Chương 44: Iron Smelting (Part 2)

Smelting iron required a blast furnace. Given Li Qinwu's current resources, there were two types he could build. The first was a disposable furnace—simply a cylindrical stack made of clay. It had to be destroyed after every firing, and the yield was low-quality pig iron in clinker form. The second was a permanent blast furnace capable of processing large quantities of ore repeatedly.

This type used refractory bricks for the interior, maintained higher temperatures, and featured specific openings: a tuyere (air intake) to blast air and increase heat, a slag notch to drain impurities, and a taphole for the molten iron. Li Qinwu chose the latter. He led a team to a fast-moving section of a small river with flat banks. He glanced at Iron-Orc, who nodded in confirmation. This was the spot. Li Qinwu waved his hand grandly.

"Commence construction!" Goblins and Ogres sprang into action. The Ogres rolled massive boulders to narrow the channel, increasing the water's velocity. They drove stakes into the riverbed to mount a waterwheel. This wheel was connected to a dynamic bellows system that would pump massive amounts of air into the furnace. Building the waterwheel consumed eighty percent of the tribe's labor, forcing other projects to a halt.

With the new generation of Goblins not yet born, Li Qinwu was beginning to worry about his workforce. Fortunately, Gobu-Bow returned with a large supply of limestone and five hundred Goblins—effectively relocating half the population of Gobu-Fort. With these five hundred reinforcements, construction accelerated. Within days, a functional waterwheel and automatic bellows were complete. Without wasting a moment, Iron-Orc began laying the refractory bricks for the furnace body.

These bricks were fired from a mixture of fireclay and limestone. Fireclay was relatively easy to find; Li Qinwu recalled from the Traveler's Encyclopedia that it usually contained high levels of certain minerals, and if it couldn't be found, quartz was a viable alternative. While the theory for the blast furnace and waterwheel came from the encyclopedia, he wasn't sure if they would work in practice.

He spent hours consulting Iron-Orc, the master craftsman with years of practical experience, and only moved forward once he had the man's approval. The two of them personally laid the bricks, talking and refining the design as they worked. Hana was stunned by the sight: a Goblin and a human, covered in mortar, conversing harmoniously. It was so strange that she felt if they spoke the same language, she would have been kicked out long ago.

She couldn't understand the spark that flew between a Goblin aiming for empire and a technology-obsessed smith. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. By the time the first batch of Goblin infants was born, the furnace was finished. It stood five meters tall with a diameter of 1. 5 meters, flanked by a wooden tower that allowed workers to feed in ore powder and charcoal from above. Li Qinwu and Iron-Orc climbed the tower. They shared a look and began charging the furnace.

First came the kindling; once ignited, they added charcoal powder and engaged the waterwheel. The bellows began to huff. As the temperature soared, Iron-Orc signaled for the raw materials. Li Qinwu shoveled in iron ore powder while Iron-Orc added limestone, followed by another layer of charcoal. They repeated this layer by layer, waiting for each to reach the proper heat. The process lasted nearly ten hours, stretching from dawn until dusk. Both men were coated in soot, their eyes fixed intently on the structure.

"It should be ready..." Iron-Orc said tentatively. Using these new methods, he wasn't entirely sure of a first-try success.

"Then let's open it," Li Qinwu replied, equally uncertain. They approached the base with poles. Iron-Orc punctured the slag notch, and glowing red waste flowed out. Seeing the color and consistency of the slag, his face lit up. He ran to Li Qinwu and held up eight fingers. An eighty percent success rate—it was in the bag! Once the slag was drained, Iron-Orc signaled that it was time for the taphole. Li Qinwu nodded; through their shared labor, they had developed a rapport that transcended Hana's translations.

Li Qinwu drove a wooden pole into the taphole, and brilliant, molten iron came pouring out. Iron-Orc let out a jubilant howl, jumping into the air.

"It worked! It worked!!" Li Qinwu roared with laughter. The conquest of the entire Magic Forest would begin with this single pot of iron! He slapped Iron-Orc on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up.

"From this moment on, you and your son are no longer slaves. You are free to come and go as you please. you shall have the best house, the best clothes, and the best food! When my tribe grows, I will give you land. I'll make you a landlord—or as you humans say, a nobleman. I dub thee Baron Iron-Orc." Hana froze, then began to translate stutteringly. Freedom, power, status—this plain blacksmith had gained it all, while she, a one-in-a-thousand mage, was still just a glorified translation machine.

Upon hearing the translation, Iron-Orc dropped to his knees.

"My Lord, as long as you ensure my son's safety, I will serve you with everything I have!" Li Qinwu, satisfied, pulled him to his feet.

"Iron-Orc, your work isn't done yet. Keep going!" Molten iron was just the beginning. At this stage, it was pig iron—too brittle for weapons due to its high carbon content. He needed steel. This meant reducing the carbon by stirring the molten metal to increase air contact—a process Iron-Orc knew well as "folding and forging." While modern blast furnaces used hot-blast pipes, they currently had to rely on manual labor. Fortunately, the tribe had the ultimate power-hammers: the Ogres.

Li Qinwu fed Dang-Dang and his family a hearty meal, then led them to the furnace, pointing at the glowing iron blocks on the anvil.

"Come here, Dang-Dang. I'm going to teach you a game called 'Hammer the Red Thing.' If you play well, there's a reward!"