Primitive Man

Chapter 64: Alloys

In the heart of a remote village, far away from its bustling main area, a curious gathering was underway. Garnt, an inquisitive young patriarch, stood by, watching the fascinating spectacle before him.

A tall burner roared to life, its fiery tongue dancing with a voracious appetite. A team of skilled villagers, beads of sweat glistening on their brows, tended to a heap of iron ore that lay nearby, ready to embark on a journey of transformation.

[Lucky we already smelted the iron ores first. Since these are not pure iron, we need to remove the impurities. Hematite are really good raw material for us.]

As the furnace roared on, Garnt couldn't help but be awed by the intense heat radiating from it. The air was thick with smoke, and the whole process seemed like a mesmerizing dance of fire and earth.

The furnace that Garnt used looked like a giant tower, but next to it was a clay pot-like structure that was covered with leather to increase the airflow given to melt the ores.

"Isn't it incredible?" whispered Rona to Garnt, noticing his wide-eyed fascination.

Garnt nodded in agreement, his eyes never leaving the bloomery before him. "It's like the sun," he replied in hushed wonder.

Many men had to put their effort into melting the iron since they couldn't provide the required heat.

Hours passed and sometimes Garnt doubted his ability, but suddenly they managed to have some results, as the molten iron began to flow from the furnace.

The villagers worked with practised precision, pouring the searing-hot liquid into moulds they had carefully crafted from clay with wooden frames. Each mould took on the unique shape of a knife, and Garnt couldn't help but marvel at the artistry and craftsmanship on display with the amount of effort.

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. The villagers carefully extracted the moulds from the burning furnace, their faces etched with anticipation. With utmost care, they pried the cooled iron from its clay casing, revealing the finished products.

They were supposed to be knife-shaped objects, but as Garnt observed closely, he couldn't help but notice something amiss.

"These don't look quite right," Garnt ventured, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Eva with her modern knowledge, examined the iron pieces and sighed.

[You're right, Garnt. They're weaker than we expected. The iron didn't harden as it should have."

Garnt furrowed his brow, concern evident in his voice. "But why?"

Eva explained things, even though she didn't know well about blacksmithing. Since she didn't want Garnt to feel discouraged about the whole situation.

[It's all about the heat and the ore mix, you see. Sometimes, even with all our knowledge, the iron doesn't turn out as strong as we hope. We'll need to adjust the process next time.]

Garnt nodded, absorbing the lesson. "It's still amazing what you can create. I feel bad about the people who worked hard for this, but I guess it is all about trials and errors."

The villagers smiled at Garnt's enthusiasm, their pride undiminished despite the imperfect outcome.

[Look! Your blueprints are updated.]

Blueprints:

>Alloys (5000)

>Natural antibiotics (5000)

>Sold

[You can use these metal tools for now, but they won't be as powerful as wooden tools, so I advise you to wait until we make alloys. Also, we need more tools like tongs, hammers, and wheels.

This is a long process and we can't take any shortcuts, because we completely ignored something to enter this stage.]

Eva explained things, so Garnt wouldn't feel confused about what he was doing. As a leader, it was rather important for him to have a proper vision about what he was doing and that's exactly what Eva provided him.

"I get it, but we also have a cement blueprint to complete."

[Yeah, and it is one of the most important things. Also, you have to find the ocean to find some limestones. Exploration is the most important thing right now. With the same team, you have to keep moving forward without being tied to a single project.]

Garnt, with thoughts of new and old blueprints still swirling in his mind, made his way through the village to find his mother. He found her in a small tent at the edge of the village, where a flickering hologram projected the light.

It was their source of learning in this isolated community, a precious gift Gundo got from her beloved son.

"Mother," Garnt greeted her with a warm smile, "are you still learning things from the hologram?"

His mother turned to look at him, her eyes briefly clouded with a hint of something hidden. She nodded slowly with a slight blush on her face but didn't meet his gaze directly. Garnt noticed her hesitation, but he respected her privacy enough not to press the matter further.

Instead, he changed the subject. "How are the parents of Rona doing? Have they improved?"

His mother's expression softened as she responded, "They are doing much better, Garnt. The clean food, water, and clothes have made a significant difference, but they're still in a delicate state.

We must continue to take care of them but we managed to find two more people with the symptoms like coughing and headache."

Garnt nodded in agreement. "I'll work on making the medicine soon. We can't afford to let diseases spread in the village."

"You can't keep making those white-coloured substances right?" Gundo asked as she knew how effective the pills were.

"I can't- they were just a quick resolution. Besides, we can get rid of it using natural things. Rona's parents were in a dangerous state because they were not treated early,"

Gundo nodded her head, as she already knew full well about the diseases thanks to Eva's guidance.

As he turned to leave the tent, his mother's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Garnt, before you go," she began hesitantly, "did you get your aunt pregnant? Did you release your baby liquid inside her?"

Garnt froze for a moment, surprised by the sudden question. He shook his head firmly. "Yes, mother, I did. And I know it's not the right time for that.

There are too many other important things we need to focus on right now."

He said, showing regret for his choices. "But it's too late now. If she gets pregnant, I will take care of her. I won't run away from the consequences of my own actions."

With those words, he left the tent, leaving his mother with a troubled expression.

"So it was true. Am I going to have a grandchild now? From my own sister?" Gundo questioned herself with a confused look on her face.

"I should be happy now, but why do I feel angry? My sister is not a bad woman and she proved her love already, but still I-"

[Gundo, just give up. Just like I said, you are already in love with your own son. I'm not forcing you or influencing your decision, but to me, who is observing your behaviour, it is rather obvious.]

Eva said those words again, shocking Gundo once more.

"I...love...my own son? As a man?"

[You don't like when other girls get too close to him. You feel jealous, and you just react like a girl, when he does something to impress you. If this is not love, I don't know what is.]

"..."

Gundo kept thinking for a minute, but then she realized that Eva was not wrong, but still wanted to reject the idea before it bloomed into something bigger.

"Even If I do love him, I can't just act like other girls, after all, I'm his mother. It is morally wrong."

*Sigh

Eva sighed hearing Gundo's words.

[Who cares about morals? Besides I'm the one who taught those morals to Garnt. We are in a society where we can decide, what our morals are. I won't force you, but I'm telling you that if you truly want, you can do whatever you want.]

She paused for a minute and continued.

[And let me remind you, the reason you fell in love is that Garnt wasn't an ordinary son to you. He was a man from the beginning who took care of you.

If you two had a normal mother-and-son relationship, I can say for sure that you wouldn't feel this way, but things are different since Garnt is not normal.]

"What would he think? If Garnt knew his own mother was seeking his love. I'm sure Garnt won't find that pleasant," Gundo said in a worried tone.

[I'm surprised by how much you can mistake Garnt's behaviour. I can say for sure that he will gladly accept you if you tell him that you love him. After all, he has always been taking care of you and loving you. It might not be love at first, but you can turn it around.

Use your womanly charms and make him go crazy.]

Gundo kept looking at the hologram for a few seconds, but then she came to a decision. She decided to not hold back, after all, she didn't want to regret her life choices anymore, unlike her past.