Empire Rising: Spain

When the public learned through various channels that Carlo was about to organize a bullfighting event in the new year, they immediately burst into cheers, with some bullfighting-loving Spaniards even more excited about it.

The Spaniards’ love for bullfighting is undeniable. During the bullfighting season from March to October, nearly every bullfighting show is packed.

There was once such a comment about the Spaniards’ love for bullfighting: ”Spaniards may be late for any event, but bullfighting is not one of them.”

This statement is not an exaggeration, especially in several southern regions of Spain, such as the Andalusia Region.

As the most populous region in Spain, the Andalusia Region has the most bullrings in Spain and the most fervent bullfighting enthusiasts.

Generally, outstanding bullfighters can receive rewards such as bull ears and tails, but in the bullrings of the Andalusia Region, popular bullfighters can not only take a lap around the field but also pass through the ”Prince Gate” in the enthusiastic cheers and watchful eyes of the audience.

Although such rewards attract bullfighters from all over Spain, earning the right to pass through the ”Prince Gate” is not so easy.

A bullfighting event will feature three bullfighters and six bulls, giving each bullfighter two chances to fight.

To qualify for passing through the ”Prince Gate,” a bullfighter must win the audience’s favor in both bullfighting performances, obtaining at least three bull ears and one bull tail to have a chance of passing through the ”Prince Gate.”

Indeed, bullfighting involves enormous danger. The reason Spaniards worship bullfighters is the immense risk bullfighters face during bullfights and their courage to confront the danger head-on.

The bulls used in bullfights are purebred wild bulls, usually selected from North Africa, known for their violent nature and health.

Because their aggressive temperament and combative nature are not due to human training, these bulls are extremely dangerous, making bullfighting an activity with a very high probability of injury and death.

It can be foreseen that with Carlo’s comprehensive promotion of bullfighting in Spain, the number of Spaniards dying in bullfighting events each year will increase rapidly, reaching hundreds or even thousands in a short time.

However, these drawbacks are acceptable to Carlo because bullfighting can also bring more benefits to Spain.

Disregarding external factors such as weapons and equipment, the Spanish Army’s combat power is not inferior among the great powers, even stronger than Russia and Italy.

With the influence of bullfighting on imparting valor to Spaniards, Carlo is confident in forming a Spanish Army with top-tier combat power in Europe.

With a population smaller than other European powers, the only option for Spain is to enhance its army’s combat capability as much as possible to barely compete with other great powers.

As November approaches, Spain has another piece of good news: the previously constructed Rejuvenation-class Ironclad, Rejuvenation, is about to be launched.

This news also attracted the attention and cheers of the Spaniards, quickly causing a sensation throughout Spain.

Spain did not keep the construction of this ironclad a secret but openly disclosed the naval procurement plan through the Ministry of Defense, having it built openly by the Royal Guanizuo Shipyard.

The reason for being completely open was precisely to stir public interest and enhance the pride of the Spanish people.

According to the construction schedule provided by the Royal Guanizuo Shipyard, the Rejuvenation-class Ironclad had hope of completing construction in the summer and beginning sea trials.

However, the subsequent order of nearly 20 other medium and small-sized warships by the Ministry of Defense put all three docks of the Royal Guanizuo Shipyard into production, naturally delaying the construction of the Rejuvenation-class Ironclad by a few months.

The good news is, after rushing the construction at the Royal Guanizuo Shipyard, two 3000-ton cruisers are also launching for testing along with the Rejuvenation-class Ironclad.

With three warships launching simultaneously and the fact that this is the first ironclad launch for Spain in many years, Carlo is definitely going to personally participate in the launch ceremony.

On the day of the launch ceremony, part of the Royal Guanizuo Shipyard was open to the public, and it was surrounded by curious Spaniards.

When the public saw that colossal vessel being pushed into the ocean from afar, Spaniards could no longer hold back tears of excitement, cheering and celebrating loudly.

The Rejuvenation-class Ironclad has a standard displacement reaching an astonishing 8600 tons, ranking it among the top tier of ironclads currently constructed by European countries.

In comparison, the British-built Majestic-class Ironclad of the same period has a displacement of only 9644 tons, proving that the tonnage of the Rejuvenation-class Ironclad is already among the forefront in the current ranking of ironclads.

More importantly, the Rejuvenation-class Ironclad is equipped with four breech-loading, 12-inch, 305mm steel naval guns. Although the caliber is not as large as the 318mm cannons mastered by the British, the advantage is that it’s a breech-loading gun, with a firing rate and range far surpassing that of muzzle-loading guns.

Though the British Majestic-class Ironclad has a tonnage 1000 tons more than Spain’s Rejuvenation-class Ironclad, its main artillery is only two 11-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns, making it inferior in firepower to Spain’s Rejuvenation-class Ironclad.