Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: The Waterwheel Project
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Even as Hwigyeong, he couldn't fully grasp exactly how the power of flowing water moved the mud soldiers.
'Up to that cylindrical device makes sense. Water falls down, filling each basket on the device, and as the weight pulls it down, the device turns. The shaft rotates with it, and as the shaft turns, those components spin...'
Hwigyeong's gaze lingered on each mechanical part until he hit a point he couldn't comprehend.
'Whatever. As long as I get the parts I can understand.'
Sairan spoke up.
"So, you're saying we harness the power of flowing water?"
"Exactly."
"How exactly?"
Hwigyeong pointed to one corner of the mud soldiers' room.
"The water supply here is plenty anyway. So we punch a channel through that wall. This spot's pretty high up in Autocity, so the falling water should give us a good amount of power. We could even install several of those wide cylindrical devices."
"Hm. And after that?"
"We could place one per floor. When the shaft turns, look there—where the shafts meet, those parts turn like people rotating with different hands. Even though it's just water flowing."
"...So no concrete plan."
Hwigyeong scratched his head.
"I don't think it's impossible. What do you say? There must be people who know more than me. The Toga folk, maybe."
"I think it's feasible too. If you're okay with it, I can bring someone from our tribe who'd be interested."
"...Yeah. But keep it from Rakrak."
"Got it."
Sairan pondered Hwigyeong's proposal.
But it struck him as odd that Hwigyeong was the first lord of Autocity in history to think of this.
"Is this really okay?"
"What?"
"Why haven't past lords thought of this? Using ancient tech. Maybe there's a legend that tampering with it brings danger, and it got forgotten. Think about it. Stories from your father mentioning ancient warnings..."
"Eh."
Hwigyeong crossed his arms, deep in thought.
"I kinda think they were just cowards. Stuff built long ago—they couldn't understand it, and breaking it by messing around would be bad. Plus, hardly anyone knew about it. Not many lords before, and it was just forgotten ruins till now. No one's thought like me till now. Or..."
"Or?"
Hwigyeong pulled an iron piece Rakrak had commissioned from his pocket.
"Maybe I'm the first lord to melt down something this sturdy on this scale."
Hwigyeong looked up at the Lizardman gripping both his cheeks.
The Lizardman seemed more interested in Hwigyeong's horns than Hwigyeong himself, sniffing them or pushing and pulling his head this way and that to inspect their shape.
Hwigyeong glanced sideways at Sairan.
"...Who's this?"
"Lady Jaol."
Rakrak's adoptive mother, Jaol, had entered Autocity as well.
With a major trade planned between Autocity and the Black Scale tribe, she was there to inspect goods and match quantities.
Jaol muttered.
"Fascinating. First time seeing a human with horns. First anyone with real horns, actually. Seen horn-like growths before, but those were mushrooms or diseases. These are genuine."
The horns had grown numb at the tips from nerve deadening, so no sensation. But Hwigyeong suspected Jaol had just licked the tip.
He said to Sairan,
"Does Lady Jaol know this might be... a bit rude to someone leading a tribe?"
"She probably forgot."
Jaol turned at Sairan's cough.
Then locked eyes with the Hwigyeong she was holding.
"Sorry, Autocity Lord."
"No worries, Lady Jaol."
"What were you talking about?"
"Nothing much. Just about to greet you."
"Ah."
Jaol released Hwigyeong.
"New things catch my eye."
Hwigyeong thought Jaol was odd, but actually, it was perfect.
Curious people would be interested in the project.
Sure enough, when Hwigyeong led Jaol to the mud soldiers' room, she showed keen interest.
Jaol viewed Hwigyeong's idea positively.
Back at the restaurant, they reviewed designs sketched around a copied machine diagram.
Jaol set down her charcoal and said,
"Can't confirm if it actually moves till we build it, but seems possible. But..."
"But?"
"It'll need lots of hands. Can't guarantee food for the work alone, so pay proper wages. That means lots of wealth. And plenty of wood too. Hard to source sturdy enough around here, so from elsewhere."
Hwigyeong nodded.
"Expensive, but doable. Weather and seasons vary costs, but even at peak, Autocity can handle it."
Jaol shook her head—not what she meant.
"Not about affording it. Real issue: does the payoff match the cost?"
"Ah."
"Even if affordable, if this 'waterwheel' project ends with no real change to Autocity, that's just vanishing assets. Better not to."
Jaol gathered the silk sketches and pushed them to Hwigyeong.
"Maybe some past Autocity lord or ancient thought the same. Got this far. But calculated and quit when numbers didn't add up."
"Things don't exist without reason, huh?"
"Yes."
Hwigyeong debated: drop it as Jaol suggested, or push on believing it could change things.
He had money, but none earned by him. Total merchant newbie.
'Can't see the future?'
-The futures I foresee are only the immediate moment ahead.
'Then tell me the future I see.'
Hwigyeong spoke to his horns.
'Leave the first waterwheel's shaft empty. Future lords might find it useful. Second waterwheel's shaft gets bellows. Blow air into the forge nonstop—water flows endless, so forge burns constant. Third: hammers. Flatten iron no man could pound. Fourth: millstone. Grind or hull grain.'
-Looks good.
'That's it?'
-Futures beyond my sight. Seems fine to me.
'Fine?'
Hwigyeong tapped charcoal on the table, gazing out at Autocity, then turned to Jaol.
"Let's do it."
Seong-un knew what Hwigyeong and Jaol hadn't calculated.
Hiring laborers cost a fortune, but they'd spend it inside Autocity.
Food, beds, drinks—their wages cycled back to Autocity merchants.
Prosperous merchants drew more traders.
More trade meant more profits flowing back to Hwigyeong.
So despite pouring money into the massive waterwheel project, he was actually earning.
'Civil engineering's like that. Big projects gather people, form bigger markets, bigger money flows.'
Consistent pay via iron pieces, stamped with Black Scale script for distinction, made them a sort of currency.
In this setup, a yellow status window visible to all continent players—the 'Continent Message'—was no surprise.
Seong-un felt little stir.
'Tribes'll trust it. Players'll be wary. Good thing: others won't know who made it for a while.'
Borders between tribes barely defined yet.
Too busy with neighbors to eye distant Seong-un.
But during construction, more Continent Messages popped.
No bonus for firsts, but not nothing.
Not huge either.
Currency and script didn't profit one civilization alone.
'To gain from currency or script, gotta advance economy or culture overall.'
Luckily, Seong-un held solid cards in both.
Construction progressed fast, but unexpected snags arose.
First waterwheel too huge, collapsed under own weight—crushed twenty laborers. Hwigyeong compensated their families.
Scams too: traded for dozens of straight trees, got dried firewood instead. Hired Black Scale warriors to track scammers, recovered funds.
Design flaws: third waterwheel up, but no room for fourth per calcs. Hwigyeong scrapped all and redid with three.
When the third rose again, this appeared before Seong-un:
Goal achieved, but now Seong-un thought it minor.