Chapter 20: Preparations and Techniques for Dwarf Miners' Long Journey (Part 3)

"Eating, drinking—both of these have been resolved, and I have just told you all the preparations and methods for traveling on foot."

Jier counted on his fingers and said, "Next is camping and spending the night in the wild."

He looked at the old Dwarf: "You have already finished the exchange for the relevant tents with New Hope Town, right?"

The old Dwarf nodded: "That was the first thing I finished. They handed over several sets of tents to me; they are all reliable items you used before. And we gave them some tool parts in exchange."

Seeing that the old Dwarf had already resolved the issue of tents for overnight camping, Jier nodded and said, "Then I will talk about the campfire."

He used some cluttered items by his feet as stones to stack up a stone circle imitating a campfire on the spot for the Dwarfs: "First, ensure there is no other debris within a few meters around the campfire. If there are things like weeds or tree roots on the ground, they need to be cleared away before lighting the campfire, so as not to ignite these combustibles and cause a large fire."

This was natural; no one was that stupid. The Dwarfs all nodded to confirm this.

"Next, the firewood to be added to the campfire must not be placed right next to it. Do not try to save effort by doing so, because sometimes the more you try to save effort, the more troublesome things tend to become. Place this additional firewood further away from the campfire. When the person in charge of the campfire needs to add wood, they need to be diligent and walk a few extra steps."

Seeing that the Dwarfs understood this, Jier did not say more.

"The amount of firewood depends on your total number of people and the number of campfires required for that total. Generally speaking, one campfire of this standard size can accommodate ten to twenty people. You have over forty people, so three campfires will be enough. Therefore, the firewood paired with this should be prepared on the vehicles in advance, enough for three campfires to burn for two nights."

"You can also collect some branches and dry wood on the road every day. If there isn't enough time, or if there aren't many opportunities to get close to the Shulin, every time you rest during the day, you can collect those weeds and shrubs while clearing the ground, and tie them with rope to hang on the side of the vehicles. In just half a day, they will be dried by the sun, and you can use them as temporary firewood at night."

Jier finally emphasized: "The campfire is a common means of protecting everyone in the wild at night, because wild animals fear fire and will not approach places with light in the wild. This nighttime light acts as a kind of territory-marking method, naturally driving away some hostile creatures."

"However, at the same time, the firelight at night will also attract many mosquitoes and insects. At this time, while organizing the overnight Yingdi, you need to scatter the ash residue from the previous campfire on the ground of the Yingdi. This can effectively drive away mosquitoes and insects and avoid bites."

"Next is the issue regarding the vehicles." Jier looked at the old Dwarf: "How many vehicles do you have now?"

The old Dwarf gestured with his right hand; it was five vehicles.

"Then have the drivers for the vehicles been selected? These days, they wouldn't be agonizing over what luggage to bring and have no time to familiarize themselves with driving the carriages, would they?"

Facing Jier's sharp question, the old Dwarf's face turned red: "It's fine. These few people originally had some experience driving Panshan Yang-drawn carts. They can even handle fierce large Panshan Yang, so ordinary horses are naturally no problem. I will urge them to practice more later; they only need to get familiar with it, and they will be able to get back to it quickly."

Jier didn't say anything more. If the Dwarf drivers were incompetent later, he wouldn't mind letting his own drivers help the Dwarfs drive their vehicles. Of course, this service wasn't free; the Dwarfs would need to offer some benefits.

"And regarding the issue of the personal luggage that each of you has prepared." Jier finally reached the key point that every Dwarf was concerned and conflicted about.

"As I said before, everyone's primary goal is not those memorial items filled with memories, but your future—the destination you want to reach—returning to your Dwarf homeland."

Jier gestured with his left and right hands: "On one side are the memories left here over the years; on the other is the unknown life of the future. This is a difficult thing to judge in itself. But I know that as long as people are alive and facing fresh things, they will always create new memories. Rather than wallowing in those memories that will never return, it is better to bravely go and welcome a new world."

"I am not saying that memories are not important. They are the path we came from, recording all kinds of life experiences we miss, suffer, and rejoice in, intoxicating like wine. They are important, but they are not everything in life. Taking one or two of the most important personal items is enough; as for the other things, just let them exist based on memory."

"The sides of the Backpack need to be hung with spare Boots, and spare hats should also be hung on the outside of the Backpack. Inside the Backpack, you need to carry enough food for each person to eat for at least two days, as well as essential personal tableware and two sets of change of clothes. Besides these, some precious high-value personal items can also be brought. There are also some repair tools, whetstones for sharpening swords and knives, fire-starting tools, and even some important books and documents, all of which can be packed in the Backpack."

"That is all for personal luggage. They won't fill up the entire Backpack, but I need to remind you that sometimes having a Backpack that is a bit empty is not a bad thing. The tiny weight in every Backpack will eventually become an unbearable torture that you will constantly curse on the road," Jier said with a smile.

After Jier finished speaking, he exhaled and said to the Dwarfs: "Now, I have finished speaking. If you have any questions, you can ask them now. I will answer them."

Xiaoxuezi was the first to stand out and ask: "Is it necessary to take all the kitchenware? Some kitchenware is quite large and heavy. I don't think it's necessary to bring it."

His words made his mother unhappy, and she secretly punched her son in the back. Some Dwarfs who saw this scene let out good-natured laughter.

Jier immediately replied: "Eating on the road is a very important thing. You must ensure sufficient food, and it is best to have a variety of food to increase the appetite of those eating. If the food is cooked very poorly, everyone will eat less and have no strength on the road. This is a very realistic matter, because when walking a long distance, no one knows what food ingredients might be at hand, so more kitchenware means the cook has more ways to process food."

Xiaoxuezi finally understood the importance of this matter; he nodded and had no more questions.

Subsequently, a well-dressed Dwarf Soldier stood out. The other party was not holding a Long Spear, but had changed into a set of sword and Shield equipment: "What should we soldiers do on the road? Should we walk in full gear? Or ride in the vehicle? Should we take off the equipment and walk? Or take off the equipment and ride?"

This was a realistic question.

Jier answered without hesitation: "It depends on the situation. Because every one of you Dwarfs basically possesses weapons and equipment, it is impossible for every one of you to walk in armor; that would exhaust you to death, and the wear and tear on the armor would also be great. So, ordinary Dwarf Warriors should at most carry one weapon or a Shield on their bodies, and the rest of the weapons and equipment should be loaded onto the vehicles, to be put on as quickly as possible when encountering battle."

"As for you professional soldiers, if you are traveling with my previous Refugee Team, I would suggest you wear armor and travel by vehicle, so that after encountering an emergency, you can jump off the vehicle and join the battle."

But Jier waved his hand: "But those traveling with you this time are only my own Warriors; they are already an armed force themselves, so there is no need for you to maintain an extra armed force ready to participate in combat at any time. You, like everyone else, should store your armor and equipment on the vehicles and walk together."

"Of course, if you need to ensure safety—after all, to you and me, the other side is a different race—you can decide for yourselves whether you need to ensure you have a group of people ready to fight fully armed at any time."

This Dwarf Soldier looked at the old Dwarf; obviously, such matters depended on the old Dwarf's judgment.

The old Shishou didn't think much and nodded: "In that case, you five should put on your equipment and ride in the vehicles the whole way."

Hearing the old Dwarf's words, the other Dwarfs looked at these five Dwarf Soldiers with envy, including the original Dwarf Soldier Captain who was now disliked by everyone. Being able to ride in a vehicle the whole way without walking was too easy.

The Dwarf Soldiers also had smiles on their faces. Although this meant they needed to stand out and fight for their lives immediately if something happened, that was the job they did, and they didn't care about the risks of battle. If they could avoid walking or walk less on this trip, that would be great.

Subsequently, the one who stood out was the Wild Priest of the Dwarf God of Strength who hadn't said much. He pointed to the few Dwarf Miners who believed in the God of Strength beside him, including Shishou himself, and asked Jier: "The people on my side, the heavy Double-handed Heavy Weapon they use, should be loaded onto the vehicles, right? After all, each one is very heavy. If they are made to carry them on their bodies, they won't be able to walk much distance."

These Dwarfs' Double-handed Heavy Weapon were large and heavy, each weighing tens of kilograms. Even for Dwarfs whose strength was several times that of a Human, these were heavy weapons. If they were only used in small-scale battles at close range in Torito Village, it was fine for them to carry these heavy weapons individually, but if they were traveling far, these heavy weapons should probably be loaded onto the vehicles.

Jier nodded directly: "That's right, those things of yours are too heavy and must be loaded onto the vehicles. You coordinate this yourselves: should the weapons of several people be put together, or should each vehicle carry one?"

The old Dwarf said: "Let's put one on each vehicle."

Seeing the old Dwarf make the decision, the Wild Priest of the God of Strength stood back into the crowd. In fact, he also wanted to ask if he, as a Priest of a deity, could also ride in a carriage?

After all, laziness is something everyone has. Now it seems that on the five carriages they are managing, besides the five drivers driving the carriages, they also have to carry the elderly Shishou himself, as well as the five soldiers who are fully armed at all times.

If he joined in, it would be a bit inappropriate. After all, everyone else looked like they had to ride, and it would be a bit inappropriate for him to go up too when he had hands and feet.

Next, other Dwarfs raised some questions, and Jier and the old Dwarf answered and handled them one by one on the spot.

After everyone had no more questions, the old Dwarf nodded to Jier, signaling that everyone could disperse. Now, when they packed their personal luggage, they knew what should be brought and what had to be abandoned with a hard heart, left in this Treasure Mine that they were unlikely to return to in this lifetime.

The Dwarfs sighed and moved some less important personal items back to their rooms in the mine. Even if they didn't take these things away, these things wouldn't just be left casually in the mine hall.

Before, when the law couldn't punish everyone, it was fine, and the old Dwarf couldn't say anything to them, but now that Jier had explained how to choose items and what items must be carried, it would be inappropriate for them to agonize over those others.

Jier didn't leave immediately after finishing the explanation. Instead, while the old Dwarf was handling the pile of things he had mentioned before, he enthusiastically approached many Dwarfs who were running to the mine workers' dormitory with things in their arms.

"Hey, you can't take these One-handed Hammer with you, right? Why not sell them to me cheaply? I'll exchange them with Kingdom currency that can be used in Human society. Let me tell you, you're getting a huge bargain."

Because of this, Jier exchanged a few Silver Coin for Dwarf metal One-handed Hammer worth several Gold Coin. These Dwarf Miners each had their own skills; some were good at Wooden Carving, some were good at cooking, some were good at animal taming, some were good at making Dwarf armor, some were good at forging Single-handed Weapon, some were good at forging heavy Double-handed Heavy Weapon, some were good at smelting metal minerals through various means, some were good at painting, some were good at stone carving, some were good at cultivating glowing plants, and so on and so forth.

Earlier, when patrolling the hall, Jier had roughly confirmed the skills these Dwarfs were good at through the personal items they left in the hall. For those Dwarfs who hadn't mastered a skill, their personal items were mostly messy, with all sorts of things.

And for those Dwarfs with unique skills, their personal items clearly displayed what they were good at.

Therefore, after stopping a Dwarf who forged Dwarf Single-handed Weapon and purchasing several Dwarf One-handed Hammer from him at a low price, Jier set his sights on a Dwarf Miner believer of the God of Strength.

This believer of the God of Strength was wearing a sleeveless armored vest and was talking to Shishou and another believer. Before Jier walked over, he heard the other party's words.

"We can only carry one weapon, everyone."

"It's really hard to choose like this. You forged at least two weapons for each of us, and now I can't choose which one to leave and which one to take."

"Don't think so much; just follow your heart."

They spoke one after another, clearly discussing which of their own weapons they should take with them. Their weapons were all of a unique class; some were skilled at using two-handed warhammers, some were skilled at using two-handed greatswords, some were skilled at using two-handed heavy clubs, others used two-handed giant battleaxes, and still others used two-handed short maces. Everyone had their own set of fighting styles that complemented their weapons, and temporarily swapping weapons with others was unlikely because they could not use their companions' weapons.

Jier interjected at this moment: "Since the weapons that are difficult to carry must be left behind, why not sell them to me in exchange for some Human currency that can be used on the journey ahead? How about it? You wouldn't be losing out on a deal like this, right? After all, these are things you have to leave behind anyway; exchanging them for a sum of money is quite profitable."

Shishou narrowed his eyes and looked at Jier: "This is your main objective, isn't it?"

Another Dwarf follower who used a two-handed warhammer—the very smith who forged Heavy Weapons for the others—glared at Jier: "Don't think that just because you have some skill, you can smoothly use these weapons of ours. They require some unique methods to be used; an ordinary person, including you, will only hurt themselves if they try to handle them recklessly."

"Oh, judging by what you're saying, are you willing to take some of your things and exchange them for money from me?" Jier asked with a grin.

"Hmph, I have a whole pile of gear in my hands, including many weapons that haven't even been finished yet. I don't believe you can buy them all, and my asking price is very high; the material costs alone are right there." This person said a lot, but Jier held up one finger: "At most one Gold Coin per weapon."

"You're robbing me! How could it possibly be that cheap! Just the materials alone could never be worth so little money out there!" the Dwarf retorted.

But Jier was not stupid: "That is the market price, but where is there a market for trading right now? Besides, did the metal materials in the hands of you Dwarf Miners really cost that much in resources to obtain? What kind of prices do you have internally? No, there isn't even such a thing as a price."

Jier smiled: "You don't even have money; I imagine it's some kind of counting points similar to Work Points. With points earned through such labor, you can exchange for metal materials from the mine for almost nothing."

"So, if I buy these weapons that you can't take with you—which you didn't spend much money to get the raw materials for—with one Gold Coin each, you should still be making a profit."

After being told this by Jier, the Dwarf follower of the God of Strength pursed his lips and stopped talking, gesturing to the Heavy Weapons on the ground to indicate that Jier should choose.

Of course, Jier could not buy them all; he did not carry that much money with him, and these things could only be used by him alone, so there was no need to buy too many and spend money recklessly.

He had already set his sights on a heavy Dwarf two-handed warhammer; he could use it to break armor, break down doors, and demolish houses. This was something he had to get his hands on.

There was the Dwarf two-handed greatsword used by Shishou—or rather, a two-handed giant sword. This thing had immense power, and Jier wanted it.

There was one more: a Dwarf two-handed heavy battleaxe. This thing was practically a door panel. If Jier were to use it, he wouldn't just hold it in his hands; if he threw it, an ordinary Monster would be killed in a single blow, and it would even be possible to kill five Armored Warhorses in one strike.

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