Chapter 40: The First Day

"Hurrah!" "Hurrah!" "Hurrah!" The sailors on the pirate ship had just experienced a fleeting but extraordinary sensation, as if flying. Witnessing Ethan single-handedly haul the massive pirate ship into the settlement, they erupted in cheers.

Ethan, meanwhile, disengaged from his berserk state and knelt on the ground, panting heavily. In those brief seconds, he had boosted his strength 1400 times using his berserk mode to pull the ship. Once the ship settled safely, he sighed in relief, glad his calculations were correct, but he was utterly exhausted. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, he lay down on the ground to rest, leaving the remaining tasks to others.

The sailors, inspired by Ethan's display of strength, were energized and worked diligently. Some were setting up boarding planks, while others were unloading cargo. Their goal was to transfer the winter supplies from the "Popeye" to the pirate ship. Of course, the supplies couldn't just be dumped anywhere. Ethan and Angelina had planned the storage layout in advance, and it had to be followed precisely. Although Ethan wanted to oversee the task himself, he knew he couldn't manage it in his current state and entrusted it to Angelina.

While Ethan rested on the ground, Angelina didn't come to check on him. Instead, she took the lead, boarding the pirate ship and directing the operations. Under her guidance, everything proceeded smoothly. Angelina stepping up was also part of Ethan's plan. He had clearly told her that once they reached the new territory, she could no longer act like a noble lady. With nothing there and everything relying on their own efforts, women had to take on men's roles, and men had to work like beasts. Everyone needed to contribute their fair share. Ethan hoped Angelina would take on the role of the mistress, and so far, she was fulfilling that duty.

After a short rest, Ethan got up immediately, knowing he had to stabilize the ship. Without proper weight distribution, the ship would tilt, and no one wanted to live in a slanted house. Sword in hand, he ran into the nearby forest. Shortly, he returned with a large log on his shoulder and another in his arms. These logs were the trunks of large trees, stripped of branches, about seven to eight meters long and twenty centimeters in diameter. Ethan also gathered some flat stones to serve as bases for the support pillars. He carved the ends of the logs to fit snugly against the ship's hull and began setting them up, one by one.

Whenever he ran out of logs, he went to chop more. With his strength, he could cut down a tree with just two strikes—one for the top and one for the bottom—and a few more to remove the branches. He was selective, only taking straight trunks and ensuring they were of consistent length. This process was easy for him, and within an hour, he had erected thirty anti-tilt pillars, fifteen on each side of the ship, averaging less than two minutes per log—a remarkable speed.

With the pillars in place, the main task was done, but Ethan, feeling still energetic, decided to create a fixed staircase for easier boarding and disembarking, especially as snow would soon arrive, making movement safer. He prepared the materials by splitting logs into two four-meter sections, then halving them lengthwise to create semi-circular steps. These steps, when placed flat side down, formed a sturdy staircase, which he planned to connect using mortise and tenon joints. Though he knew it was a time-consuming method, he aimed for durability and simplicity.

Preparing the materials took another hour. Seeing the crew still busy moving cargo, Ethan headed into the forest to ensure a water supply. Fortunately, the original site selection considered this, and a small creek, fed by melted snow from the Anji Mountains, lay a mile away. Although not large, it was wide enough, at one to two meters, to support hundreds of people—more than enough for the six of them.

However, Ethan found the creek too far for daily use and decided to divert its water directly to the settlement using the simplest method. With Little Yellow's help in mapping a straight path, he began by carving an opening in the creek's bank and extending the channel towards their base, using his sword to cut through stones and trees, creating a trench just wide enough for water to flow. He rested when tired and ate dry rations when hungry. By dusk, he had finally carved out a small water channel, and clear creek water flowed steadily towards their settlement. Ethan smiled at the sight but was thoroughly exhausted.

"Ethan, you're back!" Angelina rushed up, giving him a warm hug. Only then did Ethan notice that everything at the base was complete. The others gathered around as well.

"Sir Ethan, you've truly opened my eyes," Saberi said, approaching. "In less than a day, you've solved the settlement issue, organized the storage, and secured a convenient water source. I believe you'll firmly establish yourself here, growing into a mighty protector for all your people!"

Too tired, Ethan weakly replied, "Thank you for your praise. I believe you'll become a maritime overlord and a commercial giant on land. Let's encourage each other." They hugged briefly.

"Sir Ethan, my mission here is complete, and I must return. The rest is up to you," Saberi said seriously. "One last piece of advice before I go: be wary of 'Nolan.'"

Ethan frowned. "Nolan? Who is he? This is the second time I've heard that name. Please, enlighten me, Lord Saberi!"

"You'll know when you meet him. Anything I say now won't help," Saberi replied with a smile. "We finished our tasks two hours ago and stayed longer just to say goodbye. Now, it's time to part. Sir Ethan, take care! I look forward to seeing you again in spring!"

"Lord Saberi, you take care too!" Ethan and Angelina, along with the others, watched from the beach as Saberi and his crew boarded their ship and sailed away. As the ship departed, Saberi shouted, "For the Lawson family!"

His parting shout was infectious, and everyone echoed loudly, "For the Lawson family!"

Perhaps feeling the pain of separation, Ethan softly murmured, "For the family!"