Carpenter William

Butler Chahar chose the northeast corner of the Outer Castle as the location for the squat toilets.

This spot was far from the Mountain Forest Castle gate, separated from the Inner Castle by the city wall, and a considerable distance from the Main Building where Luo Ning resided. There was absolutely no need to worry about any unpleasant odors drifting over.

After spending these past few days together, Chahar knew his lord's cleanliness habits well. For example, he bathed every day, changed his clothes daily, and so on. He was even more meticulous about cleanliness than some noble ladies.

But Chahar didn't find this strange.

Every noble had some unique quirks. Luo Ning's relatively quiet habits were already very easy to accommodate.

Digging a pit, placing a Ceramic Vat, and then adding wooden boards – a simple squat toilet was completed.

However, there wasn't enough time to build a shed today, so it was just an open-air squat toilet.

Luo Ning took a quick look and nodded in approval.

This kind of primitive squat toilet didn't require much technical skill. With the detailed blueprints he had drawn, even an ordinary person could build it accurately.

"Basically, this is how it is, but the vat is a bit small."

He gave Chahar suggestions for improvement: "There are over twenty servants in the castle. You need to find Callus and have him make some larger vats. Or you can see if there's a bricklayer who can dig a large, non-permeable pit in the ground to replace the Ceramic Vats. As long as the sewage doesn't leak away, it will meet the requirements."

There was no cement here, and Luo Ning didn't know if there were materials that could substitute for cement to provide a seal, so he had chosen vats from the beginning.

"Yes, my lord!"

Chahar noted this suggestion down. "I already went to the blacksmith's shop this afternoon and asked. Callus guaranteed he could make larger Ceramic Vats, it just requires giving him some time."

Making Ceramic Vats wasn't very difficult; even ordinary people could make some small ceramic pots themselves.

Luo Ning nodded. "Which method you use, or even using both together, is fine. Anyway, it's impossible for the castle to have only one or two toilets."

"Also, tell Callus that the castle will not seize the fruits of his labor. I hope he can manufacture the Ceramic Vats with confidence and ensure their quality!"

This was a small matter. After giving instructions, Luo Ning left the site, leaving Chahar there deep in thought about which method would satisfy the lord more.

But no matter what, he still couldn't imagine the scene of using sewage to fertilize. Could the vegetables grown that way still be eaten?

Moreover, the lord was both obsessed with cleanliness and building toilets. It was truly two extremes.

Despite his doubts, Chahar still carried out Luo Ning's instructions meticulously. There was no conflict in that.

"Let's go, let's go ask the bricklayers in town," he said to the two Manservants beside him.

Meanwhile, the Manservant Gallon, accompanied by Guards, arrived at the home of Carpenter Uncle William.

The uncle was currently instructing his son on how to build a cabinet.

When he saw Gallon and the Guards approaching, his face immediately changed drastically.

The news of Prinster's betrayal of the lord had long spread. Even those who were bedridden in town knew a little about it, and William was no exception.

Because of this, he hadn't been able to eat or sleep well these past few days, constantly restless.

He was afraid that he would be held accountable by the lord because he had been hired by Prinster to build the castle's wooden houses, and that he would be accused of being in league with the traitor.

He had once thought about taking his wife and son to leave Mountain Forest Town, but in the end, he gave up.

Although the William family were Freemen, leaving the place where they had lived their entire lives on short notice to survive in another unfamiliar city was a difficult thing.

Fortunately, after waiting for two days, he found that the lord had no intention of pursuing his guilt, and even sent the mysterious Light Attribute Mage, Lord Elrond, to help the injured everywhere.

He realized that the one in Mountain Forest Castle might be a truly benevolent lord.

But he didn't expect that what was supposed to come would still come. The castle's Guards still came to his house.

When he saw this group of people, William's heart instantly dropped into a basin of cold water, chilling him to the bone.

"My lord, this is...?" he asked nervously.

Gallon felt a moment of daze. He never expected that one day someone would call him "my lord." This feeling was truly... very peculiar.

Indeed, entering the castle to serve the lord was the correct choice.

Although the other party respected him, Gallon did not forget Luo Ning's instructions. He maintained a very polite attitude, even performing the etiquette he had learned from Chahar.

"Uncle William, my name is Gallon, a servant of Baron Luo Ning of Mountain Forest Castle. I've come today to invite you to the castle. It seems the lord has something he needs to entrust to you."

Hearing these words, William's tense heart calmed down a little. He still asked with some unease, "May I ask why the lord is summoning me?"

To this, Gallon shook his head.

He didn't know Luo Ning's purpose, but thinking about how the lord had been experimenting with that piece of wood all afternoon and was now looking for a Carpenter, it was probably still related to that Black Ironwood.

But once bitten, twice shy. He wouldn't make wild guesses about information he wasn't sure of.

"I'm not quite sure about that. You'll know when you come to the castle with me."

Gallon said, "The lord is waiting for you there, don't keep him waiting too long."

"Alright, alright, my lord, please wait a moment. I'll go to the castle with you now." William quickly turned back to grab his tools for backup.

Soon, Gallon brought the Carpenter to the outside of the Inner Castle's Main Building.

After confirming that the lord wasn't planning to punish him, William's mood improved. At this moment, looking at the Main Building in front of him that he had overseen the construction of, a sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.

For a Carpenter, there was nothing happier than looking at his own masterpiece.

After waiting for a moment, a figure emerged from the Main Building.

William immediately straightened up, maintaining a respectful demeanor.

Compared to the last time he had seen the Baron's face from a distance in the pasture, this time he saw him much more clearly.

The Baron was truly worthy of being the son of a great noble; his appearance was so noble and handsome, and his bearing so composed and elegant, that one felt a sense of awe and admiration upon seeing him.

"Your liege, William, it is a pleasure to meet you, esteemed Baron!" William bowed and greeted him earnestly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Uncle William!" Luo Ning's demeanor was quite amiable.

This form of address made the old Carpenter across from him feel somewhat overwhelmed for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"I called you over today mainly because I have something I'd like you to take a look at," Luo Ning said, leading William over to the section of Black Ironwood nearby.

"Is this wood from the Black Forest?" Carpenter William recognized the source of the wood section at a glance.

Luo Ning raised an eyebrow. "You know about it?"

This question touched upon William's area of expertise, and he couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Baron, it's not me, William, bragging, but I've been to every forest in Mountain Forest Town. There's no wood I don't know about!"

Luo Ning smiled, appearing to listen.

Regardless of whether the other party was exaggerating, the fact that he could recognize this as a section from the Black Forest at a glance made Luo Ning look at William in a new light.

"The trees in the Black Forest are very hard. Prinster even wanted to use them to build this house back then, but unfortunately, they were too troublesome to cut down, and it ultimately fell through."

"Since they couldn't be used as building material, and the woodcutters didn't want to bother cutting them down to take home for firewood, over time, we stopped paying much attention to the Black Forest."

This surprised Luo Ning somewhat. He hadn't expected that Prinster had discovered the Black Forest long ago, and even more surprisingly, that despite discovering it, the fellow hadn't figured out the value of Black Ironwood.

He had truly stumbled upon a bargain.

"Uncle William, the servants in the castle all say your skills are good, and I'd like to see for myself."

Luo Ning pointed to the section of wood on the ground. "The hardness of Black Ironwood is sufficient to use it to make breastplates, shields, and attack spears. I'd like to ask you to make a set for me."

Carpenter William was stunned when he heard this.

All along, he had thought that wood was used for building houses and making furniture. He had never imagined that it could also be developed into armor and Weapons.

Hearing Luo Ning's words, his mind was suddenly opened, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Baron, you truly are a genius!"

He looked at the section of wood on the ground, and the appearance of armor and spears was already forming in his mind. He also believed that with the hardness of the Black Iron Tree, the items made from it would definitely be useful.

William put away his eager desire to try and began to seriously consider how to make them.

"Baron, making the items you mentioned shouldn't be a problem. However, you know how hard Black Ironwood is. It would be quite difficult for me and my son to cut them down and transport them home in large quantities!"

Black Ironwood was not only hard but also very heavy.

Just this section of wood, a little over a meter long, would be difficult for an ordinary adult man to lift.

Not to mention relying on just William and his son to carry it all the way back from the west.

"Don't worry about that. I will arrange people for you. You and your son should focus your energy on manufacturing and not waste it on transporting and cutting."

"Additionally, for helping me make these things, you will need to keep it a secret for me, and I will also pay you extra compensation."

When William heard that the Baron not only wouldn't force him into unpaid labor but was even willing to pay him compensation, he was instantly overwhelmed with emotion and happiness.

"Praise the Baron, you are truly a benevolent and enlightened liege!"

He said, humbly bending ninety degrees at the waist, "William is happy to serve you!"

"Very well, I will draw up a reasonable salary and manufacturing plan for you."

Luo Ning nodded and smiled, "Before that, you can take these sections of wood back and study them thoroughly. It would be best if I could see the finished products as soon as possible!"

Thanks to Lord Youye Hongyu for the reward, and thanks to all the lords for voting~