Chapter 189: Steam Engine

The next morning, Edgar walked out of his house and looked toward the sky.

The grey-black fog had returned, covering the entire sky and hiding whatever remained of the light beyond the Eternal Night.

Edgar took a deep breath and stretched his arms above his head before rolling his shoulders. His body felt refreshed after a good night’s rest.

‘…Hera also helped me all night but let’s not think about it unless I want another round.’ Edgar shook his head on the thought.

He looked toward the industrial section of the Fortress. ‘Let’s see how Sir Steven is doing.’

Edgar began walking toward the Smithing Houses.

The fortress were already busy. Workers carried materials between buildings while others pushed carts filled with refined ore and finished products.

Several workers noticed Edgar and immediately bowed. “Good morning, Lord Edgar.”

“Good morning.”

Edgar returned their greetings with a small nod and continued walking.

Soon, the familiar sound of hammering reached his ears.

He entered the largest Smithing House and immediately noticed an old man standing near one of the workstations.

Sir Steven had already begun working for the day.

The old blacksmith noticed Edgar and wiped his hands with a piece of cloth before approaching him.

“Lord Edgar.”

Edgar nodded. “How are things?”

Steven smiled. “I’ve already completed everything you asked for.”

Edgar’s eyes immediately brightened. “Already?”

Steven chuckled. “You gave me the materials several days ago. I’ve had plenty of time to work on them.”

Edgar’s interest grew. “Where are they?”

“Come with me.”

Steven turned around and walked deeper into the Smithing House.

Edgar followed him through several workstations before they eventually reached a separate room.

The room was considerably cleaner than the rest of the building.

A large wooden table stood in the center, and dozens of different metal components had been carefully arranged across its surface.

There were pipes of different sizes, metal plates, gears, rods, valves, screws, bolts, nuts, and several other oddly shaped components.

Edgar’s eyes moved across the table. A faint smile appeared on his face. “Perfect.”

He walked toward the table and picked up one of the small nuts.

He rolled it between his fingers before picking up the matching bolt and fitting them together.

The precision was exactly what he needed.

“This is everything?”

Steven nodded. “Everything you requested.”

Edgar placed the pieces back onto the table. “Then this is all I need.”

Steven looked at the collection of components curiously. “You never told me what you’re planning to make with these.”

Edgar smiled. “A steam engine.”

Steven’s eyebrows rose. “A steam engine?”

“Yes.”

Edgar rolled up his sleeves.

Steven stared at him for a moment before shaking his head with an amused expression. “I suppose I should have expected something strange from you.”

Edgar ignored the comment and began arranging the components. “First, we need the boiler.”

He pointed toward a large metal chamber.

“This will hold the water. We need it strong enough to withstand pressure, so the walls have to be thick.”

Steven immediately understood. “Then the steam will build up inside.”

“Exactly.” Edgar picked up one of the pipes.

“The pressure needs somewhere to go. We’ll direct the steam through this pipe toward the cylinder.”

Steven moved closer. “And the cylinder is where the movement happens?”

Edgar nodded.

“The steam will push the piston.” He placed the cylindrical component onto the table.

“The piston will move back and forth inside the cylinder. We then need to convert that movement into rotation.”

Steven’s eyes became more focused. “With the gears?”

“With the connecting rod and crank.” Edgar picked up a long metal rod and placed it beside the piston.

“This rod will connect the piston to the crankshaft. When the piston moves, it will push the connecting rod.”

He pointed toward the circular metal component. “The crankshaft will turn because of that movement.”

Steven slowly nodded. “So the back-and-forth movement becomes rotational movement.”

“Exactly.”

The old blacksmith’s expression became increasingly interested.

He had spent most of his life working with metal, but this was completely different from making swords, armor, tools, and other conventional equipment.

Edgar continued assembling the machine. The boiler was placed onto a thick metal frame.

Underneath it, Steven helped construct a small furnace where coal could be burned.

A pipe was then connected to the upper section of the boiler.

Edgar carefully attached a pressure valve to the pipe. “This part is important.”

Steven inspected it. “To prevent the pressure from becoming too high?”

“Yes.” Edgar tightened the connection. “If the pressure gets too high, the entire boiler could explode.”

Steven’s expression became serious. “Then we’d better make sure it doesn’t.”

Edgar nodded. They continued working.

The cylinder was mounted beside the boiler while the piston was carefully inserted inside.

Edgar repeatedly checked the fit, making sure the piston could move smoothly without leaving too much space between the metal surfaces.

“Too much space will allow steam to escape.”

Steven nodded. “And too little will cause the piston to get stuck.”

“Exactly.”

The two worked together for several hours.

Steven handled most of the heavy metalwork while Edgar focused on the design and connections.

Whenever a component didn’t fit perfectly, they removed it, adjusted it, and tested it again.

The process wasn’t fast. It was messy, repetitive, and occasionally frustrating.

At one point, Steven had to remake a connecting piece because the original was slightly too thick.

Another time, Edgar discovered that one of the pipes wasn’t sealed properly and had to replace the connection.

But neither of them stopped.

Slowly, the strange collection of metal parts began turning into a machine.

The boiler stood at the center. The furnace rested underneath it.

A series of pipes connected the boiler to the cylinder, while the piston connected to a large crankshaft through a metal rod.

Several gears were attached to the rotating shaft, allowing the machine to transfer its mechanical power to another mechanism.

Finally, Edgar tightened the last bolt.

He stepped backward. The two men stared at the machine.

For several seconds, neither said anything.

It looked crude compared to the machines Edgar remembered from his previous life but it was complete.

A faint smile appeared on Edgar’s face. “We did it.”

Steven looked at the machine with disbelief.

“Is that really going to work?”

Edgar crossed his arms. “There’s only one way to find out.”

He walked toward the boiler.

The first test didn’t require anything complicated. They only needed to produce steam.

Edgar opened the chamber and poured water inside.

Steven carefully checked the seals one final time. “Everything looks secure.”

Edgar nodded. “Good.”

He crouched near the furnace and placed several pieces of coal inside.

Steven handed him a small flame. Edgar lit the coal.

The fire slowly began to burn.

At first, nothing happened. The machine remained completely silent.

Edgar stood there patiently while the heat gradually spread through the bottom of the boiler.

Steven watched the pressure gauge they had attached to the system.

The needle slowly began to move. “It’s rising.”

Edgar smiled. “Good.”

The water inside the boiler became hotter.

Small bubbles began appearing. Then the first traces of steam entered the pipes.

A faint hiss echoed through the workshop.

Steven’s eyes widened as the pressure continued rising.

Edgar watched the gauge carefully. “Not too much.”

He adjusted the valve slightly.

Steam rushed through the pipe. The cylinder suddenly moved. The piston pushed forward moved and then backward. The connecting rod shifted. The crankshaft turned.

Once. Twice. Then again.

The gears began rotating.

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

The entire machine shook as the different components moved together.

Steven stared at it in disbelief. “It’s moving.”

Edgar’s eyes widened.

The crankshaft continued turning.

The machine wasn’t fast and It wasn’t particularly efficient either but it was working.

The first steam engine Edgar had built in this world had actually started running.

A wide grin spread across Edgar’s face.

“Yes!” He raised his fist. “It works!”

Steven laughed.

The old blacksmith’s expression was filled with genuine excitement as he watched the machine continue operating.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Edgar couldn’t hide his smile.

He had spent hours putting the machine together, correcting mistakes and explaining concepts that Steven had never encountered before.

And now the result was standing directly in front of them.

The piston continued moving. The crankshaft kept turning.

Steam escaped through the pipes as the furnace burned beneath the boiler.

Edgar stared at the machine with satisfaction. ‘This is only the beginning.’

A steam engine could change far more than transportation.

If he could improve the design, he could eventually use it for pumps, machinery, mining equipment, transportation, and countless other applications.

The Fortress wouldn’t need to rely entirely on mana-based technology.

Edgar looked at the rotating gears. ‘Now I just need to make it better.’

The machine continued running as the sound of metal filled the Smithing House.

For the first time, Edgar felt like he had taken the first real step toward bringing industrial technology into this world.

And he couldn’t help but smile.