Chapter 82

As soon as I returned to Blueport, I began to ride to meet Frost for a report.

“Captain Frost, have you secured the cows for moving the machines and for the land where I mentioned we would build the factory?”

“I have cooperated with the district heads and secured ample land for the factory. I also purchased the cows from nearby farms at a reasonable price.”

“Good, then has there been any progress on the method for salting the herring? It should be about time to get results for the knife or the salinity of the brine.”

“A fisherman named Wilhelm Zenfeld has already claimed to have found a suitable knife and salinity for the brine. However, the reward to be given is quite large…”

Even for nobles above a baron, 500 gold coins is a huge sum, and even though I am favored, this is a decision that a mere captain who has just been knighted cannot make.

Honestly, while a knife would be fine as long as it increases the speed of cleaning herring, the salinity must be at a level that can be preserved for at least two months.

“How long does he say it takes to clean herring with that knife?”

“He claims that when he uses a different knife, he cleans 500 herring a day, but with this knife, he can easily handle around 1,000. He also said that the herring can be kept for about five days with the brine he found.”

“If there are still herring left, store them for another three weeks and feed them to the prisoner convicted of grave crimes. If that prisoner remains unharmed after eating herring that has been salted for a month, reward him with 500 gold coins.”

“Yes, understood.”

Frost replied, but he looked somewhat puzzled.

After all, he hadn’t fought for me directly, so it must be hard to comprehend that he could receive a reward of 500 gold coins.

If even Frost, currently the most successful illegitimate son, reacted this way, it would not be surprising if many held grievances once this news spreads through the territory…

It seems necessary to hold a promotional event to ensure that such small contributions could receive rewards…

I placed my hand on Frost’s shoulder and asked.

“You seem to have some complaints. Speak honestly.”

At my words, Frost shook his head and said, “No, how could I harbor dissatisfaction with Your Excellency’s will?”

Though Frost is five years older than me, perhaps because I have only dealt with scheming nobles over 40 years old, his pure display of discomfort in front of me seemed endearingly innocent.

So, I chuckled slightly and said, “Haha, that’s not it. It is understandable to have complaints; after all, a mere fisherman who has not fought for the territory, like you and me, receiving a reward of 500 gold coins could indeed seem unfair. So, I will ask you this.”

“Please, ask away.”

“If, using the techniques provided by that fisherman, I generate substantial income and manage to provide half armor to all the soldiers of Captain Frost’s regiment, if your soldiers, thanks to that armor, remain unharmed by swords and spears and achieve remarkable feats… would you still say that fisherman has no merit?”

Upon hearing my words, Frost seemed to understand and smiled brightly as he replied, “Although he did not fight in the war, if the armor provided by that fisherman kept the soldiers unharmed… I believe he could be considered to have made some contribution.”

“Indeed, and I am convinced that the technique of that fisherman will generate income beyond the cost of providing armor for your regiment. To exaggerate a bit, if the technique that fisherman devised has the effects I imagine, it will be sufficient to sustain a barony. So, I ask you this.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Do you believe, as his lord, that I have an obligation to reward him adequately?”

After hearing my words, Frost stared blankly and did not respond.

“If you think so, do not be jealous. Instead, that serf, regardless of any merit they may achieve, will never be granted land as long as they do not fight in a war. So, why be jealous of someone who would only be a minor noble?”

“That is correct. No matter how much money he has, he will not receive the greatest honor of a noble, which is land, so I shouldn’t have been jealous.”

“Precisely. Oh, and do you think Chris Bellado has any value?”

Upon hearing that, Frost replied with a serious expression.

“Putting aside her gender, Bellado is an excellent bureaucrat. However, she is unsuitable as a soldier.”

“I see.”

“And she sometimes engages in unnecessary contact with inspectors under the district chiefs.”

To demonstrate that even commoners can rise up, I deliberately hired Chris, and she now covets more than what has been allowed to her…

However, she hasn’t crossed any lines yet, so I will refrain from immediate discipline, but…

“I will dismiss her from the position of adjutant and instead appoint her as bailiff to oversee minor matters within the city. She’s reasonably intelligent and suitable for such tasks.”

“Yes, understood. And it seems we will soon arrive at the smeltery that Your Excellency has meticulously built.”

At that, I responded cheerfully.

“I am looking forward to it. If this operates properly, I believe I can provide iron armor to all your soldiers as I mentioned.”

Frost smiled and said, “No matter how much Your Excellency believes, I cannot trust that. How expensive and precious iron is…”

**

The largest section of the publication I worked on with my professor during my master’s program was not about strategy and tactics, nor was it law.

This is because strategy and tactics merely lead to a few great victories in war, and the value of law changes according to the social conditions and production capabilities of the time.

For that reason, my professor and I focused on inventions that could change the era.

One of them was ‘sugar,’ and now I presented the ‘knife and brine for cleaning herring’ that I aimed to create.

Among these, the most important discovery we wrestled with through blood, sweat, and research was the smeltery that I was now looking at, created in a remote area that required over three hours of riding from Blueport.

At the top of the sloped land, there was the entrance to a furnace capable of holding coal and crushed iron ore, reaching down to about six meters below the furnace floor.

Then, near the bottom, there was a channel for the molten iron to flow through.

In the small openings between these channels, a bellows powered by a stream of water continued to blow air into the furnace.

At the end of the roughly five-meter-long channel, there was equipment for transferring a certain amount of molten iron to another container and dousing it with water to cool it.

Upon seeing this scene, Frost looked at me with astonished voice and asked, “Your Excellency… is this the smeltery you mentioned? I met you for the first time after suddenly receiving a map… Why is it so large? Is iron truly pouring out continuously from this colossal building?”

“That’s correct. After breaking the ore from the iron mine in Windheim upstream, it will be sent down the river and burned with firewood. Once it starts operating, you will see, as you said, iron will be poured out continuously.”

According to calculations made with the skilled artisans of Croilet and those debt-ridden slaves from the free city of Hamburg…

Every day, although it’s wrought iron close to pig iron, we can produce usable iron weighing in the tens of tons.

If we supply this to various blacksmith guilds, we would indeed be able to equip all soldiers with half armor.

“Then, Your Excellency, what about concerns regarding the leakage of technology? If our technology leaks, the enemy country will surely try to create the same thing, right?”

“Ah, very soldier-like of you, but there’s no need for such worries. Let’s head over now. Oh, and can you lend me your armor for a moment?”

At my stupid request, Frost was startled but soon helped me put on his armor.

Then we pretended to head through the back door of the smeltery.

Just then, a loud voice rang out from the watchtower above.

“Stop there! Who goes there! Put your hands up and lie down now! Anyone attempting to trespass by the order of Your Excellency, Siel von Croilet, will be shot on sight.”

“I am indeed Siel von Croilet!!”

Hearing those words, one of the soldiers from the watchtower came down, aiming a crossbow at me, and said, “Then show me your identification that proves you are Count Siel von Croilet! Without identification, even if it’s you, you cannot pass!”

I deliberately pretended not to have the identification and shouted loudly, “Is it absolutely necessary to carry such things! If I were a noble, I would be striking a bell by now!”

At that moment, a loud bell rang so that all watchtowers could hear, and the guards at the smeltery began to descend rapidly, equipping themselves with armor, crossbows, and swords.

At the same time, they aimed their crossbows at my feet and fired.

Upon seeing this, Frost stepped in front of them with a shocked voice, showing the inscription on his sword as he spoke. “I am Captain Frost! And this person is indeed Count Siel von Croilet! Is it sane to shoot arrows nonetheless?”

Upon hearing this, the guard who shot the arrow knelt and apologized. “I’m sorry, sir. However, it is a strict order from Your Excellency…”

I then patted the guard on the shoulder, stood him up, and asked, “What is your name?”

“It’s Max! I came from Hamburg.”

“I see, Max. Well done. It would have been a problem if you shot without my orders. However, this is clearly a matter I instructed, so let’s reward you. I will bring meat and alcohol in about two days, so enjoy it as you wish.”

Max’s eyes sparkled at my words as he replied. “Yes, thank you, Your Excellency!”

Then I whispered to Frost next to me, “Today, since the work hasn’t really started yet, it’s just this much. If the work has begun, anyone trying to enter would be a target for execution. So, do not worry about the technology being stolen.”

**

Then, Frost and I took the supervisor alongside and climbed up to the control tower overlooking the smeltery.

After a while, the sound of a trumpet signaled that all preparations for the site were complete.

“Supervisor, give the command to start the work.”

Hearing my words, the supervisor rang the bell twice and shouted down. “Commence work! Everyone, move as trained!!”

As soon as those words ended, the workers below began to move in an orderly fashion.

Before long, heat started to rise from the furnace, and even from a distance, we began to feel the heat as we stood relatively far from the work area.

Feeling the scorching heat even from afar felt unbearable.

So I turned to the supervisor next to me and asked, “How long do you think we’ll need to heat it up from here?”

“To melt the iron… We have been heating it for a few months, so it should take about three hours.”

“I see…”

Thus, Frost and I, along with the supervisor, waited for about three hours.

Finally, the entrance to the air inlet going to the furnace opened, and soon after, the pig iron, close to molten iron, was discharged.

Seeing the immensely red-hot iron even from afar, the supervisor smiled and said, “It’s a success. While it may take time to stop and restart it, the remaining iron scraps inside the furnace can be melted again when fueled, and the channel for the molten iron can be created swiftly! So this is a great success, Your Excellency.”

“Now, once we start extracting iron, I’ll award ten gold coins to the upper managers, five gold coins to the lower managers, and three gold coins to the workers. Everyone, do your best.”

I then suppressed a smile in front of them and hurriedly rode away from them.

Then I shouted out loud, “Taste the foundation of the industrial revolution that’s hundreds of years ahead! Evil Romanians!! When I invade your territory, I’ll equip even the lowest soldiers with half armor and charge forward!!”