Chapter 51: Chapter 50: Carpenter William

The steward, Chahar, chose a location in the northeast corner of the Outer Fortress for the squat toilets.

The location was far from the Mountain Forest Castle gate, separated from the Inner Castle by a wall, and a considerable distance from the main keep where Ronin lived. There was no need to worry about any odors drifting over.

After spending the last few days with him, Chahar had become well aware of his lord’s obsession with cleanliness. For instance, Ronin had to take a bath every day and have his clothes washed and changed daily. He was even more fastidious than some young noble ladies.

But Chahar didn’t find this strange at all.

Every noble had their unique quirks. A quiet habit like Ronin’s made him quite easy to serve.

Digging a pit, placing a ceramic vat inside, and then laying wooden planks on top—the simple squat toilet was complete.

However, there was no time to build a shed today, so for now, it was just an open-air latrine.

Ronin gave it a brief inspection and nodded in approval.

This kind of primitive latrine wasn’t technically complex. With the detailed drawings he had provided, any ordinary person could build one accurately.

“This is the basic idea, but the vat is a bit small.”

He offered Chahar suggestions for improvement. “There are over twenty servants in the castle, so you’ll need to have that Carlos fellow make some larger vats. Alternatively, see if any of the Masons can dig a large, non-leaking pit in the ground to use instead of a ceramic vat. As long as the liquid waste doesn’t seep away, it will meet our needs.”

There was no cement here, and Ronin didn’t know if any other materials could serve as a sealant. That was why he had opted for vats in the first place.

“Understood, my Lord!”

Chahar noted down the suggestion. “I already went to the blacksmith shop this afternoon and asked. Carlos guaranteed he could make larger ceramic vats; he just needs some time.”

Making ceramic vats wasn’t particularly difficult; even common folk could make small pottery jars on their own.

Ronin nodded. “You can use either method, or both. In any case, we’ll need more than just one or two toilets in the castle.”

“Also, tell Carlos the castle won’t simply confiscate the fruits of his labor. Tell him to make the vats with peace of mind and ensure their quality!”

It was a small matter, so after giving his instructions, Ronin left the scene. He left Chahar behind, racking his brain over which method would best satisfy the Lord.

’But when it came down to it, I still can’t imagine using liquid waste as fertilizer. Could people really eat vegetables grown like that?’

’Besides, my Lord is obsessed with cleanliness on one hand, yet fixated on building toilets on the other. Such a man of extremes.’

But doubts were one thing; Chahar would still carry out Ronin’s orders meticulously. There was no conflict between the two.

“Come on, let’s go ask the Masons in town,” he said to the two servants beside him.

Meanwhile, the male servant, Gallon, arrived at the home of William the Carpenter with several Guards.

The carpenter was currently instructing his son on how to build a cabinet.

When he saw Gallon and the Guards approaching, the color drained from his face.

News of Princest’s betrayal of the Lord had long since spread. Even the bedridden townsfolk knew something of it, and William was no exception.

Because of this, he had spent the last few days too anxious to eat or sleep, constantly on edge.

He feared that because he had been hired by Princest to help build the castle, the new Lord would hold him accountable and brand him an accomplice to the traitor.

He had considered taking his wife and son and fleeing Mountain Forest Town, but ultimately decided against it.

Although William and his family were Free People, leaving the place they had lived their entire lives to try and survive in a strange, new city was a daunting prospect.

Fortunately, after waiting for two days, he realized the Lord had no intention of punishing him. He’d even dispatched the mysterious Light Attribute Mage, Lord Elron, to aid the wounded.

He realized that the master of Mountain Forest Castle might be a truly benevolent Lord.

But he never thought the day he dreaded would still arrive; the castle Guards were at his home.

The moment he saw them, William’s heart plunged into a basin of ice water, chilling him to the bone.

“Sir, what is this…?” he asked, full of apprehension.

Gallon was taken aback for a moment. He had never expected someone to call him “sir” one day. The feeling was… quite strange.

’Entering the castle to serve the Lord was definitely the right choice.’

Although the man respected him, Gallon did not forget Ronin’s instructions. He maintained a very polite attitude, even performing the etiquette he had learned from Chahar.

“Uncle William, my name is Gallon, a servant of Baron Ronin of Mountain Forest Castle. I’ve come today to ask you to make a trip to the castle. It seems the Lord has a task for you.”

Hearing this, William’s tense heart eased slightly. He still asked, a bit uneasily, “Do you know what the Lord wants with me?”

Gallon shook his head in response.

He didn’t know Ronin’s purpose, but he recalled how the Lord had been experimenting with that piece of wood all afternoon. ’Now he’s looking for a Carpenter… it must have something to do with that Black Iron Wood.’

But he had learned his lesson: it was best not to speculate on things he wasn’t sure of.

“I’m not entirely sure about that. You’ll know once you come with me to the castle.”

Gallon said, “The Lord is waiting for you. We shouldn’t keep him waiting long.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Sir, please wait just a moment. I’ll go with you to the castle right now.” William hurriedly turned to grab his tools to have on hand.

Soon, Gallon had brought the Carpenter to the main keep within the Inner Castle.

Now that he was certain the Lord didn’t intend to punish him, William’s mood had improved considerably. He looked at the main keep before him, a structure whose construction he had personally supervised, and a sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.

For a Carpenter, there was no greater joy than gazing upon his own masterpiece.

After a brief wait, a figure emerged from within the main keep.

William immediately straightened his posture, maintaining a respectful attitude.

He had only seen the Lord from a distance on the pasture before, but this time, he could see him much more clearly.

The Lord was truly worthy of being the scion of a great noble house. He was so noble and handsome, his bearing so poised and elegant, that one couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and admiration just by looking at him.

“Your subject, William, is honored to meet you, my esteemed Lord!” William said with a solemn bow and greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Uncle William!” Ronin replied with surprising warmth.

Such a familiar form of address left the old carpenter momentarily stunned by the honor, unsure of how to reply.

“I’ve called you here today mainly because there’s something I want you to look at,” Ronin said, leading William over to some nearby logs of Black Iron Wood.

“Is this wood from the Black Forest?” William the Carpenter recognized the logs’ origin at a glance.

Ronin raised an eyebrow. “You’re familiar with it?”

This question touched upon William’s area of expertise, and he couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “My Lord, it’s not boasting to say that I, William, have been to every forest in this town. There isn’t a type of wood here I’m not familiar with!”

Ronin smiled, adopting the posture of an attentive listener.

Whether the man was bragging or not, the fact that he could identify the logs as being from the Black Forest at a single glance made Ronin see William in a new light.

“The trees in the Black Forest are incredibly hard. Princest once even wanted to use them to build this keep, but it was too much trouble to cut them down, so the plan was eventually abandoned.”

“Since you can’t use it as building material and woodcutters don’t want to waste the effort felling it just for firewood, we all gradually stopped paying much attention to the Black Forest.”

This came as a surprise to Ronin. He hadn’t expected Princest to have already discovered the Black Forest. He was even more surprised that, despite finding it, the man had failed to understand the value of Black Iron Wood.

’That man’s ignorance is my gain.’

“Uncle William, the servants in the castle say you’re quite skilled, and I’d like to see it for myself.”

Ronin pointed to the logs on the ground. “This Black Iron Wood is hard enough to make Chest Guards, Shields, and Long Spears for attack. I would like to ask you to make a set for me.”

Hearing this, William the Carpenter was stunned.

All his life, he had thought of wood as material for building houses and crafting furniture. He had never imagined it could be used to make armor and weapons.

Ronin’s words instantly opened his mind to new possibilities, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, “My Lord, you are truly a genius!”

As he looked at the logs on the ground, images of armor and long spears already formed in his mind. He was certain that with the hardness of the Black Iron Tree, the items he crafted would be more than effective in a fight.

William reined in his eagerness to begin and started to seriously consider how to go about making them.

“My Lord, making the items you mentioned shouldn’t be a problem. However, you know how hard Black Iron Wood is. It would be far too difficult for just my son and I to fell the trees and transport them back home in large quantities!”

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

A normal adult man would struggle just to lift a single log, which was only a little over a meter long.

Let alone just William and his son hauling it all the way from the west.

“Don’t worry about that. I will arrange for men to help you. You and your son should put all your energy into the crafting; don’t waste it on felling and hauling.”

“Furthermore, you will need to keep this work a secret for me, and I will pay you an extra reward for your efforts.”

When William heard that the Lord was not only not forcing him into compulsory labor but was even willing to pay him, he was instantly overcome with a messy mixture of gratitude and joy.

“Praise be to you, my Lord! You are truly a benevolent and enlightened ruler!”

He said, bowing humbly at a ninety-degree angle, “William would be honored to serve you!”

“Excellent. I will draw up a reasonable payment and production plan for you.”

Ronin nodded and smiled. “Before then, you can take these logs back with you to study them properly. It would be best if you can show me a finished product as soon as possible!”

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