The Steel and Iron Legion 2

The hillfort was to be constructed at the foot of the Iron Mine, just a quarter mile down from the iron mine. Kain had gathered the masons among the refugees and the villagers and gave them the blueprint of the structure and how to proceed with the building.

Kain had gathered ths skill artisans and craftsman from among the refugees. They will work in the building of the hillfort. In the future, he wanted to make them part of a new corp, the Engineer corp.

After everything was said and done, the fighting force grew to seven hundred. The people were distributed accordingly to their choice of weaponry until each unit had a hundred except for the Calvary, who were added only with twenty making it to fifty strong. Even after that, he had to create two new unit of spearmen, each a hundred person strong.

The crew who joined him along with the masons were made to stay in the abandoned hamlet outside the mine. The prisoners from the battle were reduced to slaves and made to mined in ores while the First Stormtrooper Unit oversees them.

There were a dozen blacksmiths in the hamlet, six of them were from the villages and six were from among the refugees. They were not very skill but they will do for Kain's plan.

He had an idea to shape a new source of income in the Viscounty by introducing a new method of mass production, Industry line production.

This was another practice he had learnt from his travel. There was an island Kingdom to the east, which was a mercantile nation. Its most important product were it textile industry and pottery and the supply was endless.

Usually, it takes lots of time and energy to create a cloth or a pot of high quality yet the island Kingdom of Majaha had an unique way of organizing things. It was called line production where many people worked together on one item.

For example, to make a cup, one person will mould it, one will glazed it, one will paint it and one will give it the finishing touch. In an organized matter, hundreds of such cups were produced in a single day. He wanted to recreate that in his territory.

The first industry he was going to introduce it was the Smithing industry, which he renamed as Iron and steel industry.

There were five forges in the hamlets due to the fact that it was a blacksmith hamlet. Two of them were refineries and three were Smithy.

He gave one forge to two blacksmith each. Each blacksmith were given five apprentices for the refineries and ten for each blacksmith of the smithy from among the villagers and refugees, whether they liked it or not.

The work was to be distributed among the apprentices. The process of heating, holding, hammering and shaping was to be done in unison, one after another. As for the techniques they used, Kain was no Smith, so he left it to the blacksmiths.

Only one of the smithy was to be focused on making weapons while the other two will be making building materials like rods and tools such as tools like saws, shovel and more. The refineries were divided into smelting the ores and refining into crucible steel.

After briefing the blacksmith, Kain retreated to his residence, a two storey cottage in the centre of the hamlet. He was sharing it with his four supposed wives: Alice, Joanna, Mary and Alisa. He had not taken any of them to bed. They were more or less like his personal maids and look after his every needs. Due to their status, the four were given respect and no one laid hands on them. The cottage was surrounded by several guards.

As he was about to enter through the door, a messenger arrive riding on a horse.

"Chief, Sky Mask group has been seen returning," Said the messenger,"they are a mile away to the East."

"Tell Sky Mask and Green Mask to come here," Said Kain,"along with the loots."

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"So, you meant to say that you had a clash with Alwen Khyne's men," Said Kain, after Robert finished his report.

The troops that went east brought a chest of coins amounting to a thousand and several goods including weapons, armors and about sixty horses. They also brought with them forty-three prisoners.

The Chest and the loots were sent to the basement, the horses to the stable and the prisoners to the prison in the mine.

According to Robert, the small detached force of a hundred sent by Alwen Khyne had taken over the little wooden fort built by the Red band and was the reason why the expedition took too long. In the end, they managed to take it down thanks to the reinforcement in the form of Silver Axes.

"So we are now at war with Alwen Khyne?" Kain said,"It came sooner than I expected."

"I am sorry, chief," Said Robert, crestfallen.

"Nah, Sky Mask," Said Kain,"Its not your fault.

Sooner or later, it will have happen." Turning to Edoras,"Green Mask, You are now in charge of Scouting, espionage and Spying. Your unit will be called as the Shadow Hands and you will be henceforth called Shadow. Since you have lost considerable number, I want you to pick new troops for your unit from the new recruits. Talk to Surfi regarding setting up your new units and equipments. Tell him that thirty of the horses are to be alloted to your unit."

"Thank you, My Lord," Said Edoras, bowing down and leaving the room.

"Quite a useful fellow," Said Robert,"and sharp too."

''So you noticed huh?" Kain said.

"Uhum," Said Robert, nodding as if to say yes

"Do you think he can be trusted?" asked Kain.

"He is quite a loyal and trustworthy comrade," Said Robert,"but he doesn't talk much unless it's business. To keep him in lease, we can use his clan, who are in the Castle."

"I see," Said Kain, thinking of a strategy, "Anyways Uncle, I have some works for you."

"What kind of work, Young master."

"I want you to return to the castle and relay some message to Ser Roland and Minister Gerard."

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