Naval Cannon (2)
"Is it… finished?"
The next day, after several rounds of trial and error, the prototypes for the SI-06 and its specialized shells were finally completed.
I'd prepared a variety of shells, each packed with different magical arrays.
Since we'd be fighting at sea, there were shells imbued with lightning magic, and even high-explosive incendiary rounds designed as a hard counter to wooden ships.
Of course, I couldn't afford to inscribe such complex arrays on every single shell.
No matter how resource-rich the Espada Kingdom was, we simply didn't have enough mages to do it.
Still, sprinkling a few of those trick shots into our volleys will make the Empire's day.
Wait, wasn't it the SI-01?
...I blew up five of them in the process.
It turns out there's a pretty big gap between theoretical memory and practical execution.
Still, five was a bargain price for the experience.
Well, there was that unfortunate incident where Seria collapsed from exhaustion from having to run and fetch new materials every time.
"Ugh… My lord… I can't do this anymore…"
"Good work, Seria. Thanks to you, it came out perfectly."
I walked over to Seria, who was sprawled out on the floor groaning, and wiped the sweat from her brow.
"So it's really finished this time?"
"Yeah. The prototype is done."
"Phew…"
Cannons are heavy.
It's impossible for an ordinary person to move a cannon with their bare hands.
Knights aren't ordinary people, so we'll make an exception for them.
As much as I'd love to have the knights carry all these massive hunks of metal to the East, that's not feasible. No matter how strong knights are, they can't march across the kingdom carrying dozens of cannons and heavy shells that are yet to be mass-produced. They'd collapse before the battle even started.
So, the conclusion is simple.
We just make them directly in the East.
The technological development of this world is pathologically slow, I mused. Is it because they have these cheat skills called magic and aura? The infrastructure is truly lacking. In most romance fantasy novels, wouldn't they at least have magic trains? Why is the technology here stuck on horse-drawn carriages?
To make matters worse, this world doesn't even have the spatial magic commonly found in fantasy novels. To be precise, all the mages who could use it are dead. According to the books I studied in my youth, all the mages who used spatial magic either vanished or died on the spot. So nowadays, there are no spatial mages left, except for some theoretical scholars.
But my theory is...
I bet they cast the spell without accounting for the planet's rotation and revolution around its star. Spatial teleportation means you have to calculate not just the fixed coordinates, but also the movement of the planet those coordinates are on. If they used spatial magic without that calculation, the moment they arrived, there might be no ground where the ground should be. They might have been hurled into space, dropped somewhere completely wrong, or in the worst case, buried deep underground. Or perhaps they died instantly from the residual inertia after the teleport.
Not that I'm brave enough to test this theory myself.
Of course, if the distance is extremely short, like 1 cm forward, the story is a bit different. If it's 1 cm above the ground within the same space under the same conditions, the margin of error is almost negligible.
But that doesn't mean it's safe. The real problem with ultra-short-range teleportation is the invisible stuff already occupying the arrival point, like air and dust. If your body moves 1 cm and overlaps with the matter already there?
...It's horrific just to think about.
Anyway, for these reasons, spatial magic is practically a dead art.
I'll think about that later... First, I need to take the finished prototype and head east. Fortunately, the eastern regions have major port cities, so there's a direct road from the capital.
"Seria. Time to get going."
"Yes, my lord."
As expected of a knight, after a nap, Seria looked completely refreshed. It had bothered me that she was sleeping on the floor, so I'd moved her to the bed. She was incredibly embarrassed when she woke up.
Anyway, we brought a wagon and securely strapped the completed 155mm SI-06 prototype to the back. It was so heavy that we cast a weight-reduction spell on it.
"Seria, you sent the blueprints and small parts ahead, right?"
"Yes, my lord. They departed last night with a messenger on the fastest horses."
"Good. Let's go."
I nodded and climbed onto the wagon. The blueprints and small components had been sent ahead to the East to start setting up the production line. Also, since this was a rushed departure, only Seria and I would go first. The others would follow later.
Seria is more than enough as an escort, anyway.
Ah, and this time, I decided to use horses instead of the Gorani. The Gorani are too conspicuous. Besides, the cavalry won't have a role in this upcoming battle anyway. There's no place for cavalry in a naval artillery duel.
I leaned back against the wagon seat. If things were normal, Elisa would be here chatting with me. When I saw her this morning, her face was covered in dark circles. She looked like she was having a hard time. I need to finish this quickly so I can let her get some real rest. Thinking that, I spread out the blueprints in the shaky wagon and started working again.
A few days later.
"My lord, we've arrived in Bellport."
"Oh. We got here fast."
At Seria's voice, I looked out the window. A trading port that handled about 37% of the kingdom's entire maritime trade. Bellport was bustling, incredibly busy with war preparations. I thought the mood would be down due to the news of war, but it actually seemed more lively than when I'd visited before.
"It's lively."
"Yes, my lord. The people of the Eastern Kingdom absolutely despise the Empire."
As Seria said, the easterners had a particular hatred for the Empire. While most people in the Kingdom disliked the Empire, in the East, the phrase 'You Imperial bastard' was used as a severe insult. The reason was that the eastern coast was close to the southern Empire, and historically, the Imperial Navy had constantly harassed their trade ships with flimsy excuses.
"Right. Trespassing into our territorial waters under the guise of 'maintaining strait security'… Fishing without permission…"
"Ahem… That was…"
At my words, Seria, a former Imperial knight, glanced at me nervously and turned her head.
"Anyway, don't tell anyone here you're from the Empire. In the capital, you'd just get yelled at, but here, it would be a real problem."
"Yes… Understood."
"Let's head to the workshop district first."
"Yes, my lord."
We headed towards the workshop district, where the shipyards and forges were clustered. The closer we got, the more we were greeted by a wave of scorching heat and the noisy clang of blacksmiths at work.
"Hey! Furnace #3! Why aren't you stoking the fire?!"
"Hurry it up! We're running out of time!"
"Hey! What are you doing over there! Stop slacking off!"
It was a boisterous scene, befitting rough-and-tumble blacksmiths doing hard labor.
As the wagon stopped in front of the workshop district, the master blacksmith, who had been notified of our arrival, came out to greet us, sweating profusely.
"Your Highness! You must be exhausted from the long journey!"
"Good work. Is the production going smoothly according to the blueprints I sent ahead?"
"Yes, Your Highness! Thanks to the blueprints you sent, we've been working through the night!"
It looked like the production of the outer shells was underway properly.
"However, no matter how much we stare at the blueprints, we can't even begin to guess what these hollow metal cylinders and tiny components are supposed to be used for."
That made sense. I had only sent the blueprints for the outer shells and the smaller parts, not the finished product.
"Seeing it once is better than looking at a blueprint a hundred times. Seria."
"Yes, my lord."
Seria pulled away the tarp that was tightly secured at the back of the wagon. As it was removed, the prototype of the 155mm SI-06 cannon was revealed, drawing everyone's gaze.
The blacksmiths' jaws dropped at the sight of the massive, rifled barrel.
"W-what in the world is this…"
"What kind of weapon is so absurdly huge?"
The blacksmiths looked shocked by the size of the barrel, but there was also a spark of their craft spirit being kindled.
"This is the main body where all the parts you've been grinding away at all night will come together. It's our real weapon for destroying the Imperial fleet."
"This hunk of metal is going to destroy the Imperial fleet?"
"That's right. This weapon you've built is going to sweep the Imperial fleet away."
As my words sank in, the blacksmiths' expressions began to heat up. Realizing that the parts they had been tirelessly crafting were for a weapon to crush the Imperial fleet, there was no way they wouldn't get excited. They were easterners too, after all, and they hated the Empire.
"Ooh…!"
"Waaaaah!! Let's crush those Imperial bastards!!"
"Hahaha! Get to work, boys! Hurry!"
"Yeah! We don't have time to stand around!"
The blacksmiths looked ready to grab their hammers and rush straight back to the forges.
"Calm down. First, we have to make sure it actually works."
"Yes, Your Highness!"