The arrival of Elara's caravan was the single greatest injection of material wealth Ashfall had received in generations, yet its contents were devoid of the luxury goods typically associated with noble trade. Kael had demanded hard, technical assets, and the wagons were primarily laden with burlap sacks of white, coarse salt and heavy, oiled barrels containing high-grade iron ore from a coastal mine—material of purity and consistency far exceeding the scrap iron Kael had been forced to rely on. The exchange was swift and meticulous: the caravan loaded the immense, dense stacks of ash briquettes and the sacks of tuber flour, while Kael's Core teams, under Rylen's careful watch, unloaded the precious imports.
The salt was immediately delivered to Steward Elms, who was instructed to integrate it into the rations for the Core and Contingent workers. Kael's priority was not taste, but physiology. The unrelenting labor in the dusty, arid environment combined with the continuous boiling of food meant essential minerals were being sweated out and leached away. Salt was a critical component of maintaining the hydration and muscle function necessary for sustained high-output labor. Healer Mara was tasked with tracking any noticeable improvement in worker energy and muscle cramping, transforming the salt from a commodity into a quantifiable medical intervention.
The most critical delivery, however, was the iron ore. Kael immediately summoned Hektor, the blacksmith, to the manor office. Hektor was already accustomed to Kael's relentless technical demands, but the sight of the high-grade ore, clean and heavy, brought a profound reverence to his face. "My Lord Baron, this is true metal," Hektor whispered, running a calloused hand over the dark, smooth surface. "This holds temper. We have not worked ore like this since my grandfather's time."
Kael unrolled his new set of technical blueprints. "The time for patchwork repair and scrap metallurgy is over, Hektor. We now build to last. The first task is to secure the food supply chain permanently." The immediate priorities were focused entirely on maximizing efficiency and minimizing the caloric expenditure of the workers. Kael ordered the forging of three new categories of tools. .
First, Kael demanded the construction of twenty high-grade scythes. The existing implements were crude, soft iron that dulled quickly, forcing the foragers and fieldworkers to waste precious energy maintaining the cutting edge. The new scythes needed long, tempered blades and precise curvature, designed for the maximum caloric return on the effort invested in the swing. Kael detailed the metallurgical requirement: Hektor was to forge the blades with a hard, tempered edge using the best iron for longevity, while leaving the body of the blade softer to prevent shattering. The high-grade ore made this level of differential heat treatment possible, transforming the tools from simple implements into engineered instruments of efficiency.
Second, Kael ordered four new, reinforced axles for the existing transport carts. The old wooden axles were perpetually breaking, leading to hours of wasted labor and the risk of spoilage. Hektor was to forge the axles with minimal friction points, designed not just for strength but for mechanical efficiency, ensuring that the heavy tuber and ash loads could be hauled back to the village using the minimum possible force from the draft animals and the Contingent laborers.
Finally, Kael turned to defense, demanding the systematic upgrade of the existing crossbow mechanisms. The current crossbows, forged from brittle scrap, were prone to failure under repeated stress. "We replace the stock and the nut mechanism with this tempered iron, Hektor," Kael commanded. "Precision is required. The higher quality of the iron allows for tighter tolerances, resulting in increased bolt velocity and greater sustained tension on the bowstring. This is not about making them slightly better. This is about making them absolutely reliable." The increased power of the weapons would further solidify the illusion of superior technology that had proven so effective against the bandits.
Kael emphasized the critical shift in production philosophy to Hektor. "We no longer repair; we engineer longevity. Every tool forged from this new iron must be designed for continuous, high-output use, minimizing maintenance and maximizing the Core team's time spent on higher-value tasks, such as construction. You will document the weight of every piece of ore used, Hektor. We treat this metal as if it were gold, because in this barony, it is the fundamental currency of survival." Hektor, awestruck by the quality of the material and the ruthless practicality of Kael's demands, immediately set about preparing the forge for the new, systematic metallurgy. The iron ore was not just a commodity; it was the foundation for an industrial leap, allowing Kael to replace the crude, fragile technology of the feudal system with the durable, efficient tools of his logistical mind. The exchange of low-value waste for high-value metal had successfully translated directly into quantifiable, superior production capacity.