Chapter 1045: A Black River on the Plain
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
When the armored train stopped in front of the crowd, Iron Axe finally got a chance to take a closer look at it.
It had only five train cars, so it was much short than the first train he had seen during its debut. However, as it was armored with steel plates, it looked much bulkier than the first train. Its black opaque surface made it look like a crouching wild beast.
The first and the fifth cars were identical. Both of these steam locomotives had a rotatable machine gun on the top and many small holes in the steel plates for soldiers to observe and shoot.
Iron Axe began to imagine what would happen when demons charged toward this thing.
When spears rain on the steel plates, making successive clangs, the train still remains intact and keeps moving at a steady pace. At the same time, a dozen of guns starts to fire through the holes on its side, riddling the enemies with bullets.
Both demons and demonic beasts will find themselves in a passive position under heavy attack, but they have no countermeasures. This new weapon is like a moving city wall, protecting the soldiers inside all the time.
What a marvelous invention!
Meanwhile, the soldiers around the station also began to whisper excitedly.
None of them expected that this new weapon was going to bring them even more surprises.
The First Army had to drastically increase their firepower for the upcoming war since they planned to eliminate skeleton monsters and destroy the demons’ outpost in the Taquila ruins. To achieve those goals, they needed large-caliber cannons.
Such weapons were installed in the second and the fourth cars.
They were 152mm Longsong Cannons, but according to the king, these two cannons were specially made. Their barrels were longer and their chambers were larger. Each cannon would take up the entire interior of a train car. Everyone could clearly see that neither the second nor the fourth cars had extra space even for a machine gun.
Each cannon had a protective case around its barrel, which was even wider than the car and could protect the artillery units from aerial attacks.
Iron Axe had to admit that this design guaranteed safety but at the same time, he worried that the protective cases might be too heavy for the train. He wondered whether the train could withstand the impact when the cannons were firing and rotating.
“Your Majesty.” A soldier jogged all the way to the king and saluted. “Everything is ready. Please issue an order!”
“This armored train is not yet operational. Now, the Ministry of Industry is solely responsible for the operation and maintenance of this equipment.” Roland shook his head smilingly. “Given that, you should report to the Minister of Industry. She’s in charge of this weapon test today.”
Iron Axe did not notice that the queen also attended the test until this moment. Different from the other witches, she dressed in work clothes. That was why he did not recognize her in the first place.
“Your, Your Highness…” The soldier saluted Anna and stuttered. “Everything is rea-ready…”
“I know,” Anna replied calmly. “Let them start the test.”
“Yes!” The soldier replied and then shouted toward the armored train. “Start the test!”
Everyone revealed an understanding smile to the solider. Right after he gave the instruction, a siren rang throughout the forest.
“Woo—Woo—”
Iron Axe immediately returned his gaze to the train and heard some creaking noise made by a capstan. The next moment, he was amazed to find that the train somehow transformed.
The steel plates on both sides of the second and the fourth cars suddenly expanded and stretched out like two sturdy iron legs. Iron Axe had thought they were just protective plates, but now he realized that they were some supporting devices. On the end of each iron leg, there was a flat iron plate. These flat plates were like feet of the train. When they stepped in the snow, the cars were held firmly in position. From a distance, it looked like a giant spider with long legs.
Iron Axe was stunned. This… looks just like the deformed creature created by the demons!
Did His Majesty get inspired by the demons’ creation and adopt their design?
Different from the demons’ deformed creatures, this metal thing did not look evil. When all its legs were put in place, the fierce cannon opened fire for the first time.
Although the recoil was very strong, the black armored train remained motionless during the whole process, as if it had been fixed on the ground.
…
“It works.” Roland took out his earplugs and nodded at Anna.
Although this was the first test of the armored train, he was not surprised by the success at all, since each equipment on this train had been tested many times.
Compared to the firearms and the train, he was delighted to see the iron legs more.
They were the first batch of hydraulic equipment manufactured by Neverwinter.
According to Pascal’s principle, a pressure change occurring anywhere in a confined incompressible fluid will be transmitted undiminished to all points in the fluid. Given that, applying a little pressure on the smaller end of a sealed U-tube, which is filled with such fluid, will exert a much greater pressure against the entire area of the larger end of the tube. This principle can be applied widely, such as hydraulic jacks and hydraulic machinery.
Producing such hydraulic equipment required precision manufacturing and sealing technologies, both of which were no longer a problem for Neverwinter.
An electro-hydraulic support system was installed in this armored train.
Apart from the two cannon cars and the two steam locomotives, there was a bigger train car in the middle. It carried ammunition and a Dawn I, which could power everything in this train, such as electric bulbs and hydraulic pumps.
In Roland’s design, the five above-mentioned cars would form a basically equipped armored train.
The train had a locomotive at both of its ends. When one locomotive was pulling the train forward, another one could push the train from behind. Given that, a basic five-car train could travel at more than 40 kilometers an hour. When he did not need speed, he could connect more cars to the train to carry soldiers or to further enhance its firepower. Different train cars could be combined according to the demand, which was an inestimable advantage of this train.
When everyone else was marveling at the armored train, Edith stepped out of the crowd and walked toward Roland smilingly.
“With this train, our plan to conquer Taquila will be successfully carried out,” She bowed to the king and said. “Your Majesty, may I ask, does it have a name?”
Roland thought for a moment and replied, “Let’s call it the Blackriver.”
“Black River?” Edith’s eyes shone with excitement. “It sounds like a counterpart of the demons’ red lines.”
Roland felt his lips curling into a smile. “…You’re so brilliant, the Pearl of the Northern Region. That’s right.”
The red lines, namely, the red mist supply lines, were demons’ lifeblood. In areas which were not shrouded in the Red Mist, they had to build numerous red lines across the land to transport the Red Mist. In the past, the extension of red lines had been a severe problem for the Union, but now, a black line appeared on the Fertile Plains.
Black armored trains were going to carry numerous soldiers and ammunition deep into the vast Barbarian Land. This black river of trains would become a lifeline for mankind.
