Ch.109Vested Interests (1)

“Let’s see…”

BOOM!!

“Ow…”

After lighting the dried stem fuse and waiting a moment, there’s a small popping sound followed by a cloud of billowing smoke.

The saltpeter field I created a year ago has finally borne fruit.

The explosion’s intensity is small and there’s an excessive amount of smoke, which clearly marks it as a failure, but still, it’s something, isn’t it? First, we should acknowledge that a phenomenon worthy of being called an explosion has occurred.

“…! Your Majesty, I apologize. The quality is so crude that I’ve greatly disappointed—”

“No, it’s sufficient. How could this possibly be improved when it was created without any references?”

I mean it sincerely.

How could I blame them when they’ve made this much progress based solely on my vague instructions?

Creating something resembling gunpowder with only the clue of 75% saltpeter, 15% charcoal, and 10% iron oxide is nothing short of miraculous.

Moreover, traditional black powder typically uses sulfur instead of iron oxide. With incomplete materials and no manufacturing method beyond the composition ratio, how could I possibly be dissatisfied with what they’ve produced?

“Of course, the next gunpowder you show me should perform better than this. Please continue experimenting by adjusting the ratios of each material or changing the wood used for charcoal. Everyone has worked hard.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The faces of the magical alchemy professors brighten at my words. It seems they feared being scolded for the gunpowder’s weak power—what kind of reputation do I have?

‘Just focus on research; I have no intention of dismissing you.’

Initially, I started this project simply thinking it would be nice to have guns or cannons, but looking back, it was truly an excellent decision.

The creation of gunpowder is continuously improving our chemical knowledge, and once we create satisfactory gunpowder, we can expect advancements in materials engineering as we develop gun barrels and cannon barrels capable of withstanding the explosions. Furthermore, operating these cannons will undoubtedly advance various physical knowledge, particularly ballistics.

Didn’t they say scientific technology advances through war? Even computers were originally created to calculate artillery trajectories—how fitting.

Of course, the northern part of Dijon where the saltpeter fields are located has been completely restricted due to the overwhelming smell, leading to all sorts of strange rumors, but what does it matter? I’ve already come too far to worry about such things. I’ll just continue as I have been.

……….

[Ongoing Recruitment: Dijon citizens interested in participating as laborers in the waterway construction, please come to the Civil Engineering Center on the main road by the eastern gate.]

“Selling adult roosters for 6 copper coins each!”

“Well-dried deer pelts for 8 silver coins each!”

“Wow… what’s all this?”

The difference between the Holy Empire, which was in chaos, and Dijon is striking.

It’s been just over a year since I was dispatched to the Holy Empire as a mercenary, and things have changed so much. I knew from my mother’s letters that merchants had flocked here bringing prosperity, but seeing it with my own eyes is completely different. The Dijon in my memory was certainly a good place to live, but not to this extent.

Ugh… with so many people, there probably won’t be any jobs available… Should I do manual labor? I just got discharged, and I don’t want to use my body for work again… Food costs will be high too.

“Delicious sandwiches for 3 copper coins each!”

“Sandwiches?”

As I’m walking around, deeply contemplating what work I should do now that I’m no longer a soldier while also taking in how much Dijon has changed in a year, an unfamiliar word catches my ear.

I turn my head toward the sound, and suddenly a man with a bright smile thrusts his face close to mine. Whoa, startling!

“Ah, welcome! Is this your first time in Dijon?”

“No, um… it’s not my first time, but what’s a sandwich?”

“Oh, it’s simply bread with meat or vegetables stuffed between slices. It’s really no different from a regular home meal, but His Majesty calls this type of bread a ‘sandwich,’ so people here now call it that.”

What? It’s just ordinary bread?

I was intrigued by the term “sandwich,” thinking it might be some new item, but how disappointing.

“I see… Well, I’m hungry, so I’ll take one. Here’s 3 copper coins from the Holy Empire.”

“Here you are.”

Since my final payment hasn’t been fully settled yet, I only have Holy Empire coins that I collected from searching corpses, but thanks to the recent major currency reform, Holy Empire currency has equal value in Lotaring, so there’s no problem with the transaction.

Let’s see…

*Crunch*

“Hmm…?”

What is this?

I didn’t expect much given the price of just 3 copper coins, but it’s surprisingly delicious.

The bread is coarse and chewy but substantial, and the meat juices have soaked into it making it very tasty, with crisp greens adding an excellent texture.

Is it just because I’ve been eating nothing but gruel for a year that this tastes so good?

“What did you put in this?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, it’s just that it’s very filling and delicious for the price. Was that rude of me to ask?”

“Hahaha… Well, asking about ingredients might be considered rude to an ordinary merchant, but it’s nothing special, so I don’t mind. It’s bread made from a mix of oats and wheat flour, with pork belly or ham, lettuce, and clover.”

“Huh? Everything else makes sense, but… oats and clover?”

Aren’t oats horse feed and clover chicken feed?

Ugh… it definitely tasted good at first, but now that I know what’s in it, my stomach feels a bit queasy. So that’s why it’s so cheap.

“Well, as long as it fills your stomach, isn’t that good enough? The laborers at the construction site know what’s in it and still buy it every day.”

“Hmm… I suppose you’re right. The price is certainly low.”

Aside from those ingredients, it’s actually quite excellent overall. And it has meat in it, doesn’t it?

Being able to eat bread and meat to your fill for just 3 copper coins is quite rare. Even if you’re not a laborer, many people would use this for a meal.

“That was good. I wish you prosperity.”

“Thank you. Please come again.”

I originally didn’t want to do physical labor because of the high food costs, but with options like this available, it might be worth trying. Once I officially receive my discharge papers and become a civilian, applying as a laborer for the construction project might not be a bad idea.

The soldier, who had been dispatched as a mercenary to the Holy Empire for a year, thinks this as he walks through the crowd, and the merchant who had just been speaking with him quickly disappears behind the throng of people.

……….

“Ugh, those vermin.”

“Did you request help from Your Excellency?”

“Yes, I did. Seems like quite a mess they’ve gotten themselves into.”

The middle-aged man carelessly throws a letter written on high-quality paper to the floor, then pours wine into his glass. Normally, it would be a servant’s job to pour wine, but since he preferred to pour his own drinks, no servant dared step forward here.

“Even the spotted dog wandering in the garden knows the situation isn’t good, so why participate directly in a crusade with nothing to gain?”

“Worst of all, after starting something they couldn’t handle themselves, they’ve come begging to Duke Vermang for help.”

“Indeed, you’re right. Participating in the crusade could simply be attributed to poor judgment, but asking me for help isn’t just poor judgment—it’s dementia.”

Being related by blood, he might have supported them had they been defeated in a just war.

But they joined the crusade without a shred of faith, blinded by the prospect of plunder and dividends, didn’t they? So why should he help? Do they think him a fool?

*Gulp* *Gulp*

Thus, while thoroughly mocking the relative who sent the letter, the angry Duke Vermang lifts his wine glass filled nearly to overflowing and drinks.

Though the noble duke is behaving in a manner completely unbefitting of proper etiquette, to someone who has lived his entire life as the Sword of Burgundy, etiquette is truly meaningless. The servants maintain their composure, as if this were an everyday occurrence.

*Thud!*

“Ahem… Well, forget about that bastard… So, what is my daughter-like son doing these days?”

“As you previously instructed, he is primarily studying administration and learning medicine as a cultural pursuit.”

“Medicine?”

“Yes, he said learning to save lives wouldn’t be useless.”

“Hmm… That’s true, I suppose. It’s rather ironic coming from someone who has slit dozens of throats, though.”

As he says this, the duke grumbles outwardly but wears a faint smile.

Though he may not be pleased with his son’s delicate appearance, no parent in the world would be displeased to hear that their child holds admirable thoughts and is studying diligently.

“…Ahem. Anyway, tell him that while studying is important, making connections is equally important. It seems that cooperation between fellow vassals will become more crucial in the future.”

“Because of the church’s weakening?”

“Exactly. The church, having lost both authority and power, can now be safely ignored. They were already impoverished after losing power through the confiscation of church lands, and now they’ve lost their authority through defeat in the crusade. Soon, there will be major conflicts among the nobility over the large piece of meat created by butchering the church. We need to prepare for that time.”

After saying this, the duke refills his glass and drinks again.

Though he has lived his entire life as the Sword of Burgundy, being loyal to one’s lord and giving everything one could possibly gain to one’s lord are separate matters. He has no intention of giving up meat that he could eat himself.