"Master, shall we head back?" Mina asked, turning to him. After finishing the morning's administrative duties, she accompanied him to the Department of Military and Political Affairs.
"Mina, tell me—that Fourth Prince is already a failure, so why are those city lords still flocking to him?" Lucas asked calmly as he stepped out of the equipment warehouse.
Mina blinked, quickly catching up to him. She knit her brows in thought before answering, "Perhaps it's a lingering shred of delusion."
"Delusion, hm?" Lucas's lips curled into a faint smile. He stepped outside and squinted at the sun hanging high in the sky.
"The intelligence reports indicate that Liam has at least two thousand knights. Perhaps those lords are simply afraid of retaliation," Mina added hesitantly.
"It seems we've been far too low-key," Lucas said, lowering his head. He glanced at the Crimson Black Dragon Flag fluttering over the plaza and chuckled. "This time, let's be a bit more high-profile."
Afraid of retaliation? Do they not fear Sedona City even more?
He decided it was time to intervene. If he didn't resolve the chaos caused by these three squabbling princes, he wouldn't be able to focus on development. They would undoubtedly keep harassing him, given the abundance of treasures in his territory.
"Master, I believe if we simply send someone to assassinate Liam, it will all be over," Mina said coldly. The coalition was centered around the Fourth Prince; without him, the movement would vanish like mist.
"No, at this stage, the death of a single prince is useless," Lucas shook his head. "The nobles who left with the Fourth Prince are already traitors in the eyes of the First Prince. When Lucia takes the throne, the first people he deals with will be these turncoats."
Therefore, he had to crush them all. His mines and road construction projects were in dire need of a massive influx of labor.
"Let's go to the Scientific Research Department," Lucas said. "I want to see how the steam engine research is progressing."
The application of the steam engine was the linchpin for his next phase: the All Integration Plan and the export strategy. Sedona City was at a crossroads. As more workshops opened, low-yield industries were consuming too much of the population. If this continued, even twenty thousand people wouldn't be enough.
To dominate the entire market of the Siacan Kingdom, the industrial workforce would need to exceed a hundred thousand. At the current rate of population growth, that would take at least two years.
Lucas's greatest shortage was time. The princes' struggle for the throne provided the perfect window for him to strike, and the steam engine was the key to liberating his people from manual labor.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the R&D center. Lucas and Mina headed straight for the institute. Before they even entered, a rhythmic metallic sound echoed through the courtyard.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Intrigued, Lucas stepped into the yard. In the center stood a machine rhythmically pounding a glowing red slab of iron.
"Greetings, City Lord!" The staff immediately saluted.
"Cody, what is this?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow. They were using the steam engine quite creatively.
"City Lord, this is a Steam Forging Hammer," Cody reported, running over. "It's designed to replace manual smithing."
"A steam hammer?" Lucas was surprised. It was conceptually similar to an industrial press or a trip hammer from Earth, just adapted with a heavy hammerhead.
"Yes. I saw how hard the men were working at the forges, so I adapted the steam engine for this purpose," Cody explained cautiously.
"Excellent, truly impressive," Lucas praised him, walking a full circle around the machine. "You can build an even larger one. Replace the hammerhead with a modular striking system..." He began explaining the core principles of industrial forging to Cody, offering a new direction for the design.
"Are there other applications yet?" Lucas asked, scanning the area.
"City Lord, we have developed three distinct models of steam engines based on their power output," Cody reported. "The forging hammer uses the largest model."
Small Model: Equivalent in power to a workhorse. Two units have already been sent to the mines for testing for hauling.
Medium Model: Currently undergoing stability tests. This is the most critical model, intended as the primary power source for workshops.
Large Model: Used for heavy industrial applications like forging and, eventually, propulsion.
"The steel textile machines—which model can they support?" Lucas asked. He noticed that since Cody and his team had cracked the basic steam engine, their progress had accelerated exponentially.
"Both small and medium models can work, but the medium one is far more cost-effective for a factory setting," Cody replied.
"Start the textile testing tomorrow," Lucas said seriously. "If it succeeds, I will record this as a major merit for you."
Currently, Sedona City's primary export was linen, but it was also the most labor-intensive workshop. By implementing steam-powered looms, Lucas could liberate a massive portion of the workforce. His ultimate goal, however, was wool processing—high-end goods that would dominate the luxury market where linen profit margins were slim.
"And the steamship?" Lucas asked. Maritime power was a top priority.
"The current power output isn't quite enough for a ship. We need an even larger grade of engine. It's already under construction and will enter the testing phase in a few days," Cody explained.
"Show me these models," Lucas commanded. With the steam engine advancing this quickly, he could move several of his strategic timelines forward.
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