Game of Thrones: I am Dothraki, not a barbarian

Chapter 188 Test Shooting
"The exciting moment is about to arrive," Rahalo rubbed his face, looked around, and shouted.

"Listen up, if this cannon casting is successful, I'll take you to Pentos to relax for three days with the best bed slaves!"

The tense atmosphere immediately eased, and amidst laughter, Rahalo gave the order.

"Prepare to pour!"

The furnace had already begun smelting long before Laharo arrived, and the craftsmen were continuously adding charcoal into the furnace, where the temperature had already reached its maximum.

The other group, following Lucas's instructions, applied a special coating to the inner surface of the iron mold. As Lucas said, this mixture of soot and coal dust could effectively prevent the molten iron from sticking to the iron mold.

When everything was ready, Corvo, suppressing his nervousness, called out loudly:

"Turn on the furnace!"

With his command, the furnace outlet opened, and molten iron, like molten lava, flowed down the pre-set channels into the waiting iron molds downstream.

The entire artillery workshop seemed to be bathed in orange-red light, and waves of heat rolled in, leaving everyone drenched in sweat.

The molten iron filled the entire mold, and everyone held their breath; the most crucial moment had arrived.

If the iron mold does not fit perfectly, the molten iron will leak. If the coating is uneven, the molten iron will stick to the iron mold and cannot be demolded, rendering the mold unusable and requiring a complete restart. If the cooling is improper, cracks will appear in the cannon barrel.

Lahalo stood to the side, his fingers gripping the hilt of his knife tightly.

The significance of this cannon is self-evident; it not only relates to his conquest plan but also marks the beginning of a new era in the history of warfare!

After four hours, the molten iron had cooled to a point where it could be demolded.

The craftsmen carefully removed the metal hoops that held the iron mold in place, and then took off the iron mold section by section. All eyes turned to the cannon barrel.

When the last section of the iron mold was removed, a complete twelve-pound cannon was revealed to everyone.

The cannon's body is smooth and symmetrical, with almost no flaws visible on its surface. In terms of appearance alone, this cannon can be called a work of art.

"Did it work?" Corvo couldn't help but ask.

"We did it!" Lucas excitedly hugged Corvo tightly, patting his back repeatedly with his rough hands.

All the craftsmen were overjoyed, and Baqu couldn't help but widen his eyes and lean closer to examine it, "This is a cannon?"

Lajalo stepped forward, reached into the cannon barrel, and felt its smoothness.

Then he ordered Baqu to bring a pre-prepared twelve-pound cannonball and put it into the cannon barrel.

The shell slid smoothly to the bottom, with just the right gap between it and the gun barrel—neither too loose, allowing propellant gases to leak, nor too tight, affecting loading.

“Now, everyone go back and rest until the cannons have completely cooled down,” Lajalo continued. “We’ll test fire them first thing tomorrow morning!”

...

Just as dawn broke, nearly a hundred people had gathered on the plain outside the secret valley; all of them were participants in the artillery project.
The test firing range has been built, and the artillery is ready.

This weapon, unlike anything the world has ever seen before, is about to undergo its first test firing!
Rahalo stood in the center of the crowd, his face flushed, and everyone could feel his nervousness and anticipation.

This is the biggest military equipment revolution he has witnessed since he transmigrated to this world. If successful, the Dothraki will soon possess weapons powerful enough to change the military balance!
"Call Lucas and Corvo here!" Lajalo said.

Soon, the two men came to his side. The 12-pound cannon, which had just been completed yesterday, was placed a hundred paces away, and the foundation had been leveled with a spirit level.

The cannon barrel is made of refined iron, with an extremely smooth surface and beautiful, flowing lines.

“Tell me the specifications of this cannon,” Lahalo Lucas said.

Lucas took a deep breath, suppressing his nervousness, and then recited the data he already knew by heart.

“Commander, this 12-pounder cannon has a barrel length of 1.78 meters, a caliber of 121 millimeters, and weighs approximately 2500 pounds. It can fire solid shot or grapeshot, with a maximum range of 1500 meters. It requires six horses to pull it.” “We Dothraki have no shortage of strong horses!” Rahalo said, eliciting laughter from those around him. Rahalo pressed his hands down and then asked, “Do you think it will succeed?”
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly, "Sir, the casting process went smoothly, but no one has ever seen this kind of cannon before. I dare not make any judgments."

Lahalo did not respond, but instead said to Heibaqu, who was standing to the side, "Prepare for a test shot!"

Baqu immediately raised his hand to signal, and ten specially trained soldiers, who were also the core members of the future Pentos artillery force, quickly surrounded the gun.

These soldiers were the most elite archers selected by Baqu from the Shield of Pentos, each a veteran of countless battles.

However, as they faced this unfamiliar steel monster, a hint of fear appeared in their eyes.

"Pay attention, all of you!" Baqu roared. "Follow the steps I teach you, and there will be absolutely no danger!"

Behind the safety fence, everyone held their breath, staring straight ahead, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.

Baqu first walked to the cannon, bent down to inspect the barrel, then stood up straight and gave a loud order.

"First step, clean the gun barrel!"

A soldier took a long pole with a wet wool brush attached to the end, inserted it into the inside of the cannon barrel, and wiped it back and forth several times to ensure that the inside of the cannon was clean and free of foreign objects.

"The second step is to load the gunpowder!"

Another soldier opened an iron box and took out a standard powder bag. This was black powder specially sealed in silk by the gunpowder workshop. The soldier carefully pushed the powder bag deep into the cannon barrel through the muzzle.

"The third step is to load the shells!"

A strong soldier picked up a solid iron cannonball, weighing 12 pounds. He gently placed the cannonball into the muzzle and pushed it into the breech with another long rod, right next to the powder bag.

"Fourth step: Seal the muzzle!"

A wad of burlap was stuffed into the muzzle and firmly packed down with a loading rod to ensure that the gunpowder and shells would not slip out.

"Fifth step, aim!"

Two soldiers adjusted the angle of the cannon, aiming the muzzle at a group of wooden dummies in the distance, about 500 meters away.

To boost the soldiers' morale, Lahalo made over five thousand dummies and equipped them all at once. Unless you were aiming with your eyes closed, it would be a miracle if you missed.

How can boosting morale be considered a disadvantage?

"Step six: Load the fuse!"

At this moment, Baqu personally took out a fuse and inserted it into the fire port at the breech of the cannon.

The entire room fell silent, everyone staring intently at Baqu's movements. Zheke nervously grabbed the earthen wall in front of him, tearing two gaps in it. His palms were full of dirt, and he looked completely bewildered.

On the Grass Sea, battle means charging on horseback, scimitars drawn, and this strange metal tube—could it be more formidable than the Dothraki?

Lazar, on the other hand, appeared quite calm. After all, he was a man who had tested gunpowder with Lahalo, and he was an experienced man.

But his palms were still sweating. If gunpowder was this powerful, how powerful must this iron pipe be?
"Prepare to fire!" Hei Baqu's voice broke the silence.

All the soldiers quickly retreated, leaving only Heibaqu standing behind the cannon. He looked at Lahaluo, awaiting the final orders.

Rahalo nodded to him.

Heibaqu raised the torch and took a deep breath.

"Fire!"

(End of this chapter)