Chương 101: Chapter 99 The Road to Iron

After confirming the iron mine, Karath's expedition collected only a few pieces of ore and immediately began returning to Root. He wanted to carry every last piece of iron ore back with him, but preparing an environment where the mine could be worked safely came first. The ore would remain inside the cave while they constructed the necessary facilities. It was not going anywhere. What if someone else stole it? Anyone who robbed that mine would earn Karath's hatred for life.

He could swear upon everything he had achieved as an orc that even if it killed him, he would grind the thief into dust. Leaving that grim vow behind, the expedition followed Berners' guidance and moved quickly, avoiding unnecessary battles just as they had on the journey out. On the evening of the third day after leaving the mine, Root finally came into view.

"The Grand Chief has returned!"

"Grand Chief!" They entered the village without incident.

"Summon the chiefs of every tribe!" Karath called a meeting the moment he returned. He felt like a terrible company president forcing his employees to work overtime, but the matter he needed to discuss was too important to delay.

"You have all suffered through five days of travel, but endure a little longer. We will rest once this meeting is over."

"Krahahaha! Parker is not exhausted by something so trivial."

"Kaden feels the same, Grand Chief!"

"If the Grand Chief is acting with such urgency, the matter must be important. We are fine."

"B-Bernersh is fine too, Grand Chief!" Those who had accompanied him to the iron mine willingly joined the meeting despite the difficult journey.

"Thank you for gathering at such a late hour."

"It is only natural, Grand Chief!"

"We are relieved you returned safely!" When Karath entered his house with the expedition members, the chiefs and advisers who had received the warriors' message were already waiting.

"These are the stones we brought from the cave."

"Oh!"

"Are these the materials that will become our new weapons?"

"That is correct. Karath calls this material iron." The advisers who had remained in Root initially exclaimed in admiration, then tilted their heads. Their expressions suggested they could not see much difference between the ore and ordinary stone. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. That was understandable. Apart from the occasional silver glimmer, the lumps looked like common rocks.

Those who had witnessed Karath extract iron at the mine merely smiled as they watched the others' confusion.

"As Karath explained before, a secret is hidden inside this stone." He used magic to demonstrate the extraction process once again. The advisers stared as impurities melted away and the iron remained.

"This is iron. However, in this state, it still is not particularly strong." This time, Karath continued beyond what even the expedition members had seen. He reheated the iron. Clang! Clang! Using the blunt side of his drake-bone axe, he struck the heated metal like a medieval blacksmith. Modern refining methods would have reduced the need for such labour, but Root possessed none of the necessary facilities. For now, Karath had no choice but to imitate the blacksmiths of the past.

Heat alone could not remove every impurity. Air also entered the gaps during the process, leaving holes throughout the metal. The repeated hammering, or in Karath's case, repeated blows from an axe, compressed those gaps and forced out more of the remaining impurities.

"Haa. This is true iron." After several rounds of blacksmithing he had never practised before, Karath finally produced something that deserved to be called iron. He took a stone he had prepared in advance and smashed it against the iron with all his strength. Crack! The stone shattered upon impact. The iron received only a shallow mark.

"As you have seen, iron is far stronger than ordinary stone. It may still be slightly weaker than ogre bone, but this is not its final form. According to the knowledge left by the ancestors, there are methods of improving it even further."

"D-did you summon us merely to show us this, Grand Chief?"

"No. Karath wished to show you the material and explain something more." He paused deliberately, drawing the full attention of every adviser in the room.

"The cave we discovered contains an enormous amount of iron ore."

"Th-then we can make the weapons you described!"

"That is correct. If the entire cave is an iron mine, it contains enough material to arm all one hundred warriors in Root and still leave a vast amount behind."

"S-so much?"

"Yes. Karath gathered everyone tonight to explain the grand plan we will carry out using this iron." The words grand plan caused every adviser's eyes to shine.

"First, we must clear a road from Root to the iron mine!" Karath pointed toward the map Berners had helped complete.

"A road?"

"Yes. The mine lies three days away. A small expedition can avoid monsters, but properly extracting and transporting iron ore will require far more people. Large groups will be forced to fight monsters repeatedly while travelling between Root and the mine."

"Grand Chief, may Krog ask something?" Krog, who had accompanied the expedition, spoke during Karath's explanation.

"Speak."

"We will also encounter monsters while clearing the road. Krog does not yet understand why building one is necessary."

"That is a good question. As you said, monsters will attack during construction." Karath nodded.

"However, Karath does not intend to build only a road to the iron mine. His true purpose is to make the Greenskin Alliance far greater."

"Krahahaha! Excellent, Grand Chief!"

"The Greenskin Alliance will grow exactly as you command!" Kaden and Parker immediately celebrated Karath's ambition. Krog and Dagon, however, appeared to be considering how the road connected to that goal. Karath decided to offer another clue.

"Every orc tribe in this region has already joined us. To absorb more tribes, we must travel at least a full day away from Root."

"Ah! You intend to build roads so distant tribes can migrate safely!"

"Correct. The roads will not benefit only those who join us. They are also necessary for our warriors to travel safely and transport iron."

"But monsters may destroy the roads again," Krog observed.

"And because every nearby tribe has already joined, the road must extend more than a day's journey." Dagon and Krog had understood Karath's purpose and now bombarded him with questions. Kaden, Parker, and the older advisers remained silent, apparently deciding that saying nothing was safer when they did not understand the discussion. Berners, who had never witnessed advisers openly debating a leader's plan, stared at them with his mouth hanging open. Karath almost told him to close it before a fly entered.

He suspected Berners had expected a meeting where Karath issued commands and everyone answered, "Yes, Grand Chief."

"Correct. Monsters may damage the road repeatedly. The distance also means travellers would need to camp inside this terrible forest. However, if we build a straight road from here to the mine..." Karath traced a line across the map from Root to the iron cave.

"The journey should take only two days. Our expedition lost time avoiding monsters and crossing dense bushes and rocky terrain. A proper road will remove those delays."

"Even two days would still require camping," Dagon said.

"That problem can also be solved." Karath moved his finger to a location roughly halfway between Root and the mine. It was the site of the former Warriorhearts settlement.

"We will turn this place into a waystation."

"What is a waystation?"

"A small settlement where travelling warriors can stop and rest." The advisers' eyes widened.