Chapter 51 — The Ore Arrives

"They can't be produced anymore," Gao Yang said. He had known Philip would say this—in fact, the first thought of any normal soldier upon seeing this equipment was probably to mass-produce these ancient treasures and equip the ranks, and Sir Byron had been no exception back then. But unfortunately they were destined for a disappointing answer. "For one, these things are built on the magical technology of the ancient Gondor Empire. For another, recharging them requires purified magic drawn from the Deep Blue Well—the magic produced by modern mana foci or mana wells is too impure and its energy level too low; it simply cannot drive these things."

Philip opened his mouth, then grasped at once what that meant. "So that is to say, these things..."

"Each one used is one fewer—and once their magic runs dry, they'll become ordinary blades and armor, unable to be recharged. And since their base materials have corroded and decayed to varying degrees, by that time they'll likely be worse than ordinary modern equipment, fit only to be melted down and reforged."

The young knight looked deeply troubled. "What are we to do when that time comes?"

"Before then, we simply forge good equipment of our own." Gao Rong patted him on the shoulder, a confident expression on his face.

Whether or not his heart was quailing, his face had to smile like a masked rider who had seized the future—and besides, Gao Yang did harbor a shred of genuine confidence.

So long as the magic tide didn't erupt on the spot, there was room to maneuver.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a tiny figure running toward them.

Little maid Betty came trotting over again, and after skittering to a stop before Gao Yang, she tilted her head up, all muddle-headed earnestness. "Master! Miss Rebecca is looking for you!"

Gao Cen was taken aback. "She has something else to discuss?"

Betty thought it over carefully, then announced loudly, "I forgot!"

Gao Yang: "..."

How could this girl forget everything except cooking?

Gao Yang shook his head. This little girl had at least remembered whom to come and fetch, he thought—no point in demanding more. He went on to ask where Rebecca was, then set off with Amber. At least, then, Betty hadn't forgotten where Rebecca was waiting...

Only when he arrived did he learn what Rebecca had summoned him for..

The first batch of test ore had been hauled in from the iron mine east of the camp.

The first advance party had included a blacksmith and several apprentices, along with the basic supplies needed to build a smithy, but at the outset of camp construction survival had been the priority, so Gao Yang had slowed the mining plan for the eastern hills. Only once the advance party's housing was settled did he send men east to gather some ore for verification. They had set out that morning, and now at last they returned to camp with a selection of ore.