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257 - - steelmaking

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Payne, you got a minute?

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"Master Ars, how can I help you?"

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"No, I just wanted to ask Payne something. But first, have you gotten used to working in Vulcania?

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"......Yes. I guess it's a gradual process. The work here is quite different from what I did in Uruk, so I'm still a bit confused.

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"Well, maybe so. But I'm glad that Payne is a man who can also work in domestic affairs. We needed more people who could do civil affairs.

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"Here in Barca, there is often a division between civilian and military officials. Normally, you have to be able to do both, because you have to do the work of the territory and fight on the battlefield in case of emergency."

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"Well, I guess we are special. We are chronically short of staff, and we have women working here if they are willing."

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"That surprises me too. I see that the Reed family, including Mr. Kyle, has been working their magic on women as well. I know it's an unusual way of doing things, but I think it's good."

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"I see. I'm sure everyone will be happy to hear that."

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"So, what is it you want to ask me, Mr. Ars? Please ask me anything that you can tell me.

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"Oh, yes. Actually, I wanted to ask you about iron...there are mountains where iron can be found in the former Uruk territory, aren't there?"

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Yes. Yes. There is a mine in the territory we have carved out as Barka territory. Do you need iron?

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"Yes, that's right. Barca has never had a stable source of iron. If they can get it, they want it."

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"But doesn't Barka have hardened bricks?　That stuff is as hard as those metals, right?"

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"Yes, that's true, but hardened bricks are difficult to work with. But hardened bricks are hard to work with.

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"Yes, indeed. Even if the magic of Barca can produce hardened bricks, iron is superior when it comes to processing them."

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"That's what I mean. And here's the problem. Do you know much about iron manufacturing?　What do you think of this iron sword?"

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"This sword?　Let me take a look at it. ...... This is iron with a slightly unusual pattern. I have never seen it before. But this ...... might be quite a piece of work, don't you think?"

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"Right?　In fact, this iron sword is made by a special method of steel-making, but a normal sword can defeat an opponent with iron without spilling its blade."

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"That's amazing. I see. The fact that the iron-making method is special means that iron itself is not special. Does that mean that this can be mass-produced as long as you have iron ore?

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"You are very perceptive. That's what I mean. Barka is thinking of starting a new industry, steelmaking. For that purpose, we need to know exactly how much iron is being mined in the mines of the former Uruk territory. Will you check it out, Payne?

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"Yes, sir. Leave it to me, Master Ars."

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　Payne joined Barca during the Battle of Uruk.

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　Payne has been doing a lot of work for us at Barca.

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　He seemed to be a very capable man who could do anything, and I assigned him work in internal affairs.

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　I was talking to Payne while showing him the iron sword.

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　The sword I showed Payne was an ordinary sword made of iron.

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　But Payne saw at once that it was a work of art.

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　And there was no doubt about it.

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　It has no special ability like a magic sword, but it has a sharpness that far surpasses existing metal swords.

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　In fact, this is another of Gran's weapons.

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　The iron was forged in a furnace called the Flaming Blast Furnace, which was newly created by Gran and is capable of producing extremely high temperatures.

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　The advantage of being able to produce temperatures that could not be reached in conventional furnaces was not limited to the forging of flamed ores.

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　It was the same when making iron.

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　In other words, this sword was a sword that was successfully produced by using a new type of furnace called a flaming blast furnace.

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　The surface of the sword shines like a smooth mirror and has a kind of speckled pattern on it.

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　I don't know much about it, but it looks like Damascus steel.

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　In other words, if the previous swords were "iron swords", the one Gran made this time could be called a "steel sword".

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　There is something that I have been concerned about but have not been able to do.

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　It was the enrichment of the equipment of the Balkan army.

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　In a normal army, nobles and knights mobilize the local population to form an army when necessary.

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　Therefore, the knights were well equipped, but the peasants who were mobilized brought their own weapons.

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　Those who had their own weapons were fine, but those who did not have satisfactory weapons sometimes took farm tools as weapons.

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　Therefore, the weapons of the army were all different from each other.

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　The Balkan army was a little different in this respect.

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　Instead of gathering men when needed, it was a standing army and always had a certain number of men.

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　And they always had a certain number of soldiers and weapons for them.

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　However, the weapons were not always good ones.

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　If possible, we need better weapons.

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　That's what he thought.

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　Perhaps the fact that we can now make a steel sword is just the right opportunity.

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　He could make further use of the flaming blast furnace, which he had built with a generous amount of the flame ore called the "phantom ore".

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　Thus, Barka decided to start a new steel-making business.

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