While the Dawn Order made progress, things were also busy elsewhere.
The blacksmith shop had gone to great lengths to craft mining tools for the Cyclops.
With the help of over a hundred Vampire mages, nearly two thousand iron tools were melted down and recast into five sets of mining equipment suitable for the Cyclops.
The massive cross-shaped picks lay on the ground like engineering hammers, with handles made from six-to-seven-blade-long logs requiring a human's embrace to even hold.
Most eye-catching was the gigantic iron hammer, which cracked the bluestone floor just by being placed on it.
If not wielded by the Cyclops, such tools could easily be used by armies to batter down walls.
Seeing this scene, Li De's lips twitched involuntarily as he cast a meaningful glance at Harrison.
If he had followed Harrison's suggestion to incorporate the Cyclops into the army, the sheer amount of material required to craft armor for these behemoths would have driven him to despair.
It was far too resource-intensive.
However, these tools would suffice for now. After extracting the first batch of ore, new ones could be forged. It wouldn't take long before all the Cyclops were properly equipped.
A flicker of excitement passed through Kosso's eyes as his enormous body caused the ground to vibrate slightly. He reached out and picked up the massive iron hammer.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
The eight-hundred-pound hammer, in the hands of this Cyclops Lord, felt as light as a dagger.
"Master, it's too light."
Hearing this, Golddig's face flushed with embarrassment. As a smith with dwarven blood, having his crafted tools criticized certainly stung.
But he had done his best; even the most skilled smith couldn't forge legendary artifacts without proper materials.
"It's fine for now. Make do with these for the time being. Once you've mined enough ore, I'll have them craft you a heavier and better weapon right away.
I have full confidence in Master Golddig's craftsmanship."
Hearing this, Golddig's face filled with gratitude. "Lord Kachar, serving you is Golddig's honor. Your kindness deserves praise even from the God of Forging!"
Kosso scratched his head and swung the hammer casually, nodding deeply with a deep, resonant voice.
"Yes, Master."
Although the weapon was light, it was still made of iron, far superior to his previous wooden mace.
"Harrison, take the Vampires here along with Kosso and the other Cyclops to Giant Valley.
Begin mining as quickly as possible. I want to have the farming tools ready before the end of the Months of Deep Winter."
Nearly a month of the Months of Deep Winter had already passed.
[T/N: Changed to months of deep winter, instead of month]
If they lacked essential farming tools next spring, the impact would be significant.
In Li De's plans, agriculture would be the focus of Dawn City's development next year.
Agriculture was the foundation of everything. Without food, how could anyone think about development?
Only when agriculture was stabilized could the city develop.
Thus, Li De wouldn't slacken on the key points of his plan.
"Yes, Clan Leader."
Upon receiving the order, Harrison immediately began making arrangements.
Out of the corner of his eye, Li De spotted a small figure in the crowd. Smiling faintly, he waved his hand.
"Jones."
Hearing Li De call him, little Jones stepped forward with a hint of surprise.
"Good day, Lord Kachar."
Jones, now dressed in a new set of cotton clothes, bowed respectfully with a hand on his chest, mimicking the manners of an adult.
Li De patted the young apprentice prospector's shoulder gently.
"You've done exceptionally well this time. You've rendered a great service to Dawn City.
I personally award you 10 points and will increase your monthly salary to 1 Gold Puck." Seeing Jones' delighted expression, Li De smiled faintly.
"The development of Dawn City relies on everyone's efforts. You are still young, and youth holds immense potential.
Work hard, and the future will belong to you."
Jones' young heart swelled with excitement, his face flushing red with emotion.
"Lord Kachar, Jones is willing to give his life for you!"
Finishing his words, he knelt on one knee in front of Li De, imitating the knightly salute he had once seen.
Li De laughed heartily and helped the boy up.
"Good. I hope you can contribute even more to Dawn City.
Do you have any other rewards you'd like me to grant?"
Jones' excited, flushed face turned bashful. He glanced back at Henner, the Vampire leading the prospecting team. Upon seeing his encouraging nod, he eagerly spoke up.
"Lord Kachar, I hope Uncle Sam can become an employee of the City Hall."
"Uncle Sam?"
"Uncle Sam is the neighbor who helped me escape from the village. He's the person closest to me, and he's always hoped for a stable job."
Seeing Jones hurriedly explain, Li De nodded approvingly. "Not bad, you're a good lad who knows gratitude. I'll arrange this matter." Turning to Henner, he said.
"Henner, take Jones and assign him to the logistics team."
"Yes, Lord Progenitor."
Henner bowed amidst Jones' excited expression.
"You are truly great, Lord Kachar. Thank you for your mercy and generosity."
Seeing the admiration in Jones' eyes, Li De felt gratified.
"Jones, this is all thanks to your hard work. In Dawn City, effort is rewarded. Dawn City won't overlook any resident who works hard."
His words carried loudly, and the surrounding blacksmiths and passersby looked on with deep emotion.
How fortunate they were to have such a great city lord.
"Though we've discovered an iron mine, our exploration cannot stop here. I'll rely on you to continue searching for veins for Dawn City.
Jones, the future mineral veins of Dawn City are entrusted to you."
Li De patted Jones' shoulder earnestly, and the boy instantly felt a wave of recognition and responsibility wash over him, greatly encouraged.
Being treated so highly by Lord Kachar felt incredible.
Jones was filled with pride and honor.
"Lord Kachar, Jones won't disappoint you."
After Li De left the blacksmith shop, news of this incident spread rapidly throughout Dawn City.
Everyone praised Li De's actions.
In the following days, the number of people visiting the Dawn Church doubled. To have such a city lord, who wouldn't feel honored?
After receiving Li De's promise, Jones rushed back to his residence with Henner.
It was a two-story building.
Originally, others had shared the space with Jones, but since the discovery of the iron mine, the only resident besides Jones was Uncle Sam, the villager who had fled with him.
For Jones' safety, Harrison had even stationed a fixed guard post near the building.
In case of danger, guards would protect Dawn City's sole prospector immediately.
Thump, thump, thump~
Jones ran upstairs with eager excitement.
Bang~
Pushing open the door on the right, he entered.
The room was tidy, filled with the strong scent of burning wood, exuding a warm atmosphere.
"Uncle Sam, I'm back~"
Sam, warming himself by the fireplace, flinched at the loud noise and turned to glare at Jones.
"Boy, come over and warm yourself. What's with all the yelling?!"
Jones brushed off the snowflakes clinging to his body and approached Sam with a wide grin, speaking before sitting down.
"Uncle Sam, guess what good news I have today?"
Sam was an ordinary farmer in his forties, with a prominent hooked nose, short stature, and dark skin.
He had never married, and from the moment he brought Jones along, he regarded the clever boy as his own son.
"What good news? Did you get paid today? No, you were paid just half a month ago."
"Not my salary, keep guessing."
"Did you get promoted?"
"No."
"Did the girl next door agree to be your girlfriend?"
Jones' face instantly turned bright red, glaring at Sam indignantly.
"Uncle Sam, I requested Lord Kachar to make you an employee of the City Hall!"
Snap~
Sam was struck dumb, his body stiffening as he turned his head toward Jones in disbelief.
"W-what?! Y-you… you…"
His face reflected both anticipation and unease, dreading yet hoping to hear Jones' answer.
Seeing Sam's expression, Jones broke into a radiant smile.
"Uncle Sam, Lord Kachar agreed! He said you'll be assigned to the logistics team as a formal employee, not a temporary worker!"
Sam, looking at Jones' happy face, felt his eyes instantly redden.
As an ordinary commoner with no skills, no particular abilities, and not even proficient at farming, he had once scraped by doing odd jobs for nobles.
Never did he imagine that one day he'd work in the prestigious City Hall, and in the easygoing logistics team no less—where one could earn 10 Silver Pucks a month.
"Jones, thank you, thank you."
Seeing tears streaming down Sam's face, Jones became flustered and tongue-tied. In his mind, Uncle Sam was a tall, reliable pillar of strength, and he had never seen him lose composure like this.
"Uncle Sam, don't cry. It's true. Lord Kachar really agreed!"
"No, Jones, I'm crying because I'm happy!"
With that, Sam abruptly stood up, laughing through his tears.
"Praise Lord Kachar!! Praise Dawn City!! I, Sam, will never forget this!!"