Balin subconsciously recalled the clay pots his clan used to produce sulfuric acid. The largest of those pots could only hold two buckets of water, and each time they were heated, there was the worry that the temperature would be too high and the pots would break. The sulfuric acid produced was not only small in quantity, but its purity was also inconsistent, often affecting its usability due to excessive impurities. Compared to the chemical plant before him, the dwarves' method of producing sulfuric acid was not just backward, it was downright primitive.
Still reeling from the shock of the ironworks, Balin was struck by this latest blow. He felt as if a boulder was pressing down on his chest, making even his breathing heavy. Looking at the constantly running lead chambers and pipes, the color drained from his face. His initial hopes of gaining an advantage in the trade negotiations were now completely dashed, as if doused with cold water.
Viscount Helson noticed Balin's unease but didn't offer any comfort. Instead, he said to the factory manager, "Could you please tell us more about the uses of sulfuric acid, so that Mr. Balin can learn more about it?" The factory manager nodded and began to explain the applications of sulfuric acid in iron smelting for rust removal, ore purification, and textile dyeing. With each application, Balin's head drooped lower. Some of these uses were the very things he had boasted about that magical liquid that morning, while others were completely new to him. Clearly, humans had far more advanced knowledge of how to utilize this liquid than the dwarves.
Faced with humanity's large-scale, advanced production, the dwarves' knowledge seemed utterly insignificant. Balin stood there, looking at the busy yet orderly chemical plant before him, feeling nothing but utter frustration. He finally understood that his attempt to save face that morning was nothing but self-deception in the face of Alda's true power.
Before the shock of the chemical plant had fully subsided, Balin suppressed the urge to immediately return to the Rocky Mountains to report what he had seen and heard to the clan. He knew that the more he saw Alda's strength, the more he needed to calm down and observe carefully in order to bring back more comprehensive information to the clan.
Over the next week, he accompanied Viscount Helson on a tour of textile mills, machine tool factories, and grain warehouses. Each visit deepened his understanding of human productivity and intensified his sense of urgency. Near the end of the week, Viscount Helson suggested taking him to Lakeheart Town. Take a look at Port Franklin in the Northwest. "That's an important gateway for Alda's external communication, and it might give you a different understanding of the scope of human activity."
Balin, already filled with curiosity about everything in Alda, immediately nodded in agreement. As the carriage approached Port Franklin along the coastline, Balin first smelled the salty, damp air, unlike the dryness and minerality of the Rocky Mountains; this scent carried a sense of vastness and unfamiliarity. Once the carriage came to a stop, he stepped down, and the first thing he saw was the boundless sea—the azure waters stretched to the horizon, merging seamlessly with the sky. The sea breeze howled across the surface, whipping up layers of waves that crashed against the rocks on the shore with a resounding "whoosh."
"This is the sea?" Balin stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide, muttering to himself. He had grown up deep in the Rocky Mountains and had never seen anything so vast. He had only heard descriptions of the "sea" in the stories of his tribe's elders—a blue abyss that could swallow everything. But seeing it with his own eyes now, besides being awestruck, he felt an unprecedented sense of novelty and openness. Before he could recover from the shock of the sea, the scene in the harbor made him gasp again.
Dozens of enormous ships were densely moored along the dock. These ships were many times larger than the small wooden boats he had seen in the clan. Their hulls were made of thick wooden planks, their masts soared into the clouds, and their sails, when unfurled, resembled giant wings. Some ships were even equipped with black cannons, their muzzles pointed at the sea, exuding majesty and power. Several workers were busy using cranes to hoist cargo onto the ships, and horse-drawn carriages and porters came and went in a constant stream at the dock, creating a bustling scene.
"Some of these ships are merchant ships used to transport goods, capable of carrying thousands of tons of supplies, traveling between various ports; others are warships that escort merchant ships, equipped with cannons to defend against attacks from pirates and enemies." Viscount Helson stood beside him, pointing to the ships and explaining, " Port Franklin has ships coming and going every day, transporting Alda's goods to other regions and bringing local specialties."
Balin gazed at the enormous ships, a sense of awe rising within him once more. The ability of humankind to build such massive maritime vessels had far exceeded his imagination. Then, he noticed something strange and pointed into the distance, asking, " Mr. Helson, why do the ships arriving at port all raise their masts first?"
Viscount Helson smiled, inwardly admiring Balin's keen insight; if he had grown up in a different environment, he might have achieved great things.
He patiently explained, "Actually, the earth beneath our feet is not flat, but a round sphere, which Lord Glaeman calls 'Earth.' The ocean, which is attached to the Earth's surface, is naturally curved as well. Alda's ocean fleet has already completed a circumnavigation of the globe. They set off from Port Franklin, sailed westward, and eventually returned here, proving with facts that the Earth is round."
"The earth is round? And you can walk around it?" Balin was completely dumbfounded. He had never imagined that the earth he lived on was in such a shape.
In the dwarven clan's understanding, the earth was flat and boundless, and the Rocky Mountains were the center of the world. No matter how vast the world outside the mountains was, it was just a flat extension. But now, humans have not only seen the sea, but also proven that the earth is round, and even sailed a ship around it. This has completely overturned his understanding since childhood.
In a shop in Port Franklin, Balin saw a huge world map, with continents, oceans, and countries marked in different colors. He leaned closer, carefully searching for the Rocky Mountains, and finally, with Helson's guidance, he found the winding curve. On this map, the Rocky Mountains, which he had once thought were incredibly vast, were actually just a small section, and the surrounding oceans and other continents were far more expansive than he had imagined.
Without hesitation, he bought the world map, carefully rolled it up, and held it close to his chest. Looking at the areas on the map that humans had already explored, and thinking of Alda's ocean fleet that could cross oceans and leave its mark all over the world, while he and the entire dwarf race had been trapped in the small world of the Rocky Mountains, completely ignorant of the outside world, Balin felt a complex mix of emotions: shame, awe, but mostly admiration for humanity.
Humans not only possess powerful productivity, but also the courage and ability to explore the unknown world, which dwarves currently cannot match.