With my first target chosen I waited for a lull in their work. When it arrived I asked, "Keegan, do all smiths use those blower things?" He laughed as he sat to rest. His paunch partially obscuring the tiny stool he was sitting on.
He responded, "It's called the bellows. And yes, every blacksmith uses bellows. Why do you ask?"
I shrugged, trying to seem innocent, and said, "It just seems inefficient." Keegan chuckled boisterously.
He replied, "It's necessary for the forge to heat up as hot as it does. The fuel needs more air than what hangs out around the fire."
He had a look of realization and added, "I suppose some smiths are wealthy enough to hire a mage to enchant their forge to do it automatically. Nobody around here could afford that." I nodded in response. A mage could use sapphires and air conjuration runes to create more air.
