Your Majesty, Wonders are Harmful to the Country!

Although the ironclad ship blueprint sold in the system's marketplace was quite tempting, Bruno knew very well that for the current state of the Idar Territory, exchanging points for an ironclad ship blueprint would be far too ambitious.

Leaving aside the steam engine required as a power source, just the steel needed to build an ironclad ship was beyond what the Idar Territory could currently produce.

After all, shipbuilding was not merely a matter of assembling parts; it also placed high demands on the productive capabilities of the Idar Territory.

Therefore, among the numerous blueprints listed in the system's marketplace, Bruno was more inclined toward the three-masted sailing ship, which had once dominated the Age of Sail.

In his previous life, the emergence of the three-masted sailing ship was almost a milestone in human maritime history. Not only did it end the West's technological inferiority in shipbuilding compared to the East, but it also reshaped the Western world's position in global trade.

The subsequent Age of Exploration was closely linked to the advent of the three-masted sailing ship.

Many navigators and shipbuilders considered the three-masted sailing ship to have an almost perfect hull design.

But most importantly, the three-masted sailing ship was likely the best warship that the Idar Territory could realistically build with its current level of technology!

At present, ships in the Norman Empire primarily relied on wind sails and manual rowing for propulsion. They were slow, and the so-called sailing ships were all square-rigged vessels, which had virtually no ability to sail against the wind. As a result, they could only navigate the open sea by relying on seasonal winds to change direction.

As for riverboats, they were entirely propelled by manual rowing, making their speed even slower.

The three-masted sailing ship, however, was completely different. With a more advanced hull design and three masts, it could harness winds at angles of up to 65 degrees to propel itself forward. It was once the vessel of choice for global voyages on Earth and was significantly faster than the ships of both the Norman Empire and the Basel Kingdom.

Furthermore, because the three-masted sailing ship utilized fore-and-aft sails, it had excellent upwind sailing capabilities.

Its primary source of propulsion was the Bernoulli effect when air flowed over a curved surface, it created a forward and upward lift, enabling the ship to sail at an angle against the wind. Interestingly, when sailing with the wind, the Bernoulli effect would disappear, preventing the ship from reaching its maximum speed.

Due to these numerous advantages, the blueprint for the three-masted sailing ship was priced extremely high in the system's marketplace a staggering 50 points of Glory!

However, no matter how expensive it was, Bruno had no choice but to grit his teeth and purchase it.

After all, maritime threats were currently the biggest obstacle to the development of the Idar Territory.

As a reasonably competent transmigrator, Bruno understood the importance of controlling the seas.

Only by keeping pirates far away could he continue to develop the Idar Territory without disruption.

"Build high walls, accumulate resources, and bide my time."

In Bruno's view, quiet economic growth was the best and most reliable long-term strategy.

At the same time, a powerful military was a necessary guarantee to ensure the stable development of the Idar Territory. Otherwise, no matter how much wealth and population he amassed, he would merely be a fat lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

After painfully spending 50 Glory Points, a rolled-up parchment suddenly appeared with a "biu" sound on Bruno's desk.

The price might have been steep, but the speed of delivery from the system marketplace was absolutely flawless.

Unrolling it, he saw detailed schematics of the three-masted sailing ship, including its structure and the precise materials required for construction it was well worth the price.

Bruno turned to look out the window and saw that it was already quite late.

If he set off for the fishing port now, he would arrive deep into the night. As a noble, he must not stay up late!

So, Bruno sent for White Barrel first.

Unexpectedly, in just the blink of an eye, Lister had already brought White Barrel into the room.

"Earl, what are your orders?" Barrel asked respectfully.

Since the Idar Territory had successfully constructed both the Hanging Garden and the Citadel of Namur, White Barrel's status had naturally risen as well, given that he was the chief engineer of both projects. He was now regarded as one of the most important figures in the entire Idar Territory.

Moreover, he knew that all his achievements had been made possible by his lord, Bruno Stuart.

After all, White Barrel's family had been artisans in the Idar Territory since the time of his great-great-great-great-grandfather.

However, after his ancestor completed the construction of the Idar Lord's Castle, the Barrel family had gradually fallen into obscurity, never receiving another major opportunity.

Yet, Bruno had changed everything, making White Barrel deeply grateful and eternally loyal.

Whether it was the Hanging Garden or the Citadel of Namur, both were monumental structures that could stand for centuries. These accomplishments alone had already made White Barrel the most celebrated craftsman in the history of the Barrel family!

Thus, he never hesitated to follow Bruno's orders, placing his loyalty above all else.

The moment he heard that the Earl had summoned him, he rushed over on horseback, arriving with beads of sweat on his forehead and panting from the exertion.

Bruno handed him the parchment.

"Take a look. This is the next major project that the Idar Territory must complete as soon as possible."

Unlike Old Fort and the others, who always looked distressed whenever a new construction project was announced, White Barrel's eyes immediately lit up at the mention of a new task.

"This is… a sailing ship?"

Carefully examining the blueprint, Barrel could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary vessel.

Even though he had never seen such a design before, he could recognize its significance.

For one thing, the sheer size of this ship was more than twice that of any common sailing vessel. Additionally, it featured three towering masts something unheard of in their current shipbuilding knowledge.

Bruno nodded.

"But, my lord… I have no experience building ships!" White Barrel replied with a forced smile.

He was well aware of the recent pirate attack on the Cape Saltworks, so he guessed that his lord was eager to build warships in order to battle the pirates.

However, he had never built a ship before. If he made a mistake and delayed the Earl's plans, what would he do?

Barrel knew his own limits. He could build wonders on land but a ship? A floating structure?

That… was entirely uncharted territory.