At noon the next day, Joseph and Marquis Leissard discussed the expansion plans for Brest Naval University.
This was a school that taught ship design and construction, as well as nautical astronomy—not a military academy.
However, France's largest specialized shipbuilding university currently admitted only 130 students each year, spread across fifteen majors.
Joseph planned to double the school's size. Especially after ships began using steam engines, demand for specialized technicians was increasing by the day; the training of talent had to keep pace.
"We can hire some older technicians from United Steam Engine Company to serve as professors..."
As Joseph was speaking, he saw Eman walking over quickly. Eman bowed to him and said, "Your Highness, Mr. Trevithick has already arrived at the shipyard, and he brought two steam engines with him."
Joseph nodded. "Please have him wait for me in the main design room."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Half an hour later, when Joseph returned to the building in front of the design room, Trevithick and three assistants immediately came forward to greet him and bowed in salute.
Joseph smiled and nodded to them, then gestured toward the design room. "I thought you should have arrived earlier than I did."
Trevithick hurried to follow him. "Saint-Malo had a downpour. I was worried the steam engines would take on water, so I waited there for three days."
As he spoke, he pointed toward the four carriages parked in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by more than a dozen guards. "Fortunately, they were all transported here safely."
"When can they be installed for testing?"
"It will only take half a day, Your Highness."
"Very good." Joseph walked into an office on the second floor, gestured for Trevithick to sit, and waited until Eman had closed the door before saying, "Your main