章 26: Outrageous figure
Moving on, Cassius elaborated on the construction of the blast furnace, the land requirements, and expressed the relative ease with which its construction could be managed.
"The overall construction takes the form of a slightly square or rectangular structure, as you can see illustrated," he began.
"The shaft is constructed with rock, brick, or clay and narrows towards the bottom, where an air intake hole is located. Air is forced through this hole using bellows driven by a waterwheel."
"This setup allows for the consistent superheating of iron ore to produce pig iron in large quantities. Moving on to the refining stage, we will need to create a crucible."
"This crucible will be a bowl-like or slightly conical structure with thick, sturdy clay walls capable of withstanding high temperatures."
"It can be fueled with coal, and we'll need to introduce wrought iron into the mix to diffuse the steels. I recommend starting with smaller crucibles until we refine the firing process enough to expand the size and scale of the operation."
"If we establish a proper manufactorum—or a 'factory'—we can house the entire industrial facility in one area to minimize transportation costs and increase efficiency."
"In conclusion, we'll need a fast-moving water source, a healthy supply of clay, timber, brick, stone, and, of course, serfs and craftsmen to begin creating our production line."
The room fell silent, except for the rhythmic tapping of Hektor's fingers on the table, as he seemed deep in thought. Alaric and Dale, meanwhile, simply observed the metallurgist seated across from them, while Horace, Carmen, and Maron were little more than silent spectators.
Maron, who had once worked as a guard at one of Stenfall's iron mines, had witnessed the bloomery process firsthand countless times, so he grasped some of the concepts Cassius was describing. But still… this level of knowledge in an 11-year-old? He shook his head. Cassius is either a genius—or more likely, he thought—completely insane.
Cassius, however, cared little for how his men viewed him. His fevered gaze was fixed solely on Hektor, who was still lost in thought.
"To produce several tons of usable steel a day… how would you utilize this supply?" Hektor finally asked.
The obvious answer might have been weapons, arms, and armor, but Hektor had already figured out that one blast furnace would quickly oversupply the local blacksmiths.
Cassius's face stretched into a wide smile. I've got him now, he thought.
"What couldn't we use it for?" he replied. "We can mass-produce affordable cutlery for the masses—pots, pans, cups, forks, spoons, knives, ladles. Artists could craft durable steel displays for the wealthy, and of course, we can supply the nobles and their armorers with high-quality steel in bulk, cutting costs while increasing supply."
Hektor returned to his contemplative state before asking, "Why would you produce goods for peasants and serfs? Why would they buy your products?"
"Isn't it obvious? Imagine eating with the same utensils as a noble. Cutting, cooking, and eating with the same steel that defends your family and nation, all at an incredibly fair price thanks to mass production. The lower class is an untapped market we can capitalize on without exploiting them financially."
Hektor nodded, clearly impressed. He had come from the middle class himself, and his family had risen to wealth by selling essential goods to the lower class.
But Cassius wasn't done. "Eventually, we can produce tools for farmers as well—rakes, hoes, plows for horses, oxen, and mules. The use for Stenfall steel will be endless, and our profits limitless, if we manage our marketing properly."
Hektor already knew he would invest, but he decided to test Cassius further. "So, you're confident in this plan, but what's to stop others from reproducing your methods? And what's in it for me?"
Before Cassius could reply, Alaric cut in. "Oh, quit pretending, you old buffoon. You're going to throw money at this. You know it, I know it, Cassius knows it. Hell, even that skinny lad in the back who's been gawking at us knows it. Just ask when you can invest already!"
Hektor gave a wry smile but wasn't quite ready to relent. "Can't a merchant have a little fun?" His eyes gleamed with greed. "Besides, I want to hear the boy's estimate. How much wealth do you think this will generate? Give me a ballpark figure—I need to hear it."
Cassius frowned and fell into deep thought. He didn't know exactly how big his "market" was—it's not like there were demographic studies with detailed population sizes. Still, after a moment, he said, "Likely around or over one million silver a year, once we ramp up and streamline production, after working out the kinks."
That was, without a doubt, both the most right and the most wrong thing he could have said. The room seemed to freeze as everyone's eyes nearly popped from their heads. Hektor, especially, felt the shock ripple through him. He knew for certain that all of his combined industries and wealth counted for less than half a million silver annually before expenses such as materials and salaries were deducted. His limbs went numb as the sheer weight of Cassius's estimate hit him.
Carmen and Maron were nearly shaking, feeling as though they had just heard the single most illegal statement in history. Horace sat dumbstruck, as if a hammer blow had knocked his senses from him.
Alaric slumped in his chair, his mind desperately trying to comprehend what "a million" even meant.
But Dale? He erupted into wild, uncontrollable laughter—harder than he had ever laughed in his entire life. Normally reserved, he simply couldn't maintain his composure in the face of such an outrageous figure.
Cassius waited patiently for the laughter to die down before pulling everyone back to reality. "This, of course, would only happen after we establish our market base and begin the proper production and transportation of goods. Stenfall territory alone doesn't have the appetite for the volume we'll produce."
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