God of War

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Paul entered the reception room and saw a middle-aged man sitting there nervously.

"The one standing before you is Lord Paul Grayman, owner of Alden Manor in the Northwest Bay," the servant leading the way announced loudly to the man, then turned to quietly introduce him to the Earl, "My lord, he is the master craftsman Marlow, summoned at your request."

"Y-y-your lordship." Perhaps due to nervousness, Marlow's voice stuttered slightly as he clumsily bowed and asked, "I-I-I don't know what brings you to summon me... I have always been law-abiding..."

"Alright, alright, I summoned you for a good reason. Otherwise, we'd be meeting in a dungeon. Are you skilled in bell-casting?"

"Yes." Seeing that the lord didn't seem intent on causing trouble, Marlow relaxed a bit and spoke more confidently, "I cast the bell for the Cathedral in Alden Town a few years ago, um... if it hasn't been replaced."

"Very good. I must admit, I've visited that bell. As a layman, I found the craftsmanship impressive; the surface was very smooth."

"Heh heh, you flatter me, my lord."

The lord then unfolded a piece of parchment slowly. "I need you to cast something like this. Can you manage it?" It depicted a cross-sectional diagram labeled "cannon," a cylindrical object with detailed dimensions.

'This is based on information I saw in a forum in a previous life. It shoots solid iron balls weighing 4 pounds or grapeshot. Despite its complexity in production, structurally, it's simpler than a firearm.'

Marlow leaned in, examining it closely.

Paul explained, "Never mind what it's for right now. What I need from you is long-term service. I'll pay you 800 copper coins a month, with a raise possible if you perform well. Are you willing to work for me indefinitely?"

"Willing! Willing!" Marlow nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at grain. For a craftsman like him, specialized in casting, jobs weren't always plentiful in the economically underdeveloped Northwest. Sometimes, they were even conscripted without pay in the name of feudal service. Now, with a stable long-term income this high, only a fool would refuse.

"Good. Here's a labor contract, a kind of covenant. Later, you just need to press your thumbprint on it. Let me read it to you first."

Apart from a few lines about wages, the contract mainly emphasized confidentiality—no disclosing of work details to others, no leaving the workplace without permission, and so on. Marlow was overwhelmed by all the secrecy clauses.

This was the first time Marlow encountered such a "refined" lord. He had never heard of nobles making commoners sign contracts to do tasks. Although some clauses limiting his freedom irked him, the treatment was just too tempting. Without much hesitation, he pressed his thumbprint on the contract.

"Perfect!" The lord inwardly rejoiced, promptly stashing away the contract. He had expected Marlow to take a few days to consider, not decide so quickly.

"If you do well, I promise you won't regret it. Oh! By the way, from now on, you'll stay within my domain. I'll send someone to bring your family here and settle them properly."

"Let's continue discussing this cannon. Since you're staying to work for me, there are things you'll need to know sooner or later. You're familiar with catapults and crossbows, right?"

"Yes, my lord," Marlow nodded.

"A cannon functions similarly to catapults and crossbows, but instead of projectiles, it fires iron balls called 'cannonballs.' You place the cannonball in the barrel, fill the bottom of the barrel with a substance called 'gunpowder,' ignite it through a small hole at the rear of the barrel, causing a powerful explosion that propels the cannonball out. Do you follow my explanation?"

"Understood, my lord. Your explanation is clear and easy to understand."

"Start by casting some in bronze, then we'll try iron later." Based on Paul's understanding, bronze was more ductile and less likely to burst, even if it did, it wouldn't lead to catastrophic consequences. His newly trained army wasn't cannon fodder; each soldier was precious to him. He couldn't afford casualties due to faulty weapons.

"According to your expertise, how much money would it take to cast a bronze cannon of this size as depicted in the diagram?"

"To cast such a cannon, it would likely require over 300 kilograms of bronze. At current prices, the cost would be around 500 Aldo silver coins or about 50 Aldo gold coins."

Paul was shocked. "That's so expensive!! It's almost as much as the compensation for ten soldiers. Truly, cannons are worth their weight in gold. I haven't even asked Philip how much the recent firearms development cost. I simply told the craftsmen to provide what was needed, hoping to avoid another painful expense."

But now that people were recruited and urgency mounted, he had to bluff his way through.

"How long would it take to cast such a cannon?"

"I've never made one of these before, so I can only estimate. It would take at least a month."

"A month?! That's too long!!!"

Seeing the lord's wide-eyed stare, Marlow hesitated whether to mention the concept of scrap rate.

"Alright, a month it is. I'll arrange for some apprentices to assist you. The more apprentices you train, the higher your wages and additional rewards."

"Yes, I will do my best. But, my lord, why not use iron directly? If we use iron, I'm confident I can keep costs around a quarter of bronze."

"Ah... I don't mean to boast, but this is also for your sake, craftsmen. From what I know, iron is more brittle. If too much gunpowder is used during experimentation, it might burst the barrel."

"What? Burst the barrel?" Marlow heard a potentially dangerous term.

"It means the explosion inside is too violent and bursts the barrel."

Damn, is this also considered for craftsmen's sake? Marlow realized he might have taken on a job that could cost him his life. "My lord, this... this..." He stumbled over his words, "I have elderly parents to support, young children to feed, so... could you just focus on casting?"

"Don't worry. When the time comes, build a mound of earth, extend the fuse, and ignite it from behind the mound to ensure safety! Forget it, I've just captured a batch of pirate prisoners; I'll assign a few to assist you."

"Oh, alright." Marlow breathed a sigh of relief. "I was out of line just now. I apologize for that."

"The working principle of a cannon is similar to another weapon called a firearm, which has already been developed. Later, I'll have someone take you to our weapon manufacturing facility to meet with craftsmen who specialize in firearms. Consider carefully the details of the next steps in your work. I expect you to start casting cannons immediately."

"Yes, my lord." Though he agreed, Marlow, now responsible for manufacturing weapons, still felt uneasy.

At this moment, Philip, the steward, walked in. "Count, Father Anderson and his mentor, Master Leonard, have come to visit. Master Leonard is the head of Northshore Abbey."

"Oh? Anderson is the one who treated my illness, right? I've heard of the other. Let them come here. Also, arrange for Master Marlow to participate in the development of new weapons at our training camp. Provide him with whatever he needs."

(End of Chapter)