I can understand why the place for making gunpowder is generally located in the countryside.
The smell of urine and feces mixed together during fermentation is so overpowering it feels like my nose is going to twist.
It's almost at the level of a biochemical weapon’s odor.
“Ugh, the smell. I think I’m going to die. Help me...”
As I instinctively brought my hand to my mouth, a soldier standing guard naturally brought over a bucket.
“You can vomit into this.”
I couldn’t possibly throw up here, considering my noble status, but my nose is practically screaming.
At least it’s better than throwing up on the ground.
Once I emptied my stomach, I felt a bit better.
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“If I hadn’t eaten this morning, I would’ve been in serious trouble.”
The other servant next to me vomited almost twice as much as I did.
“What an embarrassing sight.”
“The smell is so awful that even we who have been working here for a month sometimes end up throwing up.”
We gave plenty of warnings to the soldiers who volunteered for this duty, and we’re paying them very generously.
Even the lowest-ranking soldier earns four gold coins a year, and seasoned craftsmen earn even more.
We also promised to issue a recommendation letter in my name when they apply to become non-commissioned officers after their service, so I thought that would be enough.
“I need to raise their salaries a bit more.”
I could imagine them trying to cut wages once this is all over, but I will protect these friends' salaries, even if I have to discuss it with His Majesty.
“You’ve been through a lot. Here’s a small reward from me.”
I handed them two silver coins.
While it’s quite a lot for two soldiers, that money would just be spent on a squad dinner anyway.
To properly feed about 30 soldiers with meat and drink, that amount would suffice.
Serving in the military must be hard work, so I need to ensure they’re compensated well.
“Loyalty, thank you! Director of Public Safety!”
As I entered, the stench intensified even more.
Before my eyes lay a vast field of stone and excrement.
Seeing a massive heap of waste measuring 2 meters wide, 5 meters long, and 1.5 meters high filled my vision, making my head spin.
Considering they even put a roof over it to protect it from the rain, it’s really hard to describe.
“Did they say you can get about 2 to 4 kilograms of gunpowder from a ton of waste?”
It feels like such a small yield...
But compared to the time when they dug up soil like in mining and only managed to get 500 to 800 grams from a ton of soil, this is a revolution.
“I don’t see any white crystals that look like chunks of saltpeter yet.”
In Korea, they referred to it as “mocho,” and when those crystals appear, it means it’s time to start extracting the saltpeter.
Originally, these need to be fermented for a year, but wishing to see saltpeter crystals after just a month is a bit unreasonable.
Having spent a long time here, I finally began to adjust to the smell, and I could finally start to see my surroundings.
The prisoners were working with expressions that looked like they were going to die.
They were directly shoveling and turning over the waste heap, adding straw for ventilation and fermentation, and even reshaping it back into its original form.
They were even spraying urine to maintain moisture.
Usually, when doing such work, there would be some chatter, but everyone was silent, likely because they truly felt like they were going to die.
“I think it was a great decision to make the prisoners do this.”
The servant I brought along responded.
“It's truly remarkable how you, Baron, have turned such worthless prisoners into useful individuals. Though it’s a lowly task, it’s something that needs to be done.”
There’s an ideology that punishment shouldn’t just be harsh but should aim for rehabilitation as well.
It’s not necessarily wrong.
Unless they’re sentenced to life imprisonment, all prisoners will eventually be released from prison and return to society.
If rehabilitation fails, they’ll return to society, commit crimes again, and cause harm.
“Rehabilitation is more beneficial than punishment.”
It’s also right to open a path for a prisoner to live like a human being.
But in this era, no one seems to think that way.
“Occasionally, there may be those who commit crimes out of necessity. I saw a case last year when I worked as a low-ranking clerk at the Florence court. There was someone who stood trial for killing the scum that raped his daughter.”
That case had become a hot topic among the nobility.
There was a bastard who raped his daughter and then tried to evade responsibility and escape, and the story of a commoner who killed him became widely known.
The deceased was not of noble birth either...
So, it gained immense sympathy and empathy from everyone.
“In our empire, where the spirit of chivalry still lives, it was indeed a very desirable act of revenge.”
The presiding judge unusually sentenced him to just one hour in prison, and the nobility rewarded the protagonist of that heartwarming story with substantial donations.
“Excluding such cases, there are those who steal food from others just because they’re a bit hungry and threaten people. How can we rehabilitate such wicked individuals? They are no better than beasts, and we can only warn them with severe punishment.”
The idea that punishment should be justified and focused on rehabilitation is a concept relevant only in a world with human rights.
“Moreover, most of those who commit crimes are the poor, so allowing minor offenders to finish their sentences and continue working here to support their families is a great mercy.”
This is the general mindset of this era.
Human rights, rehabilitation? The basic thought is to just catch all criminals.
But it seems this mere servant is quite knowledgeable and has a lot to say.
“You’re quite knowledgeable. You said you were a court clerk; what family do you come from?”
Being a court clerk isn’t a job just anyone can do.
“I’m the third son of the Heritz Baron family. Originally, I intended to continue working as a clerk in the court, but it seemed that becoming a servant for the Medici Baron family offered a better future, so I moved here.”
...For a mere servant of a baron family to be so educated.
Is our family now considered a large corporation?
As I was thinking such thoughts while patrolling, the soldiers and gunpowder craftsmen were supervising the prisoners from a distance.
“Is that how you mix it? The waste pile won’t blend properly like that!”
“If I catch anyone trying to escape, I’ll send them to Deus!”
The prison system in an era devoid of human rights awareness is truly horrific.
One must live without committing crimes, indeed.
No, I must not lose in political battles against the nobles.
“As long as I don’t commit treason, I won’t have to toil like that...”
As I continued to patrol, the supervisor hurried over from across the area.
“Baron! If you’ve arrived, you should come inside immediately. Why on earth are you in such a smelly place...”
When I heard those words, I felt a moment of displeasure.
It’s not good for the chief supervisor to belittle the site.
However, that thought was quickly dismissed.
“Isn’t it strange to get accustomed to this smell? It seems you’re quite persistent despite the stench. You seem to visit the site often.”
“Isn’t it an important task entrusted to this old man, who retired three years ago? Naturally, I must give it my all.”
“Although the smell is strong, I need to see how things are running. Let’s talk while we head to the office.”
Upon hearing my words, the supervisor continued smoothly.
“For the first week, we focused on creating the saltpeter beds on one day and using soldiers to eliminate the prisoners’ will to escape on another. Given the stench, the dirtiness, and the difficulty of the task without pay, it’s understandable why they would feel that way...”
I appreciate that he sees the employees here as people rather than just prisoners.
“However, these are those paying for their crimes, so we’ve disciplined those trying to escape by beating them as an example. Not a single person is attempting to flee now.”
It feels like there’s a bit left unsaid here, but I’m sure the term ‘collective responsibility’ is attached to it.
If one person tries to escape, they are beaten severely enough that death would be preferable, or even if there’s an attempt to escape, they are assigned tremendous labor as punishment.
“I can’t say anything against trying to prevent prisoners from escaping.”
“And although it hasn’t even been a month yet, this method is bound to succeed.”
“How can you be so sure?”
The supervisor smiled widely.
“The gunpowder craftsmen can taste the soil and know how much gunpowder can be produced. I tasted it, and it was quite excellent.”
It seems this is a common practice around the world, as it was in Korea.
“If we ferment it for a year, we can get six times the output compared to the traditional methods. Considering the labor of digging for soil has been eliminated... I believe we can yield around ten times as much.”
Even if the gunpowder production increases tenfold, it doesn’t mean our military power will drastically strengthen.
However, the capacity to conduct warfare increases, raising the chances of victory in battles.
“It’s like a marathon; it’s not about who runs the fastest but about who can maintain their pace.”
“That’s quite impressive.”
Now that the work at the saltpeter beds has been organized, I can leave the rest of the practical matters to the Director of Public Safety.
From now on, I only need to show up once a week.
All that’s left is to wait for about a year.
“If we succeed in production after a year, I will welcome you as an official retainer of our Baron family.”
“Thank you.”
Then, I spent several hours discussing with the supervisor.
After a year passed and the results came in, I declared in front of all the generals and numerous nobles gathered in Florence:
“From now on, the empire will no longer have to worry about gunpowder.”
After I spoke, the conference room erupted into a frenzy.