Chapter 67: Self-Reflection Along the Way
Owen, standing far away from the tree pit, watched the rain of stones fall from the sky, sending the goblins scurrying for cover. He couldn’t help but marvel at how much stronger Charle had become. Although her hammer blow was aided by momentum and equipment, her own strength was undeniable. Perhaps it was time to exchange for a better template for her. The Templar Knight template couldn’t fully unleash her potential.
It was true that Templar Knights were special units as renowned as Teutonic Knights. However, unlike the Teutonic Knights who specialized in foot combat, a Templar Knight’s strength would decrease by at least 30% without a mount. As a result, Templar Knights, who could originally compete with Teutonic Knights, couldn’t last a few rounds once they lost their mounts. This undoubtedly limited Charle, who was more proficient in foot combat.
Owen guessed that Charle’s potential Combat Power was at least above 60, and her current age was a time when her Combat Power was rapidly increasing. Moreover, she was completely loyal to him, making her worthy of investment.
However, Progress Value was tight right now, so it was better to let her continue training with the Teutonic Knights and wait until things were more abundant.
Thinking of this, Owen waved his hand. The Goblin General immediately commanded hundreds of Goblin Farmers to start dismantling the wall from the breach in the ruins using tools.
It was difficult to demolish the entire wall, let alone buildings built entirely with hard and heavy ashlar. After all, if the craftsmanship was good and the stones were polished finely enough, even a blade wouldn’t be able to fit between the gaps. Without siege weapons, it was impossible to do anything to it. However, as long as there was a breach, it would be as easy as peeling an onion from there.
A large group of Goblin Farmers swarmed forward. Although they weren’t very strong, they knew how to use tools. First, they used ropes to tie the exposed ashlar, then pulled with all their might. For parts that were still sturdy, they first propped up the ashlar with wooden stakes, then used hammers to continuously strike the stakes. This way, the ashlar could be loosened without damaging its integrity.
Moreover, there were Goblin Farmers piling up soil to form slopes to facilitate the transportation of ashlar to the ground. Even the most elite Demon Sheep Knights in the tribe were now working as truck drivers.
“Widen the path previously used to transport grain to the wooden fortress as much as possible. Use the materials from the ruins to build a stone road for the Demon Sheep to pull carts. I will prioritize converting goblins as laborers. We must transport enough ashlar to the wooden fortress before it gets cold,” Owen said to the Goblin General after exchanging for a few Super Farmlands to clear the surrounding Magic Horn Trees.
Regardless of whether the order was reasonable or not, the Goblin General had no right to refuse. Therefore, it readily accepted the order and already planned to capture more Magic Horn Goblins as laborers.
The tribe wasn’t short of food and could feed more Magic Horn Goblins. Moreover, dead goblins could also serve as their food. The Goblin General grinned ferociously, deciding their fate in an instant.
As for the question of whether it was cruel, it was a Demon Lord Army cadre, cruelty was its synonym.
Owen, of course, had some guesses about what the Goblin General would do. After all, the order he issued itself implied cruelty. But so what? His kindness hadn’t extended to the point of treating all goblins equally. Even converted goblins were just another type of consumable in his eyes, their essence was no different.
Owen, who was becoming more accustomed to thinking from the perspective of a superior, began to calculate the time required for this project on his way to the wooden fortress.
Although the Goblin Tribe had a considerable number of converted goblins, they needed to handle clearing the ruins, dismantling the stone materials, building roads, and transportation along the way. They were clearly facing a serious shortage of labor. Although there were quite a few farmers at the nearest wooden fortress, they were responsible for logging and couldn’t spare many people. It seemed that he could only mobilize a batch of farmers from the territory to speed up road construction.
The problem was that building roads in the forest wasn’t that simple. Clearing shrubs and snakes alone was enough to give people a headache, and casualties wouldn’t be small either.
Fortunately, there were Magic Horn Goblins. These guys were perfect for this kind of work, and he wouldn’t feel bad if they died.
Then the biggest problem was the trees. Cutting down trees was easy, but clearing the roots was a task that could make one lose their hair. Digging, sawing, pulling with horses, and finally filling the pit ━ the whole process would take three to five farmers most of the day to deal with just one tree. And there was no shortage of trees in the forest, not to mention that after backfilling, the roadbed needed to be compacted and paved with stone slabs. According to his plan, the time spent wouldn’t be any shorter than Maya’s plan.
“No, this road construction efficiency is too low.” Owen took off his helmet and rubbed his brows. The cool feeling of the iron gloves didn’t alleviate his headache.
Although he had previously planned to connect several locations using Underground Dungeon Passages, it was just an idea, and whether it would be implemented in the end was still a question. After all, to connect these locations, the number of Underground Dungeon Passages required was dizzying. Just the distance between the Goblin Tribe and the castle was twenty to thirty li, not to mention the Wild Bull Territory which required two days of travel.
Owen immediately realized that relying solely on exchanging wouldn’t be enough; he had to establish a professional construction team.
After realizing this, Owen’s mood didn’t improve much. Instead, it became the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Owen had endured a series of reactions caused by the entry of the Second Northland Pioneer Group into the Northland, such as the lack of serfs and livestock, the attraction of bandits, and the various threats looming on the horizon. After all, it was the Empire’s decision, and he couldn’t do anything about it.
However, to prevent a worse future, he had to abandon his previously leisurely life and was forced to rack his brains to develop the territory and compete against time. It was just like when it was Friday afternoon, and your boss suddenly assigned you a huge task that you might not even be able to finish by working overtime ━ feeling frustrated, annoyed, and angry, but having nowhere to vent!
“Damn it!” Owen, troubled by a bunch of worries, almost cursed out loud. In the end, he handed everything over to Maya, letting her mobilize manpower and resources to complete this project, while he hid in the Underground Dungeon Chamber.
Facing the rudimentary plan left by her master, Maya wasn’t flustered at all, because it was much better than the situations she had to face before. At least she didn’t need to consider too many human factors, whether it was her own people or outsiders, nor did she need to consider too many variables. As long as she set a strategy and implemented it, it would be perfectly executed. It was so worry-free.
Moreover, there was Ram. Maya made a rough estimate. Although the project was considerable, it wasn’t impossible to complete with the manpower and resources she could currently mobilize. It would just take some time.
In contrast, Owen, who had poor stress resistance, a fragile heart, and insufficient ability, didn’t know this. Because some things were just daily work for capable people, but for those who lacked ability, it was like asking him to do something beyond his capabilities.
Therefore, Owen, choosing to escape, came to the Underground Dungeon Chamber. In this small world, it was as if he had gotten rid of all the troubles of the world, immersing himself in the comfort zone he had created, even in the mood to brew himself a pot of coffee in the living area.
Of course, Owen wasn’t so heartless as to be completely oblivious. So he quietly watched the steam, taking the opportunity to reflect on himself.
