Revolution
"The pirates have gone into hiding, they say."
"That's welcome news."
"Looks like the navy came prepared this time. They've already wiped out three or four pirate crews."
The losses from pirates over the years had been immense. Merchants who relied heavily on sea trade had always been plagued by headaches because of them. So when word spread that the empire's navy was cracking down on pirates, they began buzzing with excitement.
"No more losses to those bastards."
"And orders are piling up."
Damage from pirates was shrinking. Trade routes were growing safer.
"Should we ship our goods by sea too?"
"What if we run into pirates?"
"Haven't you heard? The navy's taking them out. Man, a merchant as clueless as you."
"For real? Let's find a ship right away."
Even goods that had previously traveled overland now headed for the seas. The empire's trade was picking up steam.
But this was only within the empire's territorial waters. Merchants who mainly operated overseas routes could only watch from afar.
"Yeah, no pirates in imperial waters is good news."
"But we're still on edge."
Beyond the empire's jurisdiction, the seas remained unsafe from pirate influence. And with pirates driven out now rampaging even more outside those borders, overseas trade had grown even tougher.
"Bitter pill."
"Guess we give up on overseas trade?"
In that climate, the navy made another announcement: for a fee, they'd escort trade ships against pirates.
"Patriotism... surging...!"
"Worth it compared to the profits!"
"Book us! No, contact them first..."
The empire's shipping industry entered a massive boom. Not only that, but eastern goods began flowing through the empire to neighboring nations, boosting the imperial economy to new heights.
But some viewed this with unease.
"The empire's momentum is piercing the heavens."
"...Indeed."
Heyrn Kingdom. The king's words had his ministers bowing their heads.
"New weapons... trade... damn."
Trade balance between the empire and kingdom was lopsided. The empire had a stranglehold on most eastern resources.
"Could we trade directly with the East?"
"...That's..."
Imperial trade ships were guarded by warships. Armed with cannons to boot, pirates had long since given them a wide berth. As a result, trade vessels from other nations faced even greater pirate threats than before.
"Could we protect our merchant ships like the empire?"
"...Impossible."
The reason the empire had driven out pirates. The reason pirates avoided imperial merchant and warships. Cannons, the new weapons.
"...What about developing those new weapons ourselves?"
"..."
The ministers fell silent at the king's words.
"Damn it, I thought we'd finally caught up to the empire, and now this gap opens up so pointlessly!"
The king bellowed.
'I thought things were finally getting manageable...'
He still remembered. Forty-two years ago, the moment his kingdom lost the war against the empire. The sight of his father kneeling before them. From that day, he'd burned with vengeance. He'd schemed endlessly to reclaim what was taken. And he'd ascended the throne. Thirty-eight years since.
He'd rebuilt a crumbling kingdom to rival the empire, massively expanding its forces. But the empire developed new weapons, widening the gap again. And leveraged them for trade dominance, boosting their economy too.
After a deep breath, the king murmured lowly.
"Find a way to copy their weapons, no matter what."
"Whew."
John Brown sighed as he stared at his draft designs. He'd sketched rifles using cartridges and bolt-action mechanisms, but he agonized over whether this era's technology could produce them.
"Making cartridges ain't easy either."
Brown leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
'Skipping straight to metal casings is too much... start with paper ones?'
Worries from cartridges.
'How to rifle the barrel? Hmm...'
To gun woes.
'Why do I have to worry about production too?'
Brown had figured designing the guns would suffice. Reality was blocking him.
In compromise with reality, Brown began conceptualizing a gun using paper cartridges.
'Paper cartridges tailored to matchlocks...'
Paper rolled around powder and ball. Tear open the paper cartridge, pour powder and ball down the muzzle. Advantages: skips some loading steps, ensures precise powder measure to prevent overuse.
Finishing the rough draft, he submitted the report to the Research Director.
"Hm. Solid improvement. Send it to the army."
Soon, the design reached matchlock units.
"Hm. Powder and ball in paper, huh."
"We'll test it."
"Do that."
The next day during duty hours, matchlock troops sat on the ground, rolling balls and powder into paper.
"Sigh, what kinda bullshit is this."
One grumbled while rolling; another replied.
"Beats regular training after hours, right?"
"...Oh?"
"You genius?"
They should've been drilling all morning, but sitting and rolling was easier on the body.
"Haa. Done."
"Me too, sir."
"Help me then."
"...Yes."
"Slow on the uptake? Got a problem?"
"No, sir!"
Afternoon came; they began proper training.
"Load!"
At the officer's command, troops loaded. Tear the paper cartridge's powder end, pour into muzzle. Ram the paper-covered ball end first, then the rest. Finally, sprinkle powder from a pouch onto the pan.
"Feels a bit faster than before."
They felt the improvement over eyeballing powder from pouches.
"First squad, ready! Fire!"
-Puff-bang.
"Second squad, ready! ..."
The commander timed firing rates.
'Faster than before.'
"Cease fire! Return and replenish paper cartridges!"
After a few volleys, the officer ordered. Troops grumbled as he walked away.
"Do that again?"
"Help with mine too?"
"...Yes."
"Your response... slow?"
"I'll fix it!"
Meanwhile, the officer reported back to HQ.
"Loading speed improved noticeably. Worth adopting."
"Good. Roll it out to all matchlock troops."
"Yes. Then..."
Troops' duties gained a new task.
"Ugh, annoying."
"Can't they just make 'em and send?"
"Your gun and mine take different ball sizes. Think that'll work?"
"Sigh. Melting lead for balls is bad enough. Gonna lose it."
"Who came up with this?"
"Guy who made the one you're holding."
"That guy's got nothing better to do?"
John Brown suddenly felt an itch in his ear.
'Someone badmouthing me?'
He brushed it off and headed to work as usual.
John Brown was content with lab life. Low workload. Good pay. Decent colleagues...?
'If not for that one guy...'
Today too, Brown greeted McCallson warmly.
"Asshole."
"Dumb fuck."
Afterward, Brown pondered his report.
'Wanna make it, but...'
Memories of his past-life military geekdom burned fiercely.
'Gotta... make it...'
But this world's tech was medieval at best. Magitech existed, but it was sidelined—scarce magic stones limited it to niche elite uses.
'Hmm...'
Brown pondered.
'Craving a revolution.'
This otherworld needed an industrial revolution.
'Industrial revolution... steam engines...?'
Brown shot to his feet, heading to McCallson.
"Don't come near, you're annoying."
"L-Let's talk first."
"Sigh. What?"
"Magitech uses magic stones for power, right?"
"...Yeah."
"What if we replace magic stones with something else?"
"Hah. Ridiculous. If that worked, it'd be done ages ago..."
McCallson scoffed, but Brown's face was dead serious.
"Might be nonsense, but hear me out."
"..."
"…!"