NOVPUBSeeing this, Xiulote became somewhat irritated. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.
"Mohs scale of hardness…"
The Mohs hardness is a measure of one object’s ability to scratch another and more so reflects sharpness. Obsidian Stone’s Mohs hardness ranges from 5.2 to 6.2 and is a natural glass but prone to shattering. Copper has a Mohs hardness of only 3, while bronze ranges from 5 to 6. Iron has a Mohs hardness of 4, carbon steel at 5.5 to 6, and manganese steel reaches 6.5.
These numbers show that the sharpness of the Obsidian Club, Bronze Sword, and Steel Sword isn’t significantly different; it’s just that the cost and toughness are worlds apart. Steel Swords are inexpensive to produce and can bounce back even after bending over forty degrees during combat. Bronze Swords cost much more, and the metal’s toughness rapidly decreases as the hardness increases, prone to breaking at moderate angles. Obsidian production is entirely dependent on natural occurrences and severely lacks toughness. A single battle would completely wear down the sharp edges on the club.
Xiulote knew that superior quality Obsidian Stone hardness was around 6, similar to high-hardness jadeite, and could outperform early Bronze Swords that were not maturely heat-treated, which wasn’t surprising to him. But, what he hadn’t anticipated was the fragility of the highly anticipated Bronze Qin Sword; it simply couldn’t last long on the battlefield!
"It shouldn’t be so prone to breaking with insufficient toughness, it’s only 60 centimeters long! The Bronze Qin Swords from the latter period of the Warring States are lengthened to 90 centimeters! After being unearthed from the Terracotta Army, they were still sharp and sturdy... There must be some problem with the craftsmanship!"
"High tin content makes it sharp, low tin content makes it sturdy; the Bronze Qin Sword combines both, being sharp yet sturdy!... How to maintain a sharp edge while also ensuring a sturdy core?"
Xiulote pondered for a long time. Memories of the past surfaced one after another, bringing him many fleeting inspirations. The answer seemed on the brink of revelation. But some secrets are not to be unraveled in a moment. After a long while, the King shook his head reluctantly.
"Toltec, what do you think of this style of Bronze Sword?"
"Your Highness, Bronze Long Swords are sharp but easily breakable, offering no significant advantage over War Clubs. We can switch to half-arm-length short swords for close-quarters thrusting kills!"
Toltec recalled the scenes of the battlefield and said aloud.
"However, at that distance, Bronze Hand Axes are usually used. They can split open both Leather Armor and Cotton Armor! Also, during marching, Hand Axes can be used to chop obstructing vegetation and for hacking firewood. They use less bronze too, so it’s more practical!"
Xiulote nodded slowly after a moment of thought. He had encountered the Tarasco Royal Legion during his western campaign, who had Bronze Long Spears, double-handed Bronze Axes, and Bronze Hand Axes but no Bronze Long Swords. There naturally existed objective reasons. Only then did he turn to the two Masters kneeling on the ground, speaking in a softer tone.
"This isn’t your fault. Stand up, both of you!"
"Tilipi, continue organizing manpower to research the casting of Bronze Swords. The final product must be both sharp and sturdy... No excuses, this is a Royal Decree! I can assure you that it is achievable through some mixing methods! Chalape, you get involved as well."
"As you command, your Majesty."
Xiulote nodded. Chalape quickly gestured, ordering the apprentices to take away the broken Bronze Sword. He smiled and hastily changed the subject respectfully.
"Your Majesty, your wisdom is as profound as the sky, and your authority as dazzling as the sun! Based on the model armor you provided us, the new Cloth Bronze Armor has been successfully replicated!"
As Chalape spoke, he took a heavy set of dark Cloth Armor from the apprentice with both hands, as two of them presented it to the King. The outer layer was sewn from green cloth, filled with cotton and studded with dense bronze plates using bronze nails. The top of the Armor was stitched with spreading shoulder and armpit guards, and below there extended a protective skirt... Overall, the style of the Cloth Armor was very similar to the common bright armor of the era.
"Your Majesty, this is a long-sleeve Armor with extremely strong protection! The size of the bronze plates is about half a palm, and there are 240 plates. The tin content of the forged plates is around one-tenth, to maintain toughness as much as possible. Following the suggestion of the Head Warrior, like a valiant eagle, the plates prioritize the vulnerable chest, abdomen, shoulders, ribs, and waist, totaling thirteen jin of cotton and thirty-two jin of bronze, weighing forty-five jin! Look, it’s almost impervious to Arrows and resistant to Axes and Spears—a gift from the Heavenly Divine!"
Xiulote was taken aback by this and called out loudly.
"Forty-five jin?! Such Heavy Armor! Toltec, give it a try and test the defense!"
"At your command!"
Two trusted aides draped the heavy Armor over a wooden mannequin nearby. Toltec licked his lips, grasped the club with both hands, and stepped in front of the Armor. Then, with a loud yell, he struck furiously with all his might, swinging the War Club in his hands.
"Break!"
"Slash!"
"Smash!"
Toltec struck with all his strength, and the War Club made a terrifying howl through the air, hitting the Heavy Armor with a loud "bang bang" sound. After several blows, the Black Wolf, gasping for breath, looked at the long-sleeve Armor in front of him, his face showing shock. The outer cloth layer had been cut through by sharp edges, and some of the bronze plates inside were deformed, yet the whole suit of Heavy Armor was almost intact!
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"Good, very good!"
Having witnessed the defense of the heavy armor, Xiulote was overjoyed. He called out again.
"Switch to the longbow!"
Toltec nodded solemnly, cautiously stepped back, nocked a well-crafted copper arrow, drew the hundred-pound longbow, and released it like a bolt of lightning!
"Ding!" The copper arrow pierced the cloth, struck the tall armor, and then fiercely bounced off.
"60 steps, no damage."
"Ding!" It bounced off again.
"50 steps, no damage."
"Ding! Tear!" The copper arrow hooked onto the tall armor, its tip slightly indented into the armor plate.
"40 steps, minor damage."
"Ding! Bang!" Toltec clenched his teeth fiercely. He switched to an armor-piercing arrow with a thicker head, shot with all his might, and finally penetrated the heavy armor in front of him!
"30 steps, armor-piercing!" the trusted aide overseeing the test shouted loudly, and only then did Black Wolf’s taut face relax.
Xiulote nodded. He gestured for the trusted aide to bring the tall armor over. There were only two damaged bronze plates, the rest of the armor was intact. Such damage could be easily repaired by replacing the plates and nailing them back on. The King nodded with satisfaction.
"Not bad. Very good! Black Wolf, you have tried it yourself, how is this suit of armor?"
Toltec’s expression was grave. He thought for a moment, then said softly.
"A seasoned samurai wearing this armor could spar with me for a short while."
Upon hearing this, Xiulote laughed heartily.
"Ha ha! Black Wolf, what if you were wearing this armor?"
Toltec stood tall and chest out, looked around confidently, and said.
"As long as my strength does not fail, I would be an invincible warrior in this world!..."
In mid-sentence, Black Wolf turned his head, just in time to see the Head Warrior’s half-smiling, half-serious face. He opened his mouth and then added the last two words.
"...one of them..."
"Ha ha, good! Black Wolf, after the repairs, this heavy armor will be yours!"
Xiulote’s smile was meaningful as he waved a hand. Joy appeared on Toltec’s face. Then, the King became serious again and asked solemnly.
"Black Wolf, what if we carefully select a thousand brave samurais, all clad in such heavy armor?"
At these words, Toltec’s expression froze. In large-scale battle formations, if there were a thousand elite wearing heavy armor, forming a formation. They would not fear arrows and hand axes, needing no shields for defense, freely swinging their war clubs, directly charging at the opposing commander’s flag... Moments later, even on his usually fearless face, a hint of reverence appeared.
"Your Highness, if there were a thousand fierce warriors, able to wear this armor and fight for a quarter... they would be invincible in the world!"
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