CHAPTER 328: CHAPTER 207 GOWES DEFECTS

Some people went to the Furniture Workshop, where their efficiency was much higher.

After all, tools needed by carpenters such as saws, planes, and chisels were readily available, and most of the craftsmen were highly skilled. In just a day or two, small wooden furniture like bowls, cups, and cans were completed.

A few days later, larger pieces like stools, chairs, and tables also appeared. Then more complex items like wooden barrels, beds, and various cabinets were made. After careful sanding and polishing (since there was no paint, the furniture was unpainted), they were delivered to the furniture shop in the market, sold to tribesmen on credit, marking the Nix Tribe’s first shop to start trading.

After completing the construction of the wooden bridge, Spukala immediately devoted himself to the construction of the Hydrological Hammer, water mill, and Water Wheel.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that these three things are much smaller than the wooden bridge, as their structures are quite intricate and complex. The preliminary work alone took a lot of time, including site selection, measurement, extensive calculations, and drawing... To ensure swift success in production, Spukala gathered all the skilled and experienced carpenters of the tribe to join the team, with Tetilipus as the leader.

Everyone was very enthusiastic about this because Maximus publicly stated: The Hydrological Hammer, water mill, and Water Wheel are among the most complex crafts today. If successful, they will not only greatly aid the tribe but also elevate its prestige in the region. Rewards and promotions will be given to the top three performers among the craftsmen involved.

Motivated by this, the craftsmen worked tirelessly under Spukala’s guidance. Soon, Water Wheels were erected beside the villages of Snowdonia and Westeni.

The reason for such quick completion naturally also had to do with the fact that Water Wheels are mainly made of wood, requiring no precise metal components like pulleys, nor was there a need to divert water, build dams, or construct special houses, and so on.

After several tests and improvements, the Water Wheel began operating officially on the day when tribesmen flocked to watch, forming an impenetrable barrier around the riverbank where the wheel was located.

The Water Wheel resembled a giant wooden disk, standing at an edge near the riverbank where the river water was deep and swift, and the flowing water gently spun the wheel...

Maximus noticed that the water was not being scooped by the tipping buckets he often saw in his past life in the countryside, but by triangular wooden water tanks. A round hole was made above one side of the tank. When the tank was turned to the lowest point and immersed in the river, water filled most of it through the hole. When the tank reached the top of the Water Wheel, it tilted, pouring water onto the tank’s top, which then flowed out through the round hole as the Water Wheel continued to spin. As the angle of the tilting tank increased, more water flowed out...

Most of this flowing water fell into a hollowed-out groove of a tree trunk close to the Water Wheel and firmly fixed on the riverbank. The water brought up by the Water Wheel flowed through it into a pre-dug deep trench... This earth channel crossed roads and led to the ditches between fields (After plowing the fields, during this pre-spring sowing period, the Agricultural Department mobilized most of the Reserve Tribe Members to fully excavate the channels while also encouraging the Official Tribe Members to join when free, and so nearly half of the channels that the Agricultural Department planned to dig were completed in a short time.).

Seeing the clear river water flowing into the ditches beside their fields, thus relieved from the trouble of fetching water for irrigation and the fear of dried-up fields, tribesmen cheered with joy...

Maximus also smiled with relief: Whether buckets or tanks, as long as the effect is the same, there’s no need to be overly persistent...

............

With the passage from winter to spring, the cold vanished, and the earth warmed.

A gentle drizzle nurtured all things; small grass pierced the ground, growing lush; wildflowers bloomed in competition, adorning the fields; birds soared in the blue sky, fish frolicked at the riverbed, frogs croaked in the grass, wild deer bounded through the forest... a lively early spring scene.

The sentries of the Nix Tribe were not enchanted by this charming spring view. They stood in the watchtower on the north bank of the Kupa River, mindful of their duties, always watching the dense forest ahead.

Since the Nix Tribe settled along the Kupa River, initially, they only set up posts in the mountains on the south bank to prevent sudden attacks from the Brochi people.

But with the construction of the wooden bridge, the fields on the north bank were extensively cultivated by the tribesmen. Particularly after the establishment of the tribe’s most important workshop area on the north bank, ensuring the north bank’s safety became a topic of discussion. Several watchtowers were successively built on the north bank to guard against enemy surprises.

The sentry was stationed in a watchtower located on the northern bank of the Kupa River, at the northeastern border of the Nix Tribe’s territory. Not far ahead was the dense forest, with the territory of Segestica to the east. Although months had passed peacefully since the signing of the truce agreement, the sentries always remembered the team officer’s reminders, maintaining high vigilance.

At this moment, the sentry suddenly widened his eyes because he saw a group of people coming out from the narrow path at the forest edge where wild boars and deer often appeared...

After days of wandering in the dark forest, they were momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight upon stepping out. Gowes quickly squinted his eyes, slowly adjusting after a while.

Gazing at the expansive fields and flowing river ahead, Gowes felt a sense of relief. He carefully discerned and then exclaimed excitedly, "We are heading in the right direction! We not only left this damn forest but also reached our intended destination!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a companion next to him said, "That village across the river was seized from the Aldeans last year by the people of Segestica. We came here with the Segestica’s team, and I remember it well."

"Indeed, the village was empty then. I heard it had been attacked by those outsiders who took many Segestica people," echoed another companion.

"It’s different now," said Gowes with a complex expression, "Remember what those Segestica Prisoners we captured said? Those outsiders have reoccupied the village and settled there..."

"It’s indeed very different from the last time we were here..." another companion looked ahead in surprise. Before he could continue, sharp wooden whistle sounds came from the front, and soon a small cavalry unit charged towards them.

Despite only six cavalrymen, each wore a helmet and leather armor, armed with Wooden Shield and Spear, looking formidable.

At a distance of fifty meters from Gowes’s team, the cavalry stopped, led by the tribe’s Cavalry Captain Hagux, who happened to be patrolling nearby. Upon hearing the sentry’s alarm, he arrived first, suspecting there was an enemy situation.

He scrutinized the group before him: they were ragged, faces covered in dust, each was thin, some with wounds covered in blood, barely able to stand independently, supporting each other, looking like a group of refugees, with only a few holding Wooden Shield and Spear, showing a fierce demeanor that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Although they looked more like the Skodisqi people, Hagux did not dare to lower his guard. He waved his long spear and shouted, "Hey, who are you?! How dare you intrude into the territory of the Nix Tribe!"

Just as he spoke, a troop of about a hundred soldiers appeared in the distance, each clad in heavy armor, carrying large shield and short sword, marching in columns towards them rapidly.

Gowes quickly responded, "Don’t misunderstand! My name is Gowes, a Skodisqi, who fought alongside you months ago to defeat the army led by the Segestica Great Leader! This time, I brought these tribesmen who dare to resist the Segestica people to seek refuge with you!"

After listening to his subordinate’s translation, Hagux looked carefully at Gowes, his appearance indeed seemed somewhat familiar, then shouted, "If you truly come to join us, throw away your weapons to show your sincerity, and I will take you to meet our leader."

As he was speaking, the fully armed Centurion had arrived, standing in a long line behind Hagux.

Internally startled, Gowes still replied somewhat firmly, "Before coming here, we were hunted by Segestica people, suffering multiple battles, and many tribesmen perished to escape... We won’t easily discard the weapons that ensure our safety! And we won’t easily go with you unless we see your leader!"

"Who do you think you are, expecting our leader to come here to meet you! So many Skodisqi people have come from Brochi, none as unreasonable as you!" The Centurion leader couldn’t help but scold after hearing the translation.

"Enough, stop talking," Hagux restrained the Centurion leader.

Observing the stubborn Gowes, Hagux was also upset, but knowing "this might be the band of robbers that has been plundering in the Segestica territory for months" shocked him.

Realizing the unusual situation, Hagux held back his anger and coldly stated, "If that’s the case, then wait here. I’ll immediately report to the leader and see if he’s willing to meet you. Until then, it’d be wise to stay put, or you’ll be seen as having malicious intent, and don’t blame them if they take action." Hagux pointed to the Heavy Infantry behind him, solemnly reminding.

Then, after some instructions to the Centurion leader and his cavalry, he rode off alone.