Henwell uses the cement and steel they've managed to produce to construct defensive walls around these two crucial workshops. The construction progresses swiftly, and the defenses are top-notch. Henwell feels quite satisfied, and members of the chat group send their congratutions. They also start pnning their own youts, attempting to develop their own foundation of craftsmen.

  Knowledge is one thing, but applying it in practice comes with various challenges. Henwell has already gone through the entire process, identifying potential issues to help others avoid many pitfalls. While they don't mind wasting resources, wasting time is something they can't afford.

  Henwell decides not to expand these two industries for now. The issue remains that they aren't strong enough to protect these key industries. After a year of building, Henwell's army has developed a basic level of combat effectiveness. At least, that's from Henwell's perspective. Knights like Mark already consider Henwell's private army to be quite elite.

  This is a fully armored force, with even the infantry equipped with solid chest ptes forged from thin steel. Although they look somewhat rudimentary, Henwell is a veteran from the battlefield and has treated numerous wounded soldiers. He knows where soldiers are most vulnerable to injuries in battle.

  Now, Henwell's infantry has an unusual chest pte design, covering only the front, with steel bars providing support at the back. The front of the thighs also has two steel ptes for protection, secured with ropes at the waist and tied to the thighs for stability.

  In frontal assaults, the chest, abdomen, and thighs are the areas most likely to be injured, leading to significant blood loss and loss of combat effectiveness.

  Additionally, there's a small arm guard on the outer side of the left forearm, designed to block enemy attacks at critical moments. The entire set of armor weighs only a third of the regur army's infantry armor, yet its basic protective capability is not inferior at all.

  Why leave their backs unarmored? Just kidding!

  Henwell expects his soldiers to face the enemy head-on, not turn their backs and run away. Besides, Henwell believes that his army won't be any slower than others when it comes to retreating. Of course, cavalry is a different story; when facing a cavalry charge, armor on the back doesn't really matter.

  Henwell's priority is ensuring that his troops can maintain mobility even while armored, so keeping things lightweight is essential. During marches, having the back exposed also helps with ventition and sweat evaporation.

  Moreover, assembling a cavalry battalion is already quite a feat for Henwell. If he were to form a fully armored infantry as well, what would that imply? A rebellion, perhaps? Besides, even the defense forces of Peace Haven aren't fully armored!

  As for the primary weapon of this infantry, they wield spears over two meters long. The longswords, which are the main weapons for other armies' infantry, serve only as secondary weapons for them.

  Henwell would love to equip his infantry with heavy crossbows, but acquiring them on a rge scale is tricky. He can produce crossbows with semi-steel structures, which are even more powerful. However, the problem remains that such a move would draw too much attention.

  Building an army can be justified as a need for security, given Henwell's strategic location. But possessing a thousand-strong heavy crossbow infantry would definitely be seen as an offensive force, unsettling the surrounding nobility. This doesn't align with Henwell's development pns. For now, he can only shelve the mass production of heavy crossbows, making a few prototypes to test their power and effectiveness.

  Henwell stumbles upon a surprisingly successful venture he hadn't anticipated: leather armor production. Initially, Henwell considered leather armor to be lightweight but troublesome to maintain compared to steel armor, so he didn't pay much attention to it. That was until someone in his chat group taught him a standardized process for tanning leather.

  The process involves soaking animal hides in quicklime for a period to soften them while removing blood and grime. Afterward, the hair and residual flesh are cleaned off, and the hides are soaked in manure. Yes, manure. This part of the process uses enzymes to make the leather more flexible.

  Once cleaned, the hides are soaked in water, with tannin solution added in batches. The tannin solution is made simply by boiling chopped tree bark in water. Finally, the leather is tanned, fixed onto wooden frames, and left to dry.

  Henwell initially intended to produce leather for making boots, backpacks, and other utility items. However, the quality of his tanned leather turned out to be exceptional, attracting many merchants eager to buy. Seizing the opportunity, Henwell sought out techniques for hardening leather from his chat group buddies, and soon established a leather armor workshop.

  This lightweight leather armor becomes popur not only among passing mercenaries but also with caravan guards, who would purchase a set for themselves. Some merchants even buy in bulk to sell in other regions. This venture marks Peace Haven's first semi-industrial product for export.

  Seeing the profitability of the leather industry, Henwell decides to introduce livestock farming to establish his own supply base for raw materials, which would also provide a decent amount of meat. However, most of the hides still come from merchants who collect them and bring them to him. Henwell acts as a processing wholesaler, and the profits remain substantial.

  Why don't others venture into this industry? There's no technical barrier, and the investment isn't particurly high. Henwell soon realizes the reason: the smell from the leather tanning workshop is indescribable. Noble lords certainly don't want such a pungent workshop in their territories. Those with the skills ck the funds, those with money ck the power, and those with power and nd dislike this kind of industry.

  This situation prevents leather production—from tanning to hardening and finally stitching—from forming a rge-scale system. Most are small-scale artisanal workshops, passing down their skills through generations. Henwell, however, doesn't mind and relocates the workshop to the foot of a mountain, several kilometers away. As long as the smell doesn't reach him, Henwell believes that the money earned smells sweet.

  This industry also spawns numerous derivative products, such as the leather bags and boots Henwell initially wanted. As the scale grows, the cost of any product decreases.

  Additionally, the expansion of the industry not only attracts all the leather and armor craftsmen from nearby but also provides numerous employment opportunities. With signature products and more high-income workers and craftsmen, the prosperity of the territory visibly increases.

  On his seventeenth birthday, Henwell counts on his fingers. A year of efforts has not only drained his treasury but also shrunk his personal savings significantly. However, in exchange, he has developed numerous industry clusters, a growing workforce, vast nd and property ownership, emerging talents, and steadily growing military strength.

  Henwell silently recites, “Technology +1, Popution +1, Military +1, Politics +1…”