Having conquered the drafty windows and the lukewarm baths, Arthur von Pendelton faced his next great nemesis: Mud.
It was spring in Valoria. The snow melted, turning the dirt roads into a viscous soup that swallowed carriage wheels and boots alike. To Arthur, this was a logistical nightmare.
"Rolling resistance is increased by 600%," Arthur grumbled, staring out of his carriage window as it lurched violently to the left. "We are wasting horsepower. Literally."
Duke Kaelen sat opposite him, holding onto a strap. "It builds character, son! A true warrior must be able to march through the muck!"
"A true warrior arrives at the battlefield fatigued," Arthur countered. "A warrior on a paved road arrives fresh. Father, I require a quarry. And limestone. And volcanic ash."
The Duke's eyes lit up. "You want to build a fortress?"
"I want to build a road," Arthur corrected. "A road so flat you could roll an egg down it for five miles without it breaking."
The Recruitment Drive
To build a road, Arthur needed a workforce. The estate blacksmith, Hammerhead, was already overworked making copper pipes. Arthur needed to expand.
He posted a notice in the nearby village: [WANTED: Men and Women for Infrastructure Project. Steady Pay. Meals Provided. Must pass Aptitude Test.]
The villagers were confused. Usually, lords just pointed at people and said, "You, dig a hole." This "Aptitude Test" sounded suspicious. Was it a test of strength? A test of magic potential?
Hundreds gathered in the village square. Arthur sat at a small table, holding a wooden block with holes cut in it (a shape-sorter toy he had made for himself, but repurposed).
"Next," Arthur called out.
A burly farmhand named Bram stepped up. He looked terrified.
"Take this cylinder," Arthur said, handing him a wooden peg. "Place it in the corresponding hole."
Bram sweated. He looked at the square hole. He looked at the triangle hole. He looked at the circle hole. He jammed the circle peg into the circle hole.
"Pass," Arthur said. "You possess basic spatial reasoning. You are hired as a Tier 1 Assembler. Next."
The villagers watched in awe. "He's testing our souls," one whispered. "He's seeing if our spirits fit the divine geometry."
By the end of the day, Arthur had hired fifty people. He gave them all yellow tunics (high visibility for safety) and hard leather helmets (PPE).
To the Duke, looking down from the castle walls, it looked very different.
"Look at them, Elena!" The Duke grasped his wife's hand. "Uniforms! Helmets! He has raised a private battalion in a single afternoon! And he selected them based on a secret tactical test! The boy is building an elite guard!"
The Factory Floor
Arthur didn't just want a road; he wanted a process.
He set up a mixing station near the river. He introduced the concept of the Assembly Line.
Team A: Crush the limestone.
Team B: Mix with volcanic ash and water (The Roman Concrete Recipe).
Team C: Pour into standardized wooden molds.
Team D: Lay the cured blocks.
"Stop!" Arthur shouted, blowing a whistle. The fifty workers froze.
Arthur walked up to Team B. "You are mixing with variable rhythm. This creates air pockets. Inconsistency leads to structural failure. You must mix to the beat."
Arthur pulled out a metronome he had built. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
"Mix. Turn. Mix. Turn. Do not deviate from the tempo."
The workers nodded solemnly. They began to chant in time with the metronome, swinging their shovels in perfect unison. It was hypnotic. It was efficient.
To an outsider, it looked exactly like a cult ritual.
[System Notification: Cultural Disruption Detected.] [You have invented: Industrial Standardization.] [Effect: Local peasants now believe 'Efficiency' is a minor deity.] [Reward: Blueprint - The Wheelbarrow (seriously, they didn't have these?).]
Arthur sighed. No wheelbarrows? This world is a tragedy. He immediately sketched a design and handed it to the carpenters.
The Inspection
Two weeks later, the main road leading from the Pendelton Estate to the village was finished.
It was a miracle of engineering. Smooth, grey concrete, slightly crowned in the center for drainage, with gutters on the sides.
Arthur stood at the end of the road, holding a clipboard. "Roughness index is within acceptable parameters. Travel time reduced by 85%."
Just then, a carriage bearing the Royal Crest approached. It was Count Marothi, a tax inspector from the capital. He was known for being sour, critical, and hating the Pendeltons because the Duke once accidentally broke his fence during a hunting trip.
The Count's carriage hit the new road.
Usually, the transition from dirt to estate grounds was bumpy. But today, the wheels hummed. The carriage glided. The Count's wine glass, usually held tightly to prevent spilling, sat perfectly still on the table.
The carriage stopped. Count Marothi stepped out, looking bewildered. He stomped his boot on the concrete. It was solid as rock.
"Duke Kaelen!" Marothi shouted as the Duke rode out to meet him. "What is this sorcery? You have turned the earth to stone!"
"It's called 'Concrete', Marothi!" The Duke boomed, slapping his horse. "My son made it so our charges would be swift!"
Marothi narrowed his eyes. He looked at the smooth, wide road. He looked at the workers in yellow uniforms marching in unison with wheelbarrows.
A road that allows for rapid movement of heavy supplies, Marothi thought. Uniformed engineers. This isn't a road. It's a runway for siege engines.
"You are planning to move heavy artillery," Marothi accused, pointing a shaking finger. "No ordinary carriage needs a road this smooth! You are preparing to march on the Capital!"
Arthur, who was checking the alignment of a gutter, looked up.
"Incorrect," Arthur said. "The reduction in vibration extends the lifespan of the carriage wheels. It is a cost-saving measure. Also, dust generation is reduced by 90%, improving respiratory health."
Marothi stared at the six-year-old. "Respiratory health? You expect me to believe you paved three miles of road for... health?"
"And speed," Arthur added. "I hate slow commutes."
Marothi turned pale. Speed. He admits it. He wants to blitzkrieg the King.
"I... I must report this efficiency to the Crown," Marothi stammered, scrambling back into his carriage. "The King must know of your... concrete."
As the carriage sped away—smoothly and faster than ever before—The Duke laughed.
"He runs in fear! He knows our supply lines are superior!"
Arthur marked a checkbox on his clipboard. "Road test complete. User satisfaction: High (despite the screaming). Now, about the sewage system..."
[Reputation Update: The Royal Court now considers the Pendelton Estate a 'Class A Military Threat'.] [Business Opportunity: The Merchant Guild wants to buy the recipe for 'Liquid Stone'.]
Arthur looked at the notification. Excellent. If I sell the concrete, they will pave the trade routes. Finally, I can order fresh seafood from the coast without it rotting on the way.
He turned to his workers. "Alright, break time is over. Phase 2: Indoor Plumbing. I need someone small enough to crawl into the sewers. Bram, bring your son."