"We have the technology, but we don't have the right materials!"

Hearing Anvil's words, Duke was a little dumbfounded, he had never thought that the steam engine could not be made because of the material problem.

He didn't have the relevant knowledge, and he thought that all he needed was a tin tube to boil water.

But when the anvil opened the steaming box, Duke realized how childish and outrageous his idea was.

"Lord, please see, this is the detailed structure of the steaming *** power backpack. ”

The anvil turned the metal backpack attached to the back of the steamer to Duke's face, and somehow removed its lid with a click.

Duke was dazzled by the first glance.

He saw countless precision gears, levers, bearings, cylinders, and flywheels running inside, which he recognized.

There are so many delicate structures that he can't name that are clicking.

The structure inside the backpack as a whole presents a strange sense of mechanical fluidity and beauty, but its complexity and precision also make Duke feel his scalp tingle.

"It takes nearly 10,000 delicate components to make such a complete steaming ***, and this is only the most basic. If you want to make a more powerful steaming ***, you also need some other rare materials to assist. ”

Anvil said as he pointed his finger at the mysterious patterns on the walls of some parts.

Those mysterious patterns were now inactive, like the red gold patterns printed on the walls of the parts, and when the anvil fired into the distance, these patterns instantly burst into a brilliant magical light.

"Is this a magic rune?" Duke said with some surprise.

It was the first time he had seen such a delicate and detailed magic rune, the last time he saw it was in Old Neil's blacksmith shop, and his magic rune was the size of an adult's palm, which was obviously very different from this.

The anvil stroked those magic runes and said with some melancholy: "Yes, this is a new generation of magic runes improved by dwarven craftsmen combined with human magic runes, and the main function is to enhance the strength and durability of parts. ”

Then he had a small boiler that took the center of the finger box, engraved with more intricate and mysterious magical runes.

"This is a magic rune used to heat water to produce steam and continuously pressurize the steam, of course, it also has the effect of increasing strength and airtightness, otherwise it would not be possible to achieve pressurization or directly burst the boiler. ”

"Can't any more of these magic runes?" Duke asked, a little unwillingly.

Anvil replied with some astonishment: "Ah, you said that this rune, of course, can be reproduced, and the dwarf technique is rarely lost." It's just that we don't have enough energy supply magic stones, so one shot is missing. ”

As he spoke, he opened the columnar boxes on both sides of his backpack, took out two dim crystals the size of a thermos cup, and said with some sadness and regret: "These two energy supply magic stones have been handed down by my wife and grandfather's generation, and they can't be used a few times." ”

Duke felt a mouthful of old blood suffocating in his chest and wanted to spurt out.

I dared to talk to this dwarf for a long time, thinking that my idea was going to go bankrupt.

I didn't expect that what people lacked was indeed the least valuable thing for themselves.

He calmed down and said, "I said, money is not a problem, these energy supply magic stones are enough." ”

Anvil stared at Duke with wide eyes, he didn't want to fight his lord so rich at all, the two energy supply magic stones in his hand would at least cost tens of thousands of gold coins if they were fully charged, and the magic stones used as regular energy supplies would not last long at all.

He really couldn't imagine that the lord who lived in such a poor castle was so rich in this regard, after all, the castle he had been a guest at last night was much worse than the other lords he had occasionally seen before!

He swallowed and said with some difficulty, "Yes...... Yes, it's really not a big problem for you. ”

Then he said helplessly: "But there is one item that cannot be satisfied, you see that the main material that constitutes this steam backpack is the magic copper ore that has long been extinct on the mainland, which is the so-called copper essence, only the metal of this strength plus magic runes can barely withstand the multiple compressed steam." ”

"Isn't it okay to use the Ministry of Steel?"

"The strength of the steel smelted now cannot be compared to the magic copper ore, and the magic copper ore is the strongest metal when the ductility and thermal conductivity are suitable. ”

Duke rubbed his forehead and felt a little headache, it stands to reason that refined steel can meet the requirements of an anvil, but this involves another technical improvement.

He thought for a while, and had to lower his requirements and asked: "What if I only need a simple steam engine, which does not need to be as sophisticated as a steaming machine and a steam furnace, but only a simple machine that can provide power." ”

"Of course we can, we can make a simple steam engine. Anvil finally nodded and was sure that he could make a machine that could provide initial power, but he added, "Lord, if you only need to provide power other than manpower, you can try another method, and you can achieve the same effect, or even better at this stage." ”

"Oh?" Duke was really a little confused this time, he only took the steam engine, the internal combustion engine, and the electric power that can bring great power, and he didn't know what other unknown forces in this world could be used.

"Hydraulics, natural hydraulics!" said Anvil, his eyes blazing, "I found that the Seine River next to the fortress of the north was too strong to build a harbor due to its strong currents, but it also provided a great amount of water to be exploited on the other hand. Using water power as power can also solve most of the things that a steam engine can do. ”

Duke's heart moved slightly, and then he was a little annoyed that he had wasted so much time without thinking of using water power at all.

There are several traditional methods of using water power that he knows, whether it is a watermill or a water-powered mill, etc., and if it had been popularized earlier, perhaps this year's grain production would have increased even more.

Duke took a deep breath before he said to Anvil, "You're right, but the steam engine still needs to be done, and I'll help you solve the material problem." ”

Hydropower can only be used as a temporary solution, it is still too constrained by natural conditions, and it is not suitable for many occasions, and the steam engine can be built to create more production capacity.

"I want to appoint you as the Minister of Construction for the Dukedom of the North, I wonder if you want to?"

After this investigation, Duke was very satisfied with the performance of the anvil, so he said that he had prepared his plan.

"This ...... I'm just a newcomer, and I'm not human. The anvil was a little surprised, a little joyful and a little apprehensive.

Duke smiled and handed the fateful instrument to Anvil.

The latter hurriedly wiped his hands on the hem of his clothes, and took the appointment document with sincere fear, and was a little excited for a while.

"Hello, Mr. Anvil, Minister of Construction. ”

Duke quipped with a laugh.