The mountain clans arrived gradually. Judging by their appearance, they lived quite harsh and frugal lives, wearing furs and keeping their hair and beards long.
They all gathered in the newly built communal hall, which would serve as a meeting place.
All of the clan leaders seemed quite close to his father, Harry noticed. Each of them shook his hand and embraced him.
The clans also appeared to have good relations with one another, as they greeted each other in much the same way.
That surprised Harry a little, as he had expected some tension between them. After all, food was scarce for them during winter.
When faced with hunger, it was not uncommon for even parents and children to turn against one another, let alone people from another village.
After the greetings and a brief feast, the hall gradually fell silent as all the clan leaders turned their attention to Ned.
"I gathered you all here, but it is actually my son, Harry Stark, who wished to speak with you and has a proposal for you," Ned said, patting his son's shoulder.
The clan leaders then turned their attention to Harry. hey had greeted him earlier, assuming he was merely there to learn from his father. Now, however, their gazes became somewhat strange as they realized he appeared to be the one leading the meeting.
Being far more isolated than most people in the North, they did not have much information. They had only heard rumors about a new type of grain created by Harry Stark, though they were rather skeptical of such claims.
Harry rose to his feet without any trace of shyness, meeting the gazes of the various clan leaders.
"My father has told me about your clans and the hardships you endure during winter. Although we have been fortunate enough to enjoy a long summer that has lasted three years, none of us truly know when winter will strike again," Harry said, looking around at them all.
"It so happens that the nearby mountain contains a large amount of iron, and I need people to extract it."
"I couldn't help thinking of you. Besides the proximity, you cannot farm on those rocky mountains, so I propose that you mine the iron for me, and I will pay you in grain," Harry said, looking at them.
Seeing their surface thoughts, some thought it sounded like a good idea, while others were doubtful, wondering how generous the payment would be.
Harry could only shake his head inwardly at those thoughts. After all, in the mountains they could do little more than graze their goats on the sparse grass that grew there. At best, they could gather berries or fish along the coast.
But that also depended on the location of each clan. In the end, most of them spent their days with little to do.
"What would the payment be?" asked one of the leaders belonging to one of the six most prominent clans.
"Five kilograms of grain per day for each worker," Harry replied calmly.
"Of course, if someone fails to meet a minimum requirement, their pay will be reduced. If it happens repeatedly, they will be dismissed," Harry added, having no desire to maintain a group of idlers.
The mountain clans might be fierce warriors, but they were not accustomed to working for wages. Harry would not be surprised if some proved lazy on the job.
That would inevitably create conflicts, so it was better to be clear from the beginning.
"At first, we won't need many people, but I would like at least one person from each clan to be sent here, so everyone can see how things work and know that I'm not lying to you."
"The mine will expand gradually, and only then will hundreds or even thousands of workers be needed. Besides, it isn't only about mining. The ore must be transported from the mine to the foundry, goats can be raised nearby to provide fresh meat, and there is plenty of labor to be done," Harry said, laying all his cards on the table.
Murmurs spread through the hall as the leaders spoke with their companions or directly with the other clan leaders.
"What happens if there's a collapse and someone dies?" one of the clan leaders asked, clearly possessing some knowledge of the work involved.
"If there's a collapse and someone dies, the family or the village will be compensated," Harry replied directly.
"What if someone doesn't want to be paid in grain?" another leader asked.
"They can ask for money or an equivalent exchange, but receiving grain is preferable. We don't have enough coin for everyone. If people insist on being paid in money, we can negotiate it, but it will be necessary to wait a while," Harry said.
He had no doubt that in the future this would become the norm, receiving wages in coin rather than grain.
But for now, people felt more secure with grain, and he could not blame them.
The murmurs continued throughout the hall as they discussed the terms.
For the most part, they considered it a good deal. Five kilograms of grain a day was a considerable amount. During winter, it could mean the difference between life and death.
In the end, the leaders nodded one after another, reaching an agreement with Harry. Each clan would send people to help construct the facilities and work in the mine.
At the same time, those workers could report back to their clans about how things were being run, ensuring that everyone knew exactly what they were agreeing to.
Together with his father, Harry remained there for nearly a month, making sure everything was in order.
Only a few days after reaching an agreement, the nearest clans began sending people, who immediately started cutting into the mountain.
Under Philip's guidance, an orderly opening was carved into the mountainside. The wooden supports and the precautions taken made him feel at ease.
Watching him work, Harry felt that the man was worth every coin, and the look of admiration on Philip's face when iron began to appear within the mountain made it clear just how astonished he was.
Harry doubted Philip would willingly leave anymore.
Of course, not everything went smoothly, and Harry had to secretly intervene with magic on many occasions.
While speaking with Philip, he learned that there were limitations when it came to smelting. Small furnaces could be made from clay, but achieving the scale Harry wanted was impossible.
Despite his excitement, Harry asked what would be required to make it possible.
Harry watched as Philip stood and paced back and forth while thinking.
Without interrupting him, he simply waited. He knew it was not easy. He was asking for something that, in his previous world, had usually only become possible in the modern era.
But magic could solve most problems. A giant furnace and a few enchantments should solve the smelting issue.
A transfigured mold would also solve the problem of producing the rails.
With an almost crazed expression, Philip quickly grabbed a piece of paper and sketched a massive furnace that reminded Harry quite a bit of modern blast furnaces.
Harry looked at him in slight surprise.
This person was genuinely visionary.
"Building something like this would require an enormous amount of time and labor. Perhaps the Valyrians had something similar. They were masters of metallurgy. Of course, if I had magic at my disposal, I'd be a master as well," Philip said with a teasing tone, though his face clearly showed envy.
"Then you're in luck," Harry said, picking up a goblet and transfiguring it into a scale model of the furnace Philip had just drawn.
Philip froze, staring at the small furnace before him with a dumbfounded expression. His hand stretched out trembling before touching it, causing his entire body to shake.
"I underestimated the work required for smelting. Originally, I didn't plan to involve myself this much, but it seems there is no other option. So tell me, you now have magic at your disposal," Harry said with a smile.
"I never asked, but what do you need so much steel for?" Philip asked after taking a deep breath and calming himself.
Philip looked at Harry with admiration but also a trace of fear. In southern Westeros, magic was hardly viewed favorably.
But his excitement at the thought of accomplishing something great overshadowed any thoughts of leaving.
Harry looked at the items on the table and gently waved his hand. They suddenly transformed, forming a complete circle of railway tracks. A locomotive pulling several carriages began moving along them, producing sounds and releasing smoke.
"This is what I want—a means of transportation that will connect the North. So, what do you say? Do you want to leave your name in history?" Harry said, looking at Philip, who couldn't take his eyes off the train.
Several seconds passed before he finally seemed to awaken from his daze.
"My lord, I will work tirelessly until it is accomplished," Philip said, dropping to one knee before Harry without hesitation, his body trembling.
His eyes burned with uncontrollable desire. If he were the one to oversee the construction of something like this, his name would surely endure for thousands of years.
For him, there was no greater dream.
Harry simply smiled and told him to stand. He was also the first person to address him that way, as everyone else usually placed the word "young" before the title, after all, his father was still the current Lord.
In a way, he had just gained his first true subordinate.
"Let's get to work. I hope building this won't take more than five years," Harry said, waving his hand and returning the train and tracks to their original forms.
"Yes," Philip replied, rising to his feet and looking at Harry with enthusiasm.
Because of the sudden increase in difficulty, Harry told his father to return first, explaining that he still had things to do there.
Ned asked why, and Harry honestly told him that a little magic would be necessary to achieve what he wanted.
Ned asked no further questions. He simply gave Harry a brief embrace and told him to take care of himself before departing with the hundred men.
Jon and Theon decided to remain behind and help with whatever Harry needed.
Naturally, Harry did not refuse and mercilessly put them to work as cheap labor.
Under Philip's guidance, Harry also worked tirelessly every day, constantly transfiguring objects to help construct the furnace. The container used for smelting was obviously neither iron nor steel, otherwise it would melt together with its contents.
Using what Philip called refractory materials, Harry created a massive furnace of stone and clay, something that would have been impossible without magic.
Doing so under the eyes of hundreds of people was easy enough. A large tent covered the entire smelting area.
Even if people would surely suspect where the furnace had come from. Suspecting something was one thing. Seeing it with their own eyes was another.
At worst, a few strange rumors would spread, and it wasn't as though there weren't already plenty of those about him.
Philip ran his hand across the furnace affectionately, and Harry almost thought he was looking at a beautiful woman.
This process took nearly a month. After all, the magic in the surroundings was limited and took time to recover. Without a weirwood nearby, they could only make slow progress until the massive stone furnace was finally completed.
Although the furnace was only the beginning, the molds and the process of producing the rails still had to be put into practice.
But that was no longer Harry's job.
Now all that remained was to continue extracting the iron. Philip also used the lull in activity to prepare several large piles of charcoal, which, according to him, was far more efficient than burning ordinary wood.
Considering that his work there was finished, Harry informed Philip that he would be returning to Winterfell.
Philip understood. He could not rely on Harry to solve every problem with the snap of his fingers, otherwise there would have been no reason to seek someone to take charge.
Knowing that he was now the one in charge, Philip bowed deeply before Harry and promised that he would make sure everything remained in order.
Harry told him to send a raven if any concerns arose before setting off for home with Jon and Theon, both of whom had learned quite a bit about construction during their stay.
Theon was particularly displeased. Believing himself superior to common laborers as a noble, having to perform such "lowly" work, in his own words, had mortified him.
Nothing that a few extra hours of labor couldn't fix.
Seeing Theon's suffering, Jon simply worked honestly, treating it as another form of training.
The three of them took a week to return to Winterfell.
It was only after arriving home, thanks to an offhand comment from his mother, that Harry realized he had turned twelve years old.
The years had passed unexpectedly quickly.
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