Chapter 272: “War Profits”

“All troops enter Level 1 combat readiness! The cavalry squad must be ready to deploy at any moment. Notify the Knights of the Territory that they must cancel all their travel plans for this period!” George ordered his clerk from inside his office, then waved his hand to dismiss him.

‘Next, I need to strengthen the defenses in Greywood Town! It is too close to the Real Ore Caverns. Fortunately, the moment I received the town, I already arranged for people to build a wall.’ George felt a bit relieved about his big investment in Greywood Town back then.

Although brick walls might not be very useful in siege warfare of this era, George did not believe those Black Skin would bring siege engines to attack Greywood Town. If they really did, it would mean Broken Halberd Fortress had already fallen. And Bolerum Territory, which would be the first to suffer, would have to prepare for total war.

As long as Broken Halberd Fortress stands, the Dark Elves cannot launch a large-scale invasion. It guards the only exit between the Underdark and the Surface. Although it is not as defensible as a narrow pass where one man can hold off thousands, this crescent-shaped depression can always hinder the Dark Elves’ attacks.

Of course, if the enemy uses spells like Mud to Stone, Stone to Mud, or even Disintegrate to attack the city, they could break through the wall without anyone noticing and let small groups of Dark Elves slip inside. But the cost for such an attack would truly be throwing money away.

Because the magical essence of bricks in this world is still mud, the use of the relatively cheap 4th Level Stone Shape spell becomes a luxury. This spell requires the caster to first shape soft clay into a rough form they want to create. Then, while chanting the spell, they touch the target with it.

The touched stone or stone object can be changed by a base of 10 cubic feet plus an extra amount based on the caster’s level. The caster can turn the stone into any shape they want. They can make simple stone boxes or stone doors, but they cannot carve fine details. Objects with moving parts have a 30% chance of not working.

In short, unless the building material has special magical protection or resistance to spells, a stone wall that is no thicker than one foot can easily be opened with this spell to create a small door for one person to pass through.

Imagine a small squad of Dark Elves arriving under the wall on a dark and windy night. They use a Stone Shape scroll to create a passage in the stone wall, and then this elite unit sneaks into the city to complete their mission. Whether it is assassination, poisoning, or arson, these ghosts of the night are very familiar with such tasks. Even strict patrols would find it hard to deal with such a threat.

So, when it comes to defending against physical attacks, these bricks made from clay and ash are far inferior to carved rock. A stone shot from a Catapult or a single blow from a siege ram can easily break them. However, if spells are used, the cost is much higher.

Using the 4th Level spells Mud to Stone and Stone to Mud in sequence can indeed easily make a hole in the wall.

The Mud to Stone spell can permanently turn ordinary mud, quicksand, or other clay-like substances in any depth into soft stone, such as sandstone or similar materials, within a cubic area of two 10-foot sides for each caster level.

The Stone to Mud spell can turn any natural stone that has not been cut or chiseled into an equal amount of mud. However, magical stones are not affected by this spell. The depth of the mud created does not exceed 10 feet. Creatures that cannot float, fly, or escape by other means will sink to their hips or chests. Throwing a tree trunk onto the mud allows creatures to climb on it without sinking. Creatures large enough to touch the bottom of the mud can slowly wade through the mire.

If the Stone to Mud spell is cast on the ceiling of a cave or tunnel, the mud will fall from above and spread into a 5-foot deep pit. The falling mud and the resulting collapse will cause all creatures directly under the falling mud to take blunt damage. Of course, this can be avoided.

But if someone wants to use this to directly capture a fortress, they should not even think about it. The stones of castles or large buildings are usually not affected by this spell because Stone to Mud cannot affect processed stones, and the depth of effect is not enough to shake the foundation. However, the foundations of small buildings are usually shallow, so they might suffer some damage or at least become unstable.

Although no spell has yet clarified the exact reason for this, it seems that the laws of the Plane are simply like this. At least so far, George has not received any news about breaking through this rule.

However, the stone formed by the Mud to Stone spell does not belong to the category of processed stones. These two spells can exactly counter each other. A successful Dispel Magic or Mud to Stone can turn mud back into stone, but it might not return to its original shape. Similarly, a successful Stone to Mud will not necessarily turn the petrified clay brick back to its original state; turning it into soft mud is very easy.

But a Stone to Mud scroll costs at least 1,200 Gold Coins, and the price of a Mud to Stone scroll is about the same. Just the combined price of these two might exceed the value of the property they could destroy. It is like the White Eagle’s troops using missiles worth millions of dollars to bomb a cheap tent without knowing if anyone is inside.

As for the higher-level Disintegrate spell, it can completely decompose a 10 cubic foot non-living object, leaving only a trace of fine ash. In terms of price, it might seem cheaper than the sum of those two scrolls. However, only high-ranking Mages of the Black Lead Rank can use 6th Level spells. There are not many of them, so obtaining their scrolls is naturally much harder.

All of this is based on the premise that Broken Halberd Fortress is functioning and the Dark Elves can only send small groups to cause trouble. If the enemy does not care about making too much noise while breaking the wall and getting discovered, there are other relatively cheap spells available.

But in any direct, head-on battle, the Duchy of Nohan has never feared anyone on the Continent. Even the Militia in the town have undergone strict training, not to mention the 60 regular soldiers sent there recently. Although George does not like the word “war,” compared to the Dark Elves who find it difficult to reproduce and grow, using a sea of people tactic is actually feasible.

‘The real headache is still that big bear to the east! Although the current Dark Elves are causing panic, they are just a minor annoyance in the elbow. But unless these potential troublemakers are dealt with, His Grace the Duke probably has no way to mobilize all his strength to deal with that big bear!’ George scribbled on a piece of paper again. It looked like he was planning some action.

“Although being so close to the front line is a major threat to Greywood Town, it is not impossible to turn it into a favorable condition. However, everything depends on how the fighting on the front line goes.” With an idea in mind, George immediately started preparing the materials he needed.

Under his pen, items like “Standard Planks,” “8-foot Long Wooden Poles,” “Mortise and Tenon Structure,” “Detachable Simple Wooden Beds,” “Medical Bandages,” and “Refined Edible Salt” kept appearing. It seemed that these were the things George needed to prepare for the coming time.

The Mortise and Tenon structure is a main structural method used in ancient Chinese architecture, which uses wood, bricks, and tiles as the main building materials. It is built with main components such as pillars, crossbeams, and purlins. The joints between various components fit together using mortise and tenon connections, forming a flexible framework.

Mortise and tenon is an extremely ingenious invention. This component connection method makes traditional Chinese wooden structures a special flexible structure that surpasses contemporary building frames or rigid frames. It can not only bear heavy loads but also allow a certain degree of deformation. Under earthquake loads, it absorbs a certain amount of earthquake energy through deformation, reducing the seismic response of the structure.

The key lies in a convex-concave connection method used on two wooden components. The protruding part is called the tenon or tenon head; the recessed part is called the mortise, tenon eye, or tenon slot. The tenon and mortise fit together to play a connecting role.

The biggest feature of this structure is that no nails are needed for connection. After standardization, it can achieve fast assembly. By the time everything was ready, it was already the 6th day of the Dark Elves’ offensive against the Surface. Three days ago, they had already broken through the passages sealed by Dwarves and Gnomes and had engaged in contact battles with the defenders on the Surface.

Due to His Grace the Duke’s large-scale bounty on the Dark Elves’ invasion, although there were over 1,500 souls of the dead before, it still attracted a large number of Adventurers to earn the rewards. George took some cattle, sheep, and wine to comfort the troops.

After entering Broken Halberd Fortress, George found that the Outer City looked like a refugee camp. After completing the social etiquette with the fortress leaders, George immediately started patrolling the Outer City.

The temporarily built structures were makeshift, and equipment was extremely scarce. The whole environment was dirty and chaotic. In George’s opinion, a place that could barely house 600 people was crowded with 1,200 people. Therefore, all spaces were set up as wards.

These wards were about 600 meters long in total. The beds were extremely crowded, hygiene facilities were very poor, and ventilation was especially bad, with a foul smell everywhere. One could imagine that it was muddy everywhere on rainy days and sandy on sunny days, with flocks of rats running around everywhere. The environment was extremely harsh.

Due to the lack of beds, many wounded slept on the floor, and there were not enough blankets. Plus, the lack of staff meant most wounded had to take care of themselves. As a result, food supply was even worse. General medicine was extremely scarce. Under such harsh conditions, a large number of wounded contracted dysentery and cholera.

Since they were not soldiers of the Duchy but Adventurers who came for money, who has ever seen a country provide free medical services for Mercenaries? Seeing this, George knew his idea was starting to take shape. Soon, Greywood Town quickly built a paid hospital.

To save space, the hospital wards were all long dormitories running from one end to the other. Of course, if you paid extra, you could sleep in a single room. Although time was short and there was no time to build separate beds for the sick and wounded, after repainting the walls, George managed to use wooden boards placed vertically on the dormitories to create single rooms. These assembled barracks, excluding the living quarters for nursing staff, could accommodate a total of 450 to 500 beds.

The sick and wounded were arranged in different barracks according to the severity and type of their injuries and illnesses. Each barracks had a certain number of dedicated caregivers, but the truly seriously injured were not accepted here because their hope could only be placed on the Divine Arts of the Church.

Outside the barracks, there was also a washing room. Several large pots in the washing room were constantly steaming. This was used to boil and sterilize the sheets and clothes changed by the sick and wounded. Those sheets and clothes were first washed with running water to remove dirt, then steamed at high temperatures, dried, and sent back for use. There was also a large incinerator to burn non-recyclable garbage. However, disposable items were simply a dream for a medical institution with thin profits.

However, a hospital with medicine and medical equipment is most important for improving the living environment and nutritional conditions of the wounded, as well as perfecting the appearance of the nursing staff in the hospital.

To maintain or restore health, treat or prevent disease, nursing should create a good environment for patients and distinguish the difference between nursing the patient and nursing the disease, treating the patient as a whole.

Nurses, in addition to treating patients, are also required to do the following nursing work, such as keeping the ward air fresh, the environment comfortable, clean and quiet, taking care of daily life, dietary care, increasing nutrition, and so on.

Specific requirements and standards were set for the patient’s dietary nutrition, sunlight, ward air, and absolute quiet in the environment. She attached great importance to the psychological factors in the patient care process and even asked George to invite several novice Priests to provide psychological counseling.

Because for these wounded, the technical level of medicine was often not the key. The most crucial factor was the attitude and responsibility of the nursing staff.

Just like before his transmigration, on the battlefields of the 19th century, the mortality rate of wounded soldiers did not decrease due to scientific progress, remaining at a level of 30% to 50%. It was not because of medicine, but because of whether they cared or not.

The most obvious example was the mid-19th century war between Britain and France to assist Turkey against Russia in Crimea. When the British and French forces landed in Crimea, reports sent back from the front expressed great dissatisfaction with the lack of care for the wounded. The report said that French wounded were cared for by nuns, Russian wounded were cared for by the Sisters of Mercy, but why were there no nuns to care for the British wounded! Plus, the medical conditions of the British army were extremely poor. The mortality rate of the wounded reached 42%.

Here, her management and organizational skills were fully utilized. Six months later, the field hospital underwent huge changes. The mortality rate of the wounded dropped rapidly from 42% to 2%. Without superb medical skills or magical drugs, only with careful nursing, the Lady with the Lamp caused a earth-shaking change in the mortality rate of the wounded in the field hospital.

Of course, this was based on the premise that the British field hospitals at that time had originally harsh environments and a lack of doctors and medicine. It is said that the Lady with the Lamp, Florence Nightingale, spent her own 30,000 Pounds to buy medicine and medical equipment for the hospital, reorganized the hospital, improved the living environment and nutritional conditions of the wounded, and rectified the operating rooms, canteens, and laboratories.

30,000 Pounds at that time had a purchasing power equivalent to about 6 to 10 million RMB in the year 2000. It can be said that this was not only a victory of the nursing spirit but also a victory of money.

Because the profitability of the pharmaceutical industry exists in almost all countries. Although some people indeed cannot see (narrow knowledge base) or are unwilling to see (determined by stance) the possibility, objectively speaking, non-profit medical institutions or projects are aimed at low-end medical needs. Their economic costs are low, but other costs are not necessarily low. Eventually, the comprehensive medical effect must be equivalent to the low social cost paid by society—it cannot be very high.

High and mid-end medical services obviously cannot meet the huge number of low-end needs and must rely on some target to screen the order of priority. Recall that even in the early days of the Tianchao, which advocated equality, those who could enjoy high-end medical services could certainly not be ordinary people.

In the market economy period before George transmigrated, money determined the order of priority. This may seem painful, but it is much more hopeful than the era of complete free care, which relied entirely on social status for ranking.

Therefore, following the general model of developed countries, low-end groups pay less monetary cost and a large amount of time cost to get average medical results—this is the mainstream situation of universal free care; high-end groups pay a larger monetary cost, basically do not consume time cost, and get higher medical results—this is the profitable private medical model. The two models complement each other. But the core is still one rule: how much social cost is paid, and how much medical effect is achieved. Overall, it is fair.

However, at that time, the pharmaceutical industry, like other industries with public welfare nature, faced social backlash due to its stable demand and high profits. But medical resources are scarce resources, and the contradiction between supply and demand always exists. If price is not used to regulate, then some other target must be used for regulation. For example, official positions, power, or extremely long waiting time costs. So, strictly speaking, no country can make the pharmaceutical industry perfect.

But now it is different. In this era, the medical industry does not belong to public welfare. In this case, high-end groups pay a larger monetary cost, basically do not consume time cost, and get higher medical results—Divine Arts, Alchemy, and even Magic can serve them. Similarly, low-end groups pay less monetary cost and a large amount of time cost to get average medical results—Herbalists and long-term medical waiting for the wounded to recover slowly.

Although George cannot intervene in the former, if the latter is managed well, it can also bring substantial profits. It might even earn a good reputation among some unsuspecting masses.