Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 434 - 434 433 Distillation Tower Throughput

Chapter 434: Chapter 433 Distillation Tower Throughput Chapter 434: Chapter 433 Distillation Tower Throughput “Sir, is there a fire over there? Why is there billowing thick smoke?” Nicholas’s faithful old servant exclaimed, looking in the northwest direction.

Indeed, rolls of black smoke were spreading into the sky in the northwest.

Nicholas, having spent some time surveying the Blackflame Plains, knew about many projects and immediately responded, “That’s not a fire. That’s the Blackfire Brick Kiln burning bricks, using a mixture of Black Oil and wood, smoking the unfired bricks dry.”

“Smoking bricks with smoke?” the old servant asked, puzzled, “What’s the logic behind that?”

“Black Oil possesses Magic Power, and so does the smoke produced by burning Black Oil. The unfired bricks that get smoked, Magic Power will adhere to them, turning into magic-infused creations. Hmm, if I remember correctly, these are called Blackfire bricks, second only to clinker bricks.”

Nicholas flipped through his notebook, which was filled with countless notes from his surveys, including his visit to the Blackfire Brick Kiln.

The old servant did not accompany him every day, so he had never visited the Blackfire Brick Kiln.

“Clinker bricks, I know about those, Sir. Lord Russell’s Cigar Castle is built with them,” the old servant admired, “Although it’s not yet finished, Cigar Castle is truly majestic, especially that Dragon Coiling Pillar, so tall!”

The Dragon Coiling Pillar was specifically built for the Black Oil Dragon Ross, a hundred meters tall, towering enough to overlook the entire Blackflame Plains.

That was Ross’s request.

It liked lofty structures but felt that ordinary castles like Fluorescent Castle, with their highest towers reaching just over fifty meters, were still too short. Hence, Russell built this hundred-meter-tall Dragon Coiling Pillar for it.

Perching atop it, one could look down upon the land and enjoy the breathtaking view.

“Yes, the Dragon Coiling Pillar is splendid. Standing on top and gazing at the entire Blackflame Plains must feel wonderful,” said Nicholas, shaking his head, “It’s too bad I’m not a Phantom Beast Knight. Otherwise, flying on a Phantom Beast would be equally wonderful.”

He was not only not a Phantom Beast Knight but not even a Knight.

And thus had no right to ride flying Phantom Beasts.

Master and servant continued along Charcoal Dust Road, chatting idly as they went.

When it was almost time for lunch, the old servant busied himself with cooking and casually asked, “Sir, it’s been almost a month since we came to the Blackflame Plains. How much longer will we stay here for your survey work?”

“Do you miss home?”

“A bit, I miss my little grandson,” the old servant sincerely replied.

“Haha, don’t worry, don’t worry, it’s only been a month. I still have to survey here for another half a year to see how the newly developed Warm Enclave grows from nothing into a fragrant expanse of fertile fields,” Nicholas said.

“Half a year? Sir, does that mean we won’t make it back to Furious Wind City for the Dragon Birth Festival?” the old servant sighed.

“Don’t be downhearted. I’ve paid you a handsome reward,” Nicholas said. “You, an old man wandering abroad, can exchange it for your children and grandchildren enjoying the Dragon Birth Festival at home. What’s there to feel sorry about?”

The old servant nodded: “Sir, you are right.”

“Get the fire going and cook quickly. After we eat our fill, we’ll head to the Blackfire Mine in the afternoon to visit, as tomorrow is the trial run for the distillation tower.”

…

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The distillation tower rumbled. Without overly precise instruments or technology, this rough yet sturdy towering structure was carrying out the most rudimentary chemical refining.

Through distillation, the paste-like Black Oil was continuously separated into five products.

Great Scholar Placido was currently standing in front of the outlet of a branch tower, closely examining the solidified gasoline.

“There are many impurities; the tower’s internal temperature still needs further balancing and optimization.” After inspecting the gasoline product, he immediately instructed his students to adjust the temperatures in the various chambers of the distillation tower to achieve a perfect state.

Continuously tweaking until the afternoon, the distillation tower finally managed to perfectly distill five products.

Streams of Black Oil continually flowed into the distillation tower.

One batch served as raw material, undergoing decomposition and distillation, while another served as fuel, providing the temperature needed for the distillation tower chamber.

Large groups of serfs, who had undergone brief training, began packaging kerosene, gasoline, liquefied gas, lubricating oil, and bitumen, and then transported them to different locations for storage. Among them, bitumen was directly delivered to the road construction crew.

The Blackfire Tower of Scholars had already figured out a method for bitumen paving, so the construction crew could replace the use of charcoal dust with bitumen.

“Are all these products distilled from Black Oil?” Nicholas asked, following behind Great Scholar Placido.

“Of course.”

“It’s unbelievable, I thought Black Oil could only be burned,” Nicholas said.

Placido responded, “Burning is just one of its basic uses, just like metal can be used not only for forging swords but also for casting farm tools.”

“You truly live up to the name of Great Scholar, capable of creating such an invention.”

“This wasn’t created by me,” Placido waved his hand dismissively, “I simply accepted Baron Thunderflame’s invitation to conduct research on Black Oil. The real creator of the distillation technology is Baron Thunderflame.”

“By the Dragon’s gaze, Lord Russell is so learned,” Nicholas praised.

“Lord Russell is a scholar in his own right, and the Scholars’ Roundtable Council is already discussing promoting him to Great Scholar… I very much enjoy your ‘The Dragonriding Youth’ and ‘Storm of Lightning in the Dragon Domain,’ but there is one thing I regret,” Placido followed.

“Please speak freely.”

“You’ve focused too much on Lord Russell’s Way of the Knight. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, as Knights rule everything in the Grand Duchy. But you’ve overlooked one thing – Lord Russell is also a scholar… This aspect is not reflected in your protagonist, Su Luo.”

Nicholas quickly took out his notebook and jotted down the comment: “Yes, you make a good point, I did indeed overlook that.”

Everyone was paying attention to Lord Russell’s extraordinary achievements on the Way of the Knight.

But few knew that the Retting Fertilization Skill, which had already been disseminated among the various estates, was also invented by Lord Russell.

Of course.

This might also be deliberately neglected by everyone, for after all, the Retting Fertilization Skill was essentially about studying feces – dealing with manure. This didn’t fit the image of a Flying Dragon Knight, Lord of the Dragon Domain, or Baron Russell’s identity as Thunderflame.

“Well then, Lord Nicholas, continue your tour of the distillation tower. I need to go pack my bags,” Placido said.

“You’re leaving the Blackfire Tower of Scholars?”

“Yes, the Great Scholar Tower has an urgent task that requires my attention, and my research on Black Oil is mostly concluded,” Placido explained. “However, my students will stay here to govern the Blackfire Tower of Scholars and this distillation tower.”

“Good luck, Lord Placido,” Nicholas bid farewell.

Although Great Scholar Placido had left, the operation of the distillation tower continued uninterrupted, day and night, constantly refining oil gas and bitumen.

Nicholas followed the entire process of where these products were shipped.

Bitumen was naturally used for paving roads, primarily those that were the main thoroughfares of Blackflame Plains, in place of Charcoal Dust Road. Because the output was limited, smaller roads were still paved with charcoal dust – an exceedingly straightforward process.

Kerosene was delivered to various pioneering sites across Blackflame Plains, in the form of kerosene lamps, lighting up the serfs’ accommodations.

Previously, the only source of light for the serfs at night was candles.

Made from animal fat or beeswax, they were very scarce, luxurious to use, and emitted thick black smoke when burned.

As for the glittering gemstone lamps, only the nobles could afford to use them.

But now, with the introduction of kerosene lamps, even the serfs could afford a cheap source of light illuminating the pitch-black night.