Magic, steel, heavy industry

Chapter 35 Silver City

After Scarface left, Llorente turned to look at Vilan, a complex expression on his face.

"Lord Vilan, you really do look a lot like your parents."

"What?" Vilan was stunned for a moment, not understanding what it meant.

"Your parents were the same way, passionate about adventure, or rather, they loved everything unknown."

Llorente sighed, as if recalling the past.

Vilan, however, seemed somewhat confused, clearly because Llorente had misunderstood him.

He wasn't an adventurer, but just like Columbus discovering the New World, the world needs adventurers, and Vilan needs them even more.

Through adventure, his horizons can be continuously broadened, which greatly helps him to acquire more resources.

For example, if explorers discover an unclaimed gold mine, then it has an owner.

All Vilan had to do was maintain the explorers' funds, a deal that, in the long run, was a sure-fire way to make money.

However, since Llorente had thought of something else, Vilan was in no hurry to correct him.

He took out the paper, but his mind was already on something else.

Something he had been fantasizing about since the very first day he transmigrated.

gunpowder.

As a time traveler, wouldn't it be a waste of time if I didn't develop gunpowder?

Although the workshop is currently focusing its efforts on modifying crossbows, crossbows are destined to be just a transitional technology; firearms are the true form of warfare that Vilan desires.

Witnessing the explosion of the Crimson Fox Demon Powder firsthand just now gave Vilan the idea of ​​developing gunpowder.

But these things can't be rushed, so he could only explain the task to Llorente as he wrote.

"Mr. Consultant, I have a very important task for you to complete. You don't need to say anything, just remember what I say."

"I need to find sulfur ore, a large amount of saltpeter, and charcoal near Anvil Territory."

"Then there are a large number of excellent locksmiths, clockmakers, mechanics, and alchemists, with alchemists being the most important."

"By the way, we also need to find a secluded place to set up an alchemy workshop."

Vilan buried himself in writing, but the words he uttered left Llorent completely baffled.

What is all this?

……

at the same time.

Silver City, a fortress in the eastern part of the North.

Miles and McGinn rode their horses for two days and finally arrived at this magnificent city.

Miles looked at the guards patrolling the city walls and the bustling streets inside the city. His feelings were incredibly complicated, and tears welled up in his eyes.

When was the last time I had a long chat with someone in a tavern in Silver City?

Since marrying Sarah, his memories of the city seem to have become increasingly hazy...

"Mr. Miles, let's go inside. Lord Vilan's task isn't to leave you standing there doing nothing."

Suddenly, the gentle voice of the guard, McGinn, rang out.

Along the way, he and Miles became good friends, and his tone at this moment was more playful.

Miles quickly wiped away his tears and said, "I'm sorry, we'll go in now. By the way, free people from other places need to pay an entry fee to enter the city."

"Don't worry, Lord Vilan has already made preparations. We don't need to hide our identities; attracting attention is also part of our mission."

"Understood. Let's go to Longjin Workshop first. That's my father's blacksmith shop. Adventurers love to buy weapons there."

Miles smiled, his tone tinged with pride.

Although he disagreed with his father's ideas, he was deeply impressed by his father's superb blacksmithing skills.

After paying the entrance fee, the two soon arrived at a small street. The ground was a freshly dried dirt road, and there were many free people washing clothes and cooking on both sides. There was also a tavern from which bursts of laughter could be heard.

A typical Northern city, which McKinney knew very well; Stone City was ten times more prosperous than this.

A moment later, the two arrived at a clanging brick and earthen house, from which billows of smoke and dust emanated, along with the strong smell of quenched iron.

Through the open gate, one can clearly see the scene in the front yard, where a robust old man with graying temples is standing with his hands behind his back, looking at two young blacksmiths with a serious expression.

Even in the cold weather, the two young men were shirtless, sweat dripping from their muscles, and their faces showed great tension.

McGinn looked at Miles beside him and saw that the latter was frozen in place, his eyes fixed on the old but not hunched figure.

A moment later, the old man seemed to notice the gazes from outside and turned his head curiously.

……

"So, you've already sworn allegiance to Lord Vilan Northstone?"

In the back room of Longjin's workshop, McKinney sipped his black tea, straining his ears to hear the sounds outside.

Miles and the old blacksmith Longkin stood beside the forge, each staring at the furnace and anvil, their expressions equally calm.

Just now, Miles had told his father about his experiences and the purpose of his return. Instead of being as harsh as Miles had imagined, Longin listened attentively, only asking a question occasionally.

The two of them tacitly avoided mentioning their longing for each other. Although they hadn't seen each other for several years, it felt as if only a few days had passed.

"He hasn't officially pledged allegiance yet, but for Lord Vilan, working for him seems to be the same as pledging allegiance?" Miles replied.

After a moment of silence, Long Jin said, "Lan Li went to visit your aunt and should be home soon."

"Is Mom... alright?"

"As usual, you can't go out when it rains, you know that."

"I hope I don't scare her."

"Of course not, you have no idea how much she misses you... By the way, you said you brought that magic powder dagger, let me see it. You should have improved a bit during the time you were gone."

Longin quickly steered the conversation toward the magic powder weapon, which Miles had long wanted to show Longin.

Inside the room, listening to the conversation between the two, McKinney shook his head.

It's truly baffling that a father and son who clearly miss each other can't even utter a single word of longing.

He continued drinking his tea when suddenly the small door inside the room opened, and a head wearing large goggles with two thin iron rods stuck in it poked out.

McKin paused for a moment. This was a child even younger than the lord, but his attire was very strange. The goggles were easy to explain; this world already had the technology to make glass, and the goggles were just glass that had been ground in a special way.

But what are those two iron rods? And why is there a rusty disc full of teeth marks on the top of the iron rods?

McKin was startled by the strange boy, who had incredibly bright eyes and an excited smile on his lips.

He crept up to McGinn and said in a slightly rough voice, "Hey! My name is Al. I overheard their conversation. You brought a new dagger? And what's magic powder? Can I take a look?"