Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Refining Weapons
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After hearing Gido-ryang's response, I turned to Go Jeong-ui. Quick as ever, he held out a brush and paper. I took the brush and spoke.
"What if we make the arrowheads longer?"
"Making the arrowheads longer would make it hard to fit them into the tube."
I shook my head at Gido-ryang's reply.
"No, keep the arrow length the same and just extend the arrowhead."
With that, I sketched an arrowhead with the brush. It was long and needle-sharp, taking up nearly half the arrow's length. Gido-ryang tilted his head at the sight.
"Will this actually work?"
"It should at least boost penetration. Tell Ham-a to make a few samples as a test and fire them off."
"Understood."
"And how did the bolt trials go?"
"You get high accuracy once you're used to it. But if you're going to practice that much, you might as well just use a regular bow. The short bolts mean the crossbow wobbles on launch, scattering your aim."
In truth, when I first possessed this body, I'd thought bolts were the ultimate weapon. But for all their advantage of flying unseen from afar, they were tough to master. They worked well against the Jurchens without armor or helmets, but I suspected they'd be less effective against Tang, Baekje, or Silla troops in full gear. As I sighed, Gido-ryang spoke up.
"What if we split the training into two groups?"
"How so?"
"Train soldiers who can handle weapons on firing bolts from crossbows. Have the civilians practice with the arrows you've designed. Either way, hundreds firing at once will scare anyone senseless."
After hearing Gido-ryang out, I looked to Yang Man-chun.
"Can you test—no, trial them at Ansi Fortress?"
"The more weapons, the better for us."
"Then we'll supply you with 100 Yeon Clan Cannons and 2,000 arrows. Test them at Ansi Fortress and let us know what's short—we'll make up the difference. Sound good?"
"Perfect. Bows are the best for defending a fortress, after all."
Go Jeong-ui was already scribbling away, neatly summarizing my conversation with Yang Man-chun. Watching him, I turned to Ham-a.
"How long until they're ready?"
"We have some bows ready, but the arrowheads need making from scratch. About a fortnight, I'd say."
"Send them to Ansi Fortress as they're done. Dispatch technicians too, to show how to use and position them."
"Yes, Master."
Next, I moved on to my other question. We'd been going in circles without a good term to replace "Instant Legolas."
"How was the one for use on horseback?"
"We named it the Yeon Clan Bow for now."
"After the Yeon Clan Cannon?"
"Yes. I'd have preferred Nam-saeng Bow, but I figured you wouldn't allow it."
"Yeon Clan Bow it is, then. How did it perform?"
"It felt heavy and cumbersome at first, but it took less strength to draw than expected—quite convenient. Unlike the Yeon Clan Cannon, it flew far with good penetration."
"How long to get proficient?"
"Picked our best archers among the garrison and trained them; we hit satisfying accuracy in ten days. For average skill, figure a month."
"When was it most useful?"
"When the enemy's shield wall broke, we could rain arrows to shatter it completely. In pursuits, we could keep firing nonstop while chasing."
"Drawbacks?"
"Still takes getting used to. The mechanisms are complex and prone to breaking."
"If we fix that, think it'll be viable?"
"Half our mounted archers with regular bows, the rest with Yeon Clan Bows—should work well."
After Gido-ryang's report, I looked to Ham-a again.
"Work with Gido-ryang to simplify the mechanisms as much as possible."
"Understood."
Once Ham-a replied, I asked Gido-ryang again.
"Not sold on bolts, then?"
"No, sir. I practice them myself—they're truly the pinnacle of weapons. Amazing you even thought of making them."
His praise lifted my spirits. Then Go Jeong-ui chimed in.
"So why not use them on this expedition?"
"Loading and firing from the tube was trickier than expected. Mess it up, and the string snaps back into your bow arm."
I'd been listening to Gido-ryang explain to Go Jeong-ui and was about to abandon mass bolt production. But Gido-ryang spoke first.
"No need to force it—spread them gradually."
"Gradually?"
"Yes. Any warrior worth his bow will covet bolts. But they take time to master. Distribute Yeon Clan Cannons and Bows freely, but bolts sparingly. Plus, we don't want enemies learning the tech to use against us."
"What about elite squads? Pick top archers from each fortress and have you train them?"
"Excellent idea. Anyone decent with a bow will jump at bolts."
"Good. I thought you disliked them for flying far but lacking punch."
"Not at all. Penetration matches regular arrows. The issue is mastering the firing technique—efficiency tanks otherwise."
"Relief. Send Ham-a's improved Yeon Clan Bows to Ansi for trials. I'll talk to the Central Administration Bureau about gathering archers from the fortresses."
"Understood. If you build an archery range at the polo field, we could train multiples at once."
"I'll tell the steward. Go see him and point out what needs fixing."
"Thank you, Master."
"Next, Ham-a."
"Yes."
"Tell me frankly about the Yeon Clan Cannons and Goguryeo Fire from the campaign—their pros, cons, and fixes."
"Starting with the Yeon Clan Cannon: better performance than expected. Assembly was a hassle at first, but it smoothed out with practice."
"Range difference between stones and Goguryeo Fire jars?"
"Weight makes a difference. A dou of stone flew about 250 paces; the fire jars over 350."
"Bigger size for more range?"
"Testing various sizes. Too big, and assembly drags with poor fits."
"How was the Goguryeo Fire?"
"Niha prisoners said it burned longer than regular fire. But they smothered it with dirt or wet rags later."
"Add salt or bone meal, tweak pine resin and sulfur ratios."
"Got it. We'll keep refining."
Yang Man-chun, who'd been listening, cut in.
"There's Black Valley Mountain a ways from Ansi Fortress."
"And?"
"Three springs midway up spew black, sticky oil. Animals or people die or get sick fast from it, and it reeks."
The word hit me the moment Yang Man-chun described it.
Petroleum!
"As a kid, I scooped some black water to play with in the stables and lit it."
"Didn't go out, right?"
He looked startled as I interjected.
"How'd you know? Poured water on it, and the flames spread—nearly torched the whole stable."
I turned to Ham-a as Yang Man-chun spoke.
"Send men there to fetch the black oil. Mix it in."
"Yes. If the fire won't quench, it'll help."
At least we could perfect Goguryeo Fire as a stand-in for gunpowder weapons that weren't feasible yet. Ham-a continued.
"Range drops more against high mountain targets. Too close to the wall risks counterattacks. Can't pivot direction either."
His words sparked a memory of a weapon I'd brainstormed writing novels. I glanced at Go Jeong-ui, who swiftly passed paper and brush. Everyone recognized it this time.
"Mount Yeon Clan Cannons on a flying chariot?"
I nodded at Ham-a's question.
"Fire from height over the walls—especially for mountain forts."
"Needs to be compact, but since we're not lobbing heavies, no issue."
"Try bundling three or five cannons. A rotating pillar for easy direction change?"
"Pillar wouldn't hold for large sizes. But light fire jars? Fine."
"Make big and small variants for varied uses—keeps foes guessing."
"Right. Niha prisoners feared not knowing when or whence they'd come."
"Pull more craftsmen from Sui Captive Village if needed. Or set up a full workshop there?"
"Easier that way—the forges are already there."
"Good. Also, want handheld Goguryeo Fire grenades?"
We'd tried at Niha, but scattering the fire then lighting it separately was messy. Two garrison soldiers died speared while igniting. Without their sacrifice, it'd have failed. Ham-a pondered, then spoke.
"Must light before throwing. Kettles won't do—hard to hurl, too sturdy to shatter."
"Narrow spout, long handle for grip? Plug spout with cloth, light, throw?"
"Shatters on impact, spreading the Goguryeo Fire inside."
Sharp as ever—he got it quick. I held back from calling them Molotovs. As Ham-a mulled it over, I turned to Go Dol-bal. Sensing my gaze, he cleared his throat and straightened.
"How was the saber?"
"Slicing feel was superb. Straight blades snagged; the curve sliced clean."
Curved blades outdid straights in slashing and impact—greater contact area.
No wonder nomads favor them.
Goguryeo and Three Kingdoms relics favored single-edged straight Hwandu Greatswords despite cavalry. Why they stuck to straights remained a mystery.
Everyone uses them—if you're the odd one saying otherwise, they'll think you're crazy.