"The attacks by 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 breeding industry before the coal mines were discovered in the area.
"However, with the cover of strong buildings, the nomads can also cause a large number of casualties to the group of Jackals when they attack, so the number of Jackals who come 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 the jackals are hard-headed, they have intelligence similar to that of civilized races. It is obviously not worthwhile to lose one's life for a bite.
matter.
So that's why so many people are willing to remain somewhat nomadic in the wild now that coal mines are being mined.
Because compared to coal mines, which are busy but still dangerous, reindeer herding work, although the money is less, is at least safer and easier.
After chatting for a while, the Viscount of Surrey went to check out the spaces in the mountains with the men in the room, while Saphire accompanied the pregnant Isabella to drink tea and chat in the living room.
"I actually considered renting those spaces to the coal miners who came to my territory." Viscount Surrey said helplessly while walking in the tunnel leading to those spaces.
"It's a pity that the people who run the coal mines think it's unacceptable for workers to spend an hour or two on the road every day, and as a coal mine, there is no shortage of cheap fuel for heating - well, here we are, here are those idle
Space."
At the end of the corridor, a huge cave hall about three stories high stands there. Unlike the caves where Lawrence and the others stayed before, this huge space may seem as warm as spring because it is far away from the cold climate outside.
But the worst part is that he can feel that this room is very damp and may not be suitable for human habitation.
"There are some tiny cracks around these caves." Dwarf Huck said. "So the water vapor emerging from the underground hot springs in this area will enter this space through those cracks, and then condense here and make the entire space change.
It has to be moist.”
"It seems that there is indeed too much water in this place." Lawrence took a few steps deeper into the space and found that water kept dripping from the roof of the cave onto his body. "But this does not mean that
There are things you can’t do with this place.”
"It's about planting some fungi or moss." The dwarf Huck showed an expression on his face that I had thought of this for a long time. "Originally I thought so too, but you should know that there is often sulfur in hot springs, so relying on this thing
The edible fungi grown have a strong sulfur smell, and even you humans will be poisoned after eating them."
"Of course I know this, but someone grew a special fungus on my island." Lawrence thought of the special fungus that he and Nora prepared for the Loka fish people under their command.
At that time, the group of Loka fish people found an underwater volcano on New Saul Island, so they asked Lawrence to help them find any creatures that could grow in that high-sulfur environment.
For those underwater creatures, an active volcano can be said to be the core of a fertile area. It can attract a large amount of plankton, thereby cultivating a large amount of seafood.
But correspondingly, the water temperature around the craters will rise to a level that is inaccessible to ordinary organisms, and at the same time, the surrounding large space is filled with acidified seawater and various organisms full of sulfur smell.
Under such circumstances, Nora and the group of people from the Agricultural Church naturally conducted research on the plants and microorganisms that could be grown in this type of area.
Although they did not screen out edible crops that could grow in that area in a short period of time, they still successfully found some organisms with certain economic value.
"Look, it's this kind of thing." Lawrence said and took out a small test tube from the space bag, and in the test tube there was a small ball of yellow fiber soaked in some kind of yellow-green liquid.
"What is this?" Dwarf Huck asked after looking closely at the small test tube. "This thing looks like a ball of thread?"
"Almost, this is a special fiber." Lawrence said, reaching into the space bag again, and then took out a golden handkerchief and handed it to the dwarf.
"This hand roll is made of this fiber. You can look at it and feel the fiber."
"I can't tell the quality of this thing with my hands." After taking the handkerchief, the dwarf smiled and extended his calloused and scarred hand to Lawrence, and then handed the handkerchief to the Viscount of Surrey.
"So Robert, come and appreciate this thing. I think a noble should be better at handling these things."
"——Okay, let me see." Viscount Surrey, who knew that he really should come forward at this time, smiled and took the handkerchief from the dwarf's hand, and then his expression suddenly changed.
Because the Viscount of Surrey clearly felt that the handkerchief in his hand was not only light, but also very smooth, feeling like top-quality silk.
But he could swear that the material of this thing was definitely not silk, because he had many silk clothes, and those materials looked very different from silk.
"What on earth is this?" After holding up the piece of textile and looking at it several times, and even looking at the oil lamp not far away carefully, Viscount Surrey asked Lawrence in a tone full of doubts.
arrive.
"I have many silk products in my hands. In addition to those produced in the New World, there is also a batch of top-notch silk imported from distant Cathay. But they look obviously different from your item."
"This is not silk, but a fiber made of fungi." Lawrence did not sell it, but directly stated the source of this thing.
"The suitable place for this kind of fungus to grow is a humid place full of various sulfides, and there should not be too much sunlight. I think your place should be very suitable except for the seabed."
"Well, it is indeed suitable." Looking at the huge cave in front of him, which looked very dark because there were only a few oil lamps, the Viscount of Surrey paused and said, and 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 cultivated?"
"Actually, this thing is more like planting." Lawrence said as he took the handkerchief.
"After placing the strains on some organic medium, they will slowly grow in this high-sulfur and humid environment. After cultivating for more than half a year, this thing will grow to be about one and a half palms long.
, then you can harvest it.”
"Does this thing consume a lot of manpower?" Viscount Surrey asked seriously. "You know there are not 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, shaking the small bottle containing the bacteria in his hand.
"At least that group of mermaids only needs five or six people to manage a one-hectare plantation. Although their management plan is a bit too rough, it also shows from another aspect that this thing is indeed easier to raise."
"But I need to remind you that the fiber length of this thing is already the limit of one and a half palms. At the same time, because the fiber is very smooth and soft, it is difficult to braid two fibers together."
Looking at Viscount Surrey with a happy face, Lawrence felt that there were some things that needed to be reminded. "So unless some extraordinary power is used, this fiber can only be used to make small gadgets."