Chapter 54 Reinforced Infantry Armor
Under the sweep of the autumn wind, the leaves on the tree had all been blown off, leaving behind a bare and stark tree.
Henry had been waking up later and later, now rising at nine instead of his usual six.
"Are you enjoying life in the castle?" Henry asked, catching a falling leaf.
Ellie, following with her notebook, replied, "I feel fulfilled and content."
She now joined Henry for walks, a life she had never imagined.
"Winter is approaching. This year, we shouldn't have to hide in caves to survive the cold," Mila remarked, her hands nimbly playing with a military knife, occasionally piercing through the fallen leaves. Her previously somewhat lean figure was slowly filling out.
Henry replied, "Yes, don't worry. This winter, none of us will have to suffer," Henry handed the leaf to Ellie, laughing lightly, "Put it in your notebook. I'll make it into a bookmark when we get back."
Ellie replied, "Okay!" She held the leaf and looked at its patterns. It was the first time she had found a fallen leaf to be so beautiful.
In the past, seeing fallen leaves meant that winter was coming, which meant they would be hungry for a few months. They survived the long winter on the dried fruits stored in autumn.
"Let's go see if what I requested has been made," Henry changed the subject.
Henry thought, 'Those orphans who used to steal their food, how are they doing this year behind those iron bars? They should be fine; after all, they get free meals, and occasionally, they can... pick up soap?'
Henry said, "Today is a good day..."
For some reason, Henry suddenly felt a bit happy and started singing joyfully.
Mila and Ellie looked at each other. This peculiar singing voice, neither of them had ever heard before. They guessed it must be a song from Henry's hometown.
However, it was quite pleasant to the ear, so they both started humming along.
At the research department, the arrival of the three of them, Henry, Mila, and Ellie, excited everyone. Everyone knew that whenever Lord Henry arrived, their dinner that night would be much richer.
"Have the items I requested been completed?" Henry inquired, preparing for winter.
"We've made two prototypes," the leader replied, rushing to show him.
Soon, two items were placed in front of Henry. These were two coal-burning stoves.
Henry focused on the ceramic stove, while the other was made of iron, and it was not much different from the design he had provided.
"How long can the ceramic stove last when burning coal?" Henry asked.
His current steel production needed to be higher. After all, there were few miners, and the output couldn't increase. He would save where he could, and the iron stove would have to wait until the steel output increased to be popularized.
Moreover, the stove made of steel was also expensive. At this time, iron was a rare resource. He feared that if he sold the iron stoves, people experiencing poverty would dare to sell them at a high price to the knights who lacked iron to forge armor in just a few days.
The leader said, "My lord, the ceramic stove can last for ten days to half a month without cracking. If it's made thicker, it can last even longer."
This timeline satisfied Henry. He said, "Then start firing according to this ceramic stove. I want to see four thousand stoves before the onset of winter."
The leader said, "Yes, my lord!"
"Tonight, the kitchen will prepare an extra meal for you," Henry added.
Henry left satisfied. With the stoves, winter would not be so cold. Coupled with the newly built houses, each equipped with a heated brick bed, this year would likely be a warm winter.
"What are the stoves for? Cooking?" Ellie asked.
"It's one of the secrets to staying warm in winter," Henry replied mysteriously.
Ellie's slight pouting expression made Mila's mouth curl up in amusement, "Henry, are we going to the military camp?" Ellie asked.
"Several of your companions have joined the army. It's been two days, and I want to see how they're doing," Henry explained.
A touch of emotion flashed in Ellie and Mila's eyes. The fact that Henry could care so much for their companions warmed their hearts.
When they arrived at the camp, Gabriel and the other orcs were training.
David, seeing Henry, ran over and said, "Their foundation is good, and they are strong. They make good soldiers."
Henry asked, "Has the heavy infantry armor arrived? How many sets?"
"We have twelve sets of heavy armor," David replied.
"Great, bring out four sets for them to wear," Henry ordered.
Henry was eager to see the power of the heavy infantry.
David immediately went to make arrangements. After Gabriel and the others had a short rest, they immediately put on the heavy armor.
Of course, Gabriel wasn't included. His height needed to be higher; the specially made heavy armor didn't come in sizes below 5 feet and 11 inches.
The otherworldly version of the heavy infantry armor was a full-body design. In particular, key areas like the chest and helmet were reinforced with thick steel plates. The lower body used a skirt armor design, directly enclosing the legs, utilizing scale armor layering technology.
The heavy infantry armor, weighing up to 88 pounds, is more than twice as heavy as knight armor. Its protective capability is so strong that even a recurve bow can't penetrate it, let alone the bows and arrows of this era.
Of course, the average person cannot handle this weight, much less fight a war.
Henry set specific requirements for heavy infantry: They must be at least 5 feet and 11 inches tall, capable of carrying approximately 220 to 330 pounds, and have special endurance requirements.
Some special orcs, such as the bull, bear, and pig tribes, easily met this requirement.
From over a hundred people, six were selected, along with four orcs, to form the heavy infantry squad.
In fact, Henry originally prepared the heavy infantry armor for the orcs. But he only had five orc soldiers, one of whom was a stunted dwarf.
Feeling Henry's gaze, Gabriel turned his head, feeling frustrated.
Gabriel thought, 'I will grow taller. I'm only fifteen this year, and I must have the heavy infantry armor. Audrey will definitely admire me.'
Male orcs should bear the heaviest armor.
