7 Episode 6 Nature Conservation and Coke Ovens (1/2)

Iron production is not a very difficult theory.

In short, iron ore (iron oxide) reacts with carbon, and iron is extracted through a redox reaction, which can be understood to a certain extent if you have knowledge of chemistry at the level of junior high school science.

The carbon used in the redox reaction has long been wood, or charcoal.

The problem is that a large amount of wood is used.

No matter how much iron ore is collected in Japan, without wood, iron cannot be produced.

In the past, Britain imported most of its iron from Sweden, even though it had iron ore and iron-making technology at home.

This was due to a shortage of wood, as too many trees in the forests and mountains were cut down for development and ship building.

Sweden, on the other hand, had an abundance of timber, so it used it to make iron, which it exported to foreign countries, earning a fortune and becoming so powerful that it was called the Baltic Empire.

What broke through this situation was coke, which was created by the British Darby father and son.

Coal contains sulfur and other impurities in addition to carbon.

When coal is used to make iron, the sulfur reacts with the iron to form iron sulfide, which makes the iron brittle.

To solve this problem, coal is dry-distilled, or steamed without air, to remove impurities from the coal and extract only high-purity carbon.

This is coke.

Fortunately, the mountains of England were bald, but coal was plentiful.

With the invention of coke, Britain was able to become self-sufficient in iron.

In other words!

Baldness is a sin.

”That's the theory, do you understand?

”Hmm, I have a feeling about it, Your Majesty.

Hercule was explaining coke to a man with a beard that was braided and wrapped around his neck in a peculiar fashion. ...... The miner (dwarf).

It's not an exaggeration to say that the Dwarves are the companions of the Long-Eared Elves, the people who have supported the Lemurian Empire for so long.

They are dexterous and strong, and like the Elves, they are skilled in the arts of the spirit.

They are closely related to the Elves and have the second longest lifespan after the Elves, averaging 150 years.

However, their appearance is very different.

Elves have beautiful skin, thin body hair, long limbs, tall stature, and very well-shaped faces.

On the other hand, the Dwarves (......)

On the other hand, the dwarves have dark skin, thick body hair, short and stocky limbs, short stature, and less-than-perfect facial features: ......

In terms of appearance, they are polar opposites.

Because of this, there was a lot of conflict when they first met.

However, this changed when Lemuros conquered the Dwarves, who founded the city-state of Lemuria.

In fact, the Elves are not so much good at work as they are at industry .......

They prefer to play rather than work, and ...... war rather than play.

In fact, the Elves have used much of their magic in warfare.

They have long arms and legs, arm strength that is several times that of humans, a sense of balance that has been developed through living in the trees, and an innate fighting instinct that comes from being hunters.

Normally

”Oh, well, we'll get by. I'll be serious next year.

”I wonder if there are any cute girls (or cool guys).

”Farming is a pain in the ass, right?

”I'd rather get wet in the rain than build a house.

Do I have to wear clothes?　”I'll just get wet in the rain if I have to build a house.

But once they go to war, they turn into excellent warriors who defeat the enemy one after another.

Dwarves, on the other hand, are not very good at fighting.

Because of their short stature and short limbs, they are not good at handling weapons.

They are also good at concentration and detailed work, but they are not good at ...... battles that require quick decision making.

In addition, compared to the Elves, who are good at group activities, the Dwarves prefer to work individually and are not good at group activities and are unable to form ranks.

The Elves are good at war, but bad at making weapons and houses.

The Miners (Dwarves) are not good at war, but they are good at making weapons and houses.

It was a meeting of fate.

Since then, the Dwarves have supported the industry of the Lemurian Empire.

Incidentally, this is an aside, but in contrast to the Elves, who are trying hard to keep their blood pure and increase the number of half-breed Elves, the Dwarves are trying hard to keep their blood pure and have few half-breeds.

This can be found at ......

You get the idea.

Guess what, they only have the same dwarves!

It's no wonder men and women are so hairy.

And as a side note, there are no bald Dwarves.

And there are many balding Long Ears (Elves).

”But where did you learn all this?　Or did you learn it yourself?

”No, I read it in a book. I don't remember which book.

Coke was not invented by Hercule.

It was invented by a great man of the past.

So, Hercule would not lie and boast that he came up with it himself.

Well, it is true that I have an advantage in knowing, and I am not going to be sneering about it.