Chapter 331 The Rising White Fog, the Endless Roar

Clancy, Province of Vitz.

It originally belonged to the Principality of Black Rock, but it was incorporated into Crancia more than ten years ago.

The black peaks are long and tall, with bare dark rocks and no vegetation. The surface of the mountain peak is rugged and rugged, and under the blowing of the cold wind, it is hard and cold.

In geographical terms, this is an obvious icy landform. The upper layer of the mountain is covered with thin snow, and there is a little green cover at the foot of the mountain. Scattered trees are dotted among the huge valleys, becoming the field of vision. The only place that is alive.

Next to a forest, there are scattered wooden houses. If you don't observe carefully, you may not be able to find them in the continuous black peaks. Compared with the peaks and white snow under the sky, these wooden houses are just too small.

On the path covered with moss and grass, a figure in a sturdy black trench coat walked towards the wooden house. He wore a badge of gear and a book on his chest, and there were three stars in it, indicating that he was a high-level alchemist, and Still specializing in mechanical construction.

In this village at the foot of the mountain, there are more than 30 households. Occasionally, villagers can be seen walking by and talking about recent events.

"Lord Jack, Lord Jack." An old voice came from behind, and then the alchemist in the black trench coat stopped.

He lifted his hood, revealing his gray-blond hair and weathered cheeks.

"I'm here, Mr. Village Chief."

After Jack stopped, an old man in a sheepskin padded jacket came over with a round hat on his head and a wine bottle in his hand.

"Lord Jack, I have a bottle of goat's milk, I will give it to you. I can drink some to warm myself up at night." He handed out the bottle in his hand.

Looking at the enthusiastic village chief, Jack paused for a while, but refused politely and accepted the bottle of wine.

Seeing that the alchemist accepted it, the village chief smiled before asking.

"I don't know how the adults' exploration is going these days. I heard that there will be exploration people coming to continue the measurement recently."

"That's it." Jack nodded, the situation is basically no longer a secret, even the little village chief of the mountain village got some news.

"A useful mineral deposit has been found at the foot of the mountain on the east side. The industrial department will send someone here soon to draw up a plan and prepare for mining." Continue talking by the fire.

"That is to say, are we going to build workshops and mining sites here in the future?" The village chief was happy after hearing this, his wrinkled face was also much rosier.

"That's it, the minerals here are really useful." Jack nodded again.

Afterwards, the village chief asked and confirmed a lot of questions, and then he walked out satisfied with a smile on his face.

After watching the other party leave, Jack closed the door, continued to take out the thick notes in his arms, and began to record today's exploration results and thoughts.

The topographic map of the mountain is roughly drawn on the white paper, and a small piece below is painted with the shadow of the line, and then an arrow is marked next to it, which reads 'nickel' and 'cobalt'.

After Clancy merged the original Seven Kingdoms of Xuehua, the resources became abundant. After more than ten years of continuous development, there is no shortage of commonly used metals such as copper and iron, but some rarer metals, such as 'nickel' And 'cobalt' and the like, there are still some gaps.

The nickel ore found here and the associated cobalt ore are urgently needed in China, so after he reported it, he immediately got a response from the higher-level agency.

Looking back on the trek and hardships in this cold wind and mountains all these years, now it has finally paid off, and Jack has a kind of dull satisfaction and relief.

"Huh..." He leaned back in his chair, looked at the ceiling above his head, then closed his eyes and quietly felt the warm fire from the fireplace beside him.

Before I knew it, I was in my 40s.

Although this is not a very old age among extraordinary people, for ordinary people, it is already slowly aging.

Jack opened his eyes again and looked at his palm. Because he was outside all the year round, the skin on his hand was very rough, and there were still traces of frostbite, some thick, and it was a little itchy under the fire.

He sat up again, took out the thick notebook, and turned to the first page.

This page is a bit dirty and wrinkled, and the handwriting on it is a bit smudged.

‘Congratulations to Senior Jack on graduating! ’

The bold characters are filled with joy and blessings, and then below are the signatures of each classmate, many of whom are juniors of the college. In the lower right corner of the page, the date at that time is written.

'November 1687 Winter Festival Gala of the Third Age'

When he was studying in Emenas, he was not the kind of student with outstanding talent, but even a very clumsy student, unable to break through for a long time, stuck in the third grade.

He came from a normal background. If he didn't work hard, he might have no chance after he left the school, so he worked hard to study and study.

But nothing came of it.

There is no shortage of talents in Emenas, and there is no shortage of hard-working classmates, but he is just one of them.

Then an accident came to his world.

He was one of the reasons why the school was caught in a particularly strange atmosphere and situation that year.

That night, he met a mysterious witch.

The other party taught him a special secret technique, and then let him do some things.

Then this strange secret technique spread rapidly in the academy, causing upheaval and a sensational accident.

In the end, although the situation subsided, he was also hostile and scolded by many classmates, and even feared that he would be expelled from school or severely punished.

Fortunately, the new head of the academy appeased him, and the chief of the Temple Academy also helped him mediate the problems in the academy, and then he slowly regained his stability.

After leaving school, many workshops and factions did not accept him because of the big event during his school days, and then he lived a decadent life.

Alchemy requires a lot of materials, as well as craftsmanship, the coordination of instruments, etc. It will be very difficult for ordinary people to support alone.

Until one day, he received an invitation letter from a large chamber of commerce in Verga, named Karites.

At first, he didn't know the background of this chamber of commerce, because the salary promised in the letter was not low, so he boarded the boat to Hopelander with suspicion.

After arriving there, he was well received, and then was assigned to a key workshop in the Chamber of Commerce to participate in the development of new warships.

That period of time can be said to be his fastest growing time. He greedily absorbed the fresh knowledge and skills conveyed in the manuscripts, and then immediately practiced, constantly learning and adjusting.

When the war broke out and the battleship was completed, he was already a qualified high-level alchemist.

After the war, the development and design of the battleship came to an end, and he was sent to Crancia to support the construction, and then gradually settled here.

Later, when the empire went west, he moved and evaded in the mountains with his colleagues in the agency, designed and developed new war machines, and then was responsible for the construction and supervision of the arsenal.

By the time all this is over, he will be 35 years old, and he has also become a high-ranking member of the Mechanical Alchemist Association under the industrial sector.

The next step is to find many needed minerals for the industrial development of Crancia, and then do it for more than ten years.

'Time is merciless. ’

Jack lifted the lid of the wine bottle and slowly poured a small sip into his mouth, mixed with the fragrance of goat milk and wine, a cold liquid flowed down his throat, and then became hot again.

Facing the firelight, Jack slowly flipped through the notes, and many of the pages were left with oil stains and dirt, and the memories of the past, which were full of nostalgia, were awakened one by one.

After leaving Emenas, he experienced the loss after graduation, the ecstasy of being accepted, the joy of focusing on absorption, the suddenness after the war, and the loneliness of traveling and traveling.

Looking back on the time in Emenas in the past, I am full of emotion for my youth and immaturity at that time.

Because he was too young and had too many expectations for quick success, he almost went down the wrong path.

But now...

He took the wine bottle and walked slowly to the window. The fire in the house shone on the glass, vaguely reflecting the bearded face.

If it is only from the face reflected in the glass, Jack is estimated to be in his 30s. This is also the effect of the extraordinary sequence, which can delay aging.

I have come out of the wrong path at the beginning.

Despite the weather, Jack also felt a kind of fullness and satisfaction.

Three days later, the capital of the province of Wits, the city of swords.

Although it is winter, it is still lively here. Horses and carriages and pedestrians can be seen everywhere on the streets. There are lively figures everywhere. There is a long whistle from the mountains not far away, which is the sound of the train coming to the station.

"Mr. Zena, a high-level alchemist wants to see you. He also took out his professional certificate and documents from the Ministry of Industry."

In the tall office, a woman wearing a black and white professional dress is working. She wears glasses and has a white pleated scarf on her chest. There is a rare saber hanging on the wall beside her.

"Oh, did he say his name?" Jena quickly drew a check mark and commented on the document, and then asked the secretary in front of her.

"His name is Jack. According to the certificate, he is a senior mechanical alchemist and has received the Silver Star Medal."

"Jack?"

Jena recalled the name, as if she was thinking of something.

"What about his appearance, does he have short gray-blond hair and a long black trench coat?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"Well, I probably know." Jena wrote the last comment, then closed the document in her hand and put down the pen.

This intellectual beauty raised her head, revealing the emerald-eyed boy under her black hair. She stood up and put on the coat beside her.

"Take me to see him, this is my senior."

Jenna looked at the saber on the wall, paused for a moment, then took it off and hung it around her waist, adding a heroic and sassy aura.

Although it was strange that Mrs. Jenna deliberately wore a sword today, the secretary quickly went to show her the way. The clerks who walked through the corridor from time to time nodded and said hello after seeing Jenna.

As the founder and leader of the "Sword Casting School", Jenna has a great influence in this mountainous province.

Back then, the 'Long Halberd Sect' and the 'Bow Hunting Sect' fought, and then the 'Long Halberd Sect' joined the Frost and Frost Alliance, dragging Heiyan into the war, bringing many disasters to the people of this land.

Later, the coalition forces of Crancia and Gufia Prairie liberated the Black Rock area, while the Sword Casting Sect led the local residents to gradually rebuild their homes, and formulated new laws and systems, which gradually won the recognition and support of the residents.

Black Rock was then incorporated into Crancia, with Zena as the province of Wits

, continue to perform the duties of the past.

Walking through the long corridor, the two came to the hall, and Zena saw the alchemist sitting in the corner at a glance.

"Senior Jack." She walked over and greeted first.

After hearing the voice, Jack stood up, waved his hand, and the two of them stood and chatted for a while before walking into the room to the side to sit down and talk in detail.

After the secretary brought hot tea, he closed the door and the room was quiet.

This is a room specially used for receiving guests, with good lighting, and the tall glass windows can see the outside courtyard and the street in the distance, as well as the towering mountains under the sky.

"The last time I saw the senior was five years ago." Jenna looked at the man with the thick beard and lamented the hard work of the other side's usual trek.

"Well, that time I came back to attend the conference of the Ministry of Industry. I didn't want to meet many former alumni."

In fact, the two did not know each other during their school days, and only gradually became aware of each other's existence after graduation. Because of the need for exploration, Jack asked Jenna, a local, many things, and later became familiar with each other.

"Is there something wrong with coming back this time? I always feel that Senior Jack won't be the kind of person who came to me with nothing." Jenna said jokingly, now she is no longer the young and shy girl she used to be on campus. .

"Cough, there is indeed something." Jack stopped the school girl's teasing, and then began to talk about business.

...

"Ah, that is to say, have you discovered a mineral that is very abundant and needed?" After listening to Jenna, she roughly understood the reason.

"Yes, it is estimated that a lot of workers will be needed to build railroad tracks, stations, metallurgical plants, etc."

To mine such a large-scale mineral deposit, the dozens of local households are definitely not enough, and the manpower and material resources required for it naturally have to be coordinated and arranged by the local government agency.

"It's very exciting news." Jenna slowly sorted out her thoughts, and said happily.

"Although Witz is developing well today, it is still far from the industrially developed Nide Province."

The province of Neders is not only the birthplace of Crancia, but also a key province with heavy industry. Just south of the province of Wits, the two provinces are bordered by rivers and mountains.

"Nowadays, many young people in the province of Wits will go to work in the province of Ned. If the province of Wits has its own industry, there is no need to run so far." Jena said thoughtfully.

"Senior Jack is very helpful now." She looked at the senior with some gratitude. As a local, she naturally hoped that her hometown could develop.

"These are not what I could have expected before." Jack shook his head, showing he didn't care.

"But you really did an amazing thing." Jena looked at the senior thoughtfully.

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Tell me."

"Considering the construction of the mining area and the alchemy industry in the future, I would like to ask the senior as a consultant to lead the future plan."

"Senior, don't be in a hurry to refuse. I also studied in Emenas. At that time, I entered the Bridge Pier Academy. Most of my studies were code and military-related things. For machinery, alchemy, and craftsmanship, I was at that time. The grades are not good, and there are not many high-level alchemists in Wyz Province, and even fewer specialize in machinery."

She paused, recalled the senior's past, and continued.

"Also, you also participated in the research and development of warships back then, and you have a good understanding of the steam turbine technology. These are all necessary for future construction. If you don't come to do this, we will probably have to spend a lot of time, starting from Applying for assistance from Crancia headquarters will miss a lot.”

Seeing this schoolgirl who became articulate, Jack could only helplessly nodded.

"Okay, I see."

"However, what you look like now is very different from the past. I once heard from alumni that you were a very shy girl at school."

"Well, maybe it's a little more mature." Jenna smiled lightly.

"It's just that I still have a long way to go compared to what Lorraine said."

"Lorraine..." Jack didn't know the Black Rose of the Walled College, but was deeply impressed by another girl from the same period.

That is, in the competition, defeating everyone by incredible means, including the leader of the High Tower Academy, the head of the Temple Academy, Rosie.

That snow-white silver hair and soft voice were once the moonlight in the dreams of many classmates.

Speaking of which, it is puzzling that this classmate who shines on campus has been silent after graduation.

After that, the two talked a lot, and it was only when it was getting late that Jack stood up.

"I will go to Ned Province to investigate for a period of time, and then I will come back to lead the construction of the mining area and the alchemy factory. During this time, the Ministry of Industry will send people over, so I will trouble Jenna to arrange it first."

"That's right." Jenna nodded.

"Then, I'll take my leave." Then Jack put on his hat, walked out of the room, waved his hand, and left.

—

A week later, Jack came to the largest metallurgical industrial area in the Ned province. After obtaining authorization, he began to enter the closed park for a visit.

Although it is still several kilometers away from the real factory, the unique odor can already be smelled on the tip of the nose. The scorched sulfur is choking, and the heavy roar of the machine can be clearly heard in the wilderness. ,

grey concrete covers the ground

, and the buildings with steel as their bones, together constitute the main color in the field of vision.

On the tall cooling tower, countless white steam boiled and gushed out, forming a 'white cloud' in the industrial park.

The steel buildings stand in a cold and ergonomic posture. The gray sky and the thin world of human voices strip away the dirty and dark appearance of the heavy industry in the past, showing a majestic and quiet power of production. .

Standing under the sky where the fine snow fell, Jack was silent for a long time, and seemed to have an eager mood to wake up from a long-term memory.

It was a giant dragon roaring in the snowy mountains, and the tall war machine slowly stood up in the cold wind, making people clearly feel the heart beating slowly, so enthusiastic and impatient.

Yes, so shocking and passionate.

The notice that strangers are not allowed to enter, the backbone of the civilization, the crest of the environment, the material basis of the quality of life, the spear and the shield are blended in the steam, and human beings have become the heirs of industry.