After leaving the Third Border City, Roland immediately went to the ammunition factory.
Although Anna was not in Neverwinter at the moment, if his assumption was correct, this part of the modification could be completed with the existing technology.
In other words, this was the only way it could be produced on a large scale.
Escorted by the guards, they walked into the factory. The unprepared workers immediately knelt down. The scene was filled with surprise and excitement. Looking at the enthusiastic eyes of the workers, Roland realized that he might have been a little too impulsive. But since he was already here, he had to make the best of it and turn the experiment trip into a condolence inspection tour.
When the excited workers finally returned to their posts, Roland immediately ordered the person in charge, "Call the most experienced foreman in the factory here. I have something I want to try out."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The principle of tracer bullets was not complicated. To put it simply, the solid bullet head was hollowed out and filled with a luminous agent, accelerant, and retarding gunpowder. After that, the bullet was sealed with a tail tube and aluminum foil. When the bullet was fired, the gas of the propellant would break through the foil and ignite the retarding gunpowder until the luminous agent was ignited. Finally, a bright trail was formed.
In the future, with all kinds of chemical industries, this was just a matter of adding another production line. But in Neverwinter, where the industrial projects were extremely unbalanced, it was obviously a headache. The luminous agent was usually a mixture of strontium nitrate, magnesium-aluminum powder, and barium peroxide. This meant that if he wanted to produce tracer bullets on a large scale, he would first have to conquer the industrial production line of these compounds. Of course, Roland was well aware of the level of the chemical industry in his territory. Even now, the Ministry of Chemical Industry could not guarantee the supply of machine gun ammunition to the First Army, let alone other industries.
The person in charge quickly found a craftsman. To Roland's surprise, the craftsman was not a white-haired, trembling old man, but a young man about 25 or 26 years old. He excitedly knelt on one knee and saluted like a Knight. "Your Majesty, how can I help you?"
Roland immediately realized that Neverwinter had entered the era of mechanical production. The younger generation with better learning ability was becoming the main force of the wave of industrialization. This was also a rare scene in the handicraft workshop. The speed of technological progress had surpassed the advantage of age. In the face of new production tools, past experience was no longer applicable.
Now that he thought about it, most of the busy workers in the factory were in their twenties or thirties. Considering that they were already in key positions, Graycastle's future was really worth looking forward to.
Roland nodded with satisfaction. "I want to add something new to the bullets. Just do as I say."
His idea was very simple. Since the "stone tablet" emitted a dazzling light when it was deformed, the impact force of the tablet could be used to produce the impact.
Its specific principle was similar to that of a stamping machine — a gourd opening that gradually tightened inside the bullet was filled with a thin layer of stone tablet slices. When the bullet was fired, the expanding gas would directly squeeze the slices into the gourd opening. The principle was similar to that of a stamping machine. A gourd opening would be cut inside the bullet and a thin layer of tablet slices would be filled at the bottom. When the bullet was fired, the expanding gas would directly squeeze the slices into the gourd opening.
With just a few words of explanation, the other party completely understood his intentions and readily agreed to it.
Only one day later, a verification report was sent to Roland's desk.
The results proved that the method was indeed feasible. After many attempts, the twenty or so bullets that had been successfully modified could all be seen with a clear flash, and the barrage left a clear trail of light in front of everyone.
Roland could not help but feel excited!
For a long time, the First Army's fortification tactics had always been a big weakness because they could not see where the bullets would land at night. Even if they used flares, it was still extremely difficult to achieve the shooting level in the dim light. In addition, this problem would only become more prominent if the machine guns were carried on the plane. Even on a cloudless day, the pilot would probably not know where the bullets had landed. If such a simple method could be used to indicate the target, it would undoubtedly be of great help to the upcoming Battle of Divine Will.
Moreover, the traditional tracer bullets would constantly consume the illuminant, which would cause the weight and center of gravity to change and eventually lead to the deviation of the trajectory. Therefore, when the tracer bullets were first introduced, there was a saying that "if the tracer bullets hit the target, it meant that the other bullets did not hit the target". However, the performance of the new tracer bullets was better than that of the traditional method. As long as the bullet body was slightly lengthened, the new tracer bullets would have the same flying characteristics as normal bullets.
The only problem was how many "stone tablets" were available in the Southernmost Region.
...
A week later, the two discoverers of the desert ruins arrived at the Shallow Beach Harbor.
In the reception hall, Roland asked them again about the wonders they had discovered under the water cave.
Their answers were roughly the same as the contents of the report. Before encountering the Giant Armored Scorpion, they had only explored a few hundred meters and knew nothing about what was behind the so-called "stone tablet wall".
In other words, the "stone tablets" they had seen were probably only a small part of it.
After all, according to the murals, there should be a large number of corpses that could make blood flow into rivers.
In addition, Simbady's description of the cave made him very concerned. The environment in the cave was like the Silver Stream Oasis, and there was even the rumored extinct God's Flower.
If the once vast grassland had really degenerated into a desert after the departure of the Three Gods Emissaries, then the underground of the Endless Cape should be no exception.
Perhaps there were some deviations in the rumors, or there were other mysteries hidden there.
He couldn't wait to dig up the desert and have a look.
After asking about the situation, Roland asked the Fjords man to stay alone.
"Your diving suit is very interesting, and the ruins you discovered are also worthy of being recorded in the annals of history." He slowly took a sip of tea. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised to see that you can use the steam engine in a new invention. You should know that most people can't even use it after buying it. Without the guidance of the technicians sent by the factory, they can only stand on the side in a daze, let alone modify it. With this ability alone, you've already set one foot on the podium of a lifetime honorary explorer. "
"Thank, thank you for your compliment," Rex said excitedly. "It took me half a year to figure out how to control it. If you need it, I can provide you with diving suits first, even at a discount... "
"No, you misunderstand. I don't need your diving suit," Roland said with a smile. "In fact, if I want to, I can make a better one."
Rex blinked, as if he had not expected such a reply. He smiled awkwardly, as if trying to squeeze out a smile. "Your Majesty..."
Roland interrupted him directly. "You may think I'm bragging, but it doesn't matter. What I really want is... the Society of Wondrous Crafts. "
The other party could not help but be stunned. "I … don't understand what you mean …"
"I know what you want to prove, and I can help you achieve it." Roland went straight to the point. "There are two kinds of sages in the world: Stargazing and Alchemy. Putting the former aside, I think what you're doing is essentially the same as alchemy. Both are creating new things for human beings. So why can't the Society of Wondrous Crafts be the third kind of sages' study, and establish a corresponding trade association? "
Rex's breath suddenly quickened. He suddenly realized the meaning of Roland's words. If someone else said this, he would only think it was nonsense or even mockery. Compared with the famous Alchemist Association and Stargazing Association, the Society of Wondrous Crafts was not worth mentioning at all. However, the King of Graycastle was different. Given his reputation and power, it was not impossible for him to do so.
He swallowed and felt his throat become a little hoarse. "Then... what's the price?"
Since Roland wanted to help the Society of Wondrous Crafts, it was impossible that he did not have any ulterior motives.
"All of this."
"What...?"
"Ahem, no, I mean, you'll work for me." Roland cleared his throat. "You'll move to Neverwinter and become a member of Graycastle. All the research results will belong to me, including the right to sell and use. And you'll get honor, wealth, and a better research environment. "
"I..." Rex did not know how to answer. Although the things they created were despised and criticized, they were like their own children. Most people in the Society of Wondrous Crafts would not agree to give them to others.
"I know this needs to be considered carefully. Go back to your resting place and think about it." Roland stood up and pushed a book to him. "Give me an answer in three days."
"Your Majesty, this is..." Rex asked in confusion as he picked up the book.
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