Naval Cannon
What is the most important part of a war weapon?
Long range, allowing you to strike the enemy from afar?
Or mobility, letting you swiftly traverse the battlefield?
Of course, both of those are incredibly important.
But from my perspective as a former Korean in my past life, there was one thing that mattered most.
That was firepower, and again, firepower.
Didn't a character from One Piece say that Haki transcends all?
Well, when it comes to war weapons, it's actually firepower that transcends all...!
In other words, I'm going to make a cannon.
"Brother, I'll be going now. Seria, let's go."
"Alright."
"Yes, my lord."
I headed straight for the workshop located on the outskirts of the royal castle with Seria.
'It's been a while.'
"Hup, oh?"
—Kiiiiiiik!
It didn't open well when I came with Elisa last time, but it opens fine now.
I guess I've grown a bit too.
Am I past the point of struggling with an iron door?
Feeling a sense of pride, I stepped inside the workshop, greeted by the familiar smell of oil.
It had been quite a while since I last visited, but it was spotlessly clean.
Elisa must have cleaned it up and handed it over to Seria as soon as she arrived in the capital.
"Alright, let's get started. Seria, bring me the materials I mentioned earlier."
"Yes, sir!"
Seria replied and went into the storage room at the back of the workshop, emerging with a large lump of iron.
"Easy does it, easy."
"Yes! Hnnng..."
—Thud.
As expected of an Expert, she carries that huge thing so easily.
"Good work. Rest for a bit in the back."
"Yes, my lord."
As Seria stepped back, I stood before the iron lump on the floor.
What would be a good base form...?
A muzzle-loading cannon from Earth's Age of Sail, where you push gunpowder and iron balls down the muzzle?
'That's a bit iffy.'
Muzzle-loaders are simple to make, but their reload speed is slow, and they're inefficient for firing the explosive shells I have in mind.
Besides, if I follow Earth's history, muzzle-loaders were used due to a lack of technology. In this world with magic, there's no need to strictly follow that history.
So, naturally.
A breech-loading rifled cannon, where you open the back of the barrel to load the shell and charge.
'Let's go big and make it a 155mm caliber.'
I'll base it on the 155mm howitzer, the symbol and pride of the Republic of Korea's artillery.
Of course, I can't just whip up a modern complex recoil mechanism or auto-loading system right away.
Still, there are techniques I can use to compensate to some extent.
For the recoil absorption device, I can inscribe a recoil-absorbing magic circle. For the auto-loading system, a loading crew and squires will take care of it.
Also, I can use my magic to perfectly create the breech and barrel to withstand the pressure of the explosion, as well as the interrupted screw breechblock for sealing.
However, I don't plan to replicate the shells themselves in a modern style.
Ironically, perhaps because magic is a cheat code, making the shell was actually more difficult than making the cannon itself.
To make a proper shell, it must absolutely not explode inside the barrel, but it must explode the moment it hits the target.
If a musket malfunctions, the damage is usually limited to the shooter.
But if a cannon shell misfires, the entire cannon and its crew could be blown to bits...
It would be cheaper to just cover each shell with magic circles.
Finishing my thoughts, I reached out both hands over the iron lump on the floor.
Since it's too complex to make all at once, I plan to do it step by step this time.
I raised my mana, which now flowed much more smoothly, and inscribed the magic circle.
"Transmutation"
⟨ Transmutation ⟩
—Whoooom.
The white mana emanating from my hands enveloped the iron lump on the floor.
First, I'll set the overall framework.
It rippled as if I were kneading soft clay, then soon transformed into the shape of a long cylindrical barrel and breech.
Once the iron lump took on the appearance of the 155mm cannon I had imagined, Seria, who was standing behind me, wiped the sweat from my brow.
"Thanks."
So I have to make dozens of these now, huh?
...I'm going to need a mana potion.
Mana potions exist in this world too.
But almost no one drinks them, because they taste absolutely horrible.
What do they taste like...?
Imagine the texture of snot mixed with the flavor of mint chocolate and earthworms.
I really like mint chocolate, but the taste of mana potions is truly vile.
"Haah..."
But I have to drink it, right? Everyone is waiting for me.
"Seria. You brought the mana potion, right?"
"...Yes, sir."
"Give it here..."
"...You have my respect, my lord."
She must have tried a mana potion before, as she handed it to me with a pitying expression.
"Hoo..."
For things like this, it's better to hold your nose and down it in one go.
—Gulp, gulp.
"Ugh, bleeeeh..."
It really tastes awful.
I barely held back the urge to vomit and forced it down my throat.
Several minutes passed like that, and finally, the prototype cannon was complete.
"A name... Seria. Want to give it a name?"
"A name, my lord? Hmm... How about SI-01, like the musket?"
"SI? What does that mean?"
"...It was meant to be Seria, Ian 01."
"...Alright. If that's what you want, let's go with that."
At my answer, the tips of Seria's ears turned bright red.
She averted her gaze from me and cleared her throat.
"Ahem! It is an honor, my lord."
"Yeah, SI-01. It rolls off the tongue nicely."
If I said it in Korean...
Ss-i-il? Gyu-so-il?
I should never say it in Korean.
Hanja really does make for cool names, though.
Anyway.
The completed SI-01 was the epitome of romance itself.
From the cold touch of the metal to the perfect detail of the interrupted screw breechblock.
'I can't believe I made this myself.'
I'll probably get the chance to make even more amazing things in the future, right?
"Alright, the cannon is done. Now it's time to make the real headache."
I turned my gaze to the pile of iron lumps and gunpowder barrels stacked on one side of the workbench.
"My lord, is this the shell you mentioned earlier that absolutely must not misfire?"
"Exactly, preventing premature detonation. The shell casing will be thick, the inside hollow, and filled with gunpowder. And the most important part, the fuse, will be a magic circle I inscribe."
Fortunately, the structure of the shell itself is simple, so I can ask other mages or alchemists to mass-produce them.
First, shape the shell.
Then, using ink mixed with magic stone dust and gold powder, inscribe the magic circle. That's it.
Now, it's time for the grind...!
While Ian was hard at work making cannons.
Rowen, sitting in the State Council chamber, was pondering how to effectively buy time.
"Minister of Foreign Affairs."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Send a reply to the Imperial Navy. Say that we will positively review the demands stated in their ultimatum."
At the word "positively" from Rowen's mouth, the ministers in the State Council were startled and began to speak out one after another.
"Y-Your Highness! Positively review? Are you saying we will accept all of their unreasonable demands?"
"How can we accept the Empire's surrender ultimatum and demands!"
At the ministers' opposition, Rowen chuckled and opened his mouth.
"Who said we would accept them right away? I only said we would review them."
"Pardon?"
"The Empire is a country with a deep-seated bureaucracy. Shouldn't we also show them the diplomatic courtesy of thoroughly matching their methods?"
"You mean..."
"First, tell them to send us a detailed list of the exact standards and catalog for the enormous reparations they demanded. Down to the gemstone's cut, clarity, size, and certificate of origin."
Rowen tapped the map laid out on the table and continued.
"They sent the ultimatum, yes, but they don't really want to drag out the war. The Empire is currently on shaky ground. They pulled out the ultimatum card precisely because they want to end the war, even if it means declaring victory."
Since the Empire, whose former prestige was crumbling, was in a state where they needed justification to declare victory rather than the capacity to continue the war.
Rowen was confident his plan would work.
At his words, the Foreign Minister's face lit up.
"You mean to buy time by pretending to accept their demands, while bogging them down in endless paperwork and diplomatic procedures?"
"Precisely."
With his area of expertise brought up, the Foreign Minister's eyes sparkled as he spoke.
"If that's the case... It would be best for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance to collaborate on a detailed review document, including the criteria for calculating damages incurred by the kingdom's merchant guilds during the Empire's trade route blockade, tariff adjustments, and so on!"
"Th-That's right."
Rowen made a slightly taken aback expression at the suddenly enthusiastic Foreign Minister.
It wasn't a look a man over seventy should be making.
"Ahem. Anyway, make it as complex and lengthy as possible. And hide dozens, hundreds of minor nitpicks so the Empire can't approve it all at once."
"Yes! Understood."
The Espada Kingdom was the most developed nation in commerce and finance on the continent.
Therefore, no one could match them when it came to exploiting the loopholes in paperwork and contracts.
"Until Ian finishes his preparations to crush the enemy fleet. One month, no matter what. Use any means necessary to tie their feet."
"As you command, Your Highness!"
The bureaucratic offensive, utilizing the administrative prowess that the Espada Kingdom prided itself on, was about to begin against the Imperial Navy.