Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 2 Logging Specialty
In the early hours of the morning, the weather was slightly chilly, and although it was autumn, it was gradually getting cooler.

There was still some time before the actual logging began, but Forrest arranged to meet at that moment.

Su Mu donned a gray robe with green patterns, a symbol of the power of the forestry manager.

Although Cangmu Forest Farm is small, it has a staff of several hundred people. They are responsible for logging, cutting, transporting and processing timber, and there are many intricacies involved.

The daily production is 400 ebony (1000 ebony = 1 log). Logs are the basic raw materials for the duchy to make magical equipment and carry out construction. Ebony needs further processing to be transformed.

Even so, the forest farm was already the town's most important industry. Whoever controlled the forest farm was the head of the human trafficking ring in Kuraki Town.

The saying "town mayors come and go, but forest farm owners remain" perfectly describes this situation.

Su Mu had been standing there for a short while when Forrest emerged from the forest, accompanied by a burly man wearing an animal skin.

"Autumn brings more rain and muddy roads. To improve logging efficiency, we need to find a good road and the most suitable logging site. We were lucky this time; we didn't find any wild animal dens and found a shortcut."

“You’re the production supervisor, and the timber will be processed after it’s harvested. This guy is called Xiao Jiu. He used to work with me and has some skills in handling timber. You can have him supervise the processing.”

Su Mu glanced at Xiao Jiu. Although it was dark, he quickly recognized him as a junior foreman in the carpentry department. Xiao Jiu had a terrible reputation for extorting money and favors.

"Lord Sumu, you can rest assured that the teacher has given instructions to process this piece."

Perhaps it was because of the money split, or perhaps it was because of past friendships, but Xiao Jiu seemed very enthusiastic, patting his chest to vouch for him.

Su Mu ignored all of that and stared directly at Forrest, scrutinizing him like an eagle.

Forrest: Attack 0, Defense 0, Damage 0-0, Health 1, Speed ​​0, Small size.

Loyalty 42, Charisma 60, Element: None.

Characteristics: greedy, alcoholic, and dishonest.

Lumbering Specialty: Increases logging efficiency by 20% (40%), effective when stationed at buildings such as forest farms and windmills as the leader.

The lowest-level logging skill has room for improvement. Low loyalty is expected. Monetary transactions only involve profit, not loyalty.

As dawn broke, the loggers entered the forest farm, and Su Mu made arrangements for each of them.

Although everyone was somewhat surprised by the manager's sudden arrival, they continued working as usual.

Forrest put on his hood, led the lumberjacks down the shortcut, gave them some instructions, and then returned, presumably having already made arrangements with the lumberjack team.

When he entered the tent, Su Mu was warming himself by the fire, so he hung up his robe and sat down opposite him without any hesitation.

"We're lucky. The ebony in this logging forest is of very high quality, so the harvest should be good. This logging team isn't well-liked; they haven't been able to get into good areas for months. A little bribe will get them to work for you."

Su Mu poked at the flames with a dry branch, remaining silent.

Forrest turned to the side and whispered, "Not everyone is afraid of the captain of the guard. The common folk only care about who can give them benefits. As long as you give a lot, they will listen to you."

After saying that, he proudly started roasting his hands.

Indeed, the forest farm has its own rules, and it's not easy for outsiders to interfere. Even after leaving the area, Forrest still knows everything about it, who to contact, and where the problem lies. He solves everything, making his 676 silver coins worthwhile.

Moreover, his meaning was very clear: he didn't just take the money for himself; it was also needed for bribery, but he didn't embezzle any of it.

But this is not enough.

Su Mu threw the dry branches into the fire and said, "In winter, there will be invasions by alien races. The duchy needs to stockpile war resources. The forestry lord has ordered that production be doubled this month, reaching 800 ebony per day."

Forrest stared at Su Mu with his mouth agape in astonishment for a long time before finally speaking: "He's gone mad, he's really gone mad. Even if he issues a war mobilization order, the maximum he can get is 700 wood. He can skin the workers alive, but can he control the hands of the others?"

The Cangmu Forest Farm is rich in resources, but processing them incurs costs. Generally, those who live off the forest will keep some timber for themselves to supplement their income. However, the bulk of the profits are exploited by various powerful figures at each level—nobles, guards, and market merchants. Only by bribing these influential figures can the timber be transported out.

Su Mu asked, "If we collect timber at full capacity without secretly allocating resources, what would the daily output be?"

Forrest said in a deep voice, "If the carpenters honestly don't embezzle any, they can produce an extra 50 woods. If the nobles don't take anything, they can get 300 woods."

Su Mu paused for a moment: "Then let's not hire a carpenter, let's hire a wealthy family."

Upon hearing this, Forrest immediately stood up: "I'm not doing this job anymore. Go find someone else. I've already spent the money I paid for the favors. I'll refund the rest to you."

Forrest was greedy, but he valued his life and knew which money he could earn and which he couldn't.

Su Mu being made a scapegoat in his new position only offended one person. But if they were to actually cut off the nobles' profits, it would be tantamount to chopping off their hands, which would offend all the nobles in Cangmu Town.

The forest owner pushed Su Mu forward to take the fall, and the other party was completely unaware. Forrest felt he had been blind, that he must have been bewitched by the drunken devil to agree to do business with Su Mu. "No abnormalities in the route, suitable logging site, high-quality ebony, do you really think your luck has improved?"

Forrest turned and took a step, then stopped abruptly. He slowly sat down, looking at Su Mu with a serious expression. This was the first time he had looked at the young man in front of him with such concern.

"This is a world of magic, a battlefield for heroes, where anything is possible!"

Forrest's brain worked frantically, trying to recall Su Mu's background.

It is said that he once had a relative who served in Longlet Castle, a marquisate with castle priests and knights, and a vast collection of magic scrolls. These scrolls included those for war and those for construction. Could it be...?

It's not that the captain of the guards dared to make trouble only because Su Mu lost his backer. It's also possible that Su Mu has some treasures left behind that will help him overcome this difficulty.

After all, this is a world of magic, and Forrest has witnessed far too many incredible miracles.

Looking at Su Mu's young yet composed face, the firelight and shadows made him appear exceptionally deep.

Forrest said hoarsely, "Then let's work for a few days and see how the output goes. Anyway, the handover will take some time. I'll personally go down and oversee the cutting to try and keep the defect rate down."

He turned and left, but his mindset underwent a subtle change.

Forrest: Attack 0, Defense 0, Damage 0-0, Health 1, Speed ​​0, Small size.

Loyalty 62 (Slightly affected by fear, +20 on top of base stats; dares not easily contradict your decisions)

Barely passable, but sufficient for now. This kind of verbal negotiation is similar to mind magic, but it only works on subordinates under one's control—a characteristic of the governor.

To truly solve the problem, we need to demonstrate tangible achievements and withstand pressure from above in order to gain the respect and approval of the people.

……

After three days of intensive work, the processed long strips of timber were piled up neatly on the open ground.

A total of 3170 ebony pieces can be processed into 3 logs even after being sent to a dedicated sawmill, with a production rate of 1 log per day, comparable to the scale of a primary forest farm in the kingdom.

Everyone looked at Su Mu with excitement, but Forrest was nowhere to be found.

It wasn't until today that Su Mu learned that Forrest had promised the workers and masters their rewards long ago, but hadn't paid a single penny. He probably used the money for bribes to buy wine. What a greedy fellow!

But Forrest did a good job, so he deserves the money, no problem.

"Everyone has worked hard these past few days. Everyone's daily wage will be doubled. Come to my tent to collect it!"

The carpenters excitedly lined up to go in and collect their money, then came out with big smiles on their faces.

Once the tent was empty, Forrest reappeared from nowhere: "Your idea is brilliant. Ebony is very valuable, but it's troublesome to process and carries risks. Everyone is willing to pay wages directly, and then you can guarantee that orders will be obeyed. The only downside is that it's quite expensive!"

Su Mu didn't answer the question about funds, but instead asked, "You've been nowhere to be seen all morning, and now you're suddenly appearing? Are you afraid that once the money is distributed, you won't get your double reward?"

Forrest said sheepishly, "How could that be? We've met our production targets, so we need to figure out how to distribute the fruit. Someone will come this afternoon to extract the timber."

Su Mu said confidently, "Don't worry, I've already made arrangements."

Seeing that Su Mu was so confident, Forrest said no more.

After stepping out of the tent, he seemed to remember something: "I saw the emblem of the Timber Guild on the silver coin bag. Since you have a powerful backer, you certainly won't embezzle my meager reward, hehehe!"

After saying that, he immediately ran out, fearing that he would be scolded.

Su Mu was amused by this guy, but quickly became serious.

These past few days, while supervising the timber harvesting, the carpenters have not only worked tirelessly, putting in extra hours, but have also faced the threat of wild animals in the forest. They earn a meager living through hard work to supplement their family income, and are frequently cheated out of their earnings.

Even in this environment, this group of people are not yet in a position to get a turn; they are sometimes full and sometimes hungry.

Although Forrest was greedy, he was willing to give people a way to live, even though some people didn't care about their lives at all.

Su Mu, who was familiar with the plot, naturally knew that the War of Timber was about to begin, and the two major factions, Castle and Stronghold, were about to enter into war. These maggots were still thinking about bullying each other in their own backyard.

When relations with the Barrier become tense, timber will become one of the most valuable resources, which is why he stepped into the center of the vortex.

Whoever controls the timber holds the initiative.

Before that, they had to deal with the "village nobles" who wanted to take advantage of them.

(End of this chapter)