The lord was about to launch a massive construction project, which naturally required all kinds of skilled professionals.
But Li Ang's territory was currently suffering from a severe shortage of craftsmen, preventing much of the work from proceeding smoothly.
This was mainly because the territory had expanded too quickly, without enough time to build up its resources.
White Deer Fortress itself had not lacked carpenters, masons, and other artisans, but after returning from the Bacchus Empire a few months ago, Amy had transferred most of the craftsmen to rebuild Shield Wind Fortress. They would not be back anytime soon.
And on the Pande Continent, directly recruiting craftsmen was actually rather difficult, because most artisans already belonged to someone. For now, they could only try buying or leasing them.
Yes, in large cities such as Long River Town, craftsmen could indeed be bought, sold, or leased. This was not employment or recruitment, nor was it selling oneself into servitude like a slave. It was accomplished through the transfer of contracts.
When Li Ang had first arrived in Long River Town, Ralph had borrowed some carpenters from the town's nobles for him—and never returned them...
Most craftsmen on the Pande Continent actually had some form of "certification," roughly equivalent to a primitive professional qualification.
But this certification was not represented by a document. Instead, it took the form of special household registration and labor contracts.
Those who possessed a particular craft would generally register their household with the local administrator, then find a guarantor to accompany them in signing a service contract with the local lord—of course, this applied only to master craftsmen whose skills were recognized by their guarantors. Apprentices did not qualify.
These contracts specified the type of work involved, though the classifications were rather crude—blacksmiths, carpenters, masons, and so