Chapter 1197 The Fire of Civilization

The real-machine test flight that lasted for nearly a week can be said to have taken a critical step for the Sky Knight Academy to start from scratch. The training of preparatory students has finally been on the right track, but its impact is far beyond the academy.

In fact, someone noticed the "giant kite" hovering over the southern city that day. Although Tilly would occasionally fly the Unicorn past the Lord's Castle, most of the time she would choose to conduct tests in no-man's land. The people of the city have a natural awe for the castle area, so most people have only heard of the existence of airplanes but have never seen them with their own eyes.

Switching to the Aerial Knight Academy, there was no need to worry about this. Curious people went to the South District one after another and gathered on both sides of the road, waiting for the moment the plane broke out of the courtyard wall. At first, it was limited to residents near Shoal Port and the factory area, but as the news spread quickly, by the third day, the college was surrounded by a group of "melon-eating people". Whenever a plane appears in everyone's field of vision, the crowd will burst into enthusiastic shouts and exclamations, as if it is him who soars into the blue sky.

Mi Tang saw the right opportunity and reported the ongoing assessment test in the academy in a large format with the title "Miracle Reappearance", and attached a clear recent photo of the biplane, instantly boosting the sales of "Greycastle Weekly". Reached a new peak.

There was even a wave of acquisitions in the city of Neverwinter - perhaps realizing the business opportunities contained in it. After the weekly newspapers were sold out, many businessmen from other places began to pay high prices to buy newspapers from the people. Those with insufficient funds hired people to extract them, and even planes The photos were also hand-painted, which made the paper expensive in the market.

Under this vigorous turmoil, the name of Sky Knight finally spread throughout Neverwinter City.

Roland also received Tilly's summary report a week later.

A total of 150 of the 197 preparatory students passed the review, which means that during the entire assessment period, a total of 47 crashes caused by operational errors occurred. Considering that there were only four test aircraft in the first batch, it was equivalent to an average of more than eleven crashes per aircraft.

This may sound unbelievable, but Roland knew in his heart that these aircraft had a simple structure and were light in weight. As long as the engines were not damaged, they could be repaired quickly. In addition, most crashes occur during the landing stage. Either the speed is too slow and the entire plane is shot on the runway, or the speed is too fast and the landing gear is broken, causing the aircraft to stop due to belly friction. Such damage is common in the era of biplanes. , dragged it back for repairs and found another good machine.

Of course, a patched aircraft will never be as useful as when it first left the factory. Tilly also mentioned that the condition of the two aircraft that are still flying has declined significantly and it is difficult to meet the training requirements. In order to ensure the quality of teaching, the college urgently needs a batch of new aircraft. biplane. In addition, due to the improvement of training content and the expansion of subsequent personnel recruitment, four aircraft can no longer meet the requirements. Considering the comprehensive training efficiency and actual needs, at least twelve to fifteen aircraft must be provided.

This is also the number of a flying brigade in later generations.

Roland found that no matter whether he read the report horizontally or vertically, there was a sentence between the lines - "I, the Air Force, make money."

After putting down the report, he shook his head in confusion. He could only say that Tilly did have a talent in this area, and she could see through the nature of the air force in the early stages. In fact, if you want to form a qualified flying force, you must have a large population to screen and enough planes to crash. Both are indispensable.

Nowadays, various industries in Neverwinter are in urgent need of manpower. A fleet of planes is obviously not possible in the short term, so Anna can only take her time to gather them.

In addition to Tilly, the General Staff also submitted an observation report, written by none other than Edith Kant.

The report is very brief, but the content is quite interesting.

Northland Pearl believes that as long as it is used properly, the Sky Knight will have the potential to change the situation of future wars, and even become a decisive force in winning or losing. She hoped to set up a research team from the General Staff Headquarters and stationed in the academy to understand the performance of this new weapon so that it could be used in future plans. At the same time, she also conceived some tactics that only the Sky Knight could achieve, and wanted to have a detailed discussion with Roland alone. Her eagerness could be said to be vivid on the page.

Edith is probably the ordinary person among the top brass in Neverwinter who pays the most attention to aircraft - the moment she sees the mass production capability, she can think of its application in war. Not to mention the feasibility of the plan, just this. His sensitivity is really impressive.

Just when Roland was about to summon Pearl of the North to talk about her views on the Sky Knight, the voice of a personal guard came from outside the office door, "Your Majesty, the Minister of Construction, Mr. Carl Van Burt, is asking to see you."

He retracted his hand holding the phone and said, "Let him come in."

"yes."

"Your Majesty," Karl bowed respectfully after entering the office, "your "Miracle Building" has been successfully completed. "

…

Standing under the podium and looking up at the majestic main body, Roland really felt the charm of the word spectacle.

It took nearly two years, tens of thousands of golden dragons, enough steel to build three Chishui bridges, and enough concrete to pile up a hill to finally complete the building. If it weren't for the assistance of witches such as Lian and Hummingbird, it would have consumed several times more manpower and resources.

The spectacle of ruining the country is more than just a joke, but equally, the shock it brought to the people of Neverwinter when it was completed was absolutely unparalleled - this can be seen from the people who came from all over to watch the completion ceremony.

The so-called gap becomes clearer in comparison. Compared with the surrounding large two- to three-story residential areas, the 56-meter-tall, 15-story Miracle Building almost stands out. Even Roland, who was used to seeing tall buildings, couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion in his heart.

As the new landmark of Neverwinter, it is not a simple and useless cosmetic project, but the pinnacle of various new technologies. For example, regarding water supply and drainage, Carl adopted the method of setting up multi-level water tanks on the floors to solve the problem of too large a height difference and inability to pump water.

In addition, there are four external "elevators" installed at the four corners of the main building. They are driven by steam engines in the basement and can carry dozens of people at a time between the top floor and the bottom floor. Although it is not as smart as modern elevators and must be controlled by a dedicated person, and it cannot stop on every floor, it is still an amazing design for this era. In particular, the elevator uses a large amount of floor-to-ceiling glass, and you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the city while riding it, which is a complete enjoyment.

"Your Majesty, please say a few words," Karl said, stroking his chest after boarding the podium, "Your people are waiting for your appearance."

Roland nodded, walked to the fence and waved to the dense crowd below.

The crowd immediately burst into loud cheers.

"Good afternoon to all the people of Neverwinter."

"Today is the day when the Miracle Building was built. It created countless world bests. History will definitely remember this day - but what I want to say here is not how great its significance is, but what you are most concerned about. , who will live in it? Or...who is it built for?"

"Nobles? No, Graycastle has abolished the power of enfeoffed nobles; royal family? Of course not, I don't need such a big place to put my bed. The answer is actually very simple, that is, the residents of Neverwinter—— That’s all of you.”

"You are the ones who created the Miracle Building, and there is no doubt that you can also enjoy this miracle!"

"Each room will be clearly marked with a price in the administrative hall. No privileges or family background are required. As long as you bring your resident ID card, you can apply for purchase and move into this building destined to be recorded in history!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd burst into deafening shouts.

"Long live your Majesty!"

"Long live Neverwinter!"

When the voice subsided, Roland continued to speak loudly, "Now, I will light the torch on the roof. From now on, whenever darkness falls, it will burn brightly and become the most dazzling starlight in the sky above Neverwinter!"

Amid overwhelming calls from the crowd, he led a group of people from the city hall into the "elevator" and climbed to the top of the main building.

There is a huge stone basin placed in the center of the roof, filled with pitch black oil - this thick and heavy oil has been specially treated so that it can not only burn for a long time, but also does not emit stench or smoke, making it an everlasting torch. The most suitable fuel.

"Your Majesty," Nightingale handed over a torch.

Roland nodded, took the torch, and walked slowly towards the stone basin.

There seemed to be gentle music and familiar lines in his mind——

"From the first sprout of life underwater...you have experienced a lot..."

He raised the corners of his mouth and lowered the torch.

If this is the flame that continues human civilization, then hopefully it will never go out. 8)