Logan turned to Astali, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Once we finish building the dock town, do you have any plans for the future, Mayor?"
Astali raised an eyebrow. "Mayor? But the snake people are vital to this operation. Our success hinges on fishing and shipbuilding, especially since the wasteland lacks any aquatic life. The Silver Mane Tribe will depend heavily on us for sustenance. If they think they can rely solely on monster at from animal pens, they might be in for a shock.
Those wolf riders consu far more than we can manage."
Logan nodded, his gaze distant. "If the Silver Mane Tribe expands, and if those pens can house thousands of wolves, I'd consider buying five thousand myself. That leaves fish as our most available resource for a long while. And that's where you co in."
Astali felt a surge of confusion. "But why ? The mayor's role is powerful, especially in our first town. Is this truly a reward for the snake people? Is it because of my daughter, Elizabeth?"
Logan chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't overthink it. You're the best choice because you and your people will be managing the fishing fleet here. The dock town will prioritize the Beastn families from that fleet. As for being the mayor, I need soone I can rely on to deliver results. If you can't et expectations, I won't hesitate to replace you."
"Of course, if you're not interested, we can forget it," he added with a playful grin.
Astali's determination flared. "No, Master Chief, I do want this!"
She knew the stakes. To truly integrate the snake people into the Silver Mane Tribe, they needed a ho, and the dock town was the perfect opportunity. Being mayor would elevate her status and help secure the future for her people. "Control is essential for our survival here."
Logan's nod indicated his approval. "Allowing you to build this town is a reward for your contributions. You're one of the few Beastn with managent skills I trust. This appointnt also shows that leadership roles can extend beyond the Silver Mane family."
Begon, standing nearby, exchanged glances with Logan but chose silence, weighing the decision's risks. He understood the snake people's value, but it felt rushed.
On the other hand, Tyton's surprise was palpable. "The first mayor of this new town being a snake person? This could signal a significant shift in how we govern our communities."
He considered the implications, realizing this new system could be transformative, though ti would reveal its true effectiveness.
Just then, Logan's smile returned as he looked ahead. "Are you still transporting trees by boat?"
As Logan gazed into the distance, he spotted a ship slowly approaching the dock, its hull heavy with freshly cut timber. The sight of the large bundles of wood triggered his curiosity, and he turned to Astali for an explanation.
"Yes, Chief," Astali began, noticing his interest. "That ship is part of a fleet that hauls wood from the forests upstream. They cut it there and float it down to us."
She pointed toward the dense tree line that followed the river. "You see, the wood for the tribe usually cos from nearby forests, but the dock town is forty or fifty miles from the main tribe's settlent. Transporting wood all the way from those forests would be a waste of ti and resources."
Astali continued, her tone confident but practical. "Upstream, there are forests just a dozen miles away, right along the riverbanks. Cutting the wood there and using boats to transport it is far more efficient. It cuts down the labor and ti dramatically."
Logan nodded, understanding her point. The river's proximity to the dock town was a double-edged sword. It made water transportation ideal, but the damp conditions created new challenges for building materials.
"With this town so close to the water, we've had to adjust our approach to construction," Astali added. "In the main settlent, we mostly build with soil and stone, using wood sparingly. But here, mud houses would collapse under the constant moisture. That's why we're relying heavily on wood as the primary building material, reinforced with stone where needed.
If we tried to haul all that wood from the tribe's forest, we'd exhaust our resources."
Logan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I see," he said, appreciating the strategy behind the decision.
Begon and Tyton, standing nearby, also nodded in agreent. Water transport made perfect sense; less manpower, fewer resources, and faster progress.
Just as they finished speaking, the ship loaded with timber docked. Beastn scrambled to the shoreline, swiftly unloading the fresh cargo. The sight reminded Logan of sothing else. He turned to Astali, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.
"I've heard your largest fishing boat is already fifteen ters long. Is that true?"
Astali brightened at the question, eager to highlight the accomplishnts of her people. "Yes, Chief! We launched our first big fishing boat just a few days ago."
Seeing the chief's growing interest, Astali seized the mont. "Would you like to visit the shipbuilding workshop, Chief?" she asked, her voice laced with excitent. She knew that Logan held a deep fascination with ships, especially because of the snake people's unique mastery over shipbuilding techniques. This was her chance to solidify the importance of the snake people in his eyes.
Logan grinned and nodded, clearly intrigued. "Absolutely."
Ever since he learned that giant ships, powered by forces unknown to him, could sail the seas of this world, his fascination with shipbuilding had only deepened. In this magical world, there were stories of colossal creatures, so a thousand ters long, that could be harnessed to sail vast oceans.
The technology to drive such creatures seed to blend magic, alchemy, and inscriptions into a seamless art.
Logan had heard tales of the Goblin Empire, where such feats were achieved without relying on magical technology. They allegedly used sothing entirely different; sothing rooted in what seed like pure, chanical innovation. He had wondered often: was this what people called materialistic technology? If so, could it even function in a world dominated by magic?
The idea had plagued his thoughts for so ti. In this world, magic and technology often intertwined in ways that baffled him. Alchemists had established a whole field of magic-infused technology, but Logan had never encountered an alchemist himself, leaving him with more questions than answers.
If the goblins could power massive ships without magic, what kind of technology were they using? Was it materialistic? Was it sothing he could replicate or was magic at its core after all?
These questions gnawed at him, and today, he hoped to find so clues. The shipbuilding techniques of the snake people might hold the answers. Were they crafting ships based on pure engineering, or did they rely on so magical force he couldn't yet grasp?
As the group made their way to the shipyard, Logan's mind raced with possibilities. What he would discover there could shape the future of the Silver Mane Tribe and its relationship with technology and magic. Whatever the case, he was determined to find out.
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