CHAPTER 32
When the communication lines from Genoa were established, the connection was not very stable.
Although the signal came and went, it was still enough to transmit messages.
It was heard that the number of people researching batteries and electricity at the Florence Academy had tripled in the past year, and the number of related papers published was also quite considerable.
Hedy hadn't paid much attention to this matter at first—after all, it did require time.
That was until the dean of the Faculty of Science came rushing in, overjoyed.
"Your Majesty! It seems we have discovered a completely new substance!"
Two years ago, Hedy had already emphasized the importance of exploring various substances.
Although she couldn't memorize the entire periodic table, she understood that chemistry in this era still had great potential for advancement.
Many experimental processes and testing methods were transmitted from five hundred years in the future, along with clear plans and requirements.
—Any discovery of a new substance and proof of its special properties could result in a large amount of gold!
Before this, many scientists had tried to claim credit and rewards, but it had all turned out to be false alarms.
However, this time, they seemed to have truly found something.
"It has to do with a battery experiment.
As the report mentions, we were testing the discharge reactions of different batteries and their combined effects," the professor said, shaking his head.
"But this young man, using a battery, managed to extract a silvery-white substance from the soil—just like silver! "
Upon hearing this, many of the officials nearby immediately changed their expressions.
Not only were they stunned, but even the Minister of Finance, Machiavelli, was taken aback.
Is this—living alchemy?!
Extracting silver from clay? Does this mean we can now find gold in water?
The student, as if presenting a treasure, eagerly handed the material over to them, along with several magnifying glasses.
Hedy, wearing gloves, carefully picked up a small amount of the silvery substance with tweezers. The more she looked at it, the more it seemed strangely familiar.
Wait a minute... is this... aluminum?
Her knowledge of aluminum came from her lover, the aircraft designer.
At the time, the gentleman was busy researching improvements to the aircraft wings, and he would often talk to her about various aviation-related topics.
Aluminum is an excellent material.
It is lightweight, highly malleable, and in humid environments, it forms an oxide layer that resists corrosion.
Because of its abundant natural supply, aluminum is widely used in the manufacture of industrial products such as airplanes, cars, and rockets. It is also ground into powder for corrosion prevention and for enhancing color.
"We can't confirm what this actually is—but it's definitely not silver," the young student said excitedly. "It can be ignited and emits a dazzling white flame, almost like a burning star!"
"How was it extracted specifically?" Leonardo, who was more concerned with this detail, asked. "And how much was extracted afterward?"
"It seems someone poured battery liquid onto the ground," the student wasn't very sure. "We went out for lunch, and when we came back, the ground was sparkling. At first, we thought someone had scattered silver powder."
... That must have been a chemical reaction.
Without thinking twice, Hedy called Niccolo aside and they went to a separate room to talk.
"Additional funding?" Niccolo seemed a little panicked. "Are you sure? This isn't silver. If the investment fails, the upper house will definitely put pressure on us."
"Of course it's not silver," she said, half-amused and half-annoyed. "But it's worth far more than silver."
"What?" Niccolo suddenly recalled the previous rumors about alchemists and, in a hushed tone, said, "Could this be something used to make the elixir of immortality?"
Hedy nearly laughed out loud but shook her head seriously. "It will allow us to have lighter and faster ships."
At present, steam engines were rapidly improving, and because of this, if the aluminum industry could take shape quickly, perhaps in twenty years, they would have large ships and cars.
The birth of many materials requires the foundation of basic chemistry, and an accidental discovery could completely change the course of history.
Hedy had intended to explain further, but as she thought about aluminum, she suddenly felt something in her mind shift.
—Aluminum might require a long research and development cycle, from refining to purifying, enough to keep these scholars busy for a long time.
But there was something else, something already in front of her and the military.
Alloys.
"I have to go," she said quickly, standing up. "Niccolo, tell Leonardo to come over immediately. We’re going to the firearms research institute."
After receiving the message, Leonardo quickly left the party and met her at the firearms institute in the southern part of the city.
When Lorenzo agreed to fund weapon improvements, Leonardo had spent a lot of time there.
However, most of his energy was spent on improving smaller items, like rifling and gunpowder, while more fundamental aspects had been overlooked.
"The steel we're producing right now... it’s simply not enough, right?" Hedy said, braving the hot air to inspect the workshop, tightly holding Leonardo’s hand. "Not only is it not hard enough or sharp enough, but it also requires a lot of charcoal and coal."
"That’s unavoidable," Leonardo kissed the back of her hand, reassuring her. "While it’s not on par with alloy knives, it’s still enough to scare off those Frenchmen."
"Alloy knives?" she repeated. "How powerful are they?"
"They can cut through falling feathers in the air, sharp and indestructible," Leonardo said seriously. "We have several in the research lab, but so far, no craftsmen have been able to replicate them."
"Leonardo," Hedy looked at him. "Have you tried using a microscope to observe the cross-sections of these blades?"
The expression on the man’s face shifted, clearly, he had never thought of this.
A microscope?
He opened his mouth, realizing there was something he had missed.
"To observe the cross-section of the blade?"
"Yes," Hedy emphasized. "Temperature, material, proportions, the number of times it has been forged—we can experiment with all of it."
She might not be able to wait for aluminum's widespread use, but improvements in steelmaking processes, coupled with the collaboration of chemical researchers, would be enough to create explosive, terrifying results.
After the queen issued this commission, scholars from various fields were buzzing with excitement.
On one hand, there was an irresistible reward in gold—just by making a tangible contribution to steelmaking, they could earn enough money to last a lifetime.
On the other hand, they would also receive high-level honors.
The knightly medals used to reward military achievements would be awarded to researchers who made significant contributions to the nation, once approved and verified. This would mean national recognition and gratitude for the individual!
Literary scholars began poring over ancient texts from hundreds of years ago, translating Spanish, Indian, and Greek languages, searching for clues in every small trace.
They quickly found similar boilers and began analyzing the effects of different boiler heights and air inlets.
Chemists began experimenting with different proportions and temperatures and exploring how changing fuel types could improve the hardness of steel.
Historians began researching the core steelmaking techniques from ancient Greece to the Roman Empire and tried to understand the mysterious power of the Spanish Catalan furnace.
It was rumored that the swords used by their knights were forged from a combination of various materials—soon, merchants started hawking foreign daggers and long swords, with prices increasing both openly and covertly.
The first code to be deciphered was coal.
Coal is more stable than charcoal and provides an abundant energy source.
Using coal for iron smelting significantly improves both efficiency and quality.
This material, considered by the Catholic Church as the "sinful black earth," the filthy substance used to bury the bones of the damned,
was, in the real world, a boon for industry and metallurgy.
Merchants in La Spezia had made a fortune in recent years, with many becoming rich just by opening coal mines.
It was rumored that many Persian merchants had started flocking to this small city, eager to sell all their gems there.
The second secret lay in quenching.
If steel is suddenly plunged into cold water while still at a high temperature, the internal pores and structure of the material undergo significant changes.
Leonardo designed high furnaces for the craftsmen that could deliver more air and raise temperatures, and also created manual and semi-automatic blowers.
With the combined power of the high furnaces and the blowers, steel could withstand higher temperatures, while also effectively preventing oxidation and decarbonization during the heating process.
Now, as June approached, light rains fell everywhere, and the steel furnaces' chimneys continuously emitted white smoke, like the light of a lighthouse in the fog.
As both children began to speak their first words, yet another letter was delivered swiftly by a fast horse.
Scholars in Milan had uncovered the third secret.
This secret was the most obscure and the most important.
—The core process of steelmaking lies in the treatment of carbon content.
Pig iron and copper are inferior to alloys made by combining materials.
The amount of carbon directly influences the stability of weapons and cannons.
Craftsmen in Milan had already succeeded in creating cannons that were both lightweight and easy to move.