"How about calling it the Hood?" Ryan suggested with a smile.
The Hood family was a famous family of sea knights in Bretonnia's history.
Everyone was a bit surprised by the name. The northern knightly nobles had been planning to propose names like Jules or the renowned Duchess of Lyonesse, while the southern nobles had also come up with many ideas. But Ryan's suggestion left everyone feeling a bit odd, and the Knight King's idea was met with opposition.
However, Ryan didn't seem too bothered by the disagreement. Seeing the opposition, he simply said, "In that case, let's all go back and write down our preferred names and reasons. We'll discuss it later and not make a hasty decision. How does that sound?"
The matter was settled, and Ryan continued his tour. He walked over to the steam boilers, which had been modified by Gelt. While Ryan wasn't an expert on steam boilers, he could tell that the top-grade smokeless coal required was extremely expensive. Fortunately, Ryan's wealth meant he didn't have to worry too much about the cost.
"Your Majesty, you can take a look at the artillery outside," Maybach, Nuln's Chief Engineer, and the visiting Krupp representative both spoke up almost simultaneously as Ryan stood motionless in front of the steam boilers.
Ryan felt something was off.
The steam boilers were the heart of the land cruiser. He had only glanced at them for a moment, so why were they urging him to move on?
"Can we start it up now?" Ryan asked after some thought.
"Uh, it's still being debugged," Maybach said with a troubled expression. "Your Majesty, perhaps you could try the artillery and rotary guns first."
"But didn't you already complete the tests in Nuln?" Ryan asked, puzzled. "And you said it could be deployed in emergencies if needed. Why can't it work now?"
"We need more time to complete the testing for this land cruiser," Maybach explained awkwardly. "This giant ship has traveled across the ocean and was only recently assembled. Perhaps…"
"Then test it for me right now!" Ryan was increasingly suspicious. "Isn't it already assembled? Then test it now."
"This…" Maybach exchanged glances with the other engineers.
"Hey, hey, hey! This is the land battlecruiser I commissioned you to build. I didn't even complain when you made one for yourselves first, but you at least need to meet my requirements!" Ryan was finally losing patience. "If you can't even do this, then don't blame me for not paying the remaining fees or fulfilling the agreement."
"Alright, if Your Majesty insists," Maybach finally nodded. After some thought, he added, "But the environment here is different from Nuln, so we might not be able to demonstrate its full capabilities."
"Oh, that's fine."
The group of visitors was asked to disembark and observe from a distance.
First, the triple-barreled cannon, consisting of a heavy cannon and two light cannons, was fired. The artillery was powerful, and with the explosive black powder produced by Veronique's workshop, the blasts were massive, making it an excellent anti-monster weapon. The test firings went well.
Next were the Dwarven sulfur rotary guns and Hellstorm Volley Guns on the sides. They were also highly effective, especially against large groups of infantry. The Hellstorm Volley Guns were designed to clear enemies on the flanks, while the rotary guns could be adjusted to fire at ground targets or even anti-air.
Finally, the mortar fired the Big Daddy shells, creating craters several meters in diameter and nearly obliterating entire formations of straw dummies. The dummies clad in cloth and leather armor were either blown to pieces or riddled with shrapnel, while even the few in iron armor were heavily scarred.
"Excellent! Now let's get the land cruiser moving!" Ryan said triumphantly. "Move the ship, Maybach!"
"Yes! Prepare to move!" Maybach gave a signal.
The workers immediately began shoveling top-grade smokeless coal into the steam boilers. Sweating profusely, they worked as quickly as possible to feed the boilers while the engineers calculated the heat and power output.
"Choo-choo!" A long whistle sounded, and white smoke billowed from the rear of the land cruiser. The steam boilers roared to life, and everything seemed to be going perfectly.
Ryan stood below, wrapping his arms around his two sons' shoulders. The Knight King couldn't help but laugh. "Sons, it's time to chant the incantation!"
"Hahaha!" Frederick awkwardly broke free from his father's grip. The eldest son seemed uncomfortable with such public displays of affection and coughed twice. "I know, I know. Uncle Clarkson taught me."
"Oh? You've met Clarkson? He's not much of a talker," Ryan said with interest. "When was this?"
"Uncle Clarkson came before I was even born," Frederick said, deliberately glancing at Devonshire and puffing out his chest to show off the pendant hanging from his neck.
The pendant held a black feather, infused with immense power. Frederick flicked it lightly. "This is what Uncle Clarkson left me—his raven feather, containing his knowledge and power. What about you, Devonshire? Don't have one, do you?"
"Huh?" Devonshire was momentarily stunned. The Knight King's legitimate son pulled out a handful of items from his person, his expression unreadable.
"This is from Uncle Guilliman!" Several thick children's books, complete with the Imperial Regent's personal annotations (from Macragge).
"This is from Uncle Magnus!" A deep red gem with a bright, moving eye inside—a relic of the Thousand Sons, the "Eye of the Emperor."
"This is from Uncle Vulkan!" A delicate little hammer with the Salamanders' emblem.
"This is from Uncle Lion!" A small statue of a winged figure wearing a hood, holding a sword in one hand and a cross in the other, looking rather eerie.
"This is from Uncle Fulgrim!" An obsidian amulet with a powerful protective enchantment.
"Uncle Angron gave me so many things, I've stored them all in my little house." With each item, Frederick's face fell further. Devonshire smirked. "What's wrong, Frederick? Lost your enthusiasm? Go on, I've got plenty more!"
"Ugh! Father, this isn't fair!" Frederick couldn't handle the bragging. The eldest son looked at Ryan with a pout. "Father, I want to meet my uncles too!"
"There will be chances, there will be chances," Ryan said awkwardly. The Grey Knight Primarch thought to himself that Devonshire was indeed more favored by the Primarchs because Sulia was the Emperor's recognized daughter-in-law, not Emmanuelle.
"Choo-choo!" The battlecruiser in the distance continued to belch steam, the boilers rumbling as if ready to move.
"Come, Frederick, Devonshire, let's chant the magical incantation together," Ryan said to his sons.
Frederick and Devonshire both gave their father sideways glances but reluctantly nodded.
So the three of them chanted together.
"Sound the great bell once!
Pull the lever, activate the piston and pump…
Sound the great bell twice!
Press the button, ignite the engine, light the turbine, inject life…
Sound the great bell thrice!
Sing in unison, praise the Omnissiah!
For the Machine God!"
"Doo-doo-doo!" Just as the three finished chanting, the land cruiser finally started moving. White smoke billowed from the steam boilers as it began to crawl forward at an excruciatingly slow pace.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, it took nearly a minute to move less than a hundred meters before coming to a halt.
The boilers roared again, and the cruiser moved another fifty meters in half a minute before completely shutting down. The Nuln engineers came down, embarrassed, and explained that the steam boilers had overheated due to overloading and needed time to cool.
"???" Ryan was utterly confused. The eight marshals of Bretonnia and everyone else were equally dumbfounded.
What happened to the promised speed of 20-25 kilometers per hour?
"Try again!" Ryan suddenly remembered something, his face turning grim.
"We'll wait here! Once it cools down, we'll try again immediately!"
---
By the time they returned to Château de Fontainebleau, Ryan's expression was dark. Frederick looked equally troubled, while Devonshire was visibly displeased.
Damn it, I should have realized this earlier! Ryan frowned in frustration.
How much did the land cruiser weigh?
About sixty tons, not including the weight of the ammunition it would later carry.
And how much power did the land cruiser have?
Four steam boilers at 65 horsepower each, totaling 260 horsepower at full capacity. But in practice, the boilers couldn't maintain full output indefinitely, so 240 horsepower was more realistic.
What could 260 horsepower do?
Ryan truly didn't understand this aspect. If it hadn't been for the land cruiser's performance issues during the test, the Knight King would have remained ignorant.
But after this incident, he vaguely recalled a piece of data from his past life: the German Tiger tank weighed about sixty tons and was powered by a Maybach gasoline engine with around 600 or 700 horsepower (Ryan couldn't remember exactly).
Even with 600 horsepower, the Tiger tank was criticized for its lack of power and poor off-road capabilities, eventually being overwhelmed by the Soviet T-34/85s.
But this land cruiser only had 260 horsepower. What could it possibly do?
Sure enough, in subsequent tests, no matter how hard the Nuln engineers tried or how much they overloaded the steam engines, the land cruiser's top speed on the plains outside Château de Fontainebleau was only 5-6 kilometers per hour, and that was under optimal conditions.
Ryan was at a loss for words. With such poor power, climbing slopes or navigating complex terrain was out of the question. Even though most of Bretonnia was flat, the land cruiser's mobility was severely lacking. Instead of being a game-changer, it would become a burden!
What to do?!
The Knight King summoned Maybach and gave him an earful. As the client, Ryan told Nuln that the power issue had to be resolved. And how had they achieved the claimed top speed of 20-25 kilometers per hour?
An embarrassed Maybach finally revealed the truth.
How had Nuln done it?
The answer was simple: Nuln's roads were made of marble. On marble roads, the land cruiser could reach 20-25 kilometers per hour with just 260 horsepower, or even a bit of overloading.
Everyone laughed in frustration. How could test data from marble roads be applied to ordinary roads?
How effective were marble roads? For example, after installing the new steam boilers, Maybach's favorite pastime was racing steam tanks through the streets of Nuln.
"Chief Engineer Maybach, if that's the case, how can you be sure that Nuln can deploy the land cruiser in emergencies?" Ryan pressed.
Maybach was embarrassed but answered honestly, "The land cruiser uses a riveted structure. We can disassemble it into several parts, transport them to the battlefield, and then reassemble it using temporary work platforms and steam cranes. Although it requires significant manpower and resources, it can be deployed if necessary."
"That's Nuln!" Ryan said bluntly. "You have enough workers and engineers to do that, but we don't! The power issue must be resolved! Otherwise, as the client, I have the right to withhold payment!"
"Your Majesty, four steam boilers are the limit," Maybach could only explain helplessly. "We've tried many methods, but it's impossible to add more power without redesigning the entire battlecruiser."
"Or perhaps the Kingdom of Bretonnia can find a solution?" Maybach suggested tentatively.
Ryan laughed in frustration.
I'm the client, and you're the contractor. How is it that the contractor can't meet the technical specifications and now expects the client to solve the problem?
I should have asked you to create a "colorful black" from the start!
"I'm not discussing this with you. I'll take it up with your Countess," Ryan turned and left, ordering his attendants to secure the land cruiser.
Back in the Fountain Courtyard, Emmanuelle, who was still playing mahjong, listened to Ryan's concerns and Maybach's report. The Countess of Nuln was at a loss. "I don't understand technical matters, Ryan. Why are you asking me?"
"As the client, shouldn't I be asking you, my Countess?" Ryan reached out and playfully pinched Emmanuelle's cheeks. "Everything else is great, but without solving the power issue, this is just a big, immobile fortress!"
"Then… don't… ask me!" Emmanuelle swatted Ryan's hand away, exasperated. "Ryan, Nuln's technology is already the most advanced in the Old World. These steam boilers are the latest from Gelt's workshop. If Maybach says it's impossible, then no one in the Old World can do it."
It seemed Nuln truly couldn't solve the problem. Ryan knew he had set high technical standards, and the power system was already an improvement.
What to do?! Did I spend all this money just to create a giant immobile artillery platform?
How to solve the power issue?
Ryan pondered deeply.
There was only one solution left: replace the land cruiser's steam power with something else.
But the question was, who had a more powerful system that could surpass Nuln's current steam technology and make the land cruiser move?
After much thought, Ryan's eyes lit up.
It seemed he would have to ask that faction for help.
______
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