Professional Production of Shoddy Weapons

"It's normal that you've heard of them; they're all old acquaintances. The Coslo Family also originated from the Northern Frontier and is considered a fairly powerful middle-class noble family."

They simply chose the wrong side back then, refusing to accept the Locknerd Family's goodwill. In a subsequent Beastfolk invasion, they lost their ancestral lands and their family's legacy.

The Coslo Family in the kingdom today was established by their remaining members who had left outside, and its most notable characteristic is its large population.

Perhaps fearing continued suppression from the Locknerd Family, after losing their ancestral home, they changed their previous family-based development model and embarked on a path of dispersed branching.

Their branches can be found in many regions of the kingdom, and some branches are said to have even spread to other countries.

The Coslo Family may appear to be a small family now, but with its numerous branches combined, its strength is no less than that of a mid-level noble family.

The Southeast Province were a region where they had placed a heavy bet, with more than a dozen lords of varying sizes. The counties of Laite and Huaidun alone had two baronies and two Knight's Territory.

Its exact strength is difficult to ascertain in a short time. However, this Mountain Baron is likely the most powerful branch among the two counties.

Knight Holman answered slowly.

The apprehension in his tone clearly indicated his opposition to a conflict with the Coslo Family.

Baron Katerley, standing to the side, felt a chill run down his spine. More people don't necessarily mean more power, but more people certainly mean more friends and family.

Nobles are a group that excels at sticking together, especially when facing external enemies, they are more accustomed to sticking together for warmth.

Fortunately, they didn't rashly lead troops to demand an explanation; otherwise, it would be uncertain who would have been attacked.

The opponent was already strong, and if they also brought in a group of friends and family to help them, Katelay would not be able to handle it.

Even if he were to become an enemy, he would have to involve a group of Northern Aristocrats in the fight, but unfortunately, he lacked that prestige. At the very least, those with more prominent backgrounds and connections wouldn't give him the time of day.

"I understand, Uncle Holman. I was originally planning to visit that famous Mountain Baron, but now it seems a bit inappropriate."

The most urgent task is to rescue our people who have been abducted and restore the vitality of our territory. We should also try to obtain compensation to cover our financial deficit.

"That's what Baron Katerley said calmly."

This wasn't cowardice; it was pure improvisation. Although Hudson Territory currently had the largest population and was considered the biggest easy prey in the area, this creature that looked like a sheep was actually a bear in disguise.

If you can't take down the Hudson, you can only target the weaker neighbor.

Besides, even if he wanted to retaliate against Hudson, his reasons weren't sufficient. It was common for noble lords to fight each other, but the reason for a duel had to be compelling.

Accepting refugees is morally acceptable, but it cannot be used as a reason to incite conflict. Forcing things to happen will easily invite intervention from the Governor's Mansion.

"Kateley, don't rush to make a move. Even if we have to take action, we can't be the first to start a conflict, or we'll be in big trouble later."

It would be best to send someone over first to inform them. If they are willing to send the person back, then it would be best not to use force.

As outsiders, our every word and action will be magnified. If we are the first to provoke conflict, it is easy to arouse the hostility of the local nobles.

In any case, this is the Southeast Province, and these local nobles have far more connections and resources at their disposal than we do.

If the enemy were to seize upon any weakness, it would be extremely detrimental to our future development. After all, hostility is only temporary; to truly establish ourselves here, we must ultimately integrate into the local aristocratic circle.

Knight Holman advised.

This nephew showed extraordinary talent from a young age, standing out among his peers. However, the unique environment of the Northern Frontier forced him to conceal his brilliance to avoid arousing the suspicion of the five powerful families.

When the opportunity to go south arose, the family's higher-ups did not hesitate at all and decisively chose to let Kateley escape the cage of the North.

This path may still be difficult, but at least there is hope for further progress, which is better than having to rely on the five major families in the North.

"Don't worry, Uncle Holman. Let's leave this show-off to our Baron Ciss."

He figured some impatient fellows had already gone to him to demand justice. As the most powerful baron among the northern nobles who had migrated south, he had always considered himself their leader.

Now is the time for a leader to step in. A evasive and irresponsible nobleman will not earn the people's trust.

"Kateley said coldly."

Clearly, he wasn't entirely convinced of Baron Ciss's superior position. Given the same resources, Ketterley believed he wouldn't be inferior.

Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done. Being an illegitimate child certainly didn't sound good, but having a duke as a father meant access to a lot of resources.

Unbeknownst to many, Hudson, having narrowly escaped a crisis, was now busy promoting assembly line production to his artisans in an effort to increase productivity. Apprentices were no longer expected to develop comprehensively; each would only need to learn one specific process.

Whether they liked it or not, they obeyed the lord's orders. Although many blacksmiths unanimously stated that this model could not produce qualified blacksmiths, Hudson remained unmoved.

In an era when weapons and armor were all hand-forged, blacksmiths were treated quite well, even those trained by noble lords themselves.

In a big city, a blacksmith could not only ensure his family's basic needs were met, but also have some money for drinks. He could occasionally have a drink at a tavern or indulge himself at a nightclub.

There aren't many entertainment facilities in the countryside, but they can still get enough food and drink. In the lower strata of society, they are considered to be among the best off.

The main reason for such good treatment is their scarcity. To maintain this scarcity, the small group of blacksmiths has always preserved the most primitive father-son succession system.

In this context, a blacksmith's apprentice was essentially a laborer. If he was quick-witted, he could learn a little bit; if he wasn't, he would only waste his time.

For an apprentice to become a blacksmith, besides diligently learning from others, the most important thing is to figure it out on their own. Among them, a small number of exceptionally talented apprentices are able to gradually learn how to become a blacksmith after countless attempts.

Hudson, who was well aware of the wisdom of the common people, never harbored any illusions about mass-producing qualified blacksmiths.

Anyway, he doesn't need a master blacksmith; he just needs someone who can forge weapons. They're all for ordinary soldiers, so even if there are minor flaws, it won't matter much.

After disassembling the forging process, the apprentices were divided into groups according to actual needs, with each group supervised and guided by a blacksmith.

In Hudson's presence, none of the blacksmiths dared to hold back. After all, they were only learning one process, which wouldn't shake their status.

Most importantly, they were all on loan and would be going back after this period of work was over; they didn't need to keep making a living in the Salam Mine Area.

For a time, the sounds of hammering and banging filled the air. Under Hudson's personal supervision, the first batch of mass-produced weapons was successfully manufactured.

"My lord, these weapons are mostly substandard, with fatal flaws, and they will be difficult to sell for a good price on the market."

Look at these greatswords. Not only are they of different weights and lengths, but even their blades are substandard. It's obvious that the quenching process went wrong.

Looking at these arrows again, they are all different sizes, some are thicker than others, and the hooks are even more varied in shape...

If processed into arrows, it will inevitably affect the range and accuracy of the bow and arrow, and the penetration and lethality will also be greatly reduced.

And these spearheads, each one of them was made...

Looking at the weapons before him, smeared with filth by the old blacksmith, Hudson was not angry but pleased. They weren't for his own army, so why be so particular about quality!

No matter how substandard it is, it is still an iron weapon, which is far better than using bamboo or wooden sticks as weapons.

For nobles who wanted to expand their armaments but didn't have much money, these cheap and inferior weapons were still very cost-effective.

If they actually developed high-quality weapons, Hudson might not dare to sell them. One should only take on as much as one can handle.

Large-scale weapons production is not just an economic issue, but also a strategic one.

Limited by a lack of resources, even the Dalton Family could only produce weapons on a small scale.

Making a little money from inferior weapons is nothing to the wealthy Dalton Family. After all, they can produce such things themselves, and they can't equip their elite troops with them. It's not worth ruining their reputation for a little money.

But once high-quality weapons can be mass-produced, the situation will be completely different. Count Pierce, who might be more discreet about his actions, might not go to such extremes.

However, it is highly likely that a land swap will be proposed, and Hudson does not have the confidence to refuse the "goodwill" extended by the leader of the Southeast Province.

"Mr. Liha, just forge it to this standard. We're targeting the low-end market, and the most important thing is to reduce production costs; we don't need to pursue such high quality."

Although the defect rate was a little higher, there were still a small number of qualified products, which was a pleasant surprise.

All the qualified products were picked out, and the rest were given a superficial treatment before being packaged. The news would be released only after the inventory was sufficient to equip five thousand people.