Chapter 21: A New Frontier

Hearing a commotion outside, Jita frowned.
What’s going on? Why is it so noisy?

Just then, an apprentice burst in, shouting excitedly:

“It’s moving! It’s moving! That big thing is moving on its own!”

“What?!”

What kind of joke was this?
That hunk of iron? Move on its own?
Impossible.

Still, the noise outside was undeniable. Curious, Jita stopped what he was doing and stepped out of the forge to investigate.

The steam engine had caused such a stir that a crowd had gathered around it. With his apprentices in tow, Jita pushed through the crowd to get a better look.

When the operating steam engine finally came into view, Jita froze in shock.

“No way…”

The words were stuck in his throat. The sight before him completely overturned everything he thought he knew.

The massive iron flywheel—which had taken immense effort for him and his apprentices to install—was now spinning smoothly and rapidly, as if powered by some invisible, overwhelming force.

It had to be magic, he thought. Yes, that must be it.
That was the only explanation.

Desperately, he clung to that assumption—reaching into a field he didn’t understand to patch the cracks in his worldview.

But then, a nearby conversation shattered that illusion.

“It’s… incredible.” 

Fanny whispered as she approached Irwin.

“Marquis, if it’s just about heating that area, couldn’t I use my magic instead?”

She pointed toward the boiler as she spoke.

Owen gave her a puzzled look.

“Why would I do that? I’m not trying to build a machine that only mages can use. I’m building one that anyone can operate.”

Anyone?

That meant… this machine didn’t run on magic at all.

Jita couldn’t hold it in any longer. He took a few steps forward, placed a hand on his chest, and respectfully asked:

“Marquis, is it true what you said—this machine can really be used by anyone? How exactly does it start?”

“Absolutely.” 

Owen replied, pleased by the blacksmith’s eager curiosity.
This was exactly the kind of talent Bianshu Town needed—someone unafraid to question and explore the unknown.

Owen gave him a simple explanation of how to operate the machine.

“Wait… that’s it? Just add water, light a fire, and wait?”

Jita looked utterly disbelieving.

“Yes. If you like, I can stop the engine and let you try it yourself.”

“N-no, that won’t be necessary.”

Jita quickly declined. There was no need. The machine before him was proof enough—and Owen would never deceive him.

Then came the question that had been burning in Jita’s mind:

“Marquis… what power makes this machine move?”

“Steam.”

Steam?
The stuff that comes out when you boil water?

That… could move this?

The realization struck him like lightning. Something so mundane—something he’d seen every day—was hiding such immense potential. It was beautiful.

As he processed the truth, it felt like a door had opened before him—a gateway to an unknown world filled with things he’d never imagined.
And the key to that door was held by this marquis standing right before him.

He had made up his mind.

Even if he was just a humble blacksmith, he wanted to follow this man, to witness this new world with his own eyes—even if only a glimpse.

Driven by that conviction, Jita dropped to one knee before Owen and said solemnly:

“Marquis, if you ever need to forge something like this again, I beg you—entrust it to me. I will dedicate myself fully to crafting components worthy of your vision.”

The sudden gesture took everyone by surprise.
Onlookers exchanged puzzled glances, not knowing what had just happened.

But Owen welcomed it with a warm smile.

“Gladly.”

[Successfully gained a loyal toolman.] 

Winston suddenly interjected with a teasing remark.

[What toolman? He’s a member of Bianshu Town, willing to contribute to its development!]

Owen retorted.

“I want to help too!” 

Fanny raised her hand and jumped into the conversation.

“As long as I learn your flame-jet technique, I can do welding too!”

Saying that, she immediately cast a fireball spell, moved it to her fingertip, and tried to compress the flame just like Owen did.

But this step was far from easy. Just as the fireball began forming into a sphere, it suddenly became unstable and fizzled out.

“Wahhh!”

Startled, Fanny looked downcast.

“It’s so hard… I failed…”

“Hahaha, looks like you still need more practice with your mana control.” 

Owen chuckled.

Now that it was confirmed the steam engine worked as expected, Owen removed the heat source from beneath the boiler and released the steam from the cylinder, bringing the machine to a stop.

With nothing else to see, the curious crowd began to disperse.

Afterward, Owen instructed Mapel to stay behind and keep an eye on the machine. He would return to the castle to arrange for people to transport it back.

Mapel nodded in acknowledgment.

Owen then turned to Jita and said,

“Jita, I’ll need your help disassembling the machine’s parts later for easier transport.”

Since Jita had taken part in assembling the engine, disassembly wouldn’t be a problem.

“No problem! Leave it to me, Marquis.” 

He said, patting his chest confidently.

With instructions given, Owen and Fanny headed back to the castle.

After Owen left, Mapel remained behind, gazing solemnly at the steam engine.

Though she was impressed by the machine’s immense power and autonomous movement, what she felt more than anything was unease.

If this machine were mounted with wheels and driven by its powerful steam force to charge around the battlefield like a chariot… who could stop it?

Even a squad of knights would likely be crushed under its momentum.

And what about magic?

A single mage likely wouldn’t have enough power to destroy it. Only large-scale group magic could possibly do the job.

But large-scale spells required long preparation time, and if the steam-powered chariot kept moving rapidly, hitting it would be difficult.

The only comfort she found was that this power was in Owen’s hands, and not the enemy’s.

“Lord Owen really has created something incredible…” 

Mapel murmured.

On the way back, Owen was already thinking about how best to put the steam engine to use.

Winston’s suggestion was to deploy it to the mining zone, to boost ore output, enabling them to build more steam engines and other machinery.

Owen agreed with the logic and accepted the proposal.

Speaking of steam engines, Owen couldn’t help but think of the Industrial Revolution. He had heard about it from Winston.

The Industrial Revolution wasn’t triggered just by the invention of the steam engine—it happened because certain conditions were met.

Specifically, when handicraft production could no longer meet market demand, the need for technical reform arose.
The steam engine, capable of replacing massive amounts of manual labor, emerged at just the right moment and spread rapidly due to demand.

Only with the accumulation of many other factors did the Industrial Revolution truly begin.

Looking at Bianshu Town now—it was still very backward. The conditions for triggering an industrial revolution simply weren’t there.

Therefore, for now, Owen had to continue focusing on agriculture and territory development.
But when the time was right, he would lead the people of Bianshu Town into an era of steam and steel.

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