Introducing Gunpowder

Yeah right thats easier said then done. It took me 3 hours to weigh the right ingredients due to the lack of a proper weighing scale; he'll resort to a beam balance make the right measurements and thats why it took so long to make these. Jake told me the recipe of making black powder since I've spend most of my time with (because he's scary if refuse an offer like talking about explosive or blowing things up with explosives).

I remember it being 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal and 10% sulfur and a little bit of water to improve the gunpowder's burning. How I got this stuff is getting the potassium nitrate first as it is the most compound to be used. I just go to every butcher, restaurant and my own kitchen to see if there are any saltpeter.

I then ask any merchants if they have any bright yellow stone. Luckily they do but in small quantities due to it being some valuable rock for gems and ceremonies, I had to pay a butt load of money and at least there are enough to make 6-10 barrels of this stuff. As for charcoal, well... I can burn some wood to make charcoal. -_-

I already tested these with batches; the 4th batch was promising but the 9th was the better candidate so I picked that and started producing them in large quantities but the procedure was more tiring than I thought.

In order to get maximum efficiency, I had to tell the head butler, Daniel Hemming, to bring several of my servants to help me process the production of the gunpowder. This man looked old, almost in his 40s or 50s and has gray to black hair.

He brought the maids afterward; they were initially confused at first but ultimately agreed because c'mon lets be real; I'm the duke for goodness sake.

After many headaching instructions on how to make gunpowder but I didn't told them the actual recipe/ingredients because I don't know if they'll use it against me. I remember in the memories of the real Richard whenever I went to bed; he did some crazy shenanigans with the maids. I mean, I understand the guy being sexually repressed but geez man learn some restraint.

So after that awkward session on how to produce gunpowder. (*cough *cough, I never told them how to actually make it). Then I separate them into several circles so they can bond and make them in separate batches. Where they grind the ingredients and the other circle is mixing the dry ingredients, again.

I'm telling them the names of these ingredients but I wont teach them how the procedure works because I did most of the weighing and some other stuff I don't need to tell them. I'm so paranoid about the new weapons I am trying to introduce in this world that I'm really scared who I rely on.

Nevertheless I should consider viewing some of my subordinates profiles later and see if they have any hidden agenda or someone hiring them to monitor my presence maybe if worse comes to shove: assassination attempt.

Anyway I finish the first batch of highly flammable or I would like to call it, very flamboyant substance that ignites like the stars.

Pretty long I have to say but now is not the time to fool around! I should give Gregor and Charles my new strategy in reducing the number of orks. Hopefully it will be at least hundreds or maybe thousands if they are in large clusters.

I ordered Daniel to fetch me Charles, my head knight and Gregor, the garrison commander. So I can show off this new idea I came up with. I expect they either would agree with my plan, or I'll have to resort to conventional warfare instead in this period. By the way what date is it again? I'll check it up later but for now I want to meet up with the people leading the defense.

*****

"Greetings your grace! What matters you need in summoning the head knight and garrison commander in such dire times." Charles made a brief introduction and both kneel after entering the room.

"Arise my servants, I have something that would be of use to us to thin out the ork horde besieging Isstvan." Richard said authoritatively and proceeded to guide them to the courtyard of his mansion; Gregor remain silent to the whole introduction.

I gotta say, its pretty spacious here, it seems like the previous dukes were more extravagant than I thought they were but right now he should not relearn his history just yet.

They were now seated outside at the garden where the many maids and gardeners were tending to the flowers and bushes. I took pulled 2 chairs indicating that they should relax for a bit, after all, they have been pushing themselves to their limits and so I poured them some tea. The two men briefly looked at each other confused for a moment but took the seats anyway.

"What is it do you have that brings us during this crisis." Charles spoke first.

Charles Holland was a 6'4, 23 year old knight who earned the highest rank among all knights from a young age. He leads a vanguard of other knights and follow the code of chivalry (although its slightly different than the medieval code). He has a long blond hair stretching from the neck to the spinal cord and is widely popular among the ladies.

He is still single due to the one part of the code is never marry until he has to turn in his current rank as head knight. Gregor on the other hand was a bit similar in appearance but has small scars in his face; he has short white, buzz cut hairstyle with bone-white hair.

Much bulkier than my head knight and is considered to be the best strategist in Isstvan, among all the commanders he faced. He was an ideal "defense" general. Only defense because he can't take on assaults that require time and resources; maybe thats why he hasn't decided to lead an army.

"I have brought you here to discuss about a weapon I have been formulating. One might help in the defense." Richard said with a straight face.

"Oh? and what is this weapon you speak of your grace?" Charles ask in curiosity.

"Soon you will see it my friend" Richard said eccentrically but still retaining that calm demeanor.

"Daniel" he called out.

"Yes your grace" Daniel replied with diligence.

"Take one barrel in the sheds I've kept. Its time to reveal its capabilities" I said in a melancholy voice.

"Right away my lord" Daniel replied and made a slight bow with his hand on his chest kinda like Sebastian from black butler. He left moments later and brought the special barrel I told him to get; put it at the middle of the garden where it was the safest to ignite.

"Now then gentlemen, shall we start?" Richard said to trigger their curiosity.

"Yes, you may start." Charles replied who was far away from the testing site.

I nodded and lit the string attach to the barrel, I walk slowly towards them while everyone was away from the blast radius. Within 15 steps something that I saw in their faces made me grin in delight. A brief flash of light was behind him as he walk. The look on their faces was priceless! Even the stoic Gregor was shock to see this.

BOOM!

It was a huge explosion that made the earth to level up in the sky, there was a full set of armor that no one was using - it was old and rusty so I ask Daniel to tell the black-smith to polish it. The perfect test figure to show how destructive this new weapon was.

In the aftermath of the explosion, there was nothing but dust in the air and a smell unfamiliar with the taste that presented, it was hard to breath in this atmosphere. As soon as this battle is over maybe he'll create smokeless gunpowder if he has more time to research it but for now this will do in the meantime.

"So, what do all think?" I ask the still struck men that were in front of me who gaped in awe.

"T-this... this is a powerful weapon you've created your grace! Maybe if we had 50 of these in each side of the wall, we would never have to worry about the orks climbing in." Charles praise the new weapon I brought to this world.

"hmph... That maybe so, although there is still the matter of production time for such weapons to be utilize. Might I ask how many barrels of this fire magic you are able to make my lord" Gregor finally spoke after all this time. I'm glad he asked

"hahaha.... It will take around a week or two if there was sufficient manpower, and it isn't called fire magic my friend." Richard chuckled as he tells Gregor and Charles how long it would take to produce.

"Wait! This isn't magic! then how did you acquire such a thing?!" Charles asked bemused learning that this was not made out of magic.

"No, it's just the work of the innovative mind that we humans possess." I told him in a gentle tone while looking at the sky with high hopes.

He was in a period of ignorance and superstition where man rely on the makeshift belief that magic will solve all their problems and thresholds, but I will shed some light into that simple mindset. Yes, it will bring upon a new epoch of understanding once I introduce my world's knowledge here, lifting it four centuries from now to a new modern age.

As we were discussing the details on how to apply the weapons intended use, one of my guards rushed in a hurry to deliver a dire message from the wall.

"My lords! The wall is being overrun by the greenskins in the thousands and are assaulting the west gate!"