The steel mill, now housing a series of blast furnaces, was pumping out iron every single day.
Thanks to the cooperation of the Fire Spirit, the number of furnaces had increased as well.
‘I suppose there are about four for now.’
While there were only four, the sheer amount of iron they produced at once was substantial.
‘At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a true steelworks.’
This was no small-scale smithy. It was a facility using blast furnaces that one would typically only find in the Kingdom of Jiwind, the nation built by dwarves.
‘Perhaps it’s even better than those.’
The produced iron was transformed into weapons and farming tools, breathing new life into the territory.
“The cutting edge is quite remarkable since we used this iron for the swords,” Polling reported.
“I expected as much. It’s clearly imbued with Mana. If we carved magic circles into them, they could probably even sprout flames, couldn’t they?”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Should I send a request to the Magic Tower?”
“Never mind. We can come up with another way.”
The effectiveness exceeded Heon’s expectations.
‘Our specialty might end up being iron rather than liquor.’
The iron produced at the mill was either imbued with Mana or the elemental power of the Fire Spirit.
“Strike it harder!”
“This is enough. Just look.”
“How did it turn out like this? It should have taken much more effort.”
“Who knows? It might be thanks to that iron the Third Young Lord created.”
Perhaps because it was imbued with the power of the Fire Spirit, the metal took to the heat exceptionally well.
The refinement process became easier for the blacksmiths, and the overall quality soared.
As Polling mentioned, the weaponry’s cutting power increased.
*Wooooom—*
“Aura… it’s taking the Aura. Ha. This is incredible.”
“It’s a masterpiece.”
Perhaps because the iron had been heated using Mana, it accepted Aura with ease.
Naturally, Heon’s reputation rose. His name was now frequently mentioned throughout the territory.
‘My ears are practically itching.’
Some said the wheat in the fields grew tall because of him.
Others claimed that life was easier because of the increased supplies from the steel mill. People even praised him for the fact that the swords were masterpieces.
As the rumors grew, they reached the ears of others—specifically, the mages from the Magic Tower who occasionally stopped by for trade.
“Is the iron not for sale? From what I hear, the rumors are quite something,” a mage asked.
“For now, it’s difficult to even meet the demand within the territory.”
“Well… iron used for farming tools doesn’t need to be that high of a quality. We could provide that kind of iron for you instead.”
“I will think about it.”
They were even making requests first.
‘They must be curious.’
Blast furnaces themselves weren’t common in this world. Most of them were creations of the dwarves.
The ones Heon had built were likely the first of their kind made by a human.
Furthermore, producing iron in such massive quantities led to unexpected effects.
For mages who couldn’t contain their curiosity, this was clearly something they coveted.
“Polling.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Keep a close watch so the mages don’t take any. That iron is a vital resource.”
“They’ll probably try to smuggle it out one way or another.”
“Block them as much as possible. If we keep them desperate enough, they’ll eventually come to us with their heads bowed.”
“I will do my best.”
Mages were people filled with greed for anything new. Even if they managed to sneak out small amounts, blocking bulk exports would make things difficult for them.
‘It’ll keep them on edge.’
The bait was cast. There would surely be mages who bit. Even one would be enough.
‘This territory has too few magical resources. I have to hook them like this.’
If he could obtain them, mages would be incredibly useful talents to employ. And while he was at it, it was better to cast several baits to catch those mages.
“By the way, is the brewery almost finished?”
“Yes. Esty said he would come to report to you soon.”
“Hmm… I should try a little experiment at the brewery too.”
“Oh. Are you installing a magic circle?”
“Just wait and see.”
If the liquor produced at the brewery was imbued with Mana, would the mages be curious or not?
‘They’ll definitely be curious. This part is easy.’
Someone would surely become desperate to know the secret. Though he hadn’t told Polling, there were many ways to achieve this.
Specifically, *Jinbeop*.
High-end breweries in the Murim often used formations.
They used them to enrich the natural Qi so the liquor would age perfectly.
Those who mastered Drunken Fist, a martial art using liquor, would even inject their own internal energy into the brew to create legendary spirits.
‘The liquor that old man Juchwi made was truly breathtaking.’
He could still remember the taste of that liquor with the flamboyant name: White Birch Intoxication Shrine Liquor.
There were many other ways besides that. However, would it be a good catch if he revealed everything from the start?
‘For now, a single Training Formation should suffice.’
He planned to peel the layers back one by one, like an onion. The liquor would sell well on its own, and the curious mages would come looking for him. That would be enough.
“Then I’ll inform Esty in advance.”
“Do that.”
“It’s about that time for you to go, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Where on earth do you keep going? You should at least tell me if you’ve found a pot of gold somewhere.”
“Later.”
Aside from scattering bait, there was something else he needed to harvest. Specifically, the recruitment of people.
***
A little past noon. After leaving the administrative office, Heon suppressed his presence and headed toward the Underground Fortress.
Under Birence’s guidance, the fortress had undergone continuous expansion and remodeling. Heon hadn’t even considered that they would split the underground into two separate floors.
‘I told them not to expand sideways, so I didn’t expect them to expand further down.’
The Underground Fortress created in such a way now boasted a significant scale after several months. The largest area within the fortress was the training ground for the Iron Fist.
Whenever Heon visited the fortress, he always stopped here first.
“It’s noisy in here.”
Despite being underground, the room was filled with heat.
Hoden, who had become much more agile after refining his Flash Sword, was currently lunging at a member of the Iron Fist.
*Thwack. Crack.*
“Gah!”
To think he would strike the back of the head so perfectly with the flat of his blade!
‘He’s improved a lot.’
Hoden’s sword, moving stealthily like a serpent, showed no mercy. He increased his speed even further, as if the training hall were too narrow for him.
*Boom! Ack!*
Swinging the sword and retreating happened in a single motion. His offense and defense were in harmony. This was a feat impossible without reaching a certain level of mastery.
Heon suspected that even his father would be impressed if he saw Hoden’s current skill level. However…
“S-stop it!”
“Endure it!”
“You’re being cruel!”
“Shut up! We were pushed back because you couldn’t hold your ground properly.”
“T-that started because the Squad Leader was breached… *urgh*.”
The problem was the will behind the sword swings.
‘…I guess he’s bitter about the loss.’
Hoden, swinging his sword fiercely, was clearly irritated. It was understandable.
When the Iron Fist was first organized, Heon had given them a single command: Grow strong enough to survive. They had trained toward that goal.
Gajei, Hoden, Sian, and Birence had each formed four squads.
The Iron Fist now numbered over 300 members.
They had grown their numbers while Heon was away, each developing their strength according to their unique characteristics.
When the blast furnace was first set up, Heon felt the time was right.
“It’s time for the test, right? I gave you plenty of time.”
“A test?”
“…Ah. We’re doomed.”
He had carried out the promise—or threat—he had first made to them. The promise to determine who led the weakest squad among the four of them!
‘The results were unexpected.’
Heon had predicted a victory for Gajei’s squad, which possessed thick defensive power.
“Hyah!”
“Block them!”
Unless one reached a high realm of mastery, there was no martial power as reliable as external arts in the lower stages.
Every member of Gajei’s squad had learned external arts. Heon had been certain they would win, but…
“Thrust! Now!”
“…Understood!”
There was a variable.
The owner of that variable was Sian’s squad, which possessed the greatest speed.
Sian, who had become increasingly mysterious as she practiced her martial arts, treated her squad members harshly.
She made them cross places that seemed impossible to cross and dug traps everywhere, forcing them to perform *Gyeong-gong* over them.
At the same time, the training involved making them swing their swords while doing so.
‘It was practically torture.’
It was so severe that even Heon thought it was ruthless.
Was it the result of that? Sian’s squad members had become one.
There was a psychological bond forged in an environment where they had to help one another just to survive.
If one person’s thrust didn’t work…
*Slip—*
The next person immediately moved in for a strike.
They had no sense of duty to fight one-on-one, nor did they have any desire for honor.
They cared only for results.
*Stab. Stab.*
They thrust their blades again and again. Not loudly, but quietly.
Even a rock will eventually be pierced by endlessly falling drops of water.
There was no way a human body wouldn’t be pierced by a sword.
“Urgh…”
The moment one member of Gajei’s squad fell, the rest began to collapse helplessly.
“Stop trying to hold out. The winner has already been decided, hasn’t it?”
“I’ll just keep holding out until the end.”
“…You’re as stubborn as ever.”
Gajei had fought valiantly until the very end.
He was the hardest rock in the Iron Fist.
He held on and on, to the point where Sian’s squad members, who were stabbing at him, grew weary.
*Thump.*
But even he eventually had to go down.
‘The story might have been different if a few more of them were at a higher stage.’
Sian’s squad tore through the remaining squads with the momentum of a broken dam.
“…I surrender. We’re no match for them.”
Birence’s squad didn’t even have the chance to properly use their abilities.
‘Before reaching mastery, versatility can be mediocre.’
External arts, swordsmanship, and even *Gyeong-gong*—they were slowly learning it all, making them versatile.
But that was a story for when they were complete.
Since their abilities hadn’t fully blossomed yet, they were stuck in the middle.
*Thrust—*
Sian’s squad members struck that gap perfectly.
In contrast, Hoden had charged in with confidence.
“We won’t lose when it comes to speed! Bring it on!”
Hoden believed in his own talent. He also believed in the adaptability of the squad members he had raised.
‘He had reason to be confident.’
Sian had been the weakest before they began learning martial arts.
It was natural for him to feel confident.
However, the result was the most disastrous.
“Enter from the flank. Their coordination is poor over there.”
“What! Our coordination is the best! Ack! Hey, you! Don’t let them through!”
Methodically, from the outside…
Sian’s squad confused Hoden’s members with fast movements and struck whenever a gap appeared.
Sian’s squad was even fiercer than Hoden’s, despite his members learning the Flash Sword.
The moment everyone had been struck equally…
“Damn it!”
Hoden’s entire squad had collapsed.
The small-scale sparring continued for several days.
It was a time for Gajei to become even sturdier and for Birence to realize the deficiencies in himself and his squad.
Hoden’s side couldn’t do the same. They were forced to be the side that lost every single time.
This was the result of that.
Hoden was swinging his sword in a rage, and his squad members were being beaten by him over and over. Hoden, swinging his sword, looked like a demon.
“Crap! That devil is coming today too.”
“Who’s the devil?”
“…The pain that comes after training, sir.”
But in front of Heon, he was merely a gentle lamb.
“You know that’s nonsense, don’t you?”
“A-ahahaha… I’m sorry.”
“If you know, let’s start with a beating.”
“Gah… damn it. Everyone, attack! Hold your ground!”
*Thwack.*
As always, starting by beating Hoden first was the best way to begin.
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