"What the heck are these things?"
Chu walked out from the passage entrance into the cavern. Under the flickering light cast out from the torches, he saw the creature.
'A Barrel Worm'
Living up to its name the round barrel entity moved with the speed of a snail on the rock floor. Chu moved cautiously to the side for closer inspection. The 'worm' ignored his presence and continued on its path. As mentioned by Thomas, it was as wide and long as a barrel.
The worm resembled a maggot, fat in the middle and tapering on both ends like a dumpling. It had bands circling it like an earthworm except that they were as wide as an arm. When it moved it left behind a trail of thick slime in its wake.
Chu uncontrollably pulled out his sword and poked the creature on its side. The sword slid on the slime-coated surface as it bounced off. The resulting response came as if he had struck a large slab of 'Jello'.
"I seem to recall that the Barrel worm is mostly made up of liquid. Looking at it again, these things must consist of mainly water. No wonder they only live in these damp and wet caves. Out in the sun, surely they might just dry up."
Mr Thomas said as he bounced the base of the torch on another worm's back. The worm showed no signs of counterattacking except for speeding up its movement.
"Damn it just boosted its speed from snail to tortoise mode!"
Chu remarked as he walked into the cavern.
The place was so large that the light from the torch failed to illuminate the walls on the far end. They slowly made their way around the cavern, looking for any passageways and hidden threats.
The Barrel worms were docile and showed no reaction as they walked among them.
"Urgghh!"
Chu exclaimed as he stepped into a small pothole filled with slime. The thick liquid seeped over the top of his boots. The resulting effect raised the hairs all over his body. Luckily he pulled up before his boots became filled with the viscous liquid.
He was still sitting in a corner using a rag to clean his foot when Miki and the others completed their preliminary survey.
"There are four small passageways but they all lead to a dead-end. Nothing dangerous here, not even a Black Scorpion."
Rose talked as she moved her hands over a smooth pillar near the end. The cavern reminded Chu of those limestone caves. Complete with stalactites, stalagmites, and pillars. It even had small shallow pools, filled mostly with slime mixed water.
"Holy crap this thing is sticky. Elder give me a water bottle. It looks like only water can be used to wash it away. I only need to wash it off my foot, I'll clean the outside of the boot later."
He wiped out the insides of the boots and dried it out with the rag. In the dim lighting, the exterior of his boot looked like it was covered in a thick blob.
"Chu take a look here!"
Miki called from a place near the passageway they entered.
When the group strolled over she pointed to a place on the ground.
"This is probably why this place has no Black scorpions and other creatures. The slime is so sticky it traps them. No wonder these worms have no enemies here."
Miki mumbled as she used her own sword to prod a dead scorpion.
"Seems to be the case, I think we should focus on securing properly hidden entrances to the cave. We will leave these worms here for now until we get some free hands to deal with them. When the work in the fields is over we will focus on the cave."
Chu commented.
He wanted to convert the caves into a hidden base. He could use it as storage and a place of retreat if he ever encountered trouble. There was maybe about forty of those worms in the cavern but they were lost inside its large size.
All these things could be placed on the planning list.
They left the caves and walked to farmer Brown's farm where they parked one of the wagons. Chu took his time because of his blob covered boot. The viscous liquid had not taken very long to dry into a near transparent coating.
***
The group returned to the barn in the evening drenched in sweat. Chu made a bee-line to a water barrel near the stables to take a quick rinse. He still felt some stickiness mixed in with his sweat that he wanted to wash out.
If it was not for him sweating the liquid might have been even slimier.
These days the farm was a hive of activity. Clod had just gone to the village with the other wagon carrying a load of wood along with Jim. By sawing the wood into rectangular blocks of around the same width, they further reduced the workload on Dareck.
In the village, Dareck and the others were busy manufacturing and also assembling the package for the Geared well handle. The finished product was very simple with all the gears enclosed in a sturdy wooden housing.
One end was open to fit the final gear onto the wooden shaft. The case contained holes so as for it to be nailed or riveted onto the side support.
Production was slow at first but Dareck showed some ingenuity in designing and beating out an iron stamp. With this, all wooden blocks were cut to nearly the same size and width. These cogs were reinforced with thin iron bands to ensure durability.
According to the requirements, workers moved from the village to the farm. The only constant was Doug and his group, they were working non-stop to frame and cover the workshop.
Ming was washing his boots near the front of the farm. He had just returned from the forest. The wagon was stuck in some soft mud that needed everyone to help free it. Chu gave him his boots to wash before entering the barn.
"Chu the goal you set is too high. There is no way to reach those numbers."
Sakura complained to the boy as he ate at the table. She had grown her black hair below her shoulders and also kept it loose. She retained her normal bashful character except when it came to accounting and bookkeeping. Then she turned into a little she-devil.
"I agree with Sakura, you keep saying you want one hundred every month, but right now we are making not even half of that amount. Now even mother and Sue have to lend a hand."
Amanda chimed in on the side.
With her golden locks curled and loose over her shoulders, a beautiful face and killer body she always provided a welcome distraction to Chu. This girl would crush the hearts of countless men back on earth. Unfortunately, she had a strict no-nonsense attitude when it came to handling money. Even Ming was loath to try begging from her.
Towards Chu both these girls maintained a reverent relationship. The boy was after all their mentor and a walking treasure trove of all kinds of knowledge. Just last week he had created a table of 'multiplication' making complex additions a breeze. He was even akin to a fish in water when it came to using the abacus.
Chu furrowed his brows as he chewed.
"Okay, let me see. Presently with everyone's support, we are making a little over thirty complete packages per month. Seems like we have topped out on production there. Let's keep it exact thirty after we weed out the defective ones. When the workshop is completed we will then reset the goals."
Chu replied to them.
"Thank goodness, you don't know how close you were to getting a wooden cog in your soup."
Amanda patted her chest lightly.
'This damn woman is not aware of how dangerous that action is to the opposite sex!'
He sobered up on observing her callused hands. She did not shirk away from her responsibilities on the farm. Chu decided that once he settled his business venture he would give these girls access to some of the best beauty treatments available.
If they did not exist then he would invent his own brands. Oils and fragrances were not hard to make since there was too much information on beauty products on earth.
'Which man in his right mind did not want the best for the girls in his family?'
Chu understood he should never try to provoke the kitchen team. They worked in silence without complaints, but they had lots of means to voice their discontent.
When he checked it, they were about two months into spring. Manufacturing was going to slow down when they started planting crops. Therefore the best time to ship his product would be close to the end of summer.
It takes four to five months for a caravan to travel from the village to the Capital. If he followed this thinking his invention would hit the Capital by storm before winter. It was certain to be sold to those wealthy folks.
By the time winter was over, he would have another shipment ready to be sent out. The plan was to focus on the wealthy cities at first to lock in the most amount of profits. It would also open the doors to ply other inventions.
Having a steady stream of wealthy buyers was any merchants dream.
When the time came for the introduction of competition, all he had to do was drop his prices to crush his opponents. His manufacturing overhead could be measured by bowls of soup since it remained practically near zero.
He gave some instructions to Sakura and Amanda before leaving. His work for the day was done so he decided to spend the rest of the time practicing his archery skills. He considered himself average in both sword and crossbow.
He was sure he could at least be able to stand his ground for a time against one of the village guards. In a couple of years, he was confident in being able to fight a skilled commander on equal terms. If he incorporated some martial arts into the mix then with some well-timed kicks he may end up unstoppable.
Unfortunately, such things required time and practice which at the moment he lacked.
To him, Military skills did not pan out to be some meridian opening, Qi releasing secret. It did contain some concoctions for pills to build and strengthen one's body but that was all aside from the sword moves. For him, it was like taking this worlds equivalent of muscle-building tonics.
The sword skills were built on the basics, requiring constant practice and enlightenment to become superior to others. Heaven shaking moves were limited only to Ming and his dreams. The Military moves remained grounded on the basics while adding on to it for combination attacks.
He stepped out of the barn wearing another pair of boots. When it came to clothing for the family he never skimped. Especially while living in a harsh environment such as this.
'You can never have enough boots...'
Damn, he certainly sounded like a woman!
'Thud, thud, thud!'
Hearing the banging noise coming from the side of the barn his curiosity got the better of him. Chu at least knew enough of the work schedule that no job was carded for around the barn. He rounded the corner to be greeted by a strange sight.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Chu asked as he stared at the boy who was busy throwing an object onto the side of the barn.
'Didn't this guy have anything better to do?'
He walked slowly towards Ming, with his hands itching to connect with that stupid head.
"Hah, hah! Look at this Chu, see what I invented? I'm going to be rich, rich Chu."
Ming laughed like a manic overdosed on drugs.
Chu already arrived near him with his hands halfway raised for smacking. From time immemorial this guy only had money on his mind. His hands suddenly dropped when he finally comprehended what was going on.
The boy was bouncing his 'boot' off the barn wall. Ming threw it high against the wall and it rebounded towards him. Chu caught the boot as it rebounded in his direction.
The thick blob had dried out leaving a milky but spongy layer around the boot over an inch thick in some places. He squeezed the front of the leather booth in shock of this startling discovery.
"What do you think Chu, isn't your elder brother so amazing? I call it 'Ming's Bouncing Boot', too bad I only have one. All I need you to do is get some more muddy boots like these for me.
Do you know what's the best thing about this?
All I have to do is put the boots out and forget to wash them. Water cannot remove it off when it gets hard. Didn't I say you guys will one day worship the grou..."
Chu could not resist launching some slaps at him.
"Ming's Bouncing Boot my ass. Do you know what this is?"
'Gloves, waterproof clothing, elastic, seals...'
One important discovery.
One word.
"Rubber!"
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The cave entrances had been blocked and camouflaged. With all the work scheduled at the farm, Chu did not have the time to sit back and concentrate on this veritable gold mine. He did not spread the discovery to his core members, simply instructing them to keep the location a secret.
In the next week, Clod had everyone out in the fields. Another temporary quarters was built near the south entrance for the village members. It was not unusual for villagers to seek work in the outlying farms, so the mass movement of the household did not raise any concerns by the neighbors.
"Doug and his group will handle the preparation of the new fields at the north. The girls will get the vegetable garden started, expanding its size by four times. The rest for us will begin planting in the eastern fields."
Sue, Mrs Thomas, and Ms May became exempted from the farm work on mornings. They were relegated to cooking for the entire group. Rose and Miki manned the lookout in turns, while Lucy was on guard duty in the fields.
In the evenings the cooks tended to vegetable and herb gardens around the farm. They also provided clean clothes and hot water in the barrels beside the new workshop. There, everyone ate the food served while Clod allocated the next days work after dinner.
They did not have the time to construct the walls around the workshop. Because of this Chu had them construct a solid wooden fence like the kind they first made in the barn. This would serve as an adequate defense against wild animals.
Unless he had no other choice, Lucy's ability was still kept a secret. The fighting skills and the weekends heading into the forest to hunt was chalked up as training received from the known ex-Adventurer Mr Thomas.
Under the constant interactions, he felt that the three small children would be the first to be absorbed into his group. They were a timid lot all under the age of ten. As with the typical mentality of the village, the girls were abandoned just before winter in the slums.
Fortunately for Chu, Ms May kept an eye on them and dragged them into the village home. Though they were shy, they were dedicated and hard workers.
Besides Ms May and Jim, there were two other older couples on the farm. Before taking them in, Chu might have sworn they were clocking ninety.
Now after the most comfortable winter, they had probably spent in their entire lives they were finally looking like middle-aged people.
Spring passed them by concentrating on the farm and the new invention. Griz remained true to his word. When summer rolled in, so to did his family owned merchant caravans filled with the tools, equipment, and materials necessary in creating a forge.
Though the technology was seriously middle ages, a smithy in the Empire represented cutting edge technology. Only the Tower Mages could compete in terms of new products.
If the Tower Mages represented a group of inventors and pioneers, the Smithy was the core of engineers and technicians that brought it to life and concurrently to the common man.
Because of the focus on Magic, the technological advancement slowed in the Empire. For Chu whose brain was useless in creating modern technology, this was a gift from Heaven. Sooner or later the simply machinery of gears would be discovered and developed. Ushering in another leap in technology.
He had to strike now to make his fortune. Once the product hit the market, others would copy it. When that happened he must be ready to blast out another invention when the sales dropped. Because he was running on limited time, he was going to follow the plan of outsourcing.
The smithy in the farm was going to be the place he could tinker to provide working inventions. As such, the wagons did not return empty but filled with lumber. A chest containing a sample and a letter was placed under the care of the guards.
The blacksmiths under Griz would be taking over the as the main producer. Under Chu's guidance, the assembly and trial of the iron gear assembly for a drawbridge and portcullis would finish.
Karst will receive the final product by the first month of autumn. By using his newfound contacts in the Tower and the backing of the Merchant Guild, Griz was hoping to sell his rights on the product to the Empire. Instead of negotiating a price, Chu's idea was to him revolutionary.
Under the protection of both the Empire and the Merchant Guild, he was to demand a 'commission'. Anyone who wanted to manufacture their products would simply have to pay them a small fee.
This 'percentage' according to the boy would quickly add up while serving two very important functions.
Firstly the Merchant Guild and the Empire were undoubtedly the two most powerful heavyweights when it came to the economy. By including them into the fold, he was certain that his product would receive a boost in manufacturing and spread across the country in quick time. With so many customers for the Well handle modification and others, a simple fifteen percent fee was going to rake in big money.
The second reason behind this plan was to make use of the Empire and the Merchant Guild to act as enforcers. When Griz sold the rights to any merchant they would undoubtedly monitor each other. Obviously, none of them wanted to get blacklisted for failing to abide by the rules.
Throw in some new products and it would only serve to increase the number of Merchants sucking up and fawning over Griz. That would be the best for Chu, since he and his farm would be seen as the usual side investment. By releasing the invention in the Capital they would never have to worry about some big Merchant family gobbling them up.
If anyone decided to venture out into the boondocks to find the manufacturing base, Chu would long be waiting and ready. In this place only he had access to the complete plans.
All they had to do was sit back and rake in the money. Chu wrote to Griz stating that they could give a five percent of the fee earned back to the Merchant Guild for services. That service was to prevent merchants from robbing them blind.
By selling their own product while raking in the benefits from a commission, it was a win-win plan. Chu planned to remain in business for the long haul. By the time he clocked a ripe old age and finally finished his adventuring days, he intended to retire in style.
Chu had Dareck move to the farm. As an apprentice blacksmith, the young man had experience in setting up the layout for the new smithy. With it in progress, the assembly work on the gears could begin.
***
Dough and his group were training hard in the evening. The Elder was sitting on a log teaching Rose to sharpen a sword.
"I know we promised to set you guys free as soon as the fields got sown. A man's word is his bond, but I have three choices for you young men.
The first one is that you can leave now, and as promised I will get a word into the merchants trading in the village. We will not have anything to do with each other again.
The second choice is to work until the end of summer. By then I can guarantee work as guards on a convoy heading into the city of Haven. That convoy will sometimes bring you, men, back to the farm now and again.
The third choice is to work here until autumn. We have a special delivery going out to Karst. From there it is heading out to the Capital. If you want to experience life at the center of the Empire, this is a great opportunity. You can also choose to stay there or return working as guards."
The Elder spoke to them while checking on Rose's work.
Doug and his group were no fools. During the past few months, they had been working alongside the older men recruited from the village. Through normal small talk, Singh and Chong had gained valuable information on their current employer.
This farmer had a deep connection with the Master of the Trading Post. If that was not scary enough, the new blacksmith at the farm boasted about how his Patron and the Farmer was apparently close. A farmer with such ties could never steer them in the wrong direction.
Additionally, he had a son who ran this farm in the background. Countless times they heard the 'little boss' boasting about her brother's amazing skills.
The benefits since their 'abduction' far outweighed the cons. They had eaten better than most villagers and now given the once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to the Capital.
"Elder, we have no problems in working until autumn. We want to go to the Capital."
Doug replied.
The only thing the group did not do was bow down and break out in tears.
All the hard work finally paid off. Unlike most if not all of the inhabitants living in these parts they had the opportunity to visit the Capital city of the Empire.
'How many people live their entire lives wishing and dreaming they could hear these few words?'
"Very well, you brats are growing up. When its time to leave I will get some spending money for you. Make sure you reserve yourself and come back in one piece. The world outside is cruel and unforgiving."
Mr Thomas seemed pleased in their choice. They were not ungrateful as to bail on him now.
"Alright, settle yourself. Rose, grab the wooden sword. Its time for you to spar with these scoundrels."
Mr Thomas continued in a pleasing manner.
On the opposite side of the farm, Clod and Chu were taking a walk inside the fields. Rows of green corn lined both sides of the road. Halfway down the road between the farm and the north-south road they stopped.
"Here. In this spot here I want to build it."
Chu looked around as if making sure he choose a prime location.
"So far from the barn?"
Clod asked. He stared at the ground. There on the dirt road, Chu had made a crude drawing.
"Yep, we want to make sure it does not disturb us at the barn. Also, we can use it both as additional income and as another watchtower. Too close to the barn will cause trouble, we will have endless worries if it falls into enemy hands. Out here it can serve its purpose perfectly."
Chu replied.
"Very well then. With the fields under control, I can allocate additional lumber for this project. As soon as Dareck gets his forge going, we can have nails and rivets to set it up. I think we will only be able to frame it up before winter though."
Clod spoke as he looked at the doodle on the ground again.
"Don't worry, when we meet Dareck for dinner later in the workshop I will have him help me construct a small model. Both of you can use it to help in the construction. All you need to know is that it needs a large base for adequate support."
Chu gave Clod some reassurance as he headed back.
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