Quoted By:
"Worry not of such things, Artillery Master. I can give you my good word, as the Viscount Portblanc, that I shall pay restitution to any damage that may come from such an trial."
With such a comment, your goal is all but assured. Specialist he may be, Vettorio is a commoner nonethelesss, and to cast doubt upon your word would be an insult unlike none other. Of course, were you to give your word and renege on it, it would be your reputation that would be left battered.
"..Very well, milorde, let us attempt this theory of yours" he says, resignedly.
With the aid of the gunmaster, you get to testing your theory; though not directly to the cannon: you have the common sense to start with a smaller, more replaceable arm—the arquebus. Acquiring one from the stockpiles made to replace any lost or broken by the soldiery, you watch on carefully as Vettorio 'cooks' a bullet, heating the small pellet upon an iron plate until it is glowing red. With some small tong, he picks the lead ball and shoves it into the arquebus where you had placed the two layers of hay.
Picking the gun himself, he raises it to an empty wooden barrel, connects the match and presses the trigger! A small crack sounds out and wood shatters as the bullet breaks through the barrel. The two of you wait for a while in complete silence, waiting, holding out to see whatever may come out of this. Yet nothing does. So you wait some more...
No sound nor smoke nor flame can be seen from the barrel. It would seem your first attempt was a failure.
Disappointed, yet curious still, you order the barrel opened, that you may see what has transpired of the bullet and where it has landed. You watch on as Vettorio examines the barrel, searching for any signs of what may have transpired. He speaks
"Ah! There it is, milorde." he says, picking a miniscule fragment of lead. "It hath shattered upon impact and showered the inner side of the barrel, as one might expect. There are some minor blackened spots upon the entry and where the shrapnel hath landed, but no more."
"A failure, then." you say, in a disappointed tone.
"Nay, nay, milorde, this be of great promise!" he says, surprising you. What does the man speak of?
"Arquebus pellets are made of lead, Don Alessandro. It is a material of a much lower melting point. The iron we use for our shot shall be far hotter!"
A success, then? If your idea of heated shot is brought true, it would change warfare greatly! Perhaps not as greatly as the very introduction of the shot might have, but certainly, the men of the Imperial Navy would enjoy it greatly.
