Ep 19. Strike While the Iron Is Hot

A realistic hero is called to action in the fantasy world of How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom. As season 1 episode 19 titled “Strike While the Iron Is Hot” begins, the hero Souma finds himself in an interesting festive situation. The people of the kingdom are celebrating the harvest season, and they have come up with creative ways to make the most of their surplus crops.

Souma and the Royal Court are making rounds, visiting different districts, meeting with the locals, and trying out the various foods and drinks offered to them. As they make their way through the kingdom, Souma notices something is amiss. He senses an air of dissatisfaction among the people due to the kingdom being unable to produce steel in large quantities.

Upon discussing this issue with his advisors and engineers, Souma realizes that it is due to the lack of fuel. They have plenty of iron, but not enough wood or coal to convert it into steel. As a result, they are stuck at a production capacity that is nowhere near enough to meet their requirements.

Souma decides to utilize the surplus crops and direct them towards a new project. He proposes using the corn to create ethanol to use as a substitute for coal. He also plans to use the straw to generate heat, making it an alternative fuel for burning the iron and forging steel.

As Souma and his team are working on the project and conducting experiments, a group of bandits threatens an important mine responsible for producing valuable minerals. Souma and his team must now come up with a solution to defend the mine and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

Souma knows that he needs steel weapons and armor to defeat the bandits, and the only way to do so is to produce more steel. The problem is he needs to make it fast. Aware of the current situation, the bandits are sure to attempt a raid on the mines; he knows they have to act fast.

Souma, his advisors, and engineers put their heads together and come up with a plan. They will create a makeshift furnace outside of the forge and use it to produce steel at a much faster rate. While this is happening, they will also fortify the walls and damage the entrances to the mine to keep the bandits at bay.

The team of workers is working day and night to create more steel. Using the new fuel alternatives, they’re able to produce more steel in a much shorter time frame. The bandits, aware of what is happening, send in their forces to raid the mine and stop the production of steel.

Souma and his advisors decide to use a unique strategy and sent in a decoy team to attack the bandits during the night, while the real task force makes their way to the mine. The plan works, and the bandits are able to get tricked, giving the real team a much-needed foothold.

As the final battle unfolds, Souma and his team must rely on their newly produced steel to defeat the bandits. They emerge victorious, defending the mine and the kingdom’s valuable products.

The episode concludes with Souma’s primary advisors congratulating him on his victory. He realizes that the trick was not just in making the steel faster but in diverting the bandits’ attention from the mines by showcasing a mock attack. This strategy saved them a lot of lives and resources that would have otherwise been lost.

Overall, the episode’s biggest takeaway is that a real leader is someone who can use what resources are available to them and make quick decisions to safeguard what’s valuable to their community. Souma’s brilliant strategy saves them not only the mine and surrounding areas but also gives them hope for further expansion and progress in rebuilding the kingdom.