Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 192: Ambition of Steel 4

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Guy Burns didn't immediately respond to Paul; he pondered quietly, seemingly unsure where to begin.

After a long pause, he spoke, "Your Lordship, have you closely observed windmills and waterwheels?"

"Windmills? Waterwheels? Oh, aren't those very common things? Our bellows are going to be driven by a waterwheel."

"Yes, they are both very common things, and everyone thinks so."

A sudden excitement appeared on Burns' face.

"However, I think they are both great inventions. Unfortunately, the people who invented them didn't even leave their names in history. When I expressed my views on these common devices to my peers..."

"You were laughed at?"

"Yes, I was laughed at. Your Lordship, what do you think of us engineers?"

Paul thought seriously before giving his opinion, "A group full of ingenious ideas and skilled hands."

Burns chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Haha, ingenious ideas? Skilled hands? Indeed, we often have some strange ideas in our heads and then manage to create things that others find incredibly amazing. But..."

Burns paused, "I believe the engineering industry is heading in the wrong direction."

"How so?"

"Do you know? The way we judge each other now is not by who can create something more useful, but by whose creation has a more complex and intricate structure."

"Glamorous but impractical?"

"Exactly. Small, delicate, and complex creations are praised, while large, coarse, and simple ones are discarded."

"Too focused on 'uniqueness.'"

"You hit the nail on the head. But what makes me even more angry is that the whole industry is striving to please the upper class. They rack their brains to create intricate toys just to get an invitation to a nobleman's banquet. They would rather use their knowledge to produce these useless gadgets than spend a little time considering what the common people truly need."

"Windmills? Waterwheels?"

"Yes, things like windmills and waterwheels that bring convenience to ordinary people. Although they have simple structures, they can power millstones and irrigate fields, which are far more useful than things like musical snuffboxes that play three tunes. Nobles and rich people have plenty of servants to do their work, but the lower classes have only their own hands. If we can create things that make it easier for them to make a living, how meaningful would that be!"

"So you mean knowledge and technology should benefit the majority of people, rather than becoming playthings in the hands of a few!"

"Exactly, that's what I mean. This is what I've been thinking about for a long time."

Burns suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie with Paul. He slapped his thigh, almost jumping up from his seat.

Paul suddenly felt a deep respect for the man in front of him. Burns' aspirations were remarkably close to the "universal values" of the Industrial Party in his previous life—enabling the entire world to enjoy the fruits of industrial development.

He shouted, "Bernard, bring wine!"

The chief secretary quickly brought two glasses of wine for the two.