Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 676: Chapter 387: Steam Tank (3)

This time, two loaders worked together to push a cone-shaped shell marked with a red danger sign into the chamber.

The tank slowly adjusted its angle, the barrel aimed at the solid granite wall two hundred meters away.

"Fire!"

"Boom!!!"

Unlike the ripping explosion of air from the shrapnel earlier, this time the cannon’s sound was deep and powerful, like a heavy punch hitting the earth’s chest.

Their eyes couldn’t even keep up with the shadow that flew out of the barrel.

The next second.

Two hundred meters away.

"Boom——!!!"

The granite wall, nearly two meters thick, seemed to be crushed from within by an invisible giant hand.

Shattered stones shot out in all directions like shrapnel, and dust rose several meters high.

When the dust cleared, the once sturdy fortification had become a massive breach, with broken stones still bearing scorched marks from the explosion.

Lambert’s pupils constricted violently.

This was Louis launching Hillco’s proud Magic Explosion Bullet inside.

Soon after, the tank roared, tracks churning up mud as it accelerated in a charge.

It was like an angry bull, using its large V-shaped plow at the front to crash into the ruins.

"Crash——"

The remaining walls completely collapsed under the iron’s impact, leveled to the ground.

The field was dead silent, except for the "clink" sound from the cooling engine of the tank.

The air was thick with the strong smell of gunpowder, which dried out throats, but no one dared to cough.

"It’s powerful," said Louis, breaking the silence, his voice calm with a touch of chill, "but it’s not perfect."

Lambert took a deep breath, forcing himself to recover from the shock.

"Its sides and back are blind spots, and visibility is poor," Lambert’s voice was a bit dry, "If someone flanks it, attacking the treads or observational slits, it’s done."

"We need to address this," Hamilton quickly recorded, sweating profusely, "We could open firing ports on either side of the vehicle, but..."

"Heavy Cavalry." Weir, who had been standing behind Louis, suddenly spoke.

The young man’s voice wasn’t loud but exceptionally steady, looking at the steel beast without fear, only contemplation.

"Sir, since it’s an anvil, it needs someone to wield the fly swatter for it."

Weir pointed at the side of the tank, "We can’t let this thing fight alone.

I suggest deploying the strongest Heavy Cavalry to form a dedicated escort brigade to advance with the tank. The tank is responsible for breaking through the defense, while the Knights are tasked with slaughtering any enemies attempting to approach the tank’s flanks."

Louis turned, looking a bit surprised at the young man who had been with him for two years.

The child who once stood foolishly with a sword now understood tactical collaboration.

"Well said, Weir." Louis nodded approvingly.

He looked at Lambert: "Did you hear that? That’s called ’Cavalry-Tank Coordination’."

Lambert nodded, his gaze still locked on the tank.

But beside him, Hamilton didn’t look relieved at all, instead, he seemed hesitant to speak: "Sir, I don’t understand these tactics. But..."

Hamilton scratched his head, full of grease, and turned to a frail-looking young man holding a thick ledger behind him: "As for cost and logistics, let Toby report to you. The numbers of those Gold Coins give me a headache."

The clerk named Toby shivered when called, quickly hugging the ledger and hurrying forward.

"M... my lord!" Toby adjusted the glasses slipping off his nose, his voice trembling, "According to... according to the mechanical group’s calculations..."

"Just give the numbers," Louis interrupted him.

"Yes!" Toby swallowed, opened the ledger, "This prototype, including development and material loss, burned a total of nine thousand eight hundred Gold Coins. Just that round of testing cost sixty Gold Coins in fuel and ammunition."

Hearing that number, the young Knights around gasped.

Nearly ten thousand Gold Coins? Enough to buy a prosperous small town!

"As for the cost per vehicle..." Toby’s finger glided over the ledger, "Currently, the manufacturing cost of this Red Tide Type One is one thousand two hundred Gold Coins. That... that’s equivalent to the total annual income of a Lord."

Gray couldn’t help but mutter softly, "Crazy... over a thousand Gold Coins for a hunk of iron? That money could buy a plot in the Northern Territory."

"It’s just a prototype."

Hamilton chipped in: "Once mass production is set, many parts can be cast using molds instead of each being hammered by a Blacksmith. Costs will come down."

Toby hurriedly nodded to supplement: "Yes! If... if we can establish an assembly line as sir said, the estimated cost for the first batch of ten units can be pushed down to about six hundred Gold Coins each."

"Six hundred Gold Coins..."

Lambert quietly repeated the figure. Still a fortune for ordinary people, but for war machinery...

Louis took the ledger, not even glancing at the numbers on it, closed it and handed it back to the clerk.

"Is it expensive?"

Louis turned, his gaze sweeping the people present, finally stopping on Lambert.

"Lambert, to train an Extraordinary Knight like you, starting from age six to build strength, with all the Magic Potion consumed, masters hired, weapons damaged... along with that one-in-ten-thousand luck, how much does it cost?"

Lambert was silent for a moment, then said softly: "Incalculable, sir."

"Exactly."

Louis patted the rough armor plate of the tank, making a muted sound.

"As long as there are blueprints and materials, the Red Tide’s workshop can build three units a month. As long as it’s fed fuel, it won’t tire, fear death, or flee due to a collapse in morale."