Chapter 302: Chapter 264: Sacred Relics: The Tudor Mixed Sail Ship Prototype!
Byron had just broken through a layer of the National Border Lock’s restrictive barriers and rushed from the Governor’s Mansion to the shipyard with Catherine in tow.
Upon arrival, they saw the two lead Artisans—Violet and Little Hans—directing sailors to complete the final outfitting of a brand-new warship.
Tall masts, in combination with their yards, served as cranes, hoisting gleaming Bronze Cannons onto the gun deck.
"Check the gun carriage ropes again to prevent sliding."
"Hoist the sails, and don’t forget to tighten the furling lines."
"..."
Everyone was bustling with activity, a scene of fiery enthusiasm.
Ever since her return, at Byron’s request, Violet had dived headlong into the construction of this Tudor Hybrid Sailboat at the International Port’s shipyard.
Initially, the first batch of 3,000 teak trees harvested on the island had been transported to the more secure Torrent Fortress.
The Heavy Cruiser project was still temporarily on hold.
However, new teak and spice plantations had already taken root on the vaster Yucatan Island.
The effects of the Sacred Relic Golden Toilet combined with the third Crystal Skull, The Corn God, were nothing short of magical. As a qualified Boss, Byron couldn’t bear to let them sit idle for even a moment.
Land within the Golden Toilet’s sphere of influence would slowly transform into invaluable black soil.
It could also fix atmospheric nitrogen, much like certain specialized legumes and microorganisms, converting it into an endless supply of nitrogen fertilizer.
The ’Land of Plenty’ could accelerate the growth of crops and all plants within a designated area.
Spices that others would take at least three, five, or even eight years to cultivate using artificial methods, it could produce in just a year, a few months, or sometimes mere tens of days.
The same was true for teak trees, which would normally take at least fifty years to mature.
Now, several months later, the black soil area outside Torrent Fortress had begun to take shape, and the next batch of shipbuilding materials and high-quality spices had matured once more.
This was one reason Catherine had previously been compelled to use her personal savings to approve the shipyard’s expansion.
Others fretted over materials being too expensive and rare; if a warship was lost, regeneration would take a long time.
They, however, fretted over having too many materials that grew too quickly, making it difficult to process and convert them into actual combat power in a short timeframe.
This kind of blessed predicament was hard for ordinary people to comprehend.
As for the warship in the shipyard, it was built from raw materials they had purchased from outside the island. Little Hans, the Shipwright, had been overseeing its construction according to the blueprints since then (Chapter 182).
Aided by the ’Morning Star’s Light of Knowledge’ ability from the eighth Crystal Skull, the Feathered Serpent God, the construction speed was greatly increased.
What would have been a two or three-year project was shortened to just a few months.
Neither the upgrading of the International Port at the time nor their subsequent adventures had delayed the construction of this Tudor Hybrid Sailboat.
With Violet’s assistance, it was like adding wings to a tiger.
She was not only a Third Order Grand Artificer but also an excellent pirate captain. Her skillful management ensured everything was arranged perfectly, saving Byron considerable effort.
Now, judged purely by their abilities, both Catherine and Violet had become his indispensable right and left hands.
Losing either one would mean this fledgling enterprise would lose half its strength.
"Byron, are you sure we shouldn’t convert the ship’s keel and ribs into integrally formed iron ribs? We haven’t had a chance to use the Philosopher’s Stone we acquired last time," Violet said, coming to Byron’s side, somewhat regretful her plan hadn’t been adopted.
"As a prototype ship, this is already excellent," Byron reassured her. "We can make minor improvements to each vessel in the upcoming shipbuilding plan, which has now increased to ten ships. This will also allow us to accumulate experience with iron-ribbed, wooden-hulled ships, preparing us for future industrialized shipbuilding. When we begin constructing Heavy Cruisers, you’ll naturally have your chance to shine."
Just as Byron had consoled the girl, an excited shout came from above:
"The Golden Deer... is complete!"
As the chief Engineer of the construction, Little Hans personally carved the name ’Golden Deer’ onto the stern gallery’s bridge and was the first to announce the new ship’s birth.
WHOOSH—!
A Spiritual Wind arose spontaneously.
After months of work, Little Hans finally completed this new-style, all-teak warship. As his Spirituality surged, he naturally advanced to become a Second Order Shipwright.
He had mastered the core ability ’Spiritual Forging.’ As long as he had a sufficient supply of Extraordinary Materials, he could steadily produce a series of low-level Miracles.
By practicing the maxim ’Use knowledge to dispel ignorance,’ he subsequently advanced rapidly.
Currently, Pioneer Navigation had an abundance of materials but was relatively short on manpower.
For an Artisan dedicated to shipbuilding, it was like a mouse falling into a rice granary—a life of boundless joy.
"I did it, Captain, Father! Did you see? I’m a Second Order Artisan now!" Little Hans embraced his father, who had been silently assisting him, and wept with joy.
However, at this moment, apart from Old Hans, whose heart and eyes were solely focused on his son, everyone else’s gaze had involuntarily fallen upon the newly completed first prototype of the ’Standard Tudor Hybrid Sailboat.’
Even the most critical old sea dogs had to admit she was a beauty, the kind of ship every captain dreamed of.
This ship is truly beautiful, Byron thought. The design from Byron’s mind now materialized before him in its complete form for the first time, symbolizing the pinnacle of current military technology.
Its elongated, protruding bow and stern posts increased the effective deck length. The keel sloped aft, granting it a greater stern draft, which improved the ship’s longitudinal stability and speed. This design also significantly shifted the underwater hull’s lateral hydrodynamic center further aft, balancing it better with the sails’ center of effort, which was beneficial for sailing against the wind (Qiangfeng) and reducing leeway. Furthermore, unlike the U-shaped transverse sections common in merchant ships, its midship section was V-shaped, greatly enhancing speed and making it especially suited for wave-piercing in high seas. With a length-to-beam ratio of approximately 5:1, it was also sleeker than typical merchant sailing ships, further reducing wave-making resistance. The flush deck design, devoid of any superstructures, gave it a low, elongated appearance while sailing, with graceful lines at the bow and stern. This allowed its speed to be truly unrivaled.
It had drawbacks, too. It wasn’t stable enough to carry a large number of traditional heavy Cannons.
However, the more refined, lighter Carronades with less recoil solved this problem.
Thus, the ’New Golden Deer’s’ specifications were as follows:
Displacement: 431 tons (twice that of the original Golden Deer). Design: A two-masted vessel, with the foremast carrying square sails and the mainmast longitudinal sails. Top Speed: Easily capable of exceeding twelve knots. Sail Handling: Much simpler than that of a typical fully-rigged ship, significantly reducing the required skill level and number of sailors; even novices could handle it with ease. Gun Deck: 33 meters long, designed for 22 gun emplacements. Armament: Twenty 18-pounder Carronades and two 32-pounder Carronades. Complement: 140 men. Its close-quarters combat firepower was ferocious, and its conventional firepower was already on par with an ordinary 32-gun Level Five cruiser armed with 12-pounder main guns!
However, apart from this new flagship—which might not see service for a few years—all subsequent Tudor Hybrid Sailboats would be proportionally downsized.
Equipped with one 32-pounder Carronade and eight 18-pounder Carronades, their firepower would be more than sufficient for a small Privateer Ship.
The standout feature was its cost-effectiveness.
This was enough to allow them to dominate the East-West shipping routes while gradually embarking on their path of expansion.
Even converting it to a whaling ship would be effortless.
Byron gave the order, "Flood the dock!"
Normally, shipbuilding involved outfitting after launching—transforming a rough hull into a finished vessel.
But with the assistance of Violet, the Grand Artificer, and superior shipbuilding materials, they could effortlessly complete it all in one go.
RUSH...
As the sluice gates were pulled open, seawater poured into the dry dock, allowing the warship to slowly float.
The Silver Law suddenly manifested once more. A beam of golden light descended from the sky, landing on the world’s first Tudor Hybrid Sailboat.
Like mercury spreading across the ground, the light swiftly permeated every plank, every rope, every sail, every cannon...
It dyed the entire ship a brilliant, pure gold.
When the light before the onlookers had dissipated, the warship had quietly completed its transformation from a mundane object into a Sacred Relic.
—Sacred Relic: Tudor Hybrid Sailboat Prototype!