Chapter 111: The First Rice Thresher
On his way from the Hot Spring Mountain Range, Duane passed by the Iron Mine.
Due to the changes he’d made to the division of labor, the amount of recently excavated iron ore had increased significantly.
However, this also meant a reduction in the number of porters, so a great deal of iron ore had yet to be transported and was piling up in the warehouse.
As it happened, Yanger and the native blacksmiths of Black Forest Island were nearby, using this iron ore to forge components like gears and rail carts.
In the past three months, work on the wooden railway had progressed, but only a kilometer of track had been laid.
This progress was only achieved by recruiting extra labor after the busy farming season had ended.
At the previous pace, with only a dozen or so workers, they likely wouldn’t have even laid five hundred meters by now.
Now, the road was a flurry of activity. Guards patrolled densely to ensure the construction crew’s safety, while a large group of laborers bustled about.
Duane gave it a cursory glance. Some were hauling lumber, others were leveling the foundation, and still more were moving stone. Everyone was hard at work.
’Calculated at a rate of 300 meters per month, it would take at least two and a half years to finish this railway!’
Duane sucked in a sharp breath. This pace was painfully slow.
’It’s the off-season for farming right now. I need to have Julian and his team recruit more people.’
These laborers had to be provided with meals and paid a few copper coins for their work, but in Duane’s eyes, the cost wasn’t high.
However, Ralph, who was in charge of the finances, naturally wanted to spend as little as possible.
Coupled with the recent high demand for labor everywhere, Ralph was reluctant to hire too many.
Duane, however, disagreed.
Though investing more manpower now seemed more expensive, once the railway was complete, the savings in labor and time, as well as the value it would create, were undeniable.
"Good day, Baron!"
"Good day, Baron!"
As Duane rode toward Broken Wave City, his subjects offered him sincere greetings all along the way.
After the bountiful harvest in July, they had all personally felt the benefits of the tax reduction, and they held a deep respect for Duane in their hearts.
At the same time, influenced by the memory of the beheadings at Judgment Crossroad, they were also afraid of him.
Reverence and fear—that was their attitude toward their Lord.
The steed beneath him had a light gait.
By the time Duane left Lakefront Manor, his Basic Riding Skill had already reached the Mastery level.
After arriving on Black Forest Island, he continued to ride frequently, but his Skill Level increased very slowly.
Even now, his Basic Riding Skill had not yet reached Perfection. It was currently at (Mastery 369/400), and he estimated it would take another two or three months for a breakthrough.
’I wonder what ability I’ll get when my Basic Riding Skill reaches Perfection?’
Generally, the Extraordinary Abilities triggered when a Basic Skill reached Perfection were related to the skill itself.
’So, what Extraordinary Skill is related to the Riding Skill?’
Duane mulled it over. ’Could it be some kind of attack technique, like Man and Horse Unity?’
Lost in thought, he rode on. Upon leaving the forest and reaching the main road, he cracked his whip and urged his horse faster, galloping toward Hutou Village.
This village had been established by Bard specifically for felling oak trees, and that remained the villagers’ primary occupation.
Duane’s reason for visiting was that Carpenter Riesen had moved his home here to be closer to the oak forest.
With bamboo groves and other timber also readily available, he had decided to settle here.
Before he even reached Riesen’s courtyard, he heard the man laughing with Yanger.
This was followed by a rhythmic, mechanical WHIRRING and CLANKING.
Duane’s eyes lit up. He quickly dismounted and rushed into the courtyard.
The courtyard was covered in wood shavings and scrap lumber. In the very center sat a large contraption, unlike any ordinary piece of farm equipment. It crouched there like a slumbering, wooden beast.
At that moment, Carpenter Riesen was pumping a pedal with one foot. The up-and-down motion of the pedal drove a connecting rod, which in turn used transmission gears to send a drum spinning wildly, letting out that WHIRRING, CLANKING roar.
A smile spread across Duane’s face.
He knew that Black Forest Island’s first threshing machine had been successfully built!
"Hahaha, Baron, you’ve arrived at the perfect time!"
Yanger, who happened to be helping with calibrations that day, saw the Baron and immediately led him to the threshing machine, patting its wooden frame enthusiastically.
"We didn’t let you down! We finally built the threshing machine you designed!"
Riesen slowly brought the pedal to a halt. As the drum gradually stopped spinning, he looked at Duane with a face full of admiration.
In his heart, Duane was even more incredible than any of the so-called master craftsmen!
"You are a true genius. With this thing, I can’t even imagine how much time and effort it will save the farmers!"
Duane examined it from all angles. Its appearance was coarse and unrefined.
But it was a tool meant for muddy fields, after all. Looks were irrelevant.
"You’ve both worked hard!"
Duane had Riesen step aside so he could try it himself.
It took some effort to get it going for the first couple of pumps, but once the drum was spinning, it didn’t require as much force.
After a few more pumps, Duane carefully assessed the feel. He still felt it wasn’t as effortless as the threshing machines he remembered.
’The oak gears just aren’t as good as iron ones. The precision is lacking.’
Duane let the machine come to a stop and began to offer suggestions.
"The coefficient of friction is too high. Before you use it, be sure to coat the gears with turpentine or tung oil—something to act as a lubricant and extend their lifespan."
The two men nodded repeatedly as they listened.
They felt the Baron’s knowledge was profound. His suggestions were so insightful, it was as if he were a master craftsman who had been immersed in the trade for many years.
Duane also addressed the need to reinforce the connecting rod and other issues, concluding with:
"It’s early October. The farmers will be harvesting the late rice at the end of November. Produce as many of these as you can, and make sure to have plenty of replacement parts for the components that will wear out."
The two were still high on their success. Far from feeling burdened by these instructions, they agreed enthusiastically.
In truth, they had already optimized many aspects of the design.
The gears, for instance. Their initial attempts weren’t precise enough; after just two pumps of the pedal, the gears would jam and then crack.
Furthermore, the oak gears would swell when they got wet, reducing the clearance between the teeth and causing them to jam or even break the structure apart.
It took them a couple of weeks of trial and error to finally resolve the gear precision issue, but the problem of swelling from water absorption was not so easily solved.
After all, it was an inherent weakness of the material.
If only there were a hardwood on the island with comparable durability that didn’t absorb water.
Of course, iron would be best, but their technology was unfortunately limited.
They wondered if Duane might find a solution to this problem once his Basic Forging Skill Level increased.
Soon, their initial burst of excitement began to fade.
Carpenter Riesen took the opportunity to say what had been on his mind.
"My lord, so many things on Black Forest Island require oak now. I believe you should designate it as a precious resource. The people should not be allowed to cut it down freely without your permission."
"Furthermore, if we could avoid selling it..."
He didn’t finish the sentence, but his meaning was clear.
A resource like this was better kept for their own use; they shouldn’t sell it if they could help it.
And just as he said, many things now used oak: the Militia’s staves, the mine’s railway tracks, the rail carts, the threshing machine’s gears, siege engines, and more.
Even though Thorn Valley had plenty of oak trees, it was still better to be conservative with its use.
Duane gave Riesen a thumbs-up. "That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll consider it!"
The oak that Bard had stockpiled earlier was intended for sale to the Starfall Islands.
However, with so many recent projects requiring it—and felling new trees being too slow—Duane had requisitioned a good portion of it.
Adding in what was needed for future track-laying plans, very little of that stockpile remained.
If the Starfall Islands wanted to buy oak this time, there really wasn’t any to sell.
But that reminded him... it was already early October.
’The merchant ships from the Starfall Islands were supposed to arrive in September to trade. Why is there still no sign of them?’
’Don’t tell me the ocean voyage was too dangerous and they all sank?’