Chapter 498 The Train Enters the Land of Heroes
The day after the celebration ended, Mr. Horace sat in his cramped office, glaring at the Thundercity Daily on his desk with a resentful look.
Until yesterday, he still liked the newspaper very much, until yesterday the governor's speech was published on the new front page.
Do these toilet paper sellers have nothing better to do than lick the royal family's boots?
Why not pay attention to the fire in Roland?
It must be said that the fire also concerned the fate of the Principality of Campbell.
Based on his past experience, soon another group of beggar peasants would move into Princess Eileen's refugee camp, and then the woman would unleash her excessive energy on useless kindness.
People who constantly express gratitude don't actually thank anyone. For example, Horace clearly forgot who saved his life in the first place.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Knock knock—"
He yelled in annoyance.
"Come in."
His accountant, Elsie, walked in; the young man was beaming, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere in the office.
Good morning, sir! Fantastic news!
"Good news?" Horace scoffed. "Could it be that our Emperor has finally had a change of heart and shut down that damned council?"
Elsie pretended not to hear her boss's complaints and excitedly slammed a ledger on the table: "Orders, sir! Orders! Our orders... are absolutely overflowing!"
He opened the ledger, and his mouth, like a prince's rifle, fired without even taking a breath.
"The esteemed Mr. Sak Gale not only intends to dress up the lizards of the continent of Gana, but he also plans to take care of the lizards of the Swamp City! He also wants to teach them how to bathe, so towels must be provided as well!"
"Thanks to the settlement agreement signed between the Royal Family and the Principality of Colin and the Kingdom of Gutaf, our procurement volume from the United Kingdom of Gutaf has doubled! By Saint Sith, our production capacity is fully booked for the next three months!"
Horace had heard of that settlement agreement.
In simple terms, Gutaf borrowed money from the banks in Thunder City to purchase light industrial products that were scarce on the continent of Gana, and then repaid the loan with minerals that were readily available on the continent of Gana.
This includes gold and silver.
The Principality of Colin seems to have a lot of this precious metal. It is said that the richest mineral resources on the continent of Gana are in the hands of that prince!
More than just diamond mines!
Horace stared at the numbers in the ledger, his breathing becoming heavier, and for the first time, he felt the warmth of the duchy towards him.
He decided to let Princess Eileen off the hook for now, and not "bless" her to get married today—no, he'd still continue to bless her!
“So…” Elsie rubbed her hands together, looking at her boss’s wide grin, and said cautiously, “We have a happy problem, sir. As you can see, we don’t have enough manpower and factory space…”
Horace's relaxed expression froze instantly, and he couldn't help but growl.
"Elsie, are you out of your mind? Hiring people at this time? Didn't you hear the governor's speech yesterday? They're about to vote to make us slaves to the textile workers! If we hire one more person now, we'll have to support another ancestor in the future!"
Elsie was stunned, momentarily bewildered by her boss's logic, and stammered.
“But, sir, the bill hasn’t passed yet, but the orders are real. And our salary is 30 silver pounds, which is much higher than the minimum of 2,000 copper coins stipulated in Bill Six…”
Horace's expression froze.
He hadn't read the details of Bill 6 carefully, but if that were the case, he really had nothing to worry about.
"Of course I know, but what about the severance pay... what if they deliberately slack off if I can't just let them go?"
"This... I... I don't think so, right? You don't know, your reputation is incredibly good now. The employees at Horace Textile Mill are all praising your generosity!"
Horace was completely stunned this time.
Is that true?
Elsie coughed and continued.
"Besides, think about it. If we don't accept these orders, our competitors won't just sit idly by. They'll take the opportunity to expand production and then use that scale to drive down costs, ultimately conquering us on price... Now is not the time to worry about Bill Six; we must take all the orders! And another thing..."
At this point, the young man leaned even closer, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness.
“If we recruit fifty more new workers now, then fifty more families in Thunder City will depend on you for their livelihood. While everyone else is hesitating about whether to move the factory, you have gone against the grain and shown your support for His Majesty the Grand Duke. Even if the Grand Duke doesn’t see your contribution, when they elect councilors… they should at least think about who gave them their bread, shouldn’t they?”
Horace was startled and sat up straight in his chair.
He stared at Elsie as if he were meeting the guy for the first time.
This logic is so shameless and so impeccable, and I seem to have been stuck in a rut all along—bribing doesn't necessarily mean bribing those above you; you can also bribe those below you!
Oh, this damn "new era"!
Horace suddenly felt that his bleeding heart didn't hurt so much anymore.
After all, bribing guilds requires giving up profits on raw material orders, while bribing workers only requires paying their wages normally.
So he actually saved a lot of money?
“…Go and get it done.” Horace struggled to maintain a composed and stern expression, trying not to let his excitement show too obviously, and ordered in a deep voice, “Rent the warehouse next door. We need to expand production… We can’t let our competitors make this money!”
Elsie nodded excitedly.
"Okay, boss! By the way, could you find me an assistant? An apprentice will do! You see, I'm doing accounting work and also helping you with sales, I'm really overwhelmed—"
"Hire two." Horace waved his hand. Since he had already spent a lot of money, he wasn't too bothered by this small amount.
"Yes, sir!"
Elsie excitedly ran out the door and respectfully closed it behind her.
Watching the figure disappear through the office door, Horace fell into deep thought.
He discovered that there were so many smart people around him, even smarter than him, which left him, as the boss, somewhat bewildered. How did he manage to make his fortune?
In any case, it's a waste of his talent to make him an accountant.
Perhaps he should be made the factory manager.
Leaning back in his sprained office chair, Horace stared at the dusty ceiling and began to seriously consider the future of the factory for the first time.
While he was expanding into overseas markets and looking for the next place to make money, Horace Textile Factory always needed someone to manage it.
Perhaps he could try expanding the factory's management team...
...
A week after the resolution to expand Parliament was passed, the "generous" Mr. Horace still did not close his factory.
Just like his textile workers, who complained about leaving but most of them eventually stayed.
In this era of competing to be the worst, a factory manager with some principles is still much better than one with no principles at all.
Regardless of his true intentions, he was indeed the first "good man" to give everyone silver pounds as wages.
The same applies to Horace, who is in agony.
As he unfolded the map, pondering where he should go, he finally sighed and closed it.
On the entire northeastern coast of the Whirlpool Sea, there is no place more suitable for operating a factory than the Duchy of Campbell.
There are more people than it that are more open, and there are more people than it that are less open. Even if it wanted to move its factory, where could it go?
This world ultimately belongs to Saint Sith and the Emperor. Unless he moves the factory to Hell, the human lords will have to taste it like bread before a meal.
Moreover, "Bill Six" was not passed immediately; Archduke Edward simply expanded the size of Parliament, making things that were previously undiscussable now negotiable.
What truly unsettled Horace were the councilors vying for the citizens' support, those charlatans who had sold their souls to the devil, using their silver tongues to promise the citizens benefits that Thunder City could never offer.
The same was true of the newspapers in Thunder City, and of the people sitting in taverns, teahouses, and restaurants making a ruckus... They seemed to have become the masters of this duchy overnight.
The Grand Duke's wallet had never been so enthusiastic about public affairs; the cattle and sheep on the farm all moved from their tables to sit down, trying to negotiate with the shearers and milkers.
Is that correct?
Horace couldn't help but worry that once these peasants tasted success, it would lead the thriving Duchy of Campbell down a path of no return...
Interestingly, Horace's concerns were not unique to him; many powerful bankers and large factory owners in Thunder City shared similar anxieties.
However, unlike a miser who hesitates for ages before buying a new piece of clothing, they are both proactive and intelligent.
These cunning fellows, more shrewd than foxes, wouldn't sit at home wallowing in self-pity. They immediately sprang into action, some searching for suitable candidates, others running for city council themselves.
Edward's expansion of the council did not mean he was turning his sword against the rich; it simply made it more expensive for the rich to buy the souls of the poor.
Originally, they only needed to bribe the leaders of various professional guilds, or rather, bribe the few families that had monopolized the guilds hundreds of years ago, to win everything. But now the guilds' presence has been further weakened, and they have to bribe even more people.
Perhaps the original version of "Proclamation No. 6" still wouldn't pass, since many of its elements are too advanced for this era.
Even a compromise solution is enough to bring some warmth to the slums that have just survived the winter.
If Irene's governing program is a continuation of ancient feudal principles under the light of the Holy Light, and a manifestation of the "warmest side" of a charismatic leader—that is, the lord's obligation to protect his people from hunger and cold—then it is a testament to this.
Edward, with his iron fist, led his people to a colder and more realistic land.
From then on, the Campbells would no longer fantasize about the mercy of their masters, but would instead seek new social relationships and order in the struggle between civilizations.
Everyone can be a priest.
He could also be a lord.
In the spring of 1054 AD, a new wave of humanistic thought emerged for the first time on the northeastern shore of the Whirlpool Sea, something the "God of Machines" had forgotten to bring to his people.
On this day when the ice and snow melted, the ambitious Grand Duke Edward Campbell and the newly promoted "corporal" Raman were both contemplating the future of the duchy.
Everything is just beginning.
...
In the early spring of 1054 AD, the long-awaited sunlight finally melted the frozen soil on the outskirts of Thunder City.
The smoke of the civil war had just dissipated, and a trace of bloody cold still lingered in the air, but the damp land had already begun to exude the breath of new life, waiting for hardworking farmers to sow the seeds.
However, the first to arrive here before the farmers was Prince Colin, who had returned to Thunder City from Granston Castle with Edward.
At this moment, on this land that has just thawed, two railway tracks laid on sleepers look like ugly scars, cutting through the plowed-out field ridges.
This is a newly planned industrial zone on the outskirts of Thunder City, but most of the factories haven't even started construction yet. The only visible structure on the horizon is a black monster made of steel and brass, lying at the end of the railway tracks.
A huge chimney sits atop its head, and black smoke and white mist billow above the burning boiler.
Behind it hung five flatbed carriages, piled high with heavy stones and timber—goods that would require at least a dozen heavy horse-drawn carriages to barely pull!
Edward was wearing a dark blue suit without any medals, his hands behind his back, calmly examining the novel creation before him.
"...Your Highness Colin, my dear friend, you invited us here just to show us...this brand new steam engine?"
The Grand Duke's voice carried a hint of polite curiosity, as well as a slight sense of noncommittal.
He was no stranger to steam engines; at least half of the cargo ships traveling to and from Thunder City were equipped with them. However, this was the first time he had ever seen a steam engine mounted on wheels and rails.
That's a really novel idea.
I've heard that dwarves also have rails, but they mainly use them to drag ore through mines, and usually there's only one.
Jan Andes, standing next to Edward, shared the same thoughts, though his confusion was much more subtle.
"It does look more refined than the one on the ship... Perhaps His Highness wanted to show us its unusual features."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan smiled gently. He didn't explain, but simply raised his hand and waved it lightly at the steel monster.
Upon seeing this, several lizardman players immediately sprang into action, throwing coal into the boiler with shovels and then pressing down the lever to control the valve.
After the NPC had been acting all high and mighty, they finally managed to get them to move!
Mission reward in hand!
"Waaaaah—!!"
A loud whistle suddenly shattered the tranquility of the suburbs.
Under the astonished gazes of Edward and Andes, the chimney above the steam boiler suddenly spewed out even denser black smoke and white mist!
The connecting rod began to turn laboriously, driving the huge steel wheels and producing a heavy, clanging friction sound on the rails.
Then, to the astonishment of the two, the steel behemoth slowly moved forward!
It moved slowly, yet with unstoppable force, pulling the five heavy carriages behind it forward, causing the entire earth to shake as it awoke!
Edward's expression finally changed completely, and he could no longer maintain his previous calm. A look of astonishment was etched into his eyes.
He wasn't unfamiliar with grand scenes, but what he saw before him completely overturned his imagination!
Without any magical intervention, goods that would require a dozen horse-drawn carriages to pull were so easily dragged by this machine.
This is incredible!
“This is the steam technology of the Kingdom of Gutaf,” Prince Colin’s voice rang out beside him at the right moment, introducing it in a gentle tone. “Their steam engines can not only travel in the sea, but also run on land. And such creations that can traverse mountains and valleys are called… ‘trains’.”
At this point, Colin's voice carried a hint of regret.
"Unfortunately, this railway is too short for me to show you its full speed. If there were a long enough track to allow it to accelerate, it could reach a maximum speed of fifteen kilometers per hour."
“This speed doesn’t sound very fast. Our supply wagons can do the same,” an officer standing next to Edward couldn’t help but say.
Luo Yan nodded with a smile.
"Of course, as far as I know, the postal carriages in Thunder City can run even faster, but I believe that anyone with eyes can see that its advantage is not speed, but endurance. Even the fastest horse cannot withstand running for several days in a row, but it can run non-stop until the end of the track."
The officers standing behind Edward whispered among themselves.
Sir Wesley, in particular, stared intently at the train as if he were witnessing a miracle from Saint Seis.
If this thing can be used to transport ammunition, his advocacy of superior firepower military concept will undoubtedly be elevated to a new level!
They could even be bolder and mount even larger mortars on the train, ready to be deployed and fired at any time!
"By Saint Sith..."
Andes adjusted his monocle, his face, which had finally recovered from the shock, now filled with fervor.
"This thing's cargo capacity... it's practically comparable to inland river cargo ships!"
He wasn't a soldier, so he never thought of mounting cannons on a train.
Instead, he saw the potential hidden in the carriage that could change the economic landscape of the principality!
If this thing is really as magical as His Highness Colin described, the farmers of Granstonburg will be able to sell their freshly picked vegetables to the port of Thunder City!
Instead of borrowing an oxcart from the lord's servant and spending a whole day traveling to the nearby market town, wasting the fruits of their labor on the bumpy journey!
Once the farmers of the Valley Plains can turn their hard work into money, not only will their lives improve, but the cost of living in Thunder City will also decrease.
Selling two more bunches of cabbages wouldn't make them rich, but it was better than having nothing at all.
Not only agricultural products, but also clay, minerals, and timber resources in valleys and plains, and even the labor force itself, can all be connected by this steel corridor!
The only thing that worried him was the cost. The wood was fine, but the steel used to pave the rails didn't seem to be very cheap.
With his back to the increasingly heated whispers behind him, Edward remained silent, but his eyes flickered intensely.
What Andes and Sir Wesley could see was what he was seeing at that moment, except that he could see much further than the two of them.
The economic and military potential was merely floating on the surface; what he saw in those railway tracks was more of a political potential!
If this railway could connect Thunder City, Campbell Castle, Granston Castle, and all the core territories of the Duchy, it would mean that royal decrees, officials, and troops could reach any corner of the Duchy within a few days!
His reforms will no longer be limited to Thunder City; farmers living in remote mountain villages will also be able to directly benefit from them.
Once the peasants of the valley plains no longer need to depend on the authority of the nobility, but can move freely on the lands of the duchy, they will also be liberated from the ancient feudal obligations.
This will shatter the foundation of local aristocratic separatism!
Campbellburg's connections with the region will be closer than ever before, and even the Twilight Province beyond the Turbulent Pass will be incorporated into the Duchy's railway network!
Edward took a deep breath, concealing his excitement.
He turned to look at Prince Colin and let out a heartfelt sigh.
"The United Kingdom of Gutaf truly lives up to its reputation as a divine kingdom favored by the Dragon God; it has so many wonderful things there. If it weren't so far away, I would really like to go and take a look."
Luo Yan smiled to himself, thinking it best not to.
The most beautiful thing in this world is distance.
Once he actually reaches the coast of the continent of Gana, he will surely be just as disappointed as the young men of the Templar Knights.
What gold is there there?
There are quite a few cornfields, and they all planted them themselves.
"...Your Highness, any miracle on earth that can be passed down through the ages is created by the hands of mortals. It is not a miracle bestowed by the dragon god, but a miracle of mortals. I believe that what the Kingdom of Gutaf has, the Duchy of Campbell will soon possess as well."
“Then I’ll take your kind words,” Edward said with a smile. “I hope the Queen of Gutaf won’t mind that you’ve brought something so interesting to the human world.”
Luo Yan said happily.
"This isn't a weapon, I don't think she'll mind."
Edward's face lit up with joy.
"Excellent!"
Seeing that His Majesty had asked all the questions except the one concerning him, Andes quickly asked on behalf of His Majesty.
"What about the cost? Your Highness Colin, this thing... it must be expensive, right?"
“There’s no need to worry about the cost,” Luo Yan smiled slightly and continued confidently, “Thunder City’s steel production is sufficient to support the construction of the railway. Moreover, the orders for railway construction can in turn drive the expansion of steel mills. The only thing to worry about is land, since the railway will pass through a lot of owned land.”
"Land is not a problem."
Edward's lips curled into a faint smile.
In the recently concluded civil war, he held a vast amount of land confiscated from the rebellious nobles, which he could take wherever he needed.
The train in the distance returned, its whistle blaring. The lizardman players on board not only demonstrated their excellent driving skills to their demon lord, but also showed off their U-turn technique.
They used a pre-reserved Y-shaped rail to separate the locomotive and the car body, then used a steam winch to rotate the extra section of rail around, reconnecting the locomotive to the rear, and pulling the cargo back intact.
This smooth and efficient operation left the engineers from the Royal Mechanical Power Plant, who had come to join the fun, completely stunned.
Who knew you could play with a steam engine like this?!
Could Gutaf actually be the god of machines?
This is utterly blasphemous...
Edward didn't think that way. While the God of Machines was sensitive, the steam engine itself wasn't a sensitive concept.
The empire had been using it for a long time, but there hadn't been much further research.
He walked happily to the boiler of the train, admired the hideous steel monster up close, and turned to Colin to say something.
"Thank you for bringing such an incredible thing to the Duchy of Campbell... Go ahead and do it, Your Highness Colin! In the name of the Royal Family, I promise you that we will provide all necessary support for the construction of this railway! We will always be your strongest backing!"
Upon receiving Edward's promise, Luo Yan smiled and nodded happily.
"I am happy to serve you, Your Highness. Although I am not an expert in this field, I can recommend a professional to you."
"Oh?" Edward's face lit up with surprise. "Where is that person?"
"It's in the car."
Luo Yan pointed to the lizardman players on the train carriage, who were waving excitedly in their direction, as if they were thrilled that the Demon King had finally looked at them.
They are all players in the "Cemetery Railway Group".
Strictly speaking, it was a joint-stock limited company established at the same time as "Colin Mining Company," and its establishment time was roughly the same as the latter.
The railway from North Peak to Calamity Keep was built by these skilled players, making this another example of "exporting and then re-importing" something from elsewhere.
Edward was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting it to be a lizardman.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. The Kingdom of Gutaf is a kingdom of lizardmen. If the engineers aren't lizardmen, what else could they be but humans?
He suddenly realized it made sense.
Just as Luo Yan, in his capacity as Prince Colin, was vividly introducing his "subordinates" to Edward, Vivian, not far away, was pouting and kicking pebbles by the railway tracks.
She has been in the human world for over a month, but she still hasn't seen the woman who tricked her brother out of her first embrace.
Although her brother's integrity was reassuring, she couldn't help but worry that he might be intentionally hiding something from her.
Out of boredom, she couldn't help but mutter something to herself.
"I don't know what's so surprising about these stupid humans. Isn't this the same thing outside Blackwind Keep?"
This railway seems to be the one used to transport ore to the Magic Crystal Tank Factory.
Her grandfather was quite interested in this big toy, and apparently even imported a route to the real Principality of Corin for transporting minerals produced there.
However, she wasn't interested in it.
She can pull a mere five carriages at a stretch!
Seeing his sister inexplicably starting to argue with the train, Nanfu, who was standing next to him, smiled weakly, not daring to utter a sound or respond.
To be honest, he didn't know why his older brother wanted to move this technology to the rear of the human world, but he figured Councilor Luo Yan must have his own plans...
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
