The Cannon Test
Upon seeing Karl, Elmont rushed over excitedly like a child, disregarding all formalities, and exclaimed, "Sir! You've come! It's a success! The Eagle Cannon you requested, we've built it!"
"Oh? So soon?" Karl was secretly pleased, but remained calm on the surface. "Take me to see him."
"Yes! Please follow me, sir!" Elmont quickly led the way, taking Karl to a reinforced brick warehouse next to the workshop.
He took out his key, unlocked the heavy iron lock, and pushed open the thick door.
The warehouse was dimly lit, and the air was filled with a mixture of smells of metal, grease, and saltpeter.
In the central open space, two objects covered by thick canvas were placed. Elmont stepped forward, took a deep breath, and with a solemn expression as if displaying precious treasures, abruptly ripped off the canvas!
Beneath the canvas, two Cannon gleamed with a dark yellow metallic sheen!
Karl immediately stepped forward and examined him closely.
The design of these two cannons was extremely similar to the "Eagle Cannon" or "Fo-Lang-Ji Cannon" that he remembered and Hector described.
They were much smaller than the six-pound field gun the Count had gifted them, with a noticeably shorter barrel, estimated to be only a little over a meter long, making them appear very compact and powerful.
The cannon barrel is made of bronze and has a fairly smooth surface. There are trunnions on both sides of the barrel, and the rear is an open-type main gun structure. Several pre-made sub-guns are also placed next to it.
Elmont, standing to the side, proudly recounted the details. "Sir, this is the Eagle Cannon we successfully prototyped, just as you requested!"
"It has a standard caliber, fires three-pound iron shells, and the total weight of the cannon is controlled at around 250 kilograms. The barrel is 1.3 meters long," he pointed to the material of the barrel, "It uses the best bronze, with a ratio of eight parts copper to one part tin, which is tough and not easy to explode."
Karl reached out and stroked the cold, solid cannon barrel, feeling the subtle texture left by the metal casting process and its heavy weight.
He focused his attention on the connection point between the sub-gun and the main gun, noting the ingenious design of the latch and flange, clearly intended for airtightness.
"Excellent, Elmont, you've done a fantastic job!" Karl praised without reservation. "To achieve such results in just over a month far exceeds my expectations! You and your assistants have worked incredibly hard!"
Upon hearing the Lord's affirmation, Elmont blushed with excitement and rubbed his hands together, saying, "It's all thanks to you, sir, for giving us this opportunity and your support! We've been determined to live up to your trust!"
"Has it been test-fired? How did it go?" Karl asked the question he was most concerned about.
"We haven't conducted live-fire exercises yet," Elmont answered honestly. "According to regulations, the first test firing must be done by the gun maker, which is myself. However, we have checked it many times, especially the air-tight mechanism. We have also tested it with water and low-pressure airflow, and the seal is excellent! We are confident!"
Karl nodded; caution was necessary.
Looking at the two new Cannon that embodied his hard work and hopes, a surge of pride welled up in his heart.
These are not just two cannons, but also an important step for the Carnford Army industry towards independent innovation and precision manufacturing.
With it, future armies will have a wider range of tactical options.
"Get ready. Tomorrow morning, find a safe spot behind this mountain for a live-fire test!" Karl ordered. "If the test is successful, you and your team will be richly rewarded!"
"Yes, sir!" Elmont's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Shortly after the successful trial production of the Eagle Cannon in Elmont, Hector's Minin Cannon project also brought good news.
Hector held a simple yet lively wedding with Helena on April 15th at Stockaded Village Number One.
Karl himself came to offer his congratulations, and even Her Highness the Princess was there, which made Hector feel extremely honored.
After the wedding, he immediately threw himself into his work, leading the craftsmen to work day and night.
Within a month, the Cannon workshop completed the manufacture of twelve Minin Cannon.
Karl was also seeing this so-called Minin Cannon for the first time. It was much shorter than the Eagle Cannon, but thicker, weighing about 350 pounds.
The cannon barrel was smooth, without the iron hoops around the Crouching Tiger Cannon he remembered. The gun carriage was still under construction, and currently only two cannons had carriages. With four wheels, they could be moved around by a horse.
To test the actual effectiveness of these two new Cannon and to maintain strict secrecy, Karl chose a secluded, mountain-surrounded valley deep in the hills to conduct a small-scale live-fire test.
Those present were limited to Karl, Edgar, the two artisans and their key assistants, and the absolutely loyal soldiers responsible for perimeter security.
The testing began with the Eagle Cannon developed by Elmont.
Under the watchful eyes of Karl and others, Elmont and his assistants skillfully and cautiously carried out the pre-launch preparations.
They first securely placed the Eagle Cannon carriage in the pre-set firing position and carefully inspected whether the inner and outer walls of the gun barrel were smooth and free of cracks or pinholes.
Then, Elmont personally pushed a "sub-gun" that had been pre-loaded with a propellant charge and a three-pound solid iron bullet steadily into the opening at the rear of the main gun, and heard a soft "click" to confirm that the gas-locking latch was locked.
Once all preparations were complete, the assistants quickly retreated to a safe distance, leaving only Elmont by the gun position.
He took a deep breath, picked up the long ignition rod, turned around and shouted to Karl and the others behind him, "Sir, I'm aiming at that lone dead tree 300 meters ahead!"
Despite his confidence in his work, his voice still carried a hint of barely suppressed nervousness, given that it was his first real-world test launch.
He gripped the ignition rod tightly with both hands and steadily extended the Hemp Rope, which was wrapped around the tip and soaked in saltpeter, towards the touch port at the rear of the main gun.
After a brief alignment, he slammed the match cord into the firebox!
"Boom!!!"
A crisp yet violent roar echoed through the mountain valley!
The gun recoiled violently, only to be firmly stopped by the spade of the gun carriage, kicking up a cloud of dust.
At the same time, a black iron pellet, trailing a faint smoke, traced a low and graceful parabola as it flew toward its target at an extremely high speed!