Warring States Survival Guide-Chapter 364 - 251: A Lifesaving Cloak!

Harano has always been willing to spend money on the army. In addition, Wanjin is now filled with workshops, fiercely competing with one another. Even the market share of the "State-Owned Workshop" has been consistently under threat, so every piece of equipment on Wanjin soldiers can be called high-quality, or else the workshops couldn’t secure orders.

The Tachi is a well-crafted blade forged in layers, the plates of the Armor are made entirely of fine iron, the Iron Cannon is reliable, its barrel polished to be incredibly smooth, the military uniform is tightly stitched, sturdy and durable, and it even has a silk lining underneath for easier arrowhead removal.

Kitahata Giyou flipped through it for a moment and had to admit that the Wanjin Army was indeed well-equipped, and even he, with his years as an old Samurai, couldn’t immediately discern the purpose of the gear carried by Wanjin soldiers.

For example, when he came across a bundle of fabric, he couldn’t fathom why Wanjin soldiers needed to carry such an item, so he couldn’t help but ask, "What is this?"

"Lord, it’s a rain cape... probably a rain cape!" Hirata Fujimori took the bundle, untied the knot, and shook it open to show Kitahata Giyou, sighing, "We also tried for a long time before figuring it out.

Lord, please look here, this piece of fabric is double-layered; the outer layer is brushed with tung oil, the inner layer waxed, making it completely waterproof, and as you can see here, there are rope holes, strings, buttons, and buttonholes at the four corners of the fabric. Just like this..."

As he spoke, he spread the fabric on the ground, folded one corner inward, buttoned the fabric corner into the buttonhole, then draped the fabric over himself, coincidentally, the fabric’s corner rope holes were right at the neck’s sides. As he pulled the string, the fabric tightened, instantly turning a corner of the material into a hood, which conveniently flipped over the head.

That wasn’t all; there was also a slit in the fabric’s side. By feeling around, he could extend his arm out through it, and casually picked up the Iron Cannon from the ground and shouldered it, which didn’t hinder shooting at all. Because the rain cape was propped up, it even provided some resistance, reducing the chances of the matchlock being extinguished by wind and rain. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Handling swords and guns was the same; swinging and stabbing wouldn’t cause much hindrance.

"Truly... ingenious!"

Kitahata Giyou understood now, and after carefully examining the rain cape’s details, he found its craftsmanship impeccable, with leather wrapped around the buttonholes. Even he was somewhat fond of this rain cape, and he wished he had one for himself.

"Lord, that’s not all."

Hirata Fujimori chuckled bitterly, taking off the rain cape, and then extended the strings inside the fabric, tying them to a tree in the courtyard before folding the fabric in half and buttoning it. With a short spear shaft propping up the middle, a small shelter against wind and rain was set up, enough for one person to rest inside without issue.

He explained in passing, "Lord, propping it up like this allows for temporary accommodation, and these kinds of rain capes can be buttoned together in layers. As long as there are enough of them, they can form a large tent or be laid on the ground to waterproof and prevent dampness, allowing for a good night’s sleep in the wild."

Kitahata Giyou nodded, finally understanding the purpose of this bundle of fabric. This kind of equipment was very suitable for a place where it rains over 180 days a year. Although life in the wild is still arduous, with this item, a lot of hardships can be avoided, at least allowing soldiers to get a good rest and conserve a significant amount of energy.

Seeing that he understood, Hirata Fujimori then dismantled the rain cape, unbuttoned it, loosened the strings, pulled it flat again, folded it from both sides into a tube, tightened the strings, tied both ends, and turned it back into a bundle of fabric, easily slinging it over his shoulder.

This rain cape wasn’t invented by Harano, and before the finished product came out, he didn’t even know there was such a project in the Wanjin Army. It was during their training that the Wanjin Army realized that rain severely impacted combat effectiveness, so they made a request to the Wanjin internal affairs system: they needed better rain gear than the traditional straw hats and raincoats.

Upon receiving the request, the Wanjin internal affairs system began searching the market for procurement, sparking the interest of many workshop owners. Ultimately, the owner of a clothing store had a brainwave and created the first generation of "tablecloth-style rain capes," winning the order and making a small fortune.

After the introduction of this new equipment, it quickly led to a rush of imitation among peers, who secretly added various features based on the first generation, unscrupulously intensifying competition.

By the time the Wanjin Army found the effect of small-scale procurement satisfactory and was preparing for large-scale provisioning, the inventor of the "tablecloth-style rain cape," the clothing store owner, unexpectedly didn’t receive any orders, having been outcompeted by shameless peers.

Out of anger, the inventor sued all his competitors for "theft," accusing them of stealing his "exclusive formula."

This issue dragged on for more than a year until both sides finally compromised: All workshops producing "tablecloth-style" rain capes would pay the inventor based on production volume for ten years. Future similar instances would follow this precedent, ensuring no one could plagiarize others’ "secret formulas" without cost.

To this day, the Wanjin Army’s rain capes have been developed to the seventh generation, with quality improving and functionality increasing. The Wanjin people continue to secretly compete, anticipating another upgrade and renewal next year to secure the largest orders as the Wanjin Army updates and supplements its equipment.

Many workshop owners don’t even aim to profit from army procurement; they just want a reputation, as the Wanjin Army’s military procurement is a key focus of Ah Man and the Wanjin internal affairs department, under extremely strict scrutiny. Anyone engaging in fraud, accepting bribes, or creating backdoor deals must be prepared to be seized by the supervisory department and thrown into the mines, so few dare to try.