The New Process for Creating Gunpowder

Bruno's gaze swept across the room, observing the craftsmen and blacksmiths exchanging uncertain glances. Finally, after a long pause, a single hand hesitantly rose from the back of the room.

It belonged to a wiry man in his late thirties, his face weathered and marked by soot and faint scars. His sharp eyes stood out against his otherwise unassuming appearance. The room quieted as all eyes turned toward him.

"You, step forward."

The man wove through the crowd carefully. When he reached the front, he bowed deeply. 

"Your Highness, I am Elias Moreau, a practitioner of alchemy."

Bruno raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is your experience in this field, Elias?"

Elias straightened his posture. "Your Highness, I studied alchemy under Master Gregor in the city of Bellavance for nearly a decade. My focus was primarily on metallurgy, potion-making, and explosives. Since returning to Corse, I've used my skills for practical purposes—treating ailments, crafting specialized alloys, and, occasionally, creating small quantities of gunpowder for local hunters."

Bruno nodded, impressed by the man's credentials. "Then you are precisely the person I was hoping to find."

The room murmured softly at the prince's words, but Bruno raised a hand to silence them. "Elias, I would like to speak with you privately. Follow me."

Elias bowed again. "As you command, Your Highness."

Bruno turned to Antoine, who was standing nearby. "Antoine, ensure the craftsmen and blacksmiths are given further instructions regarding the rifle modifications and production timelines. I will rejoin you shortly."

Antoine nodded. "Understood, Your Highness."

Bruno gestured for Elias to follow him as he moved toward a side room, away from the crowd. The room was modest, furnished with a sturdy table and a few chairs. Bruno closed the door behind them, ensuring their conversation would remain private.

"Please, have a seat," Bruno said, gesturing to one of the chairs as he took his own.

Elias complied, sitting with a mix of deference and curiosity. "How may I serve you, Your Highness?"

"I want you to answer this question of mine," Bruno said as he took his seat. "How do you create gunpowder?"

Bruno asked the question in hopes of identifying the method the people used in this world. If it's the same as his previous world in history, then everything would be easy from here on out. But if it's different, he'll adapt accordingly. 

"Your Highness, gunpowder is made by mixing three things—saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. Saltpeter is the most important; it's what makes the mixture burn quickly. Sulfur helps it catch fire easier, and charcoal is what burns to make the explosion. The amounts have to be just right, or it won't work well."

Bruno nodded, appreciating the simplicity of the explanation. It aligned with what he already knew, though he noted the practical focus of Elias's experience rather than a theoretical understanding.

"And where do you get these materials?" Bruno asked again.

"Saltpeter is the hardest to find," Elias admitted. "Here in Corse, we get it from manure—animal waste. It takes time to collect and refine. Sulfur comes from rocky deposits, mostly near old volcanoes. There isn't a lot of it, but we can find enough if we dig. Charcoal's easy—made from burning hardwood in the right way, and there's plenty of that near Loretto."

Bruno's mind raced as he considered the challenges. Saltpeter production would be slow, but scaling it up was possible. Sulfur might require mining operations, and charcoal was already a straightforward process. 

But there is a way to simplify things. The Haber-Bosch process had revolutionized the production of nitrogen-based compounds in his previous life. Though it wouldn't be possible to replicate the exact process in this era, the fundamental idea could serve as a foundation for improving saltpeter production.

He turned his attention back to Elias, leaning forward slightly. "Elias, the method you described—using manure to extract saltpeter—is effective but slow. What if I told you there's a way to produce it faster and in larger quantities, bypassing the need to wait for natural deposits to form?"

Elias blinked, intrigued but skeptical. "Faster? Your Highness, how would that be possible?"

Bruno hesitated, simplifying his explanation to avoid overwhelming the alchemist. "In my studies, I learned of a method where nitrogen is extracted from the air itself and converted into compounds like saltpeter. The air around us is filled with nitrogen—it's abundant. The trick lies in finding a way to bond it with other elements to create something usable."

Elias frowned, visibly trying to grasp the concept. "Drawing nitrogen from the air?" 

"That's correct," Bruno affirmed, leaning slightly forward. "In essence, the process involves taking nitrogen from the air and combining it with hydrogen to produce ammonia, which can then be further processed into compounds like saltpeter."

Elias nodded slowly, his interest clearly piqued. "And how would this work, Your Highness? What are the steps?"

Bruno decided to keep the explanation simple, focusing on the practical elements that could be adapted with the resources available. "First, nitrogen must be captured from the air. This is achieved by compressing air in a controlled environment. At high pressure and temperature, the nitrogen can be made to react with hydrogen."

"Hydrogen?" Elias asked, furrowing his brow.

"Hydrogen can be obtained from water," Bruno explained. "By separating water into its components using heat or other methods, you can isolate hydrogen. Once you have both nitrogen and hydrogen, they are brought together in a reaction chamber. Under high heat and pressure, with the aid of a catalyst—typically iron—they bond to form ammonia."

Elias leaned back, absorbing the information. "This ammonia… you say it can be turned into saltpeter?"

"Exactly," Bruno confirmed. "Ammonia can be processed into nitric acid, and from there, it can react with certain compounds to create saltpeter. This eliminates the need to rely solely on manure or natural deposits, allowing production to scale up significantly."

Elias remained silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "This sounds revolutionary, Your Highness. But such high temperatures and pressures—are they achievable with the tools we have?" 

"We will create the tools. In fact, I have the blueprint for it. And I want you to lead a team that will make the tools and equipment needed for such a process. I have here the detailed step-by-step on how to create it. Can you do it?"

"I will try, Your Highness," Elias replied with a tone of uncertainty.

"I will ask again, can you do it?" Bruno repeated his question.

"I can do it, Your Highness," Elias replied, this time with conviction.

Bruno leaned back in his chair, a faint smile on his face. "Good. That's the conviction I need."