Overwhelming Firepower

When they finished creating the steam engine, Lucen called his Father and the others. He even allowed Robert to come and look as long as he promised not to start a fight with the Grey Tower Mages.

It took a lot of effort for Robert to agree, but in the end, he chose to satisfy his curiosity rather than squabble with the Grey Tower Mages.

After everyone was gathered, it was about time to see if what they created would work. No one spoke when the final preparations began.

The steam engine stood apart from the train frame, mounted on a reinforced stone platform just outside the forge.

Thick iron braces anchored it to the ground, and chains wrapped around the base to prevent any sudden movement.

Buckets of water were carried in and poured into the boiler. Valves were checked one final time.

Every bolt was tapped, every seam traced by hand. Durik personally inspected the pressure vessel, his palm resting against the metal as if listening for something only he could hear. When he stepped back, he gave a single nod.

Fire was introduced slowly. Coal was fed into the furnace in measured amounts, the flames licking upward as heat spread through the metal.

At first, nothing happened. Then the boiler began to murmur, a low sound barely audible beneath the crackle of fire.

Steam formed gradually, pressure rising. The Grey Tower mages watched from a distance, quietly noting readings and movements.

Robert stood behind Lucen, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the engine. His irritation was obvious, but his curiosity burned brighter.

As the pressure climbed, Durik raised a hand. The feeding of coal to the furnace stopped. One of the smiths then pulled a lever. For a brief moment, there was only silence. Then the piston moved.

It was low at first. A single push forward, followed by a heavy return. The connecting rod turned, metal sliding against metal with a deep, rhythmic sound.

The second cycle came smoother, then faster, and faster. Steam hissed through the pipes as valves opened and closed in perfect timing.

The flywheel began to spin, gathering momentum, its mass turning stored pressure into motion.

Chains rattled as tension surged through the mountings. The ground beneath the platform vibrated, not violently, but with undeniable force. This was not magic. This was weight, heat, and pressure; this was advancement.

Lucen looked at the steam engine with a vicious-looking smile on his face. With this steam engine, there were now many more options to play.

’It’s like all the unlocked paths, and even the hidden paths, finally opened up. I can do much more now.’

Seeing the steam engine working as intended, Durik exhaled slowly, the tension leaving his shoulders. He then stared at the object they had created and was once again amazed.

This was something no dwarf would ever think of making. ’Humans might live short lives compared to us dwarves or those snotty elves, but they truly are rather imaginative.’

Around them, reactions finally broke free. Some stared in disbelief. Others laughed under their breath.

A few were simply amazed by the sight. Steam was actually able to move metal without the use of any spell or rune engraving.

Robert had his eyes glued to the moving steam engine. He already knew that this was possible, and Lucen explained it to him.

He already understood that they were building something like this, but seeing it in action was something else entirely from just hearing about it.

Once again, the idea of making something fly using steam came to his mind, but for now, he wanted to focus on what was happening before him.

Vardon, who was standing beside Lucen, spoke. ”This train of yours, how fast will it be able to move?”

”Right now, at normal speeds, fifteen to twenty-five Kaels. If you push it, it’s possible to move around thirty Kaels. Now that’s the estimate while it’s pulling something. After a few more modifications, it might get faster.”

While Lucen was talking, he was finding it hard to say Kael instead of kilometer, as saying Kael sounded quite funny in his ear.

”How much can it pull?”

”Not adding the head of the train where the steam engine is, it should be able to pull around forty to sixty tons.”

”I see... This has a lot of potential.” Vardon murmured to himself. ”Then the so-called tracks you made heading towards Dorsen are for this train?”

Lucen nodded his head. ”Yes, the train can only pass through areas with tracks.”

Vardon’s gaze shifted from the engine to the distance beyond the forge, toward the faint direction of the northern road.

”That limits where it can go,” he said calmly. ”Still, with how fast it moves, and how many it could carry. This would be a good alternative to carriages. Since it can only move on the tracks, we need to add a few more to different places. Once the entirety of Stellhart is connected, a few things will become easier to handle.”

”Father should call his majesty once we’re done with preparations and show him the train?”

Hearing what Lucen said, Vardon thought about it for a second before answering. ”That should be good. When do you think this will be finished?”

”Let’s ask, Durik.” Lucen pulled Durik over and asked him when the train would be operational.

”By my estimates, give or take around a month or two.”

”Is that so? I will inform the king then, around that time.” Vardon answered with his usual nonchalant tone. ”I will take my leave now.”

Vardon turned around, and before he stepped forward, he once again spoke. ”Good job, my son.” After saying those words, Vardon left the forge alongside Vahn, Cael, and Sir Thalos.

Lucen’s lip curled up a little as he found Vardon’s actions quite interesting. ’Truly a kuudere type dad.’

***

Once the demonstration ended, the people became even more fired up to finish the train. Robert overcame his annoyance against the Grey Tower Mages and was able to join in and help.

For now, his curiosity had taken over, so he was not bothering with the Grey Tower Mages and was now fully focused on improving the steam engine.

While they were making the train, Lucen asked Durik if he could make something that would lessen the smoke being emitted by the train or something similar.

Durik didn’t even think too long about it and answered. ”You’re underestimating dwarves too much. Such a thing can be done easily, if you want to, I can make it so that the smoke that comes out will even smell like flowers.”

”Oh, as expected of a race that is said to be the children of the God Kalderos.”

Durik scratched his beard, smiling gleefully at the praise. With renewed vigor, Durik went back to work.

***

The craftsmen and mages worked tirelessly. Still, instead of looking haggard, they seemed to be brimming with energy as they talked about ways to improve their work.

Robert was pitching new ideas to Lucen to add to the train and the train cars. Some of his ideas were quite wild, and a few were actually quite good and were added to the design.

The materials they used to create the train cars were made of metal, wood, and some monster materials. They also used a few monster materials to improve the quality of the part with the boiler.

They decided early on that the train cars would not be uniform. Some would be built for cargo, reinforced with thicker frames and simplified interiors.

Others would be meant for passengers, their wooden interiors treated against heat and vibration, seats bolted directly into the frame rather than resting freely like carriage benches.

Durik oversaw the construction of the coupling mechanisms himself. The links between cars were forged thicker than necessary, layered steel wrapped around a flexible core.

They were tested repeatedly, first by pulling empty frames, then with weighted loads, until the metal screamed and held.

Robert, for his part, focused on refinement rather than power. He worked on sealing methods, insulation layers around the boiler, and surface treatments meant to reduce corrosion.

No runes powered the engine. The runes he suggested merely reduced waste, smoothed flow, or dampened vibration. Making it a smoother ride.

By the end of the second week, the first full train car was complete. It was rolled onto the tracks slowly, guided by shouted instructions and hand signals. The wheels aligned cleanly. There was no grinding and no misalignment.

While they were doing this, there were also quite a few people continuing to put the tracks towards Dorsen.

The train was nearly completed. The final test will be made with the eyes of royalty present. As dusk settled over Ironhold, the forge lights burned brighter than ever.

Steel rang against steel, sparks painting brief constellations in the air as the final adjustments were made.

The train stood whole now, resting on its tracks. It took quite some time to finish, but now it was finally presentable.

Along the northern road, rails stretched farther each day, inching steadily toward Dorsen. What had once been an idea was now in front of Lucen. To think the idea he had years ago had actually been accomplished.

During the time they were making the train, they were also able to make a proper-looking trail platform. It was just one train now, but Lucen could already imagine this place looking like the central train stations in his past life.

Just thinking about the future he envisioned slowly coming to life made Lucen smile happily.