Chapter 278:

Chapter 278:

The Ptolemaic dynasty did not leave much of a legacy to the future generations after its golden age.UppTodated from nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m

But they did construct some remarkable masterpieces, one of which was a splendid and huge royal barge for the pharaohs.

It was a bit smaller than other ships built for ocean voyages, but that was only because it was compared to the largest ship in ancient history.

The royal barge was over 100 meters long and 10 meters wide.

Even after 100 years since its construction, this ship was still used for the pharaohs cruises, thanks to constant maintenance and repairs.

It had luxurious bathtubs for bathing at any time during the Nile cruise, as well as separate spaces for meetings and banquets.

It even had separate accommodations for the pharaoh and the servants, which showed how massive this ship was.

However, since it was not meant for sailing, it only had two rows of oarsmen, so its speed was not very fast.

The speed of the barge was similar to that of the escort soldiers who followed it.

Therefore, it was a common sight to see the pharaoh enjoying the cruise leisurely while leaving the soldiers behind and looking at the riverside.

This splendid barge was filled with more and more dazzling decorations and furniture over time.

When Marcus saw the pharaohs barge for the first time, he noticed ivory and gold, as well as ornaments from India and China.

The statues and paintings were also cultural assets that could fetch a fortune just by their creators names.

He understood why Cleopatra and Arsinoe wanted to show him this ship.

But to drag this ship all the way to the Tigris River

Marcus sneered as he saw the barge filling up the Tigris River and the waves of escort troops following it.

Isnt it amazing? Rome may be superior in everything else, but it would be hard to find such a magnificent ship in Rome.

Arsinoes voice from the golden throne was full of pride.

Yes. Rome has countless ships, but I doubt there is any as huge and splendid as this one.

This ship is like a divine object that symbolizes the dignity and authority of the pharaoh. When people see this ship sailing down the Nile, they can experience the glory of the pharaoh firsthand.

But this important ship is now on the Tigris River.

I cant help it. You are too busy to join us on a Nile cruise. So we compromised and decided to cruise on the Tigris River. It took a lot of manpower and time to bring this ship here.

Marcus rolled his tongue at Arsinoe and Cleopatras will.

How did they move this ship from between Memphis and Alexandria to the Tigris River?

They must have spent a lot of money as well as manpower and time.

If he refused to join them on the cruise after they put so much effort into it, he might hear some complaints.

He had just finished a large-scale war and wanted to rest for a while.

It wouldnt be bad to take a look around the Tigris River and imprint its scenery in his eyes.

The cruise was more interesting than he expected.

Because of the surge in trade volume in recent years, he saw large ships with sails crossing the river without rest.

He also noticed water shops that traded with those ships, and he enjoyed watching the goods loaded on the carts of merchants moving along the riverside.

The traffic is too heavy, so it seems to put a strain on the guards who supervise it. I guess I have to increase their numbers.

Are you still thinking about that here? You came here to relax, so you should enjoy yourself.

As Marcus muttered while watching a guard busting a ship that transported illegal goods, Cleopatra sighed deeply.

I am enjoying myself. I regret not taking some time to look around the Nile when I was in Egypt.

Right? The Tigris River is great too, but it cant compare to the Nile. If you ever come to Egypt again, lets enjoy a cruise together. Then Ill show you our best ocean-going ship.

Ill do that if I have some free time.

Marcus immersed himself in appreciation for a while and savored his rest.

He wondered how long it had been since he enjoyed a leisurely cruise on a ship and took in the surroundings.

He couldnt even remember if he had ever done that in his modern memories that were now vague.

He had traveled to many places in Rome, but most of them were to lead his army and conquer lands.

It might have been decades since he had a time to soothe his tired mind by admiring the scenery around him.

But then another problem might arise.

He could not predict how his technology and military power that were far ahead of his time would run wild.

And it was too late to put brakes on development speed now.

He had already sown seeds in basic fields, so results would start coming out from various places even without his intervention.

But fortunately or unfortunately, the results of accelerated development were faster than Marcus expected.

He did not have much time left to worry about it.

The alchemists who were conducting research projects under Marcuss orders were spending happy days with joy of learning new knowledge recently.

The pleasure of solving many questions that they had agonized over without knowing answers was not something that could be expressed in words.

They reduced their sleeping hours drastically and spent every day on research and experiments.

They even changed their names.

They had started to call themselves chemists instead of alchemists.

Although their methods were crude and primitive, they already knew how to magnify objects with lenses.

With Marcuss explanation of the principle of the microscope, they went through a lot of trial and error and managed to make a rudimentary one.

Of course, it was too shameful to call it a real microscope, but it was still a tremendous advancement for them.

They also systematically mixed substances and recorded the stimuli and reactions that occurred.

Soon, they made an amazing discovery.

The chief chemist, Philithrios, hastily invited Marcus to report this discovery.

Marcus, who had returned from his tour, followed the call of the chemists and walked to their laboratory.

Recently, the chemists laboratory had been blocked by a very thick iron door at their request.

Two chemists who were guarding the door bowed down to greet him as soon as they recognized Marcuss face.

You have worked hard. Open the door.

Please forgive us and wait a little. The final experiment is in progress inside, and it may be dangerous, so we have closed the door twice.

If I remember correctly, this side should be an empty lot inside? But it may be dangerous

That was when it happened.

Boom!

A huge explosion and a vibration that shook the ground came from inside.

The source was clearly behind the iron door.

Is this sound perhaps

This is the result of our recent discovery. But it is too dangerous, so we are handling it carefully. We wanted to show it to Shahansha and ask for your opinion when it is safe

Bang! Bang!

A few more explosions rang out.

Marcus was not surprised by the deafening noise in his ears.

The chemists who saw him were impressed and licked their tongues.

They were so startled when they first encountered this phenomenon that they fell over and bit their buttocks.

Some of them even trembled and grabbed their heads, saying it was the wrath of Amun-Ra.

But Marcus was different.

The reason he was not surprised was simple.

He had heard much bigger explosions when he was in the Korean army before.

Compared to his memories then, this was clearly a pitiful sound, so there was no reason to be alarmed and make a fuss.

However, for a different reason, there was a hint of embarrassment in Marcuss voice that came out of his mouth.

This is faster than I expected

End