Mystery: But the Witch's Path

Chapter 150 Bad Money Drives Out Good Money

The following day, March 1, 1348, when Hahn led the slaves that Altair had previously purchased back to Tingen and Morse, she began her next plan in order to better advance her career: to create an army that would strike fear into the hearts of all, or rather, pirates.

That very evening, she used her "Blood Servant Transformation" ability to create a bloody banquet, transforming all the new maids into loyal servants.

Then, Adam was asked to create a special learning dream, to learn extraordinary knowledge, and to become a candidate for becoming an extraordinary being.

The following day, in the secluded shipyard that Old Clayton had prepared in advance, Adam was asked to imagine and materialize smelting, processing, forging and other equipment that were difficult to manufacture at the present stage, and to forcibly manufacture the current era's groundbreaking battleship, as well as the old era, the late Victorian and British Queen Elizabeth-class battleship.

Fortunately, Altair had been a weapons dealer for over a year and had accumulated a large amount of metal resources through various channels such as resource swaps and kickbacks.

After all, for a heartless arms dealer like her, manufacturing weapons only required a few materials, and she simplified every aspect that could be streamlined.

Otherwise, even if she poured all her liquid assets into it, she still wouldn't be able to create its framework.

Due to current limitations in mineral mining, steel forging, and processing technologies, one ton of structural steel often costs 8-9 pounds per ton. The Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, on the other hand, require 22500 tons of steel alone. Moreover, this steel is not just ordinary steel; nearly one-third of the parts require armor steel, namely KC carburized hardening steel.

Other materials required include over 1200 tons of oak, teak, and pine wood for the upper decks, floors, furniture, boiler and engine insulation linings, and ammunition depot fireproof linings.

Approximately 350 tons of copper and copper alloys are used to manufacture propellers, condensers, pipes, valves, and electrical systems.

Approximately 120 tons of lead, used to manufacture sound insulation, radiation protection, storage batteries, and ballast.

Of course, Altair wasn't stupid. Even if she had acquired these resources in the early stages and then found them useless, she wouldn't actually spend a lot of money to make large-sized toys just for fun.

All of this is for the future, since the "Witch Path" already has Sequence 0 and no longer has the extraordinary characteristics of Sequence 1.

The biggest price Altair had to pay until the fleet was completed was that he had to ask Adam for help to materialize tools.

The equipment... I don't know what price I'll have to pay to repay it in the future.

After all, every gift of fate comes with a price tag attached, doesn't it?

On June 19, 1348, in an unnamed shipyard in the southwest corner of Tingen, Butler Hahn, holding a stack of recent financial statements, told Altair that the Sheffield family's cash flow was currently exhausted, and even her coming-of-age ceremony this year could not be held in a grand manner.

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It was suggested that she could use her father, Earl Hall's, connections to secure a loan from the bank by mortgaging some of his assets.

After glancing at the report, Altair sighed.

Even with Adam's help to materialize the revolutionary equipment and Altair's manipulation of the sealed mechanical heart, it would still cost around 20 gold pounds to create the Queen Elizabeth-class battleship.

Although compared to the £300 million total cost of the Queen Elizabeth-class ceremonies of the same period, she still got a great deal.

However, a nation and an individual are different after all.

Moreover, regardless of the era, a battleship can never form a fleet on its own. Therefore, Altair spent nearly a million gold pounds to purchase a large amount of materials to build a Pearl-class third-class protected cruiser and two Ardent-class destroyers, thus creating the prototype of a fleet.

But it was precisely for this reason that the Sheffield family's cash flow dried up, making it impossible for them to support any more major initiatives.

After handing the financial report to Butler Hahn, Altair nodded and said, "I understand. I will find a way to handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, Butler Hahn nodded slightly, glanced at the giant ship behind Altair, paused for a few seconds, and then continued, "The Clayton family has always been a subordinate family of the Sheffield family, a tradition that has lasted for over 500 years—"

To Hahn's remarks, Altair responded with a smile, "Butler Hahn, you're joking."

"I've always been aware of the relationship between our two families, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to get here and see these giant steel ships."

"Although I, as the host, have the right to demand that you sell your assets and contribute cash—"

"But I don't want to do that. Because at this stage, it's not the time for the Sheffield family to use the assets of their servants and relatives."

As they were talking, Altair took out a clean gemstone from the traveler's bag, which didn't look like it was formed naturally, and handed it to Butler Hahn.

The latter took the gem and examined it under the sunlight. After a few seconds, Butler Hahn asked in confusion, "Count Altair, is this a synthetic gem?"

Upon hearing this, Altair paused slightly, seemingly surprised, and casually asked, "Hahn, the butler, has seen synthetic gems before?"

"Yes." Hahn nodded and continued to explain, "Within Backlund University, there is a gem laboratory funded by several nobles and merchants, and they are currently researching synthetic gems."

"But the technology hasn't made much progress, resulting in extremely small gemstone crystals that are very expensive and have no commercial value whatsoever."

Upon hearing that it had no commercial value, Altair secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and said in an unquestionable tone, "You're right, this is a synthetic gem I created using 'the latest technology'."

"I need to use these gemstone secrets to expand the market, generate funds, and lay the foundation for my next plan."

After thinking for two seconds, Butler Hahn suggested, "Count Altair, is it possible to counterfeit the new gem synthesis technology?"

"For example: adding natural mineral powder before the gemstone has formed, creating microscopic cracks and color bands, and adding a natural mineral outer layer —"

"Sure." Since Altair had brought out the synthetic gem, she had basically mastered the technology, so she said directly, "I can do all of what you're saying."

"As long as you don't sell these gems to ancient families, royal appraisers, or churches with unique identification methods, they will have a 99% chance of not being able to detect them."

"If all else fails, then let the bad drive out the good."