I Became a Slave to a Mythical Shepherd

Episode 32. steel

The firewood supply issue was also agreed upon with the fairies.

The construction of the forge was also completed.

After all that hard work, I’ve come to the point where I can pull out the steel…

“Once, it will be difficult to sell in this city.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

After offering the first iron ingots to Hephaestus, Uncle Skleos said so.

What would happen to the Korean economy if, out of nowhere, the South Korean president took out 200 tons of gold bars from the underground?

The price of gold becomes the price of sh*t, and as the game dances like crazy, the largest group diving show ever will be held at Mapo Bridge.

Same.

Iron, along with gold, silver, and copper, is a very valuable precious metal at this time. It would be easy to understand if it was usually more expensive than gold.

So if we were to suddenly be able to extract steel indefinitely, the nobles who had amassed their fortunes in iron ingots would do anything to stop us.

It was precisely that point that Uncle Skleos pointed out.

If you don’t want to mess up the economic order of this city in an instant, it’s suicidal to immediately release a large amount of goods nearby.

“Then, let’s expand the market by pushing production to nearby cities. After that, the value of iron ingots will gradually decrease and stabilize.”

“Yeah, that would be nice. I’ll make an urgent arrangement for the ships, so you can look around the facility while you wait. ”

It’s a ship… yes, you’ll need it. Unless you’re hanging on to the pellet-sized demand in this city.

But why are you so embarrassed?

I watched Mr. Skleos slowly carve various contents on a clay tablet and carry it away.

Realized.

What is the probability that a ship launched in the Aegean will only go to Troy and none to Greece?

“Ah, ah, mister!! stop!!”

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

Answer: 0%

I urgently shout to the man who stopped at my words.

“You can’t transport it by ship! never!”

no. Even if dirt gets in my eyes, I won’t see the guys I raised go into the hands of the Greeks.

“What’s going on?”

“Heh, Hephaestus-sama should know. Please ask Hephaestus-sama.”

If you point out the cause of the country’s ruin in ancient times, they are all similar.

The easiest ones are war, rebellion, famine, and plague. all four or

As Hephaestus knows about the prophecy that I will destroy the country, he must have a rough idea of what I am preparing for.

At best, they mass-produced high-quality steel, and when the Greeks equipped with spears and knives from that steel land in the land of Troy, they are speechless.

The old man nodded in bewilderment and went toward the temple. It didn’t take long. Because Hephaestus responds well to the call of his servants.

Before long, the old man returns with a look that still doesn’t make sense.

“What did Hephaestus say?”

“You are right. He didn’t tell us why, but he told us never to transport them by ship.”

“Yes? Then, after all, we have no choice but to move by land…”

At the same time, we turned around and sighed as we looked at those huge iron ingots piled up in boxes.

All of that by land? nonsense.

Whether it was the Aegean basin in the 12th or 13th century B.C., or Joseon in the 18th or 19th century when roads were not developed, there was one thing in common that transcended the time gap of 3,000 years.

“Shipping by land would be dozens of times more expensive than by sea, right?”

“Speak not. It would be a miracle if only about 1/20 of them were handed over to nearby cities.”

Fortunately, a miracle actually happened!

“Please, Mr. Anoitus. Aren’t you the merchant who can mobilize the most carts in this city?”

Anoitus was quite perplexed.

He called me over to talk about collectibles, and he even came to Skleos to discuss business together.

However, that was short-lived, and Anoitus, dressed in a formal red cloak, skillfully served Skeleos a meal and said,

“Of course, thanks to my father, I also have the right to move such wealth… it’s difficult. I don’t think I can push all the steel you asked for. For now, I will do my best in the line where possible.”

That best, soon took as much as 1/20 of the total iron ingots.

I’m so glad Now, since we only have to deal with the remaining 19/20 of iron ingots, wouldn’t it be enough for 19 more miracles to happen before they all rust?

···What to do?

Skleos and I went out of the gate of the mansion with our heads bowed to Anoitus. I had to look back at least three times to see if the uncle’s sigh had turned off the threshold of Anoitus’s house.

When I return, most of the iron ingots I made and slashed are piled up in the warehouse, gathering dust. The other blacksmiths also clicked their tongues at the sight.

Right away, the blacksmith took a break from work and went into the marathon meeting. And after arguing for a long time, there was only one way out.

“We need to consume all the iron ingots in this area of Antandros!”

One of the craftsmen shouted, and the other blacksmiths nodded.

No, I’m ashamed to even call it a method. How is this different from a convenience store part-time job that hurries to eat triangular gimbap that hasn’t been sold past the expiration date?

After thinking about it, I said.

“Then, let’s start with the accessories.”

We have Uncle Skleos, who is rich and powerful enough to rank among the best in this city.

If such a man were to wear a steel necklace, a bracelet, and earrings and a ring at every banquet, there was no way it wouldn’t be fashionable in the society of upper-class citizens.

That’s how we expand the scope of sales from luxury items to everyday items for convenience.

Steel scissors, steel arrowheads, steel daggers, steel pots, etc…

I commented like that.

“Can not be done.”

Skleos didn’t even think about it and cut off his words with a short answer.

“Why?”

“No, I want to ask. Why did you think that way? A child blessed by Hephaestus-sama.”

“That’s it… if it’s convenient, more people will buy and use small items, and when they run out, they’ll buy them again…”

“how much?”

What do you mean ‘how much’? If all replaceable everyday items were replaced with steel…

…

“Not much… not much.”

Only then did Uncle Skleos nod.

I have lived in a capitalist society all my life.

In an economic system in which surplus production is generously invested in consumables, and when demand runs out, commercial advertising is created to run the economy.

However, the economy here doesn’t work that way.

The ‘surplus production capacity’ was not so great, and the ‘daily necessities’ were not diverse.

“Besides, if you unwrap the steel the way you do, iron things will still be expensive luxuries. Expensive, very few items.”

“But if you don’t, there’s no other way, right?”

“Is there no other way?”

Uncle Skleos tilted his head at my words and answered again.

“There are obviously other ways. It’s a bit long and annoying.”

“Is it long and annoying?”

“At times like this, you rethink that you are a child. Usually, it’s because I’m young. hahahaha.”

At Skleos’ words, the rest of the people laughed along with the joke, as if they had roughly guessed it.

As I stood there, still bewildered, Skleos carefully explained to me.

Only then did I understand

“It will take several months… but it’s late summer right now, right?”

“So we have to move quickly from now on. It should be completed at least next year.”

Uncle Skleos’ plan went through without looking further.

And, prepare.

picks out stones from among the soil;

Dig deep into the ground.

Sow the seeds.

wait for the rain

It sprouts.

pull weeds

reap the grain

And the entire process is carried out with iron rather than stone and wooden tools.

When it comes to the Bronze Age, many people vaguely mistakenly assume that agricultural implements were made of bronze, but bronze in the Bronze Age was a luxury item unlike iron in the Iron Age.

So, although the ancient Aegean Sea must have been very civilized, most of the household items of farmers were still made of stone and wood.

In all of that, if you use steel, not wood or stone.

If you dig deeper, pull more, and cut faster.

Even if it is a wasteland with a lot of thorns, stones and sand, even if it is a deserted land that would normally have to be scraped with a wooden plow for several years, the situation is different.

“Would this be enough?”

When I asked Uncle Skleos, the old man silently nodded.

Several months have passed since the meeting.

After confirming that the preparations for welcoming guests were roughly finished, we sent invitations.

“Skeleos? I see a wagon at the entrance of the farm!”

“Paris, we are waiting for you at the mansion.”

“great.”

I was already looking forward to what kind of expression Anoitus would make when he saw this scene.

***

“Anoitos? It will take quite a while to get to Skleos-nim’s villa.”

“wait for a while! I will be able to leave soon!”

At Polemon’s urging heard from outside the door, Anoitus also urges the servants to quickly put on the cloak.

The creases on the cloak hadn’t been very fancy and elegant yet, but I couldn’t help it. If I hadn’t slept in late, I could have dressed up more perfectly than this…

Anyway, I hide my regret and open the door to face Polemon.

“You are already great.”

“Well, it should be great. I’m going to meet one of the few allies in this city.”

Quite a bit of time has passed. Gradually, Anoitus’ business also takes root in Antandros.

The beginning was entangled in a not-so-favorable family affair, but after that, as they went into business together, Skleos and his blacksmiths became quite important partners with other freedmen and wealthy people.

Besides, considering the profits that incomprehensible project brought…

‘Why aren’t they properly exported to other cities?’

It was strange from the first time I proposed the business.

The boys, Paris and Skleos, all along asked to continue their trade ‘by land only’.

If transported by ship, they could build a castle with gold and live while shaking off all the enormous iron ingots they had.

I wondered if it was the bizarre whim of a blacksmith who was inspired by the gods, but even now, that ‘capacity’ didn’t seem to change.

“Boss, we will be arriving soon.”

“Ah… that’s right.”

As we move out of the upper-class areas of the city and into the outskirts, the white and reddish light of marble and roof tiles fades away and the gentle blue curves of the hills relax our eyes.

The weather was nice, so I wanted to walk, but Skleos’ villa was quite far away, as it was tucked away in the middle of his farm.

Anoitus endured boredom by resting his chin on the rim of the carriage and feeling the vibrations through his skull.

Quietly, rest your eyes while looking at that wheat field…

“Ugh. You are dazzling.”

“You can’t look directly at the sun. I remember that you mischievously joked with me since I was little, saying that I would fly in the sky like Icarus.”

“I haven’t seen the sun. I just saw that wheat field…”

sparkle.

again

Something bothers his eyes.

Anoitus frowns at the unbearable intrusiveness and follows with his eyes something shiny that moves among the wheat fields.

that’s a farmer

no. something with a farmer

“That’s…”

“It’s a pitchfork.”

made of iron.

If there is a country that makes shackles for prisoners out of gold, it must be heaven or a country of fools.

So which of the two is this place that makes rakes for farmers out of iron more expensive than gold?

“They say you can’t move iron ingots by sea, but now you can make farming tools out of iron that’s as good as Hittite?”

“Is there something wrong…”

“problem?”

Anoitus smiles broadly at Polemon, who is cautiously concerned about Skleos’ mental health.

“There is a problem. I couldn’t buy enough trust that I couldn’t explain such a strange thing in advance.”

“Me, Bocchan?”

“In Troia, I am the master, but in this city, I will give you the upper hand and go, Polemon.”

Anoitus rubbed his hands in anticipation.

“For what reason would they not release those precious steels into the sea? Also, for what reason would he engage in the bizarre task of turning the stocked up steel into farming tools?

Just because Skleos-nim is crazy?”

“Bocchan, no, the head of the household is too loud.”

“Polemon, I don’t think so.”

As soon as the carriage stops in front of Skleos’s mansion, Anoitus, full of curiosity, runs into the courtyard without a body head.

“I will ask Skleos-sama everything. To Paris, who always sticks by his side.”

The faithful Polemon also clicked his tongue and ran after his master.

No matter how much he got tired of playing hero, even if he finally pretended to be an ‘exemplary successor’ who was faithful to household chores.

People don’t change that easily.

Polemon sighed even today.

And, after a while…

“What, what did you say?”

“Your master, Kheum So Anoitos’ father, Cassius, purchased and pioneered a huge land in this area when he was laying the groundwork for this area.”

Skleos continues his explanation to Polemon, who looks dazed. Anoitus, who was sitting next to him, had an interesting and unbearable expression on his face.

“I heard that you are the manager of the land. Just like the farm here, make farm tools out of steel and cultivate that land.”

***

Polemon’s dumbfounded expression, the tense corners of his lips as if he couldn’t hold back Anoitos’ laughter.

I understand everything.

Do you think it sounds similar to the sound of making a bidet out of gold?

No, our steel probably costs more than gold. Besides, a golden bidet. It may be a vulgar design, but it could show off its wealth.

But steel farm implements? To them, it would be more useless and absurd than a golden bidet.

And so…

“I am not kidding. We will continue to plow the fields with steel tools.”

It’s also because I admired Uncle Skleos’ knowledge.

When Uncle Skleos spoke directly and directly, Polemon stopped arguing and nodded quietly.

“Surely, I think a farm implement made of steel will be much stronger than a plow or a hoe made of stone or wood.”

“It’s sharper.”

“However, no one burns precious ebony wood for firewood instead of common pine. It’s because the price is a waste compared to the small profits.”

Polemon’s words were the truth.

But it’s wrong.

“Polemon, don’t be so impressed and listen to Skleos-nim’s words first, right? I am sorry that you invited us all the way here.”

“thank you. Mr. Anoitus.”

“It was nothing.”

When Anoitus sets the mood, Uncle Skleos continues his story.

“Polemon is wrong on two points, Paris?”

“yes. I am here.”

I hold out the prepared clay tablet to the two of them.

“What is this?”

“The price of steel, and the expected yield in the following year.”

Anoitus looked at the numbers I wrote down and hardened his expression.

“Scleos-sama, this is…”

“Wrong first.”

Skleos raises a finger.

“Compared to ‘small profits’, the price was said to be worth it, but it is not trivial.”

“It’s an exaggeration to say that the yield is 30%.”

“Not too bad.”

“···Paris?”

“All the fields you saw while riding in the wagon were all stony ground until last year. Until last year, it was a wasteland that we couldn’t even think of cultivating.”

“…”

In the gap where Anoitus was at a loss for words, Skleos spoke again.

“second.”

Skleos points to one of the figures on the tablet.

-‘Price of required steel: Existing…’

“I never paid any price for it.”

I will show you what it means to mass-produce steel with late medieval technology.

The expression of the two people not knowing what to do… was satisfactory.