Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"This is a different matter," Winters said breezily, changing the subject, "I plan to build a water-powered sawmill."

"Where will you get the water from?"

"Isn't there a river outside of the town center?"

"The water is so shallow, will it work?"

Winters said with pride, "That's what you don't understand. First, we'll use a water wheel to lift the water into the reservoir, then use the reservoir to drive the gears. No problem."

"Oh."

"You don't seem surprised."

"Oh!"

Winters burst into laughter, but suddenly, his laughter turned into a sigh.

He said with frustration, "Without the caravan, we can't buy anything, not even graphite. I was drawing the plans for the sawmill last night, using what Colonel Jeska had left me, and there's only a little bit left. Sigh, I wonder how the Colonel is doing now?"

Upon hearing this, Pierre also heaved a sigh.

"What do you say, if we find Colonel Jeska and bring him to Wolf Town to retire?"

"Sounds good."

Thinking of the Colonel made Winters feel melancholic. Clenching his teeth, he said, "I need to make a trip to Revodan."

"I'll go with you," Pierre said without any hesitation.

"No, you need to stay," Winters laughed, "If I'm not here, and you're not here, Wolf Town would fall apart."

Talking as they walked, they arrived at the blacksmith workshop.

Misha and the bricklayer Shaun were forging nails, Shaun's brother was sweating profusely as he worked the bellows, and the young blacksmith Carlos was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Carlos?" Winters was puzzled, "Wasn't he the one who wanted to see me?"

"Who knows?" Old Misha said helplessly, "That kid and Vashka are up to something secretive; who knows what they're up to."

As Winters was putting on his clothes, he casually asked the old blacksmith, "What do you think about the young lad Carlos?"

"The kid... he's pretty good," Old Misha shook his head with a wry smile, "He's got skills, but he's not a patch on his brother. His brother is steady, can sit still. Carlos is smart and lively."

Winters nodded, cleared his throat, and bellowed, "Vashka!"

Vasya's voice came back from not far away, "Coming! Coming!"

The clever duo ran back to the blacksmith shop, breathless.

Both of them were covered in mud on their clothes and trousers, and their hands and faces were, too, looking as if they had just been pulled out of a mud pit, with only their eyes rolling around.

"Have you two been playing in the mud?" Winters didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh.

Vashka, full of high spirits and dancing around, said, "We've prepared a big gift for you!"

"What gift?"

"Guess?"

The next second, a boot print appeared on Vashka's rear.

"What gift?"

Vashka, not daring to dawdle any longer, brought over a plank of wood from outside the workshop, with a hand-sculpted clay cup on it.

Even the clay was wet, not yet fired.

"Look! This is it!" Vashka said animatedly, "With this, you won't have to worry about food or clothes for the rest of your life! I thought of bringing it to you first!"

The crowd was perplexed, and Winters's expression grew more grave.

Pierre couldn't help but chide, "Vasya! Stop fooling around! How can you..."

"No!" Winters stopped Pierre, "Let him speak."

"Vasya didn't mean to offend you..."

Winters ignored everyone else and looked directly at Carlos, "You speak!"

"Lord Montaigne!" Carlos said with a passionate air, "please allow me to present to you — a blast furnace!"

Without needing Carlos's explanation, and while the others were still confused, Winters had already recognized that the "clay cup" was actually a model of a smelting furnace.

Though crudely made, it had a bellows, a fill opening, and an outflow, all the essentials.

"I've seen blast furnaces," Winters asked Carlos directly, "Have you studied iron smelting?"

"I have."

"Who taught you?"

"My father."

"Your brother knows how to do that too?"

"He does."

"Can you build a furnace?"

"I can."

"And you understand the craft?"

"A bit, but my brother knows the most."

Winters and Carlos were questioning and answering at a rapid pace.

In the blacksmith workshop, there were a total of seven people. Apart from Winters and Carlos, four were utterly unable to keep up with the conversation, only Pierre could somewhat understand.

"Where do you get the charcoal?"

"With wood, you can make it."

"Ore?"

"Allow me to discuss this with you in private."

"Can you manage on your own?"

"I need my brother."

Winters sighed, "We really need to bring your brother back soon."

Carlos nodded frantically.

Winters led Pierre, Vashka, and Carlos to a deserted spot outside the blacksmith shop.

"Tell me, where does the iron ore come from?" Winters asked, "Since you brought this up, you must have a plan."

Carlos did not expect Winters to be so direct; he looked at Vashka.

Vashka hurriedly continued, "Centurion, do you know why they call it the Red River Tribe?"

"Why?" Winters had a foreboding feeling.

"The Red River is the Hanlan River. During the spring and summer when the torrential rains cause flash floods, the waters of the Hanlan River turn as red as blood—that's why it's called the Red River!"

"Go on!"

Carlos licked his lips, made a decision, and said, "The Republic of Montaigne also has a Red River, which the Montans call the Rose River. The Rose River... is right next to Steelhold."

Winters snorted coldly, "Don't tell me you're going to say the Red River Tribe is sitting on a mountain of iron ore, and they don't know about it?"

"Surface mining is different from deep mining!" Carlos was getting anxious, "The red color of the Rose River comes from the iron sandstone that the rain washes away. Both the Hanlan and the Rose Rivers originate in the Sheltering Mountains and change color with flash floods; it's very possible that the upstream of Hanlan River also has iron ore."

"Deep mining, how do you explore?"

"Go to Steelhold to hire prospectors! You can get them if you pay!"

"How will you mine it?"

"With men you can mine, and we can buy the equipment from Steelhold!"

"Once bought, how will you transport it to Hanlan River?"

Question after question had Carlos pinned against the wall. But hearing this question, he suddenly countered, "My lord, where do you think the Hurd's iron comes from?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Hurd wilderness is connected to the Republic of Montaigne."

"There are mountains in between."

A subtle smile appeared on Carlos's face, "Who says... you can't run caravans through the mountains?"

Winters laughed heartily, spitting fiercely, "Damn!"

Pierre and Vashka were clueless.

"What do you want?" Winters asked Carlos sternly.

"I just want my brother to come back safely."

"Good! It's a deal," Winters instructed Vashka, "Call Xial here."

Soon, Vashka brought Xial over.

"Xial, you're to make a trip to the Red River Tribe." Winters made a prompt decision, "Vashka, pick two people to accompany Xial there."

"Yes!"

"Take a message to White Lion for me."

"What message?"

"Ask him," Winters sneered," does he want to do business?"