I Picked Up the Fallen Earth

Chapter 26. Laying the Foundations (1)

August County.

The domain had fully entered the depths of summer. It was the time of year with the longest days, meaning there was more time for labor.

Before dawn even broke, as soon as the roosters crowed, Sir Kain, the domain’s finance officer, sprang up from his bed, agitated.

“Huff! I’m on my way now, milord!”

Sweat had dampened Kain’s forehead and back. Even last night, he tossed and turned in his sleep, busy being summoned here and there in his dreams.

With Jeron Farrow’s three-year plan for the domain now on track, naturally, Sir Kain, the head of the Domain Development Office, became busier. The fact that he was working even in his dreams suggested he might be too immersed in his work.

Kain was now fifty years old. By all accounts, he had lived a long life, and it would not have been strange had he died at any time. He had been bleeding from the nose at night and his body wasn’t what it used to be, pushing him to suggest retirement to the lord.

“Retirement? That’s nonsensical. Humans are designed to live up to 100 years. I’ll take special care of your health, Kain, allowing you to live up to 120 years, so don’t dwell too much on your lifespan.”

This was the most novel nonsense Kain had ever heard in his life.

“A lifespan of 120 years? No, I’ve already enjoyed more than my fair share. The lord just wants to keep me working until I drop dead.”

Despite his grievances leaking out several times a day, seeing the changes in the domain inevitably drove him to push himself too hard.

“Hmm… Dear, are you leaving already?”

“Heh, you’re awake? Go back to sleep. My responsibilities are grave, so I must go.”

“Wait. I’ll prepare breakfast.”

Kain was a fortunate man to have such a dutiful wife. Being the domain’s finance officer, he could have had several maids, but his wise wife didn’t shy away from hard work. The smell of delicious bread spread throughout.

Just a few days ago, Jeron Farrow, acknowledging their hard work, had given them high-quality white flour without any impurities, a luxury item they had never heard of before.

The flour was exceptionally fine and white, and its taste was unsurpassed, leaving his wife quite satisfied. Of course, that aside, his wife would nag him daily.

“You’re already fifty years old. At a time when you should be quietly preparing for death, how can you overexert yourself like this? Speak to the lord, and retire. Wouldn’t it be nice to follow the old lord and build a house by the lake?”

“Well… That’s easier said than done. Without me, the domain can’t function.”

“Don’t say such nonsensical things. It’s time to pass the role of finance officer to someone younger. How long do you plan to stay in that position?”

“Ha ha ha.”

Kain brushed off the conversation with an awkward laugh. A retirement plan? Of course, he had one. Since his youth, he had dreamed of retiring to a peaceful log cabin to live out his days farming.

His children were all grown and away, and the retirement funds were ready; he had no ties keeping him from putting down all his titles. However, the lord would have none of it, getting agitated just at the mention of retirement.

Just a few days ago, Kain had brought up retirement again.

“Kain! Without you, I can’t do anything. Don’t you know that? You are a key person in our domain. Just bear with it until the first phase of the domain’s development is complete in three years!”

Then, just as now, Jeron had not explicitly said he would let him retire after three years. Hence, his wife’s nagging went in one ear and out the other. Outside, dawn was breaking.

As the sun began to rise over the mountains, the chime from the central spire of the domain rang out relentlessly.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Simultaneously, a few soldiers with strong voices climbed to their appointed posts and began to sing. The morning bell rings, heralding a new dawn. Rise, everyone, and tend to our new domain.

To make our home a place worth living, let’s work together with our might~Removing old houses and widening the dominion roads, let’s create a fine dominion, prudently shaping it.

My pleasant dominion, building it with our own effort~

Helping each other, working hard, sweat pouring, striving for increased income to create a wealthy dominion.

My pleasant dominion, building it with our own effort~

…

The so-called New Dominion Song spread in all directions. It possessed a powerful melody and the goals of the dominion were implicitly included in the lyrics.

Initially, Sir Kain was skeptical when he heard that the lord had composed the New Dominion Song. He found it absurd – a task usually reserved for bards and minstrels, let alone brainwashing all the denizens?

Though doubtful of its power, now Sir Kain found himself unwittingly humming the tune, feeling a surge of energy within. Somehow, there was this compelling feeling that he needed to work. Even his wife started her day humming the New Dominion Song.

“I’ll be on my way then!”

“If retirement doesn’t seem feasible, bring back an extra bag of flour, will you? You know, right?”

“Ha, understood.”

He was nagged from the morning, but it wasn’t too bad. The lord was someone who rewarded those who worked hard. While fine, white flour was precious, Jeron Farrow would surely not disregard Sir Kain’s request.

Stepping outside, a refreshing day began. The formerly lazy residents of the dominion were now eager, almost desperate, to move quickly.

The soldiers sang as if in chorus, and not participating in work was becoming synonymous with being useless. The streets were free of refuse.

Before, it was normal for sewage to splash and stink with each rain, but now, the dominion could finally breathe fresh air. In front of the temporary tents at the dominion square, a throng of workers gathered, bustling about.

When the three-year development plan for the dominion was first announced, such chaos was unheard of. It was disordered, everyone merely obsessed with their next meal. But now, people were changing.

They moved quickly yet orderly, patiently waiting in line. They knew their turn to eat would come without the need to push or fight, understanding that wheat was given as wages, thus eliminating hunger and allowing for some leisure.

Upon marking attendance, the residents promptly dined before heading to work, digesting their meal on the way.

“Heh, it’s quite the transformation.”

Now, Sir Kain decided not to doubt the lord’s new dominion plan. Merely a month into its execution and the shift in people’s mindset was already a success.

“Good morning, Finance Officer.”

“Ah, Dame Leila! You’re early.”

“Everyone is moving swiftly; as the deputy of the dominion development, I can’t afford to be late.”

“Yes, you’re right. That’s a good point.”

“Then, I shall accompany you to the inspection site.”

Dame Leila was a key figure in the development plan of the dominion. In some aspects, he was superior to Sir Kain, who planned to recommend him for the position of Finance Officer upon his own retirement.

On the way to the city walls, Sir Kain saw the joyous faces of the residents, immersed in their tasks despite the arduous various constructions, none showing displeasure.

Of course, the slaves matching the pace must have found it unbearable, but since they were treated not as humans but as property, Sir Kain felt it was none of his concern.

Finally, at the site of the wall expansion project. There, the ambitious project that the lord had envisioned over the last fortnight was revealing its form.

***

For the past 20 days, Jeron had poured all his effort into obtaining polycarbonate shields, riot gear, and helmets from Earth.

Upon arriving on Earth, he would practice mana techniques for about an hour before heading to the front of a SWAT bus to collect items like shields, fire extinguishers, and riot gear.

Initially, he anticipated it would take about a month, but as he continued practicing the mana techniques, he was able to reduce the time needed by about 10 days.

His stay duration increased to approximately 6 hours, and the weight of items he could bring from Earth doubled from 30 kg to 60 kg. This was indeed a remarkable improvement.

Since his agenda on Earth was predetermined, he had taken on a major project in his domain during his absence – building an early form of a crane.

Given the rudimentary state of forging technology in this world, making pulleys out of steel was impossible, resulting in mostly wooden structured basic cranes.

Although the forging technology was limited by the times, the carpenters possessed considerable skill, which was evident in most of the wooden structures being constructed in this era.

Given that even primitive forms of catapults existed in this world, constructing the frame of a crane was not difficult. The challenge was finding pulleys and other components that could bear significant weight.

Jeron’s solution for the pulleys was a local gym – every neighborhood had one, and cam shafts that could be used as pulleys could be abundantly found there. Still, there were limits.

After all, what kind of colossal human would be lifting weights of a ton in a gym? Jeron hit a wall. He needed a material that was both strong and lightweight, but such a material seemed impossible to find in this world.

“At best, we can only use it to lift a few hundred kilograms.”

“Isn’t that revolutionary in itself?”

“Do you even know what revolutionary means?”

“For now, it’s more than enough. Can’t you see? Everyone is much more comfortable working because of this crane.”

To Jeron, this early model of the crane seemed hardly useful. It needed to at least bear a ton to be considered effective, but the high-strength wire pulled from the gym couldn’t handle more than 500 kg on a continuous basis.

High-strength urethane wire ropes were indeed designed to withstand up to 1.1 tons. However, this capability was limited to bearing the weight only and lacked durability; any more could lead to a disastrous snap.

A different approach was necessary.

‘Could changing the pulley system to a double or triple layer reduce the load it bears? I’m not sure.’

It was a moment desperately calling for an engineering expert. Even coming from Earth, without specific expertise, it was challenging to know the details. It seemed like it was time to look for a person or at least a book on the matter.

“Ha-ha-ha, Lord. Good morning.”

“Good to see you, milord.”

“A good morning to you, knights.”

It was Sir Kain and Dame Leila. Lately, while various projects were underway in the domain, the expansion of the fortress walls was deemed especially critical.

That’s why Sir Kain and Dame Leila would head straight to the site upon waking up. Dame Leila meticulously relayed the day’s tasks to her officers as always. Sir Kain slowly surveyed the surroundings to check for any issues.

“Ah, such a fine morning, and yet our Lord looks troubled. What seems to be the matter?”

“It’s about the crane I devised.”

“It’s quite revolutionary. Truly an amazing device. It was impressive during its construction, but even more so now that it’s in use.”

“It’s this rope here. That’s the problem. It needs to bear at least a ton, but it can’t. Finding a rope that can bear a ton in this backward world is…”

“Ha-ha-ha, that’s not an issue at all. We can solve that easily.”

“What?!”

Jeron was startled. Could there really be a material in this world capable of bearing a ton’s weight?