(Bonus update 20/25, with thanks to Bei Ming Luo Yu for the tip.)
Little Knife brought the Silver Shield Noble into the Golden Road's Shipboard Factory to show him the Lasguns produced there.
The Golden Road's Shipboard Factory made exceptionally efficient use of its space, with semiautomated machinery stacked from floor to ceiling.
The enormous space, several football fields in size, was packed with automated machinery, leaving room only for support columns and access passages where workers could enter to service the equipment.
A flicker of astonishment crossed the Silver Shield Noble's face at the sight of this overwhelming industrial complex.
Their planet had few factories. It was a feudal Knight World, after all, and in some small villages, one could even see blacksmiths forging iron by hand.
Almost all large industrial products had to be imported.
Fortunately, the Knight Houses were highly sought after, so outside suppliers were eager to sell to them. The Knight World never lacked industrial goods.
But this was the first time this Silver Shield Noble had seen how a factory operated.
The thunderous noise and the densely packed automated machinery, enough to make his scalp prickle, left him marveling. Was this how the industrial goods they used every day were made?
Little Knife took a Lasrifle from the sample room and handed it to the Silver Shield Noble.
"My lord, take a look. This is the Lasgun we manufacture. Its internal energy-focusing crystal is better than those used by other manufacturers, giving its beam greater range and power. The gun is tougher, too!"
The Silver Shield Noble took the rifle and hefted it, feeling that it was very well made.
He was a military noble with a keen eye for military equipment. The moment he picked it up, he knew it was a good