Chapter 39: The secret
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POV of Friedrich von Roon
We walked again and went back down to the filthy streets of the city, now I had to make sure that the presence of smugglers is reduced, according to our Finnish spies have found an increase of almost eight hundred percent in smugglers recently and we must prevent them from trying to sell the information, as it puts at risk our quarantine of information, we have to prevent anyone from getting news that the capital has fallen.
While I was heading through the roads of the city I decided to check how the blacksmith's work is going to melt all the metals obtained in our conquest
Since it was one of the most important jobs of our conquests because we obtained resources to make repairs or forge new armor and swords and at the same time we disarmed the civilian population of any metal that could be used against us without showing that the real reason is that, to disarm the conquered ones
It is better for them to think we are greedy for all the metals in the city than for them to know that our intention is to make them unable to defend themselves from our occupation and to drastically reduce any hint of rebellion and reduce the danger of any attack.
''We will pass the steel street, I have to see that the smiths are doing their work properly because heads will run if I receive a shipment of brittle steel again'' I said looking at my men who followed me
We kept our pace, our boots echoed through the streets and the westerosis knew we were coming because they opened the way for us and lowered their heads to avoid eye contact
During our way we saw how the alchemists who served the mad king were in shackles in the sector of the city where they had been thrown all kinds of things from animal shit to rotten products.
I approached one of the guards
''How long will they keep them drying here?'', I asked the guard.
''The king ordered until he returns from his military campaign and personally determines their fate, since they are guilty of conspiring against the city, so a couple of days more'' said the guard.
''Well, and that inside their headquarters they found something because I haven't received a report of anything about the alchemists'' I said looking at the building where the alchemists worked
''Old books, oils and things that smell horrible and plenty of old crybabies, some Finns tortured them to take away the secret of how to make that wildfire substance, what they want it for I don't know''' the guard replied
''Well, all in order, follow your orders, keep them from dying here, if the king wants to make a trial with them, they must be alive for it'' I said as I went back on my way.
It seems that everything is in order for now
We walked back and there were many people near baelor's Sept, probably begging for food, with the city gates closed, the only food coming into the city is by sea by foreign merchants, so there must be a big increase in the prices for food in the city
And with some charity work the Teutons usually do near the castle we are gaining the good will of the people by giving some food to the small folks.
'Or so the Teutons like to think, the reason food is scarce because of us, even if the Westerosis are idiots, they will realize in time, that the reason food is scarce is that we don't let the food come from outside.'
When I heard a familiar sound of hammers clashing against metal I knew that we had arrived at the steel street where all metal and steel objects are made.
Here were all the most important jobs in the city, for us, several dozen blacksmiths who had to provide forced services to us while being supervised by our own engineers?.... they should be blacksmiths to increase the speed of our jobs
'Oh, oh, maybe that's the problem with the quality of the steel?'
I passed by several establishments where blacksmiths and apprentices worked in their furnaces melting everything we brought with us
While in the streets, we could see huge mountains of metal objects that had to be processed.
The heat was already beginning to be felt in the area because this entire street is dedicated to the blacksmith business and each smithy had its own furnace to process the metal.
''Ah, Herr Roon, it's a pleasure to see you ..... we have a problem''said cheerfully an engineer to change to a nervous tone and his face made the same change
'I knew I had to stop by here, my instinct never fails'.
''Well, what's the problem, again you're going to deliver me brittle steel that is useless for making quality armor and chain mail?'', I said a bit annoyed while trying to keep my composure
''... Yes ..... but we discovered the problem'' said the engineer.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down before continuing to speak.
''Well explain to me then, what is the reason that you have been producing junk steel for almost a week now'' I said looking at the man
''Well, you understand the westerosi are not very good at handling steel, they have been producing it for centuries, but they do it wrong, their furnaces, the ones they use are inadequate to reach the high temperatures that are necessary to get the iron and carbon to join in the necessary percentage to achieve what we are looking for, steel with two percent of carbon, what the westerosi produce is pretty close to pig iron'' said the engineer
''And it took you a whole week to figure that out?'', I said without moving my gaze from the engineer.
''If I am honest Herr Roon, I am not good with metallurgy, I specialize, in mathematics and I am the one who usually do the calculations and trajectory for the trebuchets because I was the only one with the basic knowledge of steel, I was assigned the position, unfortunately the king's personal blacksmith and the other blacksmiths were taken with the king's personal retinue, so this is all I could do, I apologize for my incompetence'' said the engineer in a tone of apology and lowering his head
''Ah, mein gott,..... the pig iron can be used to produce steel, so we have wasted nothing, but we have to raise a blast furnace for it''I said as I put my hand on my jaw.
''But if you say the westerosis don't handle the concept of blast furnaces how the hell do they make steel?, no surprise their steel is crap because it was never steel in the first place, maybe with a lot of work a blacksmith could process it to steel, but the cost would be exorbitant, not for mass production which is necessary for a war.''
''But it is better that our metallurgy techniques are kept secret, that the next batches of pig iron that comes out should be sent to ashford there a couple of blast furnaces were built for the steel to be worked'' I said a little calmer.
'Wait, within the shipment I checked yesterday, there was steel of a decent quality,'
''Within some shipments there was steel of a decent quality, it lacked work for Prussian armor and weapons quality, but for something to start with who it was that produced it'' I said looking at the engineer
''Ah....ah...ah..I don't know, but.... is probably the man wearing a blacksmith's apron with a lamb's head'' said the engineer scratching his head.
''I'm guessing a talented blacksmith to overcome the westerosis'''I said as I went back to checking other smithies
''Eeh..... goodbye Herr Roon''said the engineer as I walked away.
'Remember Roon, the reason you got high is because there are incompetents in high places.'
I continued on my way and stopped at a specific blacksmith store.
'Unlike the other stores this one looks much more... expensive...its owner must have been rich, the talented blacksmith perhaps'
I started to look around for the blacksmith who owned this store, but I heard a discussion inside the store
''You said you know how to re-forge that steel, now I want you to tell me how you do it'' said someone inside the blacksmith's shop.
''I am busy, I must work for the Prussian men, but I would never teach the secrets I have worked years to learn for a few coins, so if you will allow me, leave my store now or I will call the Prussian guards to expel you'' said a man with a serious and annoyed tone.
Quickly, I entered the store followed by my men and found that the blacksmith they had reported was arguing with a group of Finns.
the blacksmith upon seeing me quickly turned in my direction.
''Just in time .... he is hindering the production of your steel, I need you to make him stop disturbing my work'' said the blacksmith
''Well I tried it the easy way...'' said the Finn, he punched the blacksmith in the abdomen and pulled out a dagger.....of Valyrian steel
The Finn grabbed the blacksmith by the beard and placed his dagger in his neck.
''Now you will tell me everything I want to know or you will curse the day you were born, old man'' said the Finn.
''May I know what is going on here, you are abusing the authority you were given, where is your superior officer'' I said annoyed looking at the group of Finns
''You're looking at him..... ROOOOOON''said the Finnish man with a provocative tone quite different from the one he was using before.
'That voice I'd recognize anywhere, the fucking Finn'.
''Well, answer the other question what's going on here, the blacksmith is our prisoner and we can't torture him without just cause'' I said annoyed.
''He knows how to re-forge Valyrian steel'' said the Finn as he held the blacksmith tight by his beard
'Wow... I must act as would be expected of me'.
''WELL YOU BASTARD, YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US EVERYTHING NOW!'', I shouted and took the blacksmith from the Finn and began to lift him off the apron.
''It seems you have no one to protect you my friend, so cooperate,'' said the Finn staring through his mask at the blacksmith I was holding up in the air.
The blacksmith was paralyzed with fear at our presence.
''It must be a mistake. ..... I don't...I know how to work Valyrian steel, he must have misheard me'' said the blacksmith with difficulty.
I looked at the Finn because he had acted according to his information.
''Oh... so while you boasted that your skill was so legendary that you could work EVEN Valyrian steel, that you succeeded where thousands failed and that's why you charged an arm and a leg to make a steel sword..... I guess I heard wrong didn't I?'', said the Finn with a tone trying to provoke the blacksmith to finally change to a serene and calm tone.
I went down to the blacksmith and I could see that he was biting his lips and refused to answer.
''Come on talk, now or I'll send you to work you to death in the mines'' I said annoyed as I started to show my teeth.
''But...but...but, I was only supposed to work until the next moon.... my lords'' said the blacksmith
''Things have changed now, talk about the trick you do to work that metal'' said the Finn playing with his dagger on the blacksmith's clothes where he was slowly destroying them at the edge of the dagger.
the blacksmith kept refusing to talk and was already thinking that the torturers would have to intervene to force the information out of him.
''Is it because of the human sacrifices necessary to do so?'', said the Finn with a cold tone
so cold that I felt a shiver down my spine.
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