Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 121 Poaching and Prototype Gun Manufacturing

Hearing Morin's blunt attempt to poach her, Patricia couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Her emerald green eyes scanned Morin from head to toe, as if she were getting to know him all over again.

"Oh?"

She drawled out her words, a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth.

"Is Lieutenant Morin planning to set up his own operation and go against the Magic Research Institute?"

"That's not the case."

Morin waved his hand; he didn't have such grand ambitions.

"I just feel that your talent shouldn't be buried in this lifeless place."

"Moreover, I do need a genius like you to help me realize some... well, rather crazy ideas."

Patricia did not answer immediately. She gracefully sat back in her seat, picked up the black tea on the table, and took a small sip.

That unhurried demeanor made her seem like a noblewoman in control, rather than an ordinary researcher poached by a talent agency.

"That depends on whether the place Lieutenant Morin mentioned is worth going to."

She put down her teacup, her voice carrying a hint of aristocratic reserve and pride.

"Although there is indeed some suppression and exclusion at the Magic Research Institute, it is undeniable that its academic atmosphere and research environment are top-notch in the entire empire."

"I have access to the most cutting-edge theories, use the most sophisticated experimental equipment, and can communicate with a group of senior scholars who, although stubborn, are authorities in their respective fields."

Her unspoken meaning was very clear.

You want to poach me?

can.

But you have to show enough sincerity and resources, and let me see that your place is better than the research institute.

Morin understood what she meant, nodded, and did not delve further into the matter.

He knew, of course, that getting this genius girl out of the research institute wouldn't be something that could be done with just a few words.

I understand your concerns.

Morin also adopted a relaxed expression, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.

"We can discuss changing jobs later, but I do have a few technical problems that I'd like to ask for your help, you genius."

"Of course, it's paid."

Morin emphasized the last three words.

He hoped to establish an equal and mutually respectful working relationship with Patricia.

"Oh? Tell me."

Patricia was indeed intrigued.

For a genius technician like her, the allure of money is far less than that of a novel and challenging technical problem.

"The first one is the miniaturization plan for the magic crystal cannon that we discussed at the party before."

"That's what Morin said seriously."

"I need a suppressive firepower that can be carried by a single soldier or a small team and is powerful enough. I think the technology of the magic crystal cannon has great potential."

Patricia nodded without speaking, signaling him to continue.

"The second one, which is also the more important one."

Maureen's expression turned serious.

"I need a reliable, long-range wireless communication technology suitable for use in field environments."

During his battles in the Kingdom of Aragon, he had come to deeply understand the immense difficulties caused by poor communication.

Especially in fast-paced combat such as assault operations, the inability to issue orders or transmit intelligence in a timely manner often leads to devastating consequences.

Communication technology in this world is still very backward, and field troops mainly rely on primitive methods such as messengers, flag signals, and signal flares.

Although there were wired telephones, the telephone lines were far too easily destroyed by artillery fire during the fierce fighting.

Radios were only equipped by units at the brigade level and above, and they were extremely bulky.
Therefore, he urgently needed a technology that would allow him to communicate directly with each company in real time from his position at the battalion command post.

Patricia's eyes lit up when she heard Morin's request.

"Long-distance wireless communication? Interesting, this idea is quite challenging."

Seeing her like this, Morin immediately understood what was going on.

It looks like this has a chance.

"So? Any ideas?"

"of course."

Patricia's face radiated a powerful confidence.

"In fact, I have recently been researching the feasibility of a magical wireless communication device."

As she spoke, she took a notebook from the drawer, turned to a page filled with various complex runes and circuit diagrams.

"I discovered that by making magical materials filled with 'magic' vibrate at a specific frequency, the magic contained within can be diffused outward, forming a phenomenon that I call 'magical ripples'."

“These ‘ripples’ can carry information and spread outwards at a very fast speed.”

"Theoretically, wireless transmission of information can be achieved as long as a receiving device that can resonate with this specific frequency is set up at the receiving end."

Morin was stunned.

High-frequency vibration, specific frequency, magical ripples, resonance.
Isn't this similar to the principle of radio waves?

If miniaturization could truly be achieved using magical technology...
Morin's gaze toward Patricia grew increasingly intense.

He felt like a CEO eager to start a business who had finally found the technical partner he had been dreaming of.

"but."

Patricia abruptly changed the subject, pouring cold water on the idea.

"Theory is one thing, but there are still many technical challenges to overcome before we can turn it into reality."

"For example, how to ensure signal stability and anti-interference capability? How to achieve effective long-distance transmission? How to miniaturize the device for easy carrying by a single soldier?"

"These all require extensive experimentation and data support."

"It's ok!"

Molin waved his hand, displaying an air of great pride.

"I'll figure out how to solve the problems with experimental equipment and funding!"

As for technology blockade.

He glanced at Patricia and gave her a meaningful smile.

"I will try to leverage a force that even the research institute cannot refuse."

Patricia was incredibly clever and immediately understood the meaning behind his words.

Your Highness the Crown Prince.

Only this heir to the empire has the power to get the stubborn mage community to give the green light to the military's projects.

Looking at Morin's confident demeanor, she suddenly felt a strange sensation.

The man in front of me seems to be completely different from the playboy who used to only know how to pursue pleasure.

He has goals, ambition, ideas, and, more importantly, an irresistible charisma as a leader.

"Ok."

Patricia closed her notebook, which was a way of agreeing to Morin's request.

"I'll try to come up with a solution for miniaturizing the magic crystal cannon and enabling wireless communication when I have some free time."

"However, let me make this clear first: I'm only responsible for providing theoretical solutions and technical guidance; I don't have time to participate in the actual research and development and manufacturing."

“No problem!” Morin readily agreed.

Once he gets his hands on the blueprints and the theory, he'll naturally find a way to solve the rest.

The two chatted for a while about the technical details, and Morin felt that he had broadened his horizons and gained a lot.

Seeing that it was getting late, he didn't want to disturb her any further. After borrowing a few books on the basic theories of magic technology from Patricia, he got up to take his leave.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Seeker."

"It's a pleasure working with you, Lieutenant Morin."

The two shook hands, and a brand new cooperative relationship was established.

On the way back to the manor from the research institute, Morin was unable to calm down for a long time.

He felt that his future path in army technology suddenly became clear.

One leg represents Helga's weapon manufacturing based on traditional industry.

The other leg represents the 'black technology' based on magical techniques, as represented by Patricia.

Walking on two legs is the only way to walk more steadily and faster!
As soon as they returned to the manor, the butler came to greet them with a respectful eagerness on his face.

"Young Master Morin, the Ministry of War has called again."

"They said, please make sure to go there again first thing tomorrow morning."

The Army Department called again?

Morin muttered to himself that he guessed it was still some trivial matter about the formation of the training assault battalion, and that it was probably already officially formed.

However, he had already taken the time to organize most of the training content for the assault battalion.

Moreover, his mind was now filled with the 'magical ripples' that Patricia had mentioned and the drawings that Helga was currently working on.

He first went back to his room, put down the several magical tomes he had borrowed from Patricia, and then eagerly headed to Helga's studio.

As soon as the door opened, I saw the girl with an unreasonablely good figure, lying on a huge drawing table, concentrating on sketching complex lines on the drawing paper with a pencil and a T-square.

Her focused expression exuded a unique charm that made Maureen reluctant to disturb her.

Hearing the door open, Helga looked up and saw that it was Morin. A soft smile immediately bloomed on her previously tense face.

"Boss, you're back."

"Hmm, how's the progress?"

Morin walked to her side and looked down at the drawing that was already taking shape.

Helga's progress was much faster than he had imagined.

In just two days, the overall engineering drawings for the air-cooled light machine gun were basically finalized.

The drawings clearly show the precise dimensions, shape, tolerances of each part, and their assembly relationships.

"The blueprints are basically complete."

The little girl's face showed an undisguised pride and excitement.

"In the afternoon, I'll start making the parts, and refine the design as I go."

"So fast?"

Maureen was somewhat surprised.

"Are the tools and space for making the parts ready?"

"Ok!"

Helga nodded vigorously.

"Mrs. Falkenstein, she's amazing!"

The little girl's eyes shone with admiration.

"I only told her what I needed yesterday, and this morning, Mrs. Cecilia had someone find me a plot of land outside Dresden, and even had a whole set of lathes, milling machines, drilling machines, and grinding machines transferred directly from the Falkenstan Industries factory."

Morin was stunned.

Wow, is this the power of money and the ability to execute a plan that a rich woman can have?

"By the way, boss."

Helga seemed to remember something and looked at Morin with some curiosity.

"You've never made guns before. Do you know how the first prototype was made before a formal production line was established?"

This question really stumped Maureen.

Although he was a military academy student before he transmigrated, he studied command, not weapons manufacturing.

His understanding of the firearms production process was limited to concepts from books and documentaries.

"Well... I'm not really sure. Isn't it just a matter of machining the parts one by one according to the blueprints and then assembling them?"

"I'm a little uncertain," Morin asked.

Hearing his answer, Helga couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She rarely laughed so happily; her clear laughter made Morin chuckle along.

"Boss, you're oversimplifying things."

Helga explained while laughing.

"That's correct in theory, but in practice it's much more complicated."

"Think about it, we only have blueprints now, no physical references, and no special tools or molds."

"This means that I have to rely entirely on my own skills and experience to manually manufacture each part of the prototype gun one by one, according to the blueprints."

"Handmade?"

Morin's eyes widened.

"Yes, purely handmade."

Helga's expression turned serious and focused.

"In mass production, each processing step has a special fixture to hold the parts in place, ensuring processing speed and consistency. Workers only need to follow the process."

“But now we’re making a prototype gun. There aren’t those special fixtures. Every part needs to be manually positioned and clamped when it’s being machined. This requires a very, very high level of skill and experience from the craftsman.”

"Moreover, after the part is machined from the machine tool, it is still just a rough blank."

She picked up a newly drawn part diagram from the table and pointed to the tolerance markings on it.

"Do you see these tolerance requirements? This level of precision is difficult to achieve in one go using machine tools alone. Therefore, after each part is machined, it requires a lot of manual filing, grinding, and fitting."

"I need to grind off the excess material to ensure that the dimensions of every part are exactly the same as those on the drawings."

"Then, assemble these parts one by one, check the fit between them, and see if there are any parts that are too tight or too loose."

"If a problem is found, it needs to be disassembled again, and the parts need to be sanded and filed until all the parts can be perfectly assembled and function smoothly."

"This process is the ultimate test of a gun designer's comprehensive abilities; one must not only understand design but also manufacturing."

Herjay's voice was full of confidence and pride.

"If everything goes smoothly, the whole process will take at least a week."

One week.
Morin made a mental calculation.

I'm supposed to report to the War Academy in four days, so it seems I definitely won't make it in time for the test firing of the first prototype gun.

A strong sense of regret welled up in his heart.

It's like an old farmer who works hard in the fields but misses the moment when the first ear of wheat ripens.

"Pity"

Morin couldn't help but sigh.

(End of this chapter)