Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Summoning
As promised, Aurora reported this time's illegal export to the National Security Committee. The committee moved immediately, but while Samura was arrested, they let Dr. Bell slip away.
Because of that, Steve was summoned.
He was led to a small room in the royal castle.
Waiting for him at the place he was called to was King Carter Gis Cascade. In the same room, besides the Chancellor, Professor Cyril Earhart was there.
And, on a desk in front of the king, there was one model. Steve, who hadn't heard the details, thought 'Oh?' upon seeing it.
But, for now, he first greets the king.
"Your Majesty, did you call for me?"
"Sorry. It has become a situation that cannot be handled by intelligence agencies alone. I wish to borrow your power."
"Understood. And, what kind of thing?"
"Regarding that, Professor Earhart will tell you."
Being told that, Steve looked at Cyril.
"I had an excellent researcher named Ricardo Bell among my students, but it turned out he was joining hands with foreign forces to build a huge cannon. The cannon parts were procured by Archibalt Steel, and they were trying to transport them to the Big Bear Empire, but Lord Sowell noticed that plot, and the outflow of parts abroad was prevented. However, the actual Bell and the foreign agent who contacted him slipped away."
"I see. Is the model on the desk that cannon?"
Being told that, Cyril nodded.
"It is a gliding cannon with a barrel 50 meters long, a device that can shoot a 1.5-ton shell 10,000 kilometers away."
Hearing those numbers, Steve was surprised.
"You mean that is possible?"
"Yes. I analyzed the data remaining in Bell's laboratory, and the calculation showed that with a Multi-chamber gun, if the firing angle is set to 51 degrees, it becomes so."
Multi-chamber gun is a general term for cannons having multiple propellant combustion chambers on the side of the barrel. Steve knew that from knowledge of his previous life, but hearing the range distance from Cyril, he was surprised at that length.
Cyril continues.
"Range is proportional to initial velocity. Until now, the ignition timing of the chamber was difficult, but due to the development of electronic devices, that has become possible. And, if the trajectory can be launched to high altitude where air resistance is thin, a range of 10,000 kilometers is not impossible. Mostly, this is based on Bell's calculations."
"Experiments?"
"Since the matter was urgent, we have not conducted experiments. Also, if our country conducts experiments, it will cause unnecessary worry to other countries."
When Cyril said that, the king also nodded. And, he spoke to Steve.
"If this is developed and put into operation, great damage will occur. Can you ensure Dr. Bell's custody no matter what, and have the blueprints and research content passed to the Big Bear Empire destroyed? Also, your daughter's company is involved in this."
"When you say that, I cannot refuse."
Steve said that, but if attacked by such a weapon, many sacrifices would come to ordinary citizens, so he had no intention of leaving it alone at all.
However, because his child was brought up as a bargaining chip, he felt a little uneasy, but the king was delighted that Steve accepted, and did not notice that feeling.
"Details will be explained by the intelligence agency."
"Understood."
The king said that and left the room.
Cyril, who remained, spoke to Steve.
"In cases like this, where pipes for oil field development are converted into cannons, is there a means to prevent that?"
"Difficult, isn't it. Particularly since Archibalt Steel is a private company, if we oblige monitoring of sales destinations, profit won't come out, so they will withdraw from the business. If that happens, real oil field development will not be able to be done. Just because there was a murder case using a kitchen knife, if we restrict the sale or use of kitchen knives, it is the same as people being troubled with meals. Even so, to make it possible to shoot a warhead this far away..."
"Dr. Ricardo Bell was a genius. He might have been the most excellent among my students."
With eyes like he was reminiscing about the past, Cyril spoke of memories.
"Even after lectures ended, he kept asking how to throw things far, and by the next week, he would come back summarizing the results he thought of himself in a report. I did not have a student with such enthusiasm."
"That passion changes the world, but this action cannot be overlooked."
"Can't you save at least his life?"
Cyril pleaded to Steve. He wanted to avoid his former student dying. However, Steve shook his head horizontally.
"It is not me who judges, but the law. Since I wasn't ordered to kill, I won't kill, but it is about how it turns out when the crime is compared to the law. I cannot twist the sentence of death penalty with my power."
If it becomes treason, the death penalty is certain.
However, if Steve asks for clemency, it is certain he will be given a reduced sentence even twisting the law, but Steve himself did not want to do that. Not rule by man, but rule by law. Even holding high power, that kind of thought had not changed.
To Cyril, who made a disappointed face being told that, Steve continued.
"It is not yet decided that he will be executed. There will be a way."
What the crime is has not yet been decided. If that is the case, depending on the trial, it might become a punishment other than death penalty. For example, we can attach a capable lawyer with Cyril's funds.
At the point of talking that much, a person from the intelligence agency came. The two stopped the talk there, and decided to listen to the explanation for tracking Dr. Bell.