Rebuilding Carnford (4)

Carnford's reconstruction work was gradually getting on track, and all sorts of affairs became overwhelmingly complex and intricate.

Old Morrell had been incredibly busy lately, as Karl had officially appointed him as Carnford's Recorder.

This position meant he had to handle almost all the administrative affairs within the territory.

As a former assistant engineer at the Kingdom Military Engineering Bureau, Old Morrell was the only person in all of Carnford with a higher education, possessing systematic management knowledge and clerical skills.

He was responsible for registering the household registration of new freemen, tallying the daily consumption and inventory of the granary, planning the distribution of supplies, recording various events, and even beginning to consider future sources of income for the territory...

All sorts of trivial yet necessary tasks piled up on his desk like snowflakes.

In contrast, Karl himself seemed to have become a "hands-off boss."

Old Morrell gradually discovered some of the young lord's characteristics, or perhaps "shortcomings."

Karl displayed astonishing talent and enthusiasm in military matters, but he seemed to have little interest in, and was not particularly skilled at, the tedious daily administrative affairs. He could always come up with refreshing and forward-thinking ideas.

For example, semi-subterranean housing, a slave management system, and a merit-based reward system. However, when it came to the specifics of implementation, refinement, and long-term maintenance, he appeared somewhat at a loss, often waving his hand and handing over the concrete work to Old Morrell and Brendan to worry about.

Karl was more like a natural military commander than an all-around ruler.

His energy was almost entirely focused on the army, personally participating in the formulation of training plans, supervising soldier drills, studying tactics, and contemplating defensive deployments.

As for internal affairs management, he delegated almost complete authority to Old Morrell and Brendan, who was increasingly demonstrating his management talent.

That morning, another piece of good news arrived.

Brendan and Roland had successfully refined the precious "Northern Wind Breath" magic powder.

The effect was significant. With the boost from this pure energy, the young Roland successfully broke through his bottleneck and advanced to become a second-tier knight. His Battle Qi strength, physical condition, and reaction speed all greatly improved, and his combat power surged.

However, the aging Brendan failed to break through.

Perhaps his age was truly too great and his body's potential was exhausted, perhaps years of campaigning had left too many hidden injuries, or perhaps it was a matter of his state of mind...

The energy of "Northern Wind Breath" circulated within him, ultimately only consolidating his peak first-tier strength and failing to help him cross that crucial threshold.

His path as a knight seemed to end here.

Karl had been thinking about how to comfort the diligent old knight, but he didn't expect Brendan to find him first.

Brendan's expression was calm, even with a hint of relief. "My lord, my knightly path seems to have reached its end. I won't need to spend a lot of time on Battle Qi cultivation and martial skill training anymore. I'd like to help you share more of the specific tasks, whether it's assisting Mr. Morrell with administrative affairs or taking charge of some of the new recruits' military training. Please grant me permission."

Karl looked at the old knight's composed eyes, deeply moved, and immediately agreed to his request.

He formally appointed Brendan as Carnford's Military Chief. The specific military rank and title were to be perfected later. Brendan would be responsible for daily training, maintaining military discipline, and assisting in formulating defense plans.

Taking this opportunity, Karl also decided to further refine the military structure.

Richter managing thirty veteran City Defense Army soldiers alone was both arduous and led to excessive concentration of power.

After discussions with Brendan and Richter, Karl decided to promote two or three outstanding veteran City Defense Army soldiers to the rank of sergeant major to share management responsibilities.

Thus, Old Morrell oversaw internal affairs, and Brendan oversaw military training and daily defense. The two became Karl's true "left and right hands."

This simple yet effective management system finally freed Karl from the complexities of specific tasks, allowing him to devote more energy to contemplating the territory's overall strategy and future development direction.

At this moment, Karl's "office" was set up in a corner of the simply cleaned main hall on the first floor of the castle.

Although this place was still dilapidated and uninhabitable, placing a table, a few bookshelves, and some chairs made it suitable for temporarily handling official business.

Old Morrell entered, carrying a thick stack of parchment scrolls and wooden boards, his face showing fatigue but also a sense of fulfillment.

"My lord," he placed the documents on Karl's desk, "these are the documents that require your review and signature."

"The population registration is basically complete. The number of freemen is still small. Here is the list and a draft of their identification documents, which require your final signature and seal," Old Morrell handed over a list.

Karl took it, scanned it briefly, then picked up a quill and signed his name. He took out a small wooden box containing the bronze seal representing his lordly status, engraved with the Schmidt family crest, dipped it in ink, and solemnly stamped each certificate.

"The second matter," Old Morrell continued his report, his tone becoming serious, "according to statistics, our grain consumption rate is very high. Simply consuming what we have is not a long-term solution. We must restore agricultural production around the castle as soon as possible. I have conducted a preliminary survey; the land at the foot of the mountain is relatively fertile, but it has been abandoned for a long time. We need manpower, seeds, and farming tools."

Karl nodded. "This matter has the highest priority. You draft a cultivation plan as soon as possible, detailing how many people are needed, what tools, and which seeds. Allocate them directly from the warehouse. If anything is missing, tell me, and I'll find a way to buy it in Fran City. Prioritize assigning it to freemen and well-behaved slaves."

"Third," Old Morrell sighed, "and the most important issue is that we currently have no source of income. All expenditures, including soldiers' salaries, everyone's rations, and tool wear and tear, are being supported by the funds you brought from your family and the last spoils of war. This is not a long-term solution; we must find a way to generate revenue as soon as possible."

Karl frowned. This was indeed a thorny problem.

On the northern front lines, commercial activities had almost come to a standstill, and there was no possibility of collecting taxes.

"I understand. I need to think carefully about this matter," he rubbed his temples.

Finally, Old Morrell's tone lightened, and he handed over a small application slip. "Oh, and one last thing, which is good news. The new freeman Otto wishes to marry the female slave Marissa. Marissa herself has agreed. According to the rules, your approval is required. Additionally, Otto requests permission to build a small, independent house for them to live in."

Hearing this, Karl's face broke into a smile.

This was exactly the scene he wanted to see: stability, families, hope for the future, and more importantly, he could now collect taxes.

He picked up his pen and cheerfully wrote "Approved" on the application slip, followed by his signature.

"Tell them they can build the house, but they must use their spare time and not interfere with their regular work. They can apply for materials from the warehouse according to regulations."

"Yes, my lord." Old Morrell collected all the documents, bowed, and withdrew.

Karl sat alone at the table, looking out the window at the soldiers training and the busy populace.

The complexity of internal affairs far exceeded his imagination, but fortunately, he had found trustworthy helpers.

And now, how to make Carnford "self-sustaining" had become the most pressing problem before him.