Teacher Craftsman

Karl looked at Hector, who was drenched in cold sweat, and said calmly but with unwavering authority, "Hector, you're not busy right now, are you? Come with me, and I'll resolve this matter for you so you can focus on teaching your apprentices."

Hector was filled with doubt and unease, completely bewildered by what the Lord intended to do. However, he dared not disobey orders and could only follow Karl apprehensively as he stepped into the Lord's castle hall, which in his eyes symbolized power and majesty, for the first time.

Upon entering the spacious and solemn hall, Hector felt even more awkward, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

Without saying a word, Karl directly summoned his attendant. "Go and fetch Steward Edgar to see me immediately."

Edgar quickly arrived at the hall. "My Lord, you summoned me?"

Karl nodded and instructed, "Edgar, immediately send a few men to the workshop area and other locations to gather all the registered first-class craftsmen and have them assemble in the Lord's Hall at once."

Although Edgar was puzzled, seeing Karl's serious expression, he immediately bowed and accepted the order, "Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away."

After saying that, he turned and left in a hurry.

Karl then turned to the fidgeting Hector and gestured to the chair beside him. "Sit down, Hector."

Seeing Karl's serious expression, Hector became even more frightened and almost burst into tears.

He waved his hands repeatedly, "My lord... my lord, I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I promise I won't complain anymore, and I will teach my disciples earnestly and without reservation! Please... please don't do this... I..."

He thought Karl had summoned all the craftsmen to punish him in public, to make an example of him.

Seeing his fearful expression, Karl shook his head helplessly and softened his tone. "Hector, don't be afraid. I brought you here not to punish you, but quite the opposite, to completely resolve the problem you just mentioned."

"If that problem isn't solved, neither you nor anyone else can truly dedicate themselves to teaching their apprentices. Today, I'm giving you a reason to teach your apprentices with peace of mind."

Hector was skeptical, but still dared not sit down, and could only stand stiffly to the side, waiting anxiously.

Not long after, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Edgar led three people in; these were Carnford's most important technical personnel.

Martin the bricklayer, Norman the stonemason, Elliot the carpenter.

Their faces showed obvious panic and confusion. Like Hector, they were completely bewildered as to why the Lord had suddenly summoned them all, especially in the solemn and majestic Lord's Hall.

They exchanged uneasy glances and cautiously entered.

"Everyone's here? Let's find a place to sit." Karl pointed to the chairs on either side of the long table.

The craftsmen looked at each other, none of them daring to sit down first.

Finally, Edgar arranged seats for them, and they nervously sat down, almost with half their buttocks on the edge of the chairs, their backs ramrod straight and their hands nervously placed on their knees.

Karl sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the craftsmen who had made great contributions to the construction of Carnford, and slowly began to speak, "You are all indispensable pillars of Carnford. I have gathered you here today to discuss an important matter concerning the future development of the territory."

He paused, his gaze lingering briefly on Hector, before continuing, "Just now, I spoke with Hector about musket production and apprentice training. During our conversation, I discovered a crucial issue that may be prevalent, yet is deliberately avoided by everyone."

Karl's voice was steady yet insightful. "It seems... that the master craftsmen are not so willing to fully impart their knowledge and skills when teaching apprentices?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall became even more tense. The craftsmen's expressions changed, and some instinctively wanted to deny it.

"No... no, sir!"

"We are always dedicated to our apprentices..."

"I have nothing to hold back, Your Excellency, please understand!"

However, their shifty eyes, slightly hurried explanations, and subtle glances exchanged between them undoubtedly betrayed their true thoughts.

This is an unspoken secret within the industry, and also the unspoken rule by which they make a living.

Karl raised his hand to stop their explanations, his tone remaining calm. "There's no need for you to rush to deny it, nor to feel alarmed. I already know about this matter and fully understand your concerns."

"The saying 'Teach your apprentice, and you'll starve' reflects the common human tendency and the most realistic concern in traditional crafts for thousands of years: the fear that after passing on all their knowledge, their own value and status will be threatened."

His words resonated deeply with all the craftsmen.

They lowered their heads and remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"However," Karl's tone shifted, his voice becoming firm and powerful, "Carnford is at a critical juncture of life and death! We need more skilled craftsmen, and we need to increase the production and quality of all supplies, including weapons, armor, and defensive equipment, much faster!"

"Relying on each of you master chefs working alone and hoarding your skills is absolutely insufficient to meet the needs of the territory! We must break this deadlock!"

Everyone's hearts were in their throats, wondering what forceful measures the Lord planned to use to "break the deadlock."

Karl didn't keep them on tenterhooks for long, immediately presenting his solution. "So, the reason I've gathered everyone here today is to completely resolve your concerns."

"From this day forward, I have decided to create a new, special craftsmanship position above the existing first-level craftsmanship rank—[Teacher Craftsman]!"

"[Teacher Craftsman] is not a higher technical rank, but a teaching position that represents responsibility and honor," Karl explained in detail. "Those who serve as [Teacher Craftsman] are responsible for actively recruiting apprentices and must sign contracts to guarantee that they will teach their apprentices the real core techniques in a practical and systematic way, without deliberately concealing or holding back. The territory will regularly assess the apprentices' progress to ensure the quality of teaching."

He then revealed the most crucial point. "Similarly, as a reward for undertaking this significant responsibility, [the Teacher Craftsman] will enjoy far more generous treatment than ordinary first-class craftsmen!"

"First, salary incentives!" Karl's voice was clear and enticing. "For each [Teacher Craftsman] who formally recruits an apprentice, their monthly base salary will immediately increase by ten Silver coin! Two apprentices, twenty! Three, thirty! There is no upper limit!"

"This means that if you teach enough apprentices, eventually you might not even need to do the work yourself; you could earn far more by simply instructing and teaching skills!"

The craftsmen's eyes widened instantly, and their breathing became rapid! Ten Silver coin! That was almost half a month's wages for a second-level craftsman! If they taught more apprentices, their income could double or even more? This...

Without pausing, Karl continued to offer an even more significant benefit, "Second, lifelong security! For every apprentice taught by a [Teacher Craftsman] who successfully passes the examination and officially 'graduates' to become a qualified craftsman capable of working independently, that [Teacher Craftsman] will permanently receive a 'retirement pension'!"

"This pension will be paid monthly by the territory after you grow old and frail and are no longer able to work, ensuring a worry-free life in your later years! For each apprentice who completes their apprenticeship, your monthly pension will increase by ten Silver coin!"

"Wow—!" All the craftsmen were completely stunned, their faces filled with shock and disbelief! A pension! And it was permanent! The more they taught, the more secure their old age would be! This... this had solved their biggest worry!

After Karl finished speaking, he looked at Edgar, who was quickly taking notes beside him. "Edgar, have you written down everything I just said in detail?"

Edgar looked up and nodded. "Yes, sir, I've remembered everything."

"Okay." Karl nodded. "Later, you will have this draft and its details checked in detail with the clerk, Morr, to identify and correct any omissions. Then, you will formulate a formal Lord. Once it is verified to be correct, it will be promulgated and implemented immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" Edgar replied solemnly.

Only then did Karl turn his gaze back to the completely stunned craftsmen, especially the dumbfounded Hector, and asked with a smile, "So, do you all think... this plan can alleviate your concerns? Now, is there anyone unwilling to wholeheartedly teach apprentices?"

After a brief, utter silence, the hall erupted in excited shouts!

"Yes! Yes! Sir! We are willing!"

"Good heavens... retirement pension... ten Silver coin..."

"Sir! I request to be the first to become a [Teacher Craftsman]!"

"Your Excellency is wise! Your Excellency is truly wise!"

The craftsmen were so excited that their faces turned red, and they all stood up, eager to recruit apprentices immediately.

Previous worries and resistance vanished instantly in the face of such tangible and long-term benefits!

The problem now isn't that we're afraid of teaching apprentices, but that we're afraid of not being able to find enough good ones!

Hector was so excited he was at a loss for words. He looked at Karl, his lips trembling, and after a long while, he managed to stammer out, "My lord... my lord! I... I... I, Hector, assure you! As soon as this decree is issued, I... I will immediately unleash all my hidden talents! I... I will try my best to train ten... no! Twenty qualified gunsmiths for you!"

Karl nodded in satisfaction as he observed the crowd's excited reaction.

He knew that this decree would greatly stimulate the enthusiasm of these core technical personnel to pass on their knowledge, cultivate a continuous stream of new technical talent for Carnford, and thus fundamentally solve the production capacity bottleneck problem.

Of course, there are drawbacks as well, namely that it adds a considerable amount of government spending, but it's worthwhile.

"Very well!" Karl stood up. "In that case, it's settled! Edgar, get it done as soon as possible. Everyone, go back and prepare. The future of Carnford depends on you training more excellent hands!"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices filled with unprecedented enthusiasm and hope. After bowing, they left the hall, chatting excitedly.

Hector walked last, and before leaving, he bowed deeply to Karl, his eyes filled with gratitude and determination.