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The weight would be around 200 to 300 kilograms in total. It wasn’t a weight that even eight men could easily handle. The eight soldiers knelt on the grass-covered ground, holding the handles, each gazing into the sky. As I watched the sky, a soldier on a Royal Eagle descended rapidly.

Almost simultaneously with me, a soldier spotted the eagle and shouted, “At ten-thirty o’clock!” Instantly, the cannon was lifted, aligning precisely with the ground marked with numbered tags, and placed down. A soldier behind the cannon adjusted and fixed the elevation instantly. A soldier with a matchlock pressed a stick against the touchhole. A “pshu” sound was heard, and a thin white smoke rose. The Eagle raised its head at low altitude and ascended again.

“That wasn’t bad. What’s the hit rate now?” (Yuri)

“About three hits out of ten.” (??)

Unfortunately, it was an experienced soldier assigned to this squad who said this. It was pitiful to be given such a nonsensical task.

“We’ve practiced for a whole day and this is the result. What do you think?” (Yuri)

Gathered here were the higher-ups of the military, especially the Heavenly Knights leading the Eagles. When I asked, Gin Toga, who was present today, said something harsh.

“I wouldn’t even think of using it if I were in charge.” (Gin)

He frowned deeply.

“Continuously maintaining a vigilant stance to respond instantly if enemies come like this is not realistic. Even with that, whether the interception just now was in time or not, it was tough to determine. If we have to guard supplies or ships, considering that we need to maintain this for about twelve hours a day, using this cannon for interception doesn’t seem practical.” (Gin)

‘That’s a valid point.’

“In the Battle of Hot Bridge, they knew the direction and timing of the eagles’ intrusion, right? They were lying in wait, so to speak.” (Gin)

“Well, yeah.” (Yuri)

“If you can predict when and from which direction the Eagles will come, all you have to do is adjust the elevation and ignite. You might be able to shoot them down. However, I think that realistically, it would only happen in very limited circumstances.” (Gin)

He’s saying what I wanted to say.

“Anyone else have an opinion?” (Yuri)

With that, this time, a Heavenly Knight from the Rube Household raised his hand. I remember he was quite high-ranking.

“In that battle, there were certain circumstances to consider. First, the sun was unusable.” (??)

That day three days ago was sunny.

‘Facing the sun generally makes it difficult to spot eagles due to glare.’

“Hot Bridge stretches from north to south. The sun moving from east to west couldn’t be utilized.” (??)

‘Is that really the case?’

I thought to myself.

‘Even if it stretches east to west, it’s not common for the sun to align directly with the extension of a bridge. Plus, the sun moves, so it depends on the time.’

“Furthermore, the bridge width was too narrow to target effectively, so we needed to lower the altitude to increase accuracy. In other words, maintaining altitude and using the sun would decrease the possibility of interception.” (??)

‘Well, that makes sense. The bridge width is about 4 meters, so it’s quite difficult to aim from 100 meters high. In actual attacks, a slight deviation isn’t a problem. Since flammable liquid is spread, causing a fire to spread. While hitting the intended target is best, even if it doesn’t, some damage will still occur. However, the bridge is different. If you don’t hit it, it falls into the river. Naturally, there’s no spreading fire or ignition. Of course, they would prioritize lowering the altitude and focusing on precision.’

“Anyone else have opinions or objections? Anything at all?” (Yuri)

Even so, no one raised their hand.

‘Well, it’s a straightforward reasoning. There’s probably nothing more to add.’

“Then, from me. Consider the effective range of the cannon to be about 100 paces on foot. However, in reality, take some leeway and drop it from a height of about 150 paces from the ground. When you return to your own positions, set up signs at a distance of 150 paces to gauge the distance.”

‘A distance of 150 paces is about 100 meters in reality. 100 paces would be around 66 meters.’

“Why take the precaution of setting it at 150 paces? It’s because it’s believed that shooting with a long-barreled musket can reach higher. Of course, I’m talking about single-shot, not pellets.” (Yuri)

I continued speaking.

“Yesterday, I conducted some experiments, and I concluded that it’s risky even at over 200 paces for single-shot firing. As you all know, actual muskets, unlike strong bows, don’t have that much killing power at such distances. However, even if there’s no killing power…” (Yuri)

I approached Gin and lightly tapped his chest with my fist. It was just enough to make him stagger.

“This kind of impact occurs. Even if the force diminishes and the lead balls become this weak, we don’t know what will happen if it hits a diving eagle head-on. It might break bones, or it might knock them unconscious.” (Yuri)

‘There hasn’t been any data on Royal Eagles being attacked while flying, so we’ll have to gather cases to understand what injuries occur from what kind of attacks. It’s frustrating, but it’s natural when starting something new.’

“Considering that, it’s difficult to say it’s safe even at over 200 paces. However, distance doesn’t just affect the bullet’s power. It also affects the trajectory. From the experiment results, we found that taking a height of about 150 paces significantly lowers the actual trajectory. In other words, simply aiming and firing would only pass quite below the eagle, causing it to miss. That’s the second reason why we set it at 150 paces with some margin.” (Yuri)

‘Let me add one more thing.’

“However, in missions such as destroying cannons like those at the Verdun fortress, it’s conceivable that over 100 riflemen would simultaneously fire. In such cases, take higher altitude and drop a larger quantity to create a sea of fire.” (Yuri)

‘Now, I’ve said what I wanted to say.’

“Understood. Then, the operation will proceed tomorrow. Make sure everyone is prepared.” (Yuri)

—

After that, I went into the Kotlaha mansion and gave instructions for various tasks. As I was writing at the desk in my office, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” (Yuri)

“Excuse me.” (Gin)

The one who came in and said that was Gin Toga.

“Gin. Do you have the leisure to be here?” (Yuri)

‘Gin is tasked with training part of the Second Army and the Boff Household, but it’s about time we gather them in the capital.’

“I’m in the midst of putting on the final touches. It’s busy, but I managed to find some time today.” (Gin)

“Well, have a seat then.” (Yuri)

Since Gin was still standing, I gestured toward a chair.

“Thank you.” (Gin)

He said, taking a seat on the guest sofa.

“Well, judging from the performance at the Yutan Pass battle, there’s no cause for concern. However, be vigilant against desertion. The soldiers must sense that battle is imminent.” (Yuri)

“I understand. I’ll see to it without delay.” (Gin)

“As for those carriages, it looks like we’ll have about 130 of them in the end. Keep in mind the selection of crew members.” (Yuri)

“I’ve made arrangements for about 180 in advance.” (Gin)

“Good. That’s settled then.” (Yuri)

‘Looks like everything’s going fine. It’s convenient to have someone who can think for themselves and handle things reasonably well when asked.’

“By the way, about the cannon earlier…” (Gin)

“What about it?” (Yuri)

“I found the concept intriguing. It’s just that practical implementation is challenging.” (Gin)

“It’s not a bad idea, but there are several technical hurdles. It’s going to be tough to put it into practical use.” (Yuri)

‘I have no idea who came up with it, but sooner or later, the problems will become apparent. If they’re willing to waste money and manpower on that direction, it could be profitable.’

“What technical challenges, if you don’t mind me asking?” (Gin)

“Firstly, the rotation is crap. It’s useless as it is, so instead of fixing the base and body in place, it needs to rotate like a millstone.” (Yuri)

‘In other words, it needs to rotate in a way similar to stacking two funnels on top of each other. The best and most primitive way would be to smooth both and make them slide with oil, but ideally, it would be good to insert evenly spaced round bars between them and make them roll on those.’

“Right, it’s too slow to move from the base.” (Gin)

“The barrel also needs to be a bit longer.” (Yuri)

“I’ve heard that lengthening the barrel of a cannon is technically challenging.” (Gin)

‘You seem to know a lot about it.’

“That’s right. What’s great about cannons is that they can have thicker walls since the barrels are shorter. There’s no worry about bursting.” (Yuri)

‘The evolution of cannons is also a battle against bursting. While ensuring the strength to withstand bursting, they try to thin the walls and reduce weight and costs. If you lengthen the barrel, you increase the acceleration due to gas pressure, and the bullet gains kinetic energy as a result. However, if it becomes too cumbersome for maneuvering on the battlefield, in fortresses, or on ships, it becomes counterproductive. That’s why they come up with materials or techniques to leave residual stress in the metal on the inside of the barrel to resist the internal pressure. In the case of cannons, there are fewer technical requirements since there’s no barrel.’

“If it gets any heavier, even horses won’t be able to carry it…” (Gin)

“Well, when I say lengthen, I mean just a little. If we review the thickness, it shouldn’t increase the weight that much.” (Yuri)

‘They’re probably just being roughly considered based on the craftsmen’s experience. It’s possible that even if they reduce it to about two-thirds of the thickness, it’ll be fine.’

“Then there’s the ammunition. Make it a two-stage explosive.” (Yuri)

“Two-stage explosive…?” (Gin)

Gin looked puzzled.

“You make a metal tube that fits perfectly into the barrel. That’ll be the shell casing.” (Yuri)

“I see.” (Gin)

“Put half the gunpowder inside, attach a fuse, then fill it with shot and seal it. With the added length, extend the barrel a bit.” (Yuri)

“I see… so you’re turning the projectile itself into a small cannon.” (Gin)

‘He understands things quickly.’

“But what about ignition?” (Gin)

“It’ll automatically ignite with a blast when the cannon fires. The fuse will be attached to the rear.” (Yuri)

“I see… I understand now.” (Gin)

‘Well, if we actually make it, it’s going to be quite a hassle. At the very least, we need to standardize the anti-aircraft guns… or rather, the cannons across various countries. Since we’re the ones dealing with that, we don’t think about it seriously, but there don’t seem to be too many technical barriers. There might be some when we actually make it, but there shouldn’t be anything too difficult using existing technology to make a prototype and test it. We won’t have to fight against unreasonable barriers like needing rubber or having to search for new chemicals with specific properties.’

“If we determine the length of the fuse, we can set it to explode in mid-air at about this height after two seconds from ignition, for example. Even so, we can significantly extend the altitude of damage.” (Yuri)

“I see… You think things through thoroughly.” (Gin)

‘The only thing left is to make the ignition flintlock. This is also not much of a problem since it can be done by simply attaching a device.

“But even if we go this far, we won’t solve the fundamental problem. There’s not much point in doing too much.” (Yuri)

“What do you mean by the fundamental problem?” (Gin)

“It’ll take time to reload after firing one shot. Even if we can stop the first wave, we’ll be helpless if the second wave comes before we finish reloading.” (Yuri)

‘Deploying a large number of them and having one wave firing, then another… that might work, but it would cost a fortune. And the ammunition itself will probably be quite expensive.’

“Using the first one as a decoy, maneuver to avoid the bombardment differently from a dive. Then the main force can enter from a different angle… something like that might work. Either way, it’s relatively easy to deal with.” (Yuri)

‘The real threat will come when we have machine guns. Until then, it’s going to be quite some time because there are huge technical challenges to overcome. It’s almost a topic for the distant future. If only God would gift us a set of tungsten tool steel cutting tools, things would be much easier.’

“I see, I understand now. It seems we don’t need to worry for the time being.” (Gin)

“For now, at least.” (Yuri)

“Another issue is, rather, on our side. The production volume of Molotov cocktails…” (Gin)

“That’s right. I thought there would be a bit more left from what we sold to the General households… but we couldn’t recover that much.” (Yuri)

‘It seems they used quite a bit during training.’

“How many bottles are left now?” (Gin)

“About 2,000. Not a significant amount.” (Yuri)

‘With the oil well accident causing a drastic decrease in output, they finally completed a new well.’

“I see… well, I don’t think it’s too little. Even if one bottle could harm three people… that’s 6,000 isn’t it?” (Gin)

‘The idea that one Molotov cocktail can kill three people is based on the assumption of a direct hit. In reality, if you throw a hundred at once, the damage radius overlaps, and it’s unlikely that each bottle will kill three people. 6,000 is an ideal number that’s practically unachievable. In reality, 4,000 would be more realistic.’

“If used on people, it won’t be enough.” (Yuri)

‘Since the Rube Household bought them themselves, it’s not really my place to decide how they’re used.’

“That’s why we’re launching the attack tomorrow. I won’t participate, but I wish you luck.” (Gin)

‘Even if a man wishes them luck, it doesn’t mean much.’

“Yeah. I’ll do my best.” (Yuri)

‘Well, I think they’ll succeed, but you never know what might happen on the battlefield. A dragon might suddenly appear, or a bunch of innovative anti-aircraft guns might pop up, as I mentioned earlier. If it’s between Shanti, I don’t think the opponent would prepare something like that, but you never know what the Kuran might do.’

“By the way, there’s still one more thing I’d like to ask.” (Gin)

“What is it?” (Yuri)

‘There’s still something else?’

“I’m talking about Telor-sama.” (Gin)

‘Ah…’

“Oh… so that’s what this is about. You made me waste my time with small talk.” (Yuri)

I thought Gin had come all the way to chat with me, but it seems all the previous conversation was just a preamble.

“No, it’s not like that…” (Gin)

Gin hastily denied it, but it didn’t seem that way. His expression when he broached the subject was different.

“What is it? You’re not going to ask me to arrange a marriage, are you?” (Yuri)

“No, I just wanted to ask what she’s doing now…” (Gin)

‘Though it’s not publicly stated, if it’s difficult to ask directly, they could have investigated. But there are probably various reasons. Without someone like a spy, even such inquiries could be surprisingly difficult.’

“She’s here in the royal capital.” (Yuri)

“I see… Would you consider evacuating her to Karakumo?” (Gin)

‘It seems that as former members of the Kilghina General households, they have some thoughts on the matter even though the Tuni Chartres Households have already fallen.’

“Hmm… I’m kind of indifferent about it. Being here in the royal capital is Telor’s decision. If she wants to evacuate, I’ll help, but I’m not going to go tell her to evacuate. Sorry to say, but I really don’t care.” (Yuri)

‘Even if she dies as a result, I’m relatively indifferent.’

“Well, if you want to go and persuade her directly, there’s no problem with that. You should go talk to her. I’ll write you a letter so you can meet her.” (Yuri)

“…Please let me do that.” (Gin)

“But I don’t think she’ll agree to evacuate.” (Yuri)

“Why not?” (Gin)

Gin asked, looking genuinely curious.

“Because she’s in love with Dolla.” (Yuri)

As I say this, Gin’s mouth falls open and he makes a slightly amusing face.

“It’s Telor. It’s not Dolla who’s in love with him.” (Yuri)

‘I don’t know the current situation, though.’

“Dolla Godwin? Isn’t he from the First Army? A close friend of Your Excellency?” (Gin)

“Yeah, I’m not sure, but they seem to have had a chance encounter. It’s a one-sided crush. Whether they get together or not is anyone’s guess.” (Yuri)

“I see… Is that so?” (Gin)

‘He looks like he’s in shock, as if his admired older cousin is getting married. What’s going on? I don’t think he had any personal feelings for her, but… I really don’t understand the psychology of people who have such strong reverence for royalty.’

“What will you do? If you’re not going to meet her, I won’t bother writing the letter.” (Yuri)

“No, I’ll meet her. Please.” (Gin)

Gin bowed deeply at the best angle of the day. So, this was the real reason after all.