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Astali led Logan and his companions, Begon and Tyton, to the northernmost part of the pier. There, they came upon a narrow, artificially dug canal about twenty or thirty meters long. It was flanked by busy workbenches, alive with activity. The centerpiece of the area was an impressive sight; a massive fifteen-meter ship hull, still in its early stages of construction.

Snake people moved gracefully around it, some focused on assembling beams while others worked meticulously on finer details.

Astali motioned toward the shipbuilders, and soon a group of snake people, men and women of all ages, gathered. After her formal introduction, they bowed respectfully to Logan, their faces marked by awe and curiosity. This was the first time most of them had been this close to the chief.

Logan smiled warmly, acknowledging their greetings before his attention was drawn back to the large ship base in the center of the work area. His eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Is this the base for the second fifteen-meter ship?"

"Yes, Lord Chief," came the respectful response from an elderly snake-woman standing nearby.

Logan turned to examine her more closely. The woman, though aged, carried an air of wisdom and authority. Despite the deep lines on her face, it was clear that she had once been strikingly beautiful. Her presence stood out, not just because of her age but also the way others seemed to defer to her.

Astali, noticing his interest, smiled and said, "Master Chief, this is one of our senior shipbuilders, Beitingfeier."

Logan nodded appreciatively. "A senior shipbuilder? I\'m impressed! Thank you for your hard work, Beitingfeier."

The elderly snake-woman bowed slightly, her voice humble yet steady. "Master Chief, you are too kind. I am but a servant of the craft, doing what I have always done."

Logan found it fascinating that the snake people, a matriarchal society, relied so heavily on women for such skilled labor. It was unexpected but made perfect sense given their cultural structure. He smiled warmly at Beitingfeier, but a thought tugged at him, a curiosity he had to satisfy.

"Haha, Beitingfeier," he began with genuine intrigue, "would you mind explaining to me the power principle behind this ship? I\'m quite interested in how it operates."

Beitingfeier\'s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Power principle? Why would the chief of the tribe be interested in such technical details? She glanced at Astali, who gave her an encouraging nod, then turned back to Logan.

"Of course, Lord Chief," she said, her tone respectful but still slightly uncertain. "This ship is primarily powered by the current of the river, aided by large oars and sails. Our people rely on the wind to catch speed when crossing open waters, and the oarsmen provide the strength when needed."

Logan leaned forward, his curiosity deepening. "So, there\'s no magic involved? No enchantments or inscriptions powering it?"

Beitingfeier shook her head. "No, Chief. While there are magical technologies available, our methods are more traditional, rooted in craftsmanship. We use the wind, water, and muscle. Magic is often too costly for such projects unless absolutely necessary."

Logan pondered this, his eyes scanning the ship hull again. It wasn\'t what he had expected, but it was closer to the materialistic technologies he knew. The snake people\'s shipbuilding techniques relied on natural forces and manual labor; no spells or arcane mechanisms. He wondered if this was a glimpse of the kind of technology used by the Goblin Empire he had heard so much about.

"So, it\'s technology, not magic," he murmured to himself, deep in thought.

Beitingfeier, unsure if she had answered the chief\'s question to his satisfaction, added, "If you are looking for something more advanced, my lord, we can certainly explore the use of magical enhancements. But for now, we focus on efficiency and practicality."

Logan smiled. "No, this is exactly what I was looking for. I\'m fascinated by how you manage without relying on magic. It\'s impressive."

The other snake-men shipbuilders exchanged glances. They had expected the chief to be more distant, perhaps even indifferent to their work, but instead, he seemed genuinely interested, even impressed.

Astali, standing beside Logan, could sense the chief\'s satisfaction. This was exactly what she had hoped for; an opportunity to elevate the status of the snake people in his eyes by showing their value through their skill and craftsmanship.

"We are always ready to learn and adapt, Lord Chief," she said. "If there\'s anything more we can do to help the tribe, we are at your service."

Logan gave her a knowing look. "I can see that. You and your people have already contributed so much. The future of the Silver Mane Tribe will depend on how we can blend your craftsmanship with new technologies, whether they come from magic or otherwise."

He glanced once more at the ship under construction, his mind buzzing with ideas. The future was bright, and he knew that the combination of the practical and the mystical would forge a path for the tribe unlike anything seen before.

Beitingfeier paused for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. Then she turned to a young snake woman standing nearby. "Go fetch the design drawings for Ship No. 15," she instructed.

"Yes, right away!" The young woman nodded eagerly before darting off.

Logan watched with interest, intrigued by the mention of design drawings. He had assumed that such detailed plans would be rare in their society, but perhaps he had underestimated the snake people\'s capabilities.

Within moments, the young snake woman returned, carrying a large sheet of animal hide covered in intricate designs. "Here it is, Beitingfeier," she announced, her voice filled with pride.

"Let\'s take a look," Beitingfeier said, as she and the young woman positioned themselves to unfold the drawing.

Logan leaned in closer, his heart racing with anticipation. As they opened the blueprint, his eyes widened in surprise. The level of detail was astonishing; this was no simple sketch. The design was meticulously drawn, showcasing a comprehensive layout of the ship.

His surprise deepened as he analyzed the ship\'s power mechanisms. "So you\'re using manual and sail power together?" he mused aloud. "But these design features... they\'re automated in many ways." He noticed the intricate steering mechanism and the wooden propeller device at the back, which could be manually controlled but operated with remarkable precision.

"This is brilliant!" he exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. The ship\'s design reminded him of the principles of mechanical engineering, an area he was all too familiar with. Gears connected the oars to the propeller, allowing for a level of control that was surprisingly sophisticated.

Beitingfeier\'s eyes flicked to Logan, her surprise evident. Could it be that the chief truly understood these concepts? It seemed impossible, yet his expression indicated he grasped the operating principles behind the ship\'s design.

"I see it now! This is incredibly ingenious!" Logan laughed, unable to contain his admiration. "You\'ve harnessed the most primitive applications of machinery here."

He pointed excitedly at the drawing. "With your clever use of gears, all onboard operations, including propulsion, are simplified! For instance, this artificial rotating device on the deck, if just four or five people turn it, they can drive the gears that operate both the oars and the screw at the back!"

"Do you truly understand all this?" Beitingfeier asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

Astali, Tyton, Begon, and the other shipbuilders exchanged glances, their expressions mirroring Beitingfeier\'s astonishment. Astali, particularly, looked perplexed as she examined the dense lines on the drawing, trying to make sense of the complexities.

"Yes! This is remarkable craftsmanship," Logan replied, his enthusiasm infectious. "You\'ve created a mechanism that transforms manual labor into something far more efficient. It\'s like you\'re on the brink of mechanical innovation!"

The shipbuilders listened intently, their admiration for the chief growing. They had always known the value of their work, but hearing such recognition from Logan ignited a new sense of pride within them. Astali felt a wave of hope; perhaps their skills would finally receive the acknowledgment they deserved.

"Would you like to see how it works in practice?" Beitingfeier offered, her voice brimming with excitement. "We can demonstrate the rotation device right now!"

"Yes! I\'d love to see it," Logan replied, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. This was more than just a ship; it was a symbol of what the Silver Mane Tribe could achieve by combining craftsmanship with innovation.

Beitingfeier stood stunned, watching the chieftain scan the intricate blueprint with surprising ease. She had expected confusion, but instead, Logan seemed to grasp the concepts immediately.

"Haha, Master Beitingfeier," Logan said with a hearty laugh, "don\'t underestimate me. I can still follow the basics of this blueprint." His smile was wide, and his confidence clear.

After all, his background in physics and chemistry gave him an edge, even in this strange, idealistic world. The principles of gears, mechanics, and engineering were universal, and with just a glance, he could piece together how the ship\'s systems worked.

"Chief, you truly are remarkable," Beitingfeier replied with a smile of her own. She was impressed. Most people who saw these kinds of detailed plans found them overwhelming; an indecipherable mess of lines and symbols. But here was the chief, who had never dealt with shipbuilding, grasping it on the first look.

As they continued examining the blueprint, Logan couldn\'t help but ask something that had been on his mind. "Master, I\'ve been thinking. You\'ve built all these ship parts out of wood. Isn\'t there a risk they\'ll wear down quickly or break over time?"

Beitingfeier nodded thoughtfully. "You\'re right, Chief. Wooden components, especially the ones under constant stress, do wear down. But we plan for that. Every moving part has a spare. We inspect and repair the ships monthly, replacing anything damaged or too worn to function properly."

Logan nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "That makes sense. Regular maintenance would definitely help extend the life of the ship."

But his curiosity hadn\'t yet been satisfied. "Master Beitingfeier," he said, "have you ever considered replacing these wooden parts with iron?"

Beitingfeier blinked, clearly taken aback. "Iron?" she repeated, her voice laced with surprise. "Chief, why would you think of that?"

Logan leaned in, his expression serious but intrigued. "Iron is stronger, more durable. It could eliminate the need for constant part replacement."

Beitingfeier paused, trying to wrap her mind around the concept. "I understand what you\'re saying, but it\'s not so simple," she began carefully. "Iron is much harder to shape than wood. And even if we could shape it, the added weight would be a major issue. The shipbuilding techniques we, the snake people, currently use wouldn\'t be able to handle that extra mass."

She motioned to the blueprint, pointing out various points where weight would cause problems. "If we made the ship heavier, the power systems: oars, sails, and even the crew, wouldn\'t be enough to keep it moving efficiently. Unless..." She paused, thinking. "Unless we had access to the magical technologies humans or elves possess.

They use runes to reduce the weight of materials like iron, and with the power of magic cores, they can propel massive ships."

Beitingfeier shook her head slowly. "But without that kind of magic, our technology can\'t handle it."

Logan listened intently, his fingers tracing the edge of the blueprint. "Magic technology…" he repeated softly, his tone thoughtful. He knew well enough that relying on magic wasn\'t the path he wanted for the Silver Mane Tribe. Alchemists and rune masters were rare, and gathering enough to support the tribe\'s needs would be nearly impossible.

Not to mention, the reliance on magic cores; a powerful but finite resource, would never align with his vision of sustainable growth.

He shook his head, making his decision clear. "I see your point, Beitingfeier. But I don\'t want to lean too heavily on magic. It may be powerful, but it\'s not the path I want us to take. Magic technology might evolve, but it shouldn\'t be our main focus."

The senior shipbuilder studied him carefully. She could sense that Logan had bigger plans, a vision that stretched far beyond the use of magic alone. And she was curious to see where that vision would lead.

"But your insights," Logan continued, "have shown me something important. We need to explore both paths, improving what we have now, while also understanding what the future might hold."

Beitingfeier nodded, understanding his resolve. "Then we\'ll continue refining what we know, Chief. And if there\'s a way to incorporate stronger materials without relying on magic, we\'ll find it."

Logan smiled. "Exactly. This tribe has a future not bound by either magic or material alone, but by the ingenuity of both."

As they stood over the detailed drawing of the ship, Logan felt the weight of the moment. The tribe\'s path forward was becoming clearer to him, one that blended the practical, material-based technologies of his world with the wonder of this new one.