Struggle in the Steam Age

The time of the first dance song is not very long, that is, about five or six minutes. With the last trembling note of the harp, the band stopped playing, and the hall burst into applause.

His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress waved to everyone after the first dance and left the room. As the hosts of this ball, they naturally knew that if they were here, the young people would not be able to let go. So after completing the etiquette necessary lead dance work for the host, he left the hall neatly and handed over the space to the young people.

"Okay, I'm going to rest for a while." Lawrence, who didn't like dancing very much, gave a vague explanation to his partner and left the center of the hall alone, ignoring the pretty temporary partner. There was a clear look of reluctance in the eyes.

After leaving the crowd in the middle of the dance floor, Lawrence came to the long table at the edge of the hall. These long tables were all covered with white linen tablecloths embroidered with beautiful gold patterns. There are all kinds of food, wine and top cigars on it. But what shocked him a little was that he actually found five or six gold shell lighters beside the cigars.

"This is a lighter, a small thing from the New World." Just as Lawrence was wondering when his products would become popular in the palace here, Prince Eugene's voice sounded from behind him. "It is much better to use than matches. The only downside is that the output is too low. It took us more than half a month to wait for this batch of things."

"No way." Lawrence shrugged and said, "Who told you that the lighters you ordered here are all top-quality, and the enamel-colored royal logos on them all need to be fired by hand, and the yield rate is not high. Half It is already a very fast speed to be able to deliver the goods in a month."

"How do you—are you related to the lighter manufacturer?" After hearing Lawrence's words, Prince Eugene quickly responded and asked. "This is something that our consul general in the Eagle Fort Consulate of the White Eagle Federation obtained. He said that this kind of thing has only just become popular in the upper echelons of the New World."

"That's right, it took a few months from when I invented this thing to when I opened a factory to sell it." Lawrence said, "It's just that I didn't expect that it could be spread here in such a short period of time. In court."

"You are indeed a genius, you can say that from every angle." After hearing Lawrence's explanation, Prince Eugene patted Lawrence on the shoulder and said with a smile. "By the way, why don't you go dancing? You know, for nobles, those things between men and women are indispensable."

"I just don't like these things, and I'm not an aristocrat." Lawrence said, looking at the happily dancing men and women in the center of the dance floor. "Besides, didn't you just come out after the opening dance?"

"That's right." A smile appeared on Prince Eugene's face. In his eyes, Lawrence, like him, is quite a genius in some aspects, so it is completely understandable to have his own persistence and choice.

"Since we don't dance, let's not stay here." Prince Eugene suggested after each had a glass of champagne, "We can go next door and play shooting."

"Sounds good." Lawrence nodded, because it seemed a bit silly to stand on the edge of the dance floor without dancing, but as a first-time court dancer, he was still a little worried. "But if we leave like this, nothing will happen, right?"

"This kind of royal private ball itself is for everyone to make friends with each other under relaxed conditions, and it is not a sentinel in the army to specify the location and time to not leave." Prince Eugene, who often enters the palace to participate in this kind of ball The matter was handled with ease, "Look, there are several people over there who are ready to go out and stroll in the garden."

Lawrence looked at where Prince Eugene was pointing, and just in time saw a man and woman walking arm in arm through a door on the side of the hall. And from where he was now he could just see that it was a small door leading into a garden that was also brightly lit at night.

"Then I'm fine." Lawrence shrugged his shoulders in a relaxed manner, and followed Prince Eugene out through the door he had just entered.

After arriving at the door, Prince Eugene said a few words to a servant, and the servant led them both along the corridor. Then opened a door on the side of the hallway.

This indoor shooting range was different from what Lawrence had imagined, it was much smaller than he had imagined. At first he thought there was some kind of defensive magic on the walls of this house, but when the servant handed over the gun, he realized that there was a big difference between the truth and what he thought.

Because the bullets used in the pistol handed over are very small, it can even be said that this bullet is completely different from normal bullets. Although it is a one-piece ammunition, it looks very simple. It's like adding a warhead directly to the primer of ordinary ammunition.

"This thing is definitely not as powerful as the bullets we usually see, it's just a toy." Prince Eugene said holding a pistol, "But at this time, this is the only thing we can play with if we want to shoot. "

But it is said that they came here to shoot and relax together. In fact, Prince Eugene hoped to use this opportunity to discuss with Lawrence a series of topics such as the characteristics and use of mortars and the establishment of an emergency medical and health system within the army. After all, this kind of topic that was interrupted by the ball just now is not suitable for discussion in the hall or in the garden.

After the chat started, Lawrence discovered that this Prince Eugene belonged to a professional soldier who had experienced combat. Therefore, I quite agree with some views of my previous life subconsciously brought out during the chat. For example, Prince Eugene believes that Lawrence's point that the core of the army in the era of hot weapons is the density of firepower rather than the density of manpower is very correct now.

It was also because of the conversation that Prince Eugene began to complain to Lawrence. Many people in the army are still thinking decades ago, thinking that bullets are fools and bayonets are heroes.

However, this kind of thinking is not completely useless. For example, the guards who rebelled before thought so, so they charged towards the palace intensively with bayonets. As a result, the few resisters led by Prince Eugene were easily blocked outside the palace wall. They couldn't get in for such a long time, and at the same time paid heavy casualties.

Just as the two of them put their guns on the bar after a round and were chatting and drinking drinks against the bar in the shooting room, the door of the shooting room opened and an unexpected person walked in.

"Your Majesty, why are you here?" Hearing Prince Eugene's voice, Lawrence, who was sitting opposite him, hurriedly turned around. As a result, Emperor Joseph I opened the door and walked in.

"I salute you, Your Majesty." Lawrence and Prince Eugene bowed to the emperor at the same time, and then Prince Eugene asked:

"Excuse me, why are you here?"

"Ah, I'm here to see the heroes who have made great contributions to the suppression of the rebellion." Although His Majesty the Emperor is over 50 years old, he looks very energetic. "Thanks to your hard work, this rebellion ended so easily."

"This is what we should do, Your Majesty." Lawrence and Prince Eugene nodded slightly at the same time in respect, and then watched the emperor enter the room.

"Okay, my nephew Eugene, you can avoid it for a while. Mr. Lawrence and I have something to talk about." Because the relationship between uncle and nephew is relatively close, Emperor Joseph I directly stated the reason for his visit.

Watching Prince Eugene and the two servants exit the room and close the door behind it, Lawrence focused on the Emperor while tensing his muscles. Because he really didn't know what the emperor needed to talk to him about. So I feel very nervous.