Chapter 553: Chapter 407: Unexpected Joy: Rubber Tree! Steam Engine! (6400 words)_4

They could create demand out of nothing and then aggressively sell their goods to the Sun Empire.

Only then did they feel a bit more at ease.

This further cemented their resolve to industrialize and spark a massive explosion of material wealth in this world.

We’re making such a colossal contribution to the world, so making a bit of extra cash on the side seems perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it?

The Sun Empire’s enormous wealth of gold, capable of causing a financial earthquake, could only unleash its most terrifying power in combination with the formidable industrial capacity of Torrentfort in the Golden Empire.

The banquet lasted late into the night.

In high spirits and thoroughly inebriated, Atahualpa lay in the arms of his sister, Aya.

Pointing to the lovely, sweat-drenched Dancers who had performed all evening, he slurred to Byron,

"Your Majesty, later... HIC... when you go to rest, just take whichever one you fancy back to your room.

Consider it a welcoming gift for you."

He winked, giving a look that every man understands.

"Even if you want them all.

They’ll pay tribute to me every month. And though they’re not Transcendents, I can guarantee they are all beautiful virgins."

Before Byron could react, the eyes of the twenty-odd Dancers lit up one by one.

They watched him, unconsciously swallowing.

GULP! GULP!

Although Byron was not yet a Fourth Order Mythical Creature, Divinity, Human Nature, and Beastliness—his development in all three aspects was balanced, strong, and profound, with no shortcomings.

Just sitting there, he emanated an aura of unshakeable, flawless perfection, exerting an intense attraction on them.

They couldn’t help but feel that an intimate encounter might instantly change their fate.

Clearly, the side effect of the Night Demon Prince—"Boys must protect themselves when they’re away from home"—had struck again.

The Dancers looked at him with burning gazes, as if they wanted to swarm him with their sisters and take turns to enjoy... ahem, serve him.

Frightened, Byron, as if ’Mr. No’ himself had possessed him, immediately rejected the perilous proposition,

"No, no, no! Thank you for your generous offer, Your Highness, but the Sacred Golden Empire has its own national customs. I really don’t need this."

Atahualpa glanced at the unflustered Queen Violet beside him. Seemingly having an epiphany, he nodded with a smile,

"Oh, I understand. You must be worried about accidentally leaving behind offspring and diluting your bloodline, right?"

It never occurred to him that a "peculiar" country could exist in this world where monogamy was the rule, and a man normally had only one wife.

He simply thought Byron was concerned about issues of progeny.

"No problem! I’ve got a treasure here that will let you rest easy."

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

Before Byron could continue his staunch refusal, the Prince clapped his hands.

A maid carrying a golden bowl quickly approached him.

At first, Byron thought the object soaking in the golden bowl was a sheep intestine, softened beforehand with hot milk—one of the most common contraceptives of the era.

But when he truly saw what was inside, his gaze sharpened, and his eyes gradually widened.

It was a thin, milky-white, semi-transparent, and surprisingly familiar object.

Violet, seeing Byron staring intently at the object, blushed slightly. Am I an inadequate partner? she wondered.

Should I take the initiative to find a few more women to help the Lancaster Family expand its lineage?

Compared to the Kapak family of the Sun Empire, the Lancaster Family’s bloodline is indeed too thin.

Besides, our family has no need for contraceptives.

Then she heard Byron’s forcefully suppressed, yet excited voice,

"This isn’t sheep intestine, nor is it fish bladder! This is... this is natural rubber!

The Steam Engine has hope!"

They had obtained a series of whale oil technologies, centered around the "Whale Oil Power Furnace," from the mind of "Father of the School of Sharks" Bonaparte.

But the current power furnace was too crude, its efficiency ridiculously low.

It was far from powerful enough to run Warships, let alone drive large machinery.

All the Tower Sequence Transcendents around the world were fiercely debating on the "Key of Omniscience" platform, governed by the Silver Law.

They were debating two potential development paths:

"One is the Transcendent path: developing alchemical machinery and various Arrays driven by abundant Source Material. The downside is that ordinary people can’t use them, making large-scale implementation difficult."

"The other is a purely mechanical path, used for... boiling water! The threshold is extremely low; anyone with hands can operate it."

And who in this world could possibly know more about boiling water than I do? Byron thought. Moreover, my mind holds two development paths—two!

The Steam Engine and the internal combustion engine!

And whether it was the Steam Engine or the internal combustion engine, neither could function without rubber—this wonderful material.

Take the Steam Engine, for example. As a mechanical energy conversion device, it uses steam as a power source and converts energy through the continuous motion of its parts.

Rubber can serve as a sealant, cushion, noise reducer, and more.

This is especially true for its most critical function: sealing.

A Steam Engine’s exhaust and intake pressures are very high, requiring the cylinder to be tightly sealed to prevent steam leakage.

Due to rubber’s excellent elasticity and sealing properties, it’s widely used in Steam Engines for sealing cylinder heads and cylinder covers.

Even in Byron’s previous life, natural rubber was one of the most widely used basic industrial materials, a testament to its superior properties.

Why use such a treasure as a contraceptive? The Whale Oil Steam Engine is the perfect stage for it to truly shine!