Chapter 37: Production of steel on mass
For the next several days, I had Finn practice using the rifle.
Though calling it "practice" felt generous.
Our ammunition supply was painfully limited due to every cartridge needing be crafted almost entirely by hand, meaning every single shot represented hours of work.
Because of that—
Every round mattered.
Finn gradually learned how to:
- load the rifle carefully,
- work the lever smoothly,
- steady his aim,
- and manage the violent recoil.
The first few shots nearly knocked the weapon completely out of his hands.
By the fifth shot, he finally started hitting targets consistently.
By the tenth—
Finn had started grinning like a complete lunatic every time the rifle fired.
"This thing is incredible."
I took the rifle back from him carefully.
"It’s also irreplaceable right now."
That immediately reduced his enthusiasm slightly.
The rifles were revolutionary.
But at their current stage—
They were prototypes.
Not weapons ready for war.
Still—
The fact they existed at all was terrifying enough.
Eventually I returned home near sunset.
The moment I entered the Aldric manor, I immediately noticed two familiar figures seated within the main hall.
My father.
And Alex.
Alex looked up first.
At twenty-four, my older brother had grown into a tall and well-built man with sharp features similar to our father’s. Unlike me, Alex naturally carried himself like a future lord and commander.
"Leon."
"Alex."
Meanwhile my father, Adrian Aldric, leaned back calmly in his chair while observing me.
"I heard you’ve become quite the merchant recently."
I already knew what this conversation was about.
The steel.
After hearing about the Valamere deal, my father clearly wanted involved.
Soon enough the conversation shifted toward pricing and supply.
I offered him a much lower price than the Valamere Corporation received.
Even then—
The amount of steel he requested nearly made me choke.
"...That much?"
Father nodded calmly.
"The border situation is worsening."
His expression hardened slightly.
"If war begins with the Kingdom of Magneto, quality steel will become invaluable."
I frowned slightly.
The amount he wanted was nowhere near something me and Finn could produce consistently alone.
Father seemed noticing my hesitation immediately.
"Could production increase if I dispatched craftsmen to assist you?"
That question made me pause.
More workers meant, faster production,larger expansion,and greater output.
But it also meant,more eyes,more risks,and more chances for my inventions spreading uncontrollably.
After a long silence, I finally answered.
"...I’ll show you the workshop tomorrow."
The next morning—
A carriage carried me, Father, and Alex toward the outskirts of the forest.
Eventually the roads ended entirely, forcing us continue on foot through the woods.
The deeper we traveled, the more curious Alex became.
Then finally—
The workshop came into view.
Smoke rose through the trees while rushing water echoed nearby.
Alex visibly slowed upon seeing the massive waterwheels turning beside the river.
"...What is all this?"
The bloomeries roared with heat nearby while the blast furnace towered over the workshop like something completely out of place within the forest.
Alex immediately walked toward the machinery with fascination.
He crouched beside one of the waterwheel systems while examining the rotating mechanisms closely before moving toward the furnaces.
Meanwhile Father simply stood beside me silently observing everything.
"...You built all this?"
"With help."
His eyes slowly moved across eyeing all of the structures.
Even someone like him could immediately tell this place was important.
Very important.
"This alone could change steel production across Valenor," Father muttered quietly.
Right then—
The workshop door suddenly opened.
Finn stepped outside carrying tools before freezing completely upon seeing the visitors.
Alex and Father also looked surprised seeing someone emerge from the shack.
I gestured toward him casually.
"This is Finn."
Finn awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before speaking.
"...I’m just happy your guests didnt try killing me the moment they met me this time ."
Alex blinked.
Father slowly looked toward me.
I sighed.
"...Long story."
Father continued silently observing the workshop for several moments before finally looking toward me again.
"You were right to be cautious about this place."
I nodded slightly.
"My biggest concern is information leaking."
The furnaces were one thing.
The waterwheels were another.
As well as the bloonaries.
But most of all the rifles.
If knowledge about those spread too quickly, the consequences would be impossible control.
Father seemed understanding that immediately.
"If secrecy is your concern," he said calmly, "then I can assign knights to assist you instead of craftsmen."
That caught my attention.
"Knights?"
"They may lack technical skill," Father admitted, "but their loyalty is beyond question."
I paused slightly at that.
Loyal workers were valuable.
But loyal and well built workers?
That was something entirely different.
Especially with what we were building here.
After thinking for a while, I finally nodded.
"...Alright."
Father gave a small nod back.
"Then I’ll prepare a place nearby for them stay and work."
I quickly gathered a list of materials before handing it toward him.
Additional iron.
Coal.
Wood.
Tools.
Construction supplies.
Etc
Father glanced over the list briefly before folding it neatly away.
"Understood."
Soon after, Father and Alex began preparing leave.
But just as they turned—
Alex suddenly paused.
One of the rifles rested propped against the side of the shack.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"...What’s that?"
I followed his gaze.
"That’s a weapon."
Alex looked visibly confused.
"That?"
He stared toward the rifle again before laughing slightly.
"How exactly is a wooden stick supposed kill somebody?"
I tried explaining it.
The powder.
The projectile.
The pressure.
The mechanism.
Both Alex and Father listened carefully.
Both also looked increasingly confused the longer I spoke.
Eventually Alex rubbed his forehead.
"...I understood maybe three words of that."
"That’s more than Finn understood initially," I replied.
Finn looked offended.
Eventually I sighed before speaking again.
"Alex."
"What?"
"Take off your chestplate."
He blinked.
"...Why?"
"Because explaining this clearly is getting annoying."
Still looking confused, Alex eventually removed his steel chestplate before handing it over.
I carried it toward a nearby stump before propping it upright.
Then I looked toward Finn.
"Shoot it."
Finn immediately grinned.
"Gladly."
Father and Alex both stepped back slightly while Finn raised the rifle carefully.
The forest became silent.
Then—
BOOOOM.
The thunderous explosion echoed violently through the trees.
Alex physically flinched.
Father’s eyes widened sharply.
A loud metallic crack followed immediately afterward.
The chestplate flew backward off the stump before tumbling into the dirt.
For several seconds—
Nobody spoke.
Then Father slowly walked toward the destroyed armor.
He walked towards it and bent down before lifting it carefully.
A clean hole pierced directly through the center.
Not dented.
Not cracked.
Pierced completely through.
Alex stared at it silently.
"...What the hell..."
Meanwhile Father simply continued staring at the chestplate quietly.
Then finally—
"...Could you produce more of these?"
I immediately shook my head.
"Not at scale."
I gestured toward the rifle.
"The weapon itself takes enormous amounts of work."
Then toward the workshop.
"And the ammunition is even worse."
Every cartridge still required painstaking manual crafting.
Measurements had to be nearly perfect.
Mistakes ruined entire components.
And using nitrate beds would not produce enough for mass production.
Even with more workers, mass production simply was not realistic yet.
"At this stage," I continued, "I could maybe produce a few."
Father slowly nodded while still staring at the hole through the steel.
But his expression had changed completely now.
Because he understood.
This wasn’t merely a better weapon.
It was something capable of changing warfare itself.
He immediately could see the power behind this weapon, not the destructive power, but the ability to turn a simple farmer with a couple days of training, into a warrior capable of defeating of defeating knights with years of training.
