Duke and his party walked in, which eventually alarmed Watt, who quickly put down his work and saluted Duke. In addition to Watt, Galileo was also in the steam lab.

"No need to be polite, what stage has the steam engine reached now?"

Duke couldn't wait to ask, because once the steam engine enters the use stage, then both mining and power application will face epoch-making changes. In the future, the Storm Virus hydroelectric factory will also be transformed into a steam factory, and the industrially produced products will form a dumping monopoly on the entire continent.

"Lord Hui, the steam engine is basically in the middle stage of research and development. In addition, Dr. Galileo's parallel-four-link mechanism also replaces the traditional balance lever, which greatly improves efficiency. At the same time, in order to match Dr. Galileo's parallelo-four-link mechanism, I also changed the structure of the previous steam engine and used a two-cylinder design. ”

"It's just that these improvements are being integrated, such as the sealing problem of the cylinder, how to increase the air pressure to make the power more sufficient, and the use of steam condensation cycle, which are still in the process of being solved. However, I am very confident that once these difficulties are overcome, your lord, you will see a mechanical power that this continent has never seen before!"

"Very good!" Duke patted Watt's shoulder excitedly, because he knew that Watt's research and development process was actually a step in another world Watt's improvement of the steam engine. Even more so than that.

Once all of this is completely successful, then steam power will change the world and announce the arrival of the first industrial revolution.

Watt was a little flattered by Duke's excitement, after all, he had only improved the goblin steam engine, which was standing on the shoulders of giants. And another point, the steam engine doesn't seem to be very powerful, even as an improver, he has not fully seen the future value of the steam engine.

"Watt, Galileo, you can continue to improve the steam engine, just mention to the civil magistrate if you need anything, your steam laboratory will always be the first priority of Stormcastle!"

After almost a word of encouragement, Duke stopped bothering them in the steam lab, and it would be a waste of their precious time to talk too much to these scientific pioneers. According to this R&D process, it will only take a few months at most for the first finished steam engine to be developed, and it will be able to enter the mass production stage in the future.

The development of the steam laboratory went smoothly, which was a shot in the arm for Duke, after all, he was more powerful than the Holy See before, but the power of science once again allowed Duke to see the dawn of the future, and he did not fail completely.

Back at the castle, Duke summoned Alan and Cassel to begin a new round of recruitment. This time, however, Duke didn't plan to get any of the Storm Army's 3rd Regiment, as financial pressures didn't allow it. Instead, it is mainly to replenish the first regiment and the knights of the Storm Army, so that they can reach full strength.

The other is the formation of the Storm Fort Reserve Army, and the absence of a perfect reserve system represents a defect in the war potential. The size of the reserve was tentatively set at the number of three thousand, and it was dominated by the miners of Fort Storm,

The reserve army rotates according to batches, and only needs to conduct five days of military training every month, and Fort Storm gives these five days of military training subsidies. Compared to forming a professional army of 3,000 men, this method is much cheaper.

Of course, the amount of training in five days is certainly not comparable to that of professional soldiers, but in this world, except for knights, papal troops, and a small number of lords' private armies, the other so-called reserve armies are all temporarily recruited by a group of peasants, and they have not had a day of military training.

The most typical negative teaching material in this is the Imperial Eleventh Legion, although it is claimed to be the Imperial Legion, but in fact, it has only one number in peacetime, and there are no soldiers at all. When the war broke out, the number of people was temporarily conscripted to make up for it, and what kind of combat effectiveness could this kind of peasant who was still farming yesterday go to the battlefield as soon as he went to the battlefield?

And once defeated, they are not like the regular knights of this world, restraining themselves with chivalry, and most of them are a mess of corrupt military discipline. Therefore, Duke often preferred the Storm Army to resist with two regiments rather than temporarily conscript this kind of army, which is almost useless except for the good looks in numbers, and even counterproductive.

As for why the miners were chosen, Duke also had some considerations. Because first of all, the physical fitness of miners is at least above average, and the infirm can not bear this kind of high-intensity labor. Another point is the psychological quality, miners are generally bold, because in this era, mining operations are a high-risk and high-mortality job, and people who do not have a certain courage dare not go down the mine.

More importantly, the miners themselves have a certain degree of discipline, which is what Duke values the most. For example, the invincible Qi family army was to select the miners and peasants in the Yiwu area, and the army never needed how flexible and sharp-toothed people were, what was needed was just an obedient, taciturn war machine armed to the teeth!

After arranging the expansion of Alan and Duke's army, Duke began to prepare for the imperial capital. Whether he agreed to Princess Jina or not, the imperial capital represents a broader sky and a bigger market, and Duke is also very curious, what will the world's million-population city look like?

As Duke began to prepare, Hera heard the news from somewhere and went to Duke's study.

"Little Duke, I heard that you are going to the imperial capital, why don't you take me with you?"

Now that the weather has warmed up a lot, Hera is also wearing a cooler dress, wearing a low-cut skirt, and then leaning down to pick Duke's chin, this posture is really a little unacceptable to Duke. How to say that the medieval atmosphere is also conservative, and this Hera is too different.

"I have something to do when I go to the imperial capital, what are you going to do?"

Duke wasn't going to take Hera with him, because his subconscious told him that this woman was a big problem.

Hera ignored the objection in Duke's tone, and said with a smile: "Meet the president of the Dark Witch Society, so that more little sisters can get out of the days of hiding from the Holy See and come to Stormcastle to feel the warmth of home." ”

"And don't you have a pact with Gandalf that you need more dark mages, isn't that exactly what you want?"

"You know this, Gandalf is really a big mouth!" Duke replied dissatisfiedly, but he always felt that Hera's purpose was not so simple, if it was just that, why would she go with her, with her special ability, there would be no problem at all to go to the imperial capital.

"You really don't have any other purpose?" Duke asked in a skeptical tone.

"Little Duke, will my sister still lie to you?" the smile on Hera's face widened.

"The more beautiful a woman is, the more she can deceive", I don't know why, Duke remembered this line again in his mind.