Lord of the Frozen Winter: Starting with Daily Intelligence Reports

The vast majority of the displaced workers in Starforge Territory are no longer struggling for survival.

They have food, clothing, hot water for bathing, and clear, defined work assignments.

Because Lord Louis established an operational system centered on team responsibility and performance-based rewards, based on the philosophy of “survival first.”

Miners are no longer slaves driven to toil, but producers with identity, rules, and security.

At the same time, essence of magic is continuously being transported from the underground rails.

Workers on the first ore sorting line have become skilled at sorting and processing ore.

The faintly glowing azure ores are categorized and stacked on numbered racks, with some already sent to the experimental furnace workshop for purification.

The remaining raw ore has also begun to accumulate, like a fuse waiting to be ignited by a fierce fire.

The entire transportation system operates almost perfectly.

The snow-horn ox cart paths, rail lines, and winter gentle slope routes leading to the various mining areas and the main processing station were all fully constructed in the past few months.

Special stone paving, domesticated snow-horn ox transport teams, road signs, and nighttime light rune illumination were simultaneously implemented to ensure smooth operation even when heavy snow blocked the mountains.

This not only allowed for the rapid transfer of underground materials but also provided transportation channels for the subsequent entry of large-scale equipment, construction materials, alchemical bases, high-temperature furnaces, and more.

Of course, what was excavated was only raw ore, still a very long way from actual “use.”

Essence of magic is different from ordinary ores; it inherently carries extremely high magic energy and active structures. Using it unprocessed would not only be wasteful but could also trigger unstable reactions.

When Starforge Territory first stepped onto this frozen plain, there wasn't even a decent furnace here.

There were no factories, no assembly lines, and even houses were few and far between.

All of this had to be built from scratch.

So, Lord Louis, based on the Daily Intelligence System, most reasonably drew up the first phase of the industrial plan.

Behind it was the industrial zoning model he was familiar with from his previous life.

Ventilation flow, sectional safety, material circulation, and even the layout of the workers' canteen and bathing areas were all meticulously calculated.

The site was chosen on a gently sloping platform on the Southeast side of the mine, with flat terrain, close to water sources and the main road. It was only five li from the main mine entrance, making it convenient for ore transportation and easy to guard.

Less than two months after construction began, a smelting and alchemy industrial zone of initial scale rose from the ground.

Five main factory buildings lined up, forming the core heart and lungs of the entire industrial zone.

First is the ore screening line, the first stage of the industrial zone, where raw ore sent up from underground daily first converges.

The factory is equipped with an entire automatic vibrating screen track, directly fed by the snow-horn ox track.

It is the raw ore screening station, where ore carts directly dump the essence of magic onto a coarse screening platform, where it is separated from rock chips, dirt, and valuable ore through a combination of vibrating screens and manual sorting.

Behind the drying sheds, simple ventilation ducts are set up, utilizing winter cold air and manual fanning to dry the damp ore blocks, preventing moisture from interfering with subsequent ignition efficiency or storage.

The second, third, and fourth main factories are the main furnace areas, housing three large furnaces.

In essence, they are roughly built cracking furnaces, similar in structure to coke ovens on Earth.

These furnaces do not refine pure crystals but instead use a method of “incineration, crushing, and screening” to burn off impurities from the essence of magic, leaving high-energy, slag-free, and medium-purity combustion blocks.

After grading, they are sent separately to energy storage stations, cast iron furnaces, or the soon-to-be-activated steam-driven system.

The furnace bodies adopt a double-layered stone masonry structure, with the interspace filled with rock sand and iron slag to ensure high-temperature heat retention and prevent leakage.

Each furnace is equipped with a waste heat exhaust duct, which directs the exhaust gas to the vents for discharge or for heating the bathhouse.

The fifth main factory is similar to an energy packaging plant, responsible for classifying and storing high-energy blocks, sealing them in iron boxes, and packaging them with moisture-proof cloth.

Although essence of magic is not highly toxic, its weak energy field, if exposed for a long time, can interfere with biological sense of direction and even cause dizziness. Therefore, there is a clear graded packaging system here.

Seven ancillary workshops are distributed around the main factory area. Although not essential factory buildings, they serve functions such as tool repair, cooling ponds, worker dining, temporary dormitories, medical rooms, and ore storage warehouses.

Currently, this energy zone has mobilized over four thousand artisans and technicians, operating on a three-shift rotation system, capable of processing nearly fifty tons of essence of magic daily, producing over ten tons of standard fuel blocks.

Although it sounds well-established and orderly, this system is actually not high-end.

In fact, at first glance, it's all tin-clad wooden frames, coarse ropes pulling ox carts, and wood-fired stoves.

After all, Starforge Territory's industrial system was not built under favorable conditions from the very beginning.

Unlike old mining areas such as the Emerald Federation or the Southern Empire, which have developed for decades or even centuries, many factories there have undergone several generations of improvements, and they have specialized stone refining furnaces that can operate continuously for days once started.

However, Lord Louis also didn't spend too much money buying those high-end equipment. What was available on the market was too expensive, and transportation costs were ridiculously high.

And what could be bought were mostly old, retired equipment from others, some even missing parts.

So he could only pick up cheap goods, relying on disassembling, repairing, and modifying them bit by bit, combining some structural design knowledge he learned in his previous life, and then discussing with local artisans and alchemists to piece together what he could.

There was no fancy magic system, nor any advanced magic formations. It was simply by relying on human cooperation, rational movement, and detailed division of labor that a simple assembly line was built.

These devices are not advanced, but the process flows smoothly, everyone knows what they should do, and everyone knows which part of the work cannot be sloppy.

A daily output of more than ten tons was painstakingly ground out this way.

What's even more commendable is that this system does not rely on imports or external aid; all its components, structures, and processes can be replicated and expanded locally within Starforge Territory.

Of course, a factory is not just a place filled with magic energy equipment and iron furnace pipes.

For Lord Louis, the people operating the hammers and furnaces, pushing ore carts, and adjusting valves—these are the true “hearts” that make this energy factory run.

Without people, there is no production capacity. Let alone an assembly line.

So Lord Louis immediately ordered that all new workers must undergo basic training, otherwise they wouldn't even be allowed near the mine shaft.

Thus, the training camp was set up in an old wooden shed on the north side of the factory.

There were no blackboards, nor any profound knowledge. What was taught was the most basic content.

How to wear safety goggles, what is an overheated fuel block, how to brake an ore cart, and which color of essence of magic should not be touched.

“Look at this one,” the instructor held up a glowing blue raw ore. “Essence of magic is bright white when hot, not red. Red means it’s about to explode! If you put it in the furnace then, the whole line will stop. Then, not only you, but everyone nearby will suffer.”

A group of newly arrived slave workers below swallowed their saliva and nodded quickly.

“Don’t think it’s a small problem; one explosion and your life is gone,” the instructor patted his chest. “This system was personally set by Lord Louis.”

During breaks, the workers gathered by the furnace, munching on dry rations. Someone lit a tobacco stick, smoking and whispering, “Isn’t it strange? Someone actually cares about the lives of us slaves.”

“Hmm,” the person next to him nodded. “We’ve been here for three days, and we have equipment, clothes, and food. Yesterday, someone even came specifically to check on foot burns.”

Not far away, [N O V E L I G H T] that small house built with thick stone slabs was brightly lit.

That was the infirmary, where cold compresses, anti-inflammatory ointments were kept, and several apothecaries took turns on duty.

There was also hot soup available, so firemen could get a bowl if they suffered from frostbite.

This was not a great kindness, but to them, it was like manna from heaven.

No whips, no curses, no one forcing them to work non-stop.

They ate well, dressed warmly, got paid more for working harder, and their families could live safely in town.

For these people who had wandered in troubled times for too long, these were days they wouldn't even dare to dream of.

So they kept this kindness in their hearts.

Not everyone expressed gratitude with words, but with practical work.

They woke up earlier, transported faster, sorted stones more meticulously, and maintained furnace temperatures.

Some began to actively maintain equipment, some taught themselves how to read fuel pressure gauges, and others, after each shift, polished their tools brightly and neatly placed them back on the shelves.

In this way, the three shifts rotated non-stop, and the factory ran like an old clock, precise to the second.

With their rough hands, shovel by shovel, hammer by hammer, cart by cart, they painstakingly pushed the daily ore processing volume to nearly fifty tons, stably refining over ten tons of standard essence of magic fuel blocks.

And their efforts became the foundation for the rise of Starforge Territory.

Therefore, even though it is still in its initial scale, Lord Louis has already drawn up the blueprints for the second and third phases of the factory area.

And this mining area does not only contain essence of magic; geological surveys have also discovered several rare resources such as flint marrow oil, magic marrow mine, and burning sunken iron. However, Lord Louis is well aware that at this time, the biggest taboo is biting off more than one can chew.

The mining and processing techniques for each mineral are different, often involving an entire independent industrial chain.

He did not want to plunge Starforge Territory's resource system into chaos at a stage where it had not yet established a firm foothold.

So he decisively chose to focus on essence of magic.

Essence of magic is the most urgently needed energy-type mineral at present, suitable for use as high-heat fuel, and can also provide energy for primary magic energy equipment.

It is the most suitable catalyst to support the entire territory's industrial startup.

“Do one thing to the best of your ability first.” This is the phrase he has said most often recently.

Therefore, in the first phase of the plan, all resources were concentrated on the mining, transportation, screening, smelting, and pressing of essence of magic.

No separate lines, no Take into account (concurrent development); even if the value of other mineral veins was tempting, they were all temporarily sealed and untouched.

Only when the miners became familiar with the operational procedures, furnace temperature control gradually standardized, factory production lines stabilized, and even began to possess a certain self-maintenance and expansion capability, did he plan to gradually introduce more types of work.

Soon, a batch of support slaves dispatched by the Empire will arrive. They are mostly prisoners of war, debt-bound people, and displaced persons.

Although nominally slaves, in Starforge Territory they will not be exploited to death like in other places, but will be trained as workers to fill the continuously expanding labor gap in the mining area.

Only then will he consider gradually opening up the other mineral veins and building corresponding refining and storage/transportation lines according to different material categories, truly entering a multi-line parallel industrial expansion phase.

Of course, Lord Louis is not just focused on mines and factories.

In his personally planned overall blueprint, mining is the pillar, but life is the foundation.

Within a few kilometers around the main mining area, basic facilities such as mining residential areas, medical stations, canteens, schools, and nurseries have been successively built.

This not only gives workers jobs but also provides them with a place to live, food to eat, medical care when sick, and a place to raise their children.

Even often overlooked entertainment venues like taverns, bathhouses, theater sheds, and markets have been gradually established.

Miners and workers do hard labor. After earning money, they need places to spend it and relieve stress, otherwise problems will arise sooner or later.

So he encouraged outsiders with business skills and craftsmanship to settle in, leasing small plots of land or houses to run their own businesses, which also implicitly built a gradually self-sustaining small economic system.

As infrastructure was perfected one by one, external population steadily flowed in, and the output of essence of magic continued to rise. An industrial territory centered on mining is rising from the Northern Frozen Plain, becoming one of the few strongholds in the Northern Empire that can truly stably produce high-energy resources.

And in Lord Louis's more far-reaching vision, it will be the first step for the future magic energy technology system, the starting point of his entire strategic industrial map.

The construction of the essence of magic energy zone has lasted for more than three months to date.

From the initial chaotic rocky slope to the current smoke-filled landscape, operating well rails, and roaring factory furnaces, this formerly forgotten frozen mining area of Starforge Territory has finally entered the right track.

Daily output can be stably maintained at twelve tons of standard fuel blocks!

Such an achievement, even some established mining territories might not be able to match. Starforge Territory can now be called the number one mining area in the North.

However, not all of these daily produced essence of magic fuel blocks are hoarded.

A portion is acquired by the Calvin Merchant Guild and transported via the Southern Trade Route to several high magic energy consuming territories in the Southern Empire, used as fuel to exchange for urgently needed materials and population.

Another portion serves as Starforge Territory's self-use energy, gradually allocated to smelting furnaces, winter residential greenhouses, and the mechanical processing plant that will soon be built.

This not only eases storage pressure but also establishes a preliminary external trade cycle, providing necessary capital flow and energy support for the steady growth of Starforge Territory's industrial ecosystem.

This means that the four fundamental systems in the first phase of planning—residential areas, main road transportation, smelting workshops, and basic education institutions—have all been deployed and put into operation.

The entire mining area has evolved from a temporary outpost into a prototype energy town with clear structure and distinct functions.

It was now nearing mid-August, and Lord Louis was finally preparing to leave temporarily.

He will return to Red Tide Territory for rest and personally supervise the upcoming autumn harvest preparations for war.

But this mining area will not stop.

The next phase of construction has been simultaneously launched.

The first batch of support slaves from the Empire will be transferred to this territory.

The plan is to expand three new factory buildings and introduce more alchemist technicians and grassroots managers to gradually establish a more complete standardized production line.

Starforge Territory's industry will fully enter the second phase of industrial development.