Otto woke up from his drowsiness. He was surprised that he was lying on the ground and unexpectedly covered with a deerskin.
"What's going on? Where are the people? Come here!"
Otto shouted loudly, and soon mercenaries guarding him with swords rushed into the house. The visitor was none other than Jevlo.
"Big Chief, what are your orders?"
"I...what's wrong?" Otto held his head and stood up.
"You drank too much yesterday and got drunk."
"Oh yes? Where is my son, Rurik?"
"He went to the warehouse to check the tributes. He gave me an order to take a few brothers and stand outside the door waiting for you to wake up."
"So that's it?"
Otto sat up. He felt a chill, and then subconsciously touched his left and right hands, and unexpectedly touched a piece of wheat cake.
Jevro hurriedly explained: "Rurik was afraid that you would be hungry after you woke up, so we specially prepared some food."
"This kid is very thoughtful." Otto shook his head vigorously, finished the cake in a few bites, and looked like he was resurrected with full blood: "Let's go, Jevro. Show me the tributes."
When the sea was about to freeze, a fleet came to Ironburg in the far north in order to collect iron tribute.
While Otto was still sleeping soundly, Rurik endured the coldness of early winter. He put on a thick leather coat, glanced at his father who was still snoring in the lobby, and left the house with Saipolava.
He summoned more than a dozen mercenaries, put on a very imposing aura, and gave orders to the city lord Mechasta.
The order was to inspect all tributes.
Coincidentally, the most important supplies were all stored inside the wooden walls. Following the tradition of the Kewen people, a large number of cellars were dug out.
What appeared in front of Rurik were five long wooden houses. They seemed to be semi-underground houses, but there was indeed a cave inside.
Mechasta is in good spirits and eager to prove loyalty to his true master. Mechasta didn't think it was ridiculous to swear loyalty to a little boy. He and his tribe did get some benefits because of this child, and after their lives settled down, everything was going well. Since what happened in the past has happened, and the Covin people were easily defeated by the Rus even if they united, then just be obedient servants.
Based on this thought, Mechasta personally opened the wooden door of a room, and immediately, a cold feeling hit his face.
"My lord, this room is filled with axes and spearheads. All the tributes you ask for are here."
Rurik glanced inside and couldn't help feeling afraid. It's not that he's afraid of pure darkness, but he just can't see what's hidden in the darkness.
"Can't you light a torch?"
"Oh, I'm going to send someone to light a fire." Mechasta said hurriedly.
"No need." Rurik waved his hand, "Ask your people to take out all the tributes and place them on the ground for me. I will count their numbers myself." As a person in power, Rurik must defend his own rights. Power, when it comes to eating, is one thing, it cannot be two things. "A thousand axes, five hundred spearheads, if one is missing, you will be punished."
What's the punishment? Mechasta didn't even consider it. It's so easy to fulfill the master's tribute request.
Soon, some men from the Iron Squirrel Tribe began to frequently enter and leave the wooden house, and one after another walked out holding bundled axes. Just like the Kovin tribe living on the Oulu River, the people there bundle squirrel skins, while the people here bundle ax handles.
The wooden handles of the axes are tied with hemp rope. Since a person has ten fingers, the axes are bundled in bundles of ten. They were placed on the hard ground and arranged in a matrix for easy counting according to Rurik's requirements.
After a while, a ten by ten square matrix was arranged, with exactly one thousand axes. In fact, there are still some axes in stock in the warehouse, and Mechasta has no intention of taking them out anymore.
The spearheads were also taken out. All the spearheads were simply metal pieces polished into spear shapes. With the waterwheel free forging system, the hot iron ingots can be easily hammered into pieces of iron. After some rough polishing, the spear head is basically formed. It did not have a sleeve, but the blacksmith deliberately left a dent in the iron piece behind the spear head so that the hemp rope could be tied to the wooden stick.
Is it still required that each of these weapons be a magic weapon?
Rurik knelt down, untied a bundle of axes, and held the small hand ax in both hands. Even a ten-year-old boy can wield these axes. After all, its ax blade is really only as big as a young man's hand, and there is no hole for a wooden stick. The ax blade was still deliberately dented, and it was firmly fixed on the wooden handle after being bonded with easily available pine glue and tied with hemp rope.
Rurik really knew how to make the two weapons. Hydraulic free forging can be said to have solved the current situation of Ironburg's absolute shortage of muscular men. The most physically demanding blacksmithing work has become the work of the river. It is simply hydraulic free forging, and currently cannot produce any fine processing.
Seeing that Rurik was looking fascinated and his little brows were furrowed, Mechasta lowered his head and said, "Sir, how do you feel about these tributes?"
"Feel like? The quality has dropped a lot compared to the ones we originally produced."
"Ah! Because the men under me have just become blacksmiths, and their skills are far inferior to the experienced Ross blacksmiths..."
Mechasta still wanted to say a lot more, but Rurik said twice: "Stop talking. You have indeed completed the mission, and you have proved your loyalty."
Mechasta calmed down and said calmly: "It is my honor to serve you."
Of course Rurik liked to hear compliments, and of course some of his inner thoughts were kept in his heart.
For example, these weapons are not well-edged. Even the spearheads still need to be polished. Did Rurik have no intention of blaming them for this matter? He still had no intention of mentioning it.
The slender spearhead is easily crafted into short spears and javelins. These hand axes are not really suitable for felling large trees. After the ax blade is sharpened, it can be used as a good tool for cutting meat and bones. In combat, these small hand axes are completely flexible. Even if the ax blade is no longer sharp, the warrior can smash the enemy's head with one swing of his right hand.
Just like pumpkins and bones, they are basically short sticks equipped with iron heads. Their high flexibility brings flexibility in killing enemies.
If these new blacksmiths of the Iron Squirrel Tribe were to make all chromium-iron ax and spearheads finely polished with ore and sandstone, it would take too long.
They are ordnance, or a mass-produced ordnance. Mass-produced ordnance only needs to ensure a bottom line of quality. The rest is how to reduce the investment of manpower and material resources to obtain greater output. With this awareness, Rurik didn't want to say anything. They were just tributes, and a batch of goods would be sent to the Melalen tribe to equip Olegin's warriors.
They must be ferrochromium materials, which naturally have strong corrosion resistance. Although they have not undergone lengthy carburizing operations, after undergoing quenching processing, the sudden cooling forced a huge change in the surface metallography. They are already extremely hard and will negate the advantages of all simple wrought iron weapons.
However, compared to the weapons used by the Russians themselves, these instruments are so-called "monkey versions".
Rurik clapped his hands vigorously and stood up: "I thought about it and I am generally satisfied."
"So, my lord, you are still a little unhappy?"
"It doesn't matter." Rurik shrugged, "You will mass-produce axes and spearheads for me according to this standard in the future. Remember, your tribute will be doubled during the warm period next year. I know you can do this. "
Mechasta gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I will stick to it."
"Do it well. If you do well, I will give you rewards. The rewards you can get all depend on your actions."
Life requires hope, hope and hope, but Otto, escorted by mercenaries, arrived without hesitation.
Either the methanol in the liquor had not evaporated completely, or he simply did not sleep well while doing his homework. Otto was just a bit irritated by the air-conditioning, and his energy was still a little sluggish.
Otto accepted the guidance of the mercenaries, and a group of people who seemed to be idle gathered together. He immediately recognized Rurik, who was wearing a beautiful ferret fur hat, and also saw the presence of a lot of reflections in the early winter sun, which was very strange for the return trip.
Then, he understood.
The mental malaise disappeared. Otto was so frightened that he simply sat on the ground. He pointed at the equipment on the ground: "Tomahawks! Why are there so many tomahawks? Are they all made by Covin?"
Jevlo and his men hurriedly helped the stunned leader up, and Mechasta immediately approached to claim this "brilliant" result.
Otto just stood up, his trembling mouth trembling; "When I came...a year ago, this was just our...temporary camp, and now it is a city. You Kewen people, you are all... A blacksmith? Even more efficient than our Russian blacksmiths!"
"It is an honor for me to be praised by the great leader." Mechasta quickly expressed his attitude respectfully.
In fact, Otto made a mistake. In terms of iron production, what is the level of Ironburg here? A blast furnace was built in Screwburg. Since it successfully produced iron, the operation of the furnace was completely restricted by the insufficient supply of charcoal fuel and ore. It is a big eater, and its stove alone is more efficient than a hundred ordinary stoves! But it is real pig iron smelting, and what is cast are iron daily necessities, such as a large number of trays, bowls, oil lamp holders, and even large iron pots for cooking. Of course, cast pig iron can be weaponized, that is, to make a hammer and become a useful blunt instrument and production tool, but don't expect it to be polished into a useful sharp tool.
Otto simply watched the smelting in the blast furnace and learned that iron ore can also be turned into hot "water". He just observed this miracle and lamented that miracles always come when the Ross tribe is born, but he did not have any intuitive understanding of its production capacity.
Now, he was shocked by the axes all over the ground.
He stroked his beard and thought: "With the production of a thousand axes a year, my warriors will soon have one in each hand! No, two! My warriors will be full of powerful fighting power."
Thinking of this, Otto wanted to know more and more how they were made. You shouldn't ask Mechasta about this. Otto knew that all miracles came from his son Rurik who stood beside him.
Let an old leader see a little of the power of technology, and Rurik is willing to oblige.
"Dad, do you want to know? I want to remind you, when you feel scared, don't sit on the ground again."
Otto, who knew he was losing his temper, hurriedly yelled: "I'll try my best...as much as I can."
The rivers were surging, and those residents who lived in the tribal era had no idea that the flow of water itself was a form of labor force. The waterwheel systems in the European Middle Ages were one of the few engineering technologies left over from the Western Roman Empire. The appearance of waterwheels and other water-powered machinery in Northern Europe in the ninth century was a miracle.
No, this time Otto really understood what those wooden houses with huge wheels along the river were.
They are the miracles from Asgard displayed in the human world. Is not it?
If it hadn't been for Gevro's timely support, Otto would have sat on the ground again.
What he saw was a Kewen craftsman wearing only a burlap shirt in the cold winter, constantly putting the red iron burning in the small stove under the incredible automatic hammer. It's as if Thor himself gave these sledgehammers divine power and let them be forged by craftsmen.
Otto had no idea that the wooden wheel full of blades that was constantly being beaten and rotated by the water outside the wooden house was the core of the power. Moreover, due to the dry season, the efficiency of the wooden wheel was no longer as good as before.
"Dad, what do you think?" Rurik asked knowingly.
"A miracle! A complete miracle!"
"Yes, it is indeed a miracle." Rurik smiled and asked again against his will, "Dad, what do you think this means? These hammers will keep beating for us Russians."
"It's us...it's not right!" Otto's eyes widened, and he looked at his son's beautiful smile. The innocence still revealed holiness and an inviolable majesty. "It's you! It's Odin, it's Thor, granting you divine power! Rurik, you have performed a miracle."
Deny that this is a miracle? Rurik did not want to deny it. He deliberately said: "It is these Covin people who surrendered to us who are making iron tools. They have been recognized by Thor, which means that God has recognized them. Then, I also recognize their relationship with us." Relationships need to be very close.”
In an instant, Otto understood his son's true intention, which indeed made him very sensitive.
"Are you expecting me to admit that they are Russians, or that they are equal to us Russians?"
"I didn't say that." Rurik said calmly.
"What do you want to say?"
"I'm just stating the fact that Thor gave permission to the Corvin people of the Iron Squirrel tribe to use his divine power. That's all."
"You..." Otto gritted his teeth and simply stopped asking.
If Otto really had some scientific literacy, he would have been able to see the constantly rotating wooden shaft. The raised wooden blocks of the bearing formed a cam structure longitudinally, which was the driving force for the operation of the hammer lever. He is a man who is shrewd in power calculations, but he is not a craftsman, and he does not even look down on the craftsmen themselves. He only admires brave warriors. A young blacksmith like Kawei should be looked down upon by Otto. However, Kawei has long shown a warrior side and is proficient in iron smelting, which gives Kawei more advantages and personality charm.
Otto watched for a while. He became more and more fascinated and sighed: "I can't believe that your people are still giving birth on such a cold day. Since God has rewarded you, I should also give you a reward."
Mechasta was shocked to hear Jevlo's translation. He immediately knelt down, as humble as a hound, which pleased Otto all the more.
But after all, these people are Rurik's servants, and this matter should be decided by himself. Otto looked at his son: "Rurik, they are your servants. In the name of the great leader, I ask you to reward them with some rewards."
"Me? Is it necessary?" Rurik asked deliberately. He was also surprised that his father might not have been drunk yet. You must know that he had always been strict and stingy towards all kinds of servants.
"You must reward, otherwise you will be sorry to the gods. Let's do this!" Otto slapped his head and pointed at the kneeling Mechasta's forehead: "I give you 10,000 pounds of grain as a reward for your hard work and loyalty. This is also a response to God. Favor. I will command your master to give you a reward."
Mechasta was not excited immediately. He felt that this matter was a bit strange, but since a large amount of precious oats might fall into his stomach, only a fool would refuse.
Seeing that his father was so determined, Rurik had already planned a way to cultivate loyalty based on more "carrots" from these Kewen people, and now he had no worries.
"Then I will also provide you with some food." Rurik expressed his position directly in the language of the Kovin people: "I also got some magical wood, which can be processed into a very elastic long bow, which is shorter than yours. Wooden bows are more useful. Since you all know how to shoot, I will reward you. Once there is a war in the future, you must send troops to fight for us."
This "sending troops to fight for us" is the most significant promise! Mechasta knew about the hateful Salmon Lord tribe. Even though they had fought against the Rus, because they had become a servant army, they still enjoyed a lot of freedom and were not like their own tribe. Once there was substantial disloyalty, You will be severely punished by the Russians.
Fighting side by side clearly means getting a higher status among the Rus.
Isn’t there a living example right in front of us? The Finn Jevro, this man is obviously of a higher status than many Russians, just because he is a loyal warrior.
Mechasta made a promise: "My people are all excellent hunters, and having a good bow is a better hunter. We look forward to an opportunity to serve the Rus."
Jevlo cleverly added embellishments to the translation, making Mechasta's words even more respectful.
"Hahaha, maybe the battle you are eager to prove yourself is not far away! You Kewen people should be well prepared."
A war, really there will be a war? Chief Ross's words didn't sound like a drunken joke.
Mechasta smiled and complimented on the outside, but he was muttering in his heart. Are the Rus really planning to attack the Tavastians next year? Although the Kovin people are constantly fighting among themselves, if the Tavastians invade, the tribes will still have to unite, otherwise everyone will have to be those people's slaves.
But Otto and Rurik really had nothing to say. Both of them were aware of the huge risk of war, which was also an escalation of the war with the Danes and Gotlanders. Tavastians? Otto is simply not interested in these guys. Of course Rurik was not interested in them either, even the Karelians were more interesting than them.
If the soldiers found some fun in the war, it was to plunder the gold and silver of the Gotlanders. It turned out that those guys were really rich.
Otto suddenly came up with an idea, which was to let the archers of the Kovin people board the boat. This way, when his nephew Arik robs the Gotland fishing boat, the Russians would have a greater tactical advantage. Moreover, these Kewen archers will definitely be extremely useful. They are just slaves. They are not paid like mercenaries, and they have no right to distribute spoils. They are just a tool, even if they are approved by God and use divine power here. Blacksmithing is just a tool that the Russians can control. It is indeed important to maintain and treat your tools well.
