Planning to Build a Castle

In the afternoon, Velin summoned the blacksmiths and carpenters, preparing to craft a powerful long-range attack weapon to counter the gnolls arriving in five months.

On a spacious clearing, twenty-five craftsmen sat quietly on the ground, intently listening to their lord's explanation.

"I call this weapon a ballista, and this is its general shape. The specifics of its operation are for you to complete," Velin said, pointing to a crude drawing on a wooden board, his face unblinking and his heart steady, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

"Its components consist of a winding shaft, a pulling rope, a trigger, a front bow, a main bow, a rear bow, and pulleys. You will research the principles yourselves. I will give you three months. If you complete the production of this weapon, I will grant you freedom from your slave status."

"If you finish it within a month, I will bestow upon you a woman for procreation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the twenty-five craftsmen turned green. Not only would they become freemen upon completing this project, but their lord was also offering them women.

"Please rest assured, my lord. We guarantee we will complete the task you've assigned within a month." Joseph, a thirty-two-year-old carpenter, stood up and made this pledge on behalf of the twenty-four craftsmen.

Due to his age and extensive experience, Velin had appointed him as the leader of the carpentry group.

Another man named Smith, twenty-eight years old, was the head of the blacksmith group.

"As long as you complete the task I've assigned, I will not be stingy with rewards."

Velin looked at the craftsmen present and promised again.

He believed that with a sufficiently large reward, these men's drive would be ignited to its peak, and perhaps they could achieve results in just half a month.

Afterward, Velin designated a work area and instructed Belder to provide them with the necessary materials and tools, urging them to complete the ballista as soon as possible.

Three days later, after finishing breakfast, Velin learned that the half-elf maiden Eunice had requested an audience and immediately rushed to meet her.

Upon entering the wooden house, his eyes were met with a very detailed castle blueprint.

It was displayed on a drawing easel inside the room, with more than ten sheets of white paper spread out on the wooden board of the easel.

In the center was the overall plan for the castle, with internal structural diagrams and selections of building materials on either side.

"My lord, as per your requirements, this castle will cover an area of 4,700 square meters, with a maximum capacity for five thousand people and a permanent resident population of six hundred."

The half-elf maiden Eunice approached the drawing easel, her eyes showing a hint of fear as she slowly began her explanation.

"This is the outer city wall, 6 meters high, 80 meters long, and 46 meters wide. The battlements are two meters long and can accommodate two hundred and forty people fighting simultaneously. A small arsenal will be set up every thirty meters, connected to the next level, for convenient storage of weapons and food."

"Behind it is the inner city wall, 9 meters high, 63 meters long, and 34 meters wide. As you requested, more outward-protruding battlements have been designed. This section of the wall has a total of thirty-one battlements, capable of accommodating two hundred and thirty people fighting simultaneously."

After the introduction of the city walls, Velin followed the direction of Eunice's finger to look at other parts of the castle.

Large arsenals, barracks, the lord's chambers, the great hall, the kitchen, water storage areas, granaries, latrines, weapon repair facilities, cellars, and stables – everything was included.

On the topmost level of the castle, six large platforms were established, allowing Velin to place large ballistas and attack incoming enemies.

"Eunice, how long will it take to build this castle?" Velin turned to the half-elf maiden and asked.

"With twenty-five masons and two hundred humans, this castle can be completed within three years."

"No, that's too long," Velin said, shaking his head. The gnoll attack was only five months away, and he needed to complete the castle construction before then.

"Then, what is the time frame your lordship expects?"

"Five months. The castle construction must be completed by the end of November."

Eunice said softly, "If the sole purpose is defense, other constructions can be temporarily suspended. We can focus only on building the outer and inner city walls, along with the water storage area, granaries, latrines, weapon repair facilities, and five other areas. By abandoning external aesthetic optimizations and other zones, and adding another two hundred people, it can be completed within five months."

After hearing this, Velin began to consider the current situation of the territory.

There were 343 freemen and serfs combined, and 107 bandit slaves.

The farmland required manpower, and the salt mine exploitation also needed to be prepared. Therefore, only 143 serfs and 57 bandit slaves could be mobilized. In total, that was only 200 people.

After a moment's thought, Velin also considered the army that Belder was training.

"No, the salt mine needs manpower, and the outer patrols also need manpower. The army cannot be used for castle construction."

After some deliberation, he quickly dismissed this idea.

"Eunice, I am entrusting you with the full responsibility of building the castle. The twenty-five masons will also follow your command, but for now, there are only two hundred people. I will find a way later. You select the site and begin construction."

"Yes, my lord." The half-elf maiden was stunned for a moment upon hearing Velin's appointment, then accepted the task.

Subsequently, Velin left the wooden house, pondering as he walked where to find more manpower to fill the shortage in the territory.

In the following days, under the half-elf maiden's command, the two hundred workers and twenty-five masons were divided into nine groups, with fifteen people in each group.

Three groups were responsible for quarrying stones, two groups for transporting materials, and the remaining four groups for construction work.

After thinking for a long time, Velin suddenly had an idea: he could use cement to compensate for the material shortage, but he abandoned it the next moment.

He knew some of the formula for this material, but only some of it.

Limestone, clay, and iron ore powder needed to be finely ground and mixed in proportion, and then undergo a series of steps to become cement, but he didn't know them.

Moreover, there wasn't enough time for slow experimentation right now.

"I'll worry about it later. When the bridge comes, the boat will naturally cross it. Perhaps in a few days, I'll find a solution to the problem."

Putting this matter aside, Velin decided to organize manpower for small-scale salt mine exploitation to increase the territory's revenue.

When he left his family, he had eighty-five thousand gold coins. After a series of expenses, he now had only fifty-three thousand gold coins left.

With only expenses and no income, he felt uneasy.

On the morning of June 26th, Velin led two knights, three squads of soldiers, and 60 bandit slaves to the Salt Mine, located ten miles southeast of the Lake of Star Prayer.

After two hours, everyone arrived at the Salt Mine's location.

The two knights stepped forward, moved the massive stone blocking the entrance, and opened the passage.

"Andrew, you take charge of supervising these slaves and setting up a camp. We'll start mining the salt tomorrow."

"Yes, my lord."

One knight thumped his chest in salute and immediately replied.

Watching the camp gradually become busy, Velin rode his horse with a squad of soldiers, patrolling the surroundings to drive away wild beasts and ensure the camp's safety.

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