Chapter 55
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Continent's First Achievement (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Dig, lay, cut, carry, trim, and bury. That's what you'll be doing from today onward.”
“Tweet, chirp!”
Deep in the mountains, beneath the valley spring.
Lloyd stood atop a small boulder.
Amid the chirping of mountain birds, his speech began.
The Engineering Corps' human soldiers.
Burly orc miners.
The eyes of every worker fixed on Lloyd.
His speech doubled as a work briefing.
“You all know this isn't exactly a safe spot. We're up in the Eastern Mountains. So, what do we need to watch out for?”
“Attacks from mountain beasts!”
“Monsters too!”
“If you're hungry, you're in big trouble, oink!”
Engineering Corps members and orc miners shouted out one after another.
A satisfied smile crept across Lloyd's lips.
“That's right. All correct. Spot on. Beasts and monsters could show up anytime. So when moving around, always form groups of twenty: ten humans and ten orcs. Everyone knows their assigned group, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
“You got it, oink!”
“Good. Now, let's check assigned roles. Groups one through six, made up of mixed human-orc teams of twenty—what's your job?”
“Cut and trim the giant bamboo!”
“Okay. Groups seven, eight, nine?”
“Transport the trimmed giant bamboo to the aqueduct burial site!”
“Then groups ten, eleven, twelve?”
“Prepare the pipe burial sites!”
Lloyd asked, and the Engineering Corps answered.
Questions and responses flowed smoothly.
Lloyd's smile grew even warmer as he watched his Corps members.
*I've trained them right.*
He suddenly recalled the early days, when he'd mobilized the territory's guards just to haul clay for the first ondol room construction.
Back then, they were little more than a neighborhood watch—ordinary soldiers.
The kind of local lads you could find anywhere.
But now? Completely different.
*Any of them could drop into a site in Korea and adapt in no time.*
The days of the average neighborhood watch were gone.
No more pale, boyish faces.
Every one tanned to a deep bronze from the sun.
Foreheads habitually furrowed against the glare of the worksite sun.
Vets' experience peeked through their scruffy beards.
Their work clothes were worn but special.
Embroidered on each left chest: symbols of pride.
A heated stone for ondol.
A flat road for paving.
A deep pit for coal mines.
Some bore the rectangular stone chamber for Stone Ice Storage.
Most displayed the embankment for Marez Reclaimed Land.
Each emblem a certificate of countless projects joined.
Badges boosting every member's pride.
*And their stamina's through the roof now.*
Not bodybuilder bulky.
But stronger than any territory soldiers, they could boast.
Hauling bricks, dirt, materials all day.
Hammering, sawing, shoveling—basics.
Each task gifted them tough, sacred labor muscles.
Veterans who could snag a foreman spot anywhere after a quick adjustment.
“But don't get cocky just because of that. The first to get hurt on site is the half-baked vet who relies on familiarity and struts around. Got it?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then, everyone except Engineering Corps-only Group Thirteen—charge in with a mighty shout!”
“Woooah!”
Twelve groups total.
120 Engineering Corps members and 120 orcs raised saws, axes, and tools high.
They surged toward their stations in perfect order.
First, Groups 1-6 headed to the nearby forest.
There loomed a thicket of giant bamboo—thicker than an orc warrior's torso.
Humans and orc miners merged into one, tools flashing.
“Start from this side, one by one!”
“Axe work feels good, oink!”
“Good workout, oiiiink!”
Serrrk! Serrrk! Crack! Crunch!
Human Corps members dove in with logging saws. Orc miners swung massive great axes one-handed.
A sudden logging storm felled the innocent giant bamboo grove.
Simultaneously, trimming began beside them.
Cut to uniform lengths.
Smooth the outer surface.
The inner too.
Smaller Corps members crawled inside the bamboo.
Scraped interiors smooth, drilled holes.
Giant bamboo transformed into uniform-length pipe sections after felling and trimming.
Once processed, it was Groups 7-8-9's turn.
“All in! One, two!”
“Hup!”
“Oink!”
Human Corps and orc miners lifted as one, hauling giant bamboo pipes.
Over rugged trails, streams, rocks.
Sometimes chasing off growling beasts.
Other times smashing drooling monsters.
Countless pipes delivered to the aqueduct burial site.
There, Groups 10-11-12 received them.
On-site, with Bangul and the blacksmiths' help, they added reinforcements.
“Bangul! Ngh—!”
Dingalingaling!
Bangul, stuffed with dirt beforehand, wagged his plump tail furiously.
The bell on its tip blared an alarm.
He tensed his rear with all his might.
Spiiiish!
Below his raised tail, from his butt, glowing red-hot steel poop discharged long as rebar.
Blacksmiths pounced on the rebar.
No forge needed.
Fresh, hot, pliable(?).
Easy to work.
They ringed the incoming bamboo pipes from Groups 7-9-10.
Reinforcements to prevent bursting or cracking under water pressure.
Meanwhile, Groups 10-11-12 assisted Podong.
“Podong! Podo-do-do-dong!”
Whoooosh!
Dirt storms erupted wherever Podong went.
Long trenches left in the wake.
For burying bamboo pipes.
Not dug haphazardly, of course.
“Podong! Podo-dong!”
Podong followed Lloyd's marked lines precisely.
Depth, width—exact to prior surveys.
Per Lloyd's early measurements and designs.
Soil conditions.
Earth pressure, loads, quake effects, water pressure, overhead burdens.
Support capacity, expected subsidence—all calculated in.
Podong dug heroically; Groups 10-11-12 followed faithfully.
“Alright, level the bottom!”
“Woah, oiiiink!”
Humans and orcs smoothed trench faces.
Added ample reinforcements against flooding and sinking.
Compacted the base, laid stones.
Smeared thick lime-mud mortar.
Placed trimmed giant bamboo pipes atop.
Sealed gaps around pipes with more lime mud.
Backfilled firmly.
One pipe section complete.
All stuck to Lloyd's specs through it.
On to the next.
Repeat.
Meanwhile, Lloyd directly commanded Engineering Corps Group 13—60 strong.
To a valley mid-mountain slope.
There, aqueduct bridge construction began.
Haviel shone first.
“Alright, Haviel. You know the drill?”
“Blast the marked spots, right?”
“Obviously. You a pro or what?”
“And if we don't dodge quick after, we'll get buried under falling rocks and you'll nag us with a 'thud, ouch'—that it?”
“Nope.”
“Then?”
“I'll let you demo getting buried once, then stand a tombstone for you.”
“......I'll be off.”
Nearby: exposed limestone bedrock at the bridge site.
Haviel drew sword, faced it.
Aimed at Lloyd's marks.
“Hup.”
Shiiiing!
Silver-haired knight's blade blurred—dozens of strikes.
Loaded with exploding mana circle force.
Precise, ruthless destruction.
Boomf!
Millions-of-years-old bedrock erupted inside dozens of times.
Blasts shattered the tough rock.
Ruuuumble!
Shattered chunks fell as huge dice.
Masons and Group 13 charged with chisels, hammers.
“No slacking! Watch for flying chips—don't blind yourselves!”
Following Lloyd's lines, they smashed and split the rock.
The serene valley soon brimmed with limestone rubble.
Meanwhile, carpenters sweated nonstop.
Lloyd's aqueduct blueprint in hand.
Their task: build arch support frames for stone arches.
Thwack-thwack!
Tools rang out.
Wooden supports rose.
Sturdy rainbow shapes.
Limestone blocks stacked atop.
Blocks interlocked, forming arches.
Supports dismantled post-arch, reassembled beside.
More trimmed blocks loaded.
Another arch.
Construction nonstop.
One side: felled, piped, buried giant bamboo.
Valley: piled 17m-high, 82m-long 3-tier arch aqueduct in limestone.
Each sweat drop: another pipe linked.
Each chant: stones rose higher.
Finally, after about two months.
Amid late autumn's drizzling rain, the works merged into one.
“Careful, careful! Slow! Secure it tight!”
Lloyd, tool belt cinched, stepped up.
Onto the completed aqueduct top.
Directed final bamboo pipe placement.
17 meters up from ground.
Narrow, rain-slick peak.
One misstep: perfect for a fall.
So he took the riskiest front line.
*Keeps the site's morale steady.*
No matter the bonuses, danger's danger.
Pushing workers alone into peril sours the mood fast.
*They start calculating risk vs. pay. Pricing their own lives.*
Natural for hazardous work.
Lloyd didn't want his Corps doing that math.
*Not a great feeling. I know—I’ve been there.*
He knew it well.
A filthy feeling.
Life quantified in coin.
Disposable part vibes.
Once felt, cynicism creeps in.
So Lloyd led from the aqueduct's perilous peak.
With the sturdiest crew.
“Careful steps. Haviel? Sir Bayern? Aroshi? Chant it.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three, oink!”
“Release!”
Thud!
Lloyd, Haviel, Sir Bayern, Aroshi—one team.
Raised bamboo pipes atop aqueduct. Moved. Set. Connected.
Final pipe laid and linked.
But not done.
*Finishing touches. Inspection.*
Pipes alone don't end it.
Must check water flow.
Lloyd climbed to Capua Lake.
Reached the intake where lake water fed pipes.
Turned the valve on the intake gate.
Creaaak!
Steel gate opened.
Lake water passed floating debris filters, into pipes.
Lloyd eyed the flow sharply.
*Velocity's perfect. As designed.*
From Capua Lake intake to territory below.
He'd designed flow at 0.5-3.0 m/s throughout.
Too slow? Sediment clogs.
Too fast? Pressure damages pipes.
*This flow... no worries there.*
Lloyd monitored.
And waited.
For cheers from below, the territory.
*Any moment now.*
Lloyd bit his lip anxiously.
“......comes!”
“......through!”
Shouts rose from below.
Corps members lined along the pipe route, from treatment plant to intake.
Relaying territory shouts upward with all their might.
The call climbed steadily.
“......no leaks!”
“......flowing perfectly, no leaks!”
Finally, one triumphant shout reached Lloyd.
“Water reaches the territory's treatment plant! Flowing perfectly, no leaks midway!”
The site erupted in cheers.
End of long toil.
Fists clenched at the fruit.
Proud glances swapped.
Site ablaze.
All but Lloyd.
“Whew. Done. Time to collect construction fees.”
Tap.
Casual as hitting the local PC bang.
Or grabbing free drinks.
Lloyd smirked, tapped Haviel's shoulder.
Haviel felt baffled.
Construction fees? Collect?