Three days into autumn, the Margarete Chamber of Commerce arrived at Border Town's pier as scheduled.
This time, the caravan regained its former grandeur, with ten sailboats lined up in a neat formation and anchored securely at the pier.
"Your Royal Highness, we meet again," bowed the merchant Gamol from Xianyue Bay. "I heard Miss Margaret said the first steamship has been completed?" "Exactly," Roland chuckled. "But to ensure quality, it needs three to four days of trial sailing to test the power system's reliability." "That's exciting," Marlan clapped her hands. "Unloading the fleet will take about the same time. We can wait here. May I board the steamship for the trial?" "Of course. It's a brand-new vessel, completely different from traditional sailboats. I'll show you how to operate it. But that's tomorrow's agenda." Roland gestured for me to follow. "First, let's rest. Haven't had lunch yet? I've prepared a lavish feast in the castle's reception hall." "Every visit brings a feast," Margaret muffled with laughter. "I'm starving now—those wheat cakes and dried meats are rock-hard, almost impossible to swallow." In this era without reliable preservation techniques, most provisions were truly dry and tough, making Roland think of canned food. With the development of light industry, canned goods became the perfect solution for long-distance travelers and seafaring merchants.
...
When the banquet concluded, Hogg patted his belly with a satisfied grin. "This mushroom soup nearly made me swallow my tongue. I could taste seafood, stewed chicken, and pork bones all at once. Your court chef truly has exceptional skills." "I prefer the dessert served afterward – it's called ice cream, right?" Margery asked. "I guess it's made with milk and honey, then frozen into ice crystals using saltpeter." "They add butter and egg whites to keep it so soft," Roland added. "I wonder how much saltpeter they've stockpiled this time?" "Only one shipment remains," the merchant shook her head. "The Alchemists' Guild continues to hoard saltpeter. The Prime Minister even sent patrols to raid nitrate mines. Those so-called 'wise men' are just bandits buying up goods. This shipment came from Chishui City." "So most of this month's goods were washing stones?" "Exactly," Hogg drained his glass of white wine and refilled it. "Though the quantity might be excessive. I remember your last order to procure more. Besides washing stones, there were also high-quality iron and lead ingots. Few towns need these these days," he sighed. "Mining business is getting tougher." Roland mused about the civil war's impact. Purchasing power was declining across regions. If this trend continued for another two or three years, it would inevitably lead to rising grain prices and widespread famine.
"By the way, what's been going on in the West?" Margery suddenly asked.
"What's the matter?" "The fleet encountered a... well," she paused, her voice hesitant, "a heap of floating corpses on the riverbanks. The bodies were tattered, adrift along the banks. The water was littered with broken planks and ropes, as if ships had run aground. But there were no reefs in the river, so I assumed..." "Hmph, that was Tifeck's invasion fleet heading west," Roland said with a sullen expression, recounting the battle from a week earlier. "They've already received their due punishment." To prevent waterway blockages and disease spread, after clearing the battlefield, he summoned Anna and Lily from the town—one to burn the damaged ships, the other to purify the river. The floating corpses Margery saw were likely the fallen warriors who had drifted downstream before the battle ended.
"Ah, I see," the merchant smiled. "Tifeco seems to be hitting roadblocks on both fronts." "Both fronts?" "And Jasia of Bishui Harbor—my latest intelligence indicates the unidentified raiders who attacked the eastern border cities were actually Jasia's men. After plundering Haifeng County and Jinshui City, the Black Sails Fleet didn't return to the harbor but sailed north along the coastline. No one knows where they ended up." "Northbound..." Roland exclaimed in surprise. "She left Graycastle?" "That's currently the case. Tifeco's forces found no resistance at Bishui Harbor, which is now an empty city," Margery stated. "With so many rats among his men, this isn't exactly a secret in Black Street. Anyway, you're the only thorn in his side now. His attacks on the western border might become more frequent." "If you're also leaving Graycastle, Crescent Bay welcomes you anytime," Malan added.
"Exactly," Gamow patted his chest. "That island could hold ten Border Towns. We're willing to offer it to you and your people free of charge." But surrendering the steam engine and steamship technology? Roland rolled his eyes. Even if Graycastle couldn't stay, Tilly Wemberton should be the first choice. Yet he merely smiled. "Well, if that day ever comes, I'll consider it." "By the way," he turned to Margery, "I've already built two of the reconnaissance balloons you ordered last time." "So fast?" she exclaimed. "Can I see them?" "Of course. Come with me," Roland said, standing up.
...
In the backyard of the castle's expansion, a fully inflated hydrogen balloon is displayed.
The airbag is droplet-shaped, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with a diameter of five meters at the apex. It is precisely fabricated to match the dimensions of the test specimen and can carry one adult male into space. Both the airbag and the tether are coated with sky camouflage, complemented by the observer's camouflage uniform, to minimize detectability to the greatest extent.
"Does it look different from the last balloon we rode?" Margery examined the new product closely.
"Since it works without a Witch," Roland cleared his throat and began demonstrating the reconnaissance balloon to the crowd. "The tail end features a movable valve that lets you inflate and deflate it. This alchemical gas is what makes it fly. Here's how to use it: connect the hose to the tank, then unscrew the valves at both ends." He then gave a live demonstration of inflating and deflating the balloon.
"How many gas cylinders does it take to fill a reconnaissance balloon?" Margery quickly got to the point.
The question of 'five or six bottles...' left Roland slightly embarrassed, 'at most, no more than seven.' The primary reason was the difficulty in controlling the concentration of dilute sulfuric acid used for hydrogen generation within the bottles. Purifying the sulfuric acid to 98% through distillation and then diluting it with water would have been an excessive waste of the laboratory's valuable human resources, so they had to settle for this compromise.
"This alchemical gas must be extremely costly, right?" "Precisely. It's difficult to store and fraught with dangers... I mean, if mishandled," Roland cleared his throat, "the gas cylinders can only be stored for a year. They must not be tapped, disassembled, or burned, or else unforeseen and severe consequences may occur." He paused. "Though pricey, rest assured. When you first purchase the reconnaissance balloons, the initial gas cylinders are provided free of charge by Border Town, along with an additional sky camouflage reconnaissance suit."