Struggle in the Steam Age

"The attack of jackals will indeed cause us to lose some reindeer." Viscount Surrey introduced to Lawrence in detail the common problems encountered by the most important reindeer farming industry before the coal mine was discovered in this area.

"However, under the cover of strong buildings, those nomads can also cause a large number of casualties when the group of wolf men attack them, so the number of wolf men who came to attack has also decreased in recent years. Quite a few."

Viscount Surrey's observation of this situation is actually a very reasonable thing, because although Jackals are tough, they have intelligence similar to that of civilized races. It is obviously not worthwhile to lose your life for the high probability of eating in one bite.

So that's why so many people are willing to keep their nomadism in the wild even when coal mines are being dug out.

Because compared to the busy but still dangerous coal mines, although the work of herding reindeer earns a little less money, it is at least safer and easier.

After chatting for a while, Viscount Surrey and the men in the house went to inspect the spaces in the mountains, while Safiel accompanied the pregnant Isabella to drink tea and chat in the living room.

"I actually thought about leasing those spaces to the coal miners who came to my territory." Walking through the tunnel leading to those spaces, Viscount Surrey said helplessly.

"It's a pity that the people who run the coal mine don't think it's acceptable for workers to spend an hour or two a day on the road, and being a coal mine, there's no shortage of cheap fuel for heating - well, here we are, here are the idle Space."

At the end of the corridor, a huge cave hall about three stories high stood there. Unlike the caves that Lawrence and the others stayed in before, this huge space may seem warm like spring because it is far away from the cold climate outside.

But the bad thing is that he can feel that the room is very damp, and it may not be very suitable for human habitation.

"There are some tiny cracks around these caves," said Dwarf Huck. "So the water vapor coming out of the hot springs underground in this area will enter this space through those cracks, and then condense here and make the whole space humid."

"It seems that there is indeed too much water in this place." Lawrence walked a few steps into the depths of this space, only to find that water was constantly dripping from the roof of the cave onto himself. "But that doesn't mean the place can't do something."

"Plant some fungi or moss." The dwarf Huck showed an expression that I had thought of this a long time ago, "I thought so too, but you should know that there is often sulfur in hot springs, so rely on this thing The edible fungi grown out all have a strong sulfur smell, and even you humans will be poisoned after eating it."

"Of course I know this, but someone has grown a special fungus on my island." Lawrence remembered the special fungus that he and Nora had prepared for the Loca murlocs under his command.

At that time, the group of loca fish found an underwater volcano on New Sauer Island, so they asked Lawrence, hoping to help them find any creatures that could grow in that high-sulfur environment.

For those underwater creatures, an active volcano is the heart of a fertile region. It can attract a large amount of plankton, and then raise a large amount of seafood.

But correspondingly, the temperature of the water around those craters will rise to a level that ordinary creatures cannot approach, and at the same time, a large space around them is filled with acidified seawater and various creatures full of sulphur.

Under such circumstances, Nora and the group of members of the Agricultural Church naturally researched something about the plants and microorganisms that can be grown in this type of area.

Although they didn't screen out any edible crops that could grow in that area in a short period of time, they managed to find some creatures with certain economic value.

"Look, it's this kind of thing." Lawrence said as he took out a small test tube from the interspatial bag, and inside the test tube was a small group of yellow fibers soaked in some kind of yellow-green liquid.

"What is this?" Huck the dwarf asked after looking closely at the small test tube. "This thing looks like a—a ball of thread?"

"Almost, this is a special kind of fiber." Lawrence said, reaching into the interspatial bag again, and then took out a golden handkerchief from it and handed it to the dwarf.

"This hand roll is made of this fiber. You can look at it and feel the fiber."

"My hands can't feel the quality of this kind of thing." After taking the handkerchief, the dwarf smiled and stretched out his callused and scarred hand to Lawrence, and then handed the handkerchief to Viscount Surrey.

"So Robert, come and appreciate this thing. I think a nobleman should be better at handling these things."

"—Okay, let me see." Knowing that at this time, the Viscount Surrey should indeed come forward by himself, he smiled and took the handkerchief from the dwarf's hand, and then his face changed suddenly.

Because the Viscount Surrey clearly felt that the handkerchief in his hand was not only light, but also very smooth, as if it were top-quality silk.

But he can swear that the material of this thing is definitely not silk, because he has a lot of silk clothes, and those materials look very different from silk.

"What the hell is this?" Holding the piece of textile and looking at it several times, and even carefully looking at the oil lamp not far away, the Viscount Surrey asked Lawrence in a doubtful tone. arrive.

"I have a lot of silk products in my hand. In addition to those produced in the New World, there is also a batch of top-notch silk imported from the distant Cathay. But they look obviously different from yours."

"This is not silk, but a fiber formed by fungi." Lawrence didn't make a joke, but directly stated the source of this thing.

"And the suitable place for this kind of fungus to grow is a place that is humid and full of various sulfides, and there is no strong sunlight. I think your place should be very suitable except for the seabed."

"Uh, it's really suitable." Looking at the huge cave in front of him that looked very dark because there were only a few oil lamps, the Viscount Surry paused and said, then handed the handkerchief to Lawrence.

"By the way, can you tell me about the specific situation of this thing? For example, how should this thing be bred?"

"Actually, this thing grows more like planting." Lawrence took the handkerchief and said.

"After the bacteria are placed on some organic medium, they will slowly grow in this high-sulfur and humid environment. After more than half a year of cultivation, this thing will grow to be as long as one and a half palms , then it will be able to harvest.”

"Does this thing consume a lot of manpower?" Viscount Surrey asked seriously. "You know I don't have many people in my territory, so if it consumes too much manpower, it may be difficult for me to promote this industry."

"Not much at all, otherwise I wouldn't recommend this to you." Lawrence said while shaking the small bottle containing the bacteria in his hand.

"At least five or six mermaids can manage a one-hectare plantation. Although their management plan is a bit too rough, it also shows from another aspect that this thing is really easy to raise."

"However, I need to remind you that the length of the fibers of this thing has reached the limit of a palm and a half, and it is also difficult to weave two fibers together because the fibers are very smooth and soft."

Looking at Viscount Surrey with a happy face, Lawrence felt that there were some things that he needed to remind him. "So unless some extraordinary power is used, this kind of fiber can at most make a little gadget."