Chapter 49: 49 Uses of Black Ironwood

Chapter 49: The Uses of Ironwood

Ronin returned to the castle carrying several pieces of ironwood.

He instructed Macken to have a small section cut off so the guards could stab and hack at it with their swords. It took several thrusts to pierce through a piece less than five millimeters thick, and hacking merely left marks—three or four strikes couldn’t split it open.

The hardness of ironwood truly brought Ronin an unexpected delight.

If the guards struggled to pierce ironwood less than five millimeters thick, it meant Ronin could fashion it into simple chest protectors, partially replacing iron armor.

Of course, this didn’t mean ironwood was truly equivalent to iron; protective gear made from it would never be as strong or durable as iron gear.

Mountainwood Town had no iron mines. If Ronin wanted to arm his guards, he could only purchase the necessary equipment elsewhere.

On the market, a basic chainmail shirt, helmet, leg guards, shield, and such would cost no less than twenty gold coins combined.

Given Ronin’s current finances, arming all the guards was impossible.

Moreover, lords and nobles had little interest in arming ordinary people—they’d rather spend that money enhancing the defenses of professional knights.

Good equipment only delivered its full value when wielded by superhumans.

Take Black Mountain Castle, for example. The guards of the seventh squad wore mostly linen armor; the better ones had leather armor.

For Ronin, lacking iron protective gear and sufficient funds to purchase iron equipment for ordinary guards, making weapons and armor from ironwood was a solid choice.

And he was certain such items could be sold if taken outside.

“This has real potential!”

In the study, Ronin increasingly felt this idea was quite sound.

The only problem was that ironwood wasn’t easily harvested.

Ordinary people using stone axes couldn’t succeed; only equipped with iron axes could they, after great effort, manage to cut it down.

Moreover, processing ironwood demanded considerable physical strength from the carpenter.

“Galen!”

Ronin called out, and the valet outside the door promptly entered.

“Your lordship, your command!”

“Do you know if there’s a carpenter in town?” Ronin asked.

“Yes, your lordship.”

Like Tom, Galen was a native of Mountainwood Town.

Having lived here over ten years, he knew some of the town’s craftsmen.

“Your lordship, the best carpenter in town is Uncle William. When Prynster built this building, it was Uncle William who led the team to complete it.”

Uncle William—Ronin noted the name.

Ronin nodded. “Good. Now take two guards and invite him here.”

Galen paused slightly before bowing in acknowledgment. “Your lordship, I’ll go and bring him to you.”

Bring?

Ronin frowned. “I said ‘invite’!”

He emphasized the word.

“Mind your attitude; don’t offend this carpenter.”

Though Carpenter William had worked under Prynster, Ronin wasn’t petty enough to hold him accountable for that.

Moreover, craftsmen were scarce resources in any era, especially in remote, barren Mountainwood Town.

Ronin hoped to rely on these craftsmen to earn money for him.

Galen instantly sweat profusely.

He’d only heard the first part—Ronin telling him to take guards—and instinctively assumed he was to seize William, missing the subsequent word “invite.”

Realizing he’d nearly erred, Galen immediately knelt on one knee. “Apologies, your lordship! My mistake—I didn’t hear clearly!”

Ronin hadn’t expected such a strong reaction and waved his hand. “Remember to listen to my full instructions hereafter. Think clearly before acting; don’t rush. Go quickly.”

“Thank you for your lordship’s tolerance!”

Galen hurriedly bowed and exited the study, heading with the guards toward the carpenter’s home.

On the stairs, he encountered Bella coming up. “Why are you so panicked?”

Galen sighed, quite troubled. “I spoke incorrectly earlier.”

Bella also grew tense. She was about to see the baron; if his mood was poor now, she’d need to be cautious.

“Did your lordship criticize you?” she asked nervously.

Galen shook his head. “Not that; your lordship was very tolerant. But I fear leaving an ‘impulsive’ impression in his mind.”

He shook his head worriedly. “No more talk; I must go.”

Watching the valet depart, Bella still felt uneasy.

The castle’s new servants all interacted with the baron very cautiously, afraid of any misstep.

Their trepidation stemmed partly from not wanting to lose this fine job—at least in the castle they wore new clothes and ate well; sometimes she could taste a bit of the baron’s leftover white bread.

Partly, they remained quite fearful of Ronin, given the terrifying scene when the baron led his team into town—the cart piled with over twenty bodies!

Bella cautiously approached the door and softly knocked. “Your lordship, the kitchen is preparing the evening banquet soon. Mrs. Bandele asked me to inquire if you have any special instructions.”

Ronin looked away from his book toward Bella.

The maid now wore surviving castle maid attire, quite fitting. In these clothes, Bella’s overall rating improved considerably, gaining youthful vitality.

Initially, he’d thought Bella could outshine Prynster’s two lovers with slightly better attire; today confirmed it.

In this remote mountain town, having such a passable maid by his side—if his former self were present, he’d likely pull her into some intimate exchange tonight for delightful happenings.

But Ronin had no such intention.

He enjoyed seeing beauties, but taking action fell short for him.

Marriage in this era still held strong class distinctions. Generally, nobles could only choose spouses among nobles.

Nobles and commoners rarely united; if they did, mostly as lovers.

Legendary tales of maids loving knights, nobles abandoning status for true love and fleeing with servants—such plots mostly appeared in knightly novels.

Like the knightly novel Ronin currently read: a princess loving a high knight, abandoning noble status to wander with him, home everywhere.

That was somewhat absurd.

“Tonight I’ll dine with Eleron, Macken, and several superhumans. Remind Mrs. Bandele to prepare adequately,” Ronin instructed.

Typically, Ronin ate dinner alone, mainly for quiet.

Today gathering them for a meal was chiefly for subsequent arrangements.

Now castle servants and territory administrators were settled, Ronin had conducted initial territory inspections; he needed to prepare for a trip to Horseherd City.

During dinner tonight, he’d have Macken and others arrange territory defense deployments.

"Alright, sir, I will notify Mrs. Bandler right away."

Bella breathed a sigh of relief. The master had been silent for a while, and she feared she had said something wrong.

After the maid left, Ronin continued reading the novel from another world.

Bound in over thirty pages of parchment, the plot of this novel was rather simplistic—slaying magical beasts, rescuing people everywhere, and focusing heavily on romantic encounters, making it rather superficial.

Still, glancing at it during rest breaks was acceptable. If it helped pass idle time, it had served its purpose.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The door was knocked again, and it was Chahar standing outside.

"Sir, the squat toilet you requested in the morning has been installed. Would you like to see it?"

Ronin immediately closed the book and stood up. "Let's go. Take me to see it."

Thank you, Master Tong Xin Yu, for your reward. Thank you, everyone, for your support with votes.

(End of chapter)