Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 411, Section 409: The Arms Dealer (Please Subscribe)

Generally speaking, when a regime develops to a certain stage and goes through the test of time, it will inevitably become bloated and inefficient.

Taking the Bonaparte Empire as an example, the normal procurement process would begin with filling out a purchase requisition form.
The Imperial Military Ministry conducts the initial investigation and submits a proposal, which is then submitted to the Cabinet for acceptance. The Cabinet determines the procurement needs, and personnel are subsequently dispatched to inquire about prices and negotiate agreements.

Then send a formal letter requesting samples from at least two suppliers.

After comparing suppliers horizontally and identifying them, a purchase contract is signed and a deposit is paid.

Finally, the supplier provides the products, which are inspected and put into storage before the accounts are reconciled and the final payment is made.

Even with the unwavering support of Napoleon III, and with every step handled specially and smoothly, there was still a queue when it came to the final payment from the Imperial Cabinet!
The Bonaparte Empire's finances were relatively good, but every penny was spent according to plan. Extra spending was never welcome, and it was common for the bank to be in debt for a month or two.

This is something even His Majesty the Emperor cannot resolve. Even with supreme power, he must uphold the rules he himself has established.

Therefore, the Empire's normal procurement process usually takes three months. Even with His Majesty the Emperor's attention, expedited processing would still take a month.

However, if you encounter resistance and get stuck at a certain stage, it will be a standstill indefinitely!
This is the efficiency of the empire: inefficient, extremely slow, but almost never makes mistakes.

However, it is clear that this approach is not feasible during wartime.

This time, in particular, the Empire demonstrated an efficiency that cannot be described as merely fast, but rather as almost reckless.

To reduce the time lost in transportation, they actually found a deserted island in the Silver Sea and built a semi-permanent two-way teleportation magic circle.

This was built overnight by a legendary mage, along with five fourth-tier Cataclysm mages proficient in spatial magic, who brought enough magical materials.

The sheer scale of the project vividly showcased the empire's arrogance and eagerness.

The first order from the Bonaparte Empire was for a whopping 300,000 Imperial Golden Dragons.

What they want most, of course, is the most advanced magic-powered heavy machine gun and the fifth-generation rear-loading rapid-fire magic-powered cannon.

Unfortunately, although Flower Territory could also produce them, the Empire was pressing harder. After bargaining with Grand Duke Carlisle, Roy only managed to spare one hundred Maxim magic-powered heavy machine guns and ten fifth-generation cannons.

This quantity was actually carefully calculated by Luo Yi. Given the intensity of the current war, saying it was captured from the battlefield would silence any dissent.

Of course, Archduke Carlisle preferred a batch of six-barreled Gatling guns and hand grenades.

Luo Yi didn't give it to him, not because he was stingy, but because it really wasn't much.

Christina has provided the production technology, but the production process for a six-tube Gatling gun is more complex, and the production line modification will take time.

At the current output level, it's only a single-digit number per day, all handcrafted by a group of skilled fitters.

Moreover, while the six-barreled Gatling gun was more powerful, it was also heavier than the Maxim heavy machine gun.

In addition to the weight of the bullets, only exceptionally powerful knights could use them for extended periods on the battlefield.

However, those who are extraordinary knights and also possess magic are extremely rare.

Even within the Habsburg Empire, this was a specially supplied weapon.

As for grenades, the production volume was even higher, but Roy secretly hid some of them to arm his legion.

However, while we may not have the most advanced technology, we have plenty of other technologies.

First, there's the magic-powered rifle used on the battlefield, with a stable range of three to four hundred meters. It can penetrate iron armor from the front, far exceeding the attack radius of bows and arrows.

On the battlefield, the Bonaparte Empire's army suffered greatly from its limited attack range, becoming almost entirely sitting ducks.

The denser the ranks, the faster people die, and the more casualties they suffer.

This is also the best demonstration of the superiority of magic-powered weapons.

It's worth mentioning that because Grand Duke Carlisle requested such a large quantity, the goods from the Habsburg Empire haven't arrived yet.
Therefore, Luo Yi had no choice but to confiscate, maintain, and send the weapons of the First Imperial Guard Legion as cargo.

Although it was somewhat unfair, it was because Grand Duke Carlisle had been urging him too much.

As for the First Imperial Guard Legion, they've naturally changed their uniforms!
Now that the Maxim heavy machine gun could be produced, semi-automatic rifles were no problem.

In fact, this semi-automatic rifle was not designed by Roy, but by a worker in the arsenal who, after a long period of producing Maxim machine guns, came up with a design inspired by his experience.

The design he presented was for adding a magazine under the gun barrel, allowing for both burst fire and high-volume fire.

The shooting accuracy is somewhat worse, but on the battlefield, apart from snipers, what is needed is firepower suppression.

Because it was made by a young man named 'Galand', this model is called the Garland Semi-Automatic Magic Rifle.

With a magazine capacity of twenty rounds and the ability to reload quickly, it has become one of the products recognized by the Habsburg Empire.

This was also the first product that wasn't made by Luo Yi, making him realize that the people he was training had already passed the initial accumulation stage.

Therefore, Roy approached Maruna almost without hesitation, asking him to issue reward regulations to actively encourage his subordinates to conduct independent research and development in addition to production. As for Garland, he had already been transferred to the Mechanical Mage Tower, where he had his own dedicated firearms workshop, becoming the envy of everyone.

Getting back to the main point, besides the firearms, Carlisle also requested a large quantity of meditation potions, even more than the firearms.

There's nothing we can do; without magic, these guns are just sticks for burning.

Finally, Archduke Carlisle also requested a complete set of machining equipment. The quantity was not large, but it included all the commonly used tools such as turning, grinding, milling, drilling, and boring.

This part was actually purchased privately by him, and it's clear that some of Luo Yi's words did have an effect.

All of the above sounds complicated, but in reality, the entire transaction was completed within three days.

This is still because setting up the remote portal and preparing the goods took too much time; otherwise, the transaction speed could be even faster.

It's worth mentioning that just one day later, Luo Yi received a second batch of orders.

This time, it's all bullets!

Clearly, after the firearms were purchased, the Bonaparte Empire distributed them as quickly as possible.
After some testing, they experienced the power of the magic weapon, but also felt the pain of consuming bullets.

The firearms weren't the problem; the real issue was the ammunition consumption. In just one day of training, they used up one-fifth of their ammunition reserves.

So, for their second order, they requested a full one million rounds of various types of bullets.

This is something that the flower shop can't provide; the quantity is simply too much.

However, the Bonaparte Empire also reacted quickly; the money was simply too easy to earn, and they were tempted as well.

Therefore, they also went all out, setting up a two-way teleportation portal leading to the Flower Territory.

Large quantities of bullets were loaded into dimensional bags and then transported over through a portal.

What Luo Yi had to do was to take it out, check it, repackage it, and then send it over.

Then came the third order, the fourth order, the fifth order...

The order was placed so quickly that Luo Yi couldn't quite handle it; it was just too much.

The total amount settled, including the deposit and payment for the first two orders, has reached one million Imperial Golden Dragons.

The golden dragon of the Bonaparte Empire and the gintil of the Habsburg Empire were coins of equal weight, exquisitely crafted, and highly sought after in the market.

Although Roy had managed to procure a sufficient number of firearms and cannons through the Habsburg Empire, he dared not even take out too many at once when it came time to deliver them.

In truth, a simple inventory would reveal that the production capacity of the flower-producing region is insufficient!
Of course, this also aroused Luo Yi's suspicion.

The Bonaparte Empire could not have had so many mage apprentices, nor could it have consumed so much weaponry.

Therefore, there must be something fishy going on here that he doesn't know about!
Therefore, Luo Yi made a special trip to the Silver Sea and cornered Grand Duke Carlisle on that deserted island. After questioning him, he finally learned the truth.

The Bonaparte Empire has actually started doing personal shopping services!
The reason is simple: the large-scale purchases by the Bonaparte Empire could not be hidden from the eyes of the Sardinian Kingdom and the Slavic Empire.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these three countries are now standing together, seemingly as close as brothers. Between nations, there are only eternal interests, not eternal friendships.

Therefore, it's not entirely normal for people to plant spies on each other.

The Bonaparte Empire, contrary to its usual practice, acquired a large number of magical weapons, which naturally became known to the other two major powers.

Then, their first reaction was not to condemn, but to join in.

The Bonaparte Empire saw the advanced nature and power of magical weapons, and they were no exception.

Moreover, given the current situation, Napoleon III could not refuse.

The result is what we have now: orders are increasing and getting bigger.

Even Grand Duke Carlisle and his ilk were aware of the Flower Territory's productivity and guessed that he must have obtained a considerable amount of resources from the Empire through other channels.

But they really don't care!

As a result, in late August and early September of the New Divine Calendar 314, Loy actually became the undisputed biggest arms dealer in the entire Old Continent.

His business spans four empires, with monthly transaction volume exceeding one million gold dragons, almost equivalent to a year's income for the Flower Clan.

The wonders of the world are truly beyond our expectations.

Just when Roy was feeling a bit apprehensive, as if things were about to get out of his control, the great war in Alsace province broke out completely.

　I'll try to update more today!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)