[{"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-75":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},1366783,1809,"Chapter 75 - 70: The Regiment of Steel","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-75",75,"\u003Cp>The Landship blueprint nearly caused three separate arguments, two engineering breakdowns, and one dwarf attempting to marry a boiler design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien considered that relatively manageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days after the lottery spin, the upper strategy hall had transformed into something between a war room and a mechanical asylum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blueprints covered every table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gear sketches littered the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam pressure calculations filled entire walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the center of it all rested the massive design plans for the:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>LANDSHIP MARK I\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even unfinished, the thing looked monstrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wide armored body. Steam-driven tracks. Reinforced frontal plating. Side cannon compartments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It resembled a fortress that had somehow developed mobility and anger issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric stared at the blueprint silently for nearly a minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...How does it turn?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One engineer answered proudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In theory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That response frightens me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas looked worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not emotionally recovered since seeing the design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are telling me,\" he said slowly while pointing at the blueprint, \"that you want to build an armored building.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That moves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With artillery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas closed his eyes briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I miss tax reports.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately the dwarves had become obsessed immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One master smith slammed both hands onto the planning table dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WE BUILD THE METAL BEAST.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another nodded passionately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"THE IRON MONSTER SHALL WALK.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A third wiped tears from his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s beautiful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien remained calm despite the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mostly because he already understood the real problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Landship could not be built yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Current steel quality remained inconsistent. Steam engines were too inefficient. Track systems would snap under weight stress. Boiler pressure stabilization was unreliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And perhaps most importantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elarion lacked industrial scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One prototype alone would consume absurd resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien tapped one section of the blueprint afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Current production capacity is insufficient.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room gradually quieted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric crossed his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How insufficient?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Completely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sobered everyone immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the dwarves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar rested near the massive balcony entrance while examining the Landship sketches with open suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The fake dragon is weak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It doesn’t exist yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon sounded unbearably smug afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen meanwhile focused on an entirely different problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if construction becomes possible...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted toward the armored blueprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...How do we protect something this large from artillery?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that was a real concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cannons had already changed warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant armored target invited giant explosions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien finally answered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Armor thickness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas nearly choked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You cannot solve every problem by adding more steel!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several dwarves immediately objected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Incorrect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"More steel solves most problems.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scientifically proven.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile below the fortress—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another revolution had already begun quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Rifle Regiment no longer trained with flintlocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rows of Mauser rifles now rested across the armory racks beneath heavy guard while the soldiers underwent brutal retraining under Malen’s supervision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bolt cycling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reload discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long-range engagement doctrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Formation spacing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old battlefield methods no longer applied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everyone could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rifle range thundered continuously from dawn until sunset while marksmen practiced shots previously considered impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three hundred meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Targets shattered one after another beneath smokeless rifle fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One veteran knight watched the drills silently from the sidelines before finally muttering:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That isn’t warfare anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Cedric smirked slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another rifle crack echoed across the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s industrialized warfare.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight honestly looked disturbed afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reasonable reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Downrange, a steel target rang violently after another perfect shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The marksman lowered his rifle slowly while blinking in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I actually hit that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier beside him grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These rifles make everyone look talented.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A nearby instructor overheard instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man pointed toward the target field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They punish mistakes harder too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mausers rewarded discipline brutally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Malen’s training, the regiment began transforming into something terrifyingly professional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old noble distinction between knights and common soldiers started disappearing quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accuracy mattered now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Discipline mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Positioning mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One noble-born recruit visibly struggled during long-range firing drills while a former hunter from the northern forests repeatedly outperformed half the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frustration became impossible to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually the noble snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You reload like a machine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter shrugged calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hunted wolves since childhood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another clean shot rang out downrange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Turns out breathing matters more than family titles.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several soldiers immediately pretended not to hear that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen definitely heard it though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And noticeably did not disagree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That terrified the nobility more than the rifles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the central machining hall, industrial expansion accelerated rapidly afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly acquired precision lathe blueprints had transformed rifle production almost instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam-powered machining systems now produced barrel components with unprecedented consistency while entire factory sections reorganized around interchangeable part manufacturing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dwarves became emotional about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One engineer held two identical bolt components while staring like he’d witnessed divine revelation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...They fit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another looked equally shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Without hammering?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Remarkable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf proudly adjusted one of the massive belt-driven lathes nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This changes everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The machine immediately emitted a horrible metallic screech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A worker looked alarmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should it sound like that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf paused briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Mostly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mostly?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Progress is loud.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke and steam filled the factory constantly now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The industrial district no longer resembled medieval workshops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It resembled the beginning of an industrial city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rail carts moved materials between foundries. Boilers powered machining floors. Water turbines expanded auxiliary production.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everywhere—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Always more steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas stood atop one of the factory walkways later that evening while staring down at the production halls below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers moved in organized shifts beneath electric-like crystal lamps while steam hissed endlessly through the pipes overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The administrator looked deeply unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You realize this place no longer looks like part of the kingdom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien stood beside him quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was inevitable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien looked toward the distant fortress walls where rifle drills still echoed faintly through the evening air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Elarion was changing too quickly now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kingdom still thought in terms of castles. Knights. Horse charges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile Elarion discussed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>production quotas,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>artillery calibration,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>industrial logistics,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and armored war machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t merely advancing technologically anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were evolving into something fundamentally different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far away in the capital, Prince Cassian still reviewed reports about \"improved northern firearms.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he saw Elarion now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The factories. The rifles. The steam engines. The industrial army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would realize the terrifying truth:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien was no longer building a territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was building the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That same night, the First Rifle Regiment assembled within the central training grounds beneath rows of torchlight while fresh snow drifted lightly across the fortress walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere felt solemn tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not ceremonial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Transformational.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen stood before the regiment while rows of Mauser rifles rested against their shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No flintlocks remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old weapons were gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Peak Knight looked across the soldiers silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Farmers. Hunters. Former laborers. Minor nobles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All standing together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Malen spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The old battlefield is dying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard became completely silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Swords still matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So does courage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted toward the rifles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But war has changed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, the soldiers straightened further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they understood now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winter had changed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rifles changed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elarion itself changed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are no longer merely soldiers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow drifted through the torchlight quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are the first modern regiment this kingdom has ever seen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No cheering followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No dramatic shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because somehow—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounded far bigger than victory.\u003C\u002Fp>",1234,"2026-06-05T21:32:57.730Z",1,"novelbin.me","583165f859183d714aad0b13b948109dbcb409d219cf3479348b1b8883938a58","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-76","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-74",144,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-cover.jpg"]