Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 468: Production Line and Magic-Powered Submarine (Please Subscribe)
The real-world test ended perfectly in the final, destructive experiment.

That was initiated by Grand Knight Commander Alfonso Zeke, who, from a distance of a hundred meters, unleashed his battle aura and continuously attacked with aura slashes.
It wasn't until the intensity of his battle aura was raised to the level of a natural disaster that he managed to tear through the frontal armor with a single blow.

The dissipated battle aura caused splash damage inside the space; if there were any crew members present, they would have been killed instantly.

However, this devastating experiment also taught Luo Yi that even the king of land warfare must learn to respect natural disasters.

The prototype broke down, and the experiment came to an end.
Based on this evaluation, the first generation of the King of Land Warfare was finalized, with no major changes except for some minor issues.

As for subsequent research and development, it can be optimized based on previous records and actual combat experience on the battlefield.

That's something for the future.

However, although the test is over, it doesn't mean the matter is over.

On the contrary, once research and development is completed and the machinery is finalized, it means that subsequent production and personnel training must be put on the agenda.

From raw material procurement to production line manufacturing, from factory site selection to worker recruitment, from the establishment of various workshops to professional and technical training, and then to the final inspection of finished products and repair after damage...

The more precise the machinery, the higher the requirements for the finished parts, and the more upstream and downstream industries are involved.

In other words, Flower Territory already has a relatively complete industrial chain; otherwise, it would be really difficult to mass-produce this first-generation Land Warfare King.

And that's not even the most troublesome part!
The most troublesome thing is that all of this has to be done in secret, avoiding the eyes and ears of too many people.

And this is only the production stage. After being delivered to the military, qualified crew members still need to be trained.

Commander, gunner, loader, driver, and machine gunner.

These five positions may seem simple, but to become proficient in them requires long-term and dedicated professional training.

Loy had been working on these two things since late March of the year 315 of the New Divine Calendar.

First, taking advantage of the implementation and use of the third industrial zone in New Brucell, he relocated most of the non-military industries from the first industrial zone.

Going forward, this primary industrial zone, and even the supporting Hope Community, will be under closed management, with strict access control and screening systems for entry and exit.

Of course, the reasons are readily available.

The products manufactured here are magical weapons, cannons, bullets, and various types of shells, so it's normal to regulate them.

In fact, Roy set aside a large portion of the vacated area and converted it into a tank production factory.

As for the workers needed, they were all key personnel he had drawn from various state-owned factories.

The term "backbone" refers not only to their technical skills, but also to their background checks, criminal records, and general conduct.

This time, Luo Yi only wants 'good kids' with clean backgrounds, that is, the original batch of locals trained by Flower Territory, which is definitely the best of the best.

Their personal freedom will be subject to certain restrictions in the future.

For a period of time, everyone they encountered could be an informant for the intelligence agency.

But their treatment will be better. Housing is a given, promotion is certain, and even their wives, children, and families will be properly taken care of.

It's all for the sake of secrecy!
The selection of crew members followed a similar strategy, but this time they were selected from the First Imperial Guard Legion of Flower Territory.

They only want the best of the best, and they must have passed the political vetting and have no blemishes.

According to Loy's idea, the first batch will consist of only 300 people, who will be gathered together for Ms. Palacios to conduct specialized training for a period of one month.

A month later, once you've mastered crafting one or two King of the Land Battles, you can start hands-on practice and begin distribution.

Once you determine which position an individual is best suited for, then it's time for repeated training in their professional skills.

This group of people will also be the initial instructors, and they will be responsible for training any subsequent expansions in manpower.

What? You're asking why Ms. Palacios is in charge of training matters, and not Hill Douglas and Mrs. Linda?

That's because these two are busier!
Lilia was busy with postpartum care and taking care of the baby, so she couldn't leave at all.

Factory buildings, machinery, production lines, production manuals, workshop layout, process responsibilities, etc., are all Hill's responsibility.

Worker selection, training, professional technical explanations, and classes—all of these had to be handled by Mrs. Linda, who was only half-baked.

There was also Ms. Palacios, who displayed superb driving skills; otherwise, if Roy wanted to recruit men, he wouldn't know who to ask.

Of course, in order to get Hill Douglas and Mrs. Linda to work hard, Lloyd not only promised them shares in the tank factory, but also ordered two mage towers for them.

Yes, it's their personal mage tower, funded by Loy.

Although the goods haven't arrived yet, the order list was shown to the two of them, and it bore the official seal of the Empire.
Otherwise, these two would have quit long ago!

In Hill's words, we're all friends, so it's fine if you use it, but to use it to the point of exhaustion, isn't that a bit excessive?

But when Roy placed the order for the two mage towers in front of Hill, his expression underwent a variety of changes.

Finally, he shook Luo Yi's hand and said with great enthusiasm: "We're all friends. Friends should go to great lengths for each other. What's a little hardship?"

Therefore, give him any tasks directly and never be too kind to his small body.

That's right, this is the allure of the mage tower for mages, enough to make them go bankrupt.

Even in the Habsburg Empire, Hill Douglas couldn't get his own mage tower. It takes more than just Gintil; you also need connections and relationships!
Moreover, the mage tower that Luo Yi ordered for them this time belongs exclusively to them, unlike the borrowed towers of those fourth-tier natural disasters, in terms of ownership.

All of the above is quite complex in theory, and even more so in practice. Practice is the sole criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of any organized efforts.

This principle is correct in any world, but in practice, the problems you encounter are more numerous than you can imagine!

Therefore, from the latter half of the year 315 of the New Divine Calendar to the end of June, for a full three months, Luo Yi was busy discovering, solving, and implementing problems.

By the end of June, both the production line and military training were back on track.

Luo Yi inspected the entire process and found that everything was running smoothly, which put her at ease.

Looking back, half the year has already passed. Indeed, time flies the fastest when people are focused and busy.

As for the war between the Empire and the Allied Forces, it remained largely a stalemate, though some changes did occur.

First, a coalition led by the Kingdom of Sardinia launched an attack on the Kingdom of Ottoman, with amphibious landings at four locations, aiming to break through the defenses and then attack the empire's southern provinces.

The plan is, of course, excellent!

Moreover, in order to enhance its voice and dominance, the Kingdom of Sardinia has truly spared no expense this time.

The army alone—the expeditionary force that the Empress sent to the Bonaparte Empire—only numbered 30,000.

But this time, he spent 300,000 yuan at once.

This, not counting contributions from other countries, adds up to a total of 500,000.

Not to mention the navy, with over a hundred warships, even if lined up end to end, they could cover the entire coastline of the Ottoman Kingdom.

Not to mention the pirates who came to plunder, the powerful figures sent by various families, the strange and wonderful magical items, and the magical scrolls that could fill the ship's hold.

And, the newly formed magic-powered legion!

This battle was more profitable than anyone could have imagined!
According to everyone's opinion, taking over the corrupt and decadent Ottoman Kingdom would be as easy as cutting tofu with a knife.

Unfortunately, war is not a contest of strength on paper; it involves too many variables.

The Ottoman Empire was indeed corrupt and decadent, but to say that they lacked the will to revitalize and strengthen it would be to underestimate them.

Several years ago, the Ottoman Kingdom even launched a national bond issuance. Countless people throughout the kingdom bought the bonds, with those who had money buying more and those who didn't buy less, thus raising a large sum of money.

They then used the money to purchase two large warships in the Kingdom of Sardinia, hoping to revitalize their navy.

That's actually true, but unfortunately, the Sardinian cabinet withheld the two warships when they were completed.

It was First Lord of the Navy Admiral Winston who issued the order.

The problem is that they seized the ship but refused to return the money they paid for it, which is truly outrageous.

But that's the nature of great powers; when they're shameless, there's nothing you can do!

This is also the origin of the long-standing feud between the two sides!

Perhaps for this reason, the Ottoman Kingdom's resistance was more resolute than imagined.

Furthermore, Istanbul, a renowned holy city, possesses an unparalleled ability to unite people.

In the early stages of the war, the Allied forces did achieve remarkable results, with artillery barrages providing cover for the ground troops as they advanced and established outposts.

However, a formidable figure emerged in the Ottoman Kingdom: Kermal Mustafa.

He only holds the rank of colonel, but he studied in the Habsburg Empire and is quite capable, and is also proficient in artillery command!
His legion is a rare elite force, almost all of them having entered the realm of meditation, accumulated magical power, and are skilled in using magical weapons.

Under his leadership, relying on the terrain advantage and various defensive fortifications, they managed to repel the allied forces time and time again.

Seeing his bravery, the Ottoman royal family immediately promoted him to a higher rank and put him in charge of the entire front line.

Meanwhile, aid from the Empire continued to arrive.

Although no army was dispatched, the Empire provided ample supplies, magical weapons, and ammunition, and sent officers to help train the army.

At sea, the empire was powerless against so many warships.

The number of ironclad warships was too small, but the Empire still brought out its ultimate weapon: the magic-powered submarine.

Yes, the Empire produced ironclad ships that could sail silently at sea and were equipped with powerful mines.

To be honest, the oceans of this world are not off-limits.

There are many kinds of sea creatures there, and there are sea beasts with exaggerated sizes. Human strongmen can also go deep into the sea. Therefore, this kind of magic-powered submarine is not an invincible existence.

But it's terrifying when the allied forces know absolutely nothing about it.

With a single, silent strike, it sank ten large warships.

The bizarre scene caused the other large warships to retreat and scatter, as they assumed the Ottoman Kingdom had unleashed some powerful forbidden spell.

It wasn't until later, when the Kingdom of Sardinia contacted the sea creatures and offered them many benefits, that they were able to investigate and discover the steel monster lurking underwater.

Even so, the elusive magic submarines still caused great panic among the allied forces!

(End of this chapter)