Chapter 449: Bundle Of Joy

After leaving Ashenford on his previous visit, construction personnel had arrived from Brambleford and begun strengthening the military harbour.

By the time Simon returned, hundreds of artillery positions had been established along the harbour’s defensive perimeter.

These positions would eventually be equipped with heavy cannons, creating a formidable barrier against hostile warships.

The harbour was one of Ashenford’s most important strategic assets. Losing it would jeopardise both the navy’s operations and the domain’s maritime trade.

Simon therefore intended to make an enemy attack as costly as possible.

The harbour defences, however, were only one part of the plan.

Governor Monti had also identified several sections of coastline that were vulnerable to large-scale landings. Construction crews had begun establishing coastal artillery batteries at these locations.

If an enemy fleet attempted to land troops along the shore, the batteries could bombard the approaching vessels and disrupt their formations before the soldiers reached land.

Combined with mobile forces stationed inland, these defences would make it considerably harder for an invading army to establish a foothold.

Simon inspected the positions carefully, asking questions about their construction, the placement of the artillery, and the routes through which ammunition would be transported.

He wanted to ensure that the defences were not merely impressive on paper.

They had to work under actual combat conditions.

Only after examining the military installations did he turn his attention toward the salt fields.

The transformation there was equally encouraging.

With assistance from the construction camp, Ashenford had established extensive salt-production facilities using cement-floored evaporation pans.

As Simon approached, the sight before him brought a smile to his face.

Hundreds of salt pans stretched across the landscape, their surfaces reflecting the sunlight. Workers moved between the evaporation beds, collecting crystallised salt and carrying it toward storage areas.

In several locations, the harvested salt had accumulated into impressive white mounds.

The entire area was bustling with activity.

Archie hurried forward to greet Simon.

"Your Highness, our salt production has increased by more than a hundred times since we began using the new seawater evaporation method!"

His voice was filled with excitement.

"Previously, our production was too limited to support large-scale exports. Now, we can produce enough salt to supply markets beyond Ashenford."

He gestured toward the evaporation pans.

"After filtering and refining, the quality of our sea salt is also excellent. It can compete with the finest salt available in the empire."

Governor Monti, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.

"Archie speaks the truth, Your Highness. Ashenford’s salt was once regarded as a valuable product, and some of it was even presented to the imperial court as tribute. With these new facilities, we can restore that reputation and expand production far beyond its previous limits."

Simon examined the salt before him.

The improvement was exactly what he had hoped to achieve.

Traditional salt production had often been constrained by inefficient methods, limited facilities, and inconsistent output.

By introducing large-scale seawater evaporation, he had helped transform salt from a locally produced commodity into a potential export industry.

The benefits would extend beyond the salt itself.

Greater production meant more jobs for local workers. More shipments meant additional business for merchants and transport operators. Expanding trade would also encourage investment in warehouses, roads, and harbour facilities.

And because salt was an essential commodity, the market was unlikely to disappear.

Almost every household needed it.

Food producers needed it.

Merchants needed it.

Armies needed it.

If Ashenford could consistently supply large quantities of high-quality salt at competitive prices, demand would follow.

Simon nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good. In that case, I’ll arrange for merchants to come to Ashenford and purchase the salt directly."

Governor Monti and Archie exchanged delighted glances.

For them, the announcement was better than any compliment.

Until now, the biggest challenge had been finding buyers for their rapidly increasing production. With Simon’s support, Ashenford could establish trade connections with merchants from other parts of the empire.

The salt fields would no longer be merely local facilities.

They would become an important source of commercial revenue.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Archie said enthusiastically.

Simon raised a hand.

"Don’t thank me yet. We still need to organise storage, transportation, and distribution. Increasing production is only the first step. If we cannot deliver the salt to buyers efficiently, much of our effort will be wasted."

Both men nodded seriously.

Simon continued.

"Prepare detailed records of production and establish clear prices. I want merchants to know exactly how much salt is available and what it will cost. We must make it easy for them to conduct business here."

"Understood!"

The two officials immediately began discussing the arrangements.

Watching them, Simon felt increasingly confident about Ashenford’s future.

The domain had abundant natural resources, a growing naval presence, and now an expanding salt industry.

If he could connect these advantages through trade, Ashenford would become far more prosperous than it had been in the past.

And the revenue would help finance the next stage of his plans.

***

Half a month passed as Simon continued inspecting Ashenford.

During that time, he reviewed the coastal defences, examined the salt fields, and discussed the development of maritime commerce with the local officials.

He also made arrangements for merchants to begin transporting Ashenford’s salt to other regions.

His ambition was clear.

He wanted Ashenford’s salt to dominate the Eldorian Empire’s market.

Achieving that goal would require consistent production, dependable quality, competitive prices, and an efficient distribution network. Yet Simon believed the necessary foundations were finally being established.

Once the commercial network began operating smoothly, the salt trade could become one of the domain’s most reliable sources of income.

With his work in Ashenford temporarily completed, Simon prepared to return to Brambleford.

The following day, he and Elin departed.

After three days of travel, they finally arrived back in the city.

As their carriage entered Brambleford, Simon immediately noticed the familiar bustle of the streets.

Merchants moved between shops and warehouses, workers hurried toward the industrial district, and carts carried materials to the expanding workshops.

The city was growing more active by the day.

But before Simon could enjoy the familiar sight for long, Ethan hurried toward him.

The moment he heard that Simon had returned, the engineer rushed out to meet him.

Simon stepped down from the carriage.

"Ethan? What brings you here in such a hurry?"

He glanced toward the industrial district.

"Has something happened to the steam engine?"

Ethan immediately smiled.

"Your Highness, the steam engine is working perfectly."

He paused, barely able to contain his excitement.

"In fact, I’ve managed to improve it. In just one month, we have upgraded the Matelife steam engine into a compound steam engine!"

Simon froze.

"A compound steam engine?"

For a moment, he wondered whether he had heard correctly.

Ever since Ethan had successfully developed the Matelife steam engine, Simon had expected further improvements to follow. The basic design had opened the door to more efficient machinery, and the next major advance had seemed inevitable.

But he had not expected Ethan to achieve it so quickly.

Then again, the breakthrough made sense.

The Matelife engine had already solved several major engineering problems involving the cylinder, piston, and connecting rod. Once those components worked reliably, engineers could focus on improving the way steam transferred energy to the machinery.

The compound engine represented an important step in that process.

Simon quickly collected his thoughts.

To understand the significance of Ethan’s achievement, it was necessary to consider how an early steam engine worked.

At its most basic, the engine relied on steam pressure to move a piston inside a cylinder.

When hot steam entered the cylinder, its pressure pushed the piston in one direction. The piston then transferred that movement through a connecting rod, allowing the machinery to perform useful work.

But the piston also had to return to its starting position before the cycle could begin again.

In the earliest atmospheric engines, this return movement was achieved by reducing the pressure inside the cylinder.

Steam entered the cylinder and pushed the piston upward. Cold water was then injected, causing the steam to condense rapidly. As the steam collapsed into liquid water, the pressure inside the cylinder fell, allowing atmospheric pressure to push the piston back down.

The problem was that the cooling process also cooled the cylinder itself.

When the next charge of hot steam entered, much of its heat was wasted warming the metal before the engine could operate efficiently again.

The result was a substantial loss of energy.

The breakthrough associated with James Watt was to separate the condensation process from the main cylinder.

Instead of repeatedly cooling the cylinder itself, steam could be drawn into a separate condenser, where it would cool while the main cylinder remained hot.

This reduced wasted heat and significantly improved efficiency.

The principle was straightforward, but its consequences were enormous.

A more efficient engine consumed less fuel for the same amount of work. That made steam power more practical for industrial machinery, pumping equipment, and eventually a much wider range of applications.

Simon had long understood the importance of such improvements.

The more efficiently Brambleford could generate mechanical power, the less it would have to rely on human and animal labour.

Factories could increase production.

Mines could pump water more effectively.

Workshops could operate machinery for longer periods.

And as the technology continued to improve, entirely new industries would become possible.

However, Simon also knew that the term compound steam engine could refer to different arrangements of cylinders and steam expansion, depending on the design.

He looked at Ethan, who was still waiting eagerly for his reaction.

"Tell me exactly what you’ve changed."

Ethan’s smile widened.

"Your Highness, the new design builds upon the improvements we’ve already made. Once you see it operating, you’ll understand why I believe it represents such a significant step forward."

Simon looked toward the industrial district.

His fatigue from the journey suddenly disappeared.

If Ethan’s claims were accurate, Brambleford’s industrial development might be about to enter another stage of rapid growth.

"Good," Simon said. "Take me to see it."

Ethan immediately turned and led the way.

As they walked toward the workshops, Simon’s thoughts began racing ahead.

A better steam engine would not merely improve one machine. It could accelerate the development of the entire domain.

And if Brambleford could continue advancing its industrial technology while strengthening its economy and military, the gap between Simon’s territory and its rivals would continue to grow, increasingly difficult to overcome.