While Septimus was lost in his fantasies about the upcoming banquet, the clones, with great effort, constructed a small furnace, approximately the same size as those of the great Roman foundry in Spain, placing it in the most protected area of Septimus' villa.
Iron-smelting technology was simply too outdated; the furnaces were far too large for properly refining iron ore. Moreover, solid-state carburization does not require excessively high temperatures; modern steelmaking requires temperatures that do not exceed 900 degrees Celsius, slightly lower than the 1000 degrees Celsius required for scale iron, at which point steel does not actually melt.
Under Septimus' command, the clones placed firewood into the furnace one piece at a time.
Charcoal and coke were ruled out; otherwise, the pig iron would simply melt, which would not achieve proper carburization, since the catalytic agents would infuse directly into the iron.
The clones prepared containers made from crucibles, spreading charcoal powder, bone meal, and sawdust in specific proportions at the bottom, then placing the iron swords inside so they could undergo carburization.
A layer of charcoal powder, bone meal, and sawdust was added, followed by another layer of iron swords, and so on.
The bone meal acted as a catalyst for carburization; at times it would seep into the iron, becoming an impurity.
In the modern era, various carburization ratios had already been discovered; for every 100 catties of pig iron, 4 catties of charcoal powder, 20 catties of bone meal, and 5 catties of sawdust were required, and the clones used these proportions directly.
"Add more to the upper and lower layers, and distribute the middle layers evenly," Septimus thought to himself as the clones worked.
Under Septimus' direction, the blacksmith clones placed alternating layers of carburizing agent and iron swords into the crucible, covered it with a lid, and sealed it with clay.
This process was called "steel smelting." Another container held sword blanks, much larger than the iron ones, intended for weapons that required more than ten refinements.
The craftsman clone placed these two clay-sealed containers into the furnace and ignited it.
A roaring flame burst forth, and the artisan clones, bravely disregarding the terrifying temperature, personally controlled the furnace.
The clones assigned to the forge used a wooden bellows with front and rear flaps to force air into the furnace, either by pulling or pushing.
Watching the enormous beads of sweat on the blacksmith clones and feeling the intense heat and effort required to obtain the finest military equipment, Septimus believed it was all worth it.
The steelmaking process would take several hours, and concentrating entirely on it was incredibly tedious.
After assigning some of the clones to keep records, Septimus left.
He played hide-and-seek with several slave women and indulged in an unrestrained spa massage with the guest Atilia.
After a hearty meal and a nap, Septimus turned his attention back to observing the progress of the smelting.
Looking at the short sword with its slightly darkened blade, Septimus felt somewhat excited.
The short sword was tested against ordinary swords, easily breaking two short swords before a notch appeared. In the end, the new sword managed to break eight short swords before it could finally be broken.
Septimus did not plan to equip his legions with this new sword; he did not consider it necessary. However, maintaining production and storing a large quantity could serve as a secret weapon if a crisis were to arise.
It is important to add that with the new blacksmithing technology, weapons could be continuously refined, and it would not be difficult to produce several steel swords that could be used to enhance the prestige of Septimus' banner and of the clone commanders assigned to the legions in the future.
Septimus found it interesting to have several custom-made metal swords to be used by clone soldiers who would serve as a royal guard.
The Next Day
Slowly opening his eyes, Septimus noticed that the "little Septimus" was already standing upright with great energy. Beside the bed were Atilia and one of the slave women, both completely naked and asleep.
Suppressing his desire, Septimus gently removed the delicate arms and legs that were wrapped around him from the two women and walked toward the window, opening the curtains with one hand.
The landscape revealed outside the window was a beautiful garden. The place was filled with vines and various flowers. Not far away there was a pond, a pavilion, and a rockery beside the water. This style had been specially constructed by Septimus to commemorate his previous life.
Several clones assigned to gardening worked diligently in the garden. With the replication ability, Septimus thought that he was both his own master and his own slave. With a forced smile, he felt the need to purchase slave women to handle the daily tasks of the residence.
The slave women he currently had were his women, and Septimus could not treat them as mere servants.
Septimus added to his agenda the purchase of a large number of slave women to replace the clones and handle the less important tasks of the villa.
"Darling, you're already awake," said Atilia, her naked body visible as she changed clothes.
Atilia finished dressing and embraced Septimus. She wore a brown blouse with a V-shaped neckline, with a glimpse of attractive fair skin visible at her chest, and a short, tight skirt; her long, shapely legs were especially eye-catching.
Septimus could not help swallowing. "Why are you dressed like that?"
Roman clothing styles were incredibly limited. Men wore short tunics and togas, and then short tunics and togas again.
In winter, they could add a sheepskin cloak, and if it was cold, several layers of cloaks.
Women had it slightly better, but not much better.
After trying various sexual positions with his slave women and with Atilia, Septimus, tired of the monotonous clothing, wrote on papyrus different modern clothing styles that he planned to recreate and test on his women. Now, seeing Atilia wearing clothing from a modern era style, he was slightly surprised.
"To be honest, it looks excellent on you. If you want, I can design some exclusively for you," Septimus said upon realizing that the papyrus on which he had drawn the clothing designs had been read by Atilia.
He had already decided to design nurse and police uniforms from later generations, with the goal of contributing to the development of Roman fashion.
The idea of all the women in the residence walking around in nurse, police, and flight attendant uniforms, with their long legs visible, made it difficult for Septimus to restrain himself any longer.
"You're so kind," Atilia said emotionally, feeling that Septimus was becoming increasingly gentle toward her.
"Do you need help getting dressed?" Atilia asked with a smile.
"Well… alright," Septimus said as he looked at the young woman's breasts, remembering how Atilia would help him dress after their sexual encounters. Atilia approached, picked up a toga, and helped him put it on. As he inhaled the fragrance emanating from her, Septimus could not resist touching her buttocks.
Atilia also perceived the change in Septimus; she smiled sweetly and intentionally slowed down while helping him dress.
"I've noticed that some people want to do bad things," Atilia said with a smile.
"The consequences of provoking me are serious," Septimus replied as his hands moved freely over the young woman's body, causing a soft, seductive gasp.
Feeling Septimus' mischievous hands, Atilia symbolically attempted to resist before beginning to gasp.
Septimus forgot about changing clothes altogether and began kissing Atilia as he carried her to the bed to continue their morning exercise.