Chapter 541
With support from everyone from the king to the nobles and ministers, things began progressing rapidly.
First, the royal army’s size expanded significantly. Unlike before, when they mainly hired mercenaries in bulk, this time it was the regular army that expanded.
The biggest factor enabling this was Pedro’s purge of the nobles.
Starting with the Duke of Braganza, the purge of the kingdom’s prominent nobles resulted in all their territories, from mainland Portugal to African colonial holdings, becoming royal property. This newfound massive source of income enabled them to maintain a large standing army.
Furthermore, with most of the purged nobles’ private soldiers being absorbed into the regular army, both quantity and quality improved significantly.
During this growth period, new firearms began arriving from Joseon and Italy.
“Though they’re both flintlock rifles, the difference is substantial.”
Pedro couldn’t hide his disappointment as he examined the Joseon and Italian models side by side.
The captain of Pedro’s guard standing beside him explained the issues.