Section 12 Developing new weapons

The Mark territory passed the cold winter in peace. When the river water began to thaw, experienced farmers knew that the harshest season had passed. They sorted out their farm tools to prepare for spring plowing. The hungry bears in the forest crawled out of the tree holes and searched for food everywhere. The forest was particularly dangerous at this time, and no one would enter. The fish in the river were liberated under the dull ice layer, jumping happily. The children of poor families took wooden baskets to catch these small fish, catching food for their families, and gradually revitalized in the territory.

Recently, cavalrymen can often be seen leaving the castle and running towards the north. They are the light cavalry who are reconnaissance. Their mission is to explore the route from Mark to Stockingshire and prepare for the army's departing. All the supplies in the castle are also accumulating in tension. Merchants who smelled business opportunities are wandering around Mark Fort, trying to get a share of the pie in this battle, but Schwab has summoned the royal merchants from Hanorway.

"Sir, long time no see." The young businessman Rupert stood in front of Schwab, taking off his hat to pay tribute. His handsome face was rosy and healthy, and his body gradually gained weight. He could no longer find the appearance of the dusty traveler.

"You're getting fat, Rupert." Schwab said with a smile.

"This is all for you, sir." Rupert said gratefully. In this era, obesity is a virtue and a symbol of wealth and health. Moreover, Rupert is not as obese as he cannot walk. He also knows very well that everything he has been the gift of the Count in front of him. Since following Schwab, Rupert's wealth accumulation speed has even exceeded his imagination. Whether it is the development of the trade route based on Mark as the base or the sale of specialty Mark paper, Rupert made a lot of money. Schwab's friendly relationship with the Duke of Hanorway's family has also made Rupert's position in the Hanorway Chamber of Commerce soar.

"I came to you this time because I need you to prepare for me to get my property in Stockingshire." Schwab and Rupert sat in the seat in the room, holding brandy at their hands, as if they were friends.

"I am willing to serve you, honorable Count." Rupert quickly stood up, put his hand on his chest, and his brown eyes stared at his feet humbly.

"Sit down, you know I always treat you as my friend." Schwab asked Rupert to sit down and said kindly to Rupert.

"Everything I have given me. For your career, even if I use my property." Rupert is undoubtedly a very speculative and risky businessman. He can see this by approaching Schwab boldly. Schwab also appreciates his courage. Rupert is also very clear that if he has formed a bondage of interests with Schwab, he can only make himself richer by supporting Schwab to a higher position. On the contrary, if Schwab fails, then the opponents who temporarily lurk in the Hanruowei Chamber of Commerce will take the opportunity to attack.

"Haha, don't worry, I won't let you suffer." Schwab smiled and touched the ring on his hand. The emerald ring was given to him by Rupert. The two of them picked up their glasses and drank a little brandy in a friendly atmosphere.

"Ah, Lord Earl, this wine is amazing. Are you planning to sell it?" Rupert, who took a sip of brandy, immediately realized the great commercial potential of the wine and suggested to Schwab.

"Not busy for now. After taking Stockingshire, I plan to hand over the management rights to you." Schwab waved his hand and said.

"Really? That's a great honor." Rupert shouted excitedly. The Count always made him feel novel, like the things that produced golden eggs always came from his hands like magic. For this reason, Rupert made sure that he would follow Schwab's footsteps closely.

"Okay, after drinking, I will tell you what to do next, but now I will invite you to visit an old friend first." Schwab said mysteriously to Rupert after taking a sip of the wine.

"My old friend?" Rupert looked at Schwab in confusion. Do you understand that there are still old friends in Mark?

It was the first time that Stralun saw this magical powder. The power generated by the combination of this powder and flames was incomparable in Stern's advanced brain. He carefully placed a small pile of black gunpowder on parchment paper, and then carefully lit it with a candle. With a sniff, the heat generated by the gunpowder made him retreat unconsciously, and then excitedly picked up the quill and wrote something on the paper.

"Sterlen, see who is coming?" Just as Sterlen was immersed in a corner room of the castle that Schwab provided him and was studying the gunpowder that Schwab gave him, suddenly the door was opened. Sterlen raised his head and saw Schwab appear at the door.

"Sir Earl, why are you here? I'm studying the little thing you gave me." Strom quickly reached out to sort out his wrinkled clothes, walked up to salute Schwab.

"Stren is you, why are you here?" A familiar figure of Straen flashed from Schwab's side. The young and handsome face was his friend Rupert, but his friend was much more plump than he remembered. Judging from his wool robe, he looked good in business.

"Rubert, I'm so happy to see you here, please come in." Strom quickly let Schwab and Rupert into this messy room. Strom just talked with Schwab about being here looking for his friend Rupert, but he didn't expect to meet Rupert so soon.

"You are still the same as before." Rubert looked at the unkempt Sterren and the various metal objects and glass bottles filled with wooden tables in the room, and shook his head helplessly at the friend who was enthusiastic about invention.

"Yes, thanks to the Count's intake, otherwise I really don't know where I will wander with Luna. Although you wrote a letter last year to invite us to Hanruowei, I was working for the Duke of Milan at that time, so I refused your invitation and I would forgive you." Sterren said to Rupert apologetically.

"It's okay, since Susan's death, it's not easy for you to take care of your children." When talking about Strom's wife, the two were a little silent, but Schwab became interested in the gunpowder burned on the table. It seemed that Strom was indeed a genius. He had discovered the secret between gunpowder and fire. Schwab also gave the gunpowder to Strom with a try attitude, hoping that he could invent powerful weapons under the current state of productivity.

"Okay, two, for your reunion, I suggest we have a drink in the hall." Schwab suggested to the two, no doubt how could the reunion of friends refuse this suggestion, so they went to the hall to have lunch with Schwab. The rich food and wine made the three of them have a high interest in talking. Even Sterren, who was not good at talking, also talked about the interesting news in the Milan United City-state. What Schwab cares about was that the king of Pumbrus seemed to intend to go to the holy city located in Milan, asking for a request.

The Holy Father crowned himself as emperor. Only the real ruler in this continent can become emperor, which means the common ruler of all mainlanders. Therefore, not only the dukes of Milan's city-states would not agree, but even the royal court of the Bruce, the neighboring king of Pummenbruce, also heard voices of opposition. Schwab keenly sensed the strong smell of war and conspiracy surging among the countries. However, Schwab is now going to seize Stedeingshire first and has no interest in the game of this strong man.

After Stromblé sent Rupert away, Schwab and Stromblé came to his laboratory. Schwab was eager to know some of Stromblé's views on gunpowder, and Stromblé also hoped to give Schwab some ideas about this magical gunpowder.

"Master Earl, how did you discover this magical powder? It is simply a product of hell. When it is ignited, it will smell like a strong sulfur." ​​Sterren said to Schwab after picking up the burning gunpowder.

"This is of course something on earth. I want to know what good ideas you can come up with through it. I need to make some weapons with it." Schwab wanted to see what surprises this genius inventor could bring to himself in this era of lack of supplies.

"Well, Count, I found that this thing may not be as useful as oil if it burns, or it may be more effective to scare the enemy." Strom frowned and thought that he had an idea in his mind to use gunpowder and oil, but he found that Schwab had put this thing in and used it, and the clay pots on the grenadiers were a good example.

"Okay, I'll just say it. I originally wanted to combine gunpowder and iron tubes as a cannon that fires iron eggs, but I found that we couldn't make that perfect iron tube at all, so I wanted you to help me think of a way to see if I could make my plan a reality." Schwab saw that Swab really couldn't think of the invention of the cannon, so he suggested that Swab said with suggestion. Swab's eyes immediately lit up when he heard Schwab's suggestion, as if he opened a door to a different world.

"That's right, Lord Earl, you are a real genius. I also found that this kind of thing can generate huge heat instantly, but I never thought of combining it with a cylindrical thing." Strom picked up a quill with his trembling hands, and wrote on the paper, completely entering a state of selflessness. Schwab waited patiently. After all, Schwab was not a science and engineering subject in his previous life. In fact, he could not make a real firearm with just a little knowledge of fur. This requires various calculation and technical components in it. Schwab only needs to provide these professionals with some advanced ideas. From the crossbow made by Strom himself, he is a professional scientific and technological talent.

"How is it?" Schwab asked quickly after seeing Sterlen counting on paper with a ruler and compass for a long time and putting down the tools.

"Of course, Count, your idea is feasible, but I don't understand why you don't use easy things such as bamboo or wood, but use iron, which is not easy to cast?" Stromb asked after looking at Schwab curiously. Schwab was stunned by his question, because most of the firearms Schwab saw in his previous life were iron or bronze, so he naturally chose iron instinctively. Although iron is very durable and able to withstand the explosion of gunpowder, Schwab did not consider that he had no conditions at all. Instead, it was more convenient to use materials that were already available in nature.

"You are right, this is something I didn't expect. Then Mr. Sterlen, please use bamboo and wood to make a firearm for me. You only need to tell me all the funds." Seeing that Sterlen found the answer for himself, Schwab said generously to him.

"I am willing to serve you, Lord Earl." Strom said sincerely gratefully. As a weapon inventor, his greatest wish is to make powerful weapons himself and gain the recognition of the superiors. Schwab was a noble noble who had the same interests as him and was knowledgeable.

When the Mark territory was in a tense state of preparation for war, the nobles in Stockingshire were not unaware of it, but they were busy fighting each other and completely ignored all clues. However, when the arrogant nobles were distracted, the citizens of Stockingshire were much more keen than them. In the town hall of the town built of solid fir trees in the center of the town, they were worried about the situation of Stockingshire.

"Gentlemen, please be quiet." The mayor knocked on the table in front of him, and calmed the buzzing room. The mayor looked at the house full of sitting and said, "Today's issue is about the safety of the town and the taxes required by the nobles."

"What? You have to increase taxes. These nobles are really vampires." The MPs whispered to each other in dissatisfaction, and a buzzing sound rang out in the room.

"We can no longer bear taxes, but the nobles' own wars are to bear, I don't agree." Thomas, a young MP with brown hair, blue eyes and a sharp chin, stood up and opposed loudly, saying that he was speaking as a representative of the trader, and that he himself was a successful maritime trader.

"But if we are not satisfied with the nobles, then they say they do not guarantee the safety of our town." Another middle-aged MP said with a frown, a businessman with a family and property in the town, and if the town is damaged, his losses will be great.

"Safe, huh, those short-sighted nobles, they don't care about our safety at all, they just threaten and blackmail us." The young MP said angrily, "they even robbed our caravan with the armed monks of the monastery."

"That was an accident. The nobles had already explained this, not to mention that Lao Bobo himself participated in the dispute between the nobles." The middle-aged businessman opposed.

"So why don't they investigate the strange cavalry who frequently appeared on the border not long ago? The civil strife in Stocking County has already made foreign enemies peep at us." The young businessman said indignantly. No matter how sensitive the foreign enemies are to invade, the Pomeramians on the eastern grasslands, or the nobles of other counties, the Stedeing County people have shown strong xenophobia, which is also the main reason why the Duke of Han Ruowei has been unable to intervene in this county. They are always full of hostility and vigilance towards outsiders.

"We have provided the nobles with the information we know, but they are busy with their own disputes and neglected the security of the entire county." The mayor said.

"Then there is only one way now." Young MP Thomas said, looking at the people in the parliamentary hall.

"What's the solution?"

"We formed our own town guards and built our city walls to protect ourselves. We have been relying on the nobles for too long. Now it is time for us to protect ourselves." Thomas said, waving his strong arms. He has been practicing at sea for many years and has a firm character. He will not put his destiny in the hands of others.

"But that requires a lot of money, not to mention will the nobles agree?" said an elderly MP.

"The nobles will be too busy to take care of themselves, and we cannot wait anymore, otherwise when foreign enemies burn the war to the town, we will lose our family and wealth."

"That's right."

"agree."

"Do it." The MPs began to vote on this issue under the instigation of Thomas, and the issue was passed 30 to 5. Thomas looked at the result with satisfaction, but what he didn't know was what changes this meeting would bring to the future Stockingshire.

Schwab did not expect that the reconnaissance activities of the Husar cavalry actually promoted a city reform, causing the citizens who had been exploited by the nobles to spontaneously start to break away from the rule of the nobles. The changes caused by the competition between cities and manors occurred in Stockingshire. It was a blessing or misfortune for Schwab, who attempted to recapture Stockingshire, and an unknown change.

In order to build a forward bridgehead on the border of Stockington, Schwab ordered Rubert to gather many merchants in a village in the upper territory of the river that crossed the Stedingtonshire. The merchants invested in the construction of a large timber farm here, and the name of the Hanruowei Chamber of Commerce was used externally, because the chamber of commerce often cooperated with some lords to build commodity development projects, which did not attract people's attention. It was just that more and more people gathered in this remote village, which made the place flourish unexpectedly.
Chapter completed!