Ore Extraction

Hans and Vali quickly came up with professional recommendations.

Hans pointed at the cliff and said, "Working suspended in midair would be far too dangerous. First, we need to build an extremely sturdy wooden platform at the edge of the cliff as a base. Then Vali needs to make a robust pulley system so we can use ropes to lower people and materials."

Vali continued, "Once they're lowered down, the workers will need to drive sturdy wooden stakes into the cliff face where the Flint Mine is located, then build a suspended work platform on the stakes. That way, the miners can stand securely while working. This method can be reused and extended downward as mining continues."

When it came to the specific mining method, Hans seemed very experienced. "Flint is hard. Chiseling it directly would be inefficient and dangerous. It would be best to use fire. Keep scorching the surface of the rock layer to be mined with torches. Once it's burning hot, immediately splash it with cold stream water. The rock will expand with heat and contract with cold, causing many cracks to form on its own, or even making it shatter outright. At that point, it'll be easy to mine with chisels and hammers."

He estimated the time required. "If everything goes smoothly, we can extract the first batch of ore in as little as five days. But to establish a stable, continuous production capacity, we'll probably need two or three weeks to refine all the facilities and procedures."

After listening, Karl solemnly emphasized to them and to everyone around them, "Speed isn't our first priority. Safety is! Mining a cliff face is an extremely dangerous occupation. We must place every worker's safety above all else! If any safety measure is inadequate, we would rather halt work than allow anyone to take risks! Hans, Vali, I'm putting you two fully in charge of this matter. If you need any resources, go directly to Mr. Morr and have him arrange them!"

"Yes, my lord! We'll be extremely careful!" Hans and Vali solemnly accepted the order, feeling how deeply Karl valued human life.

Once the plan was decided, it was put into action immediately.

Vali returned to the workshop and began designing and making the required pulley systems and sturdy ropes, while Hans began organizing the manpower.

Karl directly assigned three Slave Brigades, nearly a hundred people in all, led by captains such as Otto, Morgan, and Luke, to fell trees and transport materials.

He specifically stressed that not a single tree on the mountain was to be touched. They were strategic reserves in case the territory was besieged in the future.

All the timber had to be cut in the forests farther down the mountain and then transported uphill.

Although this increased the workload, the slaves had no complaints. On the contrary, they were full of energy.

They had been worried about having no new opportunities to earn merit. Felling timber and transporting construction materials were tangible contributions.

Half of Carnford was mobilized around the mining operation.

Under Hans's direction, the slaves hauled thick logs to the cliff edge and fitted them tightly together. They reinforced them with huge wooden wedges and extremely precious iron nails, then began building the base platform.

With more hands came greater strength, and everyone was working with tremendous enthusiasm.

By evening, a sturdy wooden platform of considerable size had been completed, projecting beyond the cliff edge.

Hans personally stomped and jumped on it to test it. He even had seven or eight people stand on it at the same time, yet the platform did not move at all. It was exceptionally sturdy.

"All right! That's enough for today!" Hans ordered them to stop work as he watched the setting sun. "It's getting late, and the light is insufficient. Continuing would be too dangerous. We'll wait until Vali finishes the pulley system tomorrow, then begin the next step!"

Although everyone was reluctant to stop, they knew that safety came first, so they gathered their tools and headed down the mountain.

Vali also came over to report. "My lord, I've finished drawing the pulley's structural plans. I'll work through the night with a team tonight. We should be able to make the first reliable pulley system by tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Karl did not head to the northern cliff to oversee the mining operation right away, because Old Morrell was already waiting outside his "office," holding a thick roll of papers.

"My lord, this is the agricultural reclamation plan I worked through the night to complete. Please take a look." Morrell's eyes were bloodshot, but he was exceptionally excited.

Karl took the plan and quickly looked through it.

Once again, he had to marvel at Old Morrell's expertise and efficiency.

The plan was extremely detailed. Not only had he surveyed and marked out several relatively fertile plots on the gentle slopes at the foot of the mountain—land that was easy to irrigate and received ample sunlight—he had also recommended varieties of rye, cold-resistant beans, and a small selection of vegetables to prioritize based on the soil conditions.

It listed detailed estimates of the manpower needed for plowing, sowing, weeding, and later maintenance, as well as draft-animal requirements, the quantity of seeds, and a comparison between the various farming tools required and the current inventory.

It even included sketches of a preliminary water diversion and irrigation plan.

Morr on the side added in an extremely solemn tone, "My lord, it's already time for spring plowing! The frost-free period in the Northern Territory is short to begin with, and the sowing window will pass in the blink of an eye! The work we do now will directly determine whether we can harvest enough grain after autumn. It concerns whether the territory can be self-sufficient for the entire coming year. You could even say it concerns our very survival! We must immediately invest the greatest manpower and resources possible into spring plowing. We can't delay for even a moment longer!"

Upon hearing this, Karl's expression immediately turned serious. Morr's words made him realize how urgent the matter was.

Food was the foundation of survival, far more important than mining ore for income in the short term.

He made his decision almost without hesitation. "Mr. Morr, you're right! Spring plowing is our top priority! I'll assign manpower to you immediately. The remaining four Slave Brigades, all thirty refugees settled here, and all the female slaves will be under your direction. You may take the five strongest horses from the stables to pull the plows. Take whatever farming tools and seeds you need from the warehouse. If that still isn't enough manpower, I can temporarily assign Roland's Auxiliary Troop to you as well."

Such complete trust and wholehearted support moved Old Morr beyond words. He bowed deeply. "Thank you for your trust, my lord! This manpower and these supplies are more than sufficient! I promise that I'll do everything in my power and won't fail you! I'll organize the workers and begin spring plowing immediately!"

With that, Old Morr left in a flurry, clutching the plan. Before long, shouts calling for workers and the sounds of bustling activity rang out from the foot of the mountain.

Only after dealing with this top priority did Karl set off for the northern cliff.

By then, the scene at the cliff edge had changed completely.

The two sturdy wooden pulley systems that Vali and his carpenter apprentices had worked through the night to make had been successfully installed at the front of the base platform.

Thick ropes ran through the pulleys. One end was secured to a huge log nearby, while the other hung down into the abyss.

Hans was directing the most crucial first step—suspended work.

Two carefully selected slaves, both courageous and meticulous, had safety ropes tightly fastened around their waists. Everyone was carefully lowering them down the cliff through the pulley systems.

Everyone watching held their breath, tensely observing as the two ropes slowly lengthened.

The wind below the cliff seemed even stronger, making the two men sway slightly and drawing a wave of startled cries from above.

But the entire process proceeded without incident. In the end, the two men were left hanging steadily above the patch of Flint Mine covered in vines that Hans had indicated.

"Good! Hold steady!" Hans leaned over the edge of the platform and shouted down. "Find the cracks in the rock! Drive in the hardwood wedges we brought with heavy hammers! Make sure they're secure!"

The slaves below struggled to steady themselves. They pulled short-handled sledgehammers and sharpened hardwood wedges from their tool bags, aimed for the rock fissures, and began hammering with all their strength.

"Thud! Thud!" The muffled sound of hammering rose from below the cliff.

After every few wedges were driven in, the people above would slightly loosen or shift the ropes according to instructions, allowing the workers to cover a larger area. It was a slow and delicate process.

After a long while, shouts rose from below, announcing that all the wedges in the designated area had been driven in.

The people above began working together to pull one of the slaves up. He needed to rest, while the other slave remained suspended there on standby.

Next came lowering the thick planks that had been prepared in advance.

The workers tied together planks of suitable length with ropes and carefully lowered them down.

The slave who remained below was responsible for receiving them. He placed the planks one by one across the sturdy wooden wedges, then secured them further with the iron nails and Hemp Rope they had brought.

The people above continuously fine-tuned the positions of the planks according to his instructions.

From morning until afternoon, as the sunlight moved across the cliff, the work proceeded in an orderly but tense manner.

Karl stood silently behind the platform for most of the time, watching without interrupting Hans's command. Yet his presence alone represented a kind of invisible attention and supervision.

Sweat soaked through the workers' clothes, and their arms grew sore and numb from the continuous exertion, but no one complained. Everyone knew what this project meant for the territory.

By evening, when the setting sun had dyed the cliff face a magnificent orange-red, a suspended work platform measuring roughly ten square meters and firmly attached to the cliff face was finally completed!

Hans once again personally inspected every wooden wedge, every plank, and every fastening point. He even had people jump lightly on it to test it.

"Excellent! It's extremely sturdy!" Hans finally smiled with satisfaction as he reported to Karl, "My lord, the platform is complete! Tomorrow, we can have the workers stand on it and try using the fire method to extract our first Flint samples!"

Karl looked at the small platform born on that perilous cliff, an engineering miracle in its own right. Then he looked at the craftsmen and slaves around him, exhausted yet filled with a sense of accomplishment. His heart was full of emotion and hope.