Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“The reason that a hot-air balloon flies is that the hot air inside the balloon is lighter than the cold air outside the balloon. So, the balloon generates buoyancy, which enables it to lift off!” Mike was explaining airship design at his institute.
“We don’t necessarily need to use hot air balloons. If we use another gas, a gas that is even lighter than air, we can do the same thing. I remember when I was at Akkad Alchemy College, some alchemists were looking for lighter gases than air. They wanted to use that to make airships!” he explained.
Mike’s institute, which was aptly named the Mike Alchemy Institute, specialized in the manufacturing of airships. Akkad Alchemy College had carried out this experiment a long time ago, but in the end, it had failed.
The Mike Institute of Alchemy, which was an affiliate of Wisteria Alchemy College, had just started this project. In fact, Mike had just begun putting forward a few different concepts after Lars had joined them.
It took several years for them to design an airship. During that time, they experimented with different materials and drawings, constantly adapting them from one version to another.
Finally, a huge airship that could carry twenty people and tons of cargo successfully flew into the sky! However, it could only fly at a very slow speed and with limited weight. It was also very dangerous and had a few other minor problems.
Moreover, the airship production rate was also very low. This was because the speed was very slow and the price was high, which didn’t scream practicality to consumers!
As such, only a few nobles and a few branches of the local military placed orders. Nevertheless, the concept and design had brought great wealth to the institute.
At the same time, the reputation of the Mike Alchemy Institute spread rapidly among alchemists. All the alchemists were surprised that it was a fake alchemist who had created what true alchemists could not even achieve.
Lars’ story had spread among all of the alchemists and the various alchemy institutes. His was the story of an ordinary man who was struggling to achieve his dreams. Marina, the dean of Akkad Alchemy College, also heard Lars’ story and wanted to meet him.
When the two finally met, Lars talked about his ideas about steam engines, saying that he was inspired by alchemists’ use of wind and water and wanted to create a real power machine. Upon hearing his ideas, Marina praised Lars for his creativity. She was so impressed by him, that even though he was not an alchemist, she offered him the opportunity to do research with her.
At the age of 40, Lars finally fulfilled his childhood dream and became a student of the legendary adventurer and alchemist, Marina! The Akkad Alchemy College even reinstated his degree!
Back at the Akkad Alchemy College, Lars once again launched the research and development of the steam engine. He, of course, led the project.
After a few initial failures, the steam engine was successfully manufactured. Although it was not efficient at first, after some improvements and a redesign, it finally was fully operation!
Early steam engines were used in industrial production and industrial spinning, which further promoted the progress of the workshop. Throughout Tephis, a variety of workshops that were using steam engines as power engines began to emerge.
Unfortunately, Lars did not fulfill his promise to use the steam engine on ships, as he died before he had the chance. He was 74. But, he had brought the steam engine into the world!
When Lars was dying, he was very calm. He leaned down to tell his grandson, Little Brown, “A dream can change the world!”
On his tombstone, according to his will, his nickname was inscribed. The tombstone read: The tomb of the faker, Lars.
Underneath that, his last words to his grandson were inscribed: A dream can change the world!
In year 215 of the San Calendar, Lars’ grandson, Little Brown, finally built the world’s first steamship. It was a wooden steamship, on which its huge wheels were noticeable.
Though it still had sails, it was considered to be a great invention for this era. The fleets that had been sailing offshore were now able to launch explorations of the distant oceans!
In year 223 of the San Calendar, after the great adventurer Marina Bossey arrived in Yala for the first time, human beings once again were able to come to the elf lands!
The world was once again embracing great changes. Although barriers between different continents still existed and marine magical beasts and monsters dominated the seas, this was a positive sign of great reform in the world!
At Akkad Alchemy College, Marina was in the dean’s room. She had finally become a level four alchemist. This was when her body had started to weaken.
After breaking through to level four, she was already a thousand years old. As long as she did not encounter any unexpected calamities, death was no longer a worry for her.
As she was at the threshold of level four, Marina had been much luckier than her teacher Akkad had been, In fact, she was also much luckier than most wizards.
Marina was very interested in the steam engine that had been made by her student Lars. In fact, she was thinking of Lars at that moment…
Unfortunately, Lars did not have the talent to become an alchemist. Otherwise, with his wisdom, he would have been a great alchemist…
Marina used her own alchemy table to make a simple steam engine. The pressure of the first generation steam engine was relatively low, and its valves could not be automated. So, there were many restrictions on its operation.
But, Marina was trying to improve upon it. Luckily, the mechanical alchemy lifeform Archimonde was assisting her. Marina looked at Archimonde and suddenly thought of something…
What if I use metal cells to make a steam engine? Metal cells have power…
What if I use them to function like the heart of a human body, then make a steam engine of metal cells that have some of the characteristics of alchemic life?
It will then be capable of self-repair, self-operation, and self-evolution! It can then be operated according to the ideas of whatever alchemists are controlling it! Then, I can apply extraordinary power to refine this alchemic steam engine!
Marina felt as if she had just had a breakthrough! Although many theories were still vague in her mind, Marina felt that, as long as she continued working on this, a real metal cell steam engine would initiate a new era in the steam world!