Europa Universalis 1867: Start by inheriting an armory

Richard knew she was asking about Reginald's father, the Duke of Somerset, Edward Adolphus St. Moore, one of the Liberal politicians.

Reginald straightened his back and replied solemnly:

"Your Majesty's benevolence humbles me." He bowed slightly. "His Excellency the Duke is currently recuperating at his estate in Devonshire and is no longer involved in state affairs. He is in good health and, as always, is grateful for your kindness. I will convey your concern to His Excellency the Duke without missing a single word."

The Queen hummed in agreement, shifting her gaze from Reginald to Professor Abel.

Abel clenched his fists nervously and awkwardly bowed, mimicking Reginald's posture.

"Her Majesty's presence at the laboratory is a tremendous encouragement to the Empire's defense, and a great honor for me!"

The Queen nodded calmly: "Professor Frederick Abel, I have read about your improvements to nitrocellulose. I am very pleased to see new progress in such a short time."

Abel swallowed hard.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," he gestured towards Richard, "However, this improvement would not have been possible without the help of this young man beside me; his idea for the new gunpowder formula is unprecedented."

The Queen followed his gaze to Richard, who then stepped forward, removed his hat from his left breast, placed it against his left breast, put his legs together, and bowed.

"It is my greatest honor to serve Her Majesty the Queen and the Empire."

The Queen's eyes, hidden behind her black veil, lit up noticeably upon seeing Richard's impeccable manners, and the corners of her mouth even curved slightly.

"You must be Richard Bryan." Her voice was softer than before. "You are younger than I imagined, yet even the Duke of Cambridge and the Prime Minister have praised you highly. They consider your selfless dedication to science for the country a saintly act."

Richard's heart raced at the word "saint," but he didn't let any hesitation show on his face.

"His Majesty's favor is immense," he said. "I simply made a decision that any patriot would have made."

The Queen seemed to appreciate his words.

She lifted the black veil slightly, revealing half of her pale and round face.

"I heard you have a few things you'd like me to look at today," she asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Please come with me."

The Queen took John Brown's outstretched arm and stepped into the shipyard.

Richard opened the door, the bearings creaking softly, and the gaslights inside illuminated the massive steel skeletons in the workshop.

The Queen stopped in her tracks, for the first thing she saw was the large hydraulic press.

It stands in the center of the workshop, like a black iron temple.

A huge cannon barrel lay horizontally on the machine tool, its surface as smooth as a mirror, without any welds or seams.

The Queen stared at the seamless cannon barrel. Although the black veil concealed her expression, Richard could tell from her slightly stiff movements that she was stunned.

"Madam," Richard addressed her as "Madam" instead.

In this era, the excessive use of "Your Majesty" is seen as a form of flattery, while addressing the Queen as "Madam" during her private visits is considered more appropriate and intimate.

He pointed to the gun barrel: "We have completely broken away from traditional forging hammers and can continuously use hot extrusion technology to produce the world's longest and strongest gun barrels for the Navy."

The Queen walked to the cannon barrel, with John Brown close behind.

She examined it closely and realized that all the words in the report were true.

"I've read your report on the replacement of rifles," she said. "They're impeccable, but this cannon... is even better than your rifles."

Richard replied modestly, "These cannons are good, but they are still imperfect without the gunpowder that Mr. Abel and I developed together."

The queen raised her eyebrows slightly, her voice tinged with curiosity: "Gunpowder? Take me to see it."

"Madam, this way please."

The door to the explosives lab was pushed open, and the steam fan had already expelled all the odors from inside.

Richard walked to the test bench, took out an amber-colored, noodle-like cylinder, about the thickness of a finger, and rolled it into a spiral shape.

He held it in his palm and presented it to the Queen.

"Madam, this is the new gunpowder we have developed: Kodak explosive."

The Queen stared at it curiously, awaiting Richard's next move.

Richard placed it on the tray, took out a box of matches, struck one, and then brought it close to the end of the Kodak explosive.

John Brown instinctively took a half step forward, intending to extend his arm to shield the Queen.

But this gentlemanly act stopped halfway through.

Because that Kodak explosive didn't explode or emit the stench of sulfur like black powder; it simply burned brightly and steadily, with dazzling flames dancing on its surface and hissing softly.

Seeing that there was no danger, the Queen took a step forward, getting closer to the burning gunpowder.

The gunpowder burned out quickly, leaving no residue or ash; it simply vanished.

Almost at the same moment, the Queen's eyes reddened.

Although she had never been to the battlefield, she had read the battle reports sent back from the front lines, stained with blood and mud. Therefore, she knew the drawbacks of black powder: the black smoke it produced would obscure the soldiers' vision, and the unburned residue would accumulate into a thick layer on the inner wall of the cannon barrel.

But she had never seen gunpowder like this before; it seemed like something that only existed in her dreams.

A sense of the vicissitudes of time welled up in her heart, because she knew very well that the era of gunpowder had come to an end.

She raised her hand from under the black veil and wiped the corner of her eye with her finger.

John, who was standing next to him, quickly took out a white handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over.

Richard continued, "Madam, you see, this gunpowder burns without smoke and leaves no trace. With it, soldiers not only gain a field of vision advantage, but it can also be used as propellant for cannons, greatly increasing the lifespan and power of the artillery."

He emphasized in particular: "The enemy will be sunk by our shells before they can even see the shadow of the Imperial Navy."

The Queen clutched her handkerchief in her palm, while her other hand caressed the obsidian pendant on her chest, her fingers lightly tracing the portrait of Prince Albert.

"Gunpowder won half the world for the British Empire." Her eyes were still red. "Your gunpowder will win the other half."

"That would be my honor, madam," Richard said.

The Queen turned around, helped John up beside her, and said, "Dartford is not a good place for long conversations, Mr. Brian. I hope we can meet again at Windsor Castle."