Building a Modern Nation in a Fantasy World-Chapter 55: Preparing a Black Powder Bomb
After a short walk, Arthur and Klein arrived at the training grounds. Arthur’s eyes scanned the open space, searching for an area large enough to safely demonstrate the power of black powder. He needed enough room to be safe and prove just how destructive it could be when confined.
As he walked further in, knights on their lunch break took notice. Many knights were curious why Arthur would come to the training ground during lunch time and why Klein carried a barrel and followed Arthur to the training ground. Arthur had trained with them nearly every morning, fostering camaraderie between the knights and mages. Thus, the knights didn’t hesitate to approach Arthur to ask.
One of the knights stepped forward. "Your Majesty, what brings you here? And why is Sir Klein carrying that barrel?"
Arthur smiled. "I’ve come to demonstrate a power none of you have ever seen before."
The knights exchanged puzzled glances. More of them began gathering, their curiosity piqued. They turned to Klein for answers, but he looked just as uncertain as they did. Klein still wasn’t convinced that black powder could be as devastating and destructive as Arthur claimed. Without a word, Klein handed the barrel off to one of the knights.
Arthur then asked, "Can you point me to an open space where I can safely test a large explosion?"
The knight thought for a moment before gesturing toward the far side of the grounds. "Your Majesty, the area where the mages practice large-scale spells should be big enough."
Arthur nodded. "Good idea. Let’s go there. Also, call any knights who are resting or curious to see what I am about to do."
The knight quickly relayed the message while Arthur and Klein headed toward the mage training area. By the time they arrived, nearly twenty knights had followed, eager to see what Arthur was planning.
At the training ground, Alice and Aaron were in the middle of a sparring session. They stopped when they saw Arthur and a growing crowd behind him.
Alice approached first, her voice no longer holding the resentment she had once carried toward Arthur, but rather a neutral curiosity. "Arthur, this is a training ground for mages. What are you doing here? And why is Sir Klein, along with a brunch of knights, following you? Also… what’s in the barrel?"
Arthur chuckled. "I’m here to show just how powerful black powder is—and how destructive it can be when used properly."
Aside from Arthur, Klein, Alice, and Aaron, no one present knew what black powder even was. The knights and mages glanced at each other, confusion clear on their faces.
Alice furrowed her brow. "The black powder you’ve been working on these past few days?"
Arthur nodded. "Yes. Klein had his doubts, so I decided to show him—and everyone else—what it can really do."
Aaron crossed his arms, intrigued. "Do you mind if we watch too?"
Read lat𝙚st chapters at fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓ Only.
"Of course not," Arthur said. "Actually before you watch, I need a favor—can you clear this area and gather all the mages in this area here?"
Aaron nodded. "I’ll speak to the instructor and get everyone together." He walked off to carry out the request.
Meanwhile, Alice turned back to Arthur, still puzzled. "Why do you need all the mages to gather?"
Arthur chuckled. "Because I need everyone to clear out at least a hundred meters from the blast zone. It’ll be dangerous for anyone standing closer than that."
Alice thought she heard Arthur wrong and asked him again. "Did you just say… a hundred meters?"
Arthur smiled and nodded.
Before Alice could respond, Klein interjected, his skepticism unwavering. "Your Majesty, you’re not serious, right? When you burned the black powder earlier, it was nothing more than a flicker of fire and a little smoke. And now you’re saying it needs a hundred-meter safety zone?"
Arthur smirked. "As I told you, Klein, when used properly, black powder is a dangerous weapon. You’ll see for yourself soon enough."
Klein, Alice, and even the gathered knights exchanged uncertain glances. A single barrel creating an explosion big enough to require a hundred meters of space? That was nearly the length of a professional football field. It sounded absurd.
Yet, despite their doubts, they said nothing and waited for Arthur’s demonstration.
Before Aaron returned, Arthur turned to the knights. "Find a rope at least 120 meters long."
A few knights ran off to find the rope while Arthur and the others waited. The air was thick with anticipation, though most of it was laced with skepticism.
Moments later, Aaron returned with a group of about thirty mages. They gathered near Arthur, their faces filled with confusion. Many of them had been pulled away from their training with little explanation and were now staring at the growing crowd of knights.
One of the mages, a man with short-cropped hair and a deep scowl, crossed his arms. "Aaron, why exactly did you call us here? What’s going on?"
Aaron gestured toward Arthur. "The king is about to demonstrate something he claims is incredibly powerful. Something he calls black powder and you are in the range."
"Black powder?" another mage echoed, looking around in bewilderment. "Never heard of it."
"You’re not alone," a knight muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, the knights returned, carrying a bundle of rope. It wasn’t as thick but it was long—more than enough for what he had in mind.
Arthur took one end of the rope, inspecting it briefly before turning to one of the knights. "Take a knife and poke a small hole near the top of the barrel. Just enough for the rope to fit inside."
The knight hesitated. "Uh… Your Majesty, why exactly do we need to poke a hole in the barrel?"
Arthur smiled. "Because we need to light it from a safe distance. This rope will act as a fuse, giving us enough time and space so we don’t need to go near the barrel when it explode."
Once the rope was ready, he ordered one of the knights to place the barrel about 100 meters away from where they currently stood.
After the knight came back, Arthur instructed Alice to use her fire magic to burn the rope.
