The old miner was one of his villagers, said to have mined for over forty years, with rich experience in underground operations. He was originally conscripted without pay, but Arthur ultimately decided to give every villager who had worked as a miner a sum of money.
Evelyn, dressed in rough cloth clothes convenient for movement, held a self-made pole ruler for measuring distances, and was arguing with an old miner.
"No, this needs to be moved forward three meters," Evelyn pointed to a foundation that had just begun to be excavated, her tone calm but firm.
"Lady, I've mined for over forty years. Listen to me, starting the foundation here is the most stable and saves a lot of effort," the old miner with a grizzled beard stopped his work and said with some dissatisfaction.
Several miners behind him also echoed, looking at the unsightly Evelyn with suspicion. This woman didn't look like she had ever mined underground.
Evelyn didn't argue, but simply drew a few intersecting lines on the parchment with a quill, then held out the parchment in front of the miners, showing them its contents.
She pointed to the intersection of the lines: "You rely on perception, I rely on experience and calculation."
"Your method will put the entire north wall's bearing pressure on this weak point, and the internal stress of the mountain will tear open your wall foundation from here."
"According to my blueprint, the bearing will be evenly distributed to the rock layers on both sides. Do you want to save effort, or do you want to live?"
The miners' faces turned red, wanting to argue, what do you mean you rely on experience, have you, a woman, ever been underground!
But then they saw Arthur slowly walk over and stand behind Evelyn, his expression unchanged, which made them fearful.
They all began to work according to the blueprint, silently picking up their tools and leading people to move the foundation forward three meters as per Evelyn's instructions.
"Thank you," Evelyn turned her head, looking gratefully at Arthur. She knew the reason these miners were obedient was Arthur, who stood behind her, supporting her.
From this moment on, no one dared to question a single word from this woman with the unsightly mark on her face. Arthur's authority was her authority.
Five days passed, and progress was slow. Arthur frowned as he walked onto a natural giant stone platform, looking at the ant-like crowd below, and the sounds of stone striking and wood chopping echoing throughout the valley.
"Lord Arthur!" Qiba Nana, the treasurer, came running up, panting, "Lord Arthur!"
"Lord!" His voice was hoarse, mixed with dust and frustration. "It's too chaotic!"
"We must find a way!"
Arthur turned to look at Qiba Nana, his treasurer, and decisively ordered: "Go and prepare some things for me!"
Inside the valley, the sight was indeed suffocating. After five days of excavation, cut square stones were piled up like mountains, almost filling the already narrow working platform under the craftsmen's feet, and the blocked path prevented them from being transported out.
And outside the valley, the steep path, which could be called a 'A Line of Sky' (a line of sky), presented an equally desperate sight. Urgently needed building materials and sturdy timber were ruthlessly blocked by the bottomless cliff, and the blocked path prevented them from being transported in, creating chaos.
"Damn it! This is pointless!" A villager with a face covered in dust put down his hoe and leaned against the rock wall, panting. "The excavated stones can't be transported out! The timber from outside can't be transported in!"
The crowd began to murmur: "The stones under my feet have been piled up for a whole day!"
"Where are the people? Where are the people to transport the stones out!!!"
"This damned place! How can a castle possibly be built here!"
"We haven't even had a meal yet!!"
Excessive fatigue led to mental collapse, and doubt grew wildly in their tired bodies, and the crowd began to riot.
Evelyn heard these words, her body trembling. The current situation was beyond her capabilities. She had thought of all the difficulties in construction and excavation, but she hadn't expected to get stuck at the very first step of transportation.
Powerless! It was that feeling of powerlessness again!
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