to use in securing orders. The Peterson Trading Company, naturally, wouldn't do this for free—they demanded ten percent of the revenue. Fatty Shi had already agreed. In his letter, he expressed that this was a win-win arrangement: with a revenue stake, the Peterson Trading Company would be motivated to seek out more orders, while the Norton Family could remain hidden behind the scenes without becoming a target.
Next came an update on resource exploration on Silowas Island. Master Hede's eldest son, Delokowa, had led a team into the volcanic region of Silowas Island in April for geological surveys. In just over a month, good news had come pouring in. He had already discovered seven types of mineral resources in the mountain region, among them iron and silver deposits of considerable size. It was believed that once the entire mountain range was surveyed, many more discoveries would follow. Fatty Shi had decided that once the development projects were completed, the refugee laborers would be converted into miners for resource extraction.
Finally, Fatty Shi grumbled a few words and happened to mention that his father had sailed for the Northland on this voyage, intending to purchase property and open a shop in the newly built port city, asking Lorist to look after him, and so on...
After finishing the letter, Lorist had Schwade pack their things for the trip to the newly built port city. It so happened that he himself needed to head to the Oxhorn Bay shipyard to oversee the completion and launching of the newest sailing warship, as well as to arrange for sailors to undergo bronze cannon firing training.
Through June, Lorist remained buried in a whirlwind of work. It wasn't until a day at the end of June that Schwade burst in: "My lord—my lord, terrible news! Silowas Island has been attacked!"
...(To be continued.)