New Quest: Total War Preparation
Objective: Upgrade Military Technology • Forge a Stronger Alliance
"Six months."
I stared at the large map of the islands spread across the bamboo table. Six months until the Spanish returned with a bigger fleet and heavier guns.
"We cannot simply hide behind walls," I said. "We must be ready to strike on both land and sea."
Hiraya, Pagbuaya, Mei, and my senior engineers and blacksmiths leaned in closer.
"It's time to move beyond lantaka cannons," I continued. "We're building muskets."
Project: The Barako Musket
Creating a reliable handheld firearm was far more complex than casting cannons. Over the next several weeks, the forges blazed nonstop.
I worked closely with the head blacksmith, Master Tano, and his apprentices.
"The barrel is the heart of the weapon," I explained, sketching precise measurements on a smoothed piece of wood. "We make it from the highest quality steel Mei's furnaces can produce. The breech — the back end — must be thick-walled to contain the explosion. We'll taper it gradually toward the muzzle to reduce weight. Inside, the bore must be perfectly smooth and consistent — any imperfection will ruin accuracy or cause the barrel to burst."
Master Tano nodded slowly. "This will take many attempts. The iron must be folded and hammered repeatedly for strength."
We settled on a design roughly 140 cm long with a 18mm bore. The wooden stock was made from strong narra wood, shaped to fit comfortably against the shoulder. For the lock mechanism, we used a simple but sturdy matchlock system — reliable enough for our current capabilities, though it required the user to keep a lit matchcord ready.
Hiraya picked up the heavy prototype and tested its balance. "It feels like a small cannon with a stick attached," she said. "How do you aim this thing?"
"You brace it against your shoulder, align the front and rear sights, and squeeze the trigger lever," I replied. "It's not as accurate as a good bow at long range, but it's far deadlier up close and requires almost no training by comparison."
The Test Fire
We took the first completed Barako to a testing range cleared deep in the forest.
I loaded it carefully:
Fine-grained gunpowder measured into the barrel with a wooden cartridge.
A lead ball wrapped in cloth wadding.
Then I placed the glowing matchcord into the serpentine lever.
I shouldered the weapon, aimed at a reinforced wooden target fifty paces away, and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
A massive cloud of white smoke erupted. The heavy recoil slammed into my shoulder like a hammer blow. Downrange, the lead ball punched straight through three layers of hardwood and rattan armor, embedding deep into the earth behind it.
Hiraya ran forward to inspect the damage. When she returned, her eyes were shining with excitement.
"That hole… even Spanish steel breastplates won't stop this at thirty paces," she said. "The sound alone will break their morale."
I rubbed my bruised shoulder and grinned. "We'll call them Barako muskets — the weapon of strong men. They're heavy, slow to reload, and vulnerable in the rain… but in massed volleys, they will change everything."
The Training Fields
Three days later, the real work began.
We gathered three hundred volunteers — farmers, fishermen, young warriors, and even some former slaves who had earned their freedom. They stood in uneven lines under the blazing sun as I addressed them.
"Today, you stop being warriors who fight with heart and courage alone," I shouted. "You become soldiers who fight with discipline and steel."
The training was brutal and repetitive.
First came the loading drill. Over and over again:
Bite open the paper cartridge.
Pour powder down the barrel.
Ram the ball and wadding with the wooden ramrod.
Prime the pan with fine powder.
Light or position the matchcord.
"Faster!" Hiraya barked as she walked down the line. "If you take longer than twenty seconds to reload, you die while you're still fumbling!"
Pagbuaya took over the live-fire training. He arranged the men in three ranks.
"Front rank — kneel and fire!"
"Second rank — step forward and fire!"
"Third rank — advance and fire!"
The roar of musket fire rolled across the field like continuous thunder. Thick smoke hung heavy in the air, making the men cough and their eyes water. Still, we pushed them.
I walked among them during breaks, correcting grips and explaining the science behind the weapon.
"The smoke is your friend and your enemy," I told one young farmer. "Use it to hide your movements, but never lose sight of your formation."
By the end of the second week, the once-chaotic lines had transformed. The men could now load and fire three coordinated volleys in under a minute. They moved as one unit rather than individuals.
Hiraya wiped sweat from her brow as she watched the final drill of the day. "They're still slow compared to what you described from your… old knowledge," she said quietly. "But they're improving faster than I imagined."
"They'll get better," I replied. "We still have months."
Project: The Fire Ships
While the musket training intensified, Pagbuaya focused on naval warfare.
"We need something that can hurt those giant galleons," he said one evening at the shipyard.
I showed him the plans. "We'll convert old cargo boats into fire ships. Fill them with barrels of palm oil, dried coconut husks, gunpowder charges with slow fuses, and bundles of pitch-soaked wood. When the wind is right, we set them ablaze and steer them straight into the enemy formation. One well-placed fire ship can engulf an entire galleon."
Pagbuaya's grin was feral. "The sea will burn. I like it."
As the forges roared and the training fields echoed with musket fire, the entire alliance began to change.
Quest Progress:
[Barako Musket – Mass Production Started]
[Musketeer Training – 300 soldiers at basic proficiency]
[Fire Ship Fleet – 8 vessels ready]
[Alliance Military Readiness: 58%]
Warning:
Spanish forces are also preparing. Time grows short.
I stood on a hill overlooking the training fields as smoke drifted across the sky and the sound of musket volleys rolled like distant thunder.
The age of steel and smoke had truly begun.
To be continued...
Next Chapter:
Chapter 10: Shadows in the Alliance