LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 63: The Exiled Young Girl Acquires Quicklime
After some time, Simon returned from his buying trip. In addition to the materials needed for refining gold dust, he had also bought a large amount of quicklime.
The plan was to mix the quicklime with water and sand to make something called mortar. (*Note: Mortar is a gray liquid that’s applied between bricks or stones to hold them together so they don’t collapse*).
I don’t know much about it, but apparently, if left alone, it hardens and becomes stone-like. So, I think it’s probably something similar to concrete.
Anyway, with this mortar, we can build brick houses and walls that won’t easily wash away in the rain like rammed earth fortifications.
Brick construction should also reduce the damage caused by storms like the one we had recently.
“Simon, Anna, thank you. You’ve done a great job.”
“No, it was just what needed to be done. By the way, my lord, I was approached for a business deal in Bitterley, but they tried to haggle, so I turned them down on the spot.”
“Oh, is that so? It’s fine. I’m not that eager to rent it out, so it’s no big deal.”
“Understood.”
“Anything else?”
“No, nothing in particular.”
“Got it. Thanks for your hard work. Now, please deliver the necessary supplies to Walter.”
“Yes, as you wish.”
“I’ll take care of transporting the quicklime.”
“Thank you.”
“Alright, you all carrying the quicklime, follow me.”
*Clang clang.*
With a group of skeletons pulling a large cart, I headed to the warehouse where Patrick and the others were waiting.
When I arrived, not only Patrick but also Will and the members of the vigilante group were there.
“Huh? You guys came too? Are you here to help?”
“Aye.”
“Thanks. Could you take the quicklime from the cart and store it in the warehouse?”
“Aye.”
Will and the others easily lifted the heavy-looking sacks and carried them into the warehouse. Once they had finished, Will spoke up.
“So this sandy stuff is quicklime, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Miss, does this stuff really get hard?”
“Apparently.”
“Huh…”
Will didn’t seem convinced, but since I didn’t know the details either, I couldn’t say much.
“Thanks, everyone, for helping out.”
“Aye.”
I thought Will and the others would leave right away, but they showed no signs of doing so.
“…Wait, are you guys helping with the construction too, not just Patrick?”
“Well, Gob and the others handle everything, so we don’t really have much to do. So…”
“Oh, I see. Well then, check with Patrick and see how you can cooperate. Oh, and let me know if you run out of skeletons.”
“Aye.”
“The goblin skeletons should know how to use the mortar, so just give them instructions. First…”
With that, I left Will and the others to handle things and returned home.
Meanwhile, around the same time, a group of about a hundred people, including several dozen knights, arrived in Clarinton. The knights, bearing the coat of arms of the Marquis of Southbury, rode through the crowded main street of the town, heading straight for the mayor’s mansion.
The mayor himself welcomed them at the gate.
“Welcome, knights. I am Ashton Higgins, appointed mayor of Clarinton by the Marquis of Southbury.”
“Well met. I am Cedric Dawson, the captain.”
A large man in a grandly decorated suit of armor, clearly the leader, answered brusquely from horseback.
“Dawson? Does that mean you’re related to Baron Langley?”
“…Baron Langley is my brother.”
“Ah, I see! No wonder! I thought you had a different air about you. Might there be other noblemen in your group?”
Cedric clicked his tongue softly.
“Don’t babble. How long are you going to keep us waiting?”
“My apologies! Please, come inside.”
Cedric and his group rode into the grounds of the mayor’s mansion, and soon the gate closed behind them.
Once they reached the front of the mansion, the knights finally dismounted.
“Mayor. Is everything ready?”
“Yes, the reception room is prepared for you!”
“Good. Then we will begin immediately.”
“Understood!”
The mayor led about a dozen knights into the mansion. The remaining squires and attendants were guided by servants to take care of the horses.
Once in what appeared to be the reception room, the knights got straight to the point.
“So, you want to confirm the situation in Scarletford?”
“Yes. It has been decided that Baron Scarletford is to return to Southbury. Along with this, the ban on trade is to be lifted immediately, and trade will resume.”
“Trade, you say…”
“That’s right. Is there a problem?”
“N-no, but the Marquis—”
“Silence! This is my lord’s decision!” Cedric declared loudly.
“Besides! Scarletford is a frontier village in the Forest of Demons, isn’t it?”
“But…”
“And! I heard that Baron Scarletford is a young child who ventured into the Forest of Demons, right? Even though there was an unfortunate misunderstanding, the trade ban must have been quite difficult. While it’s clear that my lord’s decision was a thoughtful one, neglecting the maintenance of the roads is outrageous! Are you trying to disgrace my lord?”
“Huh? B-but the trade ban was the decision of the Marquis, and the blockade was well received—”
“Oh?”
“Eek!”
“Are you saying that my lord ordered such a cruel thing as blocking the roads?”
“N-no, there was no such order…”
“Then! The fact that the roads weren’t maintained is your own negligence, isn’t it, mayor?”
“That’s ridiculous! Who would maintain a road through the Forest of Demons that’s never used!?”
“I see. I understand your point, mayor. I will make sure to report it to my lord. I’ll say you showed signs of rebellion.”
“Eek! W-wait! Please, anything but that!”
“Then you know what you need to do. Get to work immediately on restoring the road!”
“Yes! I will gather workers at once!”
The mayor hurriedly left the reception room.
“Everyone, take your rest. Tomorrow, we’ll begin exploring the Forest of Demons.”
“Yes, sir!”
With Cedric’s command, the other knights responded with powerful voices.
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**Note 1:** Generally, mortar refers to a mixture of cement, water, and sand. However, in this story, quicklime is being used, so it is more accurately called lime mortar.
**Note 2:** Concrete, as commonly known, is a mixture of cement, water, sand, and gravel as coarse aggregate. While its adhesive strength is inferior to mortar, it is said to be less prone to cracking. Reinforced concrete, used in buildings and other structures, is concrete with embedded rebar, making it more resistant to tensile forces.