Geis sat at the table with the list Aurora had brought. It included clockmakers, watermill engineers, and metalworking artisans. The list had their names, ages, and workshop locations. He carefully studied each entry.
'A few are promising,' he thought. 'Most are average.'
He activated the system.
[Progressor Status: Active.]
[Opportunity: Eastern Frontier Oil Extraction]
[Talent Suitability Check: Pending]
Geis typed in a command.
[Assess talent suitability for Eastern Frontier operation]
The system quickly responded.
[Clockmaker Guild Master: 85% suitability]
[Watermill Engineers: 78% suitability]
[Metalworking Artisans: 65% suitability]
Geis nodded. 'These are enough to start. I don't need everyone with full skill.'
He wrote down a plan. First, contact guild leaders. Second, request their best workers. Third, provide resources for experimentation. Fourth, travel to the Eastern Frontier. Fifth, begin extraction trials.
Aurora knocked on the door. "Geis? Are you working again?"
"Yes," Geis said. "I need to assign tasks. Can you deliver letters to the guilds?"
"Of course," Aurora said. "Do you want me to explain the purpose?"
"Just request their best artisans and engineers," Geis said. "Mention I will meet them personally."
Aurora nodded. "Understood."
Geis opened the map of the kingdom. Most guilds were in the capital or nearby cities. Travel would take a day or two by horse. For the Eastern Frontier, river transport was faster, but he needed guides.
'Step one: talent acquisition,' he thought. 'Step two: travel logistics.'
He turned back to the system.
[Progressor Check: Talent Acquisition Progress]
[Clockmaker Guild: Response Pending]
[Watermill Engineers: Response Pending]
[Metalworking Artisans: Response Pending]
Geis leaned back. 'They should reply quickly after the letters arrive.'
He wrote another note in his mind.
[Progressor Update Request: Opportunity Eastern Frontier]
[Check for potential hazards during travel]
[Assess extraction risk]
The system responded.
[Potential hazards detected: river currents, forest animals, remote terrain]
[Extraction risk: unknown. Methods not discovered]
Geis nodded. 'I expected that. Risk is unavoidable. I'll need safety measures.'
He listed supplies: horses, carts, food, tools, basic mining equipment, and guards. Aurora could organize the resources with the palace quartermasters.
'A team of ten should be enough for the first expedition,' he thought. 'Additional artisans will join once we reach the site.'
Geis stood up. 'Time to start coordinating.'
He called a scribe. "Write letters to all guild leaders. Ask their best artisans to come to the palace within two days."
The scribe nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Next, Geis drafted instructions for Aurora. "Prepare horses, carts, and food supplies. Arrange guides for the Eastern Frontier. Prepare simple tools for excavation. Ensure security for all parties."
Aurora quickly delivered the instructions. Geis checked the system.
[Progressor Update: 3 hours later]
[Clockmaker Guild: Letter received, 5 members confirmed attendance]
[Watermill Engineers: Letter received, 4 members confirmed attendance]
[Metalworking Artisans: Letter received, 3 members confirmed attendance]
Geis smiled slightly. 'Fifteen skilled people. Enough for the first experiments.'
He opened the map to plan travel routes. Roads to the Eastern Frontier were narrow and poorly maintained. River transport would take longer to reach the site from the capital, but it avoided patrols and could carry heavier equipment.
[Progressor Recommendation: Use river transport for initial expedition]
Geis agreed. 'It is safer. We need to move quietly.'
Next, he reviewed the labyrinth location. Satellite surveys of the area were impossible, but maps and reports showed a ruined temple near the forest. The labyrinth was likely beneath it. Access would require digging or finding existing entrances.
'Step one: locate entrance,' Geis thought. 'Step two: assess oil flow.'
He considered safety measures. 'If the black liquid ignites, it could kill everyone. Fire control is necessary. We need at least sand and water.'
Geis also thought about measuring extraction. 'Buckets and barrels first. Then plan a pumping mechanism later.'
He opened the system again.
[Progressor Scan: Eastern Frontier Opportunity]
[Updated Data: Entrance likely collapsed. Requires tools and manpower to clear. Estimated time: 2–3 days for first access.]
'This is manageable,' Geis thought. 'Not too long. Talent can work in shifts.'
Geis checked the artisans' skills again.
[Clockmaker Guild: Mechanism design, small engines, precise measurements]
[Watermill Engineers: Fluid dynamics, power transfer, construction]
[Metalworking Artisans: Structural reinforcement, tool fabrication]
'Combined, they can handle the basic extraction setup,' Geis thought.
He prepared initial assignments. Clockmakers would design a simple pump. Watermill engineers would advise on liquid transport. Metalworking artisans would build containers and supports.
Geis considered his own role. 'I will supervise, coordinate, and test the system.' He could give instructions, but the methods would emerge through experimentation.
[Progressor Reminder: Opportunity Window: Limited]
'Time is critical,' he thought. 'Cannot delay.'
He reviewed supplies again. 'Horses, carts, food, tools, guards, barrels, ropes, pulleys.'
Aurora returned. "Geis, letters are delivered. Guild members will arrive tomorrow morning."
"Good," Geis said. "We leave in two days."
Aurora frowned slightly. "Is two days enough to prepare everything?"
Geis shook his head. 'It is not, but it must be.'
[Progressor Update: Opportunity Eastern Frontier]
[Site Condition: Stable]
[Resource Flow: Steady]
[Unknown Variables: High]
Geis noted the variables. Unknowns included entrance condition, oil quality, and extraction methods. He would learn through trial and error.
'First step: get people there safely,' he thought. 'Second step: access the labyrinth. Third step: assess resources.'
He sat down at the table and wrote a plan in his mind:
Day 1: Receive guild members and brief them.
Day 2: Prepare horses, carts, and supplies.
Day 3: Travel to the Eastern Frontier.
Day 4: Locate the labyrinth entrance.
Day 5–6: Start basic extraction tests.
Day 7+: Expand the operation if the first tests succeed.
[Progressor Status: Active]
[Next Opportunity Scan: 24 hours]
Geis looked at the crystal sphere. The flame flickered. 'Infinite flame, infinite chance,' he thought. 'The Progressor will reveal more opportunities if this works.'
He rubbed his chin. 'I don't know how to build machines. I don't know how to process the oil. I only know the resource exists. The artisans will discover the methods with guidance.'
He leaned back. 'This is step one. Step two is learning. Step three is scaling.'
Aurora knocked again. "Geis, should I prepare accommodations for the guild members?"
"Yes," he said. "Rooms, food, workspace, and tools. They need space to experiment."
Aurora nodded. "I will handle it."
Geis opened the system one last time before the day ended.
[Progressor Scan Complete: Talent Acquisition Phase]
[Eastern Frontier Opportunity: Status Pending]
[Time Remaining: Limited]
'Everything is ready,' he thought. 'Now it is a matter of execution. Talent, travel, and testing.'
He stood and stretched. Tomorrow, the artisans would arrive. Then the operation would begin.
[Progressor Status: Active]
[Next Scan: 24 hours]
The crystal sphere on the table flickered in silence.
Geis sat at the window and looked east. Forests, rivers, and hills stretched beyond the horizon. Somewhere below lay the forgotten labyrinth and the black liquid that could change the kingdom.
He did not know how to use it yet. He only knew he had to act.