Winter came, yet the activities in the growing town of Solus never died down. Merchants could still be seen coming in and out of the town with their oxen wagons, carrying goods for trade. It was partly due to the orders that never kept on stopping, and the ores, food, grain, and other goods coming from Rockford, Nexus, and other cities in the Nozul Islands, courtesy of Sean, Blake, and others.
The influx of people never died down too. Although the refugee crisis was mostly resolved, with many people now settled in their places, new people from across the Nozul Islands started coming to Solus to find jobs, because they heard of how well craftsmen were paid and treated in these parts compared to other places.
Those who come from the north specially loved the weather. Although it was cold, the weather was not as terrifying compared to the freezing north. Snow falls in the coldest days, but it only lasts for a few days. Without snow, activities can continue unhindered, with the exception of farms, the fields come to a recess during these times.
In the Stannouses', workmen carefully brought inside the home a bronze contraption. They placed it in a corner in the living area, expertly hidden away from plain view. On top of the device extended a bronze pipe, which the workers connected up and out of a hole in the wall.
Linus rubbed his hands, shivering "I've been dying to try this out for the longest time. Only now it becomes viable." He opened the door of the contraption and tosses some firewood and kindling in it. He then ignited the combustibles and closed the door. Warmth radiated from the box, heating the entire room.
Julius took some of his layers off, saying "This thing surely is convenient. What do you call it?"
"It's a wood burning stove. It can keep us warm by burning wood as fuel. With the chimney coming out of the wall, you needn't worry about smoke." Linus said.
"Son, do you plan to sell this thing also?" Julius asked.
"For the nobles, the aristocrats, I wouldn't mind making them this for the right amount of money, but it's troublesome. This thing is made from money and requires a lot of material. It's cast bronze." Linus replied, sighing. "But it's good enough to keep us warm so I can proceed with my experiments comfortably." Linus reached out to the stove, warming his hands.
"By the way, how's Simon doing, son?" Julius asked.
"Oh, I was informed that their almost done working on the first batch of ships. I'll visit them next week. I wanted them to equip the ships with a new weapon." Linus replied.
The next day, Linus visited Raymond. He found him on the foundry, striking a red-hot metal with his bronze hammer on a bronze anvil. Lined up next to him were a few blackened chisel tipped bars, all crude and unpolished. Although Linus haven't asked, he knew that Raymond was successful at smelting iron blooms.
"Is that steel you're working on." Linus asked Raymond.
Raymond dropped the hammer and tossed the metal back into the forge. "Young Master, is that you? Yes, these are steel. As you said, they are easy to work on when exposed to heat, but very tough, tougher than bronze. But refining iron blooms into steel by forging is not easy. Folding iron fifty to a hundred times is tough work."
"Right, that's the reason bronze is superior to steel, for the meantime. The yield is low, and so far, we can only use steel sparingly." Linus told Raymond.
"Ah yes. Nothing beats the toughness of our bronze tools. Is there anything else you need from me, Young Master?" Raymond asked.
"Yes, cast me more of those thick bronze tubes and forge more of those steel cutting tools for our lathes. They will be useful for our next project." Linus ordered.
A week after, Simon completed his work on his first batch of ships, all 5 of them. Together with Linus, Julius himself was there to see the ships personally. At first glance, Julius was unimpressed by the size of the ships. He thought that the pirates had it better with their galleys.
Ding! [Achievement unlocked. You are hereby granted the skill
"Son, galleys look better than these ones you made." Julius said, expressing his disapproval.
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"Pops, you're wrong. A galley has none or very little advantage over the caravel. I know the caravel looks smaller than a galley, but because of that, it is lightweight, which means that it can sail faster. In addition, those triangular lateen sails and its narrow beam adds to its maneuverability, which makes it hard for the galleys to ram or catch them." Linus explained.
"But son, a smaller ship means less people, right?" Julius asked.
"Yes, but it doesn't need slave rowers like a galley does. 30 people are enough to operate it, which keeps our overhead low. In addition, we get a lot of cargo capacity, which can keep our mariners supplied in the sea for an extended period of time. We can fight for longer." Linus replied.
"True, but the deck can only fit so much fighters. Son I'm afraid we'll get easily swamped if boarded." Julius voiced a valid concern.
"Only if they can board the ship. I plan on installing ranged weapons that can blow their ships even before they got close. I need Simon's help for that." Linus assured Julius.
"Simon, please look at these new plans." Linus turned to Simon, handing him the blueprint scroll.
"What is this thing? Do I unroll it?" Simon asked.
"Yes, that is paper, similar to the newspaper the newsboys read to townsfolk." Linus replied.
"Let me see…" As he unrolled the paper and saw more of the details of the design, his hands trembled in excitement. He had it a long time coming. Finally, he gets to build his water powered lathes by the river.
"Simon, I know you're busy with the shipyard, but having done this much, I'm sure your apprentices can carry out your duty. The water powered lathes need your urgent attention." Linus told Simon.
"I'll go get Paul and his new recruits in the carpentry shop. I'll need their help building this new facility." Simon told Linus.
"Good. The lathes will help us prepare our new weapon." Linus said.
As soon as he was ordered, Simon excitedly packed up, preparing to return to Solus. There he took Paul and his crew of new carpenters on a mission, to build a facility by the river, equipped with water powered lathes.
Linus soon split with Julius and Simon, going to school, there he summoned a few students. "Robert, Jude, and Philip, I would like you to follow me."
"Yes, sir!" The three answered in unison.
"Since you are good with maths. Learning this much about chemicals shouldn't be a problem to you three." Linus brought the trio in the school laboratory, which was fully stocked with chemical ingredients.
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First, Linus taught the three about extracting saltpeter from guano. Then, he instructed the three on the use of mortar and pestle to grind charcoal, sulfur, and other chemicals needed for the project. He tasked them to silently recruit others when they needed more labor for the processing of gunpowder. Like the newsboys and the reporters, Linus promised the trio a sum and the job on his gunpowder factory after graduation.
"Boys, it's too dangerous to work on gunpowder in town, so I'll get you a new workplace as soon as possible." Linus told the three.
Linus then summoned Samir, instructing him to build the gunpowder factory in the outskirts of the town.
"Boys, this is Mr. Samir. He is a jack of all trades. He knows many things, including dealing with merchants and recruitment of people. He will build you a factory in the outskirts of the town. If you needed help on supplies, don't hesitate to ask Mr. Samir about it." Linus said.
"Yes, sir! Mr. Samir, we're under your care." The trio replied, bowing.
"No problem. This is business as usual." Samir told the three.
But Linus' work never stopped there, fast tracking the project required an enormous sum, and if he didn't do anything, they will soon lose all their money. With Nina's support, he carried out his work of refining the three acids needed for the extraction of gold, silver, and other metals mixed in the ores found in the mountain.
"My lady, sorry to impose on you, but I need your help on these experiments. Please hand me the sulfur." Linus ordered Nina.
"Yes, Sir Linus. Here's the sulfur."
Using his skill
Next, he experimented on producing Hydrochloric Acid by reacting sulfuric acid and salt over heat. Using his lab equipment, he carried out the procedure, allowing the gas to dissolve on water, producing the acid. Repeating the reaction over and over again, it took a while before he got the desired amount, but he persevered, burning midnight oil. Working overtime, he didn't mind the tiredness nor the cold of winter. He had the wood burning stove in the lab to keep him warm and comfy in his night shift.
In the morning, Nina came to check on Linus. "Sir Linus! Sir Linus! Are you okay?" She found him collapsed on the lab floor. He didn't respond to her, but he didn't look okay either. She checked his forehead and found out that he was burning with high fever. She placed Linus in a more comfortable position by the sofa, covering him with sheets for warmth and called for help.