Chapter 267 Chapter267-The Corrupt Blacksmith
Howard then headed towards the exit, with Nora and her team clearing a path for him.
Nora, not carrying anything, simply moved from the left side of the corridor to the right.
However, those carrying the materials hurriedly shifted from left to right, causing a box to bump against the wall of the corridor, emitting a thud.
Immediately, a string of grumbles and curses came from the nearest furnace: "What are you good for if you can't even carry things properly? We only asked you to bring some materials, and you can't even manage that. What a bunch of useless fools!"
Nora's expression turned icy, but she remained silent.
The two men carrying the items felt unjustly treated and aggrieved.
It was in the process of making way for their lord that they had accidentally hit the wall; how could this be attributed to their incompetence?
At the same time, they also felt that the blacksmiths were being unreasonable.
Even if they had accidentally bumped into the wall, why resort to insults? Everyone was working in the castle, and it would be more appropriate to speak civilly.
Hearing the blacksmiths' remarks, Howard stopped in his tracks and turned back towards Nora and her group.
As he passed the two men carrying the items, he made a gesture for silence, then whispered reassuringly, "Don't worry, you won't be treated unjustly."
Howard gently inquired of Nora, "What's happening here? Is this a common occurrence?"
Nora replied coolly, "Yes, these blacksmiths have low output but high demands. The amount of materials they require daily is actually much more than their production justifies."
"But since you, my lord, instructed us to meet their needs as much as possible, we have spared no expense to procure these materials. As for their scolding and insults, it's sadly quite commonplace among them."
Howard felt a twinge of annoyance.
He signaled the two men carrying the materials to set them down, then asked Nora, "Do you suspect they are using these materials for personal gain?"
Nora's expression remained unchanged as she responded, "That seems to be the case."
Howard continued, "And about the scolding and insults, does that happen often?"
Nora maintained her composed demeanor, "Indeed, it does."
Howard understood.
Just then, a blacksmith emerged from the room, cursing, "A bunch of useless fools, weren't you almost done carrying it? Why have you stopped now? Are you all cowards, too scared to come near us?"
Howard looked at the blacksmith with a half-smile.
The blacksmith's expression quickly became a mix of emotions.
However, Howard didn't intend to make a big issue out of it, considering they were volunteering their services.
He tactfully expressed that they should refrain from insulting others and instructed the materials to be handed over to the blacksmiths.
As for the financial issue with the materials, Howard chose not to address it directly at that moment.
Bringing up such matters would mean openly accusing them, a step Howard wasn't prepared to take unless absolutely necessary.
Upon hearing Howard's voice, the blacksmiths came out.
The head blacksmith reprimanded the one who had been cursing earlier, providing Howard with some semblance of an explanation.
Howard, with a slight smile, left the forge area and only when the wooden door of the forge was closed, did he ask Nora, "How much have they embezzled up to today?"
Nora replied, "Not much, about 10 bronze coins."
Howard remained silent.
Nora added, "They haven't been working long and have already started embezzling. Ten bronze coins might not seem much now, but remember, they've only been here a few days. In just this short time, we've already delivered so many carts of materials to them. If this continues unchecked, it could amount to three or four silver coins in a month."
After pondering for a moment, Howard instructed Nora, "Find out how much it would cost to properly hire blacksmiths from the market for a month, matching their number.
"After you've got the information, you don't need to report back to me. Just keep in mind, if their monthly embezzlement is less than the standard wages on the market, we don't need to dismiss them. "
"But if they're embezzling more than what it would cost to hire legitimate blacksmiths, then there's no need to keep them. You can dismiss them in my name and recruit a new group. Understood?"
Nora acknowledged that she understood.
Howard turned to the two men who had been carrying the materials earlier, offering them words of consolation, "In this world, there are good people and bad people, and in work, there are joys and frustrations. Today, you have been wronged, and I will keep that in mind. You won't be treated unfairly."
He then signaled to Nora to give each of them 5 bronze coins as a gesture of consolation.
The two men thanked Howard profusely, praising him as a kind and generous lord.
Stepping outside the castle, Howard happened to see Alonso.
Alonso, with his arms crossed, was watching Resarite and his troops training.
Howard asked Alonso, "How many conscripted soldiers can Castle Fernsouth muster?"
Alonso, startled by Howard's sudden question, shivered and replied, "Uh, about seven to eight hundred, I guess. After all, the castle has recently been through a war, and replenishing our troops is a slow process."
Before he could finish, Howard frowned, realizing things were not proceeding as expected.
Alonso, noticing Howard's troubled expression, became even more reluctant to speak, hardly daring to breathe.
Inside the castle, there was a buzz of activity.
Whether it was Vettel's team working on the new specialties or Resarite's training, there was a sense of continuous progress at Castle Fernsouth.
However, the shortage of soldiers was a lurking concern for Howard.
After Resarite and his men completed a lap, Howard personally approached Resarite for a discussion.
Along the way, soldiers spotted Howard and excitedly shouted, "Lord Howard! Lord Howard!"
Howard responded with a warm, spring-like smile, waving his right hand and encouraging them, "Train hard! Once we take down Mibo's castle, I'll award bonuses to all of you!"
Hearing this, the soldiers let out joyful roars, many already eager to march into battle.
Howard approached Resarite and, shielding their conversation from the soldiers with his left hand, leaned in close to Resarite's left ear and asked, "Resarite, tell me honestly, are we short on soldiers in the castle?"
Resarite, turning away, led Howard to a more secluded spot and whispered, "My lord, when we first came here, it was with conscripted soldiers from several villages that we took this castle. Combined, they numbered only two to three hundred. It was your strategic use of troops that made it possible to seize the castle."
"As for Castle Fernsouth, its military force has always been limited. Blima was not a lord with strong military capabilities and never fully tapped into the potential of this castle."
"To be frank with you, my lord, Castle Fernsouth currently has 870 registered conscripted soldiers. In the event of war, they will be deployed, but only a few of them are veterans; most are new recruits with little combat experience."
Howard felt a surge of urgency.
If it weren't for the public setting, he might have grabbed Resarite by the collar to demand an explanation for this predicament.
Howard's expression was grave and puzzled, his eyebrows furrowed deeply in consternation.
He questioned Resarite, "What's going on? Didn't you say that we had a good chance of winning against Mibo? And now you're telling me these are all new recruits?"
Resarite gestured for calm and explained, "My lord, please don't worry, let me clarify."
"Firstly, it's true that these soldiers are new recruits, but under my training, they have already mastered the tactics of column and line formations, enhancing their combat effectiveness."
"Secondly, regarding the number of soldiers, I have been actively recruiting. Many have expressed interest in enlisting, but considering the costs of maintaining an army, I haven't been accepting just anyone."
"I have standards for individual soldier quality, and many who don't meet these standards are turned away. That's why Castle Fernsouth currently has only 870 soldiers."
"However, if you feel the number is insufficient, my lord, I can relax the criteria in the coming days and quickly fill the ranks to match the castle's military budget.
"My lord, even if we step back and consider, 870 soldiers are already significantly more than what Blima had at his disposal. With a great battle imminent, we must not lose our composure."
After hearing Resarite's explanation, Howard calmed down.
He took a couple of steps back, nodding repeatedly with pursed lips, then said, "Hmm, I apologize, I was too hasty. Resarite, issue my order: in the next few days, relax the recruitment standards and fill the ranks of the castle's soldiers."
"As for the economic aspect, as long as we can achieve a balanced budget, that will suffice. I will have Vettel discuss the specifics with you. Resarite, keep up the good work. Your future prospects extend far beyond this."
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