Re: Steel and Gunpowder

Konrad shared borders with the Swiss Cantons and the northern Italian city-states... territories that were fiercely independent, wealthy, and currently terrified of the massive Catholic mobilization.

Instead of placing thousands of his own Jaegers on those borders to fortify them, Konrad had decided to arm the locals.

He established neutral trade zones and began selling these revolving-cylinder pistols to the Swiss and Venetians for a shockingly small amount of silver.

Soon, there would be hundreds of these six-shot revolvers in the alpine markets. By next year, maybe thousands!

"But why in God’s name would he arm his potential rivals?" Reischach asked, trying to push his aching body up against the wall. "Is he completely mad? What if the Swiss mercenaries decide to march north into Swabia?"

"He is offering them the crumbs," Kaelen explained. "Konrad’s main infantry carries the Pattern-3 rifles. His cavalry has Gatling carts that fire a thousand rounds a minute. He keeps the devastating power for his own state. But this? What is the threat? It is a short-range pistol. But to a Swiss mercenary, it is ten times deadlier than a traditional rapier or a matchlock."

As such, the Swiss and the Italians were buying them in staggering quantities.

It gave them enough localized firepower to deter rogue Spanish patrols or mountain bandits, which meant Konrad didn’t have to waste Swabian lives securing his southern flank!

Plus, he was generating an astronomical fortune from the exports!

Kaelen leaned closer, his eyes wide. "You should have seen this Venetian trader, Reischach. He was sweating like a pig, guarding a reinforced carriage full of these beauties. He had three hundred of them! He told me the secondary foundries in Augsburg are stamping the parts out day and night. The trader was selling them for just fifteen silver thalers each. Fifteen! A decent suit of Milanese plate armor costs fifty times that! Soon, every merchant guard and mercenary captain in the Alps will be carrying these."

"He controls the mercury fulminate required to spark the powder," Kaelen added, his smile fading into a grim line. "If a Swiss Canton decides to march an army of these revolvers against the Kingdom of Alemannia, Konrad simply halts the export of the primer caps. Once they shoot their six rounds, the weapons are useless."

Afterward, a suffocating silence fell over the cabin...

"Hand it to me," Reischach said, holding out his trembling hands.

Kaelen hesitated for a fraction of a second, then carefully placed the iron and walnut revolver into Reischach’s lap.

It was significantly heavier than a traditional dueling pistol, but the weight felt incredible. It felt like condensed power.

"Careful," Kaelen warned, resting his hand near the table. "It is not loaded with powder, but the mechanical hammer is extremely sensitive. You don’t want to snap the firing pin against an empty nipple."

Reischach ran his thumbs over the walnut grip, admiring the cylinder.

Baron Klaus was truly a demon of metallurgy...

The weapon was perfectly balanced, the center of gravity resting directly above the trigger guard!

Reischach lifted it, resting his forearm on his knee to steady the barrel. He aimed the empty iron muzzle at the closed door across the room.

"I can wield this," Reischach whispered, a thrill shooting through his veins. "Even with my bruised ribs... I can drop six men before they can even draw their swords!"

"That is the spirit, Baron," Kaelen grinned, slapping Reischach lightly on the shoulder. "I bought ten tins of the Swabian primer caps and a keg of fine powder from that Venetian. It cost me nearly every gold florin I had left, but it gives us roughly three hundred shots."

"Three hundred shots is a formidable start," Reischach said, slowly lowering the revolver. "But we need a constant supply of the primer caps. If Konrad controls the mercury fulminate, we have to find a way to manufacture our own. Or steal his shipments."

"Infiltrating Augsburg is absolute suicide," Kaelen said, shaking his head. "Princess Elise has thousands of Jaegers, and her intelligence network just dismantled Kinsky in a single evening."

"I did not suggest we march on Augsburg," Reischach replied.

The fog of pain and depression was slowly lifting from his mind...

"Konrad has an exposed supply lines moving across the Alps to keep these neutral trade zones armed and pacified."

Kaelen raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by the Baron’s pivot. "You want to raid a Swabian export train?"

"No," Reischach said. "I want to hijack the entire southern trade route. But to achieve that, we need men. Hardened veterans. Not these Austrian conscripts hiding in the occupied villages."

Though Reischach had lost his standing in Vienna, his reputation among the Austrian military elite was not extinguished...

The name ’Baron von Reischach’ still commanded deep respect.

If he could show the remnants of the Imperial army that he was alive, and that he possessed the multi-shot weapons of the new age, they would abandon their plows and flock to his banner in a heartbeat!

"Where are your loyalists?" Kaelen asked, leaning forward eagerly over the table.

"In Salzburg," Reischach stated with certainty. "There is a deeply entrenched network of my former household guard there. About three hundred veteran halberdiers who survived the initial Swabian invasion. They assumed I was rotting in Chancellor Wenzel’s crypts, so they integrated into the local militia to lay low. It is time to wake them up."

The rest of the day was spent in quiet preparation inside the logging cabin.

Kaelen roasted a brace of snow-hares over the hearth, and they ate the tough meat in silence.

As the winter sun began to set, Reischach sat on the edge of his cot, practicing the mechanical loading motion, cycling the cylinder until the action became muscle memory.

"We ride for Salzburg tomorrow night," Kaelen said, tossing another piece of dry pine onto the fire. "It will take us five days if we stick to the goat trails and avoid the macadam highways. We must be incredibly cautious. The Swabian border patrols are reinforced because of the Emperor’s mobilization."

Reischach looked down at the Swabian engineering resting in his lap.

"Kaelen," Reischach asked. "Do you think six conical lead rounds can pierce the armor of a Swabian Jaeger?"

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