Chapter 23. Beasts of the Underground (1)
It was a sunny spring day.
This year, the weather was especially clearer than other years.
Is it such a virtue?
The construction of the Barony of Frontera went smoothly.
The construction of the ondol room, which had been in place for a long time, continued step by step.
The penetration rate of ondol rooms in preparation for the coming winter has already exceeded 30%.
The recent mine development work also showed good progress every day.
Thanks to the shield technique, the days without an accident continued.
At first, they were anxious workers.
But now I was relieved.
devoted only to work.
The manor was full of vitality.
Farmers’ hands were busy.
The enlisted soldiers in the Corps of Engineers worked tirelessly.
The hands of the women who carried the new charms to them were also diligent.
Even the kids got busy.
Around this time, they were little pranksters who would be in the middle of hunting for frogs.
But this year, the frogs of the Prontera Territory were able to enjoy unprecedented peace.
The children did not catch the frog.
Instead, he wandered around the mine development construction site.
The children had only one purpose.
The phantasmagoric monster bell that Lloyd mobilized for this construction was a spectacle.
“wow! Come out!”
The children, who had been playing around the construction site all day, shouted excitedly when a bell appeared. Then, the fan service (?) of Bangbangi, who was out of the mine for a break, continued without fail.
“Bell! Drop!”
I deliberately took a big bite of the dirt near the shelter.
Loudly waving bells, they put on a show of releasing steel.
Every time that happened, the cheers of the children grow louder.
Workers resting outside the shaft continued to shout.
“Oh hey guys! Do you want to come near the construction site and make a fuss? Tell me how many times it’s dangerous here!”
“Isn’t it dangerous? Are you okay?”
“These guys? If you keep not listening to the adults, a beast ant as big as a wolf will come and catch you with a fuss?”
“Where in the world are ants like that?”
“Where is it? How many of those beasts are in the eastern wasteland beyond the mountains.”
“Still, it’s not here.”
“Uh, Inum answered me until the end!”
As such, it was the Frontera Territory where everyone was having an energetic day.
no not all
There were exceptions.
It was Podong.
“Ppodong…Podo-dong….”
I’m bored.
Thinking so, Pudong opened his mouth wide and yawned.
I guess I overslept today.
No, I woke up for a short time in the morning and then went back to sleep.
“Podo-dong….”
In fact, even if I wake up early, I have nothing to do.
It’s always been like that lately.
Lloyd didn’t take himself to mine.
Instead, he left himself in the mansion, saying, ‘I’m a bit surprised while taking a long-awaited rest’.
The reason was simple.
‘sorry. Because I don’t have enough sunflower seeds. I think it would be tight just to use it on Bell.’
To be mobilized for construction work, you must eat red sunflower seeds. You have to grow in size like that.
However, there was a limit to the number of sunflower seed sets for transformation.
red and blue.
It was said that only 1 RP was used to buy each one.
So, Podongi was left at the mansion.
Probably because a bell would be better for digging a tunnel safely.
‘I was worried that you might be in danger. I think the tunnel might be a bit narrow for you. If it collapses, you could seriously injure yourself. got it?’
…said Lloyd, who soothed himself.
I was a bit sad.
But couldn’t complain.
It was because he knew that Lloyd’s concern for him was sincere.
After that, Podongi was enjoying the life of an unemployed man who was not in the middle of the day.
“Ppodong…Podo-dong….”
Roll over here.
Roll over there.
It was nice to rest.
But I was so bored.
no one played with him
All I had to do was roll around, one turn to the left and one turn to the right all day long.
But even that was beyond the 20th day!
“…Podong! Podo dodo dodo!”
Podongie shook his round head.
He slapped his puffy cheeks like rice cakes.
All of a sudden, I realized that this isn’t a big deal.
“Ppodong!”
Something has to be done.
I think I’m going to die of boredom at this rate.
So let’s go outside
Having made up his mind, Podong kicked off his handkerchief and stood up.
Youngcha Youngcha went down the table leg.
I ran to the door and ran to it.
I clambered up the door.
He yanked the doorknob.
click.
The door is open.
went out into the hallway
“Ppodong?”
It was the first time he had come this far without Lloyd.
Looking at the long corridor, adventure and curiosity rather than fear rose gently.
“Ppodong!”
let’s go somewhere
Podongi ran along the hallway, and the dodo also ran.
When I met the stairs, I went down, and when the maids passed by, I followed them.
how many times did you shoot like that?
Before I knew it, Podongi came out to the courtyard of the mansion.
“Podoong….”
The sun was warm.
I liked the smell of grass in the gentle breeze.
The sweet scent of flowers came from somewhere.
Podongi’s steps followed the scent of flowers.
Then I finally met someone’s eyes.
“oh?”
A high-pitched voice came from above.
Podongie raised his head.
I identified the owner of the voice.
And my eyes met Baroness Frontera.
“…mouse?”
“Ppodong?”
“Not a mouse?”
“Ppodong!”
Podongie’s head nodded.
While tending the flower garden, Baroness Frontera took off her soiled gloves.
“Now you see. You’re the big summon my son summoned. Is that right?”
“Ppodong!”
“By the way, how did you come to the flower field?”
“Podo-dong? Boo-dong.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand what you are saying. Then maybe…Are you here to help me?”
“Ppodong?”
“I see. Was it like that too?”
“Podo-dong?”
Podongi tilted his head.
A hearty smile crept across the baroness’ lips.
“I am so grateful. Coincidentally, recently, several mice have been ruining the flower garden, which is why I was worried.”
“Ppodong?”
“Are you related to them?”
“Podo-dong? Podong?”
“If possible, could you visit them? Please ask those children not to ruin the flower garden on my behalf.”
“Ppodong?”
“Can you do that?”
“…Boo-dong!”
Pudongi nodded his head awkwardly.
In fact, they are not related to mice.
Maybe we can meet and talk.
But the baroness’s voice as she smiled at her was so warm.
And once I did that request, I thought I wouldn’t be bored for a while!
“Podo-dong! Boo-dong!”
Podongi stood up proudly on his two feet.
As if telling me to trust him, he patted my chest with the palms of his rice-like palms.
After accepting the baroness’s quest (?), Podongi ran vigorously toward the meadow.
♣
Do-do-do-do-do!
“Push!”
Coo-goo-goo!
A powerful command rang out.
The men moved busily.
The sapper’s sweaty muscles were reflected in the dark mine torches.
Worm-like tendons were carved into the muscles.
The steel shield advanced slowly.
As the shield moved forward, a board wall made of iron bars remained in the place vacated.
The paneling supported the weight of the freshly dug shaft.
How many times has this wall been erected?
they couldn’t know
It was only because they moved in perfect order according to the instructions.
Lloyd’s order fell to the blacksmith and the sappers who were breathing.
“Good job. rotation!”
“rotation!”
“Move quickly. Get some rest. Bring in the next workers!”
“input!”
A group of blacksmiths and sappers retreated behind the shields.
Blacksmiths and sappers from other groups filled the vacant positions.
“Is Lloyd all right?”
A blacksmith asked.
Lloyd laughed.
“why? Are you worried?”
“Yeah, of course….”
“are you okay. I’m not really working hard like you guys.”
“Still, if you stay here when it’s this hot and the air is stuffy….”
“Oh, thank you to the point of tears. done I will start working.”
Lloyd waved his hand.
The blacksmith, who had been looking this way anxiously, withdrew his gaze.
actually not very good
‘It’s hot and I’m going crazy.’
It was hot in the tunnel.
It just wasn’t that hot.
It felt like being in a sauna all day.
Besides, the air was too thick.
It was natural.
This was the end of the tunnel where excavation was taking place.
Because it was underground, the temperature was basically higher than outside.
The heat from the workers’ bodies also accumulated.
In addition, smooth ventilation could not even be dreamed of.
‘If I had more technology, I would have implemented the ventilation system properly.’
Ventilation was important in tunnel construction.
It was also an issue directly related to the safety of workers.
It was not good to drink a lot of dust, but above all, if oxygen deficiency due to a hypoxic environment occurred, there were cases where life was in danger.
In this construction, Lloyd was solving the problem with forced ventilation.
“hey! Don’t step on the air pipes!”
Lloyd shouted out loud.
One sapper jumped back in surprise.
A forearm-thick iron pipe was placed where the sapper was stepping.
It was the only breathing hole that let the outside air in here.
‘I’m at least enduring because I have that.’
The other side of the pipe leads out of the shaft.
There must be several workers eagerly turning the handle.
Then, a large pinwheel connected to the handle turned and forced air into the pipe, and the air came in to the end to supply oxygen.
“What are you going to do if there is a hole in the pipe connection? It’s not obvious here, but if you go further down, the air leaks in the middle. It’s that the new air isn’t coming in properly. okay? be careful.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Tsk. done Let’s focus.”
“yep!”
It was hot and tiring, so I felt like my nerves were getting sharper.
However, I couldn’t go outside and rest as often as other workers.
‘I have to check the situation in real time.’
There are many things to check yourself.
First of all, it was the path of the tunnel.
It was necessary to check in real time whether the excavation was proceeding properly towards the coal seam, or the layer in which the coal was buried.
‘It’s at least thanks to the previous lord’s meticulous records.’
Thankfully, the former lord brought three expensive wizards and conducted geological surveys over and over again. The coal seams discovered at that time were recorded in detail.
Thanks to that, it was easy to orientate.
But underground, there were many other dangers.
‘There are many dangers lurking in the invisible front. or groundwater. It’s like a layer of methane gas.’
Underground water could flood the excavated tunnel at best if touched incorrectly.
In addition, a layer of methane gas was added.
Because it is a flammable gas, it causes a great explosion.
‘Then it’s just the end.’
This was the scariest aspect of coal mine development.
Coal contains methanogenic bacteria that feed on its own chemical substances, MACs (methoxylated aromatic compounds), and produce methane gas. Because of the methane produced by the microorganisms, it was inevitable that methane gas layers were lurking around the coal veins.
‘So I can’t let my guard down for a second.’
At least three times a day had to use the surveying skill.
I had to keep checking what was in the 5 meter range ahead of me where I was digging.
In addition, the tail void subsidence phenomenon that occurs between the advancing shield and the remaining panel wall was also a target of caution.
‘It’s probably because the diameter of the shield is larger than that of the wall.’
Diameter of the advancing shield.
Diameter of panel walls assembled inside the shield.
Of course, there were subtle differences between the two.
Because of that, after the shield moved forward, the ground had no choice but to sink slightly by the difference in diameter between the two objects.
Minor collapse of only a few centimeters.
If it is neglected because it seems trivial, a catastrophe may occur in which everyone is buried alive hand in hand.
‘Do you think I’ll end up like that?’
swelter.
stuffy air.
In the midst of it, Lloyd struggled not to lose concentration.
I took off my top and endured the heat.
When my head went blank, I put my face against the pipe and took a few sips of fresh air.
A few more days of work followed.
The shaft got longer and longer.
That’s how close we got to our target, the coal seam.
‘Let’s work hard a little more.’
I suffered from the heat and stale air every day, and my fatigue did not go away.
I struggled to open my eyes every morning.
But it was something I just had to put up with.
Fortunately(?) this kind of experience was not unfamiliar to Lloyd.
‘I did more than this before!’
Compared to the days when I was living in the gosiwon, it was like heaven now.
At the time, I couldn’t even sleep properly.
I had a nosebleed in the classroom during the day.
From evening to night, I spilled a nosebleed while working part-time.
Even then it wasn’t over.
No matter how I split it up, I had to make time for it.
Only then could he digest the challenges that came pouring in.
At least, the best time to break up was sleep.
Sleep less and less again.
Chronic fatigue was inevitable.
It was a day when I continued to study and work like a zombie in a state where I was about to collapse.
‘But now? It’s hard only during construction, right?
Even the food was incomparably better than when I was at Gosiwon.
‘In Goshiwon, free rice and kimchi were all provided by default!’
When I thought that way, my spirit, which I hadn’t had before, flared up.
I never wanted to go back to those days.
In the future, the desire to make this manor even richer surged.
Thanks to such will and desire, construction and construction did not stop.
Bells and workers also became more proficient in their work.
The construction also gained momentum.
And finally, with Lloyd’s surveying skill, the coal seam at the target point was captured.
‘Finally out.’
A point 5 meters in front of the dead end as seen with an intermediate surveying skill.
There was a coal seam that was darkly located there.
It was high-grade ginseng bituminous coal underground.
“Now, the end is in sight! Let’s go!”
“Gazua!”
“Bell!”
Lloyd let out a shout of cheers.
The workers and the bell shouted in unison.
Even Xaviel, who had been calm all along, let out a shout.
Everyone had a gut feeling.
The end of the long and difficult construction is approaching.
Finally, the moment of completion is shining in front of my eyes.
“Fuck!”
The bell ate the last bite of soil toward the bituminous coal bed.
