[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system":3,"chapter-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-64":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Exiled Duke's Lottery system",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1366772,1809,"Chapter 64 - 60~61: Smoke Before the Storm","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-64",64,"\u003Cp>The first cannon nearly killed three dwarves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which, according to the dwarves themselves, meant the design was \"extremely promising.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow covered the western testing grounds outside Elarion while workers hurried across the frozen field carrying powder crates, tools, and reinforced support beams beneath the sharp northern wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of the chaos rested the largest weapon Elarion had ever built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A twelve-pound field cannon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steel barrel sat mounted atop a reinforced wheeled carriage while fresh hammer marks still lined portions of the frame where dwarven craftsmen had apparently continued modifications less than an hour earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas stood a very safe distance away from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hate this already.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Cedric folded his arms proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s beautiful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It looks violent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It can be both.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, dwarves argued loudly around the cannon while Gandalf held several design papers upside down with complete confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I still believe a slightly larger powder chamber would improve performance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dwarf stared at him in horror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are not allowed near the cannon anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That restriction feels political.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is survival.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien ignored the arguing while walking slowly around the massive weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannon represented more than military power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It represented production capability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steel quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precision boring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Industrial consistency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A year ago Elarion could barely maintain proper roads during winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they were manufacturing artillery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought alone felt absurd sometimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen approached from the lower field shortly afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perimeter secured.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien nodded once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marksmen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Watching the ridges.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because cannon testing in the north tended to attract unwanted attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sometimes unwanted creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar meanwhile rested atop the nearby stone ridge overlooking the field with obvious amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You humans continue building louder weapons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric glanced upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You breathe fire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is natural.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This explodes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also natural.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is not how nature works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon ignored him completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers eventually cleared the immediate area while the dwarves loaded the cannon with almost religious seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powder first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then wadding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the twelve-pound iron shell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One younger worker swallowed nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What if it explodes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An older dwarf snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we improve the next one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That did not comfort anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas quietly stepped farther backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien raised one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The field gradually fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the wind remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannon roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not cracked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not boomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground itself shook beneath the blast while smoke exploded outward across the snowy field hard enough to knock several workers backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far across the valley—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The target wall vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stone shattered outward violently beneath the impact while snow burst high into the air around the destroyed position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Complete silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the wind seemed quieter afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then one dwarf whispered softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Beautiful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire field erupted immediately afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dwarves started yelling triumphantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several soldiers stared toward the obliterated stone target with pale expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One marksman muttered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric laughed loudly while slapping Lucas across the shoulder hard enough to nearly kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you see that?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I FELT IT IN MY BONES!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Malen looked mildly disturbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which honestly made the cannon even more impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar watched the smoke drifting across the valley carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That weapon would break cavalry formations instantly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien nodded once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And fortress gates eventually.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon slowly looked toward him afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You truly are trying to drag this world into a new age by force.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No denial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannon crews began reloading immediately afterward while nearby engineers rushed forward excitedly to inspect barrel stability and carriage damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dwarf shouted proudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minimal cracking!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another raised both fists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WE LIVE!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A third dwarf looked offended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was always the plan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, Gandalf had already moved on to bothering an exhausted engineer beside a strange iron machine resting beneath heavy canvas near the workshop road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about the pressure valves?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re stable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The boiler?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The wheel alignment?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mostly stable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf looked suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does ’mostly’ mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The engineer looked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien walked toward the covered machine afterward while Lucas followed behind nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Please tell me that thing is less explosive than the cannon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas stopped walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Wonderful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The canvas covering was finally pulled away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence spread across the nearby workers immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The machine looked crude by future standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked revolutionary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iron boiler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pressure pipes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Connecting rods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy steel wheels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first steam engine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the dwarves stopped arguing long enough to stare at it properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar narrowed his eyes from the ridge above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That machine smells dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf looked proud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is science.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was not reassuring.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien slowly walked around the engine while engineers prepared the furnace chamber beneath the boiler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coal was loaded carefully afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers stepped back nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing happened at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the sound of crackling flames beneath iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then gradually—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam hissed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pressure gauges trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire machine vibrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One worker whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas looked deeply offended by the statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It absolutely should not be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More steam escaped through the upper pipes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pistons jerked suddenly once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then began moving rhythmically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy wheels turned slowly through the snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not smoothly either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The engineers erupted into celebration immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dwarf actually cried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he later denied it aggressively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien watched the machine carefully while steam rolled into the freezing northern air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than rifles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than cannons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would truly change everything eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rail transport. Factories. Mining. Mechanized industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar stared at the moving engine with unusual silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Humans were simpler when you fought with sticks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rifle shot echoed sharply from the northern ridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every soldier on the field turned instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen’s expression changed first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another rifle shot came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urgent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A marksman came sprinting down the ridge through deep snow while breathing hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire testing ground quieted immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier stopped before Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scouts confirmed movement beyond the northern forest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen stepped forward instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The marksman swallowed once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then answered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Thousands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The northern wind suddenly felt colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Beast tide,\" the soldier finished quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhere far beyond the snowy ridges—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forests were already moving.\u003C\u002Fp>",1030,"2026-06-05T21:32:57.730Z",1,"novelbin.me","f2acafe84d430f676741a229ef0c80b5ee562e3c831278c5cef53866bd2dbe01","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-65","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-63",144,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-cover.jpg"]