Beastmen possessed extremely sharp hearing, so even though Minho spoke softly, everyone still turned to look at them at once.
Hayoon froze briefly.
Naturally, she could not possibly say in front of the Voz-Karr Tribe that she thought their pottery kiln consumed far too much firewood.
Pottery firing already required a very long time to begin with.
Even in the modern world, wood-fired kilns had become rare after industrial development advanced.
She first smiled reassuringly at Minho and whispered softly, "Nothing."
Then she turned toward Chorong and asked, "The pottery pieces are not placed directly on top of the firewood, right?"
Chorong nodded. "No. There is a separate kiln chamber farther ahead. It was built slightly higher than this area and is specifically used for placing pottery blanks. Come, I will take you to see it."
After hearing this, everyone immediately followed after him, and Hayoon quietly let out a small sigh of relief.
Minho gave her a thoughtful glance before shifting his gaze away again.
The cave used for placing pottery blanks was indeed much larger than the firewood tunnel.
It resembled a gigantic hemispherical dome hollowed out inside the mountain.
They even had to climb a short set of stairs before reaching the chamber floor.
Holding up his torch, Chorong guided the people from the Ur-Shet Tribe around the area.
Not only did he show them everything openly, he also patiently explained the kiln's structure in detail.
Within the darkness, Chief Baek and the others' eyes practically shone with excitement, occasionally asking questions along the way.
Meanwhile, Hayoon wandered around curiously, examining everything with great interest.
After completing one full tour, Immo finally voiced the question she had been wondering about. "The air vents and smoke channels are designed this way for a specific reason?"
Chorong answered honestly, "Nothing especially profound. It is mainly to make the temperature throughout the kiln as even as possible. According to the experience passed down from our ancestors, pottery fired this way turns out better."
Hayoon nodded, understanding the principle immediately.
If the temperature throughout the kiln remained stable, then the quality of the finished pottery would also become more consistent.
Chorong continued, "But honestly, most of the structure was designed according to the shape of this mountain itself. If we randomly chose another mountain, we probably would not be able to build a kiln this convenient either. That is why I already told you before that this kiln design might not suit your tribe."
He pointed toward the steps below. "For example, that area is originally lower. When burning firewood, the heat naturally flows upward."
Everyone looked in that direction and could easily imagine how much heat would gather inside the kiln chamber when the flames burned fiercely.
Chief Baek sighed in admiration. "It must be much hotter than open-air firing. No wonder your pottery is so good."
Beom could not help but feel inspired. "Even though we do not know when the Ur-Shet Tribe will be able to build their kiln, we have already learned so much today. Even if we only use it for open firing, we can still produce better pottery."
He said sincerely, "Chief Chorong, thank you."
Chorong had originally thought the Ur-Shet Tribe was asking for too much, but seeing their sincere attitude, he was also somewhat moved.
He waved his hand and smiled modestly. "This kiln has been maintained by generations of ancestors. I am only passing on what I know. If you ask me to improve it, I would not know where to start."
He had agreed to the trade not only because he was interested in their weaving methods, but also because the kiln had not changed for a long time. He had hoped the Ur-Shet Tribe might bring some new ideas for improvement.
Beom chuckled and teased, "It is already quite good as it is. And you still want to improve it? That is too difficult. I cannot think of anything either."
Chief Baek and Immo also looked around and shook their heads, showing no idea.
Only Hayoon, while they were speaking, walked down the steps, stroking her chin as she studied the ground carefully.
"What if we dig this area lower?" she asked, turning back to the others and stepping on the ground to demonstrate.
Everyone immediately looked at her.
Chorong could not help but tense up slightly. "Dig it lower? For what purpose?"
Hayoon explained, "Did you not say that differences in height affect heat? I was thinking that if we cannot raise the upper chamber, we could dig the firewood chamber deeper instead. That would increase the height difference between the two areas. This pit might also be able to store more heat."
Minho was standing closest to her. While the others were still reacting, he said calmly, "I think your idea could work."
Immediately after, Chorong's eyes lit up. He clenched his fist and struck his palm in excitement. "That makes sense! I brought people with me. Let's try digging it right now!"
Since tools were not as effective as beast forms, Chorong left two canine beastmen behind and had the rest exit the kiln.
Not long after, a pile of gray soil was carried out by the beastmen.
When they returned again, there was already a new pit at the base of the steps.
The pit was not very deep.
Hayoon estimated it was only about 1.2 meters.
Chorong walked excitedly back and forth beside the pit. "Let's start with this depth and see how the pottery turns out."
Immo asked with interest, "When will you fire it?"
Chorong replied, "You have seen it too. This kiln is very large, and the mountain itself holds heat well. Firing it once requires a lot of firewood. If we start gathering from now, we will probably only be able to fire it tomorrow night."
Immo and Chief Baek exchanged a glance before saying to Chorong, "Since we still need to study how to build the kiln for another two days, can we come and help when you fire it tomorrow?"