Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Reward of One Gold Pound
The structure of the Blacksmith Shop can use mortise and tenon joints to build a wooden house.
It’s relatively simple.
The forging area is much more difficult.
It requires enough space to place the furnace, anvil, and various tools for forging.
The furnace must be built with a mixture of stone and clay, otherwise, it simply won’t withstand the high temperatures from the intense burning of charcoal.
To forge, the temperature of the iron blocks must reach at least eight hundred to a thousand degrees.
As for the charcoal, Lynn doesn’t have to worry.
The earth kiln used before to burn charcoal is still usable, and there are piles of arm-thick branches for building the wooden house, enough to burn charcoal for forging.
Buzzing!
Lynn held the Iron Saw in his right hand, constantly pulling it back and forth, cutting the Pine Wood log underfoot.
Five burly men were also building according to Ehrelo’s requirements for the Blacksmith Shop.
With eleven laborers, it only took a day to finish constructing the two connected Blacksmith Shops.
Within a day, the charcoal needed was burnt and ready.
Basket after basket of charcoal was transported to the storage area.
Inside the furnace.
A piece of high-quality iron was visibly turning red under the rising heat from the charcoal.
Lynn and Ehrelo stood not far away, quietly waiting.
Despite this, Lynn could still feel the scorching heat coming from the furnace.
Burning, sweltering.
Sweat uncontrollably surfaced from all over his body, flowing and spreading.
This is the work a blacksmith must face every day...
The next second.
Ehrelo moved his hand, using tongs to extract the glowing orange iron block from the furnace and placed it on the anvil.
Lynn gripped the Iron Hammer tightly in his hand and began to strike.
[Forging Experience +1]
[Forging Experience +1]
[Forging Experience +1]
...
Bits of forging knowledge surfaced in Lynn’s mind.
Opposite Lynn, Ehrelo was also hammering the iron block.
Each hammer strike alternated perfectly with Lynn’s lifted Iron Hammer.
After striking more than a dozen times, Master Lynn didn’t utter a word.
What surprised Ehrelo was that Master Lynn, being the Lord, was actually forging iron together with him!
Who’s going to believe that if it’s said?
Lynn spoke, "The Wheel Plow consists of seven major components: the plowshare, plow blade, beam, handle, coulter, sole, and wheel."
"The plowshare, sharp and slightly curved, must be heated and tempered to increase its hardness and durability so it can penetrate the soil for plowing..."
"The plow blade, a curved metal sheet behind the plowshare, pushes the turned soil to the side, forming a furrow..."
"The beam connects the plowshare, plow blade, and harnesses livestock, serving as a crucial support component in the Heavy Plow’s structure..."
"The handle is used for grasping and controlling the Wheel Plow while the ox advances, allowing adjustments to direction and soil depth..."
"..."
Lynn explained the construction and forging of the Wheel Plow completely, while Ehrelo’s brows remained furrowed.
Lynn approached a wooden wall and picked up a piece of charcoal to draw.
From the plowshare, plow blade, beam to the handle, coulter... and finally the wheel.
The general outline of the Wheel Plow appeared on the wall.
Suddenly.
Ehrelo’s eyes shone brightly.
His words were filled with disbelief, "Master Lynn, is this the Wheel Plow?"
As a blacksmith, Ehrelo had naturally crafted countless Light Plows.
Even with his eyes closed, he could clearly state what parts a Light Plow needs and how to forge them.
However, the Heavy Plow in front of him differed from the Light Plow by only one character, yet he had never imagined it.
Even seeing just the shape outline of the Heavy Plow, Ehrelo could understand clearly.
If this Wheel Plow exists, imagine what it would mean for opening up wasteland!
Stable and sharp, cleverly designed.
If the wasteland is a battlefield, then this Wheel Plow is a killing machine.
However, what Ehrelo couldn’t comprehend was...
How did Master Lynn, the Lord, come to know about such a Heavy Plow?
Lynn nodded, "Yes, the Wheel Plow. I need to see ten of these Wheel Plows a month from now!"
A single Wheel Plow requires seventy to eighty pounds of iron, not to mention the plow frame and wheels...
The weight of the entire Wheel Plow is nearly two hundred pounds!
The artifact for land clearing!
Ehrelo snapped back to reality, hurriedly speaking.
"Ten plows? Master Lynn, even if you executed me, I couldn’t achieve that?"
Forging ten such Wheel Plows, not to mention a month, even after summer plowing ends, it’s not feasible for one person!
Lynn said, "I will assign ten apprentices to assist you!"
Ehrelo shrugged helplessly, "Master Lynn, even ten apprentices aren’t enough. Apprentices mean they know nothing, everything has to be taught from scratch..."
Lynn calmly responded, "A reward of One Gold Pound for each Heavy Plow crafted!"
Ehrelo continued shaking his head, "Even for One Gold Pound..."
But he abruptly paused, startled.
Ehrelo stared at Lynn, asking in amazement, "Master Lynn, are you saying One Gold Pound?"
Lynn gazed directly at Ehrelo, "One Gold Pound!"
Ehrelo’s breathing immediately became rapid, his face flushing with excitement.
"Master Lynn, rest assured, even if I were to perish at the anvil, I would lead the apprentices to forge ten Wheel Plows!"
Forging one Wheel Plow yields One Gold Pound!
Ten plows mean Ten Gold Pounds!
Contrasting with his previous three pence per day... that’s wages over more than a decade of labor!
Lynn nodded in satisfaction, looking at the ten burly men standing outside the Blacksmith Shop.
He said, "Your next task is to be Ehrelo’s Blacksmith Apprentices. If you become qualified blacksmiths, each will be rewarded One Gold Pound."
Now not only Ehrelo was excited.
The ten burly men soon to become apprentices were also filled with excitement, their faces flushed red.
One Gold Pound!
Its temptation to them is immense.
More concretely, that’s twelve hundred pounds of barley!
Watching their flushed expressions, Lynn nodded in satisfaction.
As long as they complete the task or become qualified blacksmiths, it would only cost him Twenty Gold Pounds.
Twenty Gold Pounds are equivalent to four thousand eight hundred pounds of rock salt.
Currently, Lynn lacks everything except for rock salt!
With the Heavy Plow forging tasks arranged, Lynn summoned Kuisi.
It’s now tillering season, requiring the wheat in the fields to be fertilized.
However, there are only a few acres of wheat, which one or two people can finish fertilizing in a day.
Regardless.
Lynn showed no slack.
These few acres of wheat are akin to Lynn’s experimental field.
If productivity increases and a bumper harvest is possible, it will indicate that Lynn’s improvements in planting methods are effective.
Once the Wheel Plows are forged, more farmland can be opened for large-scale cultivation!
Lynn arrived at the Open-pit Salt Mine.
Watching the villagers continuously excavating rock salt on the Open-pit Salt Mine, Lynn pondered deeply.
Shortly after.
Lynn made up his mind.
Even if it means temporarily reducing the rock salt output from the Open-pit Salt Mine.
He must build the Salt Factory!