Chapter 452: A New Workshop

The cold, metallic surface of the flintlock felt reassuring in Simon’s hands.

He raised the weapon, aimed it toward the distant target, and examined its barrel before turning to Simpson.

"Perhaps you could try a different type of bullet. A round lead ball is easy to manufacture, but it becomes difficult to load once the barrel is rifled. Have you considered using a bullet with a different shape?"

Flintlock guns had already been in production for some time and were gradually being distributed among Brambleford’s troops. Simon had long been preparing for the next stage in firearms development: the introduction of rifled guns.

Rifling itself was nothing new. Early rifled firearms had appeared in Europe centuries earlier, but their complicated manufacturing process prevented them from becoming widespread. Unlike smoothbore weapons, rifled guns had spiral grooves cut into their barrels, causing bullets to spin as they travelled through the air. This rotation improved their stability and accuracy, particularly over longer distances.

However, these advantages came at a cost.

Traditional round lead balls were difficult to force down a rifled barrel. The tighter fit required for effective rifling made loading slower, especially after repeated firing left powder residue inside the barrel. As a result, rifled weapons were generally reserved for specialised troops rather than issued to entire armies.

Their performance was also limited by the black powder available at the time. Although rifling improved accuracy and could extend effective range, it could not eliminate the limitations imposed by the propellant.

Even so, a well-made rifled gun could outperform a smoothbore firearm at considerable distances.

And Simon had no intention of letting these limitations hold Brambleford back.

He could not immediately improve the quality of black powder, but he could change the ammunition.

He already knew which direction firearms development would eventually take. What he needed now was to guide his craftsmen toward the right solution.

"Your Highness, are you referring to the cylindrical-headed bullets mentioned in those books?" Simpson asked.

He hesitated briefly before continuing.

"Round lead balls are difficult to load into rifled barrels. I’ve already begun experimenting with cylindrical bullets to solve that problem."

Simon looked at him with genuine surprise.

"You’ve already started working on them? Excellent! Your progress is much faster than I expected."

A smile spread across his face.

The bullet he had in mind was the Minié ball, a design that would later become famous for improving the performance of muzzle-loading rifles.

Unlike a conventional round ball, the Minié ball had an elongated shape and a hollow base. Its design allowed it to fit loosely enough inside the barrel for relatively easy loading while expanding under the pressure of firing to engage the rifling.

The principle was simple, but its impact on firearms development would be enormous.

Historically, the Minié ball became widely associated with nineteenth-century military rifles. By combining relatively easy loading with the accuracy of rifled barrels, it helped make rifled firearms practical for large-scale military use.

For Simon, however, there was still a significant obstacle.

The black powder available in Brambleford could not match the performance of later propellants. Even if Simpson successfully reproduced the bullet, the resulting weapon would not immediately achieve the impressive performance of historical Minié rifles.

Nevertheless, the improvement would still be worthwhile.

Simon estimated that, with a properly designed bullet and a well-made barrel, the new rifle might achieve a practical range of around 300 meters under favourable conditions, with effective accuracy at considerably shorter distances.

That would already represent a substantial improvement over Brambleford’s existing smoothbore firearms.

More importantly, the new ammunition could help address one of the greatest disadvantages of muzzle-loading rifles: their slow loading speed.

"Your Highness, there’s another problem," Simpson explained. "Producing these bullets is more complicated than casting ordinary lead balls. If soldiers cannot manufacture or replace their ammunition easily in the field, supplying the army could become troublesome."

Simon nodded.

"Every improvement comes with its own difficulties. We don’t need to solve every problem at once."

He returned the rifle to Simpson.

"For now, produce a limited batch and distribute it to selected troops for testing. We need to evaluate its accuracy, reliability, loading speed, and ammunition requirements before considering wider production."

He paused before adding, "Ethan has successfully developed a steam engine. If we can apply it to machinery production, manufacturing these weapons and their components may become considerably easier. But that will take time. Your immediate priorities are improving the rifling process and finding a reliable method of producing the new bullets."

Simpson nodded firmly.

At present, cutting spiral grooves into a gun barrel remains an exhausting task. The craftsmen relied on specialised hand tools, including cutting blades, to carve the rifling into the metal. Every barrel demanded considerable time and attention, and even small inconsistencies could affect the weapon’s performance.

Mass production was therefore out of the question.

Still, Simon’s approval meant that Simpson could finally pursue the project without worrying about whether his superiors would consider it an unnecessary expense.

Although he did not fully understand the steam engine’s potential, he trusted Simon’s judgment.

After discussing several manufacturing details with Simon, Simpson departed for the military workshop, already thinking about how to improve his production methods.

Simon remained behind, examining the first rifled gun produced in the Eldorian Empire.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Every new invention brought Brambleford one step closer to becoming a power that its enemies could no longer ignore.

Its weapons were improving. Its workshops were expanding. Its craftsmen were learning techniques that would once have seemed impossible.

Yet military strength was only one part of his ambitions.

If Brambleford wanted to become truly powerful, he needed more than better guns. It needed an industrial foundation capable of supplying its army, supporting its merchants, and generating enough wealth to sustain further development.

And the steam engine was the key.

With that thought in mind, Simon had spent most of the previous night planning how to introduce steam power into Brambleford’s industries.

By the following morning, he had made his decision.

He summoned Ethan and Tony to the machinery department.

"Your Highness!"

Ethan arrived with barely concealed excitement.

The successful development of the steam engine had left him in high spirits. For a craftsman who had devoted himself to machinery, seeing his invention become a reality was already an extraordinary achievement.

Tony, by contrast, appeared considerably calmer.

Having worked closely with Simon from the early days of Brambleford’s industrial development, he had witnessed enough unexpected breakthroughs to understand that one successful invention was often only the beginning.

Simon studied the two men before speaking.

"I called you here because I’ve decided to establish a dedicated workshop for steam engine production. From now on, the two of you will be responsible for its development and operation."

He paused to let the news sink in.

"Ethan, you will serve as the workshop director. Tony, you will be the deputy director."

For a moment, Ethan simply stared at him.

Then his face lit up.

"Workshop director?"

Previously, he had been a trainee working under the machinery department. Now, he would be responsible for an entire workshop dedicated to one of the most important inventions in Brambleford’s history.

The position represented a considerable promotion, placing him alongside established figures such as Fjord and James in the administration of the industrial sector.

How could he possibly remain calm?

Tony also smiled.

Although he was less expressive than Ethan, he understood the significance of Simon’s decision. This was not merely a promotion for two craftsmen. It was the beginning of an entirely new branch of Brambleford’s industrial development.

Simon watched their reactions with amusement.

"What? Neither of you is happy with the arrangement?"

"Happy? Of course, we’re happy!" Ethan immediately replied. "Your Highness, I’m more than happy!"

Tony laughed.

"Indeed, Your Highness. We couldn’t be happier."

The three men exchanged smiles, and the atmosphere in the room became noticeably lighter.

Once the initial excitement had passed, Simon handed Tony a thick book.

"This contains several plans for integrating the steam engine with other machinery. Ethan will focus primarily on manufacturing, improving the engine’s design, and increasing production efficiency. Tony, you will be responsible for studying its practical applications and determining which industries should adopt it first."

Tony accepted the book and began turning its pages.

The more he read, the wider his eyes became.

The contents covered far more than the construction of a steam engine. They outlined ways to use steam power to drive industrial equipment, reduce dependence on manual labour, and improve the efficiency of manufacturing operations.

There were designs and concepts that Tony had never considered possible.

He looked up at Simon with undisguised admiration.

In Tony’s eyes, Simon seemed to possess an almost limitless understanding of technology. Whenever Brambleford encountered a new obstacle, the prince somehow found a way forward.

It was difficult not to wonder whether there was anything in the world that Simon did not know.

Simon, however, had little interest in dwelling on such admiration.

There was too much work to be done.

After deciding on the workshop’s leadership, they discussed the remaining arrangements: selecting a suitable factory building, allocating funds, acquiring equipment, and recruiting enough skilled craftsmen to begin production.

Time was critical.

The sooner Brambleford could manufacture steam engines in sufficient quantities, the sooner the technology could be introduced into its factories.

After considering the available manpower, Simon made a decisive move.

He transferred half of the craftsmen from the machinery department to the new Steam Engine Workshop.

These craftsmen had been trained under his personal supervision and formed an important part of Brambleford’s industrial workforce. Giving up half of them was no small sacrifice.

But Simon understood that concentrating resources on a breakthrough technology was sometimes necessary to accelerate progress.

The steam engine had the potential to transform far more than a single workshop. It could change the way Brambleford manufactured goods, processed raw materials, and powered industrial equipment.

It deserved the investment.

Ethan and Tony naturally agreed with the arrangement.

With the personnel settled, Simon immediately assigned Bjorn to locate a suitable factory building in the workshop district.

He also instructed Ethan to send the newly completed steam engine to the lathe workshop, where it could be integrated with the boring machinery used to process engine cylinders.

This was one of the most important steps in the entire plan.

Producing a functional steam engine was difficult enough, but manufacturing engines in large quantities presented an even greater challenge.

The cylinders required precise internal surfaces and carefully controlled dimensions. Without suitable machining equipment, producing them consistently would consume enormous amounts of time and labour.

Now, however, Brambleford had its first working steam engine and the beginnings of a system for manufacturing the components needed to reproduce it.

By improving the boring machinery and standardising the production process, the workshop could gradually increase its output.

Once that happened, the benefits would extend far beyond steam engines themselves.

Better machinery would make it easier to produce more machinery, creating a cycle of industrial improvement that could steadily accelerate Brambleford’s development.

Simon was determined to make that cycle a reality.

But he was not finished issuing orders.

Before Ethan and Tony left, he handed Bjorn another set of technical drawings.

These contained the design for the Spinning Jenny.

"Have the remaining craftsmen begin manufacturing this machine as soon as possible," Simon instructed.

The Spinning Jenny was a multi-spindle spinning machine capable of producing several threads simultaneously. Compared with traditional hand spinning, it could dramatically increase the amount of yarn a single worker produces.

For Brambleford, whose textile industry was already expanding, the machine represented an opportunity that could not be ignored.

The steam engine would take time to manufacture in sufficient quantities, and its applications would gradually spread across different industries. The Spinning Jenny, by contrast, could begin improving textile production much sooner.

Together, the two technologies would give Brambleford a powerful advantage.

Mechanised spinning would increase yarn production, allowing weavers and textile workshops to obtain more raw material. As output increased, the cost of producing finished cloth could fall, making Brambleford’s products more competitive in markets across the Eldorian Empire.

More production meant more trade.

More trade meant greater wealth.

And greater wealth would provide Simon with the resources needed to expand his industries even further.

Standing at the centre of the machinery department, Simon looked over the craftsmen preparing to carry out his instructions.

The steam engine had opened a new door.

Now he intended to make sure Brambleford walked through it before anyone else could catch up. This year, Brambleford’s textile industry would establish its dominance over the Eldorian Empire’s market.