Chapter 100: Improving Armor and Paper
Early the next morning, inside Castle Edd's main keep, Ser William hurried into Saelen's study. Half an hour later, he emerged with a grave expression and quickly left. Shortly after, Saelen stepped out as well, his face calm and unreadable.
Leaving the keep, Saelen made his way to the weapons workshop. The moment he entered, a wave of heat hit him. The sharp clang of hammering echoed nonstop as blacksmiths and apprentices sweated over forging lamellar plates.
Torren hurried over, wiping sweat from his brow.
"My lord."
"Torren, take me to see the giant armor."
"It's stored in the warehouse. Please follow me."
They soon arrived. The warehouse was filled with weapons and armor, but the most striking sight was a massive frame over three meters tall, upon which hung a colossal suit of armor. Layer upon layer of plates overlapped, gleaming under the light.
"My lord, this is the armor our entire forge—over a hundred men—spent more than twenty days crafting," Torren said proudly.
"It consists of eight thousand plates and weighs over three hundred pounds."
"And the cost?"
"At least two hundred gold dragons, my lord."
Saelen raised a brow in surprise. "That high?"
"That's a conservative estimate. The real cost may be even greater."
Saelen stepped forward, running his hand across the armor. The materials were solid—its defensive capability was undoubtedly formidable. But the cost was staggering. At such a price, mass production was impossible.
Torren clicked his tongue. "My lord, one set of this armor could produce over a dozen sets for ordinary soldiers. Is it really worth continuing?"
Saelen, however, was already imagining giants smashing through enemy lines.
"A fully armed giant," he said, "is worth dozens of fully equipped soldiers."
"On the battlefield, if twenty such giants form a spearhead, no formation can withstand them. Their combined force would rival that of a thousand soldiers."
Torren fell into thought, then nodded slowly.
"My lord… if these are meant for breaking formations and assaulting strongholds, perhaps we can improve the design."
"Oh?" Saelen looked at him with interest. "How?"
Torren's eyes lit up.
"If the armor is for offense, we can remove the back plates and focus on reinforcing the front."
"That would reduce the required plates by nearly half—cutting both cost and production time significantly. Yet its effectiveness in battle would remain largely unchanged."
"The only requirement," he added, "is that the giant must avoid exposing its back to the enemy."
Saelen's expression clearly shifted when he heard the proposal. If the cost could be cut in half, he could equip far more giants.
He thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"On the battlefield, everything changes in an instant. No one can guarantee they won't expose their back."
Torren, unwilling to give up, quickly offered a compromise.
"My lord, in that case, we can replace the back plates with hardened wooden panels, wrapped in leather. That level of protection is enough to withstand arrows and sword strikes."
"Wood is cheap, easy to shape, and quick to produce. The overall cost would still be far lower than a full set of iron lamellar armor."
Saelen's eyes lit up slightly. After a brief pause, he nodded.
"Good. Then proceed with your idea. Make one prototype first—we'll evaluate its effectiveness before deciding on full implementation."
"Yes, my lord."
Saelen took another turn around the forge before leaving and heading toward the paper workshop.
---
The paper mill was much smaller than the forge, with fewer than a hundred workers.
Maester Rosmund was already waiting. When he saw Saelen, he stepped forward with a man beside him.
"My lord, this is Albert, the workshop steward. He's an experienced parchment craftsman and currently oversees all operations here."
"My lord," Albert said quickly, bowing.
Saelen nodded, giving him a brief look. The man was clearly advanced in age, with wrinkled features and graying hair.
"Take me through the workshop."
"Yes, my lord."
Albert led the way inside. The facility was built with sturdy wood-and-stone structures, spacious enough to house soaking pits, boiling vats, sheet-forming frames, and drying rooms.
They soon arrived at a storage area filled with raw materials—flax, nettles, and tree bark, all common in the North.
Rosmund gestured toward them.
"My lord, these are our primary materials. Since manpower is limited, I followed your suggestion and began purchasing them at low prices from surrounding lands."
"Recently, nearby lords have been bringing in large quantities to sell. This warehouse is already full, and a second one is under construction."
"I've also signed long-term supply agreements with them. They'll provide materials regularly, and we only need to pay deposits. This saves us both labor and time."
Saelen nodded in satisfaction.
The North was poor in grain due to its harsh climate, but rich in forests and wild plants. Flax, nettles, and bark were abundant and easy to gather. For the northern lords, selling these materials brought much-needed income; for Saelen, acquiring them at low cost ensured steady production.
A mutually beneficial arrangement.
---
Finally, they entered the drying room.
Sheets of paper covered the drying walls. Saelen picked one up—it was still yellowish, and the surface felt slightly rough.
He had already anticipated this.
Taking out a piece of parchment, he handed it to Rosmund.
"These are the improvements I worked out last night. Follow them, and the issues of yellowing and rough texture should be resolved."
Rosmund accepted it with both hands and began reading.
The causes were clearly outlined: residual lignin, incomplete boiling and soaking of plant fibers, insufficient removal of impurities, and overheating during drying.
Saelen's solutions were precise:
Extend soaking and boiling times
Use an alkaline solution made from lime and plant ash
Thoroughly rinse and beat the fibers in running water until it runs clear
Double the pulping time to allow fibers to suspend naturally
Add starch paste to fill gaps and improve water resistance
Apply a thin layer of animal gelatin when semi-dry
Replace high-heat drying with a combination of air drying and low-temperature drying
Finally, he introduced a grading system:
High-grade paper: white, smooth, premium quality—sold in small quantities to high nobles
Mid-grade paper: slightly yellow, suitable for daily writing and book production
Low-grade paper: rough and yellow, used for packaging and drafts, mass-produced for common folk
After reading, Rosmund handed it to Albert and sighed in admiration.
"My lord, your methods are always simple yet effective. It's a pity you didn't become a maester."
Saelen shrugged lightly. "I'd rather be a lord."
Albert, after reading through it, was visibly excited.
"My lord, this is brilliant. Without this, it would've taken us four or five years to solve these issues ourselves."
Saelen nodded.
"Then I'll leave the improvements to you. Get the new production process running as soon as possible."
"Yes, my lord."
The two hurried off to organize trials with the workers.
Saelen didn't linger. With everything set in motion, he turned and left the paper mill.