Chapter 91. Hygiene, Gunpowder, and War (1)

There's no substance on Earth that can kill people as quickly and efficiently as gunpowder.

If someone says this, people unfamiliar with war might retort that you can stab or cut people to death indefinitely with spears or swords.

But this isn't Japan, and the sharpness and durability of spears and swords used in actual combat are only at the level of 'kitchen knives', and the blade is completely ruined after stabbing 2-3 people.

'Even masterpieces called famous swords can handle about 5 people at most.'

Moreover, unless you've learned hand-to-hand combat to some extent, it's not easy to kill people with swords.

Even if you try to murder someone with a kitchen knife made with 21st-century ironworking technology, they often don't die from 'one' stab, so you end up stabbing dozens of times.

"But it's not easy to obtain gunpowder in this era either."

In the 21st century, one bullet costs less than 300 won, but in this era, the price of firing one bullet is a serf's daily wage.

Considering that a lead bullet accounts for only 10% of the cost, and the gunpowder used is just about 8g but accounts for a whopping 90%...

'That's how terribly precious it is.'

That's why the Nador governor said he'll give gold, so please sell him some gunpowder and matchlock guns.

While lost in thought, I heard a knock on the door.

"It's Chris, may I come in?"

"Come in."

I didn't have any scheduled meetings with Chris today, and I had Sebastian handle matters related to securing gunpowder quantities.

Considering the importance of the work, I thought he would come himself, but.

'Although Chris is practically half my family.'

Just not directly tied by blood.

Chris came in with an enormous stack of documents.

"The head butler was too busy supervising the Medici Trading Company's business to come here, so he handed me the report today and told me to report directly instead."

Sebastian must be busy managing and executing the work I've done since returning.

"First, we've secured all 2,000 matchlock guns you promised to supply to the Nador governor. Additionally, we succeeded in securing all 20 tons of gunpowder, although we paid about 1.5 times the market price."

I thought it would be fine to secure that just within this winter.

How on earth did that gentleman Sebastian secure such a large quantity of gunpowder and matchlock guns 2 months earlier than I thought?

I should tell him to write a report later on what kind of magic he used.

Before that, I should give some financial therapy to move his tired body.

'It's Hitler-level evil to grind people without giving them money.'

"I should give Sebastian a bonus for working hard."

I recently heard that Sebastian's son is getting married in a month. Considering his efforts so far, I should give him a mansion in Florence.

I can give him one since I practically got it for free while crushing those spice guild bastards anyway.

"The head butler will surely be pleased."

"There's a nice house in Florence, I should bestow it as a gesture of repaying his dedication to our trading company and me so far. Later, ask the Commercial Law Department to help prepare the tax and title transfer."

"Yes, Viscount."

In this era of extreme polarization between rich and poor, bonuses are really on a different level from what we think.

For someone like Sebastian, who essentially holds the 'vice president' position in our family.

Even the stingiest noble would do this much.

Giving a luxurious villa for retirement when a retainer who worked for 30 years retires, or giving hundreds of gold coins as a wedding gift.

And if that's not enough, transferring the title of a beauty to serve them for life in old age, and so on.

'Of course, if the person receiving that compensation is a noble, the unit jumps up dozens of times from here.'

Giving a Florence mansion for the wedding of a retainer's child with only a nominal knight title territory probably won't happen except for me.

Our trading company guys will probably try to voluntarily grind their bodies seeing this beautiful anecdote.

"And there's one serious problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"I'm not sure exactly where the war will break out yet. But it seems like war will break out soon."

When war breaks out, gunpowder consumption skyrockets.

But there's a limit to how much gunpowder production can be increased no matter how hard you try.

'Gunpowder prices will double or triple?'

Even if gunpowder becomes terribly expensive, honestly, if I scrape it together and sell it to the Nador governor, I think I'll still make a decent profit.

The biggest problem is, will there be any gunpowder left in our empire when the military is doing a 2x, 3x buying event?

"I had a hunch since they sent me as the 1st Division logistics staff officer, but are they really going to wage war?"

From the Emperor's perspective, it's honestly worth waging war.

The Millania bastards keep acting annoying, and they often plunder Tuscan Empire merchant ships too.

'Of course, we did some somewhat British-like things too.'

But human, more strictly speaking, international diplomatic relations work like this: when I do it, it's romance; when others do it, it's adultery.

Therefore, it's right for a wise Tuscan Empire noble to think like this:

'We played around a bit, and you hurt us this much? It's unforgivable in the name of Deus!'

"Just as we don't care about those guys' circumstances, they won't care about our circumstances either. If we can't get gunpowder, the deal will be cut off."

Everyone understands and lets it slide if employees are absent due to funerals or very urgent matters.

Of course, some people who threw their humanity in the trash can say things like this while rejecting vacation requests:

Holding onto your dead mother and father to hold a funeral isn't productive at all, so focus on productive work.

Dead people are dead, so they don't care if you don't hold a funeral.

Even if I can't deliver because an unexpected variable like 'war' breaks out, which is like a 'parents' funeral' level event, the Nador governor...

He won't despise me or think he can't trust me because I couldn't fulfill the deal.

However, like how the result is more important than the process in all things in life...

'The deal will be cut off.'

That's why I operated Cafe Medici normally even with a 3x sugar price event in Guillaume City.

"What will you do?"

Fortunately, gunpowder can be mass-produced as much as you want if you try to make it.

So I'd like to monopolize gunpowder production if I could, but I'd really die if I did that.

'Even the Emperor would cut open my stomach if I tried to monopolize excellent gunpowder production technology alone?'

"We'll have to make gunpowder."

"I think we can sufficiently produce gunpowder if we utilize our trading company's connections and craftsmen, but..."

The problem is that the gunpowder-making process in the Tuscan Empire is quite barbaric.

They barge into noble mansions once every 10 years and scrape up all the dust accumulated on ceilings and corners, and salty soil around toilets.

It's everyday life to barge into all sorts of places where commoners live and wreak havoc looking for 'soil that can be processed into gunpowder'.

To survive doing this, you need power at least at the 'count' level.

A viscount like me doing that?

'It's just right for getting beaten to death.'

"Chris, it's not the method you're thinking of."

Surprisingly, with just a very simple change in perspective that anyone can do but no one really uses, I'll escape this crisis.

'Gunpowder is originally grown and cultivated like growing mold, right?'

This obvious principle was used by all of humanity for hundreds of years until Mr. Haber developed the magic of atmospheric nitrogen fixation.

I need to use that.

"It's a better method that's more certain and doesn't cause trouble for everyone."

But if I try this right away, I need to take up a public office again.

Should I ask the Emperor directly?

If I say there's a way to increase gunpowder production, he'll welcome it with open arms.

"I might end up going to work at Florence City Hall for a while."

To secure lots of excrement, the main component of gunpowder, it's fastest and surest to take up a public office and push through with power.

"What on earth are you thinking, Viscount?"

"A way to make lots of gunpowder. It's not exact, but it'll be much more efficient than digging up soil accumulated in toilets or on walls like now."

Using this method, I'll probably be able to secure at least several times more gunpowder than the current method, dozens of times more efficiently.

'As a bonus, it'll greatly reduce things like epidemics too.'

Although Florence's hygiene situation isn't as bad as those terrible cities we commonly think of when we think of the Middle Ages. Honestly, the hygiene conditions aren't that good.

And I sent a very simple but certain letter to the Emperor.

[After analyzing the principle of making gunpowder, it seems gunpowder can be made through feces and urine. So I want to try an experiment, and I'll bear all the costs involved, so please give me a little help.]

The next day, I was able to receive a temporary official position in Florence from the Emperor.

It seems the Emperor is more serious about war and gunpowder than I thought.