Construction I

Over the next few days, as the building materials arrived, Victor's long-prepared plan for developing the territory could finally be put into action.

Using the Calculation Module, Victor designed a uniquely structured brick-and-timber building. Its construction balanced strength and material efficiency, making it somewhat different from the common houses of this world. It also included heated brick beds and insulating flues, making it well suited for use in the north.

From the moment he had arrived in Wood Fort Town, Victor had instructed Powell to assign part of the construction team to build brick kilns and prepare for brickmaking. Once the barbarian slaves arrived, large-scale production began as well.

Today, Victor came to the site of the brick kilns. From the beginning, the location had been chosen downstream, far from Wood Fort Town—roughly twelve kilometers away. On one hand, brick production created considerable pollution, and placing the kilns here reduced their impact on residential areas. On the other hand, the surrounding clay resources were abundant, and the bricks could be transported to Wood Fort Town via the Great Fish River, making it relatively convenient.

Under Victor's guidance, the brickworks of Two Rivers Territory first built a horseshoe kiln to fire the first batch of bricks. The bricks it produced were all used to construct a new brick kiln—a ring kiln. After all, the horseshoe kiln's output was far too low to meet the territory's construction needs.

The first ring kiln had now been completed. The manager of the brickworks was using it for firing, while the horseshoe kiln beside it had begun to be dismantled.

Victor summoned the brickworks manager. He was one of Powell's men, named Jimmy.

"When will this batch of bricks be ready? What is the output? Is the brickworks currently short on manpower? Besides manpower, what else do you lack?"

"My lord, our ring kiln has fifty-four chambers, and three fires have been lit. I divided the workers into three shifts, eight hours per shift. The first batch of chambers will soon finish cooling. One fire can produce sixty thousand standard bricks, and we can produce roughly 1.2 million standard bricks a month. We have no manpower problems. More than five hundred people have been assigned to us, and brickmaking is fast with the proper tools. There is just one issue, my lord: we do not have enough fuel. Charcoal production is a serious problem. After firing this batch of 180,000 bricks, we will probably have to stop work. It will take two days to save up enough charcoal for the next batch, and that will greatly affect our progress."

"Are the charcoal-burning and logging teams we organized earlier short on manpower? I remember assigning them roughly the same number of people as the brickworks."

"Yes, my lord. They are already doing everything they can. If we were still using horseshoe kilns, fuel would definitely be sufficient. But after switching to ring kilns, output increased fivefold, and the corresponding material consumption also became greater and faster. The manpower at our brickworks can only handle making bricks and taking shifts watching the kilns. Every time we open a kiln, everyone has to work together just to carry everything out."

Victor rubbed his forehead. "Industrialization really needs population. This is only because winter is coming soon, so we have not assigned anyone to agricultural work. All available manpower has been sent out. People are either building houses, constructing docks, or repairing roads. Brickmaking, charcoal burning, logging, herding, and quarrying all need people. Even half-grown children have been put to work. I thought the more than six thousand people remaining after excluding the soldiers would be enough to meet our production needs, but manpower is already stretched thin."

"This is after the Calculation Module optimized many production tools. Of course—once tools and techniques are improved and productivity rises, natural resources are consumed faster as well. This is practically forcing me to improve productivity. I need fuel with a higher calorific value, better engines. I need internal combustion engines, I need generators, I need greater productivity." Victor felt utterly powerless.

"Victor, there is no need to worry too much. As you said, this world has many miraculous plants and animals. Some varieties may be able to solve the problem you are facing."

"Number 1, have you discovered anything during this period?"

"Yes, Victor. The long-term task you previously established—functional analysis of known flora and fauna—has already produced many preliminary results."

"For example, Black Oil Pine and Golden Sunflower. Based on your knowledge from your previous life, the Calculation Module's testing and calculations show that Black Oil Pine wood is rich in oil and has a very low proportion of resin acids. Most of it consists of terpenes, giving it an extremely high calorific value. It is practically charcoal by nature. As for the vegetable oil produced by Golden Sunflower, although it is plant oil, its proportion of unsaturated fatty acids is unusual. It can remain edible oil, yet after only simple deacidification, it can be used as fuel oil with very little loss. Its calorific value is even higher than aviation kerosene. It is practically natural fuel for internal combustion engines."

"Number 1, have these research findings confirmed our previous conjecture?"

"Yes. These findings further confirm that your world once truly possessed a highly developed civilization, one exceptionally skilled at using magical energy technology to modify living organisms. The modifications have been preserved remarkably well. Even after the Magic Tide receded, they ensured that numerous superior traits remained. Once the concentration of magical energy particles is sufficient to unlock the Beacon Lighthouse database, the data samples of these plants and animals must be carefully preserved. They are incomparably precious materials, containing endless wisdom and the painstaking efforts of the previous civilization."

"We can talk about the future later, but our current problem still has not been resolved. I need fuel that can be used immediately."

"Victor, have you forgotten Lord Macut, whom you received a few days ago? His territory is called Black Pine Territory. In the vast Black Forest, there may well be Black Oil Pine or similar plants."

Victor understood what Number 1 meant.

"Number 1, as expected of you. I will immediately send people to Black Pine Territory to contact Markut and purchase timber that can be used as fuel as soon as possible."

Then Victor said to Jimmy, "Do not worry about the fuel. You can slow down the work for now. Examine which parts of the first batch's brickmaking process can still be optimized and how personnel can be assigned more efficiently. If you can further increase output, I will not be stingy with the rewards afterward."

"Understood, my lord. I will make the arrangements immediately." Jimmy let out a sigh of relief. Clearly, these problems had put him under great pressure as well.

Victor then found the managers of the logging and charcoal-burning teams and told them that maintaining normal work progress would be enough. They were not to rush production. They had to pay attention to safety and cherish their manpower. The territory's human resources were scarce now. Victor could tolerate insufficient output, but if rushing to increase production led to casualties, he would hold those responsible severely accountable.

After handling these matters, Victor returned to Wood Fort Town with the raft team transporting bricks and stone. The rafts were pulled forward by livestock towing them along the riverbank. In Two Rivers Territory, people, cattle, and horses were all operating under heavy loads. Victor needed more people, more cattle, and more horses. He had been hoping all along that the fleet would return quickly and bring him more laborers.