Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Mine
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"This job seems right up our alley."
Hunters were weaker in raw combat power compared to mercenaries.
But they excelled in other skills like stealth and tracking.
"What's the plan?"
"I've got sleeping powder. I'm going to turn it into smoke and pump it into the mine."
In a sealed-off mine like this, it should work like a charm.
He adopted his uncle's strategy
and immediately got to work preparing.
They cleared the orc corpses piled up at the mine entrance,
gathered dry branches, and lit a fire.
Along with the sleeping powder.
"Fan it harder! Get that smoke flowing deep into the mine!"
They started pumping in the smoke,
and for several tense minutes, everyone held their breath.
But then...
"The orcs aren't coming out."
"Told you. This smoke doesn't hurt—it just makes them drowsy. They won't even realize what's happening."
After shoving in an excessive amount of smoke,
they sent the mercenaries inside.
Over two thousand orcs were dragged out of the mine.
Combined with the ones killed outside, it added up to more than four thousand—a massive orc settlement.
"Lord Elwin, we've cleared out all the orcs."
"Good work."
With the internal threats eliminated,
they deployed the mining experts.
And shortly after,
the notification he'd been waiting for appeared.
The mission he'd thought would be tough wrapped up easily with Alensia's help.
Adding it to the one he'd saved up made two in total.
'Safety first.'
He debated between efficiency skills and safety ones, but chose Safety First.
Mines could suffer massive losses from accidents, and recovery took ages.
Mine Village Construction
"Now we're on the same page."
They kicked off full-scale village construction.
First, he sent a letter to Russell,
asking him to buy up as many slaves with mining or workshop experience as possible.
He also pulled slaves from the Alf construction site to the mine.
Mining maintenance needed experts, but village building could be handled by regular slaves.
With that,
mine maintenance and village construction began in parallel.
"Hmm..."
"Something troubling you?"
He turned to see Hans standing there.
"Can the slave soldiers hold this place?"
Hans didn't answer right away.
Terra, Alf Village, and the other outposts were in goblin and orc territory.
But this was different.
It bordered orc and troll lands.
Trolls had attacked several times even during village construction.
'Hand it off to mercenaries like Terra?'
He'd entrusted Terra's defense to a mercenary band.
Alf would get another band appointed as castellan.
'But here...'
An industrial city with its own mine.
Revenue would dwarf regular farming towns.
Share the golden goose with a mercenary band?
Or claim it solo?
"Heir, defense—not offense—is feasible with slave soldiers."
Slave soldiers versus trolls.
Simulations said it was tough.
What if slave soldiers died defending an industrial city?
"Can't sacrifice the slave soldiers."
"Weapons change everything."
"Weapons?"
"Spears and swords won't kill trolls for average folk. Arrows either. But a ballista? That's different."
Ballista.
Also called a ship cannon.
A weapon that launched massive bolts, spears, or stones—
essentially an oversized crossbow.
"Build ballistas?"
"Current ballistas are the result of centuries of refinement. Hard to replicate from scratch."
According to Hans,
ballistas had been around for ages,
constantly improved over time until even regular craftsmen couldn't make them anymore.
"How to get expert craftsmen?"
"High nobles control them. Not realistic."
Refined ballista tech was monopolized by this world's elite—the top power holders.
The only way was buying at exorbitant prices.
'I'll need lots going forward. Buy them all? No...'
There was another way.
A skill.
Designer's Guidance.
Per the description, it helped during design.
'Problem is, it's an active skill.'
Everything but Demonic Energy Removal was passive.
Learning multiple actives with limited mana was inefficient.
Using Designer's Guidance would cut into Demonic Energy Removal usage.
'Stick to agriculture, or build industry too?'
The deliberation dragged on, but the conclusion was clear.
Agriculture had limits.
Once farms supplied the whole island?
Then it'd compete with mainland farmers.
High yields like now would be impossible.
"Contact Russell. Have him buy one ballista."
"Just one?"
"Yeah."
While focusing on mine village construction,
the man he'd been waiting for arrived.
"Russell!"
"My lord!"
Russell approached with his daughter Saraya.
Saraya shyly hid behind her father to greet him.
"Hello."
"Hey, been well?"
Saraya nodded and fully ducked behind him.
"Sorry about that."
"No worries. She's cute. Anyway, the goods?"
"Bought every slave with mine or workshop experience. About 700."
Fewer than expected.
This world revolved around farming, so industrial experience was rare.
"And the ballista you requested."
A massive crossbow filled an entire cart.
"That's it. Move it to the central workshop."
The slaves hauled the ballista to the workshop.
He inspected the one placed in the workshop center.
"We need to make these..."
"My lord."
Russell and a man stood at the entrance.
"This slave's a dwarf half-breed. Hard to acquire."
"Dwarf half-breed?"
Dwarves, one of the sub-races.
Renowned for crafting talent.
"Perfect. Take a look at this."
He pointed to the ballista's bowstring.
But...
The man didn't budge.
Russell looked troubled.
"Merchant said he's uncooperative. But his skills are top-notch. I checked his work myself."
An uncooperative slave...
No wonder he was for sale.
He stepped up to the man.
"What's your name?"
"..."
"Dve."
Russell answered for him.
He gestured for him to wait.
"Uncooperative, huh?"
"..."
"Free you from slavery, and you'll work for me?"
"..."
"What do you want?"
"..."
A reaction at last.
No words, but he looked up.
"Be straight. I need skilled craftsmen. Whatever you want, I'll grant it."
"Three hours. I'll work for you three hours."
"And the rest?"
"I'll do what I want."
No slave awareness.
Asking for three hours break was rude enough,
but only working three hours?
Even so...
"Deal. If you've got the skill, that's fine."
"Don't forget."
Dve rolled up his sleeves and headed to the ballista.
Dve's dead eyes sparked to life.
He meticulously examined it.
Tapped the wood, pulled the string.
Exactly three hours later,
Dve stood.
"Three hours up."
As he moved to leave,
thud.
Blocked his path.
"Show me your skill first."
"The frame's easy. Cut and assemble to size. The string's the issue. Its elasticity determines power—and overall performance."
Stepped aside to let him pass.
Examined the ballista until sunset.
Dve was spot on.
The frame didn't matter.
No special tech needed.
Just source good timber and match the shape.
"String's the problem, huh?"
Activated the skill and checked again.
Still no clue.
"What the hell is this made of?"
The next day.
Dve showed up at the workshop.
He zeroed in on the string too.
"Can't tell the material from looks alone."
"Then what? Any ideas?"
"Honestly, even knowing the material, matching it exactly is tough. Need ratios and fabrication methods. Even then, mastery takes years."
"Impossible, then."
All conditions met? Still years.
"But something similar? Doable. Focus on high elasticity."
Dve's approach worked.
Can't match exactly? Make a different high-elasticity string.
'Doesn't need refined ballista level. Good enough quality, overwhelm trolls with numbers.'
Dozens of refined ballistas' cost could build hundreds.
"Good. Source materials for you?"
"Rope to monster sinew. Fur works too. Get as much as possible."
Dve bowed and left.
Three hours up, probably.
The next day.
Gathered rope, goblin, orc, troll sinew.
"Now what?"
"Trial and error. Twist hundreds, thousands—find a good combo eventually."
Dve did exactly that.
Rope and goblin sinew twisted into string, elasticity test.
Rope and orc sinew next.
Then orc and troll sinew.
Several tests later, he stood.
"Three hours passed."
Dve left,
alone in the workshop.
"Leave it to Dve, it'll take months."
Tried twisting sinews like him.
Snap.
No elasticity—poorly made.
"Tricky. Trials need baseline skill too?"
Only trusted the system.
No experience even making small tools.
"Needs a blueprint to trigger?"
So far, just mana drain, no effect.
Spread paper, picked up pen.
Drew goblin sinew and rope weave.
"What?! This notification!?"