Chapter 265: Can You?
Light blue smoke drifted across the firearms training camp, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.
Many of the civil officials looked pale and unsteady on their feet. Even the military officers, though sturdier, still showed visible shock.
They had never seen such terrifying weaponry. It wasn’t just that the cannonball had smashed through three trees; the thunderous roar alone could throw cavalry into disarray.
General Lancet had previously only heard about the power of cannons from his son Liam, but now he had seen it with his own eyes and felt its force firsthand.
"Your Majesty," Lancet said respectfully. "These cannons are fearsome weapons. A hundred isn’t nearly enough. I believe we should purchase more from Prince Simon to deter any potential threats."
Hughes nodded in agreement. "Your Majesty, General Lancet is right. With weapons this powerful, the more the better."
Having seen the cannon’s power for himself, Emperor Alaric was already making plans. This was a rare chance to widen the military gap between the throne and the other regional princes. He certainly wouldn’t let it slip by.
"Well said." He replied. "Once we return, I’ll issue an order for Prince Simon to continue supplying Eldora with cannons."
Among the gathered princes, every one of them wore a different expression. They couldn’t stop thinking: Prince Simon’s army already had so many cannons. If one of them became emperor in the future, how would they deal with him?
Then their eyes drifted toward the Crown Prince, whose face looked utterly defeated.
He had the most to worry about.
The cannon demonstration went on for a while. After thoroughly experiencing the power of these weapons, Emperor Alaric was finally satisfied.
He frowned as he looked into the ammo box; all sixteen cannonballs had already been fired.
He clearly remembered: cannonballs weren’t cheap.
Each one cost 20 caps of silver, which meant that just this short demonstration had cost over 300 caps.
While each cannon had cost 8,000 caps, every cannon came with 300 cannonballs, totalling 6,000 caps just for ammo, almost as much as the cannon itself.
And that didn’t even include the cost of gunpowder.
Thinking about the massive financial burden and how similar the cannon was to a fire lance, he suddenly had an idea:
What if they imitated the design and made their own?
Prince Simon had described the technology as deeply complex and mysterious, but Emperor Alaric wanted to see for himself.
If the weapon really was difficult to replicate, then the expense was justified.
But if it was easy to imitate, then Prince Simon had lied, exaggerating the difficulty and disrespecting the throne.
Back at court, the emperor had sensed Simon’s reluctance to hand over the cannon blueprints. The excuse was fear of intellectual theft, so the technology stayed in Brambleford.
But deep down, Emperor Alaric still wanted to monopolise cannon technology.
Now that all the court officials had witnessed its power, his goal was clear:
Regional princes would be uneasy tonight.
---
Back in the castle, the emperor summoned Carl and ordered him to secretly bring in Patrick Turner, the director of the Machinery Department under the Ministry of Works.
"So? You’ve seen the cannon for yourself?" The emperor asked.
For years, only the capital’s Machinery Department had been able to produce fire lances, and all of it was thanks to the Turner family, who had passed the knowledge down for generations.
His father had been the previous director. Now Patrick had inherited the post.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Patrick said respectfully. "The power is indeed far beyond that of the fire lance."
But inside, he was bitter.
His family had always been favoured for their fire lance designs.
Now that cannons were in use, no one cared about fire lances anymore.
Even before the cannons had arrived in Eldora, he had often spoken against them.
Now, having seen them in action, he felt not only threatened, but deeply jealous.
"So... Can the Machinery Department imitate them?" The emperor asked calmly.
Patrick’s eyes lit up. This was his chance to restore the Turner family’s pride.
"Your Majesty." He said confidently. "The cannon and fire lance are 70–80% alike. The main differences are size and thickness. If we just make the fire lance longer and stronger, and increase the amount of gunpowder, it might even match the cannon’s power."
"Is that so?" The emperor’s interest was piqued.
"Very well. Go back immediately and begin working on a replica. I’ll have the firearms camp send you a sample cannon for study. Research it thoroughly."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Patrick said, thrilled.
After being dismissed, Patrick left the castle and made his way to the Machinery Department.
Just then, a carriage stopped beside him.
"Director Turner, the Crown Prince requests your presence." Said an elderly man inside the carriage. It was Arnold, Chief Chamberlain of the Eastern Castle.
In the Eldorian Empire, the Eastern Castle was the residence of the Crown Prince. It operated like a mini-court with its own officials and inner staff.
Arnold oversaw all Eastern Castle affairs.
Patrick glanced around cautiously. Seeing no one nearby, he got into the carriage.
They circled a few blocks before stopping at For Him Suite, a well-known brothel in Eldora.
"Please, the Crown Prince and the Prince’s heir are upstairs, waiting for you," Arnold said with a smile.
Patrick was familiar with the place. He made his way upstairs and knocked on the door of a private room.
Inside, he was greeted by the sound of gasping and the sight of naked bodies on a bed.
"I greet the Crown Prince. Long live Your Highness."
From the bed, the Crown Prince casually replied while playing with three nude women. "No need for formalities."
"Greetings to the Prince’s heir as well," Patrick added, bowing toward William, who was sipping tea calmly at a nearby table.
William, having grown used to his father’s debauchery, got straight to the point.
"Director Turner, please sit. Recently, the craftsmen in Ravencrest City successfully built a cannon. That’s all thanks to you. Without the detailed instructions you provided, they never would’ve managed to reverse-engineer the fire lance."
"Prince William is too kind," Patrick replied. "It’s an honour to serve Prince Ravencrest in any way I can."
Then, unable to help himself, Patrick glanced at the scene on the bed, his mouth dry and heart racing.