Manpower Shortage

Meanwhile, at the foot of Kahnford Fortress, another massive project was also underway under Morr's overall planning.

It was during the construction of that outer defensive line that Karl ordered all five hundred newly arrived militiamen, who had been supported by the Count, to be deployed to the construction of the city walls.

Although these people were called "militia" in Fran City, Karl defined them from the beginning as professional soldiers who were fully off-the-job and underwent rigorous training.

In his military philosophy, an excellent army should not only be able to fight, but also have strong civil engineering capabilities.

The classic tactic of the Roman legions was that they could quickly build strong camps during lulls in their confrontations with the enemy, and even construct fortifications for just one night.

This ability is especially important in the Northern Territory, a land surrounded by powerful enemies and traversed by cavalry.

Although he now had fifty experienced cavalrymen brought by Lyon, this force was still insignificant compared to the large cavalry force of the Sauron.

Karl knew that for a long time to come, the core of Carnford's defenses had to be built on solid fortifications and long-range firepower to offset the Sauron's cavalry advantage.

Now is the perfect time to train this new force in civil engineering operations.

These militiamen, who came from the surrounding areas of Fran City, were originally farmers and miners. They were very familiar with, and even quite adept at, digging, tamping, and moving stones.

They quickly immersed themselves in the bustling work scene under the command of their superiors.

Carnford's chief engineer, Morr, and his assistants were particularly adept at this.

They quickly surveyed the terrain, planned the best route for the city walls, and connected as many fortresses and arrow towers as possible that were being rebuilt or were about to be rebuilt on the ruins of Old Carnford, making use of all available natural obstacles.

Soon, a long white line drawn with lime, like a winding giant python, began to stretch across the land below the mountain, outlining the foundation of the future city wall.

The project commenced immediately, starting with the excavation of the foundation at the marked location, with a depth of half a meter to one meter and a width far exceeding the thickness of the future walls.

Laborers and soldiers wielded shovels and picks, digging out the soil and rubble, and the trenches quickly took shape.

Next, the craftsmen directed the filling of heavy stones into the bottom and sides of the foundation trenches, carefully stacking them to form a solid stone foundation.

The gaps between the large stones were then carefully filled and compacted with smaller stones to ensure maximum stability of the foundation.

With the foundation completed, more meticulous work began.

The craftsmen erected thick wooden planks on both sides of the foundation to form the mold for the future walls.

The outer side of the plywood is reinforced by driving thick wooden piles deep into the ground or by piling up heavy stones to withstand the enormous lateral pressure during subsequent ramming.

Then came the most time-consuming and crucial step – rammed earth wall construction.

The laborers carried slightly damp soil in baskets, the moisture level of which had to be just right—too dry and it wouldn't stick together, too wet and it would be difficult to compact. They poured the soil into the narrow space formed by the planks.

Once the soil has been filled to a certain height, a group of strong laborers will step forward to compact it. They will use huge wooden or stone rammers, which will be lifted by multiple people working together, and then they will shout in unison as they slam the soil down!

Hey!! Yo!

"Thump!"

The heavy tamping tool struck the soft soil with a dull but powerful sound.

The soil is gradually compacted, its volume shrinks, and its density increases.

This process needs to be repeated, with layers of soil being filled and tamped down, which is extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming, but it is the core reason why Rammed Earth Wall are sturdy and durable.

The rise of each section of the city wall was accompanied by countless shouts and heavy pounding sounds.

The progress of the project is visible to the naked eye; the outline of a low but solid, earthen-yellow wall is beginning to slowly and steadily extend across the land.

This work was very time-consuming and labor-intensive, so Karl recruited another 500 people from his 500 militiamen to help build the city walls.

Looking at the nearly one thousand people working busily on the construction site, Karl felt both excited and pressured.

He hoped to complete at least the main city walls before the next large-scale Sauron attack.

He summoned Edgar, intending to order further conscription of his people and even consider suspending some non-essential production activities in order to fully guarantee the construction of the city.

However, Edgar, who always obeyed Karl's orders without question, unusually stopped him this time.

"My lord, I fully understand your anxiety," Edgar's voice was calm and firm, "But please think it over carefully. It is now late summer and early autumn, and the rye and peas in the fields are almost ripe. In ten days to two weeks at most, we must begin to harvest them!"

He pointed to the farmland in the distance, its golden-green waves shimmering in the sunlight, and emphasized, "The autumn harvest is the foundation of the territory's survival! It is the absolute priority of everything!"

"Building the fortress is important, but if the best time for harvesting is missed, or if a shortage of manpower leads to untimely harvesting and the grain rotting in the fields..."

"Even if we build the strongest city walls, everyone will starve to death when winter comes! What use will the city walls be then?"

Edgar looked directly at Karl, his words filled with an undeniable sense of practical consideration. "We must ensure we have enough manpower for the harvest! According to my estimate, we need at least six hundred able-bodied men to ensure that, during the window of good weather, we can bring as much grain as possible into the granary! That's the bare minimum, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Karl instantly calmed down.

He gazed at the vast fields in the distance, where the newly sown crops were crucial to the food supply for thousands of people in Carnford for the coming year. Then he looked back at the bustling construction site not far away, where the city walls were being reinforced and new Tunbao were being built. The two scenes intertwined in his eyes, giving him a heavy sense of pressure.

He took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of earth and wood, forcing himself to calm his restless mind.

Edgar was right; survival is always the first priority.

Without food, even the most elite army will collapse, and the grandest blueprint will be nothing but a castle in the air.

All ambitions must be built on a solid foundation of survival.

"I understand, Edgar." Karl's voice regained its usual composure. He turned to the steward and asked the most pressing question, "We now... to be precise, within the Carnford Territory, excluding the five hundred additional militiamen, how many people do we actually have who need to be entirely supported by the territory?"

Edgar was clearly aware of this. After a moment's thought, he reported clearly, "My lord, according to the latest census and register statistics, the current permanent population in the territory who require full rations totals approximately 1,700. This number includes our standing army, various artisans, officials and their families, as well as all full-time laborers who cannot support themselves."

He paused, then explained in detail, "Of these 1,700 people, about 500 are refugees and newcomers who have arrived from various places in the past six months."

"Their origins are diverse. Some are remnants of the Northern Territory who fled during the early Sauron invasion and returned after hearing that we have established a foothold here; others are serfs and Freemen who fled from other noble Lord' territories due to excessive taxes or inability to survive; and a small number are poor artisans or bankrupt citizens who came from relatively prosperous areas such as Fran City in search of opportunities."

Karl was somewhat disappointed after hearing this, and said, "Only 1,700 people? I thought that after the last great victory, our reputation would spread, and more people would come to join us. The plan that Mr. Morr and I designed was entirely based on this."

Edgar understood Karl's thoughts, but he had to state the reality. "My lord, I understand your expectations. We have indeed achieved a great victory, but the situation in the Northern Territory... as you know, is truly 'nine out of ten houses empty'."

"The surviving population across this vast land was already small, and most were scattered in remote corners, isolated from news. Many didn't even know that Carnford had been rebuilt, let alone that we had won."

"The spread of news takes time, and it takes immense courage and determination for people to leave their homes and venture into an unknown place. The fact that over five hundred people have come so far is already a very good sign."

He sighed helplessly and nodded vigorously, "You're right, Edgar. I was too impatient. Let's do it your way. Let's stop conscripting for now and make sure we have at least six hundred men for the autumn harvest! The progress of the city construction... will have to be slowed down for now."

"Yes, sir! I'll arrange it right away!" Edgar breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to accept the order, and immediately turned to coordinate manpower.

Karl stood still, his gaze shifting back and forth between the soon-to-be-harvested farmland and the nascent city walls.

Carnford currently has 1,700 inhabitants, plus 2,200 militiamen, but that's still too few. It needs at least 3,000, or even more. Where can we find so many people?