That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 47 The Meridian Steam Engine and the Ronan Machine

Ronan's subsequent demonstration confirmed Vance's guess.

He ordered his servants to pull the lever, and the high-speed steam engine quickly stopped roaring.

Then, they pulled another set of levers, using a few simple gears as intermediaries, to securely connect the mechanical wheel to another oddly shaped machine equipped with numerous turntables and blades.

Ronan called it the "industrial machine tool," but most people are more used to its other name, the "steam lathe."

Vance was no stranger to the concept of a lathe—there were craftsmen in his territory who used lever lathes to process wood, but this foot-powered lathe was a relatively recent invention, only appearing in the last hundred years.

As far as he knows, many places still use tree lathes, which involve tying the workpiece between two trees. When needed, the craftsman steps on the loops of the ropes connected to the tree, using the flexibility of the branches to rotate the workpiece, and then uses a cutting tool to process it.

Ronan told everyone that the strangely shaped lathe was no different from the previous two types, except that its processing capabilities were slightly better.

Furthermore, its power source is no longer foot pedals or rope pulls, but the roaring steam engine that was just demonstrated.

After saying that, he personally demonstrated to everyone how to process an iron hammer using an industrial machine tool.

As Ronan shaped the iron block into the specified form, the onlookers were all dumbfounded: with such a machine, whether it was processing weapons or other things, the efficiency would far surpass that of manual methods!

"What's the evaluation?"

Ronan handed the hammer, which had been processed on the spot, to the blacksmith Gavin.

"That's incredible."

Gavin examined the hammer repeatedly, his expression one of utter astonishment. "I've never seen any craftsman create such a fine piece in such a short time!"

"Sir, this machine..."

Bart looked at Madonna, and most of the others wore the same expression.

"These machines have nothing to do with Madel. As you can see, they are powered by boiling water, just like boiling water lifts up a teapot."

Ronan smiled and said, "Of course, Miss Madonna did put in a lot of effort for the invention of this machine. Without her help, even the most brilliant ideas would have remained just that—ideas. So I plan to name it the 'Madon Steam Engine' in honor of her contribution to the invention of the steam engine."

"This is the result of our collective hard work."

"So the official name of that industrial machine is the 'Ronan Machine'," Meryl added.

They were met with enthusiastic applause and cheers—those who came to visit today were all mid-to-senior level managers of the Thorn Territory. They did not understand the principles of the steam engine, but through the demonstration and the lord's speech, everyone had gained a profound understanding of the significance of this machine.

"This is also inseparable from the efforts and contributions of all the people of Thorn Territory."

Ronan smiled slightly, no longer dwelling on the naming issue. Instead, he seized the opportunity to reveal his next plan to everyone present: he would rely on this machine to manufacture military supplies such as arrowheads, spear tips, shields, and even crossbows at a faster pace, thereby steadily and rapidly improving the militia's combat effectiveness.

Once production capacity increases, he will also extend its use to civilian applications, using it to manufacture roads, houses, agricultural tools, and process food, so that the entire Thorn Territory can enjoy the convenience brought by the advent of the steam engine.

The atmosphere reached its peak, with shouts of "Long live the Lord!", "Long live Miss Madale!", and "Long live the Thornlands!" continuing for a long time.

For the militia members who had been preparing for war for a long time, this news was undoubtedly a shot in the arm, giving them more confidence in facing the rebels.

What a load of bull! Do the rebels even have the Maddale steam engine or the Ronan mothership? They can only watch as the Thorns draw their resources!

Of course, Ronan didn't just invite them over for a quick visit.

On the one hand, they must maintain secrecy according to discipline; on the other hand, as the military backbone of Thorn Territory, they will be the first group to experience the power of machinery, and therefore their military concepts must also be updated accordingly.

Ronan needed them to pay close attention to observation and reflection during exercises and actual combat, communicate more with the grassroots militia, gradually iterate on daily training methods and strategies and tactics for exercises and actual combat, and collect statistics on the militia's equipment needs in order to mass-produce and manufacture them.

After the battalion commanders and group leaders left to carry out their orders, Vance, who had remained silent throughout, finally pulled Ronan in front of him:

"Tell me, my dear nephew, how much?"

Fearing that Ronan might misunderstand his intentions, Vance added: He did not intend to buy the two machines in front of him. Even though he did not understand how steam engines worked, he knew their profound significance and the great difficulty in their manufacture.

What Vance really wanted to buy were various machines produced by the mother machine, such as stamping machinery for processing armor and shield plates, or machines for processing arrows and spear tips—with these, the Mountain Territory's production capacity could leap to a new level, and at the same time, it could provide more resources to the Thorn Territory.

"Uncle Vance understands me best."

Ronan smiled slightly; this was precisely why he had called Vance over.

Even the most advanced machines can only maximize their benefits if used properly. If they are hidden away like treasures, they are no different from a pile of scrap metal.

Under the influence of various practical factors, the Thorn Territory has adopted a policy of prioritizing military development at this stage. While it is certainly possible to develop industry incidentally after introducing the steam engine, it is hard to say how good the results will be.

In contrast, while the Mountain Territory has a weaker military, it possesses a greater pool of artisans and skilled technicians, making it an ideal industrial zone for the Thorn Territory. Utilizing their comparative advantages is far more effective than limited cooperation where both operate independently.

Ronan also admired Vance's vision—his battalion commanders and squad leaders only thought of using steam engines to make more equipment, but only Vance thought of using machines to make machines.

The two quickly agreed on the next steps of their cooperation: Thorn Territory would prioritize manufacturing the various machines ordered by Mountain Territory, while Mountain Territory would pay a sum of money to purchase them and also prioritize processing the orders placed by Thorn Territory.

Given that these machines are novel products never before seen, Ronan will set up a special training course at the school and recruit willing and qualified local residents to enroll.

On the day the machine is delivered, these trained mechanics will arrive in the mountain territory with it, responsible for both instructing the craftsmen in the mountain territory and repairing the machine if it breaks down.

Mountain leaders must pay them on time and are not allowed to dismantle the machines without authorization, nor can they repair them if they break down.

Vance had no objection to this—he certainly understood that it was due to both the need for technical secrecy and the practical difficulty of maintenance. If he had invented the steam engine, he would have kept the technology firmly in his own hands and made money by exporting large quantities of high-quality, low-priced finished products.

Ronan was willing to share some of his technology with him, which shows that he truly considered him one of his own.

Afterwards, Vance also discussed matters of secrecy with Ronan.

If the Church knew that Maddale had created the prototype, it would surely brand it as a symbol of heresy, and both the Mountain Territory and the Thorn Territory would suffer. Therefore, in his propaganda, he would uniformly claim that these machines were "miracles crafted by reclusive artisans sought out by the Thorn Lord," and he would strictly prevent the Church from contacting them.

This was also Ronan's intention; the Mountain Territory was not like the Thorn Territory, and the Church's presence was still stronger there.

However, just as the two were about to discuss further matters, Bart returned.

"Sir, Miss Scarlett is back!"

The chief knight whispered to Ronan, "The main rebel force is advancing westward and is expected to arrive at Fulong Valley as early as tomorrow noon!"

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