Life has returned to stability, and the mild climate also makes life full of hope.
As usual, Russians do not feel that the climate is getting warmer on a macro scale. The land in the fjords remains barren and the climate remains cold. Oats and rye cannot be grown during the short frost-free period, and the situation this year is even worse.
It is already July in the limited onion fields in the fjord, and the growth of the onion seedlings is not ideal. There are no pure farmers in the Ross tribe. The so-called planting industry is a small industry that fishermen do in their spare time. Planting some cold-resistant onions just adds spice to life.
Expecting to use the land in the fjords to grow large quantities of onions is a pipe dream.
It is precisely that no one pays much attention to the local planting industry. Who would care about the poor growth of onions?
No one is aware of the big problems hidden in the farmland, including Rurik himself. He is still full of hope for this year's harvest season in order to buy a large amount of food in the south.
He was looking forward to the end of August, looking forward to those merchants heading north with a large amount of supplies.
Of course Rurik also cares about his father very much.
Although winter ended too late this year, the Sorgon voyage that was supposed to be in spring was delayed by a whole month!
In the spring of last year, Sorgon had to deal with some things in Novgorod, as well as a large number of matters related to the construction of New Roseburg. Many things were delayed for too much time, which delayed the return of Otto's fleet.
It was already mid-July, and Rurik learned that there had been two ships from New Roseburg. They were messengers, and they all reported messages from Otto.
Rurik still didn't know what his father was doing. He made his own judgment through the messages delivered by former messengers.
Obviously, Otto must have temporarily taken root in Novgorod or Novorosberg. I am afraid that this year's spring and autumn Sorgon will be put together.
Let dad handle the construction stuff!
Before he inherited the rule of Novorosberg and Novgorod, Rurik felt that he needed to implement something he had conceived for a long time.
A small shipment of ore from the northern mines arrived at Roseburg, and all the ore was moved to the home of the blacksmith Clavarson.
As an experienced old blacksmith, Clavarson saw the ore reflecting the dark luster and subconsciously recognized its wonder.
When Kawei showed his father the chrome steel ax he had made with his own hands, and used it to violently make deep dents in the steel sword blank that was supposed to be indestructible, Klavassen's three views were refreshed again.
"This... what kind of magical weapon is this?! Even the steel sword has become useless?!"
Kawei comforted his father, his attitude was also full of pride.
He pointed to a small pile of ore on the ground: "Dad, my ax is made of these northern ores. Rurik has achieved great success. I have taught those people how to smelt, how to forge, and even Rurik invented another A machine that uses river water and is forged with the power of the river water..."
Kawei's words continued to wash over Klawason's aging mind.
Klavason has lived for a long time, and he feels that he has seen a lot. Even when facing the magical Rurik, he still considers himself an elder. He became a little pedantic and stubborn, but the ax in his son's hand was indeed extraordinary.
"So this is it? I know that some fishermen have obtained some high-quality axes, but I didn't expect it to be like this. However, those Kewen people are not trustworthy."
"But they already know how to smelt it," Kawe added.
This alone made Clavarson tempted: "Maybe you did this wrong. You shouldn't teach them our forging technology."
"But that's Rurik's order, and we must fulfill his order."
"I know! But..." Klavason's eyes, which began to darken, couldn't help but tremble. He looked at the flames coming out of the half-man-high stove, and said quietly: "Maybe an era is over. We will finally do this. Servants of Rurik, we have become rich enough, and the future is no longer something I can think about.”
"Dad, what are you talking about?"
"It's nothing...you're back. Good job coming back!"
Kawei still didn't quite understand, so he subconsciously asked: "Where is Lilia?"
"She's in the inner room."
"She won't come out to see me?!"
Clavarson smiled and complained: "It's you who should go and see her! You know what? Her day is coming soon."
Kawei understood what his father meant in an instant, and couldn't help but feel happy.
Immediately afterwards, under Klavason's gaze, the son quickly slipped into the inner room to visit his mother and his wife Lilia, who was lying quietly on the wooden bed with a pregnant belly and was already very inconvenient.
For the blacksmith, life is not returning to peace. Clavarson is forging iron and looking forward to his family's happy event.
Clavarson and Kawe began to smelt the ores shipped from the north. It turned out that it was extremely laborious to smelt chromite into sponge iron using only a small furnace. The reason was naturally Small stoves do not maximize the heat power of charcoal.
what to do?
Kawe began to build a large furnace next to his house, just like he had done at Elon Olawa Fort. The blacksmith apprentices, who were still children, under the command of the young blacksmith Kamne, using the clay mined in the area, began to Build a new furnace.
Clavason followed his son in action and watched him direct the construction of a new stove.
This stove is unusual. It is made of a large number of lumps of clay. It was piled by more than ten children into a giant thing as high as two stikas!
In a sense, it looks like a blast furnace, but it is still an enlarged version of the traditional furnace.
Because of the successful experience of smelting in Ironburg, Kawei talked with Rurik, and he realized a very basic principle. That is, as long as the temperature is high enough, iron ore can turn into molten iron. As long as there is molten iron, it can be cast directly like molten bronze.
But how easy is it to completely melt the ore?
Kawei couldn't hope for that much, but if he wanted to smelt chromite, he really needed a bigger furnace.
In order to build the nearly two-meter-high stove, the children spent two days just piling clay. A layer of local iron ore was laid inside the furnace for heat insulation and reinforcement, and the children used it for a day.
The space inside the furnace was actually very large, enough for Kamni to stand in it alone. In fact, it was Kamne who completed the work of laying the iron ore inside the stack.
Outside the furnace, Kawei built two steps with stones. It was he who pulled Kamne out of the furnace, and then poked his head to inspect the internal structure.
"Yes, this way chromite can also be smelted into sponge iron, and those ordinary ores will become easier to smelt."
"Is that enough?" Kamni, who was all dirty, asked weakly.
"That's enough. You and your brothers have a good rest. The rest of the work of solidifying the furnace is all my business!"
Is what follows really just a matter of Kawei? In fact, he still needs the help of his father Klavasen.
The son had already led his apprentices to build a huge stove. The father and son worked together to fill the interior with charcoal and pile a large number of charcoal blocks around the stove.
The Kravassins had already accumulated a large amount of silver coins, and they used their money offensive to quickly prompt a group of Rus craftsmen to burn a large amount of charcoal.
The charcoal was ignited, and within the next forty-eight hours, a scorching bonfire never went out!
The fire burned for two days and two nights, and the entire towering furnace underwent a qualitative change.
Clay is what makes pottery, and the main material of this stove today is clay. When the flames naturally extinguished, the hot embers cooled down, and what was left was the stove that was reduced to black charcoal.
Its entire body has been turned into black pottery, and even the sand and gravel that holds the stove have been burned into glaze.
About the Kravasen family spent more than ten days making a large furnace. When it was completed, Rurik became the most distinguished visitor among the many.
It is already late July, and August is just a few days away from the Julian calendar.
This afternoon was an ordinary day. A large number of fishing boats were working in the sea. The nearby forests were only used by people cutting trees and cutting grass. As usual, the deer herders spent a lot of time grazing and taking care of the newborn deer.
People are always busy and life is dull and peaceful.
Underneath the calm there is hidden enthusiasm. Everyone is looking forward to the arrival of August and the return of those businessmen.
Rurik was attracted by the new masterpiece of the Klavasen family.
According to his own plan, he should try to implement the plan to build a blast furnace after returning to his hometown, because many household matters were delayed until the end of July.
Nowadays, Rurik no longer has to worry too much about the children's military training and cultural education. When he learned that Klavasen's masterpiece was finally completed, Rurik simply instinctively thought that they were spontaneously trying to make a blast furnace.
Rurik brought his followers Kanuf, Fisk, and even the reliable mercenary captain Yevro to the door of the blacksmith's house with great interest.
The bonfire that had been burning all night was completely extinguished, and a tall pure black cylindrical stove like a chimney suddenly appeared in front of Rurik.
Kawei, who was still checking the stove, soon saw Rurik's visit.
He jumped down the nearly one-meter-high stone steps, regardless of how dirty he was, and ran straight to Rurik. Then he pointed at his masterpiece with great interest: "Rurik, look! I finally recreated it in my hometown." A big furnace succeeded.”
"I know you're doing these things."
Rurik didn't waste any more words and rushed to the stove in line with his professionalism. He subconsciously stretched out his little hand to touch the stove, and then looked at his fingers. They were stained with carbon color.
"The stove is so dirty?! Why don't you wipe it?"
"Is it necessary?" Kawei asked strangely.
"Oh, maybe it's not necessary. Now, this stove is very cold. You haven't used it?"
"Of course! If you don't come to visit, how can I use it? I also want your review!"
Although they were flattering words, Rurik liked them very much.
By chance, Clavarson, who was wearing a full-body cowhide coat, came over holding a large bundle of pure black charcoal strips.
"Hey! Rurik, you are finally here. Are you here to see my son's masterpiece?"
"certainly."
"Then let's see! Soon, we will start smelting." Klavasen's very confident attitude fully demonstrated that he was going to do a great thing.
Rurik didn't care about his dirty hands. He touched the stove and wandered around the bottom of the stove, carefully inspecting the entire structure of the stove.
At this moment, Klavasen, who was standing on the steps and throwing charcoal blocks into the stove, was also talking non-stop.
Rurik paid no attention to Klavasen's nonsense, and kept his eyes fixed on the lower end of the stove.
"Strange, this furnace looks like a blast furnace. But it is definitely not a blast furnace."
"There are only two openings through which the iron pipe of the bladder blower can be inserted, and the position is also on the upper side. Is there a large opening designed at the bottom? This is obviously the slag outlet. As for the iron outlet, alas, there is really no one."
"Ah, is it possible that Kawei still had to stand on the steps and risk his face being burned, and just use the tongs to pull out the sponge iron?"
"Sponge iron?! Can such a big furnace only produce sponge iron? Can't it produce molten iron?!"
After thinking about it randomly, Rurik began to pay attention to Klavasen's gushing.
It turned out that Kawei told his father all his ideas. Faced with his son's extremely promising feat, Klavason was not pleased. His daughter-in-law was due to give birth soon, and his son was building the largest stove in the family's history. Out of pride, Clavarson gave his son unprecedented assistance.
Rurik no longer wandered around, he listened to Klavasen's words, and then he understood the blacksmith's intention.
Things did not go beyond Rurik's expectations. Because they had never seen molten iron, they only got the concept of molten iron from themselves. As for how to create it, they only existed in ideas.
"Where are Klavason, my Kamne, and your apprentices? Where are they?" Rurik suddenly asked.
"Oh, they are carrying rattan baskets up the mountain to dig for ore."
"Huh? You just let a bunch of kids go? No adults watching?"
Klavason paused what he was doing: "They are armed. Besides, there are no wild beasts in this land for a long time. You really don't have to worry about anything."
do not worry? When Rurik thought that those children were less than ten years old, they actually...
wrong! The year is 830. Those children have never been cowardly cowards, but have been forced to become men by the times from the very core.
Rurik came by chance. He was able to see the process of the new furnace being put into use, and also learned about the great work conceived by Klavasen and his sons.
Since the furnace was made larger, more sponge iron could be smelted. To smelt so much sponge iron, naturally a large amount of charcoal is needed.
A large amount of charcoal is consumed in exchange for a large amount of sponge iron. As long as the sponge iron is completed, the rest will be easy to handle.
For a long time, the Klavason family used a small furnace to smelt sponge iron. Later, the furnace finally broke down, and Kawe built a new furnace that was half a man tall. A year later, a giant furnace was built! Through linear thinking, Karavasin keenly realized that the latest stove is energy-producing sponge iron.
What is the biggest factor limiting your own ironware production capacity? The supply of ore may not be the worst thing, but the lack of preliminary smelting of a large amount of ore is the biggest constraint.
After all, it doesn’t take a high temperature to reheat the sponge iron to the point where it can be forged. As long as a large amount of sponge iron is stored, the rest of the work will be easy.
