Chapter 9: The Furnace of Ambition
[Precision Forging Blast Furnace (Green): After personally participating in, or directly overseeing, the construction of a smelting furnace within the territory, metal extraction rate increases by 50%, impurity removal efficiency increases by 50%, and the strength of finished products increases by 100%.]
"Another enchanted attribute!"
Rhodes' eyes lit up instantly.
Taking iron ore as an example, the extraction rate in this era usually hovered between 50% and 60%.
With the bonus from the affix, the iron yield from a furnace built by Rhodes could reach 75%–90%.
That was a qualitative leap.
Why bother selling ore? He could make money simply by buying ore and smelting it into iron billets.
No… not yet.
Iron billets with lower impurities and doubled strength couldn't be sold casually. Not for now.
Rhodes pondered as he reviewed the knowledge flooding his mind.
Along with the attribute bonus, unlocking the entry had granted him detailed information about blast furnaces—their construction, structure, and operation.
The design itself was not impossibly advanced. It was essentially an improved version of a traditional furnace—but its principles were centuries ahead of this era.
Blast furnaces were larger, often three to five meters tall, and far more rational in design.
Compared to ordinary furnaces, they achieved higher internal temperatures, smelted iron more efficiently, and produced metal with significantly fewer impurities.
More importantly, they could operate continuously. As long as sufficient raw materials were supplied, molten iron could flow without interruption—ideal for large-scale production.
However, constructing a true blast furnace required refractory bricks or massive amounts of stone, and typically took several months to half a year to complete.
That was far too long for Rhodes' current situation.
After skimming the remaining details, he checked the unlock requirement for the next entry.
[Next Entry Requirement: Produce 100 catties of pig iron within the territory. Reward: Mineral Vein Detection.]
"Fortunately, I don't have to smelt it myself," Rhodes muttered. "Otherwise I'd be stuck by the furnace day and night."
He closed the system panel and turned around—only to find everyone staring at him.
"What?"
"My lord," Durant said carefully, "your smile just now was… somewhat alarming."
Rhodes ignored the remark and looked at Harold.
"How much iron ore do we currently have?"
Harold turned toward the blacksmith—the owner of the shop.
The blacksmith stiffened.
He had already felt uneasy when the lord personally helped repair his workshop earlier. Now his fears seemed justified.
The lord has his eye on my iron ore.
"A little over a hundred pounds, sir," he answered honestly, glancing nervously at the two armored knights beside Rhodes.
A little over a hundred pounds… too little.
Iron ore wasn't expensive in the Northern Wastes. A hundred pounds cost about one silver coin.
In truth, if not for heavy taxation, skilled craftsmen like blacksmiths could live quite comfortably.
The fact that this man possessed so little iron ore suggested one thing:
His skills were mediocre.
Fortunately, Rhodes had brought Harold from the city.
One hundred pounds of iron ore would normally yield at most twenty pounds of iron. Even with an enhanced furnace, it would only produce around thirty pounds of pig iron.
That wasn't nearly enough.
A single set of plate armor required fifty to sixty pounds of iron. Even refining all this ore would barely produce enough for one piece.
"Where do you obtain your iron ore?" Rhodes asked. "Otto never mentioned an iron mine nearby."
"You can sometimes find fragments in the mountains and riverbeds," the blacksmith replied. "Or we trade with the people of Blackrock Mountain."
"Who are they?"
"They live deep in the Blackrock Mountains. Mostly hunters. They trade hides and iron ore for food."
Rhodes nodded slowly.
The Blackrock Mountains lay northwest of Frostleaf Town, roughly eighty miles away—a vast stretch of dense forest covering over a thousand square kilometers. Its territory rivaled that of minor counts within the Shattered Rock Empire.
Rich in wildlife and fed by branching rivers at its base, it was no surprise iron veins existed there.
Technically, the Blackrock Mountains marked the northwestern boundary of Blackpine Ridge. But in the Northern Wastes, borders were rarely clear.
From Rhodes' perspective, Blackrock Mountain was part of Blackpine Ridge.
Though he hadn't even inspected all of Blackpine Ridge yet. Managing Blackrock would have to wait.
"Smelt that hundred pounds of ore," Rhodes said. "You'll receive full compensation."
He looked directly at the blacksmith.
"I can pay you in silver, give you rye immediately, or record it as work points for future grain exchange."
He could have seized the ore outright.
But a blacksmith was a skilled asset. Skilled assets were investments.
And after the recent tax collection, Rhodes wasn't short on food—over thirty thousand catties of barley and wheat combined, along with eggs, frozen meat, fish, and more.
He had resources.
What he lacked was currency—barely five hundred copper coins.
Since coins circulated poorly here anyway, Rhodes had instructed Lawrence to create a work-point ledger based on copper coin value. All commoners—except slaves—would accumulate work points.
Points would be settled at the end of each month. Civilians could exchange them for food and goods or save them.
He couldn't let people work for nothing. Sooner or later, they would flee.
Work points created both compensation and attachment.
"There's enough rye at home…" the blacksmith said quietly. "If possible, I would prefer some meat or fish, sir."
"You'll receive fish tomorrow. Today's labor will be recorded as work points."
Blacksmithing required strength. Strength required protein.
"Thank you, my lord."
The blacksmith bowed deeply, visibly moved.
The lord hadn't seized his ore. He had even repaired the workshop personally.
Perhaps… the lord wasn't as cruel as rumored.
Rhodes turned to Durant.
"Gather all iron ore collected through taxes. Smelt it together."
The tax reserves contained roughly two hundred kilograms of ore.
That would be enough to forge two pieces of equipment first.
Whether plate armor or chainmail, production would take nearly a month. There was time to acquire more ore in the meantime.
"Prepare materials for the furnace. We smelt everything today."
A low-temperature bloomery furnace primarily used clay mixed with quartz sand and hay.
First, lay a sand foundation. Then a hardened layer of clay mixed with quartz sand to ensure stability.
The clay would be rolled into thick cylinders, bent into semi-circles, and stacked layer by layer into a truncated cone shape.
Importantly, the fire must be started when the structure was halfway built, allowing it to dry gradually during construction.
The charcoal-to-ore ratio should be 1:1.
Final iron yield would be roughly 10%–20% of the ore's weight.
Higher-quality ore meant higher output.
"Sir… will you help build the furnace?" the blacksmith asked in surprise.
Durant and Gunther exchanged knowing looks. They had already seen their lord plow fields with his own hands.
"I'll build one," Rhodes said calmly. "You build another. Harold and Gunnar will mix the clay."
He was conducting an experiment.
How much involvement qualified as "participation"?
If he merely ordered its construction, would that count?
After all, in criminal law, the mastermind bore the heaviest sentence.
The blacksmith scratched his head, confused about why two furnaces were necessary.
Rhodes offered no explanation.
"Begin."
The Furnace of Blackpine Ridge would not merely melt iron.
It would forge power.
(End of Chapter)