A few days later, the news about the destruction of 'The Black Hand' chapter settled down like a pebble dropped into a lake.
The headlines on the newspapers were once again dominated by news like 'His Imperial Majesty Attends Naval Ship Launch Ceremony' and 'Massive Workers' Strike Breaks Out in the Gallic Republic.'
It was as if the minor unrest in the Balkan Peninsula had never happened.
But Morin knew that the undercurrents beneath the surface were only growing stronger because of it.
He took advantage of a Saturday afternoon to return to the Falkenstein Manor.
Cecilia was in her study, handling a large number of documents.
Seeing Morin enter, she put down her fountain pen, her face first showing surprise, then an irresistible urge to tease:
"Well, isn't this our 'busy bee,' Captain Morin? What brings you back today… I thought you were already immersed in the ocean of knowledge at the War College and had forgotten about your sister?"
"The ocean of knowledge is indeed vast, but one always needs to surface for air sometimes~"
Morin chuckled and sat down on the sofa opposite her, then dropped his smile and spoke directly:
"Big Sister Cecilia, I need your help with something."
Seeing the rare seriousness on Morin's face, Cecilia also set aside her joking mood and sat up straight.
"Tell me."
"If I recall correctly, Falkenstein-Eisenstein Joint Industries also has a number of offices in the Balkan Peninsula, right?"
"If possible, I hope you can help me gather intelligence on unusual military movements, material transports, personnel flow, or even fluctuations in local commodity prices in the Balkan region."
Cecilia's eyebrows subtly furrowed. She acutely sensed something unusual in Morin's words.
"Fritz, what do you need this intelligence for?" she asked with some concern. "Have you… noticed something?"
"Just a soldier's instinct."
Morin wasn't sure how to answer. "I feel like something big is bound to happen there sooner or later. It never hurts to be prepared."
Although Cecilia harbored doubts about Morin's explanation, she did not press him.
"If it's only routine information, no problem."
Cecilia agreed readily.
"I will instruct my people. Joint Industries has many business partners and agents in the Balkans. Gathering this kind of information is not difficult."
"Thank you, Big Sister Cecilia."
"Must you use such formal words between us?"
Cecilia rolled her eyes at him, then immediately adopted a tone of concern.
"As for you, running around between classes and commanding troops, don't work yourself to exhaustion."
"Don't worry, my body is in great shape, strong as a bull~"
Morin laughed and stood up, walking toward the door.
"Business is concluded. I need to get back to the garrison. I have training this afternoon."
"Eh? So soon? Won't you stay for dinner?"
"I can't. The whole battalion is looking at me. I can't be seen slacking off, can I?"
Bidding farewell to Cecilia, Morin quickly rushed back to the Teaching Assault Battalion.
The camp was, as usual, a scene of bustling activity and high enthusiasm.
During this period, batches of the newly mass-produced MG14 light machine guns and accompanying equipment were continuously arriving at the camp.
The soldiers, surrounding these brand-new, gleaming weapons that smelled strongly of gun oil, had eyes wide with excitement, as if they were looking at unparalleled beauties.
The arrival of the new weapons greatly stimulated the soldiers' training enthusiasm.
Executive Officer Kleist and Operations Staff Officer Manstein immediately organized the companies to begin new training subjects based on Morin's previous syllabus.
Squad fire coordination, fire support while maneuvering, rapid shifting of machine gun positions…
These tactics, which were entirely new to traditional Saxon infantry, had now become routine on the Teaching Assault Battalion's training grounds.
Morin stood on the edge of the training field, watching the soldiers gradually integrate the new tactical thinking into their instincts. His heart was filled with satisfaction.
However, he quickly noticed a new problem.
In many of the squad assault drills, he saw soldiers, after rapidly shifting positions, fumbling with the leather ammunition pouches at their waists to pull out reserve stripper clips.
The entire process looked very clumsy.
"This gear is cumbersome." Morin frowned.
The currently issued M1909 leather ammunition pouches, while made of durable materials and finely crafted, were designed with a philosophy that couldn't keep up with the Teaching Battalion's current training methods.
The individual pouches hanging from the waist were not only inconvenient to retrieve ammunition from but also interfered with the body's movement during strenuous exercise.
For assault troops who needed frequent movement and quick reactions, this equipment was nothing short of torture.
They must be issued a more compact and convenient carrying system!
A classic design immediately sprang into Morin's mind.
The Type 56 chest rig.
The canvas chest rig, simple in structure, low in cost, yet incredibly practical, was perfectly suited for the Assault Battalion.
No sooner said than done.
That same evening, Morin spread out paper in his office and, relying on his memory, began to draw the design for the Type 56 chest rig.
The industrial capability of this world meant that manufacturing this kind of canvas product was entirely possible.
The canvas backpacks the soldiers already carried proved that the necessary materials and sewing techniques were mature.
The structure of the Type 56 chest rig was not complex.
Its core value did not lie in any advanced technology it employed but in its revolutionary design philosophy.
It completely broke away from the traditional method of hanging ammunition, grenades, and other items in individual small pouches around the waist.
Instead, all combat essentials that needed quick access were integrated into a single 'vest' worn on the chest.
This design was not only convenient for quick retrieval but also kept the center of gravity stable.
Even during vigorous running or crawling, it would not significantly interfere with the soldier's tactical movements.
It was a systematic innovation born from countless practical combat needs and tested by fire and blood.
Since the original design was already near-perfect, Morin made few adjustments.
The grenade pouches and utility pouches on the sides required no modification.
He only modified the three iconic large magazine pouches on the chest into three smaller ammunition pouches designed to hold the Gew.98 rifle's stripper clips.
Each pouch could hold six stripper clips, totaling 120 rounds of ammunition.
Plus, a multi-purpose pouch that could store extra ammunition, cleaning tools, and other miscellaneous items.
This 'three up, one down' combination satisfied the rifleman's ammunition needs while accommodating other utilities.
As for the color, it would naturally be the field gray, matching the current service uniform.
Morin had even planned ahead: once the submachine guns were issued to the troops in the future, they would only need to replace the three small ammunition pouches with ones sized for submachine gun magazines for a seamless transition.
In any case, the cost of this item would be negligible compared to the overly expensive leather gear.
After completing the blueprints, Morin felt a sense of relief.
The next day, he submitted an application to the War Office to replace the Teaching Assault Battalion's carrying gear, along with the blueprints.
In the application report, he simply highlighted the immense advantages of the new carrying gear in terms of cost and practical combat effectiveness.
To save time, he also stated that he would not wait for the War Office's allocation but would pay out of his own pocket to find a reliable textile factory to produce a batch of prototypes first.
His first installment of the 'shaped charge anti-armor warhead' patent compensation had already arrived, making him a 'damned wealthy man.'
Any problem that could be solved with money was not a problem for him.
Picking up the telephone on his desk, Morin dialed the Falkenstein Manor's number.
Tasks like finding a factory and negotiating business deals were most efficiently handled by Cecilia.
The soft, somewhat languid voice of Cecilia came through the receiver.
"Hello? My busy man. What do you need from your 'subordinate' now?"
Morin heard her teasing tone and couldn't help but smile.
"Big Sister Cecilia, please help me find a skilled canvas processing factory not far from Dresden. I have a new item I need them to manufacture…"
Time quickly slipped into June 1914.
The biggest piece of good news for Morin this month was that he finally completed the 'crash course' at the Saxon War College.
Although he was only an auditor, the College still formally issued him a certificate of completion.
This meant he was finally freed from the daily rush between the College and the camp, and could dedicate all his energy to the training of the Teaching Assault Battalion.
And the day after he received his certificate, Helga brought him even more exciting news.
"Boss, I've managed to build both versions of the automatic weapon you wanted!"
Helga's voice on the phone was filled with barely contained excitement.
Morin immediately understood what Helga was referring to.
The submachine gun!
He immediately rushed to the temporary workshop Cecilia had set up for Helga.
Stepping into the familiar studio, Morin saw Helga standing before a large workbench.
Two brand new weapons lay on the velvet cloth covering the workbench.
Seeing Morin enter, Helga's face broke into a radiant smile.
She quickly walked up, pulling Morin to the workbench like a child eager to show off a prized creation to a parent.
Two brand-new weapons, almost identical in shape but with fundamentally different feeding mechanisms, lay before Morin.
Morin's gaze was instantly drawn to one of the guns.
The long barrel shroud covered with ventilation holes, the sturdy wooden stock, and the highly iconic horizontal magazine inserted from the left side of the receiver…
Undoubtedly, this was the MP18 submachine gun… although, since it was 1914, it should probably be called the MP14.
"Boss, this is the prototype gun, refined based on the blueprints left by my brother."
Helga introduced the side-loading submachine gun with some pride.
"When my brother designed this gun, his main consideration was the convenience for soldiers firing in the prone or kneeling position, which is why he designed the feeding mechanism on the side. This prevents a long magazine from touching the ground and affecting the firing posture during prone shooting."
Morin nodded; he understood the design philosophy.
Then, he turned his attention to the other prototype gun.
This gun was very similar in overall structure to the MP18, but the main difference was that its feeding port was relocated to the bottom of the receiver, utilizing a conventional vertical magazine feed.
(End of this Chapter)