Chapter 59: Planning the Paper Workshop
After finalizing the cooperation details with Ros two days earlier, Saelen had originally intended to assign a cavalry escort to ensure her safe journey to Eastwatch. From there, she could sail to White Harbor, then transfer to another ship bound directly for King's Landing.
Unexpectedly, Ros refused again.
She claimed that having cavalry accompany her would draw suspicion and increase the risk of exposure. She told him not to interfere further.
The very next morning, she departed alone—seated casually in a small merchant's wagon. Where she went afterward, and which route she ultimately took to reach King's Landing, Saelen had no idea.
He forced himself to set aside the matter.
Ros had made her choice. Now she would have to rely on her own abilities.
Saelen turned to Gendry.
"Go fetch Emil. Tell him to bring those items as well."
Gendry acknowledged the order and left. Before long, he returned with Emil and a young assistant carrying a stack of materials.
"My lord," Emil said respectfully, "the parchment has been prepared according to your instructions."
The assistant laid the bundled sheets carefully on the table.
Saelen nodded. "That will be all. You may leave."
Emil bowed and withdrew with his assistant. Gendry followed them out, closing the tent flap behind him.
These materials had been requested in advance. Saelen intended to draft detailed blueprints for the tools required to establish a Paper Workshop—precise dimensions, material specifications, construction methods. He would also document the raw materials needed for papermaking, the production process, and each procedural step in full.
Once completed, he would dispatch the plans to Maester Rosmond, instructing him to construct the workshop strictly according to the drawings.
Saelen had no illusions that this could be accomplished quickly.
He did not expect to revolutionize industry overnight.
All he needed—for now—was a functioning workshop capable of producing paper.
Quality and cost were secondary concerns at this stage. The priority was simple: make paper successfully.
Refinement of techniques, improvements in texture and durability, and reduction of production costs could all come later.
First, it had to exist.
Because Castle Edd lay so far from the Wall, even riding the fastest horse—ignoring weather entirely—Saelen would need at least a full month for a round trip. And that was under ideal conditions.
Men and horses both needed food and rest.
The closer one rode to the Wall, the harsher the weather became. Snowstorms could slow travel to a crawl. Add in the time required to supervise construction of the Paper Workshop, and the journey would likely stretch beyond two months.
So Saelen had no choice but to rely on detailed written plans. It was the only way to complete the system's "Build a Paper Workshop" task quickly. Once finished, his Spirit attribute could rise again. The next time he encountered wights, he could harvest a proper wave of points—and finally accumulate enough Spirit to convert into Mana points at will.
Pushing aside distractions, Saelen opened the system panel.
---
Name: Saelen Stark
(Note: This surname has been forcibly bound by the system and cannot be changed.)
Strength: 6.02 + 0.02 (trainable)
Agility: 4.00 + 0.02 (trainable)
Endurance: 5.02 + 0.02 (trainable)
Spirit: 10
(Can level up by killing magical creatures. Host can control up to 10 animals simultaneously.)
Sunflame – Spend 10 Mana to hatch? [Yes] [No]
Bloodshadow – Spend 10 Mana to hatch? [Yes] [No]
Mana: 0
(Obtained by killing magical creatures: Wight +0.1, White Walker +10, Night King +100)
Mana: 0 [Exchange]
Spirit: 0 [Exchange]
Exchange Rate: 1:1
Swordsmanship: Max
Archery: Max
Spear Mastery: Max
Horsemanship: Max
Construction Tasks:
Porcelain Workshop – Completed
Glass Workshop – Completed
Weapons & Armor Factory – Completed
Paper Workshop – Not Completed
---
Over this period, Saelen had trained daily without fail. His three physical attributes had all improved significantly:
Strength from 5 to 6.
Agility from 3 to 4.
Endurance from 4 to 5.
He selected the "Build Paper Workshop" task. A new interface appeared.
---
Papermaking Process:
1. Raw Material Selection
Tree bark, mulberry, paper mulberry, rags, hemp fibers, and similar materials.
This would require Maester Rosmond to investigate what northern plants were suitable substitutes.
2. Soaking and Steaming
Materials must be soaked for several days, then steamed in limewater or ash solution.
Timing was critical. This stage would demand repeated experimentation—likely hundreds of trials—to master.
3. Washing and Pulping
After boiling, the fibers must be repeatedly beaten and washed until pulp forms.
This was pure manual labor. Endless pounding and rinsing.
Saelen frowned.
If he could someday construct a water-powered hammer mill, it would save enormous effort—but he had no technical knowledge of such machinery. That would require future collaboration with Rosmond.
4. Sheet Forming and Pressing
Use a fine bamboo screen to scoop pulp from a vat. Let water drain to form wet sheets. Stack and press to remove excess moisture.
A green notification blinked:
"Note: The fineness of the bamboo screen directly determines paper quality."
Saelen tapped it and received a detailed explanation of weaving precision and tension control.
5. Drying and Finishing
Brush wet sheets onto smooth heated walls or allow natural drying. Then trim and finalize.
Only then would a single sheet of paper exist.
---
Equipment and Location Requirements:
Tools:
Steaming furnaces, soaking pools, pulp vats, pounding hammers, bamboo screens, drying walls.
All required precise construction blueprints.
Location:
Near a reliable water source.
Castle Edd stood near the White Knife—water was plentiful, and river transport convenient.
Raw Material Source:
Uncertain. The North had abundant forests, but whether suitable fiber plants existed was unclear. Rosmond would need to experiment.
Fuel:
Simple. The North had timber in abundance—though large-scale harvesting would require Lord Eddard's approval.
Labor:
Woodcutters, boiler operators, pulp workers, sheet formers, dryers.
All would need training from apprentices upward.
---
Saelen picked up his quill and began writing.
Ten full days passed before he completed copying everything onto parchment.
He was slightly embarrassed. The written instructions had been manageable. The diagrams, however, consumed enormous time. In the end, he had to summon Emil to help finalize the technical drawings.
When everything was done, Saelen gathered the parchments into a large wooden chest. He locked it securely, then called for Gendry and summoned Lawrence.
"Lawrence," Saelen said gravely, "I need ten loyal and reliable cavalrymen. This chest must be delivered directly into Maester Rosmond's hands."
He then produced a sealed letter and handed it over.
"Give him this. And tell him: do not concern himself with cost. Produce results first. Do you understand?"
Lawrence accepted both chest and letter solemnly.
"I understand, my lord."
He withdrew.
Moments later, Emil entered once more.
"My lord, a raven has arrived from Castle Black."
He handed over the letter.