Chapter 50: Carpenter William of Shanlin

Steward Chahaer chose the construction site for the squat toilet in the northeast corner of the Outer Castle.

This place is quite far from the main gate of Shanlin Castle, separated from the Inner Castle by a city wall, and Along distance from the main building where Luoning lives, so there is no need to worry about odors drifting over.

After spending these days together, Chahaer knows the master's fastidiousness well; for instance, he must take a bath every day, wash and change his clothes daily, and so on—he is simply cleaner than the young ladies of some noble families.

But Chahaer does not think this is strange.

Every noble has some unique quirks, and a quiet quirk like Luoning's is already very easy to cater to.

Digging a pit, placing a pottery vat, and then laying down wooden boards—a simple squat toilet was completed.

However, there was no time to build a shed today, so it could only be an open-air squat toilet.

Luoning took a brief look and nodded in approval.

This kind of primitive squat toilet has no technical difficulty; with the detailed drawings he drafted, an average person can build it accurately.

"Basically, it's like this, only the vat is a bit small."

He gave Chahaer suggestions for improvement: "There are more than twenty servants in the castle; you must find that Kalesi to make a few larger vats. Or, see if there is a mason who can dig a large, non-leaking pit in the ground to replace the pottery vat, as long as the excrement water does not leak out, it will meet the requirements."

There is no cement here, and Luoning does not know if there are any materials that can replace cement to act as a sealant, so he chose a vat from the beginning.

"Very well, Master!"

Chahaer noted down this suggestion, "I already went to the Blacksmith Shop to ask this afternoon, and Kalesi guaranteed he could make larger pottery vats, it just needs time."

The difficulty of making pottery vats is not high; even ordinary people have their own ways of making small pottery jars.

Luoning nodded, "Use whichever method is specific, or use both together; in any case, it is impossible to have only one or two toilets in the castle."

"Additionally, tell Kalesi that the castle will not forcibly seize the fruits of his labor; I hope he can manufacture the pottery vats with peace of mind, and he must ensure the quality!"

This was a small matter; after giving instructions, Luoning left the scene, leaving Chahaer there to rack his brains over which method would better satisfy the Lord.

But when it comes down to it, he still cannot imagine the scene of using excrement water for fertilization; can the vegetables grown that way still be eaten?

Moreover, the master is both fastidious and obsessed with building toilets—truly two extremes.

But doubts aside, Chahaer still meticulously completed the tasks Luoning ordered; this did not conflict.

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

On the other hand, the manservant Jialun brought guards to the home of Uncle William the carpenter.

This uncle was currently instructing his son on how to craft a cabinet.

Upon seeing Jialun and the guards approaching, his expression changed immediately.

The news of Pulinsite betraying the lord had long since spread; even those paralyzed in bed in town knew a thing or two, and William was the same.

For this reason, he had been unable to eat or sleep well for the past few days, sitting and standing in anxiety.

He feared that he would be held accountable by the Lord for having accepted employment from Pulinsite to build the castle's wooden houses, and that he would be accused of being in league with the traitor.

He once thought about taking his wife and son to leave Shanlin Town, but eventually gave up.

Although the William family are Free Citizens, leaving the place where they had lived their whole lives in a rush to survive in another strange city is a very difficult thing.

Fortunately, after waiting for two days, he discovered that the Lord had no intention of pursuing his crimes, and even sent that mysterious Magician with the Light Attribute, Lord Aierlong, to help the wounded everywhere.

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

But he did not expect that what was meant to come would come; the castle guards had still come to his house.

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

"My lord, what is this for?" he asked with trepidation.

Jialun was in a trance for a moment, not expecting that one day someone would address him as 'my lord'; this feeling was truly... very peculiar.

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

Although the other party respected him, Jialun did not forget Luoning's instructions; he maintained a very polite attitude and even performed the etiquette he had learned from Chahaer.

"Uncle William, my name is Jialun, and I am a servant of Baron Luoning of Shanlin Castle. I have come today to invite you to the castle; the master seems to have something he needs to entrust to you."

Hearing this, William's tense heart calmed down a little, and he still asked somewhat awkwardly: "I wonder what the Lord wants me to do?"

Regarding this, Jialun shook his head.

He did not know Luoning's purpose, but thinking that the master had spent the whole afternoon experimenting with that piece of wood, and now was looking for a carpenter, it probably still had something to do with that piece of Black Iron Wood.

But once bitten, twice shy; he would not recklessly speculate on information he was unsure about.

"I'm not too sure about that; you'll know once you come to the castle with me."

Jialun said: "The master is waiting for you over there, so don't keep him waiting too long."

"Yes, yes, yes, my lord, please wait a moment; I will go to the castle with you now." William hurriedly turned back to pick up his tools for backup.

Soon, Jialun brought the carpenter to the outside of the Inner Castle's main building.

After confirming that the Lord did not want to punish him, William's mood improved. At this moment, looking at the main building he had presided over the construction of, a sense of achievement welled up in his heart.

For a carpenter, there is nothing happier than looking at one's own masterpiece.

After waiting for a moment, a figure walked out from inside the main building.

William immediately stood straight, maintaining a respectful attitude.

Compared to the last time he gazed at the lord's face from a distance on the pasture, this time he saw it more clearly.

The lord is worthy of being a descendant of a great noble; his appearance is so noble and handsome, and his demeanor is so calm and elegant that one feels a sense of admiration and reverence upon seeing him.

"Your subject, William, is very happy to see you, respected Lord!" William bowed and greeted him earnestly.

"Very happy to see you, Uncle William!" Luoning appeared quite easygoing.

Such an address made the old carpenter feel flattered for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

"I called you here today mainly because there is something I want you to take a look at," Luoning said, leading William to the side of the Black Iron Wood log.

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

Luoning raised an eyebrow, "You are familiar with it?"

This question touched upon William's area of pride, and he couldn't help but laugh, "Master, it's not that I, William, am bragging, but I have been to all the forests in the entire Shanlin Town; there is no wood that I am not familiar with!"

Luoning smiled and assumed a listening posture.

Regardless of whether the other party was bragging or not, being able to recognize at a glance that this was a log from the Black Forest made him think more highly of William.

"The trees in the Black Forest are extremely hard. Back then, Pulinsite even thought about using them to build this house, but it was a pity that felling them was too troublesome, and in the end, it was left unsettled."

"Since they cannot be used as materials to build houses, and woodcutters do not want to expend the effort to chop them down and bring them home for firewood, over time, we have all stopped paying much attention to the Black Forest."

This actually surprised Luoning a little; he did not expect that Pulinsite had discovered the Black Forest long ago, and even less did he expect that since that guy had discovered it, he had not figured out the value of the Black Iron Wood.

This really allowed him to pick up a bargain.

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

Luoning pointed to the log on the ground, "The hardness of Black Iron Wood is sufficient to use it to make Chest Guards, Shields, and offensive spears. I would like to ask you to craft a set for me."

Carpenter William was stunned upon hearing this.

All along, he had felt that wood was used for building houses and crafting furniture; he had never thought that it could also be developed in the direction of defensive gear and weapons.

Hearing this remark from Luoning, his train of thought suddenly opened up, and he could not help but exclaim, "My Lord, you truly are a genius!"

He looked at the log on the ground, and the shapes of defensive gear and spears were already in his mind. He also believed that relying on the hardness of the Black Iron Tree, the things crafted would definitely have practical utility.

William reined in his eager heart that wanted to try, and began to seriously consider the problem of how to craft them.

"My Lord, there should be no problem in manufacturing the few items you mentioned. It is just that you know the hardness of Black Iron Wood; relying on me and my son to fell them and transport them home in large quantities is truly a bit difficult!"

Black Iron Wood is not only hard, but also very heavy.

Just for this log a little over a meter in length, even an ordinary adult male would find it a bit strenuous to lift.

Let alone relying solely on William and his son to move them back from far away in the west.

"Rest assured about this; I will arrange manpower for you. You and your son should just focus your physical strength on manufacturing, and do not waste it on the two tasks of transporting and felling."

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

As soon as William heard that the Lord not only did not force him into compulsory labor but was even willing to pay compensation, he was instantly moved and happy beyond measure.

"Praise be to my Lord, you are truly a kind and enlightened Lord!"

As he spoke, he humbly bowed ninety degrees: "William is very happy to serve you!"

"Very good, I will formulate a reasonable salary and manufacturing plan for you."

Luoning nodded and smiled: "Before that, you can take these logs back to study them well; it would be best if you could let me see the finished products as soon as possible!"

Thanks to Lord Youye Hongyu for the tip, and thanks to all the Lords for the votes~

(End of this chapter)