Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 5 Perfect Automated Production Line

At night, the simple production workshop is brightly lit.

Harvey watched with satisfaction as Reiner stood in front of the blender, his pair of metal-inlaid bone arms carefully stirring the saponification solution in the container.

A week has passed since the soul transfer experiment, and Reiner has adapted very well to his current alchemical prosthesis.

Perhaps because he had originally been engaged in the delicate work of watch repair, he was able to operate this simple production equipment with ease.

Prepare the soap solution, stir to blend, let it stand to solidify, cut into pieces and package.

Everything was done quickly and efficiently.

Compared to the previous zombies that were missing limbs and could only perform a small number of repetitive movements in a dull manner under the command of necromancy.

He is simply the innate holy body in the world of screw tightening.

Harvey couldn't help but imagine happily that if he could have a hundred soul creatures like Reiner, he wouldn't need to make soap anymore, he could even rub out a car by hand.

However, since Reiner is the only one now, it would be more appropriate for him to focus on the soap industry.

After all, the nobles of this world only use sheep fat mixed with wood ash to make semi-solidified primitive soap for bathing.

It is even simpler for the general public, just a bathtub and a boar bristle brush will do.

After Harvey personally made a batch of handmade soaps and distributed them to the investors of his startup project for trial.

Even the "second generation of French" who have little interest in business know that this thing has broad commercial prospects.

The only problem now is that with Reiner alone in charge of the soap production line, the output is far from meeting the delivery standards.

"Reiner, let's stop here today. Your Philosopher's Stone's energy has been almost depleted."

Reiner, whose body was half metal and half bone, put down the work in his hands, politely saluted Harvey, then lowered his head and flipped through the small leather bag on his waist.

"Well, Master Harvey, the Philosopher's Stone is indeed used up, but there are still some finishing touches to be done..."

A charged magic stone can support Reiner's uninterrupted activities for about 2 hours, which means that to ensure Reiner works 24 hours a day, a full 12 magic stones will be needed.

But Harvey is currently only a junior necromancer. Even if he is drained dry, he can only charge 6 magic stones in a day at most.

Therefore, Reiner can only work for 12 hours a day, and the rest of the time he can only hang on the prosthetic bracket and wait.

"It's a pity that these zombies can't have human souls and thoughts like you, otherwise the work progress would be much faster." Harvey looked at the zombies carrying raw materials in the workshop sluggishly and sighed regretfully.

Reiner scratched his head and said stiffly, "Sir, I've discovered that these dead... uh, zombies, aren't completely incapable of doing this job..."

He touched the machine, which had stopped stirring, with his hand, and pointed to the other side of the blender, where a zombie was also mechanically stirring the soap.

"I discovered it yesterday. When the zombies and I touched the machine at the same time, we seemed to be able to communicate, but they... uh, reacted very slowly."

Harvey frowned upon hearing this and asked in confusion, "Touch the machine at the same time?"

"Yeah, it was like... like communicating with my mind. I tried to get it to lift the boiler with me, and it, it did it."

"But I tried to communicate with the other zombies through the air, but they didn't respond..."

Harvey almost jumped up. Isn't this a magical version of an artificial intelligence automated production line?

He suppressed his inner excitement and immediately asked Reiner to demonstrate it to him again. Sure enough, he found that the zombies could perform some actions according to Reiner's requirements, which were impossible to perform with the instructions of necromancy in the past.

Just connect them with metal?

Harvey slapped his forehead and turned to go to the laboratory to get a bundle of metal hoses for soul transfer experiments.

Through puncture and fixation, it was installed on the waists of Reiner and the remaining four zombies in turn, and then the other end was fixed on different machines and equipment.

Mixer, condensation tank, cutting table, packaging table.

"Reiner, now try to control all four of them at the same time and give commands to the devices they are responsible for."

"Yes, Master Harvey."

Almost in the next second, the four zombies that were originally standing beside the machine moved at the same time.

They started their respective processes very flexibly, mixing, adding ingredients, cutting, packaging...

"Now that's automation!" Harvey couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Reiner, now you're a qualified necromancer!"

The kind that needs to be charged at all times.

Harvey believed that Reiner's ability to manipulate the zombies through metal connections, more precisely than even the necromancer's spells, must be due to his soul being fused with his alchemical prosthesis. The necromancer used resurrection to manipulate the zombies, drawing on the death energy granted by the magic web and the incantations used in necromancy to manipulate death energy.

Although the alchemical prosthesis is the failed product of the Alchemical Exploration Society's Creator Plan, it is essentially a research project towards the creation of living mechanical bodies.

He was not very interested in artificial creators. Instead, he felt that the real use of this technology was to apply it to automated production.

However, there is currently no way to test how many zombies Reiner can control alone.

It seems that no matter what, we have to find a way to get more experimental materials.

……

Harvey then thought of the accusation farce a week ago. He looked at Reiner with a gentle expression and asked, "Reiner, what do you think about what happened a few days ago?"

The soul fire in Reiner's skull eye sockets suddenly lit up, and he said angrily: "Jeffrey, that uneducated and ungrateful thing!"

Then he asked anxiously, "Lord Harvey, you won't want to cancel the contract because of this, right? If it weren't for you, I would have died in extreme pain."

"If you still resent that child Jeffrey, you can punish him as much as you want, as long as you don't take his life..."

Harvey chuckled and consoled him, "I'm not angry. It's common for necromancers to suffer discrimination and unfair treatment."

He paused and said seriously, "What I mean is, now that you've fulfilled the contract and completed the experiment, what are your plans going forward?"

Reiner was stunned. "Ah? You paid so much money, so I am yours?"

Fifty gold pounds was indeed a considerable fortune for a commoner. If one did not fall into the wasteful habits of drinking and gambling, it would even be enough to buy a cheap shack in the town and still have a lot left over for household expenses for several years.

Reiner's philosophy of doing things is very simple - Harvey not only paid money to buy his life, but also brought him back to life through experiments. Although he was trapped in a terrible magical instrument, being alive is better than dying.

This gentle and polite wizard who gave him money and saved his life was certainly worthy of his full loyalty and gratitude.

Harvey was very pleased that Reiner hadn't harbored any ulterior motives. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry. Based on the principle of equal exchange, I will never terminate the contract. Besides, if you leave like this for less than half a day, you'll probably be captured and killed by the Church."

Seeing Reiner so scared that he made a creaking sound like metal rubbing against bones, Harvey couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"But Reiner, since you have a second chance to live, don't go back to your old path of ignorance and poverty. From now on, you can work and learn from me at the same time."

"Well, let's start with literacy..."

……

In fact, Harvey didn't just think of making money through making and selling soap.

When he first came here, Harvey was as ambitious as other time travelers in fantasy stories.

Unfortunately, reality soon slapped him in the face.

The Alchemical Quest Society developed distillation technology decades ago and applied it to purposes such as brewing spirits and distilling alcohol.

Gunpowder, known as "Dragon Flame" in this world, is used on the battlefield to assist fire spellcasters and enhance their spells.

Antibiotics, penicillin? Their effects might not even compare to the church's healing spells or the alchemy potions concocted by alchemists.

As for cement, this infrastructure artifact, it is an invention that has neither use nor marketability since Harvey is neither a noble lord nor has his own fiefdom castle, and even his current manor laboratory is rented.

It can be said that all the ways that Harvey imagined to get rich overnight were blocked by this unscientific magical world.

But he has a good attitude. Since he cannot reach the level of military technology, he will transfer it from military to civilian use.

During college, his handmade soaps, refined sugar, and skills in setting up a roasted lamb stall won him praise from his college instructors.

He also tried to rent a printing room and started a tabloid in the academy, which specialized in all kinds of gossip in the wizarding world and was well received for a while.

However, these are emergency measures to help Harvey earn some living expenses in the short term.

After graduation, Harvey realized that if he really wanted to get rich, his only option was to manufacture mass-produced goods.

Moreover, the target must be clear, and the target audience of the product must be civilians and nobles other than spellcasters.

After he earns his first pot of gold from soap sales, he will consider further goals.

After all, all the experiences and cases in his previous life had clearly revealed a truth to him.

There is no money-making prospect in making products as in building a platform!

(End of this chapter)