The black stone collar ushered in the last autumn rain at the end of autumn, and the rain swept down from the black oppressive sky, as if venting the reluctance to leave.

Qin Song's guerrilla plan successfully contained the orcs and the Holy Spirit, causing both sides to reconsider the battle plan of Dao Tan Town.

But this is not a one-and-done solution, sooner or later, they will all find out that the person behind the scenes is the culprit who created the predicament.

However, at least the Blackstone Collar bought enough time to build.

For example, in the residential area of the lords, under the continuous rush of the Blackstone construction team led by Robles, brand new brick houses have risen from the ground, horizontal and vertical, neat and tidy, and there are spacious streets reserved in the middle, which will be laid with cement and hardened in the near future.

The raindrops crashed against the roof, making a crisp sound. Leah put down the quill in her hand and twisted her shoulders, it took a lot of effort to settle the people to survive the winter.

According to her statistics, the population of the Black Stone Collar totaled 1,126, including 279 families, and most of the remaining people were Qin Song's army, as well as some unrelated and unprovoked refugees, numbering 268 people.

Regarding the handling of this part of the people, Liya referred to Qin Song's opinion and divided them according to their age, children and young people were arranged to the school, and middle-aged men and women were arranged to work in the workshop as workers, working and paying, eating and living.

Brick houses were in short supply, and most of them were still damp, so they had to do their best to make the most of the castle. As a fortress of military role, it has long lost its due role in the face of powerful weapons. Empty granaries, storerooms, stables, bakeries, meeting rooms, etc., were used to house the people, and they were also used to the fullest.

"Leah. Alice's delightful voice came: "Good news. ”

"What's the good news?" Leah turned back to look at Alice, whose blonde hair was wet, her little face was tinged with a faint flush, and her eyes were full of light.

Looking back, Leah felt like she was in a different world, she thought she had lost enough, but Alice's choice brought her a whole new world.

"Steam mill!" Alice pulled a roll of parchment from her bosom and ran to the table to spread it out: "The efficiency of livestock is too low, and I have designed a new steam-powered mill." As long as there is enough blackstone, it can grind a steady stream of fine flour. You see, I've also designed mechanical sieves that don't have to take up valuable manpower anymore. ”

Leah listened to her explain the drawings with a smile, although some of the mechanical structures were not easy to understand, but Alice's confident expression, with a strong appeal, made her happy from the bottom of her heart.

"Did Qin teach you?" Liya pulled out a towel to help her wipe her wet hair, smiling all over her face.

"No. Alice winked playfully: "I came up with it myself." You know, our mill is so inefficient, and there's a lot of barley in the warehouse. If we had relied on our own mills, I am afraid that in the winter the people would have to feed on barley. ”

"You've grown a lot, Alice, and I'm proud of you. ”

"No, we should all be proud of knowledge. Alice had a sweet smile on her face: "Knowledge is not only wealth, but also food!Haha, if there were no orcs and no Holy Spirit, our Blackstone Territory would definitely be a good place to prosper." ”

"yes. Liya sighed: "But we are still guarding here, and we will definitely prosper." ”

"Do you know what my next plan is?" Alice excitedly unfolded a drawing of a ship: "I'm going to put the steam engine on the ship, so we don't have to rely on sails!"

"Really?" Leah's eyes widened.

"Of course, but it's very difficult, and I have a lot of doubts. Maybe they have to consult Qin, their ancestors have built steel giant ships, and there will definitely be a way!"

Leah was about to say a few words of encouragement when there was a knock outside the door.

"Leah, Alice, we, Blackstone, have brought in a guest. Carrick wore a windshield to protect him from the rain: "Mason Pierre, our old acquaintance. ”

A merchant from Arabe, Captain Mason, and his buddy Halsey are currently taking refuge in Blackstone with a caravan. It's just that now that Blackstone Collar and Daotan Town are under the invasion of orcs, it seems a bit risky to come at this time.

"Invite him to the living room of the government affairs hall, and I will be there shortly. Leah nodded, "By the way, call his old buddy Halsey." ”

"Got it. ”

"Alice, what do you think he's going to do when he's here?"

"Merchant, of course, is doing business. ”

"Then let's go and see what he has to do. ”

......

When Leah and Alice arrived in the government hall wearing hooded leather cloaks, Mr. Halsey also arrived with straw hats and saluted politely: "Lord Leah, Lord Alice, greetings to you, it's a pleasure to meet you." ”

Leah and Alice responded politely and walked into the government hall with Mr. Halsey.

Mr. Mason, dressed in a modest robe and with neatly groomed hair, was curiously surveying the red brick house, with Carrick by his side.

"Oh my God, that's a great idea. Mason touched the hard red bricks with his hand and the solidified cement in the cracks: "The Black Stone Collar is a place of miracles everywhere. ”

Leah took off her hood and unfastened her cloak: "Mr. Pierre, welcome to Blackstone Collar." ”

Mason turned around in surprise and immediately bowed down to stroke his chest: "Lord Leah, Lord Alice, it's a pleasure to see you again, it's my honor to be here in person with the Black Stone Collar. ”

"Let's talk as we go, Carrick, and tell the cook to arrange some of our Blackstone Collar specialties for Mr. Pierre. ”

The two sides sat down at the long table in the living room, and Leah asked with a smile, "Mr. Captain, you must be very tired from this voyage." ”

"It's not been a smooth road. Mason smiled wryly and paused, "When I left, Daotan Town was still very prosperous. But now, the empty town has become a dead town. ”

"Originated from the invasion of the orcs. It's not just Daotan Town, we're also under threat. In a sense, your choice to come to Blackstone Collar at this time is not a wise choice. ”

"You're very honest. Mason had, and his eyes fell on Halsey: "My old buddy Halsey told me to come to Blackstone Collar for a trip. If you miss it, I'm afraid you will regret it for the rest of your life. Rest assured, I landed from Blackstone Territory, and from our original trail, it was just a little muddy. ”

Leah glanced at Halsey meaningfully, "Mr. Captain, although you are far away in Arabe, you are very well informed. ”

As a shrewd businessman, Mason heard the meaning of Leah's words, and hurriedly waved his hand: "Lord Leah, this old fellow of mine is definitely not spying on you. He was just shocked by the miracle you had done, and didn't tell me what it was, and believe me, it would be absolutely stupid to ruin our friendship like that. ”

"I hope so. This kind of behavior is similar to the inner ghost, but there is no need to be too pursued, and Lia nodded: "However, we are also happy to meet you." ”

The prosperous Arabe represents wealth, and the Pierre family is one of the most famous big families, although Mason is only a sideline, but the formula for the treatment of the 'Poseidon's curse' he brought back last time earned a huge amount of wealth for the family, and also made his status rise steadily.

So, this time, when he received a letter from Halsey, which mentioned the threat of the orcs, he still chose to come non-stop.

"Haha, every time I come here, it makes me feel different. Mason's face was full of curiosity: "A lord should live in a castle." But these houses cut out of red stone have a different feel. I've heard that this red stone wasn't mined, but you made it?"

"Yes. Lia nodded reservedly: "It is true that we made it with a special method, at a low price, and in mass production." ”

Low price, mass production......

Mason's eyes were full of eagerness, but now was not the time to ask directly: "I believe what you say, it sounds very marketable. ”

Leah smiled without saying a word, and the cook duly picked up a plate of round pastries, smeared with a layer of pale yellow crystal slime with a faint sweet smell, and distributed them to the plates in front of them.

"Tired journey, please. Leah held out her hand politely.

Is this honey?

Mason was a little excited, and it was a very high courtesy to entertain guests with honey, which made him feel very flattered.

"This ...... Lord Leah, honey is too luxurious. ”

"It's not honey. Leah had a mysterious smile on her face: "You can taste it first." ”

"Isn't it honey?" Mason was even more curious, and during the voyage his meal was basically dry and hard bread and bacon, as well as wine, so he stopped being reserved, and gracefully picked up a piece and felt the soft and fluffy touch.

Gently put it in your mouth and chew it, and a burnt sweetness is released on your taste buds!

In this era when sugar is extremely precious, sweets are definitely a luxury and a delicacy, even Mason, a big man, his eyebrows are stretched out in an instant, and at the same time his heart is even more curious.

"Lord Leah, this sweetness is indeed different from honey. Mason couldn't hold back any longer: "Oh my God, please don't tell me, you made it yourself." ”

Leah and Alice looked at each other, a smile on their lips, "I'm sorry, you're right. ”

"Really!" Mason bounced almost out of his seat, his face full of undisguised excitement, "You can make sweeteners! ”

Honey is indeed precious, because the production is limited and not controlled by man. But if you can master the method of making sweeteners, it means that you can manufacture them in batches -

This is definitely a great asset.

Leah's next sentence was another bombshell.

"Counterfeiting is cheap, mass production. ”

Mason gasped and froze.