Chapter 194: Technological Innovation
When the discussion turned to war preparedness, Logistics Director Master Leus finally found his moment to shine.
Ever since drinking the Dragon Blood’s Oath potion, this alchemy master had risen from a frail ordinary man to possessing a physique approaching the Silver tier. Not only had his body grown robust, his mind had become sharper than ever. Now he was brimming with inexhaustible energy every day, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the research he loved most. With success in his career came a noticeable surge in confidence.
He cleared his throat, stood up, and said to Nolan with undisguised pride, “Rest assured, my lord. The forging of the ‘Raven Type’ black armor has fully entered a stable phase. After our initial trials, the yield of acceptable products has been steadily improving. The apprentices have also mastered the engraving of the two core inscriptions. Our production efficiency is now twice what it was at the beginning.” He thumped his chest and made a startling promise. “I guarantee that within at most one and a half months, every brother in the Black Armored Legion will be equipped with brand-new ‘Raven Type’ black armor.”
One and a half months to outfit several thousand sets of magical armor representing the highest craftsmanship in the Elfin Kingdom? The speed was indeed astonishing. Even the royal workshops in the capital would require at least three months to accomplish such a task.
Nolan nodded in satisfaction. “That fast? Have you discovered some special trick, Master Leus?”
“It’s not really a trick,” Leus said, waving his hands as his smile widened. “Following your suggestion, several of the largest smithies, under Master Barton’s lead, have joined forces with the Hammer Guild and the Mining Association to establish a large-scale military production workshop. The workshop operates on a semi-assembly-line model, where the most skilled blacksmiths assign every craftsman to the task they perform best. This has greatly improved efficiency. Additionally…” Leus straightened his back, a rare hint of pride appearing on his face. “I have made a major breakthrough regarding the Dragon Blood’s Oath potion.”
“Oh?” Nolan’s interest was piqued.
The “Dragon Blood’s Oath” potion had originally been an improved version of the “Fervor’s Strength” potion from his previous life, and its potency was beyond doubt. Its production, however, relied heavily on Nolan’s own blood, infused with the power of a dragon, as a core catalyst. While he had plenty of blood to spare, it was neither practical nor sustainable for him to remain at the Coldsteel Alchemy Workshop indefinitely. For the Black Armored Legion’s future expansion, this had always been a lingering problem.
Yet Leus had found a solution so quickly.
Filled with excitement, he said, “After working day and night during this period, I have discovered a method to mass-produce Dragon Blood’s Oath without requiring you, my lord, to personally shed blood.” He laughed. “This idea came entirely from your inspiration.”
“Me? When did I give you such inspiration?” Nolan asked, puzzled.
“My lord, do you remember when we first stayed in Veli City, and you personally made us a kind of ‘milk-flavored steamed bread’ we had never seen before?”
Nolan froze for a moment before recalling the memory. It had been when he first arrived in Veli City and stayed at Kayan’s home. With a proper kitchen at hand, he had impulsively shown off his skills to improve their meals and prepared some as travel rations before leaving.
Little Donnie immediately chimed in, “Of course I remember! I’ll never forget that taste for as long as I live. Soft and fragrant, and you said it was a delicacy from a distant land…”
“Ahem!” Seeing the serious military meeting veer off course, Anna lightly kicked him, signaling him to mind the setting.
“Oh, right…” Little Donnie scratched his head and shrank back.
Leus nodded with a smile. “Yes, that’s the one. It’s not about the taste, though. The key is what you said at the time: that a small piece of leftover dough could be kept as a ‘starter,’ and when added to new dough, it would make it ferment as well. That remark inspired me.” Growing more animated, he gestured energetically. “I thought, if dough can work this way, why not potions? So I immediately conducted experiments, and the result… was a success. My lord, I have fully mastered a method of using existing Dragon Blood’s Oath as a ‘starter’ to achieve large-scale production.”
“A fermentation starter method?” Nolan immediately grasped the principle.
It resembled microbial cultivation and propagation in real-world biology. He had not expected that alchemy in this world could combine so intriguingly with culinary techniques from Earth.
“Although the potions produced this way are about ten percent weaker in terms of enhancement compared to the original version made with your blood,” Leus added, “their output has increased more than twentyfold. Most importantly, production can continue uninterrupted even when you are not in Coldsteel City.”
There were always trade-offs, and Nolan understood.
A ten percent reduction in enhancement in exchange for a twentyfold increase in output and independence from his personal involvement was an extraordinary bargain.
Armies fought as a collective, where overall strength mattered most. A ten percent difference in individual soldiers’ power had far less impact on the outcome of battles involving thousands than one might imagine. Raising the entire force from Bronze tier to Silver or even higher, combined with the Raven Type black armor, would represent a leap from a first-tier army to a fifth-tier one.
The geometric increase in production guaranteed overall improvement, meaning the Dragon Blood’s Oath would no longer be a bottleneck limiting the expansion of the Black Armored Legion.
The Legion had to remain elite among elites. This was Nolan’s unwavering standard. Even new recruits, in terms of basic physical attributes, would surpass any army in the Elfin Kingdom.
This was the kind of breakthrough that could truly alter the course of war.
“Well done, Master Leus,” Nolan said with genuine admiration. “The growth of the Black Armored Legion owes much to your technology. Bringing you on board was absolutely the right decision. In the future, once production is sufficient, Dragon Blood’s Oath can even be issued as a standard wartime supply for the Legion, serving as a combat enhancement potion.”
Receiving such high praise, Leus flushed with excitement.
“Then is the reserve of the Fountain of Potential still sufficient?” Nolan quickly regained his composure and raised another critical question. “Our next operation may completely exhaust this otherwise non-renewable resource.”
“Rest assured, my lord,” Leus replied at once. “The Fountain of Potential can also apply the ‘starter’ principle. Moreover, we have not ceased collecting it during this time. We have now accumulated over five hundred liters. To make room for storage, Chief Steward Anna even emptied out all the wine from the manor’s cellar.”
“Pfft—”
Before Nolan could respond, Hank nearly spat out a mouthful of water.
The cellar had been filled with fine wines collected by Haus. Though the man himself was hardly admirable, his taste in wine was decent, and those bottles were rare high-end goods from Demont Province.
Nolan felt a twinge of regret, cast Anna a helpless glance, and decided not to dwell on it.
Compared to the Fountain of Potential, what was a bit of wine? He could always brew more in the future.
After finishing his report, Leus seemed reluctant to stop. He added, “Oh, and my lord, after studying the soldiers of the Black Armored Legion, I made an unexpected discovery.” He paused for effect before continuing slowly, “I’ve found that when they gather together, they occasionally emit a faint aura of pressure.”