"Sir, why do you want the three families to expand and strengthen their armaments? Not only did you give them loans, but you also gave them a discount on the equipment they needed. Our family's reserve fund is only a million gold fords. Manager Hansk said that if Sir continues to spend so much, the family will soon run out of funds and be unable to complete the development plan of the territory. "
Schwald asked on the carriage heading to Professor Bob's gunpowder laboratory in the Blade Mountain Range.
Laurist reached out to ruffle Schwartz's hair and chuckled. "I thought you would be restless after your little fiancée left yesterday. I didn't expect you to still be in the mood to think about such things …"
"Sir!" Schwald was dissatisfied, "I just don't understand why Sir is doing this."
"Alright, Schwald, don't mind me, it's just a joke." Laurist said, "There's a saying that if it's going to rain, then we should be prepared to bring raincoats so that we won't be drenched halfway. Our family is facing the same situation as before the rain. If we aren't prepared, we'll be drenched.
I'm not worried about the Chikede Merchant Association. Even if they're the overlord of the sea, they're still merchants. I'm also not worried about the upcoming expedition to the Haneabada Kingdom. After all, they're a group of pirates, slave owners, and slave merchants. In front of our family's elite armed forces, they're no match.
The only thing I'm worried about is the second prince. He has the ambition to become a great emperor who can unify and revive the former Christen Empire. When no one was optimistic about him, he unexpectedly crossed the Great Snow Mountain at the cost of a huge number of casualties and launched a surprise attack on the capital city of Felix, establishing the victory of sweeping the Redelis Kingdom in one fell swoop.
From this surprise attack, it can be seen that the second prince is an excellent commander, not an incompetent king. He really has hope of achieving his dream. After destroying the Redelis Kingdom, his vanguard will most likely be the Iberian Kingdom. With the current situation of the Iberian Kingdom, it's impossible to resist the second prince's attack.
Right now, the entire north is in the hands of our four families, and we can be said to be at ease. But once the second prince destroyed the Iberian Kingdom and sent his troops to the north, with his strong attitude of wanting to control everything in his hands, could he let go of Baron Shahin, Baron Filim, and Count Kemus, these three orthodox nobles of the Iberian Kingdom who had been conferred the title by the second prince?
Even if they surrender to His Second Highness, His Second Highness will most likely break up the alliance between our four clans and transfer them to other places. That way, His Second Highness will be able to extend his hand into the Northern Lands. For example, the Xingan Plain and the Red River Plain that are being developed by our family are not the traditional territories of our family. It's very easy for the second prince to transfer them to someone else and provoke conflicts between us and other nobles … "
"But my lord, didn't the Second Prince say that he would make you the Grand Duke of the Northern Region? As long as it's connected to the North … "Shihuard suddenly realized something and lowered his voice.
"Hehe …" Laurist laughed. "When he said that, His Second Highness was in a weak position. He had just taken over the ruling power of the Andinac Kingdom and still needed us to charge and break through the enemy lines, so of course he would make a promise like that. Right now, he has more than three hundred thousand soldiers under his control. Once he destroys the Iberian Kingdom, the situation will be set. There will be an endless stream of nobles that will come to him, and the soldiers under him will even swell to five hundred thousand. Under these circumstances, will he still care about the promise he once made?
Our family walks a strategy of elite soldiers. Don't look at how many soldiers our family has right now, but once we split the land and sea, we only have seventy to eighty thousand people that can actually fight in the field. But we still have to go to the Haneabada Kingdom, so we only have two cavalry divisions and a chariot division left in our territory. There's also a division of knights as a mobile force.
The remaining cavalry division is stationed in Crouching Bull hill. They are the main force to prevent the mountain barbarians from invading. There are also two battalions of guards, one at Tortoise Mountain fortress and the other at Monolith Castle. The three garrison battalions are stationed in the family's warehouse, prison, labor camp, and mines. The rest are the guards of the towns and villages. Maintaining order and protecting the residents is their responsibility.
You'll understand if you look at the map. Just like the western part of the north right now, it has already become our family's pasture. Close to three hundred thousand cows and sheep are grazing there, and in the next three years, the Fisablun clan will provide us with close to six hundred thousand cows and sheep. Only then can they complete the agreement to exchange the cows and sheep with us for equipment. The three allies have no objections to our clan turning the western part of the north into a pasture. They can even purchase a batch of cows and sheep from our clan at a low price for their own consumption.
However, if the second majesty extends his hand into the north, he'll immediately set his sights on these cows and sheep, as the western part of the north isn't our clan's territory. He can find many, many excuses to take away these cows and sheep and make us suffer in silence. For example, he can use the excuse of granting a title as an excuse to compensate us. He'll make our clan suffer heavy losses, but all we can do is swallow this loss in silence. That is, unless we risk the world and go to war with the second majesty for these cows and sheep when the second majesty's troops are at their peak.
With our clan's strength, we can also gather three hundred thousand people. We don't fear the second majesty's tremendous troops, and we can even defeat him. But what good would that do us? Not only would it affect the livelihood of the people in our clan's territory, even if we defeat the second majesty, we'll suffer heavy losses. Moreover, the second majesty is the superior lord of our clan. We'll have nothing but the reputation of being traitors.
Therefore, the best way is to strengthen the three allies' forces and push them to the front to confront the second majesty. Our clan will provide support from the back. With the existence of the Mitobro River as a natural barrier, I'd like to see if the second majesty is willing to expend all his troops on those two iron chain bridges. Unless he agrees to our request, which is to maintain the northern part as it is, with the four of us having the final say. Otherwise, he'll be in a standoff with our three allies until the end of time … "
"Sir, what if the second majesty orders us to deal with the three allies? He's the superior lord of our clan, "Schwald asked.
"That doesn't matter. We can refuse the unreasonable orders of the superior lord. He has no right to ask us to betray the alliance," Loriste replied.
…
They arrived at the valley where Professor Bob's gunpowder laboratory was. It had been almost two months since Loriste assigned them to research firearms. Two days ago, they finally received news that they had made significant progress. After sending off Baron Shahin, Baron Filim, and Count Kenneth, his three allies, Laurist hurried over to the scene.
Professor Bob, Master Sid, Master Julien, and Master Fallin were all present. After taking their seats, they began to report their respective progress to Loriste.
Professor Bob had no clue about the Flowering Bullet that he was in charge of developing, but he gave Laurist a surprise. He brought over a tray of bullets with brass cartridges.
"How did you make this primer?" Loriste asked.
"Sir, this primer is actually very simple. We use a fire crystal. We grind the fire crystal into a small disk and embed it at the bottom of the cartridge. We add a circle of flint at the bottom of the cartridge, and when the trigger is pulled, the steel hammer will strike the flint. As long as there's a spark, the fire crystal will explode and ignite the gunpowder in the cartridge. The gunpowder will explode and push the bullet out …" Professor Bob explained.
Master Fallin opened a mahogany box on the table. Inside the box were two revolvers with gold-engraved barrels. They were even made of mammoth ivory. One was engraved with the image of a beautiful woman, while the other was engraved with exquisite patterns. They were exactly the same as the old-fashioned and expensive revolvers that Loriste had seen on the internet in his previous life.
"Eh? You guys actually made revolvers? "Loriste was surprised.
"Yes, sir." Master Fallin said, "Based on the blueprint of this revolver that you designed, we spent two months making these two guns by hand. Even those cartridges were made by us personally …"
"Uh …" Loriste was speechless. He was sure that these two exquisite revolvers had been made by Master Fallin personally. Only he had such exquisite craftsmanship. Even Master Sid couldn't compare to him in this aspect. However, the problem was that Loriste hoped to find a way to mass-produce firearms. They couldn't make them by hand like this. If that was the case, even if Master Fallin worked himself to the bone, he would only be able to make a hundred or so …
"Can these guns be fired?" Loriste asked worriedly.
"Of course they can be fired." Master Fallin hurriedly replied, "We've tested it, but the range isn't very far. Twenty to thirty meters of lead bullets can penetrate a finger-thick wooden plank. Fifty meters of lead bullets won't be able to hit the target."
Hm, the effective range was twenty to thirty meters. Any further and the bullets would drift away, unable to hit the target.
"Also, sir, we can't make the automatic connection between the cartridge and trigger that you designed. Left with no choice, we can only use the dwarven gun as a reference. After firing, we need to use the hammer to change the cartridge to the next bullet …" Master Fallin said.
Hm, no wonder the hammer felt a little big. It was for the convenience of moving it with one's hands.
"Sir, there's one more thing to take note of. After firing five bullets consecutively, the barrel will heat up. You have to wait for it to cool down before you can reload and fire again …" Master Julien, who was beside him, reminded him.
Alright, the steel used to make the barrel wasn't up to standard. It would heat up after firing five bullets …
"Are there any other problems?" Loriste asked.
"Well, sir, although the gunpowder and primer in these bullets are all loaded by me personally, and the weight is the same, sometimes one or two bullets out of five won't fire. You need to fire a few more times. I think it might be because the flint didn't produce any sparks … "Professor Bob added.
Loriste was completely speechless. It turned out that these two exquisite-looking revolvers were really just for show. No wonder the surface of the revolvers was so exquisite. They were purely for appreciation as handicrafts. But no matter what, these were the first and second revolvers produced by his family. It was still worth remembering that they could be fired with such power.
"Did you personally make these bullet casings?"
"No, we gathered more than twenty craftsmen and each made a dozen or so. We chose those that were about the same size and had Master Fallin personally polish them slowly. Finally, we chose these seventy-three bullet casings of the same size. After loading the gunpowder, they can be placed into these two guns to fire. In the future, sir, you can reload the gunpowder. I still have a small mold for making lead bullets and this mold for pressing the lead bullets into the casings, "Professor Bob said.
As long as the casings were there, they could reload the gunpowder themselves. This was still a method. They didn't have to worry about running out of bullets in the future.
"Alright, I'll take these two revolvers, the bullets, and the mold with me. You don't have to do this in the future. It's a waste of your talents to spend two months on this. You guys aren't ordinary craftsmen," Loriste complimented. The masters were all very happy.
"Did you encounter any difficulties in the process of trying to make firearms?" Loriste asked.
"Sir, I realized that the biggest problem is the lack of suitable steel to make the barrel. The steel we have now is all forged, so it's not suitable to make the barrel. Just like these two revolvers, it's easy to heat up. Moreover, making a gun barrel is time-consuming and laborious. Right now, I'm conducting research with Master Yu Lian on a new material configuration. In addition, I've decided to carry out the trial production of refractory bricks and think of a way to improve the black iron refining furnace. I want to strive to be able to refine molten steel and use it to directly pour the long gun barrel … "This was what Master Sid said.
Loriste nodded. He was too impatient for success. He didn't have a good foundation and wanted to succeed in one go. In the end, he was just like the two revolvers that the masters had painstakingly made. Although he could make them, the price was high and there were many problems. What Master Sid said was right. It was better to first think of a way to make suitable steel for the barrel. Everything had to be done step by step.
"Alright, Master Sid is right. This matter can't be rushed. The family will provide the cost of trying to make the steel. Also, the machinery that we use water power now is only used for forging and pressing. You guys can think of making machinery that also uses water power to cut, dig, and drill holes. That will save a lot of manpower and time. "
Loriste drew the crude appearance of the machinery on a few pieces of paper on the table. Master Sid snatched it away as if it was a treasure.
"Sir, we've used up a lot of Glauber's salt. There are currently more than 40 bronze cannons undergoing gunner training. The amount of Glauber's salt we've produced and collected can't last for another ten days …" Professor Bob reported.
This was a new problem. Loriste pondered for a moment before replying, "How about this? Reduce the amount of gunpowder in the training packets. It's fine as long as they can be fired. Give the gunners a few normal packets every day and let them cherish them. In addition, I'll allocate funds to set up a few more Glauber's Salt production valleys in the Blade Edge Mountains to increase the production of Glauber's salt. "
… …
After leaving the gunpowder laboratory, Loriste hurried to the port city of Oxhorn Bay. Yesterday, Sunbarwood had returned with his fleet. The day after tomorrow, they would set off for Syrovas Island with the expedition troops.
This time, Ingelec and Ross the Ferocious Tiger would take the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn and set off to the Sad Ocean to commandeer ships. Loriste still had to stay in the family territory for a while before heading there.
In the camp by the port, Sunbarwood was leading a group of subordinates to welcome Loriste's arrival.
"Sunbarwood, stay here the day after tomorrow. Leave the fleet to Uncle Torin. Let them go first," Loriste said.
"Yes, sir." Sunbarwood didn't know why Loriste made such a decision.
"Do you see the Storm over there? That's your new flagship. You have to familiarize yourself with its functions before setting sail," Loriste said as he pointed at the Storm anchored in the bay.
Sunbarwood's eyes brightened, "What a beautiful ship. But sir, I can familiarize myself with its functions on the way, right? "
"No, no, no, Sunbarwood. This isn't one of those ships with similar performance that you're familiar with. This is Galinthea's unique and invincible warship. You'll understand once you board this warship," Loriste said proudly.
"Alright, sir. I'll follow your orders. By the way, sir, this is a report from Knight Lemmond regarding the Kingdom of Redelis and the Kingdom of Telimbo from Morent City. "Sunbarwood handed over a thick bag.
Loriste took out a folder and opened it. It was a report on the second prince's battle in the Kingdom of Redelis. Hmm? Something's not right. Why hasn't the second prince dealt with the resistance in the Kingdom of Redelis?
Apart from the army stationed at the border of the Madras Duchy and the garrison forces in the Andinac Kingdom, the second prince had deployed about two hundred and forty thousand soldiers in the Kingdom of Redelis. After the surprise attack on the capital city of Felix, the seventy thousand soldiers in the Cambona Province surrendered to him, giving the second prince an army of more than three hundred thousand soldiers.
However, after the nobles in the Andorf Province rejected the second prince's request to surrender, the second prince personally led the troops despite his illness after the failure of the first expedition. He adopted a strategy of advancing step by step, and in the end, obtained a complete victory and occupied the Andorf Province. However, the remaining nobles united and continued to resist in the Madjik Province. They seemed to have received a large amount of military aid, and their strength grew as they fought.
Strange, why haven't I heard any news about the eldest prince? I only heard that his whereabouts are unknown after he escaped from the capital … Loriste continued to read.
The second prince now divided the three hundred thousand soldiers in his hands into three parts. One part threatened the border of the Duchy of Lulm, demanding that the Grand Duke of Lulm remove his title and return to the territory of the Empire. The second part was deployed in the territory of the former Kingdom of Redelis to plunder the wealth and food of the nobles to ensure the logistical supply of the army. The third part was to go to the last province of the Kingdom of Redelis, the Madjik Province, to fight against the rebel army of the lords.
Seems a little too impatient. Loriste commented. He then took out the report on the glass war between the Trade Union and the Kingdom of Trymber from the bag.
Loriste was dumbfounded as soon as he read it. What happened? The glass war only involved the Trade Union and the Kingdom of Trymber. How did the Duchy of Ulubaha and the Duchy of Delia disappear? In particular, the Duchy of Ulubaha and the Kingdom of Trymber were separated by nearly a thousand miles. Not only was there the Titanic Mountain Range between them, but there were also two small countries in between. How did it get destroyed?
…
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