Roland let out a long sigh after the caravan left.
Finally... the vault is filled again.
A total of eight steam engines were delivered to three chambers of commerce, three of which originated from Factory No.2 established with assistance from the Crescent Bay Chamber of Commerce. It must be acknowledged that these craftsmen from the fjord region possessed both innate talent and superior learning capabilities compared to the miners and blacksmiths in the small town. Once they mastered machine operation, the pass rate of finished products skyrocketed. Within two months, Factory No.2's production capacity might catch up with Factory No.1. Fortunately, according to the signed contract, all proceeds from the sale of these machines would go to Roland.
Additionally, he secured a new hydrogen balloon purchase order from the Xianyue Bay caravan. Malan was particularly fascinated by this device that could dramatically expand one's field of vision. Beyond the single-person reconnaissance balloon, he commissioned a custom-made giant balloon capable of carrying three to four people, intended for exploring the new islands in the fjord.
With the delivery of the first Minghuan ship, these three sources generated nearly 7,000 Golden Dragons for Border Town. After deducting expenses for metal ingots, cleansing stones, and grain, the remaining 6,000 Golden Dragons were sufficient to fund his population expansion plan.
Roland summoned Barov and Iron Axe into his office.
"Now that we have surplus funds, it's time to recruit more personnel from other regions," he observed the two capable officers. "This operation will be jointly executed by the City Hall and the First Army. You may determine the specific personnel yourselves; I'll only outline the general objectives." "Please proceed," the Chief Administrator nodded.
"The recruitment process has two directions: Northern and Southern territories." Roland drew a map from the table and laid it out before them. "Especially the stretch from Eagle City to Emerald Harbor... I suspect Tefiko has already classified these people as expendable members of the Jiashia faction, so you need to recruit them first." "The City Hall team handles recruiting Nobles, craftsmen, and literate individuals, while the First Army's main task is recruiting civilians. Unlike previous propaganda campaigns, this time we'll take a more proactive approach. Do you understand?" Iron Axe hesitated. "You mean... forceful recruitment?" "Cough, cough, no need to go that far," Roland cleared his throat. "The Shamin's methods are straightforward and brutal—like distributing food, persuading them voluntarily, or paying living expenses in advance." He glanced at Barov. "You should know this routine well." "Of course, Your Highness. When I was in the capital, I assisted the Minister and patrol squad multiple times in suppressing refugee riots," Barov stroked his beard. "Their demands are simple—sometimes just enough to fill their stomachs. No need to bribe them with money, let alone mention salaries. If the terms are too generous, they'll become suspicious. The destitute Nobles are more challenging. Though they're now financially strained and out of the limelight, they're well-informed and demanding. They won't travel thousands of miles for a loaf of bread. That's when we need money and promises to lure them." Roland clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Border Town's affairs are too complex for you to handle personally, but this mission will surely be accomplished." "Rest assured, Your Highness," Barov replied with a smile, "I'll dispatch my most capable disciple. May the city be completed next year, with homes dotting both banks of the Chishui River." "That day will come." After parting ways, Roland leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to rest before heading to the north slope's backyard to visit Anna.
Upon entering, the first thing that catches your eye is the floor covered with metal blocks.
Roland picked up a piece placed in his palm—each was roughly the same size, about five centimeters long and wide, with an uneven surface as if compressed by something, and one side bore a number. For instance, the piece in his hand was marked "No.256".
"How about it? Any notable findings?" "The samples 1057 and 2284—this one is exceptionally hard, while the other demonstrates outstanding hardness and toughness," Anna responded with a radiant smile.
"Over two thousand entries already?" Roland exclaimed in surprise, taking the notebook Lucia handed him, its pages densely packed with data. When he reached the line for 2284, he noticed the number followed by "Carbon content 0.8%, Element 4 unknown 15.2%."
"Well, this is far more intriguing than sharpening a gun barrel," Anna blinked her eyes. "Introducing other metals into iron blocks can cause a radical transformation in their properties. I'm genuinely curious about how these metallic spheres integrate." The research Anna and Lucia are currently conducting represents a profoundly significant endeavor.
Roland first had the young girl break down the ore into various raw materials. Anna then mixed them with pure iron in specific proportions and melted them to form test blocks. By testing the blocks—using black fire to compress and stretch them—Anna could measure the amount of Magic Power consumed in each operation, thereby assessing their strength and toughness.
The first addition is obviously carbon.
Roland knew that steel is fundamentally an iron-carbon alloy: excess carbon forms pig iron, while pure iron lacks carbon. Only within a specific carbon content range can it be called steel, and even slight variations can drastically alter its metallic properties. Thus, the first step was to determine the exact range.
Historical records show that prior to 1500, the process involved only iron and carbon smelting, while after 1500, new elements were introduced into steel. Roland understood that each additional digit in the combination would exponentially increase the possible outcomes—a process that would take an extremely long time. Therefore, he only allowed Anna to explore this aspect when the manufacturing workload was manageable.
He gave the two witches a few words of encouragement, then sat down beside them, quietly watching Anna's busy figure in the distance.
Though the autumn sun remained bright, it had lost its scorching intensity of midsummer. He felt a warm glow all over, and a long-lost sense of calm washed over him.
After an indeterminate time, the courtyard grew quiet. A soft hand suddenly rested on his forehead. When he opened his half-closed eyes, Lucia was gone, and Anna sat before him. "You have something to say to me." "... Your eyes tell me," she murmured, tilting her head. Her hair cascaded down like translucent golden strands.
Roland hesitated for a moment before shaking his head helplessly. "I'm just a bit confused," he said, outlining the population expansion plan. "We've shifted from free choice to using semi-coercive methods to speed things up. This prevents them from being forcibly recruited by Tefiko and dying from the pill's effects. But honestly, what I'm doing isn't much different from his... The only difference is the purpose." "Does the purpose alone not explain everything?" she asked softly.
"But..." "I know what you're trying to say," Anna pressed Prince's lips shut. "You fear they won't appreciate your efforts, yet you can't guarantee your goals will always be right—whether it's using the wrong means to achieve the right ends and being misunderstood, or using the right means but causing irreversible harm... You're torn between the importance of the right methods and the importance of the right outcomes. Am I right?" "Don't worry," she said without waiting for his reply, pressing her hands to Roland's cheeks and whispering in his ear, "I'm here... I'll keep a close eye on you."