Farming in the Magical World

Did you manage to make a mold using the same material as the crucible and the clay?

Of course not! Although the whole thing has been sintered and hardened, the raised positive lines on it fall off with the slightest touch!

It's unusable now, sigh!

Seeing Lenny frowning, everyone around him kept quiet, except for Jimmy, who kept casting questioning glances at Cody—he was the last to arrive and didn't quite understand what Lenny was trying to do!

But Cody had no time to pay attention to him; he was also racking his brains trying to think of a way to fulfill Lord Lanny's request!

"Master, do you remember when we first made the patterned sword?"

Suddenly, Hammer shouted excitedly, talking about how the three of them initially researched how to forge the Dark Pattern Sword. Only Cody was absent at the time and looked at Hammer with a blank expression!

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Lanny replied casually, wondering why Iron Hammer suddenly brought up the old story.

"Oh dear, sir, you've forgotten. I don't know what magical thing you used back then, but you managed to make that iron sword as soft as this mud brick?"

"Since you want something that can be cut as easily as a block of clay and is as hard as iron, just do it the way it was before!"

Oh right, how could I have forgotten about this?

Lanny wanted to slap himself hard. This was like looking for a donkey while riding one. As long as you use molding powder, you can cut and mold this pig iron however you want!

Too expensive? It depends on what you're comparing it to!

Compared to my own life, is this sculpting powder, which costs only one gold coin, really that expensive?

"Where did I put that thing? I remember there were some left over!" Lanny frowned and recalled for a moment before realizing that he had simply left it in the study!

When he brought the sculpting powder from the study, he saw that there was only about half a packet left, so he stopped what he was doing!

There's only so much stuff, it can't withstand his tinkering. If it were up to his carving skills, it would be absolutely impossible to carve five array diagrams within the time it takes for the molding powder to take effect!

Carving skills?

"Cody, how's that guy... the one who prints books in the workshop?"

Lanny couldn't recall the person's name for a moment; he only remembered that he had instructed Cody to receive him!

"Sir, you mean old George, that carpenter Elfen?" Cody glanced at Lanny with a puzzled look, and only continued after Lanny nodded. "He's almost finished the book you gave him, and he's been working on how to print it lately... Should I call him over?"

"Oh, almost done? So fast?"

Lanny frowned. How long had old George been at the castle, and he was already saying he was about to finish engraving the novel?

Lanny had absolutely no memory or knowledge of the printing plate manufacturing speed, so he couldn't judge whether the speed was fast or slow; he simply felt that it seemed a bit fast!

Thinking about old George's past, he even suspected that the guy was lying to Cody!

"By the way, does he still gamble?" Lanny suddenly asked!

He then remembered that this guy also had a gambling addiction. Considering the importance of the item in his hand, he was hesitant about whether to let this person handle it.

"Hehe, definitely not!" Cody was very confident about this!

While it's impossible to say that gambling is completely absent from the castle, it's practically nonexistent in the open. Lanny himself has strictly prohibited it within the guards. The workshop and several squads of the Second Company are stationed together, so who would dare to commit a crime under the very noses of those guards?

"Alright, go and call him over!" Lenny nodded, and before Cody left, he added, "Also, have him bring two templates for me to take a look at!"

In fact, given the current situation, Lanny had no choice. There were plenty of people in the castle who knew how to wield swords and guns, but there was really only one person who knew how to use a carving knife!

Considering that he might have to do this often in the future, Lanny decided to arrange for someone trustworthy to learn from him. It was too dangerous to let an outsider like Old George get involved in magic all the time!

"Sir, would you like to sit down and wait?"

As soon as Cody left, Jimmy grinned and brought over the chair he had specially left behind, placing it next to Lenny!

This kid is really... ...Lani doesn't even know what to say!

But in the end he sat down. No matter how you looked at Jimmy, wouldn't it be stupid to punish himself by making him stand?

This time, Cody acted quickly, and soon brought old George to Lanny's side, with old George carrying several large wooden planks in his arms!

"Mr. Lanny, old George sends his regards!"

As expected of Elfin, his greetings were much more formal than those of the other citizens. Moreover, after living in the territory for some time, he had heard bits and pieces about Lanny and knew that this lord was not the kind of arrogant and unreasonable nobleman. Naturally, he was no longer as apprehensive as when he first arrived. After bowing, he took the initiative to hand over the engraving he was holding. "My lord, this is the engraving I made... Please take a look!"

"Hmm!" Lanny nodded calmly, took the item without saying a word, and started reading it.

It must be said that old George's craftsmanship is quite good. Although the writing on the engraving is mirrored, you can still see that he did it very carefully. The layout is clean and reasonable. From Lanny's half-baked perspective, it is actually a very good engraving!

"Not bad, not bad!" After looking at three or four pieces, Lanny nodded in satisfaction and praised them. Then, changing the subject, he looked at old George and said, "I have something that needs carving now. Take a look!"

"Yes, Mr. Lanny!" Old George took the blueprint Lanny handed him and frowned when he saw that it was less than the size of the drawing and covered with dense lines.

While the other person was looking at the blueprints, Lanny got up and beckoned Cody aside, whispering, "Place two apprentices behind Old George, the kind you can trust, understand what I mean?"

"Old George is only a hired hand; he'll leave one day. But our printing can't stop. We'll have to rely on this apprentice for the future!"

“Sir, are you worried about…” Cody was also clever and understood the implication immediately. He realized that Lanny seemed to dislike old George having too much contact with the castle’s secrets, and immediately said, “Yes, I will arrange it as soon as possible!”

However, he also made a decision in his heart: he would try to separate Old George's work and activities from those of other workshops. If the kind of thing the master was worried about really happened, he would have failed the master's trust!

When the two returned to their seats, old George had already finished examining the items and confidently said to Lanny, "Sir, this is also a relief carving, right? Carved on a wooden board? Although it's a bit small, with the tools you provided, it's no problem at all!"

He was actually more curious about what those messy lines on it were, but he knew in his heart that he probably wouldn't get an answer even if he asked, so why bother asking?

Elfin has encountered this kind of thing many times, even more outrageous ones, but he didn't say anything!

He still remembered that a nobleman once wanted to have his little lover engraved on a jewelry box as a gift... ...yes, the naked kind!

In comparison, what Lanny wanted to carve was at most a bit strange, but not outrageous at all!

Lanny shook his head and pointed to the remaining materials on the ground, saying, "No, no, no, not carving on wooden boards, but on something similar to these adobe bricks, is that alright?"

Old George casually picked up the soil, squeezed it, and smiled. "No problem, this soil is much softer than the wooden planks, so there's naturally no problem!"

"Um, is there anything else you need?"

Lanny thought for a moment, then held up one finger. "I have only one requirement: these lines must be drawn strictly according to the requirements on the drawing. The position and thickness must be correct. Can you do that?"

"Of course, no problem, don't worry!" After confirming again, old George nodded firmly.

"Alright!" Lanny nodded in relief, unconsciously crossing his legs. "You practice on these mud bricks first, and once you're familiar with them, I'll naturally give you the tools you need to work with!"

Old George truly lived up to his reputation as a carpenter and sculptor who had spent his entire life working. Lanny had never seen Old George work before and hadn't noticed it, but after sitting and watching him quietly for a while, he realized that the man's sculpting movements were actually quite pleasing to the eye!

Old George brought a carving knife to see Lanny. After communicating with Lanny, he didn't mind the dirt. He picked up the soil from the ground, kneaded it into the right size, and then took out the carving knife from his pocket to start working!

With a flick of his wrist, he cut off the excess part of the adobe brick. A layer of dirt flew away with a flick of the knife, and a raised line appeared with a flick of his wrist. With a few shakes of the carving knife in his hand, many lines began to take shape!

This move left the four people present looking at each other in bewilderment. Lenny took the opportunity to lean closer to Cody and whispered, "Look, this is the skill that the apprentices are supposed to learn. This matter cannot be delayed; arrange it as soon as possible!"

Cody didn't speak, but simply nodded as he watched old George intently carving.

When Old George finished carving a piece and handed it to Lanny, Lanny estimated the time and found that it had been less than half an hour. Considering the complexity of the lines on it, he felt that he had found a... level eight fitter!

The sizing is perfect, isn't it?

He even took the blueprints and looked at them, still not believing it, and they really did fit perfectly!

Looking at the clay bricks that looked exactly like those made by a carving machine, Lanny couldn't help but exclaim--- As expected of someone who can create something in a small space, and as expected of an old man who has been making a living with carving knives for decades, his skills are truly unparalleled!

Lanny had no complaints about the result. He applied the molding powder to the thick iron plate that Hammer had brought and handed it to old George.

"Here, this is what you were asked to carve!"