Chapter 78
Chapter 78
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Industrial Revolution (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Industrial Revolution—grand as that sounds, it was actually something we could have done ages ago.
It was just my laziness and opposition from the nobles that had held it back.
"First up, we need to overhaul transportation."
The current engines can't haul much cargo.
That's why we're still using horse-drawn wagons alongside them.
In other words, the existing engines are great for personal mobility but total duds for freight.
"Time to put those upgraded engines to work."
Right now, the upgraded models are only used in mining.
I figured trucks or something similar would pop up by now since they've been out for a while.
I didn't put any restrictions on buying the engines.
People could purchase just the engine or a wagon fitted with one.
Overwhelmingly, though, they went for the latter.
Probably because production was low and regular consumers outnumbered industrial buyers.
"Whatever the reason, we need to upgrade freight transport first."
Mana grids?
Factory upgrades?
Machine tools?
All that comes down to having materials on hand.
You can't make anything without raw stuff.
But transporting those materials is a pain with what we've got.
So, trucks come first.
Ones that can carry massive loads.
And tough enough to handle this world's mostly unpaved roads.
"Suspension's key, then. Sturdy but lightweight."
Hmm, material selection's the issue.
We'll make do with what's available.
No need to pile on extra work.
I sketched out initial truck blueprints while waiting for Professor Herman.
A few days later, he showed up at the territory after getting my letter.
I welcomed him to the drawing room, served some tea, and laid out my plans.
"No good."
"Pardon? Is it a money issue—?"
"Not that. Well, money's part of it, but raw material supply isn't smooth."
According to the professor, sourcing for engines, mana crystals, and such wasn't going great.
No immediate crisis, but pushing my plans would definitely cause shortages.
"The forges are cranking out ingots and alloys as fast as they can, but there's a limit."
Damn, what now?
I wanted trucks to fix material transport, but we're short on truck materials.
It's not like a Möbius strip.
As I pondered this unexpected snag, the professor sipped his tea and dropped a gem.
"How about starting with steel production? From what you've said, you could pull it off."
"Ah, that could work. But we can't stop at that—let's at least get a truck prototype done."
The professor asked if I was really okay with it.
I might be stuck grinding for months or even years.
"I'm good! I can do it."
"R-right. You seem even more fired up than usual, though?"
He gave me an odd look, but I brushed it off.
If anything, it stoked my enthusiasm.
I hashed out plans with the still-bewildered professor.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Mana alloy is exactly what it sounds like: an alloy infused with mana.
The base materials hold mana, and it's forged using mana in the smelting process.
Typically made by melting mana stones with steel or other metals.
The bottleneck is smelting.
Furnaces melt the materials, but the Empire's annual iron output is only about 100,000 tons.
The Empire's vast, so iron demand is huge—we can't hog it all for our factory.
We need to boost iron production, which in turn ramps up mana alloy output.
Enough for mass production, including our factory.
But we hit a snag.
"No way. Why should we?"
"Haha, come on, think of the payoff if this works—"
"What are we supposed to do while the furnaces are down?"
We visited a steel-producing territory and got shot down.
Main issue: they'd have to shut down their furnaces.
Plus, they didn't trust my tech chops.
Fair enough—even if I'm famous elsewhere, this is a different field.
I'd even standardized mana alloys before!
Sighing in regret, the professor patted my shoulder.
"Knew this place wouldn't bite."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Ah, they've always prioritized tradition over new tech like yours."
Wait, then why bring me here?
I stared at him incredulously, and he cleared his throat, looking away.
"You're so famous now, I thought it'd work this time."
"What."
"Ahem. Sorry. Let's head to the next territory."
He hurriedly changed the subject and climbed into the carriage.
Watching his back, I wondered if picking the professor was a mistake.
Maybe I should've asked the duke.
Oh well, no helping it.
I'd reached out to him first with all my truck ideas and such.
Luckily, the next territory welcomed us.
They couldn't stop all furnaces, but one was doable.
"But you must succeed."
"Of course. Don't worry."
Thanks to the lord's generosity, we got a furnace and adjacent workshop.
It'd be temporary, but we'd open a new chapter in steel here.
The professor stood beside me, gazing at the furnace, then asked,
"So, how're you gonna do it?"
"Two approaches in mind."
One using coal, the other magic, naturally.
This world oddly mirrors the West.
Europe, specifically—plenty of bituminous coal, less anthracite.
Meaning we can't use it raw; it needs coking first.
That's why charcoal's still king.
Magic's simpler by comparison.
Replicate an electric arc furnace with spells.
Those exist already, after all.
Principles differ, but options are options.
The professor nodded at my explanation.
"Replacing charcoal would be huge. But a mana furnace—feasible?"
"Yeah, feasible. Problem is, it'll guzzle mana stones or crystals."
In short, pricey.
So, we'll coke the coal and use that.
"Electric furnace later, once we have mana grids."
"Transmitting mana instead of stones, huh."
"Exactly. Coal first, anyway."
We'll need heaps for trials.
Horse wagons? Two or three loads, tops.
"Trucks would be perfect."
Ahem, no piling on work.
Coke first.
Truck blueprints are done; prototype after coke.
I asked the professor to source coal, then started simple designs.
Custom-fit beats standard setup for speed.
I dove into the details.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In House Apontuna's study, the duke reviewed reports.
Recent pacts with the Holy Kingdom had piled on the work.
As the emperor's confidant and a duke, imperial duties were heavy too.
Of course, it tightened ties with the crown and brought perks.
Midway through, someone knocked.
"My lord. Valent here."
"Come in."
Butler Valent entered gracefully, bowed, and reported.
"Regarding Edn Rerangbur."
"What now?"
"Latest intel: he's dipping into steel production."
The duke's brow twitched.
He set aside his papers and eyed the butler.
Tell me more.
Valent cleared his throat and elaborated.
"Buying coal in bulk under Rerangbur's name. Staying long-term in a steel territory."
"Coal, really?"
"Seems so. But as you know, charcoal's superior quality-wise."
The butler shook his head in confusion.
The duke got it, but felt a spark of anticipation for Edn.
Buying underused coal and holing up long-term? Suspicious.
Edn might unleash another game-changer.
Like mana stone engines revolutionizing transport.
Mana engines generating mana artificially.
Mana crystals subbing for stones handily.
The duke chuckled, standing.
Valent blinked, then gasped softly in realization.
"Surely you're not going yourself?"
"Nah, just sponsoring."
Valent looked skeptical at the head-shake.
More like, will it matter?
He hid it well, but not from the duke.
"Ahem. If I may, sponsorship—"
"Chatty today."
"Apologies. Guess age brings verbosity."
"Fair enough. Prep the carriage."
Valent bowed, promising haste.
As he left, the duke changed, chuckling again.
"Edn, can't wait to see what you pull off this time."
A faint gleam of excitement lit the duke's face.