121 – Finding a Job (3)
“Your Majesty, are you ready to move?”
“…Yes.”
Spell it… It’s a pity.
If I let you know in advance that I’m going, everyone there wouldn’t show me my true self, so I didn’t do it.
What is that… If the corps commander notifies the unit in advance that he is going, doesn’t the battalion commander of that unit work hard to earn points by doing a lot of things he’s not doing? It is natural that such a scene would happen here as well, so the place I was going to was revealed in the morning of the day.
But that has been impossible since yesterday. It was because he made an appointment with Chloe and Ines.
[…Seobang, then what do you mean by security?]
[From now on, be sure to tell us in advance where you are going.]
The words of the two are extremely reasonable.
Because being able to see what I saw because I couldn’t respond properly means, in other words, that I couldn’t eliminate the elements that would make me dangerous.
In reality, some workers and workers at construction sites and factories tried to touch me or talk to me without hesitation. It’s good that there aren’t any bad guys among them, but if there were, it would have caused quite a bit of trouble.
Anyway, I agreed to what Chloe and Ines said, and as a result, I informed Leclerc of the place I was going to visit the day before. Leclerc sent personnel to the place where I was going to conduct a preliminary inspection, such as guarding or removing hazards.
“Then I’ll see you.”
The well-prepared attendants quickly clung to me and bowed their heads slightly. Let’s walk forward a little bit. Walking exactly as much as my stride probably will continue like this until I reach my destination.
No… This is… What is it… It’s making a lot of noise…
Some people might like to walk like this with a lot of people on each arm, but I don’t have that inclination at all. If a person’s authority and dignity were going to rise like this, there wouldn’t have been a rebellion at all in the next town, Caroling.
“…If there are so many people, I think it will harm the place we are inspecting.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. One-third of these personnel will wait outside when Your Majesty arrives at their destination, and one-third will spread out throughout the destination to guard or eliminate any danger in advance. Only one-third will accompany you.”
No, it is harmful.
Today’s place to go is a forge that researches the production of cannons and guns. It won’t be that wide, but if 2/3 of it, or roughly 20 people, go into it at once, it will be very crowded.
If you include those who used to work in blacksmiths… Ugh.
“…If it continues as it is, the smithy will become very complicated, so cut the number of people in half.”
“Your Majesty, this is to ensure Your Majesty’s safety—”
“Didn’t Jim tell you to?”
“…I understand. I will cut the number of people in half.”
Tsk, I should have heard it before. The atmosphere became strange because the voice was a little stronger.
Originally, the attendant should have listened to me right away, but it probably couldn’t be helped because there was Leclerc’s order and there was a sense of work that put my safety first. You rejected my words for a good reason, so I’ll have to look at it for now.
…………
Clap!
“Meet Your Majesty!”
‘Wow…’
I’ve been to many inspections, but this is the first time.
Everyone at the forge is saluting me in perfect order. His posture was all sharp, so he only knew that he had come to the barracks for a moment.
“Looks like you practiced a lot, maybe someone forced you?”
“There is no such thing, Your Majesty! We all voluntarily tried to welcome You!”
I think it was forced.
There is no reason for artisans who should be in the middle of handling iron to learn such rituals as knives. In the first place, I don’t even know what the ritual is, but I learned it from someone I saw.
“…Do you know anything?”
“Ines told Leclerc that protocol should be the most important thing after safety.”
When I talk to the attendant next to me, the attendant whispers in my ear so quietly that no one else can hear it.
It was Ines’ fault.
Hmm… It’s not that I don’t understand. It’s because my prestige is greatly damaged if the artisans are very noisy, as when I met workers and workers at a construction site or factory.
But you didn’t have to go this far. Looking at the attitude of the artisans, I can vaguely imagine how sharp it must have been, even though it is not an ordinary knife. Woo-wook…
“Be comfortable.”
“Haona-“
“Didn’t I tell you to keep your luggage at ease?”
It seemed unlikely that they would listen to me by recommending it, so I made the artisans naturally stand up with a compulsory order. Of course, it’s not perfectly natural, and he’s standing there hesitantly, but this must have been better.
“How far has the research progressed?”
I said that after walking to the craftsman standing at the front of the group standing hesitantly. Apparently, he’s the representative here.
After hearing my question, the craftsman looked at the attendants while slightly rolling his eyes left and right, then slowly opened his mouth. How much have you been beaten up by the attendants, even if I’m in front of you, you’re not paying attention to the attendants…
“There are various research materials on the cannon, so I’ll show you in person soon. Hao-na, the small cannon called the gun keeps cracking or exploding no matter what you do…”
When the craftsman spoke of cannons, he spoke with confidence, but immediately after that, when he spoke of guns, his voice gradually subsided, and he became unable to listen properly unless he paid close attention.
Do you think you will be held accountable?
“Ah, it’s okay. It’s not something that can be made in just two years anyway. Rather, I want to commend you for your well-researched cannon.”
I can’t do that.
I did not expect that a gun would be made in just two years, and in a world where engineering such as material mechanics, mechanical engineering, and chemistry were not properly developed. If such a thing were really possible, the word imperialism would not even have appeared on Earth.
…………
After looking around the smithy, I found a full-length cannon with two huge wheels without any decorations.
Looking at the manual next to it, it seems that this is the only cannon that has succeeded in shooting at a steady pace. Other cannons, even with the same gunpowder, had ballistics and explosive power, but this one flew as much as the gunpowder was put in, and the trajectory was also somewhat constant.
“Is this the cannon in courtesy?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The gun barrel is made of bronze, and I have simplified it as much as you commanded.”
It’s bronze, so it’s a shame that it’s very expensive, but it can’t be helped.
If you make a cannon out of iron, the brittleness problem will be so great that it will break and explode. Due to the nature of this era, where metal is made by casting, it is inevitable that air bubbles remain in the metal no matter how hard you try.
I remember pure cast-iron cannons appearing only in the 19th century on a global basis, but what we want in this era is not just a thief, but a madman. I am very satisfied with this.
“Would you like to give it a shot?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. That… It could be dangerous, so could you please stay away from the gunfire?”
“It is.”
Originally, I wanted to shoot myself, but I had a promise with Chloe and Ines, so I couldn’t help it.
It’s better to be able to see it from such a distance.
As I nod and step back, the artisans pull the cannon out of the building, pour a slightly brownish gunpowder into the muzzle with a measuring cup, and then add the cannonball. If you put it in too fast, the gunpowder explodes due to sparks caused by the friction between the shell and the gun barrel.
…I’ll have to think of a solution for this too, it’s a big deal if you put cannonballs that slowly on the battlefield.
“Ready ready, target is that wooden temporary structure!”
“Shoot!!”
Quaaa!!
As soon as I finished my words, the wick caught fire and burned, and then smoke began to pour out of the cannon with the sound of thunder.
And within seconds, wooden structures in the distance collapse horribly. It’s a bonus that fragmented wood chips are spraying out in all directions.
“Okay… Lucky you…”
“Heh, heh heh heh…”
‘…Oh.’
The artisans who are looking at the same scene as me sit down in their seats while making such a weak sound. No matter how well it is made, demonstrating it in front of a high-ranking person is a matter of another dimension. If there is a situation, such a reaction would be natural.
Some of the attendants frowned when they saw that, but when I raised my hand, everyone was silent. I’m just being happy, so it’s okay to leave it alone.
“Craftsmen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How much can you mass-produce? What is the price per piece?”
“Mass production is easy because it is made by casting bronze, which is easy to handle. As for the price, if you hand over a bronze cannon casting to the foundry, the material cost of the bronze and the labor cost for finishing will account for most of the cost. Umm… And that cannon. Is 12 talans for gun barrels alone… Sorry, about 400kg of bronze.”
…f*ck.