Episode 36: Interlude (Telek Port City, Iron Town)
The announcement that a ＜Paraiso＞ battleship (actually a destroyer, but perceived as a battleship by the townspeople) would be stationed in Telek Port City caused no small amount of confusion. Until then, they had been seen as generous customers who, though mysterious, bought up cheap scrap iron with their elegant ship. It was only natural that many townspeople worried they might suddenly turn their fangs towards the town. Moreover, the barrage fired on the first day instilled immeasurable terror.
However, as time passed, that fear was dispelled, and the atmosphere even shifted to one of welcome. The more the stories spread about how they had blown away the bandit gangs attacking the refugees with their cannons, and about the massive amounts of food, farming tools, and weapons being supplied, the higher ＜Paraiso＞’s reputation soared.
The supply of weapons, in particular, was greatly welcomed. Common sense dictated that a force about to take control would not supply weapons to the people they intended to rule. The perception that they were being seen as equals combined with the growing momentum for autonomy, leading to the creation of many volunteer soldiers. A large quantity of swords, bows, and arrows of uniform quality. Most of the townspeople understood the current situation, details aside. Telek Port City was able to operate smoothly thanks to its location and trade goods. Armed with the supplied weapons, the volunteer soldiers devoted themselves to training.
“We must obtain the iron that ＜Paraiso＞ seeks.”
They didn’t ask for much. At present, they were simply a source of endless giving. But that was only because there was a price to be paid. They gave so much because they could obtain the iron they sought. Fortunately, they weren’t asked to contribute the iron within the city. If they had been asked that much, they wouldn’t have been able to accept the situation. What they had their eyes on was Iron Town, located inland. Information had stopped coming in due to the disruption of the transport隊, but if the last confirmed situation was anything to go by, they should still be able to hold out. It was originally a small town with few permanent residents and no special products other than iron. The supply of fuel for the furnaces had been cut off, and the mining of iron ore had also ceased, or so they had heard.
If that was the case…
They should go and liberate Iron Town, as they desired. It held what they sought, and Telek Port City had the power to reclaim it.
And so, about four months after Telek Port City began its full-fledged independence, the first contingent, composed of volunteers, set out for Iron Town.
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Despair, or perhaps resignation. Dwindling food supplies, frequent appearances of bandits and envoys of surrender. The surrounding contaminated water sources made it impossible to cultivate food properly, and the besieged townspeople were exhausted.
In another week, they would have to make some kind of decision. It was at that moment that reinforcements arrived from Telek Port City, with whom they had maintained contact until the end. There were voices of concern about a possible plot, but the people of Iron Town accepted Telek Port City’s proposal.
Namely, the stationing of defensive forces and the resumption of trade. They would restart the mines and obtain food in exchange for the iron ore they mined. Dried fish, seaweed, and, above all, safe water were brought in as samples.
Iron Town’s water source had been completely contaminated by mine pollution. Originally, it was already quite hard water, but as mining progressed, it became contaminated to an irreversible level. For this reason, it had become common practice in Iron Town to collect and use rainwater. This was dependent on the weather, and depending on the climate, it required considerable rationing. The absolute amount of drinking water also limited the number of residents in the town, so the brought-in preserved water was greatly welcomed. Being able to drink safe, unadulterated water whenever they wanted was a revolutionary event.
Immediately, the piles of unrefined iron ore were loaded onto wagons and sent to Telek Port City. The remaining men raised their voices and rushed into the tunnels. The women cheered and began cooking with the food and large amounts of water that had been brought in after so long.
The suddenly revitalized Iron Town was immediately noticed by the surrounding forces. The first to attack were the bandits who had a base nearby. After confirming that a merchant caravan had entered the town, they gathered their forces and attacked Iron Town the following night. And they were scattered by the Telek Port City garrison.
The bandits, armed with stolen weapons and armor, tried to infiltrate the town under the cover of darkness. They were confronted by men wearing equipment provided by ＜Paraiso＞. Armor woven with strong threads that could not be scratched by dull blades, and cutlasses that combined sharpness and sturdiness. The weapons and armor used in the country, exhausted by civil war, were easily broken by those made by ＜Paraiso＞. Breastplates were torn, and swords shattered in less than three exchanges. Unable to inflict much damage, the bandits were successively killed and annihilated. Some of those who turned to flee were turned into pincushions by archers. The uniform quality of the bows and arrows dramatically improved their accuracy. Its effectiveness was fully demonstrated. The illumination rounds sold by ＜Paraiso＞ also played a major role. When launched into the sky using a longbow, they opened a parachute at the apex and emitted a powerful light, dispelling the darkness and exposing the bandits who thought they were hidden.
And this result—the attack and annihilation—significantly improved the morale of the townspeople and garrison of Iron Town. Self-defense and autonomy, and the ability to obtain daily necessities through trade, became possible, and Iron Town, which had once been at rock bottom, gradually regained its vitality.
Several weeks passed, and this time there was contact from a nearby lord. The content was that they should hand over everything they had, and naturally the townspeople resisted. The envoy was very arrogant and even drew his weapon along with his guards, so the entire envoy was killed. This situation had been predicted from the beginning, and instructions had been given by Telek Port City. The town immediately established a defensive system and began to set up fortifications. They piled up slag from the mine to create a simple defensive wall, while felling the surrounding trees and processing them into lumber, creating horse barriers and turrets for archers. They killed all the envoys sent several times by the lord, buying time. By the time the lord’s side grasped the situation in Iron Town, the defensive facilities were completely prepared. The work tools prepared by ＜Paraiso＞ were also active here. Wheelbarrows for carrying loads, shovels for earthwork, saws and hammers. The steel tools dramatically improved work efficiency, and preparations for the siege were completed in the blink of an eye.
The first force sent was defeated and routed without even being able to reach the outer walls.
The next force sent was the lord’s main force. Since it was also necessary to secure the trade route with Telek Port City, the garrison met them in a field battle and succeeded in repelling them, albeit with sacrifices.
The lord, having lost his main force, was caught off guard and defeated by another force. Due to the confusion, information about Iron Town was lost from the records, and the town, which became a no-man’s land unrecognized by any force, enjoyed a brief period of peace.
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“Is trade with Iron Town going smoothly? Iron ore is also being mined… Ah, using ＜Paraiso＞’s tools, they can now mine in places they couldn’t before…”
“Yes. It seems they can also increase the number of tunnels. They even found a new lode using some kind of detector that we don’t really understand the principle of.”
“…No offense, but it feels like our lifeline is completely in ＜Paraiso＞’s hands…”
“Oh, that’s right, ha ha ha! Neither the chairman of the merchant guild nor us can raise our heads to those young ladies!”
“It’s not a laughing matter… but there’s nothing to do but laugh.”
“I’ve already given up! There’s nothing we can do about it!”
“…That’s right. It’s easier to give up…”