Blackpine's Assembly Line

Shien stood in the center of the Workshop and slowly swept his gaze over the crowd.

The hundred rank-and-file craftsmen and apprentices transferred from Tear Knight City looked distinctly uneasy as they stood quietly in line.

The clerks methodically organized the roster, while the warehouse liaison bent over the old accounts, carefully checking the records.

Several supervisors were scattered throughout the Workshop, watching what went on around them and noting everything down for their reports to their superiors.

The nine craftsmen from Blackpine Fief stood to one side. They were the skilled workers Shien had carefully selected for this very day.

There were 131 people in the pilot Workshop, each assigned to a corresponding group.

Shien looked over them and said, "For the seven-day trial, each of you will be responsible for your assigned task. I'll tell you what that is shortly. For now, make your preparations."

Low murmurs soon spread through the Workshop. A craftsman usually had to know a little of everything, even hauling and sorting materials. Many things had to be handled personally.

A master craftsman worked with his apprentices and often juggled several jobs at once, helping wherever hands were needed. Many processes had no clear division of labor, and where materials were kept depended largely on experience and memory.

Now everyone had been reassigned to a fixed station, responsible for just one clearly defined step. Many found it hard to adjust.

Shien paid no mind to their reactions and ordered the Workshop cleaned. In his view, an environment this cluttered was bad for production.

Iron and timber were piled in different places. Damaged weapons awaiting repair lay scattered about, and parts had sat in corners for ages.

Craftsmen often spent a long time rummaging for materials. Sometimes they requested fresh supplies even though stock remained,