Black Iron's Glory

When the carriage reached the arms repair factory, Claude and Skri had finished discussing the matter of getting funding for the renovations of the five castles in Balingana and Cromwell. They would simply resort to withholding the sixty percent of mining produce should it come to it.

But to avoid angering the national treasury, Skri suggested that the term be limited to only three years. That meant that they would withhold the gold and silver produced to pay for the renovations during that time and continue sustaining the national treasury with that amount. At least, it was far palatable that way.

As for the mining association, they would split fifty percent of the yield to the war theatre instead of sixty to the national treasury per their previous arrangement. That way, they’d gain a yearly increase of ten percent and would also save on the costs of shipping the yield to Freia, which was a far better deal than the former sixty percent arrangement.

Claude poked his head out of the carriage and noticed they were stopped at the entrance of a valley. Before entering it, they had to go through a check at the outpost ahead. Skri also left the carriage and told Claude that the factory was defended by a keeper tribe that reported directly to the war theatre. Every entry and exit had to be checked and registered.

A first lieutenant wearing two black stars on his shoulder rushed over and saluted Claude and Skri. He also ordered his keepers to remove the blockade and let the generals, their carriage and attendants into the valley. Claude waved for the carriage to go ahead. He had rode in it for three long hours with Skri and needed the walk.

Skri said that the reason the factory was built there was the presence of a lake at the top of a nearby hill. It was a good water source. A man-made waterfall was made not far away and the height allowed it to power many of the machines necessary in the factory to produce parts other than gun barrels.

The valley seemed rather huge. It was estimated to be around three hectares wide. Most of the land was flattened somewhat. There were many buildings in the middle of the valley and near the edges of the cliffs. There was even a two-metre-tall stone wall that surrounded the buildings which was stationed by four keepers on duty near the gate.

“That is where the factory is,” Skri said.

Claude could hear the rumbling of the machines from the factory, but not the waterfall. He looked up and saw there was a cast iron pipe some ten metres in length hanging off a ledge, stretching into the flat-roofed building at the bottom of the cliff.

“That is the main water power pipe,” Skri said when he noticed Claude’s gaze, “The water flows from the lake up top. The momentum of the falling water is used to power the machines in the building there.”

“It’s an amazing sight,” he exclaimed. He didn’t think the people of this world knew how to use hydro power like that. He had thought they would use a water wheel underneath the waterfall, yet there was no waterfall to be seen. They had collected the water falling from the fall into the pipe and utilised it fully.

Skri cracked a laugh. “What’s amazing about it? Compared to this, the truly amazing ones can be seen in the arms forging factories in the kingdom. I was once posted at the second forging plant, the Valencis United Firearms Factories. The waterfall there is as tall as a kilometre and the cast iron pipe is two metres in width. It’s said that the flow of water can be used to power thousands of such machines to make the finest barrels for the most advanced firearms on Freia.”

Claude didn’t want to hear Skri praise how advanced their firearms allegedly were. He pointed at the factory and said, “Are we going in?”

“No,” Skri said, shaking his head as he pointed in another direction. “We’ll be going over there. The chief machinist is quite a famous master gunsmith in Eastern Freia and has been created an honorary count by the kingdom. After taking up his post, he made his own research workshop and spends most of his time doing his own experiments there.”

Claude noticed a small forest near the other side of the valley where Skri pointed. Within it was a three-storey wooden villa and a row of four log houses. The environment seemed rather good. The small forest was lush and green. However, the smoked and charred look of the wooden buildings seemed rather out of place. It was as if they had been burned before.

“Initially, this new chief machinist lived in the factory itself, but his carelessness during his experiments caused his lab to burn down twice, which the auditor had a lot to say about. He thought the experiments were a risk to the factory, so I sent for some of my men to build his lab and residence over there to quell the conflict,” Skri explained as they walked.

Claude wondered, “Why does it seem like you’re taking real good care of the chief machinist?”

Skri laughed. “Because he’s a famous gunsmith I’ve heard of for a long time. A certain former subordinate mine also had really close relations with his daughter, you see. So, I did what I could to help, lest that subordinate of mine complain to me that I haven’t taken good care of them…”

Claude didn’t think much of it as they continued towards the wooden buildings. They entered the forest and saw a young boy wearing a grey riding vest reading a book under a rubber tree.

“Hey, lil’ Mark, where is your mother and grandfather?” Skri asked in a friendly manner.

The boy looked up curiously. When he saw the two, he jumped excitedly and cried, “Uncle Skri, why have you come?”

As they approached each other, Claude suddenly felt his heart rate increase. He looked at the face of the child. It seemed rather familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he had seen such a face before.

“Grandpa is taking a nap and should be waking soon. Mom’s inside the lab,” the boy said.

“Then Uncle here will go look for your grandpa. Call your mom over too. We have an honoured guest tonight,” he said, stroking the boy’s head.

The boy looked at Claude curiously. “Is that our guest? His shoulder mark is the same like yours. Is he a general too?”

“Haha, he’s not just a general. He’s the field marshal of the war theatre, my superior. Even I have to listen to his orders. He has come to visit your grandpa today. Alright, go call your mom.”

The boy jumped and went looking for his mother.

Claude looked at him go puzzledly. “Skri, is this boy the chief machinist’s grandson? We’re here to visit his grandfather because of the barrel consumption, right? Why did you ask him to get his mother?”

“It’s simple. The one breaking the barrels isn’t really the chief machinist, but rather, his daughter, this child’s mother. She’s an honorary baroness and also a gunsmith like her father. They are a family of only three, so she brought her son to leave with her father as he went to take up his new post as chief machinist.”

“I see. It’s rather rare for the family trade to pass from father to daughter. However… breaking more than 800 barrels each year is a little excessive. I’m really curious what experiments she has been up to.”

“I’m not too sure myself, but I’ve heard her father mention she’s trying to create a brand new type of gun, one that is completely unlike the traditional matchlock–” Skri pointed at the log house. “–Let’s not dally here and go in for now. If you’re curious, you can ask the baroness herself.”

Soon, Claude saw the new chief machinist inside the building, the so-called master gunsmith in Skri’s words.

“Good day, Generals, welcome. I am Liboyd Milowski, the new chief machinist of the firearms repair factory,” said a man in his sixties with white hair and black-framed crystal spectacles resting on his nose. While he seemed rather old, he still looked rather sharp. His behaviour was elegant, yet he seemed easy to approach.

Claude instantly got a good impression of the old man. He noticed that the man didn’t announce his honorary Title, whether intentionally or he simply didn’t care. If he had done so, Claude would have to offer his greetings first. But since he only mentioned his post, he positioned himself as subordinate to Claude.

However, Claude still seemed a little troubled. He could recall hearing that name from somewhere before, but he just couldn’t place it. The two introduced themselves and took a seat. The old man instructed his maidservant to serve his two guests tea. The red tea served was adorned with lemon slices, honey and some flower petals.

“Please have a taste. This is flower tea from our hometown. It’s a little different from the kingdom’s tea you’re used to drinking that use no additives to highlight the taste of the tea leaves themselves,” Liboyd introduced.

Claude took two sips. “It tastes rather good. It’s sweet, fragrant and refreshing. However, we don’t only drink tea straight. As a child, I loved to add honey and milk to my tea, my siblings love it too. However, my father thinks it a waste. Now that I have my own income, I can finally add whatever I want to my tea, but I’m no longer as eager about their taste as before. Now, I prefer the plain bitter taste of red tea. Perhaps, this is the cost of growing old…”

“Well said, General. For one of your age in your position to have this kind of realisation puts you far ahead of your peers,” Liboyd praised.

Just as Claude wanted to humble himself, he heard a woman’s voice from outside. “Little rascal… If you drag me out of my lab and there are no honoured guests to attend to, you better worry for your arse. Eh? Why are there so many guards all of a sudden?”

Skri, who was standing at the doorway, recognised the voice. Gum greeted the woman and moved aside to let her in, her hand holding her son’s.

“General Claude, this is my daughter, Sonia. She’s holding the hand of my grandson, Marcus,” Liboyd introduced.

Clang! The cup in Claude’s hand fell to the ground. His face was fraught with panic as his jaw dropped at the sight of the woman.

She seemed just as shocked to see Claude. “How could it be you?”

An awkward, silent atmosphere hung over the room. Claude and the old man’s daughter, Sonia, glared at each other, their hearts palpitating. The old man looked left, then right, not sure of what was going on. The child seemed startled and hid behind his mother’s back, before poking half his head out to look at Claude. Only Skri continued to sip his flower tea like nothing odd was happening at all.

“G-general… S-sonia… you two know each other?” Liboyd carefully asked.

“So you were the famous count gunsmith…” Claude now understood why the name Liboyed Milowski sounded so familiar to him. As for his daughter, Sonia, he would have an even harder time forgetting her. She was the first woman he bedded in this world, after all. Their little relationship healed the fatigue and mental wounds he had built up charging into the battlefield and turned him from a boy into a real man.

His eyes drifted to the boy behind her and instantly recognised the sense of familiarity. His mind automatically darted to one notion. It had been close to a decade since he parted with Sonia, and the boy’s age fit more or less. Back then, Sonia was a single widow without a child.

“He is…” Claude pointed at the boy.

“He’s my son. His surname is Milowski,” Sonia reacted as she knelt down and hugged her boy.

Claude smiled resignedly. He didn’t have any intention of taking the child from her. “Why didn’t you write me a letter about such a big deal?”

“What’s the point of telling you? You were just a minor first lieutenant back then,” she said a little agitatedly, “It was wartime. I had returned to Swansburg and my father was really sick. I noticed later that I was pregnant. If not for your kingdom’s army coming to encircle the city, we would’ve been forced to move to Nasri. A year later, I gave birth to lil’ Mark and Duke Askilin announced his surrender. I wanted to ask about you, but I heard your kingdom suffered a huge loss on the Great Plains of Canas. They said 1st Rangers was sent to the plains, so I thought you had died…”

Skri stood up and said, “Master Boyd, I believe we ought to go out to take a walk. Let’s leave them to themselves.”

The old man snapped out of it and yawned. “That’s right. The weather’s great today, perfect for a walk. Lil’ Mark, come with Grandpa. Your mother has some personal matters to deal with.”

Claude looked at Skri and finally realised what he meant just now about a former subordinate being really close to the chief machinist’s daughter. “Friend… You set me up! Why didn’t you tell me about this since you’ve known long ago?”

Skri shrugged. “How could I have brought it up? I only had my suspicions, that’s it. And when I found out Master Boyd was going to take over as chief machinist, I still wasn’t aware of your relationship. I only figured it out after seeing how lil’ Mark looked a little like you and finding out that Baroness Sonia here had a fling in Squirrel Village near a decade ago. That’s how I grew certain. By then, you were fighting at the frontlines. Since I didn’t have concrete proof, I couldn’t just ask you to come here. Just as I was about to schedule a meeting, you came here yourself.”

Soon, only Claude and Sonia were left in the room. Marcus was taken away by Liboyd and Skri considerately shut the door.

“Sonia, I’m really sorry. It must’ve been tough.” He stepped forwards and attempted to hug his decade-old lover.

However, she furiously stopped the hug. “Let’s make things clear first. Lil’ Mark is mine. He bears our Milowski surname. I won’t change it to yours.”

Claude didn’t even know how to react. “Alright. I promise I won’t take him away.”