Exam
Karl was the only one left in the cramped document room.
The room fell silent instantly, with the faint sounds of commotion coming from the distant Lord's Hall outside the window only serving to emphasize the stillness inside.
Karl sat alone in his chair, the desperate look in the eyes of the spy in the dungeon, Richter's report about Leon and the seven spies, and the fact that Harald had used espionage so skillfully all flooding his mind again.
A feeling of absurdity and heaviness arose spontaneously.
Karl pondered to himself.
Harald, a leader regarded as an uncivilized barbarian by the kingdom's nobles, ironically mastered the art of espionage.
The Goldflower Kingdom, with its many self-proclaimed learned and politically astute bureaucrats and generals, not only failed to defeat the Sauron on the battlefield, but also lagged far behind in areas where civilized nations should excel, such as fighting in the shadows and employing espionage.
This stark contrast between external pressure and internal constraints strengthened Karl's resolve to establish an efficient and loyal intelligence system of his own in Carnford.
He could not entrust his safety to a kingdom that, while seemingly vast, might already be numb and sluggish.
Having dealt with the initial structure and personnel selection for the Intelligence Department, Karl did not immediately relax as he watched Richter and Brendan leave.
He knew that establishing such a sensitive and powerful department required careful consideration, especially in terms of internal coordination.
"I need to discuss this with Edgar," Karl thought to himself.
As the general manager, Edgar was responsible for the daily operation and personnel allocation of the entire territory. His support and cooperation were needed for the cover of intelligence personnel, the funding of operations, and coordination with various departments.
More importantly, the essence of intelligence work lies in "being invisible." Excellent intelligence personnel should disappear into the crowd of ordinary people, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.
They might be street vendors, craftsmen in workshops, or even insignificant clerks or servants in the Lord's Residence.
The placement and cover-up of these identities were all inseparable from the ingenious arrangements made by Edgar, the "chief steward."
He paced slowly in the cramped document room, further refining his deeper considerations in appointing Richter.
Admittedly, Richter demonstrated talent and experience in interrogation and counter-espionage, but this was not the only reason, nor even the most important one.
Karl calmly examined his core team.
Brendan and Roland, these were his earliest and most trusted henchmen, all from his family roots in Franklin Territory, as was Edgar, who joined later.
They constituted the undisputed "Schmidt faction" or "Franklin faction" within the core of Carnford's power.
Lyon, though brave in battle and exceptionally talented in cavalry command, came from the Fran City system and was not an old acquaintance of Brendan and others, making him relatively independent within the upper echelons of the circle.
As for Richter, he also came from Fran City and was a junior officer. Although he and Lyon were from the same "region," they had no close relationship before, and their positions and fields were very different. In the existing power structure of Carnford, he was more like a "lone minister" without deep roots and complex connections.
This unique identity of "not belonging to any existing major faction" is precisely what Karl values most.
In his long-term plan, the future functions of the Intelligence Department will not be limited to foreign espionage and internal counter-espionage.
A mature intelligence system often also needs to assume the function of internal supervision, just like the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to secretly monitor the words and deeds of officials, prevent corruption, dereliction of duty and even betrayal, and ensure that the Lord's will and laws are carried out without fail.
This function is extremely sensitive, requiring absolute loyalty, and also necessitates detachment from various bureaucratic factions to ensure its impartiality and deterrent effect.
Although Carnford is far from needing to resort to such internal oversight measures given its current size and stage of development, and the officials are all working diligently,... we must prepare for the future.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
As the territory continues to expand and the population becomes more diverse, it's hard to guarantee that no parasites or ambitious individuals will emerge in the future.
At that time, an independent, efficient internal oversight force directly accountable to Karl himself will be a powerful tool for maintaining order and ensuring integrity and efficiency.
Richter, an officer with outstanding abilities, a relatively simple background, and a distant relationship with the existing power circles, was undoubtedly the right person to wield this "double-edged sword."
Of course, Karl will keep this deeper intention to himself for now and will never reveal it to anyone, including Richter himself.
At this stage, the Intelligence Department's mission is purely external defense.
Having sorted out these thoughts, Karl pushed open the door to the document room and decided to go to Edgar to first have some necessary communication and planning regarding the establishment of the Intelligence Department and Richter's transfer.
Every move must lay the foundation for Carnford's long-term and stable future.
Karl walked through the inner corridor of the castle, and as he passed the entrance to the Lord's Hall, he deliberately slowed his pace, only glancing inside from a distance.
The hall was bustling with people. Lady Eileen, the mother, was still enthusiastically directing the servants to hang new curtains and arrange exquisite silverware. The air was filled with an overly ornate and busy atmosphere that was out of place with the castle's military tone.
Karl immediately looked away, quickened his pace, and slipped past almost silently.
He didn't want to be caught by his mother at this moment and dragged into discussing those tedious wedding details again.
He had intended to go to the steward's study to discuss Intelligence Department matters with Edgar, but then he thought that given Edgar's hands-on nature, he certainly wasn't in the castle at the moment.
Sure enough, after inquiring with the servants, it was learned that Steward Edgar had taken his men to the plains below the mountain early in the morning and was busy with the most important matter of land allocation. He had been out almost the entire time these past few days, so busy that he hadn't had a moment to rest.
Edgar has been working tirelessly lately to efficiently advance various government affairs, especially in selecting management talent.
He asked engineer Morr to design a set of written test questions to test basic mathematical and geometric knowledge and simple physics. Karl himself added some basic management questions and situational problem-solving questions to this, integrating them into a selection test that was not difficult but very practical.
This exam consists of two parts: a written test and an interview. It is specifically designed to select talented individuals from the vast migrant population who have potential, basic education, clear logic, or a special skill.
Thanks to this newly established selection mechanism, Edgar's "Organization Department" has indeed recently seen a number of new faces join the ranks of those who passed the exams.
These newly promoted grassroots officials are full of enthusiasm, which has greatly alleviated the pressure of insufficient management personnel.
However, they are still relatively inexperienced and cannot immediately take charge on their own. Many key decisions and complex matters still require Edgar, the "Master Craftsman," to personally oversee them and guide them through a period of practice, which has only increased Edgar's workload.