The daughter of Baron Walton I and the gentlemanly retainer of the Duke of Richmond made the journey to Kirrington with ease and comfort. As the party entered the village of Isingwald, Gentleman Beard Smith mentioned to Miss Isabelle, Baron Walton's daughter, something that interested him.

It's late spring and early summer in May, and riding a horse through Yorkshire's fresh, comfortable countryside and fields is so vibrant and colourful. The blue sky, turquoise fields, lush woods and large farms and pastures make for a wide range of views and a pleasant experience.

Although the question of the supply of arquebus equipment has always haunted Isabel's mind, it does not stop her from appreciating and feeling the beautiful season of late spring and early summer. The gentleman who rode on one side looked sideways at Isabel, who was in a heroic posture and wore two swords, one long and one short, at her waist, and said with a smile: "Your Excellency, I am surprised that you can think of bringing back such a large number of arquebuses from overseas. I am sure that His Highness and the other gentlemen, and Yorman, will think the same way. ”

Isabel looked at the fields of farmland beside the road, and glanced at the gentleman with a smile, "Old Beard, the Spaniards have conquered many indigenous peoples and lands in the Americas with arquebuses and artillery. I think that we, as Your Majesty and subjects of the Kingdom, can also use these two firearms to make the Kingdom stronger. ”

The gentleman's body rose and fell with the horses on a fast march, one hand holding the reins, the other caressing his beard, "Mademoiselle, you are right. However, there are times when victory in a war does not depend entirely on the advanced firearms in the hands of the sergeants, but on the courage and strength of the sergeants. Miss, do you agree with me? ”

Isabel savored the gentleman's words, which she felt concealed in her sense of emphasizing people over weapons. In short, the view is that weapons do not play a critical role in war, or whether it takes a large number of organized and disciplined soldiers to win the war.

She vaguely recalled, however, that such racial arguments were usually found only among the Nordic or Aryan ethnic groups. And it is very puzzling that such an argument would also arise in the British Isles, which were predominantly Anglo and Saxon. Smiling lightly, he replied to the gentleman as he turned back to the road in front of him, "Old Beard, I don't deny your opinion. Well, you're telling me that in order to defeat the enemy in war, you ultimately need a sergeant with strict discipline and high morale? ”

Beard stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before nodding his head at her, "I think so, Miss." Regardless of the weapon, our brave, fearless, and wise knights and sergeants can defeat their enemies. ”

"Don't you, gentleman, think that the kingdom is in the midst of humanism at this time?"

"Miss, what do you mean ......?"

Then, looking calmly at the somewhat puzzled gentleman, Isabel continued, "Humanism holds that only by affirming the value and dignity of man, advocating the pursuit of freedom and happiness, and emancipating man's mind can he recognize the essence of things and possess the highest thing that man holds—truth." ”

Born in the North and raised in the North, Beard was only half-aware of the humanism that prevailed in the courts of the South and in Oxford and Cambridge universities. It seemed that after a long time, he nodded slowly, "Miss, how can we have facts or truths?" ”

"Beard, I think you're interested in arquebuses too, aren't you?"

"Well, firearms are a terrible weapon, and they can easily defeat a knight in armor with a spear in hand."

"Very well, so do you want to know why the arquebus is so powerful."

"Yes, miss, I don't even know how firearms came into this secular world." Beard's words revealed his truest thoughts. ”

Isabel smiled as she looked at the gentleman and said, "Beard, no matter how the firearms appeared, all you have to do now is to act and buy a few arquebuses." That way, you know what it's capable of, right? ”

Beard smiled lightly, stroked his beard and sighed, "Miss, although I think that weapons cannot decide a war in many cases, your words make me have to admit that firearms can indeed bring us easier victories on the battlefield. ”

At this time, the two led the team into the village of Ischenwald, and many villagers with festive faces stood on both sides of the road to make way for the two, and kept bowing and greeting the two. Isabel smiled politely as she turned to the addition of the anquebus's equipment, "Gentlemen, just as the life of the aristocracy needs these pious people to serve, the arquebus also needs a constant supply of equipment to exert its might. ”

The gentleman, who seemed to enjoy the deference of the peasant in the country, looked at her with a smile, "Miss, though I don't know what you mean. However, I'd love to hear from you. ”

"Old Bede, I'll give you some projectiles, arquebuses, and black powder after the festival, and I hope you can make a batch of these items."

"Miss, I think I can study and make the projectile and the arquebus. It's just that this black powder ... I don't understand what it was made of. ”

Isabel also wanted to figure out how black powder was made, and the gentleman's words stumped her for a moment. In England during this period, Henry VIII used a large amount of war resources to supply the two-front war, almost all of which needed to be purchased from overseas with heavy money, and the domestic productivity and level were difficult to support the supply of war resources. How to use domestic resources and manpower to make black powder has become a difficult problem in front of her.

Soon, as the team and the wagon left the countryside and continued along the road to the northwest, Isabel thought of how to quickly solve the problem of the supply of black powder. Glancing at the gentleman, "Old Beard, do you think the Scots used arquebuses in their war with us?" ”

Beard Smith looked at her and said hesitantly, "Miss, I just heard that the Scots have artillery. ”

At this moment, Isabel looked back at the carriage behind her and several saber guards. As her gaze swept over the maid Rose's face, she thought to herself, "On the one hand, you can write to Captain Hawkins and ask him to buy ancillary equipment on her behalf." On the other hand, try to rely on the craftsman skills of old Beard to make it yourself. ”