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Vol 01 Chapter 25-1: The First Time

Black powder, recognized as one of the four great inventions of ancient China. As it is widely known, it hardly needs an explanation; essentially, it is an explosive.

It is made by mixing charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate.

Though it’s feasible to construct cannons from wood, I decided against it. They’re likely to explode, handling them seems difficult, and I’m not sure if they would hit their target accurately. Besides, there’s a risk of dying if something fails when using them, so I’d rather not.

There are several methods to utilize black powder as a weapon: it can be used to propel iron pellets; seal it in a container, and throw it to the enemy after lighting the fuse; or set it in the ground and detonate it with a flaming arrow. Those would be the main methods.

If I combine it with the magecraft that Tetra created, I anticipate a reasonably effective outcome. However, I don’t have high expectations for its lethality. I’m just an amateur, so it’s doubtful how destructive it would end up being…

However, the noise and impact should be significant. It has the potential to lower the enemy’s morale, and employing it before the battle starts could indeed surprise King Ferme.

I wonder if he’ll be scared. He didn’t seem frightened by my skeleton comment earlier, only taken aback, so maybe it’s unlikely.

As I mentioned earlier, the ingredients for black powder are charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate. Charcoal I can make myself, so that’s not a problem. Obtaining sulfur seems difficult, but there are many volcanoes around here, so I should be able to find some.

If all else fails, I could ask the Kirisian merchants to import it. Those knowledgeable Kirisians should know about it.

Potassium nitrate can be obtained in two ways. Either mine saltpeter or make it myself.

As I’m unaware of any natural saltpeter deposits, I’ll have to make it myself this time. The material needed is the black soil found beneath livestock sheds.

But, the soil from our livestock sheds won’t suffice, so I intend to acquire more from King Rosais.

「Tetra, I want you to develop a magic circle for ignition. I need it within a year.」

「Understood. However, to draw the diagram, my blood alone won’t suffice for the required magical power. I need spirit stones… specifically, a kind of spirit stone that maintains the correct magic conductivity when processed into ink—let’s call them magic stones. Please arrange to get some for me.」

「Got it. I’m not sure which type of stone is best, so I’ll order every kind from the Kirisian merchants. Ron, Roswald, Gram, can you guys come with me to King Rosais’ place?」

My primary objective in visiting King Rosais is to secure the soil. Since soil is practically free, I’m sure he’ll give me as much as I need. But I also want to ask King Rosais if Ron, Roswald, and Gram can join the soldiers’ training as observers. I intend for them to learn how to lead an army, and seeing the training of real soldiers should help.

I plan to observe as well, and should the opportunity arise, I’ll participate too. Before that, however, I must negotiate with the Kirisian merchants for horses, high-performance bows, arrows, and arrowheads. Depending on the situation, it might even be a good idea to purchase combat slaves.

◇

「I see. A tribute, huh? If you had given it to me, I would have protected you.」

「Unfortunately, it was an emergency situation.」

At that time, even if I had sought help from King Rosais, he would have arrived too late, and we would have been dead by then.

And…

「Cough, cough.」

「Are you okay, Dad?」

King Rosais, lying in his bed and coughing, received back rubs from Julia

I can’t ask for protection from a sick man.

「Here you go. Have some honey.」

「…Thank you.」

As always, I brought honey as a gift.

「So, what do you need? Surely you didn’t come here just to report, did you?」

King Rosais grinned annoyingly.

「I have four requests. First, I ask for a loan of some wheat.」

「Alright. How much do you need?」

I requested wheat from King Rosais

「Hmm… that’s quite a lot. Didn’t you say before that you had enough? How much did King Ferme took from you?」

「Well, a considerable amount.」

My reason for requesting such a large quantity isn’t solely due to a lack of food. We must concentrate on fortifying our village’s defenses for a time, leaving us no time for farming… Hence, the need for such a large amount.

「Return it in three years. A ten percent interest rate will suffice. In exchange, teach me how you get the honey, the method to craft Sueki pottery, and the method to make paper.」

「That seems like a tall order. I could always seek support from King Domorgal, you know.」

When I said this, King Rosais shrugged.

「I know. It was a joke. Just teach me one of them.」

Then…

「I’ll teach you how to craft Sueki pottery.」

It’s the simplest, after all.

I explained to King Rosais the structure of an anagama kiln.

「Secondly, I’d like a large amount of soil from the livestock sheds.」

「I don’t quite see the purpose, but… alright, go ahead.」

King Rosais gave his permission while looking puzzled.

「The next thing I want to ask about… is there a yellow stone that, when ignited, burns well? You can find it near volcanoes.」

Regrettably, I’m not sure what sulfur is referred to in this world. It’s not a topic that typically comes up in children’s conversations.

「Ah, you mean the stone found near hot springs, sulfur. You can find it in that mountain over there. Take as much as you want.」

「Really?」

「Yes, you do regularly bring me honey, after all.」

That’s surprising.

Well, sulfur isn’t widely used for much, is it? In ancient times, was its primary use for starting fires? I remember hearing that during the Edo period, it served as a substitute for matches.

「Lastly, would you permit us to observe the military training of your soldiers?」

「I see. Preparing for King Ferme, are you? I don’t mind. You can watch.」

「Can my companions join as well?」

「Of course.」

Excellent, I’ve secured permission for everything.

「Julia, show them around.」

「Yes, sir!」

◇

「What do you think? Isn’t our country’s army impressive?」

In front of me, a thousand men are training in formation. At first glance, they appear to be heavy infantry.

They’re employing a formation known as the phalanx, however…

「Hmm, is this considered a good performance?」

As a novice, I may not be certain, but honestly, they don’t seem particularly formidable.

First of all, a phalanx requires strong cohesion and high morale. It’s not something that can be achieved with conscripted soldiers.

「Ahaha, you’re right. A Kirisian merchant who visited before said the same thing. We’re trying to imitate Kirisian’s tactics, but it’s not going well. According to them, in Kirisia, there’s no king, and everyone participates in politics. That’s why everyone has high morale, and they train whenever they have time, making them strong. But in our country, we have a king, and our soldiers are conscripted for two years…」

I see. That can’t be helped. The Kirisians are just too advanced.

It’s merely a poor imitation of their more advanced tactics.

「Over there, they are training in archery.」

Julia pointed to where about two hundred men were practicing hitting targets with arrows.

「Those men aren’t conscripted soldiers. That’s why they all have high morale.」

Archery requires advanced skills. It’s not something that can be easily picked up by conscripted soldiers.

「What do you think, Gram? Can you beat them?」

「If it’s targeting at that distance, I can do it even with my eyes closed. I’m not sure how well those men can shoot, but… I’m confident.」

「And over there, the King Guard. They’re also the elite.」

Julia pointed to a group of about fifty men engaged in a mock battle.

「Are they considered elite? It seems like Ron and Roswald have sharper movements.」

I have experience in kendo. I learned it from the director of the orphanage (who claimed to be a fourth-Dan, though I’m not sure if that’s true or not).

From my perspective, it seems like they have a lot of unnecessary movements. Of course, the martial arts they use and the ones we use are too different to compare.

What I taught Ron and Roswald was kendo, which has been refined over a long time in Japan. On the other hand, these men are likely swinging their swords using techniques they have learned on their own. There’s a lack of uniformity in their movements.

That’s why it’s natural that Ron and Roswald, who are familiar with kendo, have better technique.

But what concerns me is not their technique. It’s their physical ability. These guys have much lower physical capabilities compared to Ron and Roswald.

「Are these guys slacking off in their training?」

「Hey, hey, don’t just say whatever you like.」

A voice called out from behind. When I turned around, there was a large man with a scar on his face.

He was quite young. And he smelled of alcohol.

「Are you the one who seduced our princess?」