Magic Industrial Age

If Count Raymond were questioning a normal first-year student at a magic academy, he definitely wouldn't get a useful answer.

Joking aside, first-year students haven't even mastered basic meditation, so how could they have any understanding of magical machinery?

But Loy is different. Whether it's the things he saw in his past life or the books he's read in this life, if he wanted to talk, he could ramble on for three days and three nights.

Right now, he's actually thinking about how much to say and how deeply to delve!

After pausing for a moment, Loy seemed to be organizing his thoughts. After a long while, he finally said, "Count, I read a book a few days ago, and there was a passage in it that I found very insightful."

"The book said that magical machinery would be the primary productive force, leading to huge changes in the social system and even altering the pattern of warfare."

Count Raymond had to admit that he was making conversation, but at this moment, his eyes suddenly sharpened, like a lion staring at its prey.

"You've only been exposed to it for a few months, and you dare to make such grand pronouncements?"

Loy bowed slightly and said, "It's precisely because I've only been exposed to it for a few months that the shock is indescribable."

After a slight pause, he continued, his voice seemingly tinged with deep emotion, "Although I've entered the magic academy, first-year students don't actually get to see much magical machinery, except for the academy's streetlights.

Those magical crystal balls are surprisingly bright, yet not dazzling."

"I lingered under the streetlights for a long time and also read through magic books, trying to understand the mysteries within.

So, I also asked Hoover, the butler, for help and went to a magical textile factory."

"At the Champs Elysees magical textile factory, I saw the magic pool, the universal power engine, and the gears, connecting rods, and bearings rotating throughout the workshop. I also saw the efficiency of the workers spinning yarn."

"It was here that I learned that the work of weaving can actually be divided into two parts: spinning and weaving.

With the original methods, the hard work of five skilled spinners each day is only enough to provide the raw materials needed by one weaver.

The efficiency gap between the two sides is too large, so the magical spinning machine was born and became a sign of the beginning of the popularization of magical machinery.

From what I've seen now, its production efficiency is dozens, even hundreds, of times greater than before."

As he said this, Loy actually posed a question in return: "Count, do you know what will happen in the future with this kind of thing?"

The white-haired old man was slightly stunned and asked, "What do you think will happen?"

"I don't know!"

Loy said confidently, even with a hint of confusion, "I really don't know. Who can see the future except for the gods?"

As he said this, he stared fixedly at Count Raymond and said, "However, this matter lingers in my mind and makes it hard for me to sleep soundly.

So, I've been thinking, just thinking, about what the future will be like?"

"So, I made extremely bold deductions, imagining, imagining what would happen in the future?"

"When various magical machines become widespread, large-scale, systematic, and standardized production will become inevitable.

Visibly, factories will be established one after another, and even more massive amounts of various commodities will be produced.

Cotton, linen, silk, ironware…"

"Then, after all aspects of people's lives, such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation, have mature commodities, what will happen?"

Loy's words seemed to carry a strange bewitching power, drawing Count Raymond into his line of reasoning.

"I was also thinking, thinking about the prices of these commodities. I think they will become very cheap, very cheap!

Yes, these better things will not be very expensive, but will become very cheap.

Because large-scale production and increased efficiency will make costs incredibly low, and merchants can set the selling price very low."

"They are certainly greedy, very greedy, trying to earn more wealth, but they will also be willing to use lower prices to defeat their opponents, completely defeat them.

As long as the opponent falls, they can occupy the entire market and earn more wealth."

"So, these commodities will be dumped out, spread across every city at lower prices, and quickly occupy markets everywhere.

In this way, a large number of emerging merchants will rise, and a batch of nobles willing to accept new things will rapidly accumulate astonishing wealth.

But what is the result?"

"Doing so will always have an impact, and the most direct victims will inevitably be those artisans and those handicraft workshops."

"Their costs remain high, and the commodities they produce have no sales channels.

They will lose money, go bankrupt, lose their livelihoods, and struggle to survive on the poverty line."

"However, things are always interlinked. Handicrafts are just the beginning, and later it will affect agriculture, animal husbandry, manufacturing, and so on.

So, there will be many, many unemployed people appearing, who only want a full meal but can't get it, which will create more social problems.

What's the result?"

Why is the security environment in Auckland so bad?

Loy believes that this is the root cause. In fact, not only Auckland, but the entire Habsburg Empire, is so chaotic.

Seeing that Loy didn't continue, Count Raymond couldn't help but ask, "What's the result? Keep talking?"

"The result is that the small-scale peasant economy system painstakingly managed by the old nobles will collapse under the impact of a large number of cheap commodities!"

Snap!

With a crisp sound, the quill that had just been used for writing was broken. It wasn't broken in half, but shattered into fragments by the power unconsciously emitted by Count Raymond.

At this moment, Count Raymond's face had become extremely unsightly.

But Loy's words did not stop, but continued, "Of course, I can guess these things, and it is impossible for the rulers of the Habsburg Empire not to see them.

However, they are also happy to see it happen, because factories also need a large number of workers, and these bankrupt artisans and farmers are the best fillers.

But social problems still exist, and may even become more acute, so what will the rulers of the empire do?

So, I think the next step for the Habsburg Empire will be to turn its attention to the outside, to other countries, to open up new markets."

At this moment, Count Raymond suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp, like a blade: "Do you know the purpose of my trip?"

"Of course not," Loy firmly denied:

"Did Oliveira tell you?"

"I asked, but you understand Professor Oliveira's personality, how could he possibly say?"

Count Raymond nodded slightly, acknowledging it, paused, and then said, "I came here at the invitation of the Habsburg Empire to attend the parade of the Seventh Combined Army Corps."

"Those who accepted the invitation include not only me, but also several surrounding duchies, major nobles within the kingdom, and the royal family."

"In fact, thirty years ago, during the great war between the Habsburg Empire and the Bourbon Dynasty, we all thought the Bourbon Dynasty would win.

They had no reason not to win, with a full five elite knightly orders and three legendary figures in command, how could they possibly lose?"

"But they lost, lost completely and utterly. The powerful knightly orders fell on the road to charge, fell under the rapid-firing muskets and cannons of the magic gunners."

"From that time on, the Habsburg Empire proved itself, and no one dared to underestimate them.

And we also actively collected a lot of information about magic pools, magic firearms, and magic cannons."

"But none of this is as shocking as this parade!"

"As for you, you have also made me see clearly the Habsburg Empire's scheme. Among the series of treaties they are trying to sign with us, the most inconspicuous one is a free trade agreement."

"So, this is what they want most."

Count Raymond looked up again, looked at Loy, and asked, "Then tell me, what should we do?"

"I don't know."

Loy shook his head very simply: "Count, these are all my wild thoughts. If you ask me what to do, I really don't know."

After a pause, he said again: "However, I think no one is a fool. Even if they can't see it now, everyone will react when the commodities are really dumped.

At that time, whether it's a duchy or a kingdom, I'm afraid they will raise tariffs, erect trade barriers, and protect their own industries.

But at that time, the Habsburg Empire, as long as it has tasted a little sweetness, will certainly not give up."

"And the only way to solve it is…"

"War!"

The last two words were spat out by Count Raymond. At this time, when he looked at Loy again, his eyes were different.

There seemed to be a bit of shock, a bit of admiration, a bit of strangeness, and a bit of bewilderment.

After a moment, he took out a letter from under the desk, pressed it on the desk, and pushed it forward.

"I've read what you wrote. Perhaps the Champs Elysees magical spinning factory will be a good entry point."

"From today onwards, Butler Hoover will listen to your command, and the Raymond family's wealth, resources, and connections in Auckland will also be at your disposal."

"Furthermore, I will leave Oliveira to you to protect your safety."

"As for what you want to do and how you want to do it, that's your own business!"

"I will not interfere or pay attention. I just want to see a different result!"

Even if it was just for this moment, Count Raymond's handwriting still amazed Loy.

PS: The new book is starting, and following up is the most important thing. I beg for everything!

I thought about it for a long time and chose to write it this way. I feel it's better than dryly predicting and pretending to be forceful!