Iron Powder and Spellcaster

The weather is getting colder, the vitality is stagnant, and the vegetation is withering.

Not only ordinary people are gradually reluctant to go out; Red Rose and Blue Rose, who are covered with bruises, also call it quits and return to their lairs to lick their wounds and accumulate strength for the coming year.

The devastated Plato finally got a brief respite. People mended clothes, prepared for winter storage, and enjoyed the hard-won peace and tranquility.

On the southwest border of Plato, the remote and barren Tiefeng County is a bustling scene.

The messenger cavalry carrying the green flag is heading to various villages and towns to deliver the first issue of the "Communication Bulletin".

Tiefeng County's first "grievance meeting" consultation meeting is also under intense preparation.

Refugee farms and military camps are still racing against time to prepare land and sow seeds. Winter is about to come, and the days are getting shorter and shorter, so everyone is getting more and more aggressive.

If the plowing animals are too tired to carry the plows, then use people to pull the plows in shifts; if there is not enough power during the day, then light a bonfire at night to continue.

Because they are not working for "Montagne Monsignor", nor are they working for a certain manor owner, but working for themselves.

The human mentality is always strange. Opportunities become slimmer and slimmer, and people are even more reluctant to let go. In terms of motivation alone, the days at the beginning of autumn plowing were far inferior to the last few days.

The refugees and the land granting soldiers were working like crazy, while the old yeoman farmers had arrived at the most pleasant time of the year.

The homesteaders' winter wheat, barley and rye were mostly sown in late September or early October, and are now growing well.

Wheat seedlings are sprouting out of the ground in groups, and the farmland is green, like a newly built lawn, adding a rare touch of vitality to the autumn and winter seasons.

In fact, the yeoman's wheat fields were in great danger.

The problem is not that they are not growing well, but that they are growing too well. This year is a warm winter, and some wheat fields that were sown early have begun to joint.

In a few days, when the temperature really drops, all the wheat seedlings that have begun to joint early will be frozen to death.

Old Falmer—the “agricultural consultant” Winters hired back from Wolf Town—was worried about this.

Countermeasures?

Winters didn't have one, but he knew where it was.

He had immediately sent a messenger to summon major grain growers from nearby villages and towns to Jevaudan to discuss countermeasures.

"Sir, what if no one can think of a good idea?" Old Falmer was still worried.

"It's okay, old gentleman." Winters already had a lot of debts, he joked: "On the day of famine, I still have Andrea Cellini."

…

October 30, 559 in the imperial calendar, the second day after Winters returned to Gévaudan, was an ordinary yet special day.

Ordinary, because the sun rises as usual today and will set as usual.

Extraordinary—perhaps worthy of grand commemoration, because today, Winters will officially start smelting iron.

After the hard work of the Mason seniors, the potter brothers and the masons brought from Gevaudin, the blast furnace was completed.

The smelting furnace is located on a flat platform on Tiefeng Mountain, far away from human settlements and close to the mines, making it easy to obtain ore.

According to Carlos's requirements, the furnace body was built with double-layer refractory bricks and was more than four meters high. From a distance, it looks like a giant long-necked vase placed on the mountainside.

If Carlos hadn't insisted on lighting the fire until Winters came back, Senior Mason would have already advanced to the next step.

"I've done all the bragging for you, don't worry and do it boldly." About to get serious, Winters laughed and slapped the little blacksmith on the back: "What are you afraid of? Hold your head high!"

Carlos's upper teeth hit his lower teeth. He swallowed hard and nodded desperately.

Everyone could see that the little blacksmith was extremely nervous.

Carlos fasted three days in advance and even took a shower and put on a new set of clothes this morning. Moreover, he does not allow anyone to say the words "extinguish" or "failure", and he will get angry with anyone who says so.

To be honest, Winters didn't have high hopes for the young blacksmith's abilities.

If the little blacksmith brother Balian said "it can be done", Winters would not hesitate to put down all the chips;

But Carlos Sawyer... Just seeing how he could hit it off with a smart guy like Vashica, Winters had an ominous intuition.

But he really hoped that the little blacksmith could prove his intuition wrong with practical actions.

Opening a furnace to smelt iron is a really big event. When the blacksmiths in Forge Township heard the news, they all wanted to come and broaden their horizons.

Not only the blacksmith, but also the prominent citizens of Gevaudan and even the little lion wanted to find out.

Winters didn't agree and pushed back.

Especially the keen and intelligent little lion who is both friend and foe. Although Winters felt a little guilty, he still insisted on asking Senior Juan to take the little lion hunting.

On the one hand, he didn't want to reveal technical secrets; on the other hand, Winters didn't want to be embarrassed.

Therefore, the "lighting ceremony" was very deserted, with only a few participants.

Senior Mason came excitedly, and Andre was pulled over by the senior.

Moritz is away and the supply of water of life has recently been cut off. The lieutenant colonel is listless and extremely anxious all day long, and he does not like to appear in public.

Apart from the four military tribunes, only the blacksmith's son-in-law, Boltan and Chauchat, were present.

…

Returning to Gevaudan, Winters immediately visited Mr. Boltan at his door and asked the latter to be his consultant - informal, untitled and unregistered, just in line with the old blacksmith's wishes.

Also invited to become a consultant was Boltan's old enemy, tobacconist and mayor Priskin Sr.

Coupled with the farmer Mr. Falmer invited from Wolf Town, Winters has a small advisory group... The chief shadow advisor is of course "Mrs. Montagne".

…

The old blacksmith once made a wish, hoping to see the black smoke of the furnace from the window. Winters went a step further and directly invited the old man to participate in the lighting ceremony.

The old blacksmith readily agreed and took a carriage first and then a stretcher. After a lot of effort, he arrived at the foot of Iron Peak Mountain - this was the first time the old man had left Gevaudan in eight years.

Oh, and there's Kaman.

The young priest was holding a golden bowl in one hand and a small broom in the other, reluctantly spreading holy water to the blast furnace.

The Platuan people have a morbid love for "blessing ceremonies." People can be blessed, weapons can be blessed, agricultural tools can be blessed... Anyway, there is no harm in pouring some holy water on it.

So Winters gave Kaman a lot of rationale and forced him to bring Kaman to consecrate the blast furnace.

Kaman casually showered twice, splashed the remaining holy water on the wall of the furnace, and returned to Winters: "Okay, it's done."

"Aren't you going to recite a few verses?" Winters blinked.

"Chanting scriptures? Can I carve a holy symbol for you?" Kaman was at a loss for words now: "Tell me which scriptures and gospels should be used to light the fire."

"Okay, that's it." Winters didn't force it. "If this thing can be done, the people of Tiefeng County will benefit greatly. Thank you, Mr. Carman."

Kaman pursed his lips and stared at Winters for a long time. Then he turned back to the furnace angrily, held his hands on the furnace wall, laid hands on him, and muttered something.

Carlos has already prepared the preliminary work. The charcoal was neatly arranged in the shape of a funnel in the furnace cavity, just waiting for Winters to light it.

Winters was not prepared to "say a few words". When Kaman's blessing ceremony was over, he slowly closed his eyes and entered the spell-casting state.

When he opened his eyes again, the torch in his hand burst into flames.

Under the gaze of everyone, Winters solemnly lit the flame of hope.

Two cows chewed half-digested fodder leisurely and pulled the bellows leisurely.

As a steady stream of air blows into the furnace cavity, the charcoal gradually burns to a blazing red color. You can feel the scorching heat wave even standing a few meters away.

Seeing that the heat was up, Carlos filled the blast furnace with primary iron ore and limestone from above.

The raw ore mined from the old mines is screened, roasted, crushed and cleaned to obtain [primary iron ore] - as Carlos calls it.

Then what?

Then there is no more.

During the long and boring wait, only dark red slag and a small amount of golden iron slurry fell into the bottom of the furnace. No matter how devoutly Carlos prayed, no molten metal came out.

Carlos was going crazy with anxiety, Senior Mason was quite disappointed, and Andre was already impatient.

Winters didn't feel much at all - he didn't expect to succeed in the first attempt.

"You kid had to wait for me to come back before turning on the furnace." Winters joked to the little blacksmith, "Are you afraid that Captain Mason will beat you up if I'm not around?"

Carlos was about to cry right there and then for Winters to watch.

"Your Excellency, just leave Mr. Sawyer here. In the early years when we used block furnaces, it would take a whole day or even longer to start the furnace, not so fast." The old blacksmith Boltan was very calm.

He suggested to Winters: "You don't have to wait here. How about I accompany you to Forge Township and introduce you to some of my old friends?"

Winters felt that the old man was right. Whether it succeeds or fails, the results will be known tomorrow, so there is no point in waiting.

"Then I'll help you." Winters nodded with a smile.

Senior Mason came here with high hopes. Hearing that the results would not be available until tomorrow, his disappointment was palpable.

"Then I'll go back first." Senior Mason said farewell listlessly: "The racecourse is organizing manpower to cut the grass. I'll go over and take a look."

"I'll go too." Andre also wanted to leave.

Hearing the word "horse farm," Winters hurriedly grabbed his senior and said, "Please accompany me to Forge Township. Things at the racecourse are not urgent today."

As he said that, Winters gave Andre a silent look.

Andre understood and immediately changed his mind: "That's right! That's right! Go to Forge Township and look for it. There might be someone there who knows how to forge cannons!"

The reason why they don't let Senior Mason leave is because they haven't dared to mention the [Race Course Officer] to their senior yet. Now is a good opportunity.

It's okay that Andre didn't mention it, but Mason was even more distressed when he mentioned it: "I've asked everywhere, and no one in Forge Township knows how to cast bells and cannons."

"What if they are hiding it?" Wen Tesla asked the senior not to let go: "With Mr. Boltan accompanying us, their attitude will be different."

Mason sighed and reluctantly agreed.

The group headed to Forge Township, leaving Carlos and a few workers to guard the blast furnace. No one was watching and supervising, and Carlos finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Forge Township is at the foot of Iron Peak Mountain, close to the St. George River, and very close to the blast furnace.

On the way, the old blacksmith Boltan chatted with several tribunes about iron smelting.

"The principle of iron smelting is actually very simple. Just put charcoal and iron ore together and light a fire." The old blacksmith Boltan sat back and became very excited when he mentioned iron smelting: "From the earliest time I knew it, That’s what blacksmiths do.”

"The simpler it sounds," Winters said with emotion, "it may be harder to do."

"That's right." The old blacksmith held up his hands and laughed: "Similarly, if iron and charcoal are burned together, some people can make good sponge iron, some can make steel, and some can only make burnt black lumps that break when pinched. . The difficulty of smelting iron lies not in the principle, but in the process - that is, the secret recipe, experience and process."

Immediately afterwards, the old blacksmith Boltan talked about the difference between the [Block Furnace] and Carlos's [Blast Furnace].

The reason why the block smelting furnace is called "block smelting furnace" is because it "smelts a large piece of iron at a time."

"Iron has no legs and cannot walk out of the furnace on its own." The old blacksmith tried his best to figure out: "So if you use a block furnace to smelt, every time a furnace of iron is smelted, you have to dismantle the furnace wall, take out the iron and build it back again. "

Mason suddenly became interested: "Can't you melt iron into water - like bronze and gold, and let it flow out on its own?"

If you can melt molten iron, you can cast a cannon. The senior's thinking is very direct.

"It can't be done. The furnace temperature of the block smelting furnace is not enough to melt the iron into molten iron. Iron is not gold or bronze, and it is extremely difficult to melt it. The forge used by ordinary blacksmiths like us can only soften the iron a little. It’s still far away from molten iron.”

"The iron was not melted during the iron-making process? How was the iron made?" Winters asked curiously.

"Uh... I actually don't know." The old blacksmith Boltan was a little embarrassed and replied with a wry smile: "Blacksmiths can smelt iron, but why can iron be produced by burning iron ore and charcoal together? No one knows. Why iron? Will it become soft after being burned? No one knows. Why? Maybe it's because of magic."

Winters laughed heartily.

The old blacksmith Boltan advised Mason: "[Casting] is far more difficult than [forging]. Any blacksmith can forge it, but there are very few blacksmiths who know how to cast it. If you want to cast a cannon, it is best to use bronze."

"But where can I find copper materials?" Mason was a little disappointed.

"Pig ears can't be made into a silk wallet." The old blacksmith was helpless: "Without grass, there are no bricks."

Mason sighed heavily.

"It will all be there." Winters comforted the senior: "At worst, I can buy copper materials from outside."

"However." The old blacksmith Boltan's tone was hesitant: "There are rumors that the royal blacksmith in the north invented a method that can burn iron into water and cast it. Some people call that kind of iron cast iron. It's just a rumor, the specifics are I don’t know how it is done. According to my guess, a very powerful smelting furnace should be used.”

"Really?" Mason was pleasantly surprised.

"I don't know whether it's true or not..."

Andre, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said in a dull voice: "I don't know if the furnace just now can be built, so don't think about such invisible things as cast iron. If you ask me, it's better to think about it as soon as possible. What should I do..."

"We will study it when we go back." Winters said in a relaxed tone. He asked the old man for advice: "You should continue to tell us about the iron smelting furnace."

The old blacksmith Bohr answered honestly: "Actually, I don't know anything about blast furnaces, otherwise I would help you run it myself. Mr. Sawyer smelt iron in a strict and orderly manner. Even if he is not an expert, he has learned from an expert. When we first met , I am only 10% sure about Mr. Sawyer, and now I am at least 50% sure."

The old blacksmith sighed: "Although Mr. Sawyer is still young, his skills are far better than mine. My whole life...hey, I have been working in vain."

"How could it be?" Winters smiled and shook his head: "In my opinion, Mr. Sawyer's furnace has been set up, but the problem is still behind."

"Let's talk about it, what exactly is a blast furnace?" Andre yawned: "That brick tower just now was a blast furnace? Doesn't it feel like nothing?"

The old blacksmith Boltan explained to Andre again.

Briefly, a block furnace is like a cup with an opening at the top for feeding materials. It has to be dismantled once used and then put back together again;

The blast furnace is a cup with a faucet. It feeds materials at the top and taps out iron at the bottom. It can be smelted continuously.

The old blacksmith used a vulgar but vivid metaphor: "A blast furnace is like a person who keeps drinking water at the top and peeing at the bottom. A block smelting furnace drinks a large glass of water at a time and urinates once a day. Of course it cannot compare. Keep drinking and peeing.”

Andre laughed so hard that the car trembled.

"How about re-building the road after the autumn plowing is over?" Winters thought thoughtfully: "Build it according to the standards of the Legion Road and build it into a hard-surface road."

The old blacksmith Boltan was physically handicapped and could only ride in a carriage. Winters wanted to ask more advisors for advice, so he also rode in the carriage, and he also grabbed Andre and Senior Mason.

The carriage was not small, but it was very crowded with three officers in it. Winters and Andre pressed their knees, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Moreover, the road condition between Gevaudan and Forge Township was very poor, and the road was very bumpy, which awakened Winters' obsession with road construction.

"Road construction in winter?" Mason asked subconsciously.

"I only have time in winter leisure."

"I'm afraid there aren't enough manpower."

"Come on little by little. For the time being, we will only build the road from Jevaudan to Forge Township. We will slowly build the rest of the road when we have time." Winters held his forehead: "Big and small things are so complicated that they are as messy as a ball of thread. Let's Just do it one item at a time.”

"That's about right." Mason nodded, suddenly realizing something was wrong: "Who will fix it?"

Mason looked at Winters, who silently looked out the window;

Mason looked at Andre again, and Andre also looked out the window silently.

"Why is the Artillery Department called the Artillery Department?" Mason muttered with a complicated expression, "I think it should be called the Miscellaneous Army Department!"

"Senior, you might as well think about it." Winters flattered him seriously: "From top to bottom in the entire army, besides you, who else has this ability?"

"That's right." Andre said equally righteously: "The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility."

"Okay, stop flattering me. I'll take care of this matter." Mason sighed: "But I have a request."

"You can say so." Winters sat up straight, since seniors rarely make requests.

"Find some copper material. I don't believe that I can't find a hundred kilograms of copper material after searching Tiefeng County." Mason also looked out the window: "If you can't make a big one, let's make a small one for fun first. If you don't fire two cannons, your craftsmanship It’s going to be deserted again.”

…

When Winters took the carriage to Forge Country, the students at the Gévaudin School of Accountancy were taking their first class.

There was no pen and paper, so each student brought a shallow square plate with fine sand sprinkled on it, and used a wooden stick to draw on the fine sand;

There are no textbooks - Madame Montagne is still writing them;

There are no professional teachers, and the lecturers are the most senior bookkeepers hired from Priskin Trading Company.

There is no dedicated venue, so the meeting hall of the city hall is temporarily used as a classroom.

According to Mrs. Montagne's arrangement, neither arithmetic nor reading and writing were taught in the first class, but the logic of "double-entry accounting" was taught.

"Teacher" couldn't relax his voice and spoke stumblingly: "...the double-entry accounting method is actually very simple. There is one column on the left and one column on the right. One column records expenses and the other column records income..."

This senior bookkeeper is over fifty years old, but this is the first time he has looked directly into the eyes of dozens of people while teaching, so he is inevitably nervous.

The assembly hall is a two-story building. The first floor is a place for citizens to debate and discuss matters, and the second floor is for spectators to sit.

Anna was sitting on the second floor of the assembly hall at the moment, listening with her chin propped up.

She actually has no deep feelings for Wolf Town, Gevaudan and Tiefeng County, and the same is true for the accounting school. It was for that person that she worked tirelessly and busy.

But now, a strange feeling lingered in her thoughts... pride? proud? pride? It seems to be neither, and it seems to be a little bit.

Anna couldn't think clearly, which made her a little distressed and more confused.

But it is indeed very interesting. It is probably the first time in the history of Tiefeng County and even the new land that a woman opened a school and recruited men to take classes - even though she was hiding behind Winters.

"...In the double-entry accounting method, each transaction will be recorded in two account books as income and expenditure at the same time. Each account book is the basis for the audit of other account books, and they are linked... Double-entry accounting method Not for convenience, but to restrain people's greed. Never have evil thoughts, remember! That is the devil whispering to you..."

Anna listened with a critical eye.

"This teacher is not very qualified and needs to be replaced." Anna thought to herself: "We should not find the most senior bookkeeper, but the one with the loudest voice."

Anna put on her hat again and prepared to leave the meeting hall. An inadvertent glance towards the students' seats downstairs made her almost scream.

She saw Scarlett wearing men's clothes and trousers, her hair cut as short as a man's, her face dirty, sitting in the corner of the "classroom" listening to lessons.

Although Scarlett looks like a childish boy on the outside, Anna is certain that the boy is Scarlett Mitchell.

Anna felt dizzy. She knew that little Ms. Mitchell was very courageous, but she didn't expect it to be so courageous.

…

After class, Scarlett was trying to sneak out of the meeting hall quietly.

A woman with a black veil on her head stopped in front of her - Mrs. Medellin, Mrs. Mitchell's maid.

Scarlett tried to pretend she didn't know Mrs. Medellin, but Mrs. Medellin obviously recognized her.

So Scarlett was taken away on the spot.

Mrs. Medellin did not take Scarlett back to see Mrs. Mitchell, but took Scarlett to the officers' apartment near the garrison.

Scarlett thought she was going to be scolded by Mr. Montagne, but what was waiting for her was "Mrs. Montagne."

"You silly girl." Anna stroked little Ms. Mitchell's hair distressedly: "How can you be willing to cut it off?"

"It's okay, it will grow back again." Scarlett sniffed wantonly.

"Does Mrs. Mitchell know?"

Scarlett shuddered subconsciously and begged pitifully: "Don't tell my mother, she will faint from anger."

"Can you keep hiding this forever?"

"The longer you hide it, the better..."

"Why do you want to cut off your hair?" Anna felt regretful, sad and puzzled: "Why?"

"I want to take classes." Scarlett replied confidently: "I also want to learn accounting."

Anna wanted to ask, "Then why don't you come to me directly?"

But remembering the embarrassing scene she saw when she first arrived at Mitchell Manor, she felt somewhat clear.

A young girl in love, a stubborn character, a fragile and delicate self-esteem... Anna seemed to be looking in the mirror.

She wasn't angry, just more distressed, and a seed sprouted in her heart.

"If you really want to learn accounting." Anna took Scarlett's hand and asked gently: "Can you let me teach you?"

[Thanks to book friends for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation votes, monthly votes, rewards and comments]

[The one-time smelting furnace used by Japanese swordsmiths to smelt "jade steel" is a block furnace]

[Smelting furnaces that directly make steel are not uncommon. The more primitive the era, the more this method was used because it was very uneconomical]

[The technology of Japanese swordsmiths in making jade steel is due to insufficient innate resources, resulting in skills that are a bit crooked - to be precise, it is not "crooked", it should be "specialized in a certain aspect to adapt to local natural conditions\