Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters
Chapter 1026: 64 Vortex (Six)

Chapter 1026: Chapter 64 Vortex (Six)

Time is money, and Carlo Aide understood this better than anyone.

Although he didn’t agree with Winters’ idea of cooperating with the United Provincials, Carlo Aide still arranged a meeting with the “enemy” for Winters without delay.

The day after the banquet at the Este estate—the third day since Winters arrived at Steel Castle, Baron Granashi visited several large workshops sympathetic to the Federated Provinces in quick succession, expressing his intention to purchase.

“My lord, look, this is our forge.” A plump middle-aged man walked ahead of Winters, eagerly opening the workshop door: “It has been in my hands for three generations now.”

Father Kaman quietly translated for Winters. After hearing it, Winters nodded slightly and followed the plump man into the workshop.

The plump man named Ernest Fuller was forty-two years old, a formal member of the Steel Castle smiths’ guild.

He was the eleventh workshop owner that Winters visited today, and also the last person on the list provided to Winters by Carlo Aide.

Fuller had inherited a small firearms workshop, which included two forges. Compared to the six Forge Masters Winters had met before, Fuller’s wealth was much less.

Perhaps for this reason, Fuller’s attitude was even more proactive and eager. He enthusiastically introduced every aspect of the workshop to the Baron:

“My lord, look, this is the forging table, where we bend the iron plates to make gun barrels. It’s quiet now, but when it’s busy, oh my, the clanking noise is so loud it could make you see stars…”

“That over there is the annealing furnace, from my grandfather’s time, my family workshop has not used external hardening artisans. Though it takes up one of the forge’s spots, we save quite a bit of money every year…”

“There’s also… oops! Be careful of your head! I’m sorry, this damn beam has been in the way for decades… I’ll saw it off tonight!”

Winters stopped, rubbing his forehead, before him was a typical blacksmith’s workshop: furnace, water-powered hammer, bellows, anvil, and various tools.

He had visited similar workshops ten times today, and the novelty had long worn off.

Fuller left the Baron and his entourage in the workroom and quickly rushed into the storeroom, soon returning with a black wooden box.

Fuller solemnly opened the wooden box, which contained a beautifully crafted Revolver Gun. The wood used for the gunstock had a natural and lovely grain, and the body was engraved with complex and exaggerated patterns.

“The finest gun,” Fuller said with a beaming smile. “Naturally fits the most valiant Knight.”

Winters picked up the gun. Its center of gravity was towards the front, and it felt good in the hand. Upon checking the muzzle, it indeed had rifling.

“Is this masterpiece a creation of your workshop?” Winters asked.

After hearing Father Kaman’s translation, Fuller nodded vigorously, proudly replying, “Of course!”

Winters gently stroked the engraved patterns on the gun body and looked back at the setup in the workshop—nothing special, just the usual hammers, chisels, saws, rulers, and other common tools.

It was hard for Winters to imagine that such a finely crafted weapon had come from such a simple, low-ceilinged workshop.

But it was indeed born in the Fuller family’s small workshop, though its father was not Fuller, but some unknown, highly skilled gunsmith.

“People of Steel Castle may think the forge represents wealth,” Winters couldn’t help but think. “But the blacksmiths who wield the hammers are the true source of wealth for the city.”

Winters smiled and spoke a few phrases in the old language, with Father Kaman dutifully translating: “The Baron asks where the craftsman who made this gun is? He would like to thank him in person.”

“Uh, he should be at home…” Seeing the Baron’s displeased expression, Fuller quickly corrected himself: “I will send someone to fetch him right now.”

Winters kept a straight face until he heard Father Kaman’s translation and then nodded in satisfaction.

Kaman continued to act as a bridge for communication: “The Baron says, as far as he knows, the smiths of Steel Castle tend to operate within a narrow scope of business, each specializing in one line. The Baron is curious if your workshop specializes in manufacturing rifles?”

“Your lordship has a keen eye!” Fuller complimented loudly without any embarrassment, boasting with effort: “Fuller Workshop is second to none in gunmaking in Steel Castle. Even the Emperor’s uncle, Duke Lotar, has ordered hunting rifles from our family. If you visit Duke Lotar’s collection now, you might still find a hunting gun engraved with the Fuller surname…”

After a lot of rambling, Fuller finally said something Winters wanted to hear: “Please rest assured, my lord, however many Matchlock Guns you wish to order, I can provide.”

Winters quietly put the firearm back into the wooden box.

Engraved rifled Revolver Guns are expensive and often the playthings of the rich. Particularly according to Fuller’s claims, their main customers are imperial nobility, then they sell only a few units a year.

A workshop specializing in expensive hunting guns, and its owner dares to assert “I can provide however many firearms you need”?

Either Fuller was lying, or he was more anxious internally than he appeared to be.

Winters guessed correctly; Fuller indeed had a large backlog of firearms. These included not only the products hurriedly made by Fuller’s own workshop during the autumn and winter seasons but also finished products purchased from other workshops.

Once upon a time, Fuller considered himself a business prodigy, constricted only by his small family industry, and he wanted to seize the commercial opportunity of Paratu’s civil war to make a name and buy a few more forges.

But now, he just wanted to get rid of the firearms in his storeroom as quickly as possible.

Because those firearms took up all his movable property and a significant portion of them were acquired through loans and credit…

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