From the very beginning of the cement section's construction, Roland had already planned the test rooms for subsequent projects, most of which were built around the North Slope Mines for centralized monitoring. These low-rise structures with earthen brick walls and wooden ceilings were constructed at lightning speed without disrupting the city wall's progress.
The large-scale procurement of saltpeter from Liuye Town was transported to nearby warehouses for storage. When needed, it was ground and weighed by laborers, then delivered in batches to the bungalows. The same procedure applied to charcoal and sulfur. The transportation and mixing of these three raw materials were performed by different teams, thereby minimizing the risk of leaks.
Roland measured twenty pounds of prepared black powder and carefully poured it onto a prepared sheepskin.
These gunpowders have undergone processes such as soaking, compaction, sun-drying, hammering, and sieving, resulting in uniformly sized granules with excellent combustion properties. To prevent accidental incidents caused by collision sparks, no metal containers were used throughout the production process, with most components being ceramic or wooden materials.
After loading the gunpowder, Roland layered the sheepskin into three thick layers and secured them with ropes.
"Is this enough?" Carter asked. Could this be called a weapon? Though an improved version of snow powder, who would be intimidated by mere sound? It might work against inexperienced farmers, but no trained warrior or mercenary would take it seriously. However... Chief Knight pondered. Your Highness's recent actions seemed irrational, yet most proved remarkably effective. If the demonic beasts' intelligence matched that of wild animals, this might work unexpectedly—like a thunderous roar scaring them into fleeing, thereby easing the pressure on the city guards.
Roland stuffed the wrapped gunpowder into Carter's chest, then took the bag of finely ground powder for ignition. "Almost done. Let's head outside the city walls—the iron axe should be ready by now." About two li west of the walls, a clearing between the Hidden Forest and the Desolate Mountains marked the test explosion zone he'd designated.
Iron Axe and several other hunters had been waiting at this spot for quite some time. All but Iron Axe were locals and counted among the finest archers. When they heard Your Royal Highness had a mission for them, they eagerly followed Iron Axe to the scene.
It's common knowledge that the new Lord of Border Town never skimp on his mercenaries' pay.
At Roland's command, they erected long wooden poles with ropes around the perimeter, forming a half-mile-wide perimeter. Meanwhile, Knight patrols were stationed near the city walls to prevent accidental encroachment.
Roland circled the perimeter of the perimeter and nodded. "Have all the game been brought in?" "Your Highness, everything is here," replied the man. Iron Axe approached with a cage, and Carter noticed several pheasants and rabbits inside.
"Very well, position them at five, ten, fifteen, and thirty paces from the center, tying one to each stake," Carter murmured, shaking his head. "Your Highness, these animals you've chosen may prove ineffective. They're inherently timid, scattering at the slightest noise. Even if they startle them, it might not deter the evil beasts." "Deter the evil beasts?" Roland paused, then realized. "I don't intend to scare them away, though the explosion's sound is indeed terrifying." He led the Chief Knight to the circle's center, set down the gunpowder bag, and slashed a small opening with a dagger to let some powder escape. Then he took out the leather pouch containing gunpowder, scattered it from the crack, and retreated while scattering.
The calm weather today is perfect for this primitive detonation method.
Roland didn't put away his leather bag until he'd walked nearly a hundred meters.
"Alright, let's light the fire right here," he measured the distance carefully, and only after confirming everything was correct did he say to Carter, "Call the Orion team over." Roland was already excited. Having conducted preliminary flash ignition tests before, he wasn't worried about the results. What mattered to him was that this would be a historic moment—starting today, firearms would officially take center stage, and he would be etched into history as the pioneer.
After everyone had gathered, Roland lit the gunpowder.
Carter lay sprawled on the ground, watching the rapidly receding Martian surface with a hint of disdain.
With such a vast distance and no bronze container to contain it, whether the crackling of the snow powder could reach this place remained uncertain. Your Royal Highness had actually made everyone lie on the ground. But since the Fourth Prince had taken the lead in doing so, he couldn't argue further.
The winter ground was bone-chillingly cold, and the chill could be felt even through the chainmail. As Carter shifted his body to turn his chest away, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted. The shockwaves and blast waves reached him simultaneously due to the close proximity. His ears buzzed, and the world fell silent. The tremor of the earth faded in an instant. He looked up to see a dark cloud slowly rising, followed by a shower of gravel and mud raining down.
Roland took far less of a hit than Chief Knight. Even someone like him, who could block his ears with firecrackers, immediately took protective measures after igniting the gunpowder. The explosion didn't create the massive fireball seen in movies. The flames flickered briefly before a blast of gas lifted a cloud of debris ten meters into the air. When the dust settled, all Roland could think was: This was way louder than firecrackers.
The Iron Axe and the other hunters were utterly stunned. Only the Iron Axe knew this expedition was to test a new weapon, but they never imagined its impact would be so overwhelming.
Only the thunder of divine punishment can be compared to it!
Roland stood up and led the group back to the blast site. A half-meter-deep crater lay on the ground, with the rabbit closest to the blast's epicenter long gone, leaving only a short stub of a wooden stake.
He examined each animal one by one. The pheasants at ten and fifteen steps lay motionless on the ground, clearly dead. Though no visible wounds were present, Roland knew they had perished from the blast's shockwaves.
The sole survivor was a gray rabbit thirty paces (approximately 15 meters) away, its thin ear walls oozing blood spots. When it saw someone approaching, it ceased struggling, as if the sudden blast had just taken its soul.
Carter swallowed hard, his ears, which had been buzzing incessantly, finally settling into normal. Only then did he grasp the meaning of Your Royal Highness's remark:' No intention to scare them away.' Was this truly a refinement of snow powder? With this achievement alone, the alchemist would likely far surpass the astrologer.
God's expression shifted completely as Iron Axe looked at Roland. "Your Highness, if the militia could possess such weapons, Border Town would no longer fear the threat of the demonic beasts. I wonder if they could mass-produce them?" Roland shrugged. "Probably not. By the time the Demon Moon arrives, we might only have enough to make twenty or thirty." The key issue was saltpeter. The methods for producing saltpeter in this era were still primitive—relying on mixing lime with human and animal dung to collect the crystallized potassium nitrate. Apart from the alchemy workshops and the upper nobility, there was little other demand, so such extraction sites were scarce. If used solely for explosives, they would be depleted quickly.
As a trump card, this weapon must be used in conjunction with firearms and crossbows.